AN: This chapter is set between 'Iron Man' and 'Iron Man 2' :)
February 2011
"Boss, the car's ready."
"We'll just be a minute, Happy, the games almost over." Tony replied without moving his eyes from the screen.
"Thanks, Mr H." Rhodey replied from next to him on the sofa. "Why don't you join us for the last few minutes?"
Tony looked over suddenly.
"No, he doesn't, y'know he just drives, he doesn't watch football, do you?" he rambled.
"Actually, I do." he replied pointedly, removing his suit jacket and taking the seat beside Rhodey. As he folded the jacket over his knee as small box fell from it, and landed on the floor with a muted thud.
"Hey, what's that?" Rhodey asked, picking it up.
"Oh it's not mine, it's Tony's…" Happy started to say, trailing off when he noticed the angry look Tony was directing at him.
"This is yours?" Rhodey asked, turning to Tony, opening the box, and holding it towards him.
"Oh, it's, ah, it's for emergencies." He declared as if it were completely obvious.
"How often does proposing to someone help in an emergency?" Rhodey asked laughing.
Happy practically could see the cogs turning in Tony's brain as he thought of an answer.
"It's for when I run into girls I used to know who think things are gonna pick up where they left off, if you get what I mean." At Rhodey's incredulous eyebrow he continued.
"I just slip it on Pepper and pretend we're engaged." Tony muttered quickly, turning to stare resolutely at the television.
"And how maybe times has this worked exactly?" Rhodey chuckled.
"I haven't needed to use it yet, but I'm sure when the time comes it will work perfectly. Get to the car, Hogan, we're leaving now." He said, shoving his feet into his shoes and standing up.
"But the game isn't over yet…" Rhodey whined, but Tony was already heading towards the door, leaving his friend and his chauffeur to regretfully trail after him.