#gamora reassurance

[enigma731]

Also: If you still think the point being made is that Gamora is a different person, I'm gonna need you to watch the movie again. Nebula even says she's always been like this when she's doing the big mean front in her first few scenes.

The big theme of the movie is that relationships are important but they don't fix us and they don't (alone) define who we are. It's about giving every character primary agency in their own individual story.

The endings for all of them (including Gamora) show us that they are their own people while still being Guardians and being a family. Even if they aren't all literally physically together, it's about being more, not less.

[thedarklinkfell]

Reassurance

[artist-issues]

I love Peter Quill's EMPATHY.

The second thing we learn about him (besides his love of music) is that he gets into fights with other boys because they "killed a little frog that didn't do nothing."

The filmmakers specifically give us a close up of HIS face when he notices that Rocket has scars on his back.

He goes to check on Gamora when the prisoners are trying to execute her, even though she tried to steal his orb and kill him and got him captured by Nova Corps.

He tries to keep Rocket and Groot and Drax from killing each other even though he has nothing to gain from keeping the peace, and he tries to comfort Rocket and looks distressed when Rocket says "I didn't ask to be taken apart and put back together over and over and turned into some little monster."

He has the most scenes of being willing to listen to insensitive Drax when Drax is trying to give advice.

Obviously he saves Gamora at the cost of his own well-being when she's stranded in space

He thanks Drax when Drax awkwardly proclaims them as friends, meanwhile Gamora snaps at him.

He rallies everybody into saving innocents and becoming heroes.

He notices Rocket, who has been nothing but a jerk to him, vaguely comparing himself to Yondu as a mean guy who miraculously didn't push his friends away. And then he makes this face,

Which is by far my favorite "Kind Starlord" moment, and says, "well of course not." Purely to comfort Rocket and reassure him that they're family, without actually SAYING all that mushy stuff, so Rocket keeps his pride without having to apologize.

And, you know, all of GOTG Vol. 3.

[bellalaufeyson69]

Peter Quill x Reader

Enemies to lovers (sort of)

Breakfast

(Spoiler if reading this next sentence! Takes place after GOTG and before GOTG3. Gamora is with the Ravagers and is no longer with Peter in any way. Also meaning that as confirmed by James Gunn, we the reader can understand what Groot says because we’ve been with him so long 🥹)

Description: Quill and Yn hardly ever get along and it’s gotten on everyone’s nerves. Nebula comes up with a solution to the problem by making them spend time together in hopes of working out the differences.

Wc ♡ 3.5k

Masterlist ♡

————

Rays of sunlight burst through the wide front windows of the Milano as the team sat around the table waiting for Groot to finish the breakfast. We all took a straw from a hat daily to see who had the duty, though when any one of us pulled the straw and saw it said groot, we’d discretely pretended it said someone else’s name. It wasn’t that we didn’t trust him to be a good cook, it was just that he can get a little… distracted.

“What day is it today?” The tree pondered, looking over to Mantis awaiting an answer all the while completely unaware that a twig from his arm has now caught fire from the stove.

I was quick to catch this and jumped from my spot to put it out, though as I ran to help him I came crashing into a tall, decently sweaty Peter. “Common Quill!” I hissed before turning back to Groot only to be halted by his annoying voice.

“Oh like that was my fault,” he complained throwing his hands in the air and looking to the team for reassurance yet getting none as they tended to zone Peter and I’s arguments out.

“Maybe if you payed any attention to anything you ever do!” I snapped turning back to face him feeling a rise of irritation come over me causing me to completely forget why I’d even got up in the first place. “Also, you’re disgusting. We have showers for a reason, you literally soaked my arm in your nasty sweat,” I made a disturbed expression whilst wiping the warm wet liquid onto my pants.

He scoffed with an eye roll while taking a glance at the ceiling. “Im sorry if I get a little sweaty when I work out, it’s natural, and I was going to take a shower, not that it’s any of your business; after we ate breakfast.”

“How convenient, so we can all join together and eat while inhaling your B.O.”

“Oh would you two please just shut up! I’m sick of all the incessant bickering you make me want to rip my ears off,” Nebula intruded from beside Groot. She and Rocket had been busy helping Groot put out the small flame that Peter and I had long forgotten about. “You’ve been irritating because Gamora’s gone, and you’ve been a living-breathing brat ever since you failed the last mission,” she called out our behavior almost in a motherly way. She’s been weirdly diplomatic when dealing with us instead of just telling us to go yell at each other somewhere else.

With a huff I went back to my seat and sank in the chair feeling a tinge of embarrassment overwhelm me at the memory of that last mission. I had never failed before, and this time put everyone at danger because I couldn’t control my emotions and attacked a guard too soon. I got a lecture about it from pretty much everyone except Mantis and Groot. That experience definitely hurt my pride quite a lot, so sometimes I might have a little extra sass to try and build it back up. “At least mines a real reason to be acting like a jerk,” Peter mumbled while sitting down in the seat farthest from me.

I snickered to myself at his comment. Sometimes he can be a real idiot. “You realize you called yourself a jerk too right? Nice one Einstein.” I clapped back not willing to let him win this argument, or really any in the future. Peter Quill just always has to be the leader, the cool guy, always right. Not when it comes to me.

“That’s it!” Nebula shouted in pure aggravation. She stomped over to the both of us and grabbed one of our arms with a decent strength considering she’s part bot. “You two are on breakfast duty, and if I hear you argue once while doing it then you’re both gonna be stuck cleaning the engine for two months,” she snapped, shoving us both toward the fridge. We often all had chores to do but we made it fun by having a spin wheel to see who has to do what. Cleaning the engine was always the worst one, but what made it easier was knowing you only had to do it once and then you could spin the wheel next chore week.

“Who said you were in charge? I think you’re forgetting this is MY ship,” Peter defended while crossing his arms.

“Yeah,” I added confidently. Who the heck is Nebula to tell us what to do.

“Nah I agree with that. You two are the most annoying a-holes I’ve ever had to share a space with. Mantis and Drax don’t even argue as much as you do,” Rocket chimed in matter of factly.

“It is true! I would much rather sit and listen to Mantis’s pathetic stories than hear you two fight anymore,” Drax said as he stood tall and serious.

Mantis glanced over to him with a bubbly smile. “Awhh thank you!”

“You are welcome idiot,” Drax replied with a pleasant smile. In his mind he was being respectful, and Mantis didn’t know any better.

Nebula turned her head back to us with an expression as of saying ‘that’s what I thought’. “So it’s settled. You two are gonna work this stupid stuff out, and if we hear so much as a bad tone, then you get stuck with Engine duty,”

We’d both surfaced a similar response between grumbles and eye rolls, yet had no choice but to accept our fate. Majority rules is how this ship functions, which was a feature I loved when it was in regard to someone else. Soon the rest of the group piled out, rocket on his way out mumbled on about how we’d better be quick. I gave a short glance to Peter which was a mistake as he’d so very annoyingly been standing there sifting through songs his Walkman and earbuds. Of course he’d tune me out, I wouldn’t be surprised if he just stood here the whole time too.

I started gathering some of ingredients and pans we’d need, already feeling angry at the fact that he hadn’t even attempted to move to help me. This was a clear indicator that my assumption of his laziness was likely going to be right. I semi aggressively dropped down the container of bacon onto the counter letting my current mood take the control of my motion. I grabbed the unused pan and placed it down and began putting strips of bacon on it. “You’re doing that wrong,” Peter softly mentioned. He seemed tired, I wasn’t sure if it was tired of the arguing or just in general but the tone definitely helped ease my anger a little bit.

With a huff I turned to look over at him and was surprised to find him standing so close, hovering just inches from my frame looking down at the pan, then making eye contact with me. His expression was blank, and calm which confused me. “I’m putting the strips out, how else am I supposed to do it?” I felt my brow still furrowed down in the looming frustration I felt before. We always fight, and one of us always takes it too far, those are times that make it hard to ever not be annoyed at the man’s presence.

He took an earbud out and let it hang by the cord before stepping closer until his body was pressed against my side. I stayed long enough to feel his warmth until I realize the normal thing to do would be to step out of his way, so that I did. Part of me wished he’d do it again, that he’d give me an excuse to accept his embrace. If I hate him so much why did that little ounce of intimacy feel so nice? A confusing mix of emotions. “You don’t put them all at once only do half so they cook more evenly,” he explained whilst taking off some of the already placed bacon. “Also put them folded like this so that- F*CK! AGH!” He’d instantly jumped back from the grizzling pan holding his hand in pain. “Stupid grease, ow!” He complained to the pan as if it were alive which made me laugh quite a lot. The whole scene was funny really.

I hadn’t noticed that through my laughing he’d been looking at me smiling ever so slightly, until I caught him, in which he looked back at the pan. “Are you alright there captain?” I amusingly teased his super strong title, while instinctively placing a caring hand on his shoulder with a soft rub. The moment I placed it I felt the mortified realization of my actions and ripped my hand back off. Too embarrassed to comment on it I’d redirected my focus to making eggs in the other pan hoping he wouldn’t mention it.

I cooked in silence for a little while until I felt as if I was being watched. Hesitantly I turned my gaze to Peter and surely enough was met with him staring right back at me. He looked to be deep in thought until I caught him when his lips curled into an arrogant grin. “Oh no no no, are you kidding me? You’re tellin’ me you can’t even cook eggs either? What can you do?” He provoked in amusement making me roll my eyes.

I waved my hands in the air in defeat. “Fine! You do it yourself then.” I stepped aside from the counter and began to walk away until I felt a warm hand take a light grip on my forearm and pull me backward. I stumbled back to my position in front of the pan where Peter was beside me holding my arm.

“Relax,” he soothed while slowly inching closer, it almost seemed like he was hoping his movements were slow enough for me not to notice. “You’re not gonna get any better with that attitude,” he continued, his hands slowly brushing my hips while I was too distracted listening to what he was saying. He moved cautiously almost trying to catch me in the distraction. “So much attitude all the time,”

I scoffed at his comment. “Attitude? I don’t have attitude, you’re the one who’s always moping around making little comments at everything.” his fingers now wrapped around my waist as he stood behind me, his breath tickling my shoulder.

“Let me show you,” he furthered, completely ignoring what I’d said and going on with his own point.

I’d attempted at pushing his hands off me. “No, I don’t need your help Peter,”

He stood there his grip strong as he looked down at me with a little ‘huh’. After the death glare I’d given he kindly explained the cause of the sound. “You called me Peter,” he pointed out with a grin.

I felt taken off guard at that comment and honestly a little flustered. I always made it a point to call him by his last name, I felt that first names were for people I respected. Why did that slip so easily? “I was just distracted…” I trailed avoiding his gaze and looking back to the pan. “Are we gonna cook the eggs or not?” I redirected the conversation away from the tension as I didn’t know how to react. My heart fluttered at his proximity but my mind reminds me of our dynamic. We’ve never got along let alone been close in this way.

He took my cue to move on and eagerly grabbed the spatula, handed it to me then paused and hesitantly slipped his hand on the back of my own. His other hand rested on my waist still as he guided the cooking. “It’s all about the wrist” he spoke softly.

