Hi guys. Welcome to my first fic I've just started updating this using the experience I've gained writing my second fic CAEB. It's not a full re-write, more a case of perfecting and adding in some more detail where I feel it's needed. I'm really keen to keep improving so any constructive feedback would be hugely appreciated.

I'd had this idea a while ago that Tony's narcissistic playboy nature was the result of a very traumatic period in his life so this fic is an AU based pre Iron man. I'm very much a fan of the man beneath the mask with Tony Stark and the idea that his self-absorbed appearance is all just an act. This story shows him before that mask was truly in place. Rated T for language and violence etc. Enjoy!

Chapter 1- Love

Tony couldn't stop smiling. In fact he had to try very hard not to skip and dance his way across the white marble floor of Stark Industries lobby. Instead he seemed to glide as he took long elegant strides, standing tall despite his small stature. Even so there was a definite bounce in his step that he had failed to hide, his broad shoulders were pulled back, relaxed, his strong core tensed so that only his limbs moved as he walked. He made the military posture look almost natural, a fact which had always puzzled Harold Hogan. This billionaire's son he'd been hired to drive had been anything but what he had expected. He'd only been on the job a few month ago, and his first impression of the younger Stark hadn't been the most desirable. Tony had got in the car, teased him about the fact he'd never smiled and nicknamed him Happy before the end of the journey. He hated that nickname. But since then he'd become quite fond of the quick witted genius, even if the infernal nickname had stuck and even spread amongst the other Staff.

There had been a definite change in Tony over the last few weeks and Happy was surprised to see him out of a suit for once, he was still dressed smartly, but the white silk shirt open at the neck and navy suit pants seemed casual on him. He seemed at ease, finally comfortable in his own skin rather than dressing up for his father. He silently wondered whether the teenager had ever picked his own clothes.

Tony slipped his black, wide rim sunglasses from his face and glanced down at the phone sitting in the palm of his hand. His eyes lit up, his handsome face broke into a dazzling smile which he couldn't help but hide. He looked towards the ceiling and sighed contently, seemingly taking it in as if for the first time. Colour flooded through his cheeks and he shook his head in satisfaction.

A small fire seemed to burn behind his eyes, Happy had noticed it the moment they met, those flames revealed a deep determination and passion, a sense of purpose that told him that this kid was something special. Today they burned brighter than ever before and to Happy it was obvious; he had never seen anyone so in love.

Happy followed Tony from a distance and saw Lieutenant Rhodes approaching out of the corner of his eye, wearing a smile as always.

"Who's the lucky girl?" Happy asked innocently, nodding towards Tony. Rhodey's face clouded over and Happy suddenly realised he'd put his foot in it, whatever it was.

"How the hell did you know?" Rhodey's tone was shocked but not angry, he deliberately turned away from the other people bustling about the lobby, lowering his voice to a whisper.

"I- ermm, sorry! It just seemed kinda obvious" Rhodey visibly relaxed, letting the tension out of his body. "Is there a problem, I should know about?" Happy asked.

He was supposed to be Stark's chauffeur slash bodyguard, but his actual encounters with him had been rare. Stark was always so busy, he was never around and even when he was he never seemed to want anything. Most of the time Tony drove himself and then once Howard had ordered Happy to take him everywhere, Tony had taken to giving him the slip and disappearing off for hours at a time. In fact he had grown closer to Rhodey, Stark's best friend, than he had to his boss. The brief times they had actually talked, when he needed driving, he'd always been polite and kind with the exception of their first meeting, passing the odd joke with unrivalled sarcasm. Tony had a presence about him that had made Happy slowly warm to him.

"It's nothing really," Rhodey began uncomfortably and then reconsidered. He trusted Happy. "Ermm, well, to put it lightly Howard doesn't really approve, but between you and me he's been such a jackass to Tony." Happy looked across at Tony again; the one thing that you couldn't fail to notice was the rapidly unravelling relationship between father and son.

"That I'd gathered." He had a distinct feeling that whatever it was that was causing the friction between the two of them was not Tony's fault. The media portrayed him as the spoilt brat rebelling against his father, a national icon who could never be in the wrong. But if anything, it seemed Howard was jealous of his only child and he didn't want anyone to know just how much of genius the younger Stark was.

oOo

Tony couldn't contain it any longer, every time he saw her, every time she texted, every time the thought of her crossed his mind he felt his heart flutter and was overwhelmed with a surge of joy and longing, the likes of which he had never felt before. For once in his life everything just seemed so simple, so perfect. He spun round and threw a casual salute to Rhodey who was stood chatting to Happy behind him. He could tell he was going to get on with his new driver, he'd sensed he'd rubbed him up the wrong way when they first met, perhaps giving him that nickname so soon hadn't been in the best taste, but he couldn't avoid making comment on the unfortunate, stern way his face fell. It would take a while for him to pull the shy and solemn man out of his shell, but it was a challenge he looked forward too.

He faced front again to only just avoid running headlong into Obadiah who was striding purposefully towards him. "God, sorry Obi!" he said still smiling away,

"Just keep your eyes forward next time kid." He replied chuckling "Oh and happy birthday by the way! 20, you're getting old now kid!" Tony blushed with the sudden attention, he wasn't used to it. "Oh don't remind me Obi, you know I hate birthdays." They brought back bad memories, but nobody need know that. Obi shook his head in disbelief, and then remembered his urgent message. "Anyway that's not why I wanted to talk to you, the big boss man... your Dad," Tony flinched, he hated the word Dad, it was impossible to think of Howard as that. "Well, he wants to see you in his office, like right now and I don't think he's too pleased." Tony's heart fell, looks like something could ruin his day after all.

"When is he?"