Chapter Text
"Happy, pull over at Bill's. As long as Pepper's on that business trip, I take the chance and get my cholesterol unhealthy high, even if that's the last thing I do today."
Tony pointedly ignores the judgmental gaze in the rear mirror. After today, he needs that cheeseburger or the next person talking to him on an empty stomach gets fired. The car door opens and Happy looms over him, blocking his way.
"What should I get you?"
"Don't bother, I'm getting it myself."
His driver doesn't budge, staring down at him with his arms crossed over his chest. Tony raises an eyebrow.
"I'm not going to harass anyone. Stop looking at me like I'm a second away from suing someone for breathing in my direction."
Happy looks ready to close the door right in Tony's face.
"You sued people for lesser things."
Tony snorts, but his lips pull down quickly as the man before him still wears a scowl. He rolls his eyes.
"Good god, let me have a bad day for once, alright?"
"I would, only if your bad days wouldn't end up giving a bad day to everyone in your close vicinity."
"You make me sound like an asshole."
"You are an asshole, Tony."
"Geez, thanks, I love you too. Now move so I can get something to eat."
Happy begrudgingly steps aside and walks after Tony into the diner. The billionaire skillfully ignores the gasps of surprise and the poor attempt to take pictures of him secretly as he strides straight up to the counter.
"Two cheeseburgers and a large fry. To go."
"Please get in line and wait for your turn, Sir."
"Excuse me?"
Tony slowly pulls his sunglasses down and glances at the skinny teen behind the register.
"Bad hearing comes with age, huh?" mutters the teen under his breath.
Happy makes a choking sound behind him.
"What was that?"
Tony takes off his sunglasses and pockets them in his breast pocket, earning another round of awed murmurs from the other customers.
"There is another customer in line before you, Sir."
He scans the worker in front of him. Barely old enough to work, with natural untamed curls, slight bags under his eyes, pale features, a stainless uniform despite it getting late, and bitten-down fingernails, probably a nervous habit.
The teen in front of him does not seem nervous thought. No, Tony knows that expression.
"Is that so? And where would that customer be?" he humors the teen, well, the boy who glares up at him from under his brown curls.
"Parker, what is going on here?"
"Hey, Dave. Long time no see," greets Tony, leaning with his hands onto the counter, earning him another scowl from the boy.
"Mr. Stark! What a pleasure to have you at our place again, welcome."
The store manager beams at him, an almost comical contrast to the glare the teen's sending him, who still hasn't begun to type in his order.
"Parker, why isn't Mr. Stark getting what he ordered? Having a hero and celebrity like Tony Stark here at our place might be a bit overwhelming, but you cannot simply freeze."
Turning to Tony, Dave gives an apologetic grin while he puts a hand on Parker's shoulder. "Please be understanding. The boy probably never has seen a celebrity like Iron Man in real life."
Facing Parker, Dave gives the teen a little push. "Go on, get Mr. Stark his order."
The teen doesn't move an inch.
"It's not his turn yet, Sir."
Tony is about to ask Happy to go outside if he continues making choking sounds whenever the kid decides to open his mouth. Dave's fingers dig into the boy's shoulder, a thin veil of sweat building up on his upper lip in record time.
"I am so sorry, Mr. Stark. I don't know what's gotten into him today. He's usually a very polite young man."
"Parker," Dave turns to the boy with anger growing on his face as he hisses in his ear. "You will take his order now and do it in record time, you hear me?"
Before the teen can answer, the door to the restroom opens, and an older, nicely dressed lady walks up to the counter. Tony watches with morbid fascination how the scowl on the teen's face instantly softens.
"May I," asks the lady, and Tony steps aside, only now noticing the baby-blue-colored purse lying on the counter.
"What would you like to order today, Mrs. Moore?"
Dave glances wide-eyed from his employee to Tony and back to the teen, who smiles as he asks the woman what kind of bread she would like her order to go with.
"I'm so sorry. I will take your order myself, Mr. Stark."
"Oh no, don't bother. I haven't been the next one in line. I can wait."
He notices the teen glancing his way, eyes squinting as he hears Tony's words. Interesting.
After taking the lady's order and going as far as to bring her drinks to her table himself, the kid finally stands in front of Tony again.
"Welcome to Bill's Diner. What can I do for you, Sir?"
Dave, who hovers near the counter, looked like he was about to get an aneurysm.
"Two cheeseburgers and a large fry. To go."
Seeing that Tony finally gets his order taken care of, the manager leaves them with the teen angrily punching numbers into the cash register.
Tony absentmindedly rubs his shoulder while the kid turns around and gets their order packed up. It bruised because, believe it or not, getting hit by a truck hurts even with Iron Man armor. He catches the teen glancing his way, and if it hadn't been this quiet inside the diner, Tony probably wouldn't have heard the mutter the teen let out under his breath as he puts the bag down on the counter.
"Serves you right, asshole."
Tony blinks.
Happy chokes.
"Here's your order, Sir."
The teen looks up and stares at him.
"You did that on purpose."
"Have a nice afternoon, Sir."
Happy grabs his arm and drags him out of the diner, the bag dangling down his other arm.
"Did you hear that?"
Tony tears his arm out of his driver's hold. He loosens his tie before pulling the whole thing over his head and throwing it blindly into the car. He grabs the bag, tears open the wrapping, and takes a gigantic bite of the cheesy and beefy goddess before pointing a finger at the diner.
"Tell me I imagined that."
Happy tiredly wipes a hand over his face. He wordlessly grabs the bag and places it on the backseat, while Tony takes another bite while walking up and down in front of their car, chewing angrily.
"I'll go back. I make that kid apologize and then get him fired."
"Tony, the last thing you need is the news writing about you getting a high schooler fired from a burger place."
"Since when did I care what the news tell about me, Happy?"
"Since you are an Avenger and fiancee of Pepper Potts, CEO of Stark Industries?"
Tony visibly deflates, taking a last bite of his burger before throwing the rest in a bin.
"Drive us to the tower. I need some time in the lap."
"You need sleep," mutters Happy, holding the door open for his boss and rolling his eyes as he closes it behind him.
One thing is for sure. It probably won't be the last time hearing about the kid named Parker.
Happy looks back at the diner, shaking his head.
"You've done it, kid. You screwed the pooch."