godslay: (134)
ɢ ᴀ ᴍ ᴏ ʀ ᴀ. ([personal profile] godslay) wrote in [community profile] riverviewlogs2017-08-09 02:17 am

( closed ) domesticity isn't so bad.

who: Peter Quill and Gamora
what: An evening in the life of ridiculous space dummies.
when: August 11th — right before the amnesia event.
where: Community housing: floor 13, room 4
warnings: None!


[ Despite the fact that they've only been in the city for over a month, it's become surprisingly easy to find a new routine. It's far more laidback in comparison to their usual fare – less scrambling for legal and slightly-less-than-legal jobs – and only having to share a room with Peter is much better than the way they'd all been living on top of each other back on the Milano. There hadn't been much of an opportunity to adjust to the Quadrant, but their apartment is cleaner than the overall ship itself, so it has that in its favor. (That excludes the general messiness that comes from living with Peter, but that's bearable.)

But everything feels easier. The weight of the galaxy doesn't sit on their shoulders, they don't have to report to the Nova Corps, they aren't constantly recognized by "fans" or otherwise so— it's different. Gamora has a normal (emphasis on "normal") job for the first time in her life, and though it also happens to involve killing monsters and protecting anyone meandering beyond the wall, she has something as mundane as shifts. She reports in, handles a squad of her own for the Guard, but then she goes home for dinner like everyone else.

But being home for dinner means that a regular meal at roughly the same time has become part of her schedule, and since hers and Peter's shifts tend to coincide more often than not, that usually means they see to their dinner together. They've managed to sample a good deal of the restaurants the city has to offer, and their fridge is generally full of whatever leftovers they've had for the week; they don't cook much, but they still somehow manage to sit to eat together most nights.

It becomes a habit. In fact, she'd be more surprised by Peter missing dinner than she is by how they've fallen into such a domestic routine.

And that's what it is, isn't it? Domestic. Living together, eating together, spending downtime together. Sometimes that includes Mantis (because Gamora has become oddly protective of her, tentatively treating her like any of the other Guardians), but sometimes, it's little more than absently keeping busy near or with each other in the hour or so they may have to spare.

(Though as the days roll by, she's become especially fond of something as simple as waking up in the morning to see Peter snoring softly in the bed across from her. Sharing space isn't new, surely, but with their unfamiliar surroundings and all of this change – both here and back in their own universe–, just seeing him helps.

It makes her smile, and somehow, for the first time in a long time, she feels less displaced.)



Tonight, she comes bearing a bag of pasta for their dinner in various red and white sauces. She's discovered that this kind of food is actually tasty, and though she'd never experienced any of these sauces before coming to this city, she's decided that the Terran ones Peter had her try are more than worthwhile.

She unlocks the front door, letting herself inside, and then kicks it closed as she heads to the small kitchen to set down their food. She starts going through the boxes, putting them out one by one, before going to fetch a couple of plates and forks for them both (while ignoring the small pile of dishes already in the sink; they should probably take care of that tonight, but she maintains that it's Peter's turn again).

She pauses long enough to pull out her communicator and fire off a text. ]


Hurry up if you want to eat before it gets cold.

Or I'm going to start without you.


[ Probably not, but still. ]
nostalgiabomb: (018)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-09 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It’s—

Nice.

Okay, maybe it’s not nice, the whole kidnapping thing. The whole getting yanked out of one reality into another, getting separated from his team (family) for the next, like, five years or whatever the hell. Maybe it’s not nice, not knowing how his friends are doing, not having his ship, not having the freedom to move from one place to another at a whim.

But Peter’s always been the type to run from his problems, to move and move and move until he’s left everything so far behind him that he could forget it all. It’s a habit he’s trying to break, to be fair to him. He’s trying to learn to live with the consequences, trying to learn how to let the past go, trying to learn how to live in the now and all the ugly, painful things that entails. After everything that happened – everything with Ego, the whole fucking mess – he was steeling himself to cope, to deal with it, but—

But.

—but there had been those handful of moments, he admits now. Just a handful, where he felt lost and drifting and unmoored, even with his family around him, silently offering support, and that must be how he ended up here. He’s guilty for it, but honestly? He’s glad he has an entire alternate universe between himself and those issues.

