Who: Gamora and Peter Quill What: Taking stock, right after this Where: Peter's hotel room Rating: Green
Peter was all too familiar with feeling out of place. He’d kind of felt that way for most of his life. The weird thing was, even though he was from Earth and had constantly been reminded of the fact that he was Terran just about every chance Yondu had to point it out to him, he felt like an alien after being brought back to his home planet. He’d been away from his home longer than he’d lived there. So if he felt out of place, he could only imagine how Gamora felt now, being on a planet where people didn’t understand why she was green or anything else about her.
The visit with Doctor Strange was brief, to the point, and that was probably for the best. It was a tense situation at best, and right now Gamora probably needed familiarity rather than to have anymore information shoved down her throat. Or maybe she’d just want someone to vent to and yell over it and Peter could be that for her too. Whatever she needed, he’d always be there for her. It wasn’t even a question for him at this point.
After the door shut and it was just the two of them, Peter finally let go of her. The faint sounds of YouTube dance fails was still playing in the background so he went over and pressed pause, then turned back to her. “So,” he said. “This isn’t my fault, at least.” He offered her a little smile.
-- Gamora’s circumstances had changed so much in so little time that she hardly had time to process it all yet, which made for a numb reaction to everything, and somewhat of a blur inside her mind. She stood there by the door while Peter let go, pressed a button on his laptop and turned back to her - it at least gave her a second to reassert herself.
What Peter said made her smile faintly. She wondered, but didn’t ask, whether it was easier to be in trouble he’d created or that he hadn’t. She had to assume the former. It at least gave you the illusion of a little bit of control. “Wish it were. Our brand of trouble I can handle. Being dependent on someone else to fix it…” She looked up at him. “Sucks? That’s the saying?”
She sighed and took little steps around Peter’s room, which seemed very similar to her own. Wringing her hands together, Gamora couldn’t help but feel at least a little more at ease to share her discomfort. “There aren’t even spaceports. No way to get off of this planet, let alone back to our ship. The sorcerer kept mentioning ‘time this’, ‘time that’, I can’t help with any of that. I can’t do anything except, apparently, stay in the room designed for me until people forget I’m green or something. Like a prisoner.”
-- “Sucks is right, yeah,” he said. It did suck. Peter really didn’t want to be back on Earth. He didn’t want it for Gamora either, as he listened to her talking about how she had to stay in the room. She should never have to feel like a prisoner, especially for something she couldn’t help and wasn’t even a problem. She was just different, but that was going to make the Terrans all freak out.
“If you’re stuck, then I’ll be stuck too,” he said. It was as simple as that. “And when you want to venture out, if anyone starts shit we’ll just end it and keep going.” What Peter wanted to make sure he stressed to her was that no matter what, she wasn’t alone. They were in this together, for however long it took to get back. ...If they ever got back.
-- Gamora couldn’t help an endeared smile at Peter’s pledge to be hotel-bound while she was. But this was half his origins he’d be missing out on, and while hers were long gone at least he could recover a bit of his. She couldn’t just allow him to be locked up when he didn’t have to be. “You don’t have to do that, Peter. I’m sure you’re curious to know what’s changed since you were a little boy. You should be able to see.”
Shrugging, Gamora walked around the room, touching every texture just to see how it compared. Everything was new, yet strangely commonplace. She had yet to see about the whole food situation, too. “Strange said I should shout out ‘Comic Con’ if anyone made a face but I don’t know how long that works for. Um, but I suppose there needs to be some sort of clothing that I could wear, right? You told me about hoodies once.”
She walked around a little more before sitting by his laptop, pushing her hair behind her ear when it fell. “But I won’t say no to you and me catching up indoors from time to time. Or you catching up and me catching on, really. What’ve you been watching?”
-- Peter shrugged. Catching up on what had been happening on Earth just sort of made him feel like his past was catching up with him, and that wasn’t something he was interested in. He had happy memories, yes, but a lot of regret that was really too much for an eight year old to contend with but it was what it was. Besides, from what he’d been figuring out with the computer was that the internet could catch him up on everything he wanted to know without having to leave the room.
He watched her cross the room and eventually come to sit at his computer. Sometimes he really wished he could get into her head (while simultaneously making his way into her heart) and figure her out. Other times he liked to keep guessing. In this moment though, he wished he was more perceptive and she was easier to read. Peter didn’t want to abandon her to explore a home he didn’t even consider his own.