I let out a breathe as I stood stiffly. I wasn’t sure what to do with this but I didn’t hate it. In fact it was quite the opposite. “This isn’t going to help you get over Gamora,” I bluntly stated without really thinking about it. I didn’t intend on being rude and my tone pushed that. Truth is that must’ve been an insecurity festered up. He’s a flirt and I can’t be his distraction.

He was silent for a moment but his position didn’t budge. “Why are you always so quick to push me away?” He quietly asked sincerely. He seemed hurt which was the last thing I expected from him. Was I reading our dynamic wrong? I couldn’t have been I mean we fight constantly.

“I don’t-“

“Don’t.” He interrupted. “Be real with me, just this one time,” he took the spatula from my hand and placed it on the table before grabbing the hand back again and bringing it to my waist to hold there. “What can I do to fix you and me?”

I didn’t know how to respond to that whatsoever because I didn’t know what that meant. You and me. As in no more arguing? As in becoming friends? As in something more? It doesn’t help that Peter is known for his flirting. “I-“ I sighed. “What do you mean?” I felt myself submitting to his touch as my body relaxed against his.

“Last weekend, we’re sitting on the couch. My arm was up around the top of it and if I moved it down just a little bit it would’ve literally been around your shoulder. Everything’s fine we’re all watching a movie, and I make a bad joke about your favorite character because I think it’s cute when you’re mad and you storm off cursing at me.” I couldn’t see the point he was pushing for but found myself blushing at the compliment. “Can’t you tell I do those things to get close to you? We don’t talk what so ever and the most I get from you is if I pull it out of you by making a dumb comment,” he explained his head now stooped closer to my shoulder, resting slightly against the side of my face and neck. “I know I can be childish, or a jerk but I don’t know what else to do when all I want to do is talk to you,”

“Oh really?” I perked up a little bit ready to make my point taking a step away from Peter. “What about the time we were here drinking and you made a comment about how I was ‘acting different to impress people’? How romantic,” I poked feeling his logic start to crumble.

He let out a huff. “You’re not remembering that the way I am and yeah I shouldn’t have said that but you spent the entire night all over that xandarian guy,” he expressed stepping forward to grab my hand and pull me back in. “You know how much I wanted to punch that dude straight in the jaw every time he touched you? Why should he get to kiss you?” He seemed to be getting offended just remembering the night, and honestly a little heated.

“Peter,” I softly tried to intercept.

“No, I’ve been here this entire time. For years it’s been me here with you, we go on missions, we’ve explored new planets, had ups and downs, and I have to sit there and watch some guy kiss you? Some guy who just came along that same day, put no effort into his relationship with you and got you,” he rambled on with pain in his eyes. I hadn’t seen him show that much emotion over someone since gamora. “It’s not fair,”

I felt horrible for not seeing this sooner. I couldn’t help but rethink everything but at the same time he definitely went about this in the wrong way to get my attention. He got it alright but it was never good. To me he was just constantly nitpicking me and all the things I liked and it drove me crazy. I guess that’s the fault in miscommunication. A lot of the stuff was pretty dumb to get genuinely mad at, often he’d just tease my favorite movies or comment on my fighting skills. Nonetheless in this moment I felt truly sad for him. “I didn’t know…” he was focused very intently on every word I said and I could just tell the anticipation anxiety was eating him up. In reality this was a confession of his feelings. “If I would’ve known…” I trialed off not wanting to press further as I’ve never been very good at expressing my feelings.

“If you would’ve known then what?” He softly nudged me to continue. He took our interlocked hands and held it on his chest.

“I don’t know, things would’ve been different. I didn’t know that’s how you felt I just thought you hated me honestly,” I admitted awkwardly.

He exhaled with a frown. “I could never hate you, and that mission…“ he got softer watching my expression because he knew this topic was sore for me. “It didn’t matter to me that we failed, all I could think about was how I could’ve lost you,” he admitted keeping eye contact as he spoke. “I can’t lose anyone else, and I just miss what we used to be like.”

This confused me as what he’s referencing is our friendship back when he was with Gamora. Is he trying to say he wants to be friends or is he being romantic? He’s so hard to read sometimes, but his actions are telling me romance. Clearly he could see the confusion etched on my face because he clarified all my questions without ever having to hear them. “You know, how close we were. Cracking jokes, playing pranks on the rest of them,” he explained. “I want that. But… something a little different…” he seemed a little more awkward now like he didn’t know how to word what he felt.

“How different?” I asked feeling my heart pick up just a little bit. Perhaps MAYBE the reason I got so mad at everything Peter did was because MAYBE I valued his opinion, because MAYBE I was sort of always secretly into him.

He perked up at the question surprised I hadn’t shot it down right then and there. “Well,” he started while taking my hand and giving me a dramatic twirl. The guy is smooth. “Maybe a little romance, I’m thinking Jim and Pam,” he referenced my favorite Earth show as I’ve forced him to watch it after our trip there.

A mischievous smile found my lips at that. “Ohhhh, so someone was lying about not liking the show?” I teased in a ‘I told you so’ kinda way.

He chuckled at my call out. “I told ya Y/N, I just love to mess with you.”

“Hmm, fine but you have to watch rom coms with me,” I laid out my terms matter of factly.

His eyes widened. “Fine? Fine what? Fine to the romance?” He double checked as I hadn’t made myself all that clear.

“I GUESS,” I dramatically excepted in a fake disinterested tone.

“Well then Mrs. Y/N” he pulled me into him yet again wrapping his arms around my torso, though this time I let my hands rest on his chest. “I’m gonna romance the shit outta you,” he grinned that same cocky little grin that used to make me wanna smack him.

I rolled my eyes at his over confidence but was thrown off at him leaning in closer to me. I couldn’t find anything sassy or witty to remark because now all my focus was on the fact that Peter Quill’s lips were so close to mine. The lips of always secretly wanted to kiss. I let out a breath feeling the tension before he’d made the move to fully go in. He kissed me softly, and slowly. His hand cupped my cheek and when he pulled away he gave a real genuine smile.

“You’ve gotta be shittin’ me” rocket yelled out from the doorway next to a very shocked Nebula.

“I give them a week tops,” she jokingly murmured but I could tell she was genuinely happy for us.

Rocket groaned from his place clearly fed up with the fact that he’d suffered through our bickering just for us to end up into each other. “If I’d known all you two jackasses needed to do was bang it out- WHY ARE THE EGGS BLACK?” He ran over to the stove to turn off the switch as if that would save the already far gone breakfast. “that’s TWO breakfasts down the drain, that’s it! I’m done! We’re getting fast food from knowhere,” he flailed his hands in the air and walked out of the room in defeat making the rest of us chuckle.

“I’m glad you two figured it out finally,” Nebula gave a small smile. “Really thought you were blind,” she dryly joked.

Peter and I looked at each other in confusion for a moment before smiling and accepting the fact that apparently we’d been obvious about our unknown feelings. With that she left the room to follow Rocket to the controls of the ship to fly us all to knowhere. This left Peter and I alone once more, he stared down at me in amusement. “I knew you were into me.”

I fought the urge to roll my eyes for the millionth time, slipped my fingers into his and dragged him out to the main area of the ship preparing for the rest of the teams reactions.

—————

My first Peter Quill fan fic! Sorta rushed so I apologize for any errors! Let me know if I should make more!

[princesssmars]

joining the guardians of the galaxy and falling in love with peter and gamora.

you were a princess on your home planet, elegant and beautiful but still trained for battle. deadly when needed.

unfortunately before you can take your rightful place on the throne you're betrayed by your sister and your planet is destroyed, leaving you with no option but to flee and eventually end up dealijg with the wrong people.

so here you are, being held captive and in servitude by some royal dickhead with a weirdly shaped head who has hired some "galatically renowned assholes" to retrieve something stolen from him that he stole first.

maybe it would have worked in his favor if two of the group members (who you had to admit were a pair of the hottest creatures youd ever seen) hadn't been observing and taken a liking to you during their stay, the paler one admiring your hidden kindness despite your situation and the green one who looked at you with understanding when you told her about your sister.

when their stay after completing their job ended the dickhead invited them to his throne room, ready to give them their payment. but he was, as stated, a dickhead, so he was actually planning to gun them down and make amends with the guy he just stole from. but you'd heard his loud mouth blabbering about his plan to one of his troops in his room.

before his guards can even blast their guns the guardians haven already struck them down, leaving you to dispose of the king with a fake smile and a blast to the head.

after that, you're basically a member of the team. peter and gamora cant really hide their attraction to you, and rocket and drax admire your strength and willingness to dispose of those who have wronged you. groot is just taking his first steps and you think he's adorable and coddle him every chance you get, and he likes the attention. you're a perfect fit.

the couple are thinking the same. they havent put a label to their relationship, but know they have feelings for each other and you as well.

its the little things, bonding with gamora over your lost cultures and family problems, how you felt like since your familys betrayals you were alone in the universe until you met each other this team.

one thing she likes to keep a secret between the two of you is her insistence on the two of you trying a new dish and drink when you visit a planet. if anyone asks she'll act like she does it out of your begging, but she will wait at your door and stare at you when you dont head out into the market with her.

peter introduces you to earth music and will happily say he falls a little in love with you when you immediately take a liking to it. if you like singing you'll sing along to the tunes every chance you get, and will pull him up with you to dance during down time traveling through space.

after the trauma he's been through, i think he would deal with nightmares every other week. you were the second person he told about it after gamora, and since she preferred solitude at night he didnt want to pressure her into helping him when she was dealing with her own problems. (doesnt mean there wasnt the rare night where she would calmly go into his room at the sounds of his whimpers and whisper to him and run her hands through his hair until he soothed into a peaceful sleep.)

but if its been a rather rough day and he felt stressed out, you wouldnt even need him to ask before you were climbing into his bed and cuddling him from behind, reassuring him that you and the team believe in and care for him deeply. that he's safe when you're there. peter thinks those are some of his best nights of rest.

after a mission gone wrong nearly kills you, the pair know they cant keep dodging their feelings. its late at night when the rest of the team have gone to sleep when they sit at the table in the middle of the communal/eating area, just having finished eating some dessert you had previously picked up with gamora on a market trip and talking and laughing with the two.

after the stress of nearly losing you and the smile on your and gamoras faces, peter cant help but blurt out his feelings for you. your faces are in shock, and its in the middle of peter ranting and trying to backtrack that you grab both sides of his face from across the table and connect your lips.

when peter told stories of his past frequent sexual escapades, you were at first amused while slightly disgusted, but a small part of you was also intrigued. luckily that part wasn't dissapointed, because he reciprocates the kiss like his life depends on it.

the kiss is so good it makes you light-headed, but no matter whats happening around you, you could never ignore the small noises of annoyance gamora lets out, breaking the kiss and turning to her clearly upset but trying to hide it face. she looks away as if to keep her dignity, but when you slide your chair to the side with a smile to keep eye contact, she mentally damns you both and kisses you before doing the same with peter.

its the morning after, your messy-haired self exiting gamoras room while wearing peters shirt early in the morning while heading to the bathroom when you bump into rocket, heading to get an early start on a new invention

"called it. keep it sown next time, would ya?" he walks away, cackling at your flustered face as you hurry into the bathroom.

you rest your back across the door and smile to yourself. you loved these assholes.