He’ll... he’ll cope. Eventually. Not now, but soon.

(Maybe.)

But it’s nice. A new world to explore, stuff to do that keeps his little, tinkerer’s heart satisfied. He has Gamora and Mantis – that familiarity that keeps him from going entirely insane with homesickness and loneliness. Peter’s used to being on his own, sure, but his time with the Guardians has spoiled the fuck out of him, and he finds he likes being able to turn to someone and have a chat, to have people to sit down to dinner with. It’s domestic as fuck, and maybe months ago, he would’ve balked at it all, would’ve felt smothered by the routine, but now

It’s nice.

(It reminds him of home.)



Peter’s not far from the shared housing building, a plastic bag crinkling in his hand when he gets Gamora’s text.

Also, Peter’s that weird asshole who responds to texts with a phone call. It’s easier than trying to navigate the device one-handed while trying to not bump into anyone as he walks back. Whenever Gamora picks up: ]


I’m almost back. No need for threats, dude.
nostalgiabomb: (081)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-09 08:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sorry, Gamora. Peter will always prefer the quick route, and in this case, calling is faster.

Also runs less of a risk of him walking straight into a pole, which is an added bonus. ]


I took a detour.

[ And he hefts the bag, the plastic crinkling as he checks the contents. ]

Anyway I’m, like, literally walking into the building. Gimme like, two minutes.
nostalgiabomb: (060)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-09 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Peter hears the way the line cuts, at least, and he makes a face as he pulls the comm device away from his ear. He grumbles to himself as he’s stepping into the lobby, as he’s walking onto the elevator— ]

Oh, okay, I’ll see you soon, Gamora. Yeah, no, don’t worry about ending the conversation properly. I mean, it’s only the polite thing to do. No, yeah, it’s totally cool, manners aren’t important or anything—

[ And he scoffs as the elevator doors slide shut.

In the allotted two minutes, the door to their shared apartment opens, admitting a still slightly disgruntled Peter into the space. He kicks the door shut, spotting Gamora. With an exasperated air, hands on his hips, ]


Uh. Bye, by the way?
nostalgiabomb: (131)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-10 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
I did.

[ He didn't. ]

But now you're never gonna know. [ With a slightly wounded air. ] Because you were rude to me.

[ He harrumphs as he heads to the fridge, depositing his bag on a nearby counter to pluck things out. ]
nostalgiabomb: (182)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-10 04:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ He wads up the bag and stuffs it somewhere, because apparently Peter Quill, ever the pragmatist and recycler and full-time hoarder, saves his plastic bags. ]

Ice cream. It's a Terran dessert.

[ He suddenly realized earlier in the evening that they've been here all this damn time, and he still hasn't shoved ice cream in Gamora's or Mantis' face. Frankly, that's a crime.

As he's putting the little pint tubs into the freezer, he names off the flavors: ]


Chocolate. Vanilla. Mint chocolate chip. And last but not least—

[ This with a bit of a flourish, tossing the little pint up into the air, catching it with the other hand. ]

Rocky road.

[ ... which is technically just chocolate again, but Peter likes chocolate. ]
nostalgiabomb: (228)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-10 06:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ He lets her take the pint from him, though what she says earns her a flat look. ]

Yes, Gamora. I thought we'd finish off dinner tonight by eating spoonfuls of literal rocks.

[ And now he's taking the tub back, scoffing as he puts it in the freezer along with the others.

Maybe Gamora doesn't deserve rocky road. ]
nostalgiabomb: (174)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-10 09:01 pm (UTC)(link)
It’s a good name! [ A touch defensively. ] It’s got a history to it. [ Probably.

Please don’t ask Peter what that history is, Gamora. He doesn’t know it. ]


And, I mean, it’s memorable, right?

[ He shuts the freezer, and when Gamora offers him a plate, he takes it with a quick nod of gratitude. At her comment, though, Peter pauses for a second, eyebrows rising a little. ]

You did?

