ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴀᴅʟɪᴇsᴛ ᴡᴏᴍᴀɴ (![]() ![]() @ 2018-05-21 16:52:00 |
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Entry tags: | gamora, peter quill / star-lord, status: complete |
WHO: Peter Quill & Gamora
WHERE: The cottage that will probably become their house in Aboda village
WHEN: After Gamora's arrival
WHAT: Reuniting and lots of sads
WARNINGS: Much IW spoilers in this log
STATUS: Complete
When you were falling, it actually happened very quickly. Your body jerked as you hurtled further and further toward the end, the world rushing by in a blur. You knew that when you hit the ground in a jangle of bones, it was going to hurt. And yet still Gamora would recall her perception of time being distorted - perhaps because she had the chance to relive her fondest memories in her mind’s eye as she extended her hand out to grasp an endless expanse, the depressing orange skies of the barren planet Vormir. What she was reaching for, she didn’t know - Thanos had turned away by that point, still crying like the bitch he was. He’d tossed his daughter over a cliff because he claimed to love her, and he would win his prize after all. She hoped he didn’t. She hoped that when she finally landed on another planet entirely, sending pond water and dirt and mud shooting skyward, that somehow the sacrifice for the soul stone didn’t take. Of course, her luck and hopes and dreams hadn’t exactly been coming true lately. In the empty cottage now, she sat wrapped in a blanket, stiff and motionless watching the crackling fire which seemed to resemble Vormir a bit too much for her liking. Everytime she closed her eyes she saw orange - she saw the end of the universe. Her muscles were sore from pulling out that dead tree stump for the villagers, though she knew normally it wouldn’t cause her pain - but her body had been through a lot. Food would help, so she couldn’t wait for Peter to get here - for a number of reasons. Maybe the ache she felt was really for him, and it would subside when he arrived. Her senses were enhanced thanks to the work of her batshit insane ‘father,’ so she heard Peter coming up the front walk and immediately bolted up to let him in. The blanket was tucked around her like a dress but it crumpled and slid open when she launched herself at him - not like she cared. Modesty was the last thing on her mind now. There were a number of things Peter couldn’t erase from his mind. Being unable to help Gamora as she struggled in Thanos’ clutches, struggling to fulfill his promise and actually...go through with it, only to fail anyways. And let his emotions get the best of them so Thanos got away with the stones. How he got the time stone from Strange, he didn’t know, it didn’t matter. Nothing mattered after Gamora was gone. And he’d failed, and watched his friends turn to ash before he did too. Just like that. Just like he’d said. It was something that would never stop haunting him, but Peter had to focus on the now. And that was getting to Gamora with provisions and making sure she was alright. She was in well enough spirits to launch into his grasp—she was there, she was really there. Peter clutched her tightly against him, forgetting about anything else at that point in time, his eyes were already watering and his breathing became laborered. He got enough of a grip to carry her inside and close the door behind them for some privacy. But he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her, burying his face into the crook of her shoulder, eyes shut tightly and just holding her like he’d never get the opportunity to again. Because he didn’t think he would. “Peter - “ Gamora said his name, the syllables getting stuck in her throat. She felt choked up, but with relief instead of dread - because he was here and they were both alive and, for the moment, Thanos was somewhere else entirely. They were in a place where the crazed titan couldn’t hurt them anymore, so she’d take it - nothing that was ‘bad’ on this planet compared to what was happening back where she came from. Gamora held him just as tightly, a mess of green limbs and a knit blanket and gnarled black hair streaked with crimson. Of course she, the deadliest woman in the galaxy, was crying too. She couldn’t help it, however - an ocean’s worth of ink wouldn’t be enough for her to put into words how much she loved him. “Peter, please, it wasn’t your fault,” she got out in between soft hiccups, holding his face in between her hands - she pulled back enough so that she could look at him. He blamed himself for not being able to kill her when she asked, she knew that. “If you could really shoot me that easily, we’d have problems.” There was a large, cushy chair in the sitting room of the house - which wasn’t decorated, just furnished with the bare necessities and essentially abandoned. But it was also warm and dry and private, that was what mattered. She tugged him to that chair so he’d sit, and she climbed in his lap a moment later. “I’m sure someone told you - but Thanos sacrificed me to obtain the soul stone. That was the big secret, the stone was hidden on Vormir and I was the only one who knew - he’d sent me to find it years ago but I lied and said I never did. When he extracted the memory of me letting the location slip to Nebula, I had to take him there so he’d stop torturing her. I didn’t think he had loved anyone, so he wouldn’t be able to get the stone but - I was wrong.” He’d loved her, and yet that didn’t make her happy. It filled her with bitterness instead. Peter might have huffed a