aromantically | ( OPEN ) Peter Q

She openly glares at him for laughing. Gamora knows he's right. He's trying to bridge the gap for whatever reason. He's even right about this being a lot. Gamora would be a mess of conflicted emotions even without the baggage of the future as Peter would know. This is the hardest part: the first few months of living freely when you've spent most of your life in a cage with a mad man. She's struggling with it all over again from everyone else's perspective.

Starting over is the break she needs. Gamora slowly relaxes at the suggestion, staring at his hand briefly before deciding to extend her hand to take his. Now comes the tricky part; introducing who she is the way she wishes to, not the way she'd been forced to for years. "I am Gamora, last of the Zen Whoberi, sister of Nebula." The best she can do under the circumstances, she thinks. The names of her parents were taken from her long ago. Gamora can't be sure if it was trauma or simply how young she was.

Rather than get into that, she raises a brow. "Star-Lord?" Seriously?

His hand lingers on hers just a moment too long, his smile growing goofy at her introduction. "You guys are tight like that already?" It took his Gamora years to call Nebula sister, it gives him hope that she'll fall in love with him again, or at least let him be around her. Right now it's taking everything he has not to pull her into an embrace. The smile quickly drops at her judgment and he lets out a little huff. "It's a cool alias. I used to be an outlaw!"

Gamora doesn't answer. Her guarded look says it all really. It meant a lot to her to have Nebula openly calling them sisters. She has no interest in going back now. She's owning this.

"An outlaw?" Gamora repeats doubtfully. A little smile creeps out despite her efforts to bring it down. It is fun to get a rise out of him. "You seem a little too honorable for that kind of life." They had met while he fought off an army of the worst killers in the galaxy. That would win some points with her even if she did have to rescue him.

"You think I'm honorable?" he teases, then shakes his head. Her non-answer on Neb said enough, and just the same he doesn't need a reply to his non-question. "You're not the only one who used to be kind of a jerkface. Actually, you were the first one of all the Guardians to do the honorable stuff... thing."

That part surprises her. She'd been all about self-preservation until the moment she realized what Thanos desired truly may happen. Her smile drops as she tries to gauge his sincerity. "Are you mocking me, Star-Lord?" She is daughter of Thanos or she was. Honorable isn't really in her nature.

Why is it cute that she actually called him Star-Lord? Even if she's probably mocking him in turn. he hits the button for probably the final time, deciding she's not going to suddenly run because she can't see his face now and breathing deeply is nice yo.

"Definitely not. I was gonna to sell the Infinity Stone, right there." He points to the burned out merchant stall that used to belong to that squirrely broker guy. "I didn't actually know what it was, but you did and you knew Thanos wanted that shit. You knew what he'd do with it too so you stole it to betray him except we all got yoinked by the Nova Corps and taken into custody— oops, sorry, you said you didn't wanna hear that story."

She follows his hand to the ruins. Gamora can easily picture what he's talking about. It's not unlike what she did earlier. She'd be suspicious if Nebula weren't as good at keeping her mouth shut as she is. He's not playing on her sentiment. He's just... oversharing. She tries to run through all the implications before stopping herself. None of those things will ever happen to her now. She should focus on reality as it is.

Gamora takes a deep breath to recenter herself and gets to the point. "Tell me what will happen if I go anywhere in the galaxy." Or as close as she can get. What she really needs to know is if they're still people who will hunt her down as a daughter of Thanos.

He blinks a few times, though she can't see his expression now. What will happen...?

"You're a Guardian, whether you hang out with us or not. And since we saved the universe a couple times now, most of the planets are pretty cool about it." If they recognize them, that is... "Oh, but probably steer clear of them gold guys. The Sovereign. They don't like us, especially Rocket."

Gamora stares at him in open disbelief. That... is too easy. It feels unearned despite the fact she faced off Thanos' allies for the sake of the galaxy once already. It takes a second for her collect herself. "The Sovereign are my only enemies now?" She just wants to make sure she has that right.

