( closed ) surprise! you're a dad!

[godslay]

who: Gamora & Peter Quill
what: The portal chucks out baby Groot, and they discover they get to take care of the little menace again.
when: Mid-January
where: Community housing: floor 13, room 4
warnings: A tiny angry tree.



[ Things haven't been tense, per se, but since Peter's powers manifested, they've both been stressed.

Trying to dig up any trace of Ego doesn't yield any results, and for all intents and purposes, it seems that Peter's powers are just a fact now, a reality they're learning to tackle head-on. Gamora is insistent that he practice with the Light, so that his emotional responses don't lead to a wild outburst of energy that could be potentially dangerous. A controlled environment is safer, better, as much as Peter might not want to admit the Light exists in the first place – and Gamora won't budge on their training.

She believes in him – in his capacity to manage his abilities.

But that means they both tend to leave training a little frustrated, and she understands if he's tired, aggravated by how little progress it might seem he's made, but she keeps reminding him that it's a process. Control won't come easily, but it will be worth it – because she does not want to see him wearing one of those suppression collars out of fear.

Tonight, however, is an off night. No work, no training, and they've had a quiet day, much needed as it was. Returning from a walk in the gardens, she leads Peter from the elevator with a bag of food in one hand, his fingers curled in her other. She's ready to settle in for an episode of Pals or some movie, their takeout, then cuddling on the couch, before they both crawl into one of their beds to fall asleep curled up with each other.

(Gamora has suggested they may want to look into a queen bed, rather than the two twins they've had since arrival. She tried to be completely nonchalant about it, too, mentioned over coffee and a bowl of cereal, but it had still been a Big Thing.)

Once inside the apartment, she starts pulling out their food, poking through the boxes. ]

Pick what we're going to watch.

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His nose wrinkles, lips twisting to one side in distaste. ]

Yeah. I figured that'd be your answer.

[godslay]

[ She shrugs, settling again against him. ]

I have faith in your ability to keep an eye on him.

[ Does she really, though? ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He lets out a derisive sort of snort. Even with Groot snoozing away, Peter looks at him with all the wariness of someone expecting a grenade to go off. ]

I appreciate that, I guess. I just don't have all that much faith in him.

[godslay]

[ ... Gamora doesn't actually look about to refute that. ]

Maybe you could put a leash on him.

[ Like a child harness? Something? She has no idea what to do with children. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That makes him bark out a laugh, and loud as it is, Groot hardly stirs for it. ]

Oh my god, he would hate that.

[godslay]

He would, but it might encourage him not to go too far.

[ She can't imagine actually managing to get one on Groot, though. Even that much would be a pain. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The mental image is apparently endlessly entertaining, because Peter's still grinning with it. ]

Well, yeah, but that's only because he's gonna spend, like, hours trying to gnaw through the leash.

[godslay]

But at least he would stay occupied.

[ And that's usually the biggest problem with Groot: he gets bored. ]

Hopefully wandering with you will be entertaining enough for him.

[nostalgiabomb]

I don't have any doubts about him being entertained. It's his ability to stay out of something's giant, toothy maw that I'm having some second thoughts on.

[ But at length, Peter waves a hand, as if to dismiss his own misgivings. ]

It'll be fine.

Probably.

[godslay]

He survived this long with us and nothing has eaten him yet.

[ He'll probably do just fine here, too. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

Yeah, you're right. You're right.

[ He plucks up his box of food from the table – lukewarm, by now, but Peter's eaten worse – and picks at it with his fork. ]

Just don't be too surprised when I call you in for a secret Search and Rescue mission. That's all I'm sayin'.

[godslay]

[ She sighs as she follows suit, setting her box of takeout into her lap. ]

How fortunate for you that happens to be my job.

[ ... as she reaches over to steal a bite of Peter's food. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He's gone beyond casting her a flat look, at this point, and rather than whine about it, he reaches over and steals a bite from her box. ]

I guess having an in with a captain does have its perks.

[godslay]

[ Gamora tilts the box settled in her lap to give Peter better access to her food – clearly having no qualms with sharing.

Even if she does reach for another bite of his. ]

Do not think that means you can take advantage of it.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He huffs out a laugh, apparently content with the bite he had snatched, and he similarly holds his own dinner closer to her. ]

We've been here all these months, and I haven't yet, right?

[ Though truthfully, he's not entirely sure what there is to take advantage of, other than, like, maybe getting some special priority on the off-chance he needs searching and/or rescuing – which Peter doesn't expect will happen any time soon. ]

[godslay]

Mm, but it has only been months.

[ As in: there's still time.

But honestly, she doesn't see what or how Peter would take advantage of her authority. She arguably doesn't have that much, even if it may be more than Peter, himself. It's a leadership position, but not necessarily one that imbues her with great power.

She pauses, thinking about that as she takes another forkful of Peter's dinner. ]

We have been here for some time, though.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ His chewing slows with that little observation, and he hums in agreement. ]

Yeah. Probably too long, honestly.

[ Though he doesn't say it with too much resentment. It's... been relaxing. And the assigned work has given him enough to keep him occupied, mostly. Tinkering and exploring and occasionally running for his life when his blasters found an uncooperative target. And it's almost been fun, if he's honest.

Except for the recent bullshit. He could've done without all that. ]

Not much we can do about it.

[godslay]

I know.

[ She's aware that they can't change their circumstances, and they have no options but to sit and wait, but... it hasn't been awful. In fact, she's enjoyed her time in the Quarantine.

But she worries about everything back home. ]

... I just don't understand why Mantis went back without us.

[nostalgiabomb]

... Yeah.

[ And he breathes the word out uncertainly, pushing the food around in his container. ]

I dunno. Maybe the jump home was only good for one trip, and Mantis' was the name they drew?

[godslay]

[ ... That isn't reassuring. ]

What if those are the stipulations for the next time the portal opens to our world?

[ What if only one of them can go through? ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He falls quiet, gaze fixed on the food container. ]

I don't plan on going without you.

[ And he says it lightly, like this isn't a huge decision to be making. He misses being back home, sure, but he has no intention of leaving anyone behind.

He pauses before forcing himself to catch her gaze. ]

You could go, though. If you wanted to.

[ And he says it earnestly. If there was only the one slot available to head home? He'd gladly let Gamora take it.

Assuming it was ever up to them, that is. ]

[godslay]

[ This is probably a more serious conversation than either of them anticipated having over boxes of takeout food, but here they are. She listens, and it honestly surprises her how much relief curls in her chest when he says he doesn't plan to take the jump home alone.

But she frowns when his eyes meet hers. ]

I don't want to.

[ No part of her thinks that's a valid option. ]

I am not leaving you behind.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The corner of his mouth quirks up in a smile, and he huffs out a breath – almost a rueful sort of laugh. ]

Are you sure? I mean... if something cropped up now, and there was only the one shot at it, are you sure you wouldn't wanna head back? Especially considering it might be a long time before they got a good fix on it again.

[godslay]

Even more reason for me to stay.

[ If that left Peter here for months (years?) on his own, she had no interest in it. ]

I would rather go together or not at all.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Another little laugh, and he nudges her with his shoulder. ]

You don't have to babysit me, you know. I'm a big boy. I've taken care of myself for a long time.