chuckle, a solemn one at the mention of him not being able to kill her when she asked. Yeah, she had a point. But even when she had asked him, Peter was always working around for other ways. If he were more direct with the team, a stronger leader, maybe they would have gone right…if he were stronger they could have stopped Thanos. But Peter blamed himself for ruining the plan too. And letting Thanos kill their friends and himself. He let her direct him into the seat, not all completely there as his red rimmed eyes were glassy as she explained everything he didn’t want to hear. Peter didn’t want to know what Thanos did to her. He didn’t want to know how she died. But he sucked it up, and let her get it out. He let out a shaky breath when she was done, closing his eyes because he still couldn’t look at her. “Nebula told us. We had him. We had a plan with the Avengers on Titan and almost had there gauntlet off but...I let it get to me. Mantis said what he was feeling and Nebula confirmed that with the soul stone he had and..I couldn’t do wait another five seconds to do what I should have on Knowhere but he broke free...it was stupid. It was—I was so stupid. ” She didn’t need to know details about their friends turning to dust. Or him. “It was like you said. He did it. He got the other stones and...we lost.” On Gamora’s end, no, she didn’t need to hear the details - because it was like you said basically explained everything for her. Thanos had gathered all the stones somehow, he had his gauntlet, and he annihilated half the universe with a snap of his fingers. He’d done his duty as some sort of savior, killing and torturing as he did and calling it mercy. She was quiet for some time, though she was letting the tears flow as she curled up with Peter, her arms around him and the two of them fitting in this chair by the fire. The sadness and the pain she felt was like a million pieces of broken glass wedged in between the soul Thanos stole from her and her physical body. There was such a heaviness in her heart - Rocket, Drax, Groot, Mantis, Nebula, were they all gone? - and she could hardly bear it. “I’m sorry, Peter. I could have - it could have been different. I could have done something. I failed our family,” she said, sniffling. “I’m just...I’m sorry too. I don’t know what to do, but we’re here now. We’re together, at least.” She laid her hand on Peter’s cheek, meeting his eyes - the pretty shade of blue that they were. “I love you.” The last time Peter felt this empty on the inside was when he was sitting outside his mother’s hospital room. As he had, for a few years before she finally died. So many ‘woulda, coulda, shoulda’ and ‘what ifs’. A whole lot of good it did them. “You didn’t fail anyone. You told us exactly what would happen.” He said matter of factly, shaking his head. He shouldn’t have been so non-chalant. Letting them split up like that. Going off on knee-jerk reactions and emotions. They had learnt better than that--but this was a sore spot for Gamora. So he listened to her. Like he always did. His mother told him not to pick fights for a reason. Even if he was defending something that needed to be defended. Maybe if he waited a few minutes longer they could have defeated Thanos. Maybe they could have done something… Gamora’s touch brought him out of his dull musings and he blinked to look at her, frown still etched into his face. She was right. They were here, wherever here was, and they were together. It was just hard to shake everything that had happened. “I love you too.” His eyes closed for a moment before kissing her forehead lovingly, arms squeezing her tightly again. It would probably be awhile before he let go of her. “We’ll figure this out...whatever ‘this’ is. No use in worrying about what isn’t in front of us.” It was the most mature response he could muster. Nothing would make anything that had happened go away, but they had each other. Maybe their family would show up too. “Next time, you guys gotta listen to me and go right.” “Yes - I think we’ve all learned our lesson about listening,” Gamora huffed an amused exhale - even if the thought at the back of her mind was what if there’s not a next time? She wanted to know who survived Thanos’ destruction, but if Peter hadn’t she didn’t think she could actually hear that and make it even a moment further. So it remained shelved for now. She kissed his temple, nuzzling there. Coming back from this would be the hardest thing they ever had to do but as long as the mad titan didn’t show up here, maybe they had a shot. “I hope the rest of our friends and family show up on this video game planet. It can’t be worse than where we came from,” she said, fingers scritching through Peter’s hair. Seeing the others was a small thing to hope for and she could use a dash of looking forward to something right now - especially because it felt like all the fight had been sucker-punched from her. “What food did you bring?” That would be a good chance for her to re-focus, since she felt like was impossible to think about anything when basic needs weren’t satisfied. If she only knew. The only thing keeping the memories from playing back in his head over and over was the distraction that Gamora was actually there with him in his arms. And they were in some crazy world bordering some of his childhood videogames. And her soft affections that she’d taken to more often than he had. It still surprised him when she could be so soft but yet bristle a hard exterior when needed. Or when she wasn’t with him. But he’d seen that before Gamora gave him