.

hello i need more starmora x reader content at once pretty pleaseeee

[horeformilfs]

Grieving

Elizabeth Olsen x Fem!Reader

TW: Loss, Grieving Process, Eating Disorder Behaviors, Fainting, Exhaustion, SH

------------------------------------------

You and Lizzie had been dating for a while when you got the news that changed your world. You had been working through a script when you got a call from an unknown number, showing Lizzie she shrugged not knowing whose phone number it was. Picking up the phone and putting it on speaker phone.

"Hello, is this Y/N Y/L/N?"

"Yes this is, can I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Ryan Jackson and I am calling from the New York City Police Department. "I'm calling in regards to your brother Michael."

"Is he alright?"

"I'm sorry to inform you, he passed away about an hour ago."

Your heart shattered and time stopped after you heard those words. He died, your older brother, your protector, your best friend, died. Your body becomes numb as you drop to the floor, letting out an agonizing scream.

Lizzie who was watching the conversation rushed towards you, holding you in her arms as you cried. Your heart is beating rapidly and breathing unsteady. Sobs wracked through your body as Lizzie held you, eyes watering as she saw you break down. "Shh darling, it's all going to be okay," she said, trying to calm you down. "

N-No you don't understand, he was everything to me, he protected me when I was younger, we did so many things together, and now he's dead," you say, voice unsteady from your tears. "I know love, but you're going to get through this, you are so strong, and now you need to be strong for him as well".

You continued to sit in Lizzie's lap while she rubbed your back, whispering assurances in your ear. You felt numb, like the world around you wasn't real. You couldn't process what was going on, there was nothing that you could do to help yourself.

You learned that the funeral was going to be in a week, knowing that your father was going to have a hard time planning this funeral. It had only been six months since your mother died, and he hadn't even had time to grieve over her death, before your brother, his son, was taken from him too.

He confided in you later that day after you heard the news. You had never really been close with your parents. As soon as you turned 17 you moved out, finished high school a year early, and applied to NYU.

You got in and packed up your things, with the help of your brother, who was the only person from your family that you talked to. It was you two against the world. You studied acting and ended up getting the role of Gamora, and met Lizzie on set during the filming of Avengers Infinity War.

Your father had called you to talk about the funeral arrangements, he wanted you to be responsible for planning the funeral for your brother. You couldn't say no to him, but Lizzie was not thrilled that your father put this huge weight on your shoulders. She knew you, she knew that you would become hyper-focused on the funeral and not let yourself process the trauma you just went through.

"Darling, are you sure that you want to take this on? I know that you want to be there for your father, but I also want you to be able to grieve," she said as you worked on your computer, reserving the burial location. "Yeah Liz I'm fine, I promise," you said, assuring her that you were okay.

She looked at you skeptically knowing when you were lying but choosing to push it. You continued to work on the funeral reservations, making sure you had a place for the service, a coffin picked out, and wrote the speech that you would deliver. During the week, you had become so consumed with the planning you probably slept a total of five hours combined, and skipped almost all of your meals, all while trying to reassure Lizzie that you were okay.

She didn't believe you, each night you would go to bed together but once she thought you were asleep she would get up and go to work on the funeral plans. She could see you slowly falling apart in front of her, and she felt helpless. The bags under your eyes became darker, your skin pale, and your ribs protruded.

The day of the funeral approached and you and Lizzie were in your room getting dressed. You were wearing a knee-length black dress, black stockings, black heels, and a beige trench coat over it.

Lizzie was wearing a black dress with a cardigan over it, black stockings, black leather boots, and a black coat as well. You both made your way to the car, Lizzie insisted on driving, and you accepted. The ride to the funeral home was quiet, Lizzie's hand intertwined with yours.

Once at the funeral home you go into the room where the service will be held, giving yourself time to have one last look at your brother. You found out how he died, driving drunk and hitting a street lamp.

Lizzie let you have time with your brother, she knew how much you loved him and how close you were with him. She was sad that she never got to meet him. You guys were planning on meeting him for dinner in a few weeks.

"I know he's so proud of you darling," she says, joining you in the service room. Tears start to well up in your eyes, but you didn't want them to fall. You tried your best to conceal the fact that you were close to crying, but your girlfriend knew you better than that. "Love if you need to cry, that's okay, you are going through a traumatic and upsetting experience, it's healthy to feel these emotions," she said rubbing your back.

"I'm fine, we should go out to the main lobby. There are probably people here already," you say trying your best to give Lizzie a convincing smile.

The funeral comes and goes, and your father never actually showed up, which made you want to cry. You had done everything he asked, you had done something that you had never thought you would have to do.

Lizzie was extremely furious with your father, putting you through hell when she knew that going through the grieving would be hard even without planning the funeral, but because he had you plan it, it took away from the time you could have to start the grieving process.

You and Lizzie make it to the burial site, just the two of you and the casket carrying your brother's body. You had some time to say your final goodbyes. As they started lowering your brother's casket into the ground, all of the feelings that you buried deep inside you rose to the surface, causing you to collapse into Lizzie's arms.

When you came to you were in your shared bed, Lizzie holding you in her arms, gently stroking your hair. "What happened," you ask quietly. "You collapsed from exhaustion, you pushed yourself too hard.I know that it was important for you to do this, but you weren't taking care of yourself, and it finally caught up with you," Lizzie responds, worry in her voice.

"Darling, you can't just push these feelings down, grieving is a normal response to a loss, no matter how close they are to you. You lost your brother, someone who you relied on, and now he's gone. And you need to be able to grieve," she says as she pulls you to her chest. "I know, I'm just scared," you respond. "I know love, but it will be good for you, and I'll be here the whole time".

Denial

The following weeks were hard for you to say the least. You tried your best to be present in your daily life, but Lizzie could tell that you were having an incredibly hard time.

You had become numb, you didn't want to believe that he was gone, it was like he was here one day and then gone the next. You tried your best to be present in your relationship but didn't feel like you were being a good girlfriend to Lizzie.

Thoughts spiraled as the days went on, "He's not gone, he's going to call, right?" you ask Lizzie as you sit on the couch. She could tell that you knew that it wasn't true but you didn't want to believe that he was gone. He was everything to you.

Anger

The anger came next, you were mad, mad at the world, mad at the fact that he was dead. "If he hadn't been drinking, this wouldn't have happened," you say as you pace around your room, looking at a photo of you and your brother. Lizzie was downstairs working on her computer.

Your anger was building up, and it scared you. Your breathing grew faster as your pacing sped up, you didn't know what to do, you felt like you were spinning out of control. The built-up anger finally became too much, throwing the photo against the wall, shattering the glass frame, you fell to the floor letting out a blood-curdling scream.

When Lizzie heard the scream, she ran upstairs and straight to your shared room. Seeing you on the floor shattered her heart, she never wanted this for you. She ran straight to you and wrapped you in a tight hug, once you felt arms around you. Startled, you started thrashing around, fighting the person behind you.

"Shh darling, it's just me," Lizzie says, trying to calm you down. "No, let me go," you say, trying to release her grip. "Love, I need you to calm down, I know you're angry, and I know that it hurts, but I need you to calm down". Your breathing starts to even out as you start to cry. "Why did this have to happen to me?" you ask, tears falling down your face. "I don't know love, the world works in mysterious ways sometimes," Lizzie says as she picks you up, bringing you to the bed. "Promise me you won't leave me," you say, clinging to her as she places your head on her chest. "I promise my love".

Bargaining

Three months had passed since your brother's death, you had felt angry about him leaving, but knew that it wasn't his fault. Lizzie was working with you to try to help you work through your anger due to his death. You felt like your emotions were too intense and you needed to be able to feel like you were in control again.

"What if I had gone with him, this wouldn't have happened if I had just gone with him," you say to yourself. You hadn't seen Lizzie in the doorway but she had heard you. "Y/N you can keep blaming yourself, it wasn't anything you could have done," she says as she finishes making lunch for the two of you.

Depression

The next three weeks felt slow, you spent most of your time in your room, not eating, talking, or taking care of yourself. Lizzie started going back to work, filming a new TV show since filming for Avengers was on hold. She would usually get home around 9 p.m. and you would be asleep already. You started up old habits, not knowing how to cope. You always wore baggy clothes and long sleeves.

The restricting came first, you would wait till Lizzie left for work to "eat" and if she insisted on having breakfast with you, you would skip the rest of the means for the day. You started cutting again after being clean for five years, you knew that if your brother knew he would have been upset with you, but he wasn't here with you anymore. You knew that Lizzie would find out at some point, but now you were keeping as best a secret as you could.

Lizzie knew that something was up once you started dropping weight quickly, she wasn't sure how to address it with you, knowing that you have been having a rough time with the loss of your brother but knew that this was dangerous and couldn't afford to lose you.

You were so special to her, you were everything to her and she wanted to protect you at all costs, even if you were upset with her about it. She found out that you were harming yourself when she found a bloody razor blade sitting on the ledge in the bathroom. She could tell something was wrong when you started wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants every day.

She knew that she would have the conversation today, deciding to leave the set early, to get home to you as soon as possible. When she got home she entered the house dropping her stuff on the kitchen counter before walking up the stairs to your bedroom.

"Y/N darling, where are you?" she asks looking in your bedroom, seeing that you were not there, she moved to the ensuite bathroom. Knocking on the door waiting on a response, getting none. Seeing that the light was on, she got a sinking feeling in her stomach.

"Y/N darling are you okay, the light is on, I know that you're in there," she said. With no response, she tried the door to no avail because it was locked. "Darling, I need you to open the door, or I'll kick it down," she said. With still no response she backed up and kicked the door in, finding you on the floor of the bathroom barely conscious. "Y/N can you hear me?" she asked, panic rising in her voice. "Lizzie, I'm sorry". "It's alright darling, I just need to know what happened," she said trying to comfort you. "No, you'll be mad". Lizzie knew that you were scared that she would be mad at what you did, but that was the last thing that was on her mind, she was only concerned with helping you.

"Darling, I'm not mad at you at all, but I need to know what happened so I can help you. "I cut my leg and I tried to stand, but it hurt so much, I passed out," you said. "Okay, I need to see your leg okay," she says, helping you sit up on the bathroom floor. "It's not just my leg," you say looking down at the floor, not wanting to meet her eyes.

"Alright, we will take care of everything, let's just take this one step at a time. You nod in agreement, taking off your sweatpants and sweatshirt as Lizzie starts a bath for you. She helped you up from the floor, not paying excessive attention to the cuts on your arms and legs, only focusing on making sure you are comfortable and safe.

You didn't look up from the bubbles in the bathtub scared to meet Lizzie's gaze. She said nothing, getting ready to leave the bathroom to get you new clothes when you stopped her, "pleases stay, I don't want to be alone right now, it's scary," continuing to look at anything but her. "Okay love, can you tell me what's scary?" she asks to take a seat on the floor next to the bathtub.

