Walking in the Wind // Avengers

Doubt

•••

It had been a few days since they'd returned, and it was they day of Tonys party. Lexie had spent the past few days checking in on Clint, trying on dresses with Natasha, and hanging out with Erin, who had stayed the night. Lexie knew this normally would've delighted Tony because it gave him a golden opportunity to tease them, but he hadn't paid much attention to it, which was yet another indication that something was wrong.

The pair was in Lexies room, getting ready for the party. Erin was sat on the floor, painting her nails, and Lexie was trying to figure out what to do with her hair in front of the mirror. Neither were dressed up yet, but their dresses were lain out on the bed, ready to be put on.

"You ready to meet everyone?" Lexie asked, looking at her girlfriends reflection in the mirror.

"No, are you kidding me?" the twenty-year-old looked up at the taller nineteen-year-old. "This is all I've been thinking about since you invited me."

"Seriously? They don't bite," Lexie chuckled, before she immediately stopped. "Except for Natasha, but that was a one time thing and I had taken the last donut," she shrugged. "We were also training and I had her in a chokehold, so I suppose it was somewhat justified."

"What?" Erin muttered, looking strangely at her, but shook her head, letting out a sigh. "We'll get back to that later. The only reason this is all I've been thinking about is because this is all Peter's been talking about. Him and his friend, Ned, tried to bribe me into smuggling them in here to meet everyone."

"That doesn't surprise me," Lexie let a small chuckle leave her lips. She'd heard plenty of stories about Erins younger brother who was apparently a big fan of the Avengers. A much as she loved hearing about Erins family, doubt had started planting itself in her mind every time they were mentioned. The logical part of her brain knew there was nothing to worry about, but she couldn't help but question why she'd never gotten to meet any of them. She'd brought up coming over to dinner a few times, but Erin always made up excuses, so she gave up. And her doubt grew. Did she not trust Lexie around her beloved family? Did she think she could hurt them? Was she ashamed? Embarrassed? Lexie let out a small sigh before hesitantly speaking up. "Hey, uhm... why haven't I met any of them yet?" Erin looked up at her, but Lexie wouldn't meet her eyes. "You always talk about them and how much you love them and how much Peter wants to meet me. So why haven't I met them yet?... Are you ashamed of me?" she asked hesitantly, shoulders tense.

"Oh, Lex," Erin sighed. "No, that's not it at all..." she took a deep breath and tried to explain. "It's kind of the opposite actually. I've told you how big of a fan my brother is, and I'm worried he'll scare you off. I love Pete, he's my family, but he can get pretty intense and I just don't want him to say anything that could bring back painful memories for you. And I don't want you to feel uncomfortable." While she was talking, Erin had stood up and moved to wrap her arms around Lexies waist from behind, resting her cheek on her shoulder. "It's not them I'm worried about, it's you. I want to protect you. You've been through enough and when you're with me I want you to feel safe and comfortable."

"Oh," Lexie muttered, not having expected that and unsure about how to respond. She looked at Erin with gentle eyes and turned her head, their lips meeting in a sweet kiss. Lexie trying to express everything she felt for Erin through one kiss. The parted and Lexie looked back in the mirror, meeting Erins eyes that were gazing back at her. "Thank you," she smiled appreciatively, "but I really want to meet them. I feel ready... And I've faced worse things than your fourteen-year-old brother," she smiled cheekily.

Erin snorted. "I wouldn't be too sure about that. You should never underestimate a fourteen-year-old fanboy," she said seriously. 

"Mm, is that so?" she grinned. "I'll have to see for myself."

"Okay," Erin smiled, happy to have cleared the air and see Lexie become a bit lighter, as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. That was all Erin wanted to do. She wanted to lighten her burdens, make all the bad things go away. Moments like these were what made the endless worrying when Lexie was away on missions and the nightmares she had that woke Erin as well, worth it. Seeing her girlfriends worries fade away, especially when Erin herself was the reason, made everything worth it. "How about next Saturday?"

"Yeah?" Lexie smiled hopefully.

"Yeah," she nodded, smiling gently.

"Okay," she let out a laugh of relief and nodded slightly. "That sounds great."

•••

Here's a bit of a look into Lexie and Erins relationship. I'm trying my best to bring Erin into the storyline in a way that makes sense. Next chapter is the party and Ultrons first appearance.

Also, I'm so excited for Lexie and Peter to meet.

Vote and comment xx