"Uhhhh... Okay, that's probably an overstatement? Like, there was definitely a guy who wanted to kill you in prison. Oh wait, nevermind, that was Drax."

Let him think a minute!!!!

"Being heroes pisses people off almost as much as being a bad guy does, so I'm not gonna say everyone loves you or anything. But most other good guys are chill. You know? It's like a clubhouse."

She shakes her head. That was a lot of words that sort of made sense. One thing she should be clear on though: "I don't need to be loved." Gamora is positive it'll make her uncomfortable. She doesn't deserve it. She treasures Nebula's sisterly affection despite thinking that, of course.

Oh wait he did say one thing that seems important. "Which one is Drax? Is he still trying to kill me?"

"Well, here's the thing..." He swallows, hearing her voice in his ear, It's just some unspoken thing. Peter finds himself breathless for a whole different reason. Her question is a good distraction. "No, you guys are good now. He mostly wanted to kill Ronan since that dick killed his family. But we took care of that already. Um. Yeah."

He puts his hands on his hips, feeling like he's talking to someone with amnesia or something. It's so unnatural to tell Gamora about all the things they'd been through together, but the alternative is her never knowing and that's unthinkable for him.

"What else do you wanna know?"

Gamora frowns in frustration. The start and stop is unsettling. The unknown never bodes well for her. She folds her hands in front of her as she decides to press for answers. "I want to know what you want. You never answered my question, Star-Lord." She stares at him in expectation. That's the last thing she really needs to know... before what? Gamora doesn't have a second move planned, but he doesn't need to know that.

What he wants? Peter regards her with an expression akin to wonder, grateful she can't see it now, and sighs.

"You can call me Peter, you know. Even if that name sounds pretty cool when you say it." He smiles behind his helmet and scuffs his boot against the ground idly. "I want you to come home." It comes out even with him trying desperately to stop it. The words seem to drag him down the second his lips release them to the air and he slumps in on himself miserably.

"Not that- I know it don't feel like home to you, yet. And you don't remember us, or anything that... Ugh, sorry. That was too much? I know it was. Forget it."

Edited (dw don't be rude ) 2019-05-13 01:18 (UTC)

The words hit her square in the chest. She is still reeling when he corrects himself. Gamora finds herself glad for it. Her first reaction had been to reject the offer. It isn't her home. There is a place on that ship that belongs to a woman who she will never become. He needs to understand that.

The painful thing is when she can see clearly that he does get it. He knows the awkward position he put her in. Gamora finds herself empathizing with him. How would she feel if it were her mother or father standing before her with no memory of their daughter? Or Nebula not knowing what they shared together? Her expression softens as she watches him. Maybe she had been too hard on him. He's struggling just as much as she is albeit in a different manner. She has no idea where she belongs anymore. He... Gamora thinks Peter's struggling with her very existence.

In classic early Gamora fashion, she will not admit to it. She reigns in that softened gaze and straightens up. She can't know transparent that must be to Peter. He's seen her playing at being a hardened professional with no feelings too many times. "If my sister is still aboard, I'd like to join her." She looks off to the side, refusing to meeting even the bright red eyes lest anyone see she might have two whole feelings!! "Nebula can tell you that I can more than earn my keep." Because clearly he'd have no idea.

That soft look has something dislodging behind his breastbone as he straightens up too in unconscious mimicry of her posture. He doesn't want to jump too quickly on the opportunity though what he wants most is to drag her onto the Milano and beg her never to leave again. The truth is, he isn't sure if the others can cope with this. His heart breaks all over again every time he looks at her, but the alternative is unthinkable: leaving any version of Gamora out in the cold universe alone to fend for herself. He knows all too well how lonely a person she is, and he takes a tiny shuffling step forward so he can extend his hand to signify them forging a deal. He opens his helmet for the last time, revealing a goofy smile with none of his heartache readily displayed although if she dug for it in his eyes it wouldn't be hard at all to find.

"I'll hold you to that."

Gamora studies his hand for too long and she knows it. She's still suspicious of every bit of contact even when she knows better. That look he gave her when they first met is all the proof she needs that the last thing he'd do is bring harm to her. Old habits die hard though.