"The thoughts, I can't seem to make them go away, I just want them to go away," you say as you lay your head on Lizzie's shoulder, quietly starting to cry. "I know darling, it's so hard, but you are so brave, I know that telling you this may not help you but that's what I'm here to do. I will be here for you, whenever you need me, because I love you," she says, kissing the top of your head. "Now let's get you washed up, we can cuddle and talk after." You nod your head as you stare blankly at the wall.

Lizzie was gentle with your arms and legs, considering they were covered in new and old cuts. Some are scared over, some only a couple days old. After finishing up with the bath she grabbed fresh clothes for you from your closet and helped you into them, making sure to be extra careful.

You sat on the bathroom counter as she took the first aid kit from the cabinet under the sink, taking out gauze medical tape and antibiotic ointment.

Working quickly and carefully she disinfected the cuts for a final time before applying the ointment and wrapping your arms, doing the same steps with your legs. Once finished she put everything back, and washed her hands before picking you up and carrying you back to your room. Whimpering in pain as your legs wrapped around her torso, your face in the crook of her neck.

She sat you down on the bed making sure to grab your favorite blanket before getting into comfy clothes herself, grabbing an extra sweatshirt for you, before climbing into bed.

Acceptance

Lizzie helped work with you for the next few weeks, helping you find a therapist to help you process your grief and help you through any bumps in the road. You had some ups and downs but were overall doing well, you worked with a therapist to help you process your grief, you also had Lizzie by your side the whole time, being supportive as ever.

You were getting to the place in the grieving process that you were starting to accept reality for how it was. You knew that your brother was gone, and while you would still have some days that were harder than others, you knew that he was watching over you.

"Darling, I'm so proud of you, you have been so brave through this whole journey, I know that it was hard, and you felt like you would never be the same, but you are doing so well, and I couldn't be more proud of you," Lizzie says as you lay between her legs watching a movie. You just blush and look down at your hands, fidgeting with the rings on her fingers. Shifting so that you were face to face with her, lifting your chin, so that you were looking at her.

"I know that you have a hard time taking compliments, but believe me when I tell you, I am beyond proud of you. You have gone through so much, faced so many challenges, but you're here and working through your grief in a healthier way. I hope that you can learn to love yourself the way that I love you, unconditionally and forever. You are my everything, and I hope I can be yours." She says the last part a whisper, but you still heard her. You smiled as you saw small tears form in your girlfriend's eyes. "You're already my everything." You say pulling her in for a kiss. 

[celestialmantdonna]

These Days The Stars Seem Out Of Reach || closed with fasterthanmydemons

They were saving more people since Pietro joined the team, almost two weeks ago. His enhanced speed allowed them to do so. It was something all the Guardians had noticed, including Mantis. Therefore, the Guardians did what had to be done in that situation: they celebrated. They did so with music and food, staying in a beautiful planet as night fell. The party was outside the ship. It was fun. Their parties always were. The Guardians and the inhabitants of the planet congratulated Pietro sincerely. Even Peter Quill seemed more relaxed around him. He was no longer worried that Pietro would take his girl, after Mantis reassured Quill that only he could come up with pick-up lines that were so terrible Gamora would kiss him just to shut him up.

"Thanks, Mantis. That makes me feel better." Quill smirked, then frowned and blinked at her. "Wait, what?"

Mantis knew Pietro absolutely loved food. He was always hungry and willing to eat. So when Mantis realized he wasn’t touching the food, at all, she experienced a twinge of worry and concern. Pietro excused himself, saying he wanted to see how his turtle was, and disappeared behind the doors of the Benatar.

Ten minutes later, Pietro had not returned, but everyone was either too drunk or too distracted to notice. Drax and Rocket were having a drinking competition while the citizens of the planet watched or danced. Groot was playing hide-and-seek with some of the children they had saved. Quill and Gamora were slow dancing, both of them smiling as they gazed at each other in love-struck adoration. Mantis could watch them for hours.

Instead, she wrung her hands as she walked into the Benatar, stopping briefly at the kitchen to look for something sweet. Something Pietro could not resist. Moments later, she reached his room and knocked. After waiting a few seconds, Mantis gently opened the door.

“Hello,” she said. Pietro was with Mr. Dibbles, his sweet turtle, just like he said. But a part of Mantis wondered if he just needed an excuse to be alone for some time. It had been ten minutes. That had to be some time, right? “I noticed you did not eat anything... so I brought you this. Do not worry, you can eat it. My stomach number three is the more delicate one, and it could digest it just fine. I am sure that means humans can digest it, too.”

Mantis closed the door behind her, and she turned to face Pietro once again. The speedster looked… sad. Tired. A little homesick, perhaps. It came as no surprise to her. Mantis wore a friendly smile as she approached the speedster and his non-speedster pet.

Without another word, she offered him the dessert. Mantis waited for Pietro to take it or leave it, her smile unwavering as her black irises gleamed with cheerful optimism. If he actually wanted to be left alone, Mantis would respect that, but perhaps he wanted to talk. She could do that. She would listen to @fasterthanmydemons if he needed to let it out.

[itsscromp]

Hi! English isn't my first language, sorry for any mistake. You're taking requests for Rocket(gotg), right? I was thinking, maybe you could write something angst/ kinda fluffy (Idk) between vol 1 and vol 2, where Rocket and reader(human) are getting along well. He is in the cockpit and reader joins him, they start to talk and it ends up in a deep conversation where Rocket shares some things he's never shared before cause he's starting to feel comfortable with her. It can be platonic or somewhat romantic, it's up to you. Well, thank you, and sorry if I made it confusing.

I feel comfortable around you

I really like this request anon, You didn't make it confusing at all :D. For this can I do a GN reader if that's ok ??. Word count:943

You became a guardian about a month after the attack on xandar. Rocket saw potential in you when he saw you fend of some people who were trying to rob you and spread the word to Quill. After which you then joined the team. You were an amazing addition to the team, You helped everyone in anyway you could. Like babysitting little Groot, or repairing the ship etc.

You and Rocket especially were becoming two peas from the same pod, Always making wack gadgets to prank the other guardians, like one which with one shot can make your whole body itchy for 15 minutes, or one where if you sneaked the gadget in their pocket, they'd be tossed around in zero gravity. They never failed to make you two laugh every time, even if you had to hid when Gamora was after your butts.

You knew Rocket usually takes rotations at night so one night, after failing to go to sleep, you decided to join him. Putting on your hoodie and some socks, you headed to the cockpit. You could hear Rocket singing softly to himself.

"I didn't know you could sing" You smiled softly as you sat down, To which he lightly jumped hearing your voice.

"Gave me a bit of a fright their pal, Don't go saying that to the others" He smirked at you.

You chuckled turning your sights to the cosmos, Every damn time it never mentioned to amaze you.

"Bet you don't see that every day on Terra huh y/n ??" He looked at you, seeing the sparkle of amazement in your eyes.

"No, you really don't. People on Terra would pay thousands to see this view." You smiled continuing to look out.

Rocket for one not being the conversation starter decided... "Ya know, I don't think you told me about your life on Terra." He said.

You nodded "Yeah I haven't actually, But I guess theirs not much to tell" You chuckled, shaking your head softly.

"No come on, I don't want that scut" He playfully scolded. "Any friends ?? Pets ??" He was actually generally curious. It's been about 6 months since you joined and he doesn't know what your life was like.

"I did have one pet" You giggled thinking about your dog. "She was a dog, we named her lucky"

"Lucky ??"

"Courtesy of my mom, Oh she was so adorable, she would always come into my room every morning to wake me up and beg me to play with her" You sighed contently thinking about it.

"She must've been a big part of ya life" He smiled softly, ears twitching softly as he listened in. You continued on to discuss your life on Terra, Your favourite things about it, and what you hated. Rocket listened contentedly to every bit of it.

"Video games... Didn't Quill mention something like that ??"

"Oh yeah, but my generation's video games in this day of age tell amazing story's that no one could dare to dream of, so don't get me started on the last of us" You chuckled.

"I won't" He snickered as he looked out into the cosmos, This whole conversation could go on for hours, Rocket could never get bored of it. He felt... Comfortable around you.

"Hearing that... I wish I had that life..." He muttered sadly.

"What do you mean ??" You looked at him, tilting your head in confusion.

He quickly landed back from his thoughts "It's nothin kid"

"Rocket, It's ok..." You reassured him, He didn't know why, but the way you said it made it very genuine.

He looked back into the cosmos, going quiet again, It took a little while but he then spoke up.

"From what you told me... I really wished I had your life, I wasn't born to love and security... I was born into pain and despair, The person that made me into this... Made sure everything hurt. Every single damn thing."

Your eyes softened as he continued.

"He would constantly prick needles into me, and perform procedures with no anesthetic." Tears formed in his eyes as the memories of the times as an experiment hit him. "I keep trying to escape, but every attempt only made things worse for me... Made the pain worse..."

"Rocket..." You grew sad for him.

"It doesn't matter... I'm stuck here now... Stuck being a monster" He wiped his nose as he sniffled.

You gently stood up from your chair and kneeled next to him. "I'm really sorry, I genuinely am" You gently reached for his hand, holding it in yours as you rubbed the top of it.

Usually, physical contact would make him very iffy, But he didn't retract his hand like he does usually. He... Leant into it lightly.

"Ya know... It's the first time I actually told someone about this... Guess I'm saying... I feel comfortable around ya kid" This made you softly smile.

"I'll always be here to listen to you Rocket, I promise ok ??" You raised your fist for a fist bump.

He chuckled and fist-bumped you. "Don't go breaking that promise y/n" He chuckled.

You smiled, ruffling his head. "Hey watch the hair" Rocket playfully scolded you.

You yawned and decided to head to bed. "Goodnight furball" You smirked.

"See ya stinky humie" He smirked back at you and looked back at the cosmos. He felt as if... A weight was lifted off his chest as he told you what he experienced. But it felt good. You didn't shut him down, you didn't walk away in horror. You listened to him... That meant to him more than anything in the galaxy.

Taglist: @callofdudes @fun-k-board

[hannawinchester03]

IN ANOTHER GALAXY.. Pt 2

Hello! Welcome back! This is a continuation of the events that happened in the first part, saw it got a little attention so wanted to spread my wings and show y’all my real potential.

Anyways, enjoy!

18+ you’ve been warned. 😉

This story contains: small talk, kissing, teasing, breath play, touching, grinding, hair pulling, whining, begging, praise kink, domination, oral reviving, pet names, and just straight up making out (obviously, who wouldn’t want to make out with quill)

Word count: 2,000

After the course of events of last week, (y/n) watching as rocket pulled the aliens heart out of its chest. Listening to quill speak to her about how he can’t believe she can understand groot. She was used to it by now, she’s been around this multiple times, like a dog chasing its own tail, something people find strange but to her perfectly normal.

“Hey (y/n), snap out of it. What's going on with you?” Quill asked as he looked over at (y/n), he raised an eyebrow at her. “You seem not interested..” Quill added as he crossed his arms waiting for a response as he looked her up and down slightly, before looking back up at her eyes.

