Eleanor wasn't surprised when she awoke with her apartment in an absolute mess. It looked like a tornado rampaged through her place, there were empty bottles of liquor everywhere which is when she assumed she got piss-drunk and raged around the room.
El tended to do these things, like drinking her problems away but today she still felt as empty as before. The hangover couldn't even cover up the pain she was feeling and she was even more hurt to see the texts that Nat had sent her.
Natasha: I don't think I'm going to come around anymore, sorry.
That's what probably spiraled her, she could just hear her saying those words and that shattered whatever was left of her heart. Suddenly a knock was heard from the door.
"Eleanor, I really need to speak with you. I've tried to contact you but you haven't answered," a soft, gruff voice said, Stark had come to fire her. The cherry on top of her pile of shit!
Eleanor's head throbbed with the remnants of her hangover as she staggered towards the door. She swung it open, her disheveled appearance mirroring the chaotic state of her apartment. Tony Stark stood there, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.
"Eleanor, what the hell happened here?" Tony's voice carried a mixture of annoyance and genuine worry.
Eleanor rubbed her temples, wincing at the pain that flared up. "It's... a mess, I know. I had a rough night."
Tony's eyes narrowed as he took in the scene. "Rough night, my ass. This looks like more than just a hangover. You've been dealing with something, haven't you?"
Eleanor hesitated for a moment, her guard coming down as she realized she couldn't hide the truth from Tony. She stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter. "Yeah, you're right. I've been dealing with a lot."
Tony walked in, surveying the wreckage before turning his attention back to Eleanor. "Start talking."
Eleanor took a deep breath and recounted the events of the past few days – the call from Fury, the Winter Soldier project, the rift with Natasha. Tony listened intently, his expression growing more serious as he absorbed the information.
"Wait, you mean to tell me that Fury contacted you directly and dragged you into this mess?" Tony's tone was a mixture of disbelief and anger.
Eleanor nodded, her voice tinged with frustration. "Yes, and it's caused more problems than I could have imagined. Natasha doesn't trust me anymore."
Tony let out a frustrated sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Dammit, Fury always has a way of mucking things up. You shouldn't be involved in this kind of stuff, Eleanor."
Eleanor looked down, her guilt resurfacing. "I know, but I wanted to help. I thought I could make a difference."
Tony's expression softened as he looked at Eleanor. "You're too good-hearted for your good, you know that? But sometimes getting involved in these things can do more harm than good."
Eleanor's shoulders slumped, a mix of exhaustion and defeat washing over her. "I'm starting to realize that now. I just... I don't know how to fix this mess."
Tony stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. "First things first, you need to take care of yourself. You can't help anyone if you're falling apart."
Eleanor looked up at Tony, her eyes filled with a mixture of gratitude and vulnerability. "What do I do about Natasha?"
Tony sighed, his gaze sympathetic. "You're going to have to give her time. Trust is fragile, and you need to show her through your actions that you're on her side. And as for Fury, leave that to me."
Eleanor's brows furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
Tony's lips twisted into a wry grin. "Let's just say I have my ways of dealing with him. I'll make sure he understands that you're off limits for his secret missions."
Eleanor couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Thank you, Tony. You have no idea how much this means to me."
Tony gave her a mock salute. "Consider it done. Now, let's clean up this place and get you back on your feet."
As they worked together to restore some semblance of order to her apartment, Eleanor felt a sense of relief wash over her. She often looked over to Tony finding him already sneaking glances at her, she would just blush and smile to herself.
Suddenly a strong feeling of overwhelming love overcame her, so strong it nearly brought her to her knees. Her head was ringing and the room was spinning as her vision doubled. She groaned and turned around to see Stark in the same position as she was.
He hadn't looked up yet as Eleanor began speaking to him.
"What the fuck is happening?" she barely spat out.
"I have no idea-," Tony stopped mid-sentence as the two made eye contact for the first time since the headaches.
As their eyes locked, an electric jolt seemed to surge between Tony and Eleanor. The world around them seemed to fade away, leaving only the intensity of their gaze connecting them on a level that defied explanation.
Eleanor's breath caught in her throat as a flood of emotions rushed through her. It was as if she could feel every thought, every feeling that Tony had ever experienced. She saw his brilliance, his charm, his insecurities, and his vulnerabilities. It was overwhelming, yet strangely comforting.
Tony's usual confident demeanor wavered as he looked into Eleanor's eyes. He felt a wave of empathy and understanding wash over him as if Eleanor could see past his façade and into his true self.
Eleanor's voice trembled as she broke the silence. "Tony, do you... Do you feel that too?"
Tony nodded slowly, his expression a mix of awe and disbelief. "Yeah, I do. It's like... I can feel your thoughts, your emotions."
Eleanor took a shaky step forward, her heart pounding in her chest. "I think we're soulmates.."
Tony was speechless, gazing at the woman like she was a goddess.
As they continued to gaze at each other, the sense of connection grew stronger, enveloping them in a cocoon of shared understanding and affection. Eleanor reached out hesitantly, her hand finding Tony's. The moment their skin touched, a surge of warmth spread through their bodies, further solidifying their bond.
Tony let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. "Eleanor, I... I have something to tell you."
Eleanor's fingers intertwined with Tony's, and she met his gaze with a mixture of vulnerability and hope. "Yes, what is it?"
"I have other soulmates..."
"...What?"
"You see when Fury came to me for the first time with the idea of a team of, well, of superhumans, I felt something deep inside me. Telling me to say yes, telling me to join the team. I obviously joined the team and through that met all the other Avengers."
"Continue..."
"And one day when we were all sitting down having a 'family dinner', we all felt the same things we did and then we realized that we were all mates. All of us," Tony glanced up at El, looking almost fearful of her reaction.
Eleanor had never seen Tony this vulnerable before. Normally he's cocky and loud and never leaves empty gaps in their chats, but now an unsteady tension had settled upon the room.
"Tony I do not care if you are mated to the whole planet! I will always be mated to you and I will always cherish and care for you no matter what we go through, OK? This information doesn't change anything to our bond, I promise you," Eleanor spoke softly, resting a comforting hand on Tony's exposed forearms.
She tried to ignore the tingling feeling in her gut whenever Tony spoke of his mates as she didn't want to worry him or anything like that.
Suddenly, Tony sprung up from his crouched position and wrapped his thick arms around Eleanor's waist, surprising her, burying his face in her soft hair.
"Thank you, thank you. I don't deserve you," Tony said holding back tears, still hiding his face.
El felt hot, dense tears on her shoulder and immediately clasped the poor man's broad shoulders. She heard him sniffling and softly took his head in her hands.
As she held his tear-stained face, El was faced with the reality of how damaged her mate was. He was so used to being talked about and shamed of his past and he was terrified of her reaction if she found out about his multiple partners before meeting his mates.
"I don't- I... I was an unfaithful man before meeting you and the rest. I had many people in my bed and I just want you to hear it from my mouth rather than some obnoxious news article,"
"Tony, I want you to know that no matter if you killed a thousand people or slept with every single adult you could see, I would adore no more less."
Tony looked up and met with your eyes again, his eyes holding a new emotion... Love.