Happy could take it, he must have known his position at Stark Whatever was assured after lasting so long under the ambiguously superfluous title of 'chauffeur'. He was indispensably, irreplacably necessary in a way that couldn't even be defined. Happy must have got it. So that Tony just laughed off, a chuckle into his coffee, and only turned to Pepper to ask, "Are you asking me for a raise?"
His smile was twisted, like he meant to smirk, but his head dropped against the back of the couch and his chest was puffed, and his expression was more indulgent than teasing. It wasn't very often that she admitted she liked him, usually it was over at 'You're lucky I put up with you'. Maybe they were at a stage where neither of them had to admit it, but that didn't make it any less pleasing for Tony to hear-- as backwards as it had been.