“Yes, i am fine, Just a lot on my mind.” (y/n) says as she lets out a small huff looking down at herself for a second taking in the fact she had gotten more dressed up then she usually does, she then looks back up at quill, she can't help but show him a small smile to reassure him.

“Still kinda shocked you wanted me as your partner, over say rocket, or gamora..” (y/n) stated as she kept looking up at him, taking in the fact that she now noticed just how much taller he was compared to her, she took a small step back as she let out a small huff once again.

“Well for starters if you noticed, Gamora wants nothing to do with me, she's not the same as she was before..” Quill stated as he shook his head a little and let out a small sign, getting more sad as he really got a chance to think about the situation he is in, he never really felt like this before, even if he did he doesnt remember the last time he did at least.

“You know how Luke felt when Yoda told him the truth about his father. the shock in his face, the way he so desperately wanted to understand but deep down he already knew the truth..” Quill started to say to (y/n) as he looked away from her for a second hoping that she’ll understand the reference.

“The way that he looks at Yoda asking if it's true, the look in his eyes as with pure confusion and curiosity as he realizes that deep down he already knows that it is his father. Thinking about how he feels so out of place and tempted to turn to the darkside to be with his father or to train and be the one who changes the way of the force like his father was supposed to..” (y/n) says as she clears her throat a little and looks down at the floor for a second then looks back up at quill as she hears a chuckle come from him.

“Doesn't help that he finds out leia is his sister, i mean after that kiss and all..” Quill hums out his tone changing as he takes a step closer to (y/n) looking down at her as he licks his lips keeping his eyes down on her. “Well technically Leia kisses Luke to make Han jealous, way before they knew they were siblings.” (Y/n) stated as she looked up at Quill raising an eyebrow at him and noticed how he had gotten closer to her.

“Kinda reminds me of someone i know..” (y/n) says softly as she stepped closer to quill looking up at him standing up on her tippy toes as she wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled herself up closer to him because of the height difference. As she pulled herself closer to him she leaned her head close to his ear. “Kissing Luke to make Han jealous, pulling away just to tease Han watching as Luke had a smug look on his face..” (y/n) whispers into Quill's ear, making him wrap an arm around her waist and pull her closer into his chest as he turns his head towards her, looking down at her innocent eyes that are now darker than usual.

“How could he not be jealous? Leia is one of the best characters, pretty hot too..” Quill said softly as he moved one of his hands to push some of (y/n)’s hair behind her ear, he can't help but lick his lips as he kept his eyes locked on hers glancing down at her lips for a split second before looking back into her eyes with a small smirk as he noticed her eyes slowly growing darker with lust as he held her chin between his thumb and index finger feeling her warm breath against his lips from how close they were to each other, feeling her chest as it caved in and out trying to stay calm and collected as he spoke to her.

“Obviously cant forget about how Han towers over leia, talking to her telling her how he knows she likes him, how he tells her “its because there aren't enough scoundrels in her life” the icon scene..ya know..” Quill says in a soft but still deep tone as his thumb lightly traced over her bottom lip teasingly before holding back onto her chin his grip getting slightly more tight on her chin as he pulled her up a little as he leaned down moving his lips closer to hers, using his thumb once again to trace her bottom lip teasingly as it was the only thing keeping their lips separated.

Quill can't help but smile against her in lips as she listened to a small whine come out of her mouth, as he let his hand down kissing her as soon as his hand was out of the way and wrapped his arm around her waist more pulling her up onto her tippy toes more letting her lean on himself for support so she wouldn't fall over, letting her know it was safe with him, he won't let anything harm her.

As Quill kissed (y/n) he couldn't help but let out a small groan as he felt her move one of her hands up to his forearm wrapping her hand around his arm to give herself some more support as she stood up on her tippy toes feeling his strong arm around her waist knowing he wouldn't let her fall as she deepened the kiss using the hand that was still around his neck from when she first took action moving close to him and began to run her hand through the back of his hair as she continued to kiss him.

“Q-Quill, are you sure about this?” (y/n) asked as she lightly pulled on his hair pulling his head away from hers so that they could both breath, as she asked him this she kept her eyes up on him waiting for the response, or anything really all she got was a small groan form her tugging on his hair, she cant help but let out a small chuckle as she was about to speak up but she was quickly interrupted as they heard the ship intercom start to crackle making (y/n) raise and eyebrow as she quickly went to pull away from quill to go see what it was.

Before (y/n) was able to make it a few steps away she quickly got swept up off of her feet, quill picking her up bridal style walking her over his living quarters, as he walked through the door he walked over to his bed gently laying her down, watching as she propped herself up on her elbows staying laid down on the bed but was propped up enough to keep her eyes on him.

“Oh i'm sure, are you though?” Quill asked his voice now much deeper then (y/n) has ever heard his voice get, especially when they are in a heavy battle she always noticed how his voice got more deep from being out of breath but this was different, now she could practically hear the lust in his voice, as she got lost in her own thoughts distracting herself from being able to find her own words all she manages to do is nod lightly at him.

Quill watches as she nods at him making him smirk happily as he walked closer to the bed climbing on top of her slightly still hovering over her since she was small compared to him as he wrapped a arm under her around her waist pulling her up closer towards the pillows as he leaned down kissing her once again this time more rough causing (y/n) to let out a small moan and him to chuckle against her lips.

“God look at you, already moaning and I haven’t barely touched you..” Quill spoke out his voice still growing deep and dominant as he pulled away from the kiss, he began kissing down her jaw and towards her neck taking his time as he used his arm to slowly guide her small body up towards the pillows.

His other hand holding onto her thigh caressing her leg as he used his knees to spread her legs open making room for himself to be between her knees, once he was satisfied with his position he started to grind down against her gently watching as she let out a soft cry of pleasure and threw her head back as he began to kiss back up her neck towards her jaw.

“You like that (y/n)?” He asked in a low growl as he placed kisses along her jaw as her head was still thrown back from him grinding down against her. As he asked her this she looks back up at him and let out a small nod as she wrapped her hand around his neck tangling her hand in his hair again as she began to breathe a little more heavily.

“Y-yes quill..god it feels good..” (y/n) can’t help but moan out as she looked up at him and kissed him again to try and muffle her moans so she wouldn’t sound to annoying.

“Oh no, no, don’t quite yourself baby girl, I wanna hear you..” Quill hums out as he pulled away from the kiss, sitting up on his knees pulling his shirt off tossing it to the side.

After removing his own shirt he smirks happily down at (y/n) as she was watching his every move admiring his chest as his necklace landed perfectly between his two pecks, she kept looking down his chest stopping at his waist band admiring as it was in a v shape going towards his base but quickly looked back up as he pulled her to be seated up.

“We gotta get you undressed first, then we’ll have fun princess.” Quill stated as he grabbed the bottom of her shirt looking into her eyes for a few seconds and saw her give him a small nod making him smile as he pulled off her shirt and made her lay back down.

He kept his eyes down on her as she propped herself up on her elbows watching as the top of her breast peak out of her bra as she breathed, watching as her chest would cave in and come back up as she watched his every moves.

“God you’re beautiful..” quill hummed out as he slid her up on the bed so her head was rested against the pillows as he moved be on his elbows as he began to undo her jeans pulling them off of her, tossing them to the side and moved himself so his head was between her legs.

He began to slowly kiss her inner thigh slowly moving up closer to her heat but would start kissing up her other thigh to tease her as she let out a soft whine, making him chuckle against her.

“Use your words..” quill hummed out against her thigh as he had his hands wrapped around each thigh gently squeezing as he would kiss on her thigh to tease her. As he got to the top of her thigh he gently bit on the lace fabric against her hip but would pull away and chuckle as (y/n) would let out a small huff.

“Please, god quill.” (Y/n) huffed out as she threw her head back, she had been watching him as he kissed on her thighs her eyes locking on his but she was to impatient so she let her head fall back into the pillow’s already tired of his teasing.

“What? Can’t enjoy myself?” Quill spoke out as he finally touched where she needed it most, he teasingly placed a kiss against her clit through the fabric, watching as her hips flinched making his grip on her thighs tighten and hold her in place.

“Ahh I see..” quill hummed teasing to her as he continued to place open mouthed kisses against her heat hearing as small moans came out from her mouth as she threw her back into the pillow more and one of her hands moved to his hair holding onto it as she tried to keep his head in place but he forced his head back to tease her.

“I said use your words princess..” Quill said dominantly as he moved his hands to loop his fingers under her underwear pulling them off of her and tossed them to the side quickly moving back to his spot between her legs, watching as her pussy was completely soaked, making him smirk.

Before she could even say anything in response he licked up her slit humming happily against her as he tasted how sweet she was, he continued to hum against her letting out small vibrations from his humming against her clit making him chuckle against her as she moaned happily.

“There ya go..” Quill spoke out as he felt her gripping onto his hair chuckling softly as he began to lick up her slit cleaning up all of her juices as he gently rubbed his nose against her nub hearing a loud gasp come out of her as she tugged at his hair roughly making him groan against her.

Quill then began to suck on her clit, still humming against her teasingly and whispering softly to her how good she tastes still sending vibrations against her making (y/n) turn into a moaning mess as he continued to chuckle against her finding it amusing at the fact she always seems so annoyed by him but seem to be enjoying herself.

Eventually quill slide his tongue into her as he began to thrust his tongue in and out making (y/n) grip onto his hair more as she cried out his name In please feeling a knot start to form inside her stomach. “G-god quill..” (y/n) moaned out happily as she tightened her grip on his hair pushing his head into her heat more making his tongue go deeper.

“That’s it baby girl, cum for me..” quill hummed out against her as she pushed his head deeper into herself making him thrust his tongue faster inside of her feeling her walls tighten around him and her hips start to buckle making him wrap his arm around her waist and pull her into his face more and used his other hand to rub her sensitive clit listening to her as she moaned loudly in pleasure.

Quill kept his eyes up on (y/n) as her chest as panting heavily and one of her hands were gripping tightly on the bed sheets and the other holding into his hair for dear life as he continued to tongue fuck her and rub her clit feeling as more of her juices start to leak out.

“G-god quill, that feels to good!” (Y/n) cried out as she threw her head back feeling her small body start to quiver underneath him as he continued to rub her clit and suck on her as she was almost ready to cum.

“What feels good?” (Y/n) heard quill say, hearing that his voice was not as deep and raspy as it was before making her raise an eyebrow and snap out of it. Taking a second to look around a little seeing that the two of them were in a field of flowers on the planet they were on searching for a valuable material that was needed for rocket's latest invention.

“Nothing, what’s this thing supposed to look like?” (Y/n) asked as she cleared her throat a little bit trying to figure out why the dream was so vivid or whatever she has just been through.

“Rocket said it’s supposed to look like one of these flowers, but we'll be able to tell the difference supposedly. The ones we need don’t have this pollen stuff on them..” quill stated as he kept walking through the field going straight forward.

“Strange, they all seem to have this stuff. The pollen. Anything special about this stuff?” (Y/n) asked as the pollen seemed to just stay in the air, not even move around in the wind or anything.

