Obsessions ⇢ Tony Stark

6 | Rhode Kill

"Hey, El, I didn't wake you, did I?"

Eleanora stopped packing items in her suitcase, phone pressed to her ear. She knew she couldn't disappear for spring break without telling her family whom she'd promised to come home to, but up until now, she had ignored that fact. 

"Um, no, Siri, I was still up." 

"Okay cool, I'm just ringing because Mum's wondering when you're coming." 

"Uh..." Eleanora hesitated. "Probably the end of the week." 

"What? You promised you'd come home for spring break!" Serena objected. "Mum and Dad are really excited to see you." 

"I think you mean they're excited to get another chance to harangue me about my future, but anyway, I never said I'd be home the whole time, I said I'd come home, meaning at some point for some currently undetermined length of time. I'm actually leaving tomorrow morning for a road trip with a couple friends. Not sure when we'll be back, but I'll make sure I stop in." 

"El, you and I both know this will just make things worse. Just come home." 

"Bye, Siri, I love you," she finished, and hung up the phone. 

The feeling of simultaneous liberation and dread she felt when she place the phone back on the mount made her realise what she liked so much about spending time with Tony. Between Tucker, her sister and her parents, he was one of the only people in her life who wasn't trying to control her. With an extra spring in her step, she continued packing, up until Tucker insisted she do the rest the following morning and come to bed with him so he could give her a 'proper goodbye'. 

• • • 

Eleanora was ready twenty minutes early, which she was rather proud of considering her current state. The previous night, Tucker had been... well... rough, and although she wasn't complaining at the time, she was now quite sore and uncomfortable and and walked incredibly stiffly. 

Not long later, there was a knock on the door, and she grabbed her stuff and struggled over to the door. When she opened the it, she was greeted by Tony and a taller man who she presumed was Rhodey. 

"Hi, it's nice to meet you. I'm Rhodey," the man smiled. 

"It's nice to meet you, too," she returned. "I'm Eleanora, but you can call me Nora. Or... any variation of the name, like this one does," she added, jerking her head toward Tony. 

"Tucker didn't want to say hello to us?" the man in question piped up, glancing over her shoulder. 

"He's still asleep. I figured I wouldn't bother waking him." 

"Long night?" he teased.

Eleanora just threw him a look and started carrying her bags out to the very nice car parked out the front. 

"You good there?" Tony asked in amusement, noticing her awkward gait. 

"Mhm!" she responded, dumping her luggage in the boot. 

"I know that walk."

"I'm sure you do," she shot back snarkily, throwing him a dirty look.

"If you're calling me a whore-" Tony began.

"Let's get going, shall we?" Rhodey cut him off, opening the passenger side door. 

Eleanora climbed into the backseat, meanwhile Tony got into the driver's seat, and then the car was backing out of the driveway, and heading off down the road.