Misunderstanding Mishaps
Eventually you were past the point of being able to bring it up in conversation. Life had been good. Aside from dealing with it yourself, but that was the way it had always been so it wasn’t that bad. Ho were you suppose to tell your girlfriends of almost two years that your anxieties were eating you alive? You were a hero. Hero’s didn’t have anxiety. Or at least that’s what you had told yourself.
You were afraid of loosing them the same way you lost your family. In an attack from hydra your whole family was killed, the same attack that was the start of five years of hell and the begging of your powers. It had been three years since the avengers rescued you and two years of being with your girlfriends. Wanda and Natasha were perfect. They were your missing puzzle piece. But you were terrified to loose them. The constant fear of yourself, your powers and loosing the people you cared about only ever became unbearable when they left. If they were out of your sight, you couldn’t protect them. You knew they could do well more than hold their own on the battlefield but you couldn’t loose them. It had been almost a week and Wanda and Natasha were on a strict no contact mission. It was eating you from the inside out. Not know if they were ok. Not knowing where they were. Nobody would update you. It was tearing you apart. The first few days you had managed to f drag yourself out of bed. But not anymore. You were curled up in the sheets that were soaked in tears and sweat from when you did manage to sleep but you merely had nightmares about their deaths.
Pepper had been taking time out of her busy schedule to bring you food she had ordered, sitting with you until you had taken your last bite. She knew the truth. She knew of your fears and did her best to help. She was like a mother to you. It was nice. You had attached yourself to her when you first came. She looked like your aunt and she acted like a mother. She had taken to you straight away.
Two small knocks came on the bedroom door and in a small voice you called out.
“Come in.” You said, maybe too softly to hear but the door opened. Pepper stood with a table in one hand and a cooling plate of pancakes in her arms.
“Y/n/n you need to eat something today.” She said coming in an placing them on your lap before tiding up. For someone who didn’t leave their bed much there sure was a mess. She stopped when she saw your teary eyes. Coming to sit on the bed beside you she placed a hand on your cheek using her thumb to wipe the falling tears from your cheek.
“Oh sweetheart.” She cooed looking sad for you. “Come here.” She pulled you into her chest and wrapped her arms around you.
“I know your worried but I made tony hack shield because I know you needed something.” You tensed in her arms. “Wanda and Natasha are in Finland, some top secret hydra base their scoping out. They should be home in a day or two if not sooner.” She rubbed circles on your back as your hands bunched in her shirt and you sobbed into the crook of her shoulder, your body shaking. It had all been too much for you lately you needed your girls.
You were almost fully in pepper lap now as she held you into her chest tightly to ground you. Soon your sobs died down and pepper coaxed you into eating some of the now cold pancakes. Seeing your eyes fluttering she knew you hadn’t slept much the last few nights. Carefully she ran a hand through your hair to get the curls from your face.
“Sweetheart why don’t you get some sleep.” Pepper said going to grab her tablet.
You nodded and snuggled into the sheets. Pepper nodded her approval and began walking to the door.
“Can you stay?” You asked in a small voice. Insecurity lacing the words.
“Of course y/n/n.” She walked back over and you shuffled to the side as she swung her legs onto the bed and you snuggled into her thigh. She was wearing black slacks and a salmon coloured button up blouse which now had drying wet patches thanks to your earlier tears. Her hair was up and she was wearing black heels. “You look nice today pep” you mumbled into her leg and she ran her hand in circles on your back as you fell asleep you heard her chuckle at your comment.
“Get some sleep sweetheart, I wont leave you.” She said softly and used her other hand to start tapping on her tablet as she organised some stark industries business.
You woke up to the sound of voice in the hall. You grumbled and rolled into peppers side more, pressing your face into her leg and smushing your cheeks up. She chuckled and looked to the door which began to open slightly.
Wanda and Natasha peered in. Upon realising their voices were the ones you heard you shot up in bed making pepper chuckle slightly. Your bed head made you look quiet cute.
“Wands! Natty!” You said making grabby hands and using your fist to rub your eyes which had deep circles under them despite your power nap. You frowned when they didn’t come over.
“Natty? Wanda? Is everything ok?” You asked getting up and walking over to them. You went to hug them but back away when they recoiled at your touch. Pepper sat on the bed trying to. Dissapper, her only exit blocked.
“Y/n.” Wanda said with a cold voice.
“Y/n” Natasha echoed “what is this?” She asked her face stone cold as she waved a hand between you and pepper who shrunk deeper into the bed. You did a double take, spluttering slightly at the indication of what they thought you had done. They took it your reaction as shock you had been caught. Natasha was getting angry now at your lack of words.
“What? Nothing to say? We were gone so you think you can just throw yourself at the next girl who walks into the room?” Natasha said harshly. Tears began to prick your eyes.
“Do you always go whoring yourself out when we go on missions?” Wanda yelled.
“I-i-I-“ you stuttered the nervous trait you had been trying to kick for years showing itself as you floundered.