“Supposedly it’s supposed to make you hallucinate, or go to sleep, something like that.” Quill stated as he cleared his throat and kept walking so he could find the items they were looking for.

Anyways! Hope y’all enjoyed just wanted to show y’all some of my potential.

Feel free to message me with requests or other suggestions I’m all ears.

Bye, until next time!

[nicole-tivan123]

Taneleer Tivan x reader

[if y’all want more, just let me know! This takes place right after the destruction of the collectors collection. Also sorry if it’s bad, this is my first time writing a fanfic so if you have any advice to make it better, let me know✨]

It’s another day in knowhere, you were just minding your own business walking along the dark and dangerous streets of knowhere. All of a sudden you hear and see an explosion coming from the collectors museum, you rush over to the museum and see rocket, groot, star lord and gamora who was carrying a shiny looking orb. You wondered to yourself if it was that thing that caused all the commotion. You then make your way inside of the museum to see if Taneleer is ok.

you have had a crush on Taneleer for years but never got the courage to approach him about it. He was always friendly to you when he saw you, you and him were friends. You both became friends after his brother En dwi Gast showed you to him, you were also friends with En dwi as you both enjoyed games and competing in those games. Taneleer saw how En dwi trusted you which made Taneleer trust you too.

You managed to make your way through all the broken glass and rubble, you then saw Taneleer struggling and whimpering to get up off the ground, he was holding his hand on his forehead, he removed it to which you saw a big deep cut of his head where he had been his in the explosion.

“Taneleer…TANELEER ARE YOU OK?” You yelled as you make your way through more rubble. He turned to your direction, recognising your voice. “Yes…I mean no… I mean…kinda” he said still struggling to get up off the floor. You then finally make your way over to him and slowly and gently helped him up onto a nearby chair.

“What happened?” You asked as you look around for a medical kit. “Gamora and her new friends or whoever they are came in to give me an orb containing an infinity stone” he said looking at you with his hand on his head to stop the blood from dripping all over the place. You turned and looked at him surprised knowing how rare and valuable they are and that Taneleer already contained the reality stone. “An infinity stone?! Did you get it?…” you asked curiously. “No…my assistant went to grab it to take for herself… she clearly wasn’t strong enough to handle the power of the stone and then… well you see the aftermath…” he said looking down, clearly upset about his whole collection being destroyed.

You find a med kit and get out some bandages and a few other items to bandage up the collectors head wound. “Let me see the wound” you said gently moving his hand out the way. You wiped his wound with some sterile wipes to which he winced at and grabbed your arm tightly. “Sorry” he said letting go of your arm. “It’s ok, you can grip on as hard as you want as long as it makes you feel any better” you said in a soft voice before giving him a reassuring smile to which he gave a small smile back to you. You then managed to bandage his head up then go over to the bar in his museum to get him and yourself a drink.

“Hey… thank you for bandaging me up (y/n)” he said while getting up off the chair and walking over to you. “It’s ok, I worry about you every day you know? With your collecting job, I worried something like this would happen eventually, your just lucky I was in the area and not on sakkar today” you said handing over his drink to him. “ I know you worry about me (y/n), but this is my job… it’s who I am, it’s dangerous I know but that’s the thrill of it” he said giving a little chuckle at the end and exchanged a smirk. “I’m serious Taneleer… I don’t want you getting hurt… I like you a lot you know” you said quietly while looking down at your drink.

Taneleer puts his hand under your chin and gently lifts it up to which you then both make eye contact. “ I know you like me… En told me…” he said before kissing your forehead. “Goddammit En! That was our secret!” You said annoyed to yourself. Taneleer thought it was cute how angry you was at his brother, he smiled at you before gently pulling you in closer to him. “ I knew for a long time you liked me but… with it being my brother who told me I didn’t know whether to believe him… I kinda always had a crush on you too but was too nervous to say anything…” he said before kissing your head again. You blush and look down at your drink before putting it aside and wrapping your arms around his neck. You both look at each other before kissing each other on the lips, he winced as he has a cut on his lip but didn’t want to ruin the moment between you both so said nothing. He then gets his fluffy cape and wrapped it around you to have you closer to him. His cape was soft and warm you could almost fall asleep to how comfy it was.

You both then stop and look at each other, Taneleer taking his gloves off and putting them aside before putting his hand on your cheek and smiling at you. His hands were warm and you enjoyed the feel of his skin on yours. “ shouldn’t we get started on rebuilding your collection Taneleer?” You asked him while leaning your head in his hand. “ that can wait… you are my most important priority right now” he then brought you closer to him for another kiss. “ I’m serious Taneleer I don’t want to be kissing you with broken glass and rubble everywhere, it’s dangerous” you then giggled to which he did the same. You both then got to work together to rebuild his collection, with you by his side every step of the way.

(Hope you guys enjoyed reading, if there is any way to improve my writing just let me know so I can do better in the future)

[enigma731]

So, the more I see of press etc, the more I think Gamora’s arc is going to be this:

Peter and Nebula want to essentially give back the experiences that were lost when 2018 Gamora died, by telling her about them and convincing her to try the same things. It won't work, because memory and experience don't work that way, and also because all of the Guardians are very different people than pre-IW.

But, Gamora’s love and core goodness run through the blood of the team and have shaped them into who they are. So even though she/they can't get back what was lost exactly, that love comes back to her and they form new bonds.

(Which, by the way, is an excellent metaphor for trauma recovery, not limited to but especially when brain injury is involved.)

[scrompsmilanodiaries]

Hi :)))) I'm sorry as I know you just wrote the second Gamora fic, but would I be able to request a kind of part 3 where the reader, now knowing she has their back, saves her and says to her later that she is their sister and just really sweet sibling moments?

You came back... Pt 2

Alright, Lets keep this train going !!

Y/n felt a tinge of happiness when Gamora said they went back for them cause she didn't want to lose you too.

You made a promise to yourself that you would do the exact same for her.

On an intense mission, Gamora was ambushed by groups of enemies, which she was able to handle on her own, but one threw a sticky grenade at the stone wall.

Rubble came crumbling down, trapping her underneath.

This was it, this was how she was going to die... she would meet Nebula...

But she then heard a scuffle, Hearing pulses from the rifles, and then thuds. Soon the rubble began to shuffle, and she began to see the light... and then you.

"Gamora !!, Drax, Groot I need help !!"

You all helped her out and brought her back to the Milano, Helping tend to her injuries.

"You feeling ok ??" You looked up at her.

"I'll be ok..." She reassured you.

You sighed as you gently took her hand. Keeping it close to you. "I thought I lost you... I can't lose my sister..." You whispered to her.

She gave a proper smile which was very rare. She then brought her face to your forehead, pressing a gentle kiss.

"I'll be ok, I promise"

[tinkertoysdamn]

WiP untitled Starmora Grendel inspired thing

I'm going to reuse this Buddhist metaphor from Lighting the Way Home because I can. Hahahaha. Anyway--

“Why does everyone ignore me?” Gamora asked.  

The priest sighed, the lines on his ancient face deepened.  “It is because you are cursed, child.”  He was matter-of-fact about it; there were no unnecessary dramatics, no teasing or torment.  Somehow, that was worse.

“But,” Gamora said, “I didn’t do anything.”

“You did not.”  The priest reached out, his hand hovered for a brief hesitant moment before settling on her head.  “You did nothing wrong,” he reassured her, “you were simply born under the wrong sign.”

“Wrong sign?”  Gamora had not heard this before.  Her mother spent her time pretending that nothing was wrong, that her child wasn’t ostracized by adults or other children.  Gamora though was no fool, she was young but she had eyes.    

“The night of your birth the moon went red and the sea grew rough.  Your father’s ship was caught in the sudden tides and his body dashed upon the rocks.”  The priest sighed, the weight of that horrible night still hung over their village.  “You were born cursed and others fear it will rub off on them.”

“That’s—”  Gamora shook his patronizing hand off.  “That’s not fair, what am I supposed to do about it?”

“The only thing you can do,” the priest said, “live as best you can.  Your life is cursed and your death will be a miserable thing, but the world beyond ours does not have to be.”  He stood up, gesturing for the girl to follow.  

Cautiously, she stayed close to him, trying to ignore the stares of passersby.  Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the good people making signs behind her back, wards against the bad luck that surrounded her.  Now that she knew why they made these gestures, her heart grew hard and ever more sorrowful.  

It was before the spice merchant’s stall that the priest stopped.  “Do you see the pillar of salt?”

Of course, Gamora had seen it many times, it was the central attraction of the stall.  

“This is your curse,” the priest explained.

A chill went down Gamora’s spine.  Before, the thick pillar of solid salt had been a novelty, now its presence was a terror.  “So, should I break it?”

“No, no,” the priest said, laughing under his breath.  “The pillar represents your curse.  This is an illustration to explain my point, understand?”    

She nodded.  Gamora was starting to understand more than she wished to.

“The salt will always be there, the salt is unavoidable,” the priest explained, gesturing to it.  He grasped a small handful from a bowl at the edge of the stall.  “But salt can be diluted, and can be drowned by the river.”  Fingers spread, allowing the white grains of salt to flow back into the bowl.  “The river, the water are the good things that you do, the pure thoughts that you hold.  The more of these that you do over the course of your life the less the salt will matter.”  His eyes were kind.  “Do you understand?”

Gamora could feel the tears well behind her eyes, and the fear pressing against her skull.  “But the salt, there’s so much,” she whispered.

“And that is your challenge,” the priest said.  “That is your burden.  I am sorry.”     

As the years passed, Gamora couldn’t help but grieve that the priest was wrong.  Her curse wasn’t salt but blood, and the river of her soul was choked with it.    

Her only solace was that the priest had been culled during the invasion of her world.  He never lived to see the horror she would become.  

[mcu-binge]

Love in Brooklyn pt 15

As we headed back inside, Rocket swaggering in with me, I glanced around at the others. Steve had joined the Guardians in a more intense discussion by the windows, arms crossed and brow furrowed. But as I looked around the room, I noticed someone was missing."Where's Bucky?" I asked, curious since he'd been one of the first people on alert to get me here.

Steve caught my eye, his face a mixture of concern and mild confusion. "Actually... we're not sure."Rocket perked up. "You mean the metal-armed guy's gone rogue?""Rogue is a strong word," Tony interjected, but he looked worried. "He left early this morning. Said he needed to check something out. But... he left without telling anyone where."Quill raised an eyebrow, leaning in with a smirk. "Secret mission? Maybe he's got a thing for mystery."Steve shook his head, looking serious. "He wouldn't just disappear without a reason.

Just then, a small device on Tony's wrist beeped sharply. He tapped it, bringing up a holographic screen. "Well, there's something," he muttered, squinting at the data. "I set a tracker on him. Looks like he's... on the outskirts of town, in some rundown warehouse district."

"Alone?" Gamora asked, her expression immediately shifting to one of concern."Seems like it," Tony replied.Steve's jaw clenched. "That's not like him. If he's after Masque... he could be walking right into her trap."