[ He’s not surprised she did that, but he’s surprised that she apparently remembers his favorites. Apparently he’s not used to anyone extending him that sort of consideration (or at least, he’s not used to anyone admitting it aloud), and it shows. ]

I... uh. Thanks.
nostalgiabomb: (200)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-11 05:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ He huffs out a breath at that. ]

I mean, of course not. [ Because Gamora wasn't a dick, and Peter makes a point of criticizing the crap he doesn't like. Loudly. Vehemently. Repeatedly. Peter is a vocal person, obviously, but he's a lot more vocal about the stuff in his dislike column than anything.

So unless she was making, like, a power play, she wouldn't get the stuff he didn't like. ]


I just— figured you'd get whatever you wanted. [ And he says it without reproach; it just seems natural that if Gamora was getting dinner, then Gamora would get what she liked.

He tracks her movements as she's opening boxes, and— yep. Sure enough, it's all the stuff he likes, and he lets out a quiet sort of laugh. ]


You're the best. Have I mentioned that lately?
nostalgiabomb: (180)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-11 07:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ He doesn't seem to mind that she goes first. Gamora's the one who bought the food, after all; only seems fair that she serves herself first. Once she's finished, he moves in to stand beside her, plating food for himself. ]

That was the plan. Unless you'd rather sit in awkward, stony silence until we both finish eating?
nostalgiabomb: (172)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-11 10:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ He nudges her hip with his as he's dishing up the pasta, flashing her a teasing smile. ]

You'd probably be the one making it stony, though.

[ Once he's filled up his plate, he plucks it up, nodding toward the couch. ]

I bet there's probably some cheesy sitcom that we can make fun of.
nostalgiabomb: (205)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-11 08:08 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He follows after her, and after months of practically living on top of each other in the small space of the Milano, by now, Peter hardly notices when he and Gamora end up side-by-side, or if their shoulders brush as they pass one another one the way from one end of their shared room to the other. Even their brief time with the wider accommodations of the Quadrant left them sitting hip to hip more often than not.

It's easy. It’s comfortable. And with Peter being a tactile person, the quiet points of contact soothe something in him.

Peter’s about to take a seat against the arm of the couch when she asks after the remote, and he purses his lips as he thinks back on it. ]


Uhhh.

[ He drags the word out as he sifts back through to last evening, and he leaves his plate on the small table. Instead of taking a seat, he picks through the pillows on the couch, and— yep. There it is, wedged between the seat cushions. ]

Gotcha. [ As he plucks it up, holding it out to her. ] I’ll let you pick the poison.
nostalgiabomb: (018)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-12 05:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ah, okay, this one’s not bad, actually. Pretty over the top and ridiculous, but it’s kind of up Peter’s alley.

(Even if one of the romance plots is actually kind of obnoxious. Peter likes will-they-won’t-theys, but come on.)

And it’s weird, how— comfortable this is, how familiar. Sometimes he’d have dinners like this with Mom, watching Alf or Who’s the Boss? or whatever was on TV when she had a later shift. Background noise as they talked about their days, as Peter hemmed and hawed over whether or not the other boys at school were treating him poorly. As Mom pretended to not be exhausted from a long day at work.

But it's different, of course. Because it's Gamora. Because she's warm against his side, and sometimes their shoulders brush. Sometimes Peter has to tune out the TV to mess with the pillows so they're both comfortable. Sometimes when she doesn't finish her dinner, he'll snag a bite from her plate without thinking.

Currently, Peter snorts out a derisive noise. ]


"On a break."

[ He echoes it in a throaty sort of voice, corners turning down in an exaggerated scowl. He stabs at a few pieces of pasta with his fork, bringing it to his mouth. He chews for a few seconds before saying around the bite, ]

That's not how that works.

[ how would u know, peter. ]
nostalgiabomb: (133)

[personal profile] nostalgiabomb 2017-08-12 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ He snorts again, chewing another mouthful of pasta. ]

It's a dick move.

[ And maybe the words are cast out a little more grimly than necessary, but there it is.

When she reaches over with her fork, Peter's first instinct is to pull his plate away and let out an irritated, ]


Hey—

[ An old habit from his days with the Ravagers, when he had to guard and scarf down his food before someone snatched the best bits of his dinner.

But he relaxes almost as soon as he does it, letting her take what she likes. Still, he grumbles a little, looking at her askance. ]


I guess you can have that, by the way. [ In the most put-upon tone in the galaxy. ]

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