The party was over, and the last of the Disney employees were leaving after tearing down the venue. They didn’t really appreciate how the stiff, British guest, who identified himself as the groom’s butler, was walking around, telling them how to do their jobs. They bore it with grace, saving their grumbling for later between themselves, behind the scenes. They had no way of knowing that this butler needed to boss them around, not because his employer had instructed him to, but for his own mental comfort.
Now that things were winding down, Edwin finally could let himself relax a bit. Loosening his tie, he sat down at the nearest table to rest his feet, gazing up at the ceiling while trying not to think about anything.
He could’ve used a drink right about now, but the bar was already gone.
***
Technically Darcy hadn’t needed to stick around until the bitter end, but she was reluctant to leave even though they’d scored a fancy honeymoon suite as part of their reception package. It was easy to pretend that this was all still nothing but a fun game when they were throwing ridiculously lavish parties. Being alone in a fancy hotel room with a bunch of romantic touches was a whole different thing. She knew that the package included roses, champagne, strawberries, and probably a few other things that newlyweds would generally appreciate. They weren’t typical newlyweds though and the overly romantic gestures made Darcy a little uncomfortable for reasons she was trying very hard to ignore.
Tony had wandered off somewhere and she was kind of lingering around, wasting time, and was surprised to spot Edwin sitting at one of the tables. “What are you still doing here?” she asked. “I figured everyone would be long gone by now.”
***
When Edwin saw Darcy coming forward, he sat up a little straighter in his seat; by the time she reached him he was standing, as was the etiquette. “I could say the same about you.” He spoke in a serious voice, but something in his expression suggested he was teasing.. “I was supervising the clean up crew,” he said, adding with pride, “I also made sure the gifts you and Mr. Stark received were sent to your suite.”
He then flashed an apologetic smile, and glanced around the room. “I just remembered, Mr. Stark brought me a slice of cake earlier, but I’m afraid I can't recall where I set it down. It must’ve been cleared away by now. Pity. It looked delicious.” Returning his attention to Darcy, he said, “It was a marvelous party. I applaud you for making all the arrangements yourself, and at such short notice! You’re a very able, and talented individual, it’s no wonder Mr. Stark is so fond of you.”
***
“Oh, thanks,” Darcy said. “That was really smart.” She hadn’t actually expected anyone to bring gifts, so it hadn’t occurred to her to make plans for them. Luckily, Edwin was there to pick up her slack. Though something about his tone and expression when he complimented her on organizing the party did catch her attention, though she couldn’t quite figure out what it was.
Still, she smiled, a bit tired. “Yeah, well, it wasn’t that hard. Disney makes it pretty easy to spend insane amounts of money on a party. I think they were packing up the leftovers for us, so I’ll have to figure out where they ended up and make sure you get some cake.” The cake, like the rest of the food, had been really good. At least they got their money’s worth. Well, someone’s money worth.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I know it means a lot to Tony.”
***
Darcy’s compliment was very encouraging, causing his smile to broaden and his chest puff out in pride. Maybe he was still good for something. “That’s very kind of you,” he said, about getting some cake. “It was a beautiful party. A pity, it was a charade,” he added, muttering sadly.
“He told me that Mrs. Jarvis and I were an influence on him growing up, but unfortunately that’s far in my future. He seems pretty well adjusted, and has been very helpful, introducing me to this place.” There was more he could say, but he chose to keep it to himself, not wanting to be ungrateful or discourteous.
***
Ouch, that muttering hurt and her eyes flashed with something that could almost be described as wistfulness for a very brief moment. Rather than focusing on that, she focused on what he said next and couldn’t help but grin at the thought of anyone describing any version of Tony Stark as well adjusted. Not that she planned to shatter the man’s illusion.
“Tony’s a good guy,” she said, with genuine affection in her tone. “And I’m also happy to help you adjust to things. Please don’t ever hesitate to reach out.” She knew he was from far enough in the past that this must all be very strange to him even without the fun things that Derleth tended to add on top.
*** As a butler, Edwin prided himself in how he could pick up on small details. A tool, used to anticipate his employer’s desires and needs. So, Darcy’s brief moment was definitely noticed, making Edwin feel guilty. “I sincerely apologize. I stepped out of line.”
*** Darcy hadn’t expected him to pick up on her moment of discomfort and it made her a little wary. If he was that perceptive, she was going to have to be very careful around him, at least until she figured out her feelings. “No need to apologize,” she said, striving for a flippant tone as she waved off the apology.
“What can we do to help you?” she asked.
***
In an awkward situation, Edwin swallowed nervously and shifted from one foot to the other. He didn’t want to make it any worse by telling Darcy that it was necessary to apologize, because he felt it would only cascade into even more awkwardness. And now she was asking how they could help him.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “Tony has done so much for me already. Helping me to become accustomed to.. here. To the future. It’s a bit of an adjustment, I’m sure you understand.” There was something else on his mind, that he hesitated to reveal. He paused, frowned, worried his lips together in frustration, and went ahead to say it anyway, “It’s a bit of a role reversal that I’m not yet accustomed to.”
Hopefully Darcy would get it without the need to elaborate further.
***
It only took a moment for Darcy to understand what he wasn’t saying and she nodded. “He’s told me stories about you,” she said. “Not many, but I know that you and your wife meant a lot to him.” The affectionate tone in Tony’s voice when he talked about the Jarvises made that obvious.