A sense of dread started to pool in my stomach as I realized what this meant. Bucky—who'd been with Steve for longer than anyone here—was out there, alone, and we had no idea what he was walking into. I hadn't known Bucky long, but the brief time we'd spent together made it clear he was the one person Steve trusted more than anyone else in the world. And that thought alone made my chest tighten.

"I'm going after him," Steve announced, standing up. The authority in his voice made it clear there would be no argument. "He'd do the same for me."

Rocket rolled his eyes but didn't hesitate to move to Steve's side. "Well, you're not going alone. Plus, I'm dying to blow something up."

"I'm in," Gamora said, drawing her sword. She looked at Steve with a nod. "We'll bring him back."

Tony grinned, but there was a seriousness to it. "I'll stay here with Dani and monitor things. You guys get him back safe."I caught Steve's eye as he got ready to go, and for a split second, I could see the worry in his gaze, even through the steely determination.

"You'll bring him back?" I asked quietly, and I could tell he picked up on the nerves in my voice.

He gave a small, reassuring smile. "I will. Stay with Tony. And don't worry—Rocket's got my back."

Rocket gave me a quick wink. "And I'll make sure Capsicle here doesn't do anything stupid." Steve squeezed my hand one last time, then headed out with Rocket and Gamora by his side. The rest of us watched them go, a sense of heaviness settling over the room as the door clicked shut behind them.

The silence in the tower hung thick, stretching painfully as Tony and I waited. Every tick of the clock seemed louder than the last, a constant reminder that we hadn't heard a single word from Steve, Bucky, or the others. I caught myself glancing at the door, hoping for a message, a knock—anything to break the stillness.

Tony must've noticed, because he suddenly cleared his throat and walked over to where I was sitting. "Alright, kid," he said, setting a hand on the back of a chair across from me. "You're probably starving by now. How about some lunch?"

I blinked, barely processing his words. "Lunch?"

"Yeah. You know—food? The thing that keeps you from fainting while we wait around hoping our reckless friends are okay?" He flashed a quick smile, but I could tell he was just as tense. He was trying to distract me—and probably himself, too.

"Right." I forced a small smile, appreciating the effort. "Lunch sounds good."

Tony led me to the kitchen, where he began rummaging around the cabinets, muttering about how they never had the "right kind of bread" when he wanted to make sandwiches. I sat at the island, watching him with a mix of gratitude and nerves.

"Can I help?" I offered, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Please, I've got this." Tony waved me off with a smirk. "I may not be a five-star chef, but I know my way around a sandwich."

He pulled out various ingredients, quickly assembling a couple of impressive sandwiches—layers of turkey, avocado, lettuce, tomato, and just the right amount of mustard. He slid one over to me with a dramatic flourish. "There you go. Gourmet, Stark-style."

I laughed, actually grateful for the normalcy of it all. "You know, for someone who could probably have any meal in the world delivered, you're pretty good at the basics."

"Flattery will get you everywhere," he quipped, taking a bite of his sandwich. "So... tell me about the bakery. How's it been since catering our event? Is it everything you dreamed of?"

The question caught me off guard, but I appreciated the opportunity to focus on something other than the twisting worry in my gut. I took a bite, savoring the flavors, and leaned back a little, trying to let myself relax."It's... everything," I replied, smiling softly. "I mean, don't get me wrong, it's a lot of work. Early mornings, long days... your event really took us to another level. We had magazine covers and articles about us. I love it it's given me the confidence in myself to venture out and try new recipes. Then there's my dad breathing down my neck every other day."

Tony snorted, taking a sip of his drink. "I can relate. My old man wasn't exactly the 'supportive' type either. I think he'd have a heart attack if he saw the way I run things now."

I chuckled, nodding. "Right? My dad's always been hard to please. I keep thinking that if I could just make the bakery perfect, he'd finally be... proud, I guess. But it's like I'm always one step behind what he wants."Tony's gaze softened a little. "Sounds like you're doing a hell of a job, even if he doesn't say it."

A small, grateful smile tugged at my lips. "Thanks, Tony. I mean, I try. And it means a lot hearing it from someone like you."

"Trust me," he said with a lopsided grin, "if anyone knows how hard it is to get parental approval, it's me." He paused, looking thoughtful. "But hey, that bakery is all yours. Don't let anyone—including your old man—take away from what you've built." I nodded, trying to let his words sink in, though a lingering worry still gnawed at me.

We chatted through lunch, Tony effortlessly keeping the conversation light, asking me about everything from my favorite recipes to the strangest orders I'd ever received. It worked—at least for a little while. But as the hours ticked by with no word, that sense of dread started to creep back in.

Afternoon turned to evening, and Tony, sensing my growing anxiety, suggested dinner. This time, he ordered in—"even a billionaire's sandwich-making skills have limits," he said with a grin. I barely tasted the food, my mind drifting back to Steve and the others.

"Is it normal for them to be gone this long?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady as I set down my fork.

Tony hesitated, his gaze flicking to the clock. "Depends on the mission," he said, keeping his tone casual. "Sometimes things get complicated. And with Masque involved... well, let's just say she's not known for her straightforwardness."

I shivered a little, remembering the hushed conversations I'd overheard about her. "She sounds... ruthless."

Tony shrugged, his expression darkening slightly. "And cunning. The worst kind of combination. But hey," he added, offering me a reassuring smile, "our team can handle her. They've been through worse."

I nodded, trying to take comfort in his words. But as the evening wore on and the minutes felt like hours, my nerves began to fray. Every creak, every hum of machinery in the tower made me tense, half-expecting something awful.

Tony must've noticed, because he set down his glass and looked at me, his expression more serious now. "You know, they're going to be okay, Dani. Steve's one of the best. And Bucky—well, he's too stubborn to go down without a fight."

I managed a shaky laugh. "I know. I just... I can't help but worry. This whole world—it's so new to me. And the fact that they're out there risking their lives... it's terrifying."

Tony leaned forward, his gaze intent. "Dani, I've been doing this for a long time, and I'll tell you something: the Avengers don't lose. Not when it matters. And if Steve's involved, you can bet your last cupcake that he's coming back to you."

I swallowed, feeling the sting of emotion in my throat. "Thanks, Tony. Really."

"Hey," he said, leaning back with a smirk, "what are friends for?"

Just then, the sound of an alarm echoed through the tower, loud and jarring, making me jump. Tony's expression shifted immediately, his focus snapping to the control panel."It's them," he said, relief flickering across his face as he checked the display.

When Tony and I reached the landing bay, I froze. Steve, Gamora, and Rocket were finally back, but they looked like they'd been through hell. Steve's lip was split, his face smeared with dirt, while Gamora had a large gash on her forearm. Rocket's fur was singed in patches, and he was grumbling about "never signing up to be a punching bag."

Steve's gaze found me first, and even through his bruises, a relieved smile spread across his face. He crossed the room in a few strides and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"Hey," he murmured, his voice warm, grounding me. "We're alright."

"You sure?" I asked, brushing a finger over a streak of dirt on his cheek, trying to convince myself they were really okay.

"Yeah, mostly scrapes and bruises," he assured me, squeezing my shoulder. "Nothing serious."

Tony raised an eyebrow at Rocket's disheveled state. "You look like you took a bath in a bonfire, Rocket."

Rocket huffed, crossing his arms. "Yeah, well, no one warned me that Masque's goons packed flamethrowers! Real nice intel, Stark."

Tony held up his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, you signed up for this."

Gamora rolled her eyes. "Can we skip the bickering and get to the point? We found out some intel on Masque's next steps."

They debriefed us about the mission, how they'd discovered pieces of Masque's plan. Rocket shifted on his feet, his eyes darting over to Bucky, who'd been quietly listening.

When Steve mentioned Masque had been tracking me since our first day at the farmer's market, Rocket and Gamora exchanged a knowing glance.

Once they wrapped up, Rocket pulled me aside with Gamora, taking me down a quiet hallway."Look, kid," Rocket began, his voice a touch softer than usual, "you should know something. It wasn't Steve who put you on the radar it was Bucky."

My eyes widened. "Bucky? Why would he...?"

Gamora stepped forward, her expression unreadable. "He's been keeping tabs on you whenever Steve's away. This isn't something Steve's even aware of. Our guess is Masque was tracking him and saw you as a way to get with him."

"That doesn't make any sense. Bucky only came to the bakery once and my loft once," I thought out loud. My heart thudded in my chest. Why would think they could get to Bucky through me? Sure, we'd had friendly moments, but nothing that would explain this level of concern.

"Well it must've been more than that." Gamora shrugged.

Rocket crossed his arms. "We thought you'd wanna know. Do with it what you want, but the guy clearly gives a damn."

When they left, I stayed there, my mind racing. I needed to talk to Bucky.

I wondered the halls and bumped into Steve.

"Dani we need to go to your apartment and get you some clothes Tony is taking us to Avengers campus upstate where we can train and get a game plan together." He said as he messed with his cell phone.

"Okay," I quipped and followed him.

We ended up outside and I saw the hatch of a quinjet opened with Bucky and Rocket looking every bit heroic they probably felt.

I got in and Steve helped strap me in for the take off before he went and got in the pilot seat.

"No no no get out," Rocket said standing in front of him. "I'm driving this ship."

"Rocket I can fly." Steve protested.

"No cause if you kill us I'm gonna be pissed." Rocket argued making me laugh but I brought my hand up to cover my mouth not wanting Steve to hear me.

"Just sit down dude," Bucky said.

"Nuh uh, get out cap," Rocket was firm. Steve eventually got up and let him drive. "Ok now where am I going," he asked as he pulled off of the roof. Steve brought his fingers to the bridge of his nose in annoyance and I finally let my laugh out. I stood and directed Rocket to my apartment.

The moment we stepped into my apartment, I knew something was wrong. Papers were strewn across the floor, shelves had been overturned, and my belongings were scattered like someone had gone through them in a hurry. My heart sank.

"You live like this?" Rocket asked clearly judging me.

"She doesn't," Steve and Bucky said in unison. Steve turned to look at Bucky suspiciously for a second. I never told him about how he dropped in on me while he was away. A gust of wind came in through the open window catching their attention.

Steve's jaw tightened, his hand instinctively going to his shield. Rocket cursed under his breath, his eyes darting around the room, ever the lookout.

"Get what you need, quickly," Steve said, his voice low and urgent. He and Rocket fanned out, keeping a close watch on the windows and doors while Bucky moved beside me, giving me a reassuring nod. I forced myself to snap out of it, heading to my bedroom closet and throwing clothes into a bag.

But before I could zip it up, there was a loud crash—a glint of metal flying toward the window.

"Grenade!" Rocket shouted, but Steve was already in action. He dove forward, hurling his shield over the explosive just in time. The impact shook the room, the shield absorbing most of the blast, but the shockwave knocked me back, my ears ringing as dust and debris filled the air.

"Bucky, get her out of here!" Steve bellowed, rising to his feet as another round of explosions sounded from outside the building.

Bucky didn't waste a second. He pulled me up, his grip like iron as he practically dragged me toward the back exit. "Come on, Dani, we've got to move!"

