Much to other people’s disbelief, Happy Hogan thinks he knows a lot about what’s going to happen. Especially with his one of his best friends, Tony Stark. If Tony was going to put on a fake moustache and try and win a look-alike contest of himself, Happy would know before it even popped into the billionaire’s mind. If Tony had to take a second before he stepped out to a bunch of photographers, there would always be a hand reaching out to calm him down. If Tony Stark decided he was going to make a sacrifice play for the ‘greater good’, Happy would already try and convince him out of it. And that’s what happened the day before their lives changed for the worst.
“You really think its possible?” Happy asks, after listening to the team go over the plan one more time. Holding a framed photo of May and Peter Parker in his hands, he runs his finger over the edge as his heart beats irregularly. He misses them, of course, but what’s to say that this ‘plan’ won’t make it worse? What if their secondary snap takes away another fifty percent? What if it kills every new bit of life since the first snap? There’s a lot to think of, and it seems like nobody is wanting to even consider all of that. He glances at Tony, who’s fists are clenched as he stares down at the workshop table. “Tony? Come on. You must have some grievances about this?”
Tony grabs Happy’s arm, pulling him up from the lab to the front-porch. There’s a bench just outside the front door that Morgan loves to sit on. Because there’s the best view of the land from here. You can see the animals, and a bit of the stream that flows throughout the garden. You can see how the sun’s rays bounce off the grass. Or when it’s dark, there’s a sparkle from the stars. Happy’s had many nights with the smallest Stark, telling her all about the secrets of the sky when Tony’s too upset to even get out of bed (it happens most of the time when it’s Peter’s birthday, or on the anniversary of the snap. It’s hard to see him like that, but sometimes it’s easier to just let him go through it. He’ll usually perk up by the end of the day. And if he doesn’t, they just use Morgan’s puppy dog eyes to least give him some energy).
Tony sits down, an agitated huff coming out of his mouth before he can help it. He runs a hand through his hair, gently grabbing some of it out of stress. Happy takes the man’s hand, squeezing it gently before they make eye contact.
“What’s going on?” Happy asks.
“Can you promise me you won’t tell anyone? Especially Pepper,” Tony says.
It immediately worries Happy. That never means anything good… especially with Tony. He looks at him worryingly. Tilting his head to the side out of confusion, he lets go of Tony’s hand. “What are you going to do?”
“You’ve always known me so well, darling,” Tony winks. But as he’s about to open his mouth again, it looks as if he’s chickened out. He turns his head, staring at one of Morgan’s toys that’s been abandoned against the wooden planks (he’ll have to remember to bring that in). “I think- When Strange gave me the stone, he said it was the only way. He knows something… and I think I have a clue on what that is. I don’t think I’m going to make it tomorrow, Hap.”
Happy stares. He doesn’t know what to say. He can’t imagine any life in which Tony doesn’t exist. Tony’s everything. He’s his ex-boss, his best friend, and he’s a father, a husband and an amazing hero to all that know him. If the world lost someone so integral, it would burst into a million pieces. People might be able to rebuild it, to make it better, but there would always be that one puzzle piece missing from the set.
He feels as if he knew it was coming. Tony looked downtrodden in the last few days, but Happy thought that had something to do with the way he’d look longingly at Peter’s photo on the wall. He held Morgan tighter than usual, and Happy could see the way he looked at Pepper. It wasn’t good. With all the warning signs, it still hit him when he heard it coming from the man’s own mouth.
“Are you going to say something?”
“No,” Happy shakes his head. “Because it’s not going to happen, is it? You’re going to be fine. It’s going to work, surely-,” he tries to tell him this with conviction, but (as he stated before) he’s not sure himself if this plan would ever be successful. But if it is… he’s not letting Peter and Morgan lose their dad (Happy knew Peter thought of Tony as his dad, and Tony knew Peter to be his son… even if there wasn’t that shared blood connection). “Tony, you’re going to be fine.”
“We both know it’s a lie, Hap. My time’s been coming for a long time. If I go out saving the world, then… then I go out admirably. And the kids have got you.” He looks through the door, as if Morgan was going to come out. Then he looks up at the roof, imaging Peter swinging from it. “Please look after them. Swear to me that you will,” he begs, putting his hand on the man’s shoulder.
“I swear,” Happy whispers, before he grabs Tony into the biggest hug he can manage.
And that’s the last hug he ever gets. Tony’s premonition is correct. He dies saving the world and everyone in it. So… Happy must do what he never wanted to do. He holds Tony’s children as they sob.
Peter’s just come back… Tony’s had to live without him, and now Peter has to do the same. It’s not fair. When Peter finds himself in Happy’s arms, realising it’s the first time they hugged, he can’t quite keep himself together.
Happy takes him on a drive until they arrive at a new restaurant Tony always said he wanted to show the kid. They serve Avenger burgers to remind the remaining people that hope would always be there (it might be a weird way to boost morale but, hey, it worked). And right on the top of the board is the ever-optimistic Spiderman… who believed that even when times get rough, believing it’ll only get better as you accept the love of others around you is all you’ll ever need. It might sound pretentious, or oblivious to real struggles… but it’s a way of trying to pretend the world isn’t as shit as it might seem.
Staying at the restaurant for a while, it eventually gets too much, and they leave. When they get back to the lake house, there’s already a memorial set up for the billionaire. Happy looks over at Peter as he chats to it, tears streaming down as it begins to rain.
The teen cries so much that May comes and gets him. He’s been her baby for so long, so she knows just how to calm him down. And as everyone goes inside, it’s just him and Tony. Happy sits in the dirty grass, hand on one of Tony’s old ties that Pepper put on the floor. Happy knew everything the man would do, but… now there’s nothing left to guess. He sighs.
“By the way,” he whispers, “I want you to know that the kids are safe with me. I’ll protect them with everything I have. It might not be anything like you could do, but I’ll try.”
Much to people’s disbelief, Happy Hogan doesn’t hate Peter Parker. He doesn’t hate the way he used to ramble about his day, or how he’d leave a thousand voicemails. He doesn’t hate driving him around the city, because both of them (Tony and Pete) would look so happy every time they’d reunite in that carpark. He doesn’t hate how he had to carry him away from Tony’s lifeless body as he cried out in agony. Most of all, he’ll never hate him for all the happy memories he gave him with Tony Stark. And now, as they both mourn an old friend, Happy realises it’s time for him to step up to the plate and be there for the kid. He’ll just have to figure out an average day for Pete, because the bodyguard knows a lot of things and always will… (and, after all, he did make a promise)