“People who really suck at dancing,” he said. “Or you know, how Drax dances.” He moved to stand behind her and placed his hands on either side of the chair. “Before that I was watching these videos where this guy heats up a knife and cuts through things.” He paused, then spoke again. “We’ll find a way to get you some clothes. I can bring you some, if nothing else.”
-- Gamora raised her brow ridge at Peter’s response, then chuckled. “You and dancing.” She said fondly, shaking her head. There wasn’t a day when Peter didn’t mention dancing somehow, and he’d even convinced her to dance at last… which had been weirdly fun. She still refused to do the silly choreographies an actual dance club required. There were limits. “To be fair he does only dance when he’s drunk which already doesn’t help. Although it probably helps others get loose. Yeah, I think he’s really just bad.”
Once again his response surprised her, and she turned her head slightly to look at him, finding herself yet again a little too close to Peter… or maybe just close enough. “Why does he do that?”
Gamora smiled and nodded. She really had no cause to think for a second that Peter wouldn’t know what she liked to wear and bring her something completely horrible. In fact, she was certain in terms of style and ‘swagger’ Peter would never disappoint.
-- Shopping for clothing for Gamora wouldn’t be weird, would it? No? Yes? Both? Yes, both. He had no doubt he could find her some stuff but he also thought maybe he should ask that Darcy girl who knew about technology and stuff if maybe she could go with him or give him advice or something. Whatever. He’d figure it out. He was going to need some clothes too, so he wasn’t stuck wearing the same shit everyday.
He laughed when she brought up Drax being drunk when he danced, and was tempted to remind her that he could dance just fine while intoxicated, but before he could she’d turned her head and brought them both a bit close, which was fine by him but also had some unspokenness to it that he wasn’t about to bring up. It just made his heart do that weird shimmy shake thing that he liked but also was terrified of so he left it alone and moved on.
“It’s oddly satisfying to watch,” he said. “Here, look.” He leaned forward, which brought his arm a little bit around her as he navigated the YouTube browsers to go back to one of the video he’d watched before so she could see one of the videos he was talking about.
-- When Peter leaned forward Gamora’s nose made light contact with his scruff, which made the corner of her lips twitch at before she inhaled and turned to the screen as well. She didn’t mind his arm around her like that, it wasn’t the first time nor would it be the last. Gamora leaned towards Peter a bit, wondering what kind of video repository this was where they had pseudo-scientific experiments like the ones she was watching right now. That knife must’ve been crying for release if it had been the crying sort of thing. Gamora shook her head and chuckled, and then put her hand on Peter’s once a red, juicy, familiar-looking but wholly strange fruit appeared on screen being cut in half and wholly charred.
“What is that? Is it edible? It looks so appetizing…” She said dreamily, suddenly realizing she was, in fact, hungry. But the pleasure of finding something so appetizing on Earth was replaced by abject horror once the knife cut through some type of ball that screeched horribly. “Oh it’s like some torture chambers I’ve been to. What is wrong with these things?! Why do they make that sound?”
Adjusting herself on the seat, she turned back to Peter. “Anyway. I thought most blades became malleable at such high temperatures that they turn red. Guess I was wrong…”
-- “That’s a pomegranate,” he said, then cringed at the sound of the ball things getting melted and sliced and squished. Peter leaned back up and looked down at her in the chair. “I dunno. It just looked cool.” He shrugged. It was very easy to watch one video, then click on another, and another, and another. That was how he’d found it in the first place, though honestly he couldn’t even remember what led him there.
He moved to lean his backside against the desk so he was a bit more comfortable. “You think the others will end up here, too?” He asked; of course, referring to Drax, Rocket, and Groot. “I mean, Groot can stay. His ‘tude seriously kills my vibe most of the time. I can’t wait until he grows out of that.” He rolled his eyes, though really he wouldn’t have minded if the punk ass tree showed up. Any others who knew them would be nice.
-- “Pomegranate.” Gamora repeated, dreamily again. “I want to try one. Have you ever had one? Is it good?”
Gamora looked back at the screen and shrugged. The things that looked cool to Peter were often the exact opposite of cool to her, and this was no different. She refrained from explaining just how many things she’d cut with her sword and other assorted knives before they’d met. Even she didn’t want to think about it, these days. Instead she sat back and waited for something ‘cooler’ to show up.