“You know what. Its been a rough couple of days, I need a shower.” Nat said pushing past you. “And frankly I don’t want to see you right now.” She said looking you up and down you felt small in your pjs and bed head. “Coming wands baby?” Nat said using pet names to make you feel worse.
“Of course my love.” Wanda replied shoving past you as well.
Your heart beat once. Twice. Then shattered. You stood staring at where they had been before you shot off down the hall. Running into your old room you slammed the door and ordered Jarvis to lock it. You curled up in the sheets and sobbed loudly into the fabric. You clutched your old stuffed toy to your chest, the familiar item bringing some much needed comfort. It felt like hours you were laid there. All alone, your thoughts running wild.
Meanwhile pepper had broken out of her stupor and was pounding on the bathroom door. She was ignored until after the two girls had showered. As they opened the door pepper jumped back and began to berate them.
“What the hell was that?!” She yelled and Wanda looked at her in shock while nat simply held a cold gaze. “You see us together and assume she cheated.” Pepper yelled. “First off Im with tony and I see her like family. Secondly I would never meddle in your relationship, I cant believe you think I would. But this is not about me.” She began pacing and Wanda and nat sat down on the bed and quietly watched. As Wanda detected no lies in her words she began to fear she had made a huge mistake. Natasha seemed less convinced and crossed her arms.
“Then what was she doing in bed with you?” She said pointedly.
“She was in tears you idiots. She has been having horrible anxiety and hasn’t been eating or sleeping scared she would miss a call saying you needed back up or worse were injured and not coming home. I have been bringing her food and drying her tears while you two didn’t spare a second thought to her state when you left.” Wanda began to feel awful and Natasha also was beginning to feel pepper was telling the truth. “I came in this morning to find she hadn’t slept again last night and I brought her pancakes. She cried into my neck for about an hour before I managed to get her to eat something and take a nap. She has been inconsolable and afraid you two wouldn’t come home to her this time.” Wanda and Natasha were feeling awful and nat ran her hands through her damp hair.
“Then you two come in and break her all over again.”
“Why didn’t she tell us.” Wanda said her voice breaking.
“She thought she needed to be strong. She thinks hero’s cant have anxiety she was afraid you would leave her for less. Don’t you get it? She loves you so much she almost made herself sick waiting like a sick puppy for you to come home.” Pepper said “you better go start apologising now. I saw she was before and I would hate to see her now.”
Wanda nodded and took Nat’s hand walking down the hall to the room and knocking on the door three times.
“Go away pepper.” You sobbed choking on the words.
“Its us.” They said and you stilled. Rubbing your eyes and standing on shaky legs. You opened the door your face masking all emotion despite your red and puffy eyes and tear tracks.
“What do you want” you said shoving everything down.
“Aww baby.” Wanda cooed when she saw your face. She pulled you into a hug and her heart broke when you stiffed. Nat began to run her hands through your hair as Wanda picked you up sitting on the bed with you in her lap.
“My sweet girl we are so so so so sorry baby. And we will spend ever day for the next fifty years doing our best to make up for it.” Wanda said and Nat nodded eagerly.
“But-but- you don’t love me anymore.” You said burning your face in your hands as the tears started again. Wanda cooed and pulled your hands from your face pulling you back the back of your neck into her shoulder and running her hands through your hair.
“Baby we love you so so much.”
“More than you know.” Nat agreed. “And we are so sorry and we hope you can forgive us.”
“And we understand in you need time.” Wanda said begging to peel you off her stopping when you choked out a broken sob.
“Please don’t leave me” you cried. And Wanda stopped pulling you in tightly to calm you down she motion for nat to join. Wanda turned your body so you were laid on her chest body flush to hers. Nat came and sandwiched you wrapping her arms under Wanda with her body on both yours and Wanda’s.
“My sweet girls.” Wanda said. As she brushed the hair from your eyes as you cried into her chest.
“We are never going to leave you alone like that again. And I’m sorry we didn’t notice sooner.” Nat said.
“‘S ok” you slurred slightly.
Wanda shook her head “no baby its not we didn’t even let you explain.” Your body shook slightly and Wanda pulled a blanket over the three of you.
“We’re here now love. You can sleep we wont go anywhere my sweet. You look exhausted. Close those pretty eyes for me.” She said stroking your cheek. You let out a low sleepy hum and your eyes drifted closed all the emotions of the day had exhausted you. You barely registered the door open slightly and pepper came to check on you and Wanda mouthed ‘thank you’ to her. Pepper nodded and used to fingers to point into her eyes then at Wanda and nat in a ‘I’m watching you’ motion with no real malice behind it. It was an honest mistake and she knew it. You jiggled slightly as Wanda’s chest moved with a chuckle the vibrations lulling you deeper into sleep. Carefully pepper shut the door. Comfy and feeling safe you slept in the arms of your girls. And for once the anxiety was nowhere to be found in any of even the darkest corners of your mind. Their love lighting up all the parts that hid the darkness from them.