It takes an awkward fifteen seconds before she grasps his hand and shakes to seal the deal. That goofy smile is infectious once she catches sight of it. She finds herself smiling, a weight lifting off her chest. The truth is she didn't know where to go or what to do. His offer is coming at the right moment. "Not too closely I hope if you want to remain captain of this ship." Gamora jokes before releasing his hand. "You should show me where I'll be staying." And get into actually breathable air for a Terran goes unsaid. It's not like she cares about other beings or something!!!

He laughs, a full, warm sound despite the harsh environment around them. Still, it's a relief to lead her back towards the ship, walking slowly on purpose if only because he knows all hell is about to break loose.

"I should probably warn ya... the others are a lot." Like, a lot a lot. He lifts his brows as he walks in perfect step with her as if he'd memorized her gait long ago. Mainly because he had. "If we can't get to explainin' things quick they'll assume..." That it's their Gamora. Mother, sister, and wife. "And they're not too smart 'cept for Rocket so it could take a minute to sink in."

"...Also, please don't tell Rocket I said he was smart."

Her brows knit together as she processes this. She had assumed he told the others that Nebula had mentioned. She wonders if it is still a good idea for her to be here. She's starting to suspect that Nebula didn't quite understand what precisely went on between her and these people. She made Peter seem like some silly boy that Gamora indulged. The way he behaved around her screamed something far more significant than that.

Gamora isn't one to back down even if she's starting to worry she's getting in over her head. She nods curtly. "It would be better if you explained. I'll answer whatever questions they have after." If they have any. She truly has no idea who she is dealing with here.

"You want... me to do the talkin'?" He braces his hands behind his head as he walks, putting his helmet back up for the stroll back to the Milano. Hopefully Rocket hasn't woken up and ditched them just yet. "I... yeah, 'course I can do that. Whatever you want."

He pauses, thinking of how best to warn her further. He knows she really isn't prepared for the full force of this crew.

"Just try to be patient with 'em, alright? They're like... kids. Well, Groot is a kid. The rest of 'em just act that way."

"You are their leader." Gamora points out. She'd been concerned before the extra warning puts her further on guard. She tries to remember she'll be dealing with children who aren't all that bright. She ought to show them compassion. She certainly hadn't been all too bright herself once upon a time. The reminder tugs at her stomach. It had been her fault that her mother was discovered. She really had been a careless back then.

She pushes that thought aside to nod. "I'll do what I can. I don't have much experience with children." She doesn't bother elaborating. No one needs a reminder of how many "children" of Thanos died.

Peter nods, grateful yet again his smile is concealed behind his breathing apparatus.

"That's okay, you'll get plenty of that rollin' with these guys." He steps in front of her as he uncloaks the ship and pulls down the ladder to the deck. "Let me scope things out, see who's up. I'll be right back for you - don't move."

He holds out a hand to urge her to stay, his heart constricting at the thought of letting her out of his sight for two seconds. For once, the coast seems to be clear. Without thinking, he extends his hand down to her with the intention to help her aboard.

She thinks she's impressed by the ship. Maybe that's because the junk she had stolen barely got her here, but all the same. It is strange to realize this might have been her home in another life.

It's also strange to be offered a hand up. She stiffens. Sadly Gamora still has some useless defense mechanisms against something as simple as being offered help ready to be engaged at any moment. "I can manage." She reminds him as brushes past his hand to get inside.

Peter nods and steps out of her way, more than accustomed to her stubbornness by now. If she's agreeing to be here at all, he really can't complain.

"Yeah, I know that." He tries not to sound too smug, resting his hands on the back of his head as he turns to lead her through. "You want the grand tour or should I just bring you to your room?"

She glances at him sharply. Gamora could swear he sounds a little bit smug about knowing her. She can't know for sure since it isn't mutual so she says nothing on it. Gamora instead folds her arms in front of her. "Grand tour. I need to know my new surroundings." Clearly he could never predict her being paranoid about new places.

( OPEN ) Peter Q

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