Peter’s question made her shrug again, moving as she turned to face him. “I don’t know. Part of me hopes so, part of me doesn’t. If they freak out at me imagine what they’d do at Groot or Rocket.” She snickered. “I agree. I can only handle one Nebula at a time. He feels like Nebula now; petulant, permanently angry and irritating.”
A horrible thought came over her, and Gamora’s face changed. “Oh God Peter what if she shows up?! I love her, she’s my sister, but I can’t imagine the amount of havoc she’d wreak on this planet.”
-- “I think I like them. I don’t really remember,” Peter answered, honestly. “We’ll find you one so you can try it sometime.” Actually, he wouldn’t be opposed to getting food. He was hungry, and his growling belly was reminding him of that. Pizza was probably going to be in order. “Drax isn’t exactly what anyone on Earth would call inconspicuous either. Rocket could just ditch the clothes and run around on all fours. Someone might try to trap him, though.” Actually, that’d be entertaining as hell to watch.
When her focus turned to Nebula, things became a bit more sensitive. He could see the change in expression on Gamora’s face, and his own smirk vanished to be replaced with a look of concern. It wasn’t often Peter Quill was serious, but given the circumstances and the fact that it was obviously something she was really, genuinely worried about (with just cause), he wasn’t going to make jokes about it.
“If she shows up, we’ll find a way to take care of her,” he said. “Hopefully without guns, swords, or whatever.” Somehow he didn’t think Nebula would take to the whole ‘comic con’ rationale that Strange had instructed Gamora to use. “If she starts trying to hurt people, I mean, obviously we’ll have to take action but hopefully if she pops up we can intercept her first.”
-- “Let’s try toge- I mean, we could get some. Maybe.” Gamora replied, blinking rapidly as she looked away. When Peter mentioned Rocket going around like a real raccoon, Gamora rolled her eyes in tandem with her neck, looking at Peter with a doubtful expression. “Either we’re from different universes or you don’t remember what Rocket is actually like. He would never stoop that low, and even if he did the moment someone said something contrary he’d grab onto their heads with his little claws and probably gouge their eyes out.”
The way Peter talked about Nebula, knowing that Gamora cared about her despite their troubled relationship, and how difficult that relationship was (which made caring a two-sided thing) made Gamora smile sweetly. She was thankful that he understood and wasn’t, for once, joking about it. “I guess you’re right. We’ll deal with it if she does appear.” She sighed. “So; what do you intend of doing while you’re stuck down here?”
-- Peter knew full well that Rocket would end up causing a scene and utter mayhem would likely transpire from it. That was part of the fun, but he also didn’t want the trash panda to end up hurt. Much as they all fought and sometimes wanted to kill each other, they were a weird, messed up family who were always going to have each other’s backs -- even the punk ass tree. So while he did sort of wish that the others were with them, it was probably for the best that they weren’t. It was definitely for the best if Nebula wasn’t, because that would just make a headache for Gamora mostly, but Peter too. And pretty much everyone.
“I have no idea,” he replied when she asked what he intended to do. “Keep trying to catch up with what I’ve missed out on I guess. And if we’re stuck here for the long haul, I gotta find a way to make some money and get a place where we can stay that’s not temporary like this hotel.” He smirked. “I mean, if you want to stay with me, that is.”
Peter reached over to the nightstand where there was a little binder that had a bunch of different tabbed sections of information. One of them was labeled ‘food,’ so he started to flip through that. “First though, I’m gonna order a couple of pizzas because I’m fucking starving. You want some?”
-- The idea that they could be stuck here long enough to need a job had not occurred to Gamora. She rolled her eyes at the thought, sighing, and resigned herself to it being a possibility. There was a moment of silence where the possible implications of ‘staying with Peter’ occurred to Gamora, but it was stupid to think of it in any different way than how they lived on their ship.
“Of course I want to stay with you.” It appalled her that the idea of being here alone scared her, but Gamora knew this was the way of things now. She had a family, and that was better than how she’d been before. “And get a job. I don’t know doing what, but I hope the men in charge of all this have some ideas.”
Peter had long ago waxed poetic about the terran delicacy called ‘pizza’, so when he suggested it, Gamora nodded and smiled. Now was as good a time as any to try cheese. “Sure, order the pizzas. And let’s watch some...teevee.”
