The Pirate And His Sea

Cahpter 7: How Tony Found Out

(This is not my chapter and the credit of the characters goes to their respective authors)

It was a late Sunday night and Tony Stark was lounging on his couch, watching Percy pull on his leather jacket to head down stairs. Despite the drinks they'd consumed over the past few hours, his friend's steps were strong and certain as he pulled on his shoes. "Do you really have to go?" Tony whined to the bartender. "Your room is ready as always."

"Yes Tony," Percy said, smirking at the billionaire. Tony was more than a little bit tipsy, though not completely wasted, and it showed in his change of personality. "Some of my regulars want to rent out the bar tomorrow, and I have to get up early to set it up."

"Poo." Tony pouted, and finished the last of his glass of beer. "How about the night after tomorrow? I heard there's a new bar opening in the East side that's supposed to be good, we can go see it. You know, check out your competition?" Tony waggled his eyebrows.

Percy paused at the doorway, a bashful look on his face. "Eh, sorry, I have something going on."

"What, is it a date?" Tony asked jokingly, poking fun at his friend's expression.

The way Percy rubbed the back of his neck and quickly exited the room gave him all the answers he'd ever need.

"Whaaaat?" Tony shot off the couch but only managed to stumble around the coffee table before he face planted. Well aware of the speeds Percy could reach when he rushed, the genius rolled over and shouted to the ceiling, "JARVIS! Where's Percy?"

"I believe he has already left the building, sir, and is being driven home by Mr. Godfrey at the moment." The AI replied.

"Goddamn!" Tony swore loudly as he cautiously picked himself up, scowling at the bottles of beer that had left him inebriated. Well, he couldn't bother Percy now; the bartender would just rip him a new one about pulling him back after he'd left for a stupid (in Percy's opinion, but not Tony's) reason.

Oh well. He'd just have to corner him the next time he saw Percy, and maybe force some truth serum down his throat if he had to.

Little did Tony know that the next chance he'd get would late enough that he'd have to resort to desperate measures.
————
"Sir," 'Happy' Hogan, Tony Stark's personal driver, said from his employer's side, "what exactly are we doing?"

"We, Happy, are spying." Tony said flamboyantly, gesturing with his binoculars to the busy street below.

"Well, I know that sir, but why are we here spying on Mr. Jackson?"

"Hush Happy, I don't pay you to ask these questions."

"No but Pepper does. So, we really are here because Mr. Jackson skipped out of going to bar together and that you think it's because of a date?"

Tony put down his binoculars and glared at his driver mutinously. He was dressed in his usual worn jeans and slightly oil-stained ACDC shirt, hair a disarray and hands clutching the binoculars.

"I don't think; I know."

Happy sighed. "Boss, I think Mr. Jackson really doesn't need you spying on him. His love life existed before you came along, so he can take care of himself."

"But who knows how many times he's been heartbroken, left to die alone by those heartless fools?" Tony pouted, waving the binoculars wildly.

Happy sighed and was about to launch himself into a lecture regarding over protectiveness and invading privacy when something on the street below caught his eye. "Oh, look, it's Mr. Jackson."