"Wait," I yelled. I fought back against him running to grab my recipe book from my coffee table.

"Now," he yelled pulling me along again.

We sprinted down the narrow hallway, but the pounding of footsteps and the muffled sound of gunfire made it clear we weren't alone. I glanced over my shoulder and saw dark figures streaming into the building. Steve and Rocket were already fighting them off, but a few men broke away, their sights set on us.

"Keep going!" Bucky shouted as he whipped around, metal arm raised, firing off a few rounds to keep them at bay. One of the men lunged at him, and Bucky took him down with a brutal elbow to the jaw. But as more of them charged, I could see him getting overwhelmed. Two of them came at him taking turns punching his face before he finally took them down. As he gets up I see him spit out blood and my stomach churns.

"Bucky!" I shouted, skidding to a stop despite the panic clawing at my chest. Another thug was behind him, knife raised, and Bucky's focus was on the two he was grappling with in front of him. Without thinking, I picked up a fallen metal pipe from the wreckage in the hallway and charged at the attacker, swinging it as hard as I could.

The pipe made solid contact with the side of the guy's head, and he crumpled to the ground. Bucky shot me a quick, approving grin—just before a blast erupted from a few feet away, sending us both stumbling.

"They're coming in from the stairs!" I yelled, feeling the panic rise. We had to get out, but every exit seemed blocked.

Bucky grabbed my hand, pulling me through a side corridor. "We're almost there. Stay close!" he growled, moving with a fierce determination that I couldn't help but admire. We burst out onto the emergency stairwell, but two more henchmen blocked our path.

I didn't think, I just acted—channeling all the fear, anger, and adrenaline in me. As the first guy lunged at me, I ducked, bringing my elbow down hard against his ribs and following up with a kick to his knee, dropping him. The other one came at Bucky, but before he could shoot, Bucky disarmed him with a swift twist of his metal arm, sending the guy's weapon clattering down the stairs.

"Not bad, Dani," Bucky muttered with a glint of admiration.

"Thanks," I replied breathlessly, just as a flash of movement behind him caught my eye. Without hesitation, I lunged forward, grabbing Bucky by the front of his jacket and pulling him back just as a bullet grazed past where he'd been standing. The sudden force catching him off guard and we fell to the ground. The narrow escape left both of us breathless. I reached for the knife he had stashed away in his pocket throwing it as hard as I could to the man with a gun. It stuck right in his neck sending him tumbling back.

"Good throw," Bucky praised. He got up pulling me along with him.

Another explosion from somewhere below shook the building, and the stairwell began to fill with smoke. The two of us took off up the remaining flights, my lungs burning as we raced through the haze and toward the rooftop.

When we finally emerged into the open air, I took a deep breath, the fresh air feeling like a small victory. But there was no time to celebrate; another team of men was waiting for us.

Bucky shot me a quick look, his blue eyes sharp and determined. "Stay behind me," he ordered, stepping in front of me as he raised his gun.

I took a step back, feeling a wave of helplessness rise. Then I remembered the metal pipe still clenched in my hand. "I'm not going anywhere," I muttered, squaring my shoulders.

The men charged, and Bucky moved like a force of nature, blocking and striking with precision. But when one of them broke through his defenses and lunged at me, I met him with a solid hit to the side, using the pipe to drive him back.

Just as I swung, a hand grabbed me and pulled me out of harm's way. I looked up to see Rocket, smirking as he and Steve finally caught up with us.

"Nice swing, kid," he muttered, then nodded toward the Quinjet parked on the far side of the rooftop. "But let's get out of here before you run out of luck."

Bucky covered us as we sprinted toward the jet, Steve leading the way with his shield raised to deflect incoming fire. I stumbled once, my legs shaking from the adrenaline and fatigue, but Bucky's arm was around me in an instant, helping me up and practically carrying me onto the jet.

The Quinjet rumbled beneath us as we left the chaos behind, its engines humming steadily. I sat beside Steve, his arm warm and steady around my shoulders, his reassuring presence the only thing holding me together as I stared out the window, watching my apartment building shrink until it disappeared in the smoky skyline of the city.

"Dani," Steve said, his voice breaking through my daze. "You did incredible back there. You had the instincts, the moves... I knew you had it in you."

I managed a polite smile, nodding along, but the words barely reached me. I was trying so hard to hold myself together, to push down the raw ache that was spreading through my chest. That place... my place... was gone. Every familiar corner, every piece of furniture I'd carefully chosen, every bit of home I'd carved out for myself, was now reduced to rubble and ashes.

"You were fierce," Bucky chimed in, nodding in admiration. "For someone who's new to this, you didn't hesitate to jump in."

"Yeah, not bad for a rookie," Rocket added from the cockpit. He smirked at me in the reflection of the windshield, his tone rough but somehow encouraging. "Not everyone takes down a guy twice their size with a metal pipe on their first run."

"Thanks, guys," I replied, forcing myself to keep my voice steady. The last thing I wanted was to let my emotions spill over in front of everyone. I was determined to look like I could handle this, even though a part of me was desperately clinging to the remnants of normalcy I'd just lost.

Steve gave my shoulder a squeeze, still talking about how quick I was, how I'd known exactly when to act. His pride in me was obvious, and the warmth in his gaze made me feel safe, at least for a moment. But inside, I was unraveling. All I could see was the smoke and debris, the torn-apart pieces of a life that had been mine. My apartment wasn't just a space; it was everything familiar in a world that had suddenly grown terrifying and unpredictable. And now, it was gone. I hugged my arms around myself, struggling to hold back the tears that burned behind my eyes.

As we finally touched down at the Avengers Compound, the silence between Steve and me felt heavy. He walked beside me as we made our way inside, protective as always, his gaze flickering between me and everything around us as if waiting for the next threat to emerge.

But all I wanted, for the first time since this entire whirlwind began, was a little space.

"Steve," I murmured, stopping in the hall. I shifted uncomfortably, hugging the small bundle of things I'd managed to salvage close to my chest. "I... I think I need a moment alone."

He looked at me, a mix of worry and hesitation clouding his expression. "Are you sure, Dani? After everything that happened tonight... I just want to make sure you're okay. If you need to talk we can talk."

"I will be. Just... please," I whispered, trying to keep my voice steady.

“We can go out for walk.” He suggested and although I understand his need to want to be with me. I just wanted a minute to myself.

"Maybe later Steve. I just need a few minutes." I said softly.

Reluctantly, he nodded, his jaw tightening as he gave my hand a gentle squeeze before stepping back. "Alright. But I'm not going far," he said, as if it pained him to even let me walk off on my own.

As I slipped outside into the cool night air, I let out a breath I had been holding. The moonlight bathed the compound grounds in a silvery glow, and I wandered until I found myself near the lake, the water shimmering under the stars.

I stood there, alone, holding the one thing I'd clutched through the chaos of the night: my recipe book. Its pages were creased, some edges torn from the frantic scene it had been part of, but it was here, with me. It was one of the last pieces of my home.

And as I looked down at it, my shoulders began to shake. The weight of everything I'd been holding back finally pressed down, breaking through every wall I'd tried to keep up. A sob escaped, raw and unrestrained, and then another. I sank down by the lake, clutching the book to my chest as I wept. I cried for the life I'd left behind, for the pieces of my world now lying in ruins, for the dream of normalcy that felt further away than ever.

The pain of it all washed over me in waves. It wasn't just the fear, but the loneliness that clawed at my chest. I cried for the things I'd never even realized I'd wanted—a life filled with peace, a future that wasn't constantly under threat. And now... what was left of that?

In the midst of my quiet breakdown, I felt a warm, steady presence nearby. I looked up, startled, to find Bucky standing there, his face softened in a way I hadn't seen before. He didn't say a word, just watched me for a moment with those knowing, gentle eyes.

Without a word, he crouched down beside me and pulled me into a hug. Strong arms wrapped around me, grounding me, and I melted against him, my sobs muffled into his chest. He didn't shush me, didn't ask me to explain myself or tell me it would all be okay. He simply held me, letting me be as broken and vulnerable as I needed to be.

In that embrace, I felt a warmth and a quiet understanding that went deeper than words. His hand rubbed slow, comforting circles on my back, and my fingers clung to his shirt as if it were the only solid thing in a world spinning out of control.

After what felt like an eternity, I pulled back, wiping my tear-streaked face with a shaky hand. "I'm sorry," I whispered, my voice hoarse. "I didn't mean to... fall apart like this."

Bucky shook his head, his voice low and gentle. "Don't be. You've lost a lot, Dani. No one expects you to keep it all together." His gaze softened, a glimmer of understanding in those stormy blue eyes. "Sometimes, falling apart is the only way to find our footing again."

I nodded, clutching the recipe book tighter. "It's just... it was my home. My life. And now..." My voice broke, but his presence kept me steady, kept me breathing.

Bucky looked at the book in my hands, his brow furrowing slightly. "What's that?" he asked quietly.

"What we almost died getting," I admit.

"What?" He asked

"It's my recipe book," I said, a faint smile tugging at the corners of my mouth, despite the tears. "It's... it's silly, really. Just something I kept from all the places I worked, recipes I made up in school, things I wanted to remember. It's all I have left now."

"It's not silly," he murmured, his tone earnest. "It's a part of you. That's something worth holding on to. I would’ve given up another arm for you to get that book for you." He gave my shoulder a gentle squeeze, and I realized how grateful I was for his presence, for the way he'd come out here, not to fix things or make promises, but to simply be here.

As we sat there under the moonlight, I felt the weight of my grief begin to ease, just a little.

[lotusthewriter]

Some day, when your head is much lighter

Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe

Rating: T

Relationships: Peter & Tony, Peter & Nebula, Peter & Morgan

Characters: Peter Parker, Tony Stark, Nebula, Morgan Stark; MINOR - Pepper Potts; MENTIONED - Guardians of the Galaxy (minus Gamora), Happy Hogan, James "Rhodey" Rhodes

Summary: As they all celebrate Tony's return home, Peter feels like an outsider.

Nebula may relate a bit too much to the feeling.

Word count:

AO3

A/N: Heads up that on AO3 the fic is split in two chapters, but here I published the whole story in one post.

I bet a fic like this exists already, but I think Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 inspired me, so I ended up writing this thingy. Well, besides my dad treating me like shit as usual, resulting in a clingy and needy author writing paternal affection to soothe their lack of it. And I once again ended up writing 5k of self-indulgent hurt/comfort.

Also kind of a salt fic, mainly because we were robbed of more Nebula and Tony - and better yet, Nebula and Peter. They all deserve happiness!!! They deserve to be friends!!! To be family!!!!

Anyway, the Guardians are buddies with the Ironfam because of Nebula, while the Rogues/Avengers should stay as far away from Tony as possible, lmao.

Please be aware of the trigger warnings listed below.

TRIGGER WARNINGS - past canonical character death, suicidal thoughts/ideation, grief, implied past child abuse and depression.

Hate will be blocked. P/roship DNI.

--

Parties were never really his thing.

This one is different, though.

After practically two months, Tony Stark, the savior of the universe, is back home with his family.

His real family.

Aunt May couldn’t come due