-- The idea of being trapped in some sort of weird time paradox or whatever this was, where they were stuck on Earth unable to get back to their ship and their makeshift family really was unnerving. For as much as they drove him crazy and they fought almost to the point of drawing weapons on each other (but really, he didn’t think they’d ever actually fire them), Peter was convinced that his fellow Guardians were his family. Losing Yondu and the shit show with Ego had put that all the more into perspective. With Gamora here with him, he was going to do whatever he had to in order to make sure they stuck together. Thankfully, she seemed to be of the same mindset.
“You’re gonna love it. The pizza, I mean. I have no idea what TV is going to be like these days,” he said. “Sure as hell didn’t look like this,” he gestured to the flat screen, “when I used to watch it.” When he found the number of a place that would deliver to their room, he made the call and ordered one that just had cheese on it, and one that had seriously like five kinds of meat on it, and then one that had a shit load of vegetables because he honestly had no idea what she’d like best. “Alright, they said it’d be like thirty minutes so that should be enough time for us to figure this thing out.” Peter picked up the remote and pushed the button that said ‘power,’ because that made the most sense. “Huh. Wow, there’s actually a guide you can pull up that shows you what’s on. Look for something interesting,” he said as he scrolled through the channels.
-- Narrowing her eyes, Gamora stared at Peter with a doubtful smirk. “Am I? You sure?”
Once again she was reminded that Peter himself hadn’t been here in over twenty years, during which Gamora suspected things had changed a lot. She looked at the flatscreen and then at Peter. “How?”
When Peter walked away to call for the pizza, which Gamora assumed someone would deliver to the room, Gamora sat more comfortably on the couch and crossed her legs. In the meantime she played with her phone, getting used to the system. She raised her head when he came back, and while he perused the television channels, Gamora wondered why he wouldn’t sit down. Suddenly she was all stiff again.
“Uhhh… I don’t know…” She read the listing. “What’s Family Feud? Do people really have their spats in public like this? This transmits to the entire country, right?”
-- Peter raised an eyebrow as he looked at the screen. “Well, the television wasn’t flat. It was more like a box. The picture wasn’t so clear, either.” He took a seat beside her after she chose a show to watch and funnily enough he did recognize it. The host wasn’t the same guy but the setup looked the same.
“Yeah, to anyone with a cable television,” he said. “I mean, that’s how it used to work. There are a lot more channels now, wow.” He watched as a big red X came onto the screen when a contestant gave an incorrect answer. “Oh, well, it’s not like an actual feud. It’s a game. There are two families, and they compete to get the most points. They just call it a feud because it sounds like a catchy title. They’re not really fighting. Whoever wins gets money.” He saw that she was a little rigid so he gave a piece of her hair a little playful tug. “Relax,” he said and smiled a little. “We’re just gonna eat some Terran food and watch the tee vee. Okay?”
-- Gamora couldn’t pretend to be excited about the differences in technology on Earth, so she simply nodded. She also couldn’t imagine a life that gave anyone time to get the best out of this flat screen with all its channels but then she suppose it was more about choice than needing to see everything.
“Oh…” she murmured. If Gamora could have blushed, she would have upon realizing the gaffe she had committed regarding the show’s name. Instead of asking what kind of contest it was, Gamora decided to just watch, glad that Peter had sat down. “This is a trivia thing. Like, a most commonly thought expression or word to do with the prompt. This helps.”
The sudden touch to her hair made Gamora widen her gaze and turn it towards Peter, her features softening once he spoke. She smiled, sheepishly again, and nodded as she leaned back onto the cushions. “Okay, I’m relaxing. If you want to see something you’re not familiar with, though...”
-- Peter nodded in confirmation. “Yeah, and some people give the craziest answers. But I could see how it could be helpful if you know little about how Terrans think. I mean, if I’m your only source, you probably should listen to what other people say.” He laughed a little at that, and relaxed more as he noticed her doing the same thing.
This wasn’t ideal by any means, but at the very least, they were together. And that was nothing to sneeze at, as far as Peter was concerned. He leaned back against the cushions beside her, content as they waited for their food, and listening to the sounds of red X’s and the dings of correct answers. Welcome to Earth, Peter, he thought with a stupid smile on his face.