the time of day. She was always the one being the most selfless, doing what was right long before him. “Right, sorry.” He hummed at the scritching of her fingers through his dirty blonde hair. He shifted in the chair to reach for the bag the store owner had so graciously given him from Cerulean City. He didn’t know what game that was from, but he was able to get them some provisions with only half his coins. “Water,” he handed her a bottle and set one for himself to the side, “Some yummy looking sweet rolls they insisted I get, and...I’m pretty sure this is fruit?” She loved fruit. When ripe. “And some cheese. Oh, they also gave me some chocolate as a complementary thing for buying stuff. How nice is that?” No, it wasn’t a feast but the store bordered more along the lines of snacks or a cafe. Peter had been so obsessed with getting to her that he didn’t make the time to look for anything resembling a market. She did love fruit - Gamora was pleased. It wasn’t like she was expecting a five-course meal right now, but just something that would give her a sugar buzz and fill her up a little too. This green assassin felt hollow inside for more than one reason. “Thank you,” she kissed Peter before opening the bottle of water and gulping half of it down in one go. The fruit she bit into first, savoring the taste, and it was gone quickly - then she started on the sweet rolls and added some cheese, though she saved half the food stash for him since he would need to eat as well. “We’ll stay here tonight? Figure out where to go in the morning. There seem to be a variety of terrains on this planet. I also need to find someone to repair the Godslayer,” she added, nodding to where she’d stashed the broken pieces of the weapon - on top of the mantel, above the fireplace. The knife was still easy to get to should she need to grab something quickly. Peter drank his water slowly and let Gamora have at the food. He really wasn’t hungry at all but knew if he didn’t eat anything she’d say something. So he nibbled at the cheese and one of the rolls which was actually pretty good. When he was little and feeling down about school his mom would make him a nice warm dinner to make him feel better, insisting he eat. Whether or not it was because it came from her--he was sure it had something to do with just nourishing your body in some way. As long as there was distraction he would be fine. For now. “Yeah, there’s no telling how big this place is or where we could end up if we started exploring now.” He shrugged out of his jacket because it was warm with the fire and her curled against him. Peter frowned and looked up at her broken sword. That, was the kind of weapon that shouldn’t have been able to be broken like a toothpick. Yet all the same..he wished Rocket were here, despite how mean that little shit could be. He could fix it. “Maybe someone on the network might know how? Though I think if we explore enough parts of games, there’s gotta be like a...uh..blacksmith or something. We’re gonna have to play up the terrain a bit to trade for that probably. If we both farm around back in the Mario area? I know how to get some coins. I played the game a lot when I could find enough change at the Arcade.” “That sounds good. We can get more coins, in case we find a blacksmith and need to pay for them to fix the sword,” Gamora said (after swallowing a mouthful of sweet roll so she didn’t look like a chipmunk, or spray food everywhere). “I doubt everyone is willing to trade with manual labor the way these villagers are.” It was all about that cheddar, wasn’t it? Money made any world go round. Her clothes were still drying, so she wrapped the blanket more cozily around herself and remained curled up next to Peter. The thought struck her that she should go upstairs to see if any of the bedrooms in the small cottage were in decent shape but she just didn’t want to exert the energy. Everything was beginning to shut down, her brain included. And blissfully so. “I might fall asleep,” she announced drowsily. “Feel free to move if you get uncomfortable.” She had a point. The people in Link’s world were wayyyyy more chill and probably didn’t even have the money to go around so bartering was the only way they knew how to work. Which in turn could be more helpful sometimes if they had problems getting currency to trade. “I’m not going anywhere,” he replied quickly, maybe too quickly. She may have to try and pry him away with what was left of her sword after awhile. Peter wasn’t letting Gamora out of his sight. And for the time being, his arms, either. Scooching back some more against the seat in front of the fire he let out a breath to relax, concentrate on the feeling of her very warm and alive body against him, and Gamora’s slow and steady breathing. “Get some sleep. It’s been a long...day. I think.” He let his fingers begin to stroke through her long, curly hair, his free arm wrapped around her securely. Did he lock the door behind him? It didn’t have a lock. But his blasters were right there. Peter was paranoid enough to shoot first and ask questions later. Gamora was out a second later, her limbs leaden - sleep washed over her, and it wasn’t a gradual sort of thing. Now, it was like flipping a light switch off - though she managed to mumble an ‘I’m glad you’re here’ to Peter before she fell into another abyss. This one was much more comfortable than the promise of death, however. Lots of unknowns remained but she wasn’t dead - there was a second chance at life and she was going to grab it and hold it in both hands. Tightly. |