“Well, it’ll take some time, but you’ll adjust,” she said. “Tony looks at you like a father figure. He’s certainly not going to let you wait on him or anything.”
***
“He told me that, on the first day I arrived. A father figure. . Imagine that!”
Edwin became introspective, then decided to reveal, “A few weeks ago, according to my time that is, there was a horrible incident, which sent Mrs. Jarvis to the hospital. Fortunately, she pulled through, however due to her injury, we were told that she would never be able to bear children.” He paused to take a breath, clearly remembering the conversation with the doctor, and then afterward, with Ana. The trauma of what happened was still very fresh for him. “It brings me a bit of solace that, in our own way, we are able to raise Tony in our future, even though it’s not ideal. I do hope I’m not being too personal in telling you this.”
When Darcy told Edwin that Tony wasn’t going to let him do his job, it was like a stab in the heart. “Yes,” he muttered, trying to put a positive twist on his pain. “He’s quite independent. With all these technological advancements, there’s really no need for my services anymore, is there?”
***
“I’m so sorry,” Darcy said. Even though children had never been part of her life plan, she could understand the pain of discovering that they weren’t even possible. She reached out and rested her hand on his arm in a gesture of comfort. “And, no, he doesn’t need your services. He needs your friendship, guidance, and love.”
Her tone was gentle as she spoke. Of course she had no experience with having servants and didn’t really know what those relationships were usually like, but she did know that Tony didn’t think of Edwin that way nor would he want the other man to think he owed him anything.
Since he’d shared, she felt like she could do the same. “He’s not doing well right now,” she admitted. “Physically. I don’t know how much he told you, but he was in an accident a little while back and there is shrapnel in his body that could eventually pierce his heart. He’s rigged up a device to prevent that from happening, but it has given him other issues.” Though she knew he had the medicine from Fillory that was helping and the weekly resets meant he wasn’t getting worse, Darcy was still clearly concerned about his well being.
*** By the time Darcy finished speaking, Edwin’s head was hanging down. Was it from sadness over Tony’s condition? Or was it shame for putting his own problems over Tony, who was clearly suffering much more than he was?
“He told me a little bit about his condition,” Edwin said. “On the day of my arrival. We went shopping, and then to a restaurant..” He looked up at Darcy. “I inquired about his…” he wagged his finger around his chest area, indicating the location of Tony’s arc reactor. “It’s not as though he hides it, glowing through his shirt. Naturally I asked. He said there was an incident with a bomb. In Afghanistan. But you can imagine, Tony spoke about it so flippantly, I didn’t feel comfortable prying any further.”
Edwin grimaced, then strengthened his resolve. “Thank you for helping me understand. I know what I need to do.”
***
Darcy pressed her lips together from saying what she was thinking about Tony and his flippant attitude towards the palladium poisoning. It drove her crazy that he acted that way, even though she knew he was determined to figure out how to replace the arc reactor. Thinking back, she realized that the first time she’d had any sort of feelings towards him that were potentially romantic was when she had the new version and wanted desperately to figure out a way to keep it for him. God, she was a mess.
“That’s how he is,” she finally said. “You’ll get used to it.” Likely it would make him as crazy as it did her and Darcy hoped they could be allies and present a united front when it came to reining in Tony from his self destructive nature.
***
“I’m already familiar,” Edwin said, then shrugged one shoulder. “As the saying goes, ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree’. Tony’s temperament reminds me of his father in many ways. Mr. Stark was likewise as flippant. Not to brag, but I’ve become quite adept at navigating my way through such waves.” And in an offhanded way, Edwin was suggesting that he could do the same with Tony. Maybe he wasn’t always right in his interpretation, but he was confident in his deductions.
Now that Edwin thought about it, conversing with Darcy was similar to the Starks. He smiled softly and leaned forward slightly to tell her, “It’s very kind of you to stick by Tony to support him through his difficulty. I know you’ve been treating this marriage like a farce, but if you don’t mind me saying, you’re well suited for each other. You share the same temperament.”
***
There was a bit of internal cringing on Darcy’s part when Edwin compared Tony to his father and she was about to tell him not to make that comparison aloud where Tony might hear it, when he leaned forward and continued talking and nearly left her speechless.
“Ah, well…” A tiny part of her liked hearing that because it made her think that maybe she wasn’t so crazy for developing feelings. A much larger part was terrified that they were too much alike and that meant something more real would never work between them. “We were friends before anything else.”
That was neutral, right? She didn’t deny that they were suited for each other, but she also didn’t agree with it.
***
“I’d say,” Edwin responded, raising his eyebrows for emphasis, “that being friends is the most ideal situation to be with your spouse.” He could tell Darcy was feeling awkward about this conversation, and quite possibly had a lot of emotions to work through, so he decided not to drive the point any further. “Do you think we can try to find where that cake is hidden? What flavor was it?”
*** Cake was a much safer topic. "We can definitely find it," she said. 'I wanted to take some with me anyway. Each layer was a different flavor, so you can pick which one you want. Or try them all."
She wasn’t going to judge.
It only took a minute for her to flag down a staff member and get them both some cake. She told them where to deliver the rest of the leftovers and then smiled at Edwin. "I should probably go." Tony might be wondering where she was. "But I enjoyed talking to you." Even if he brought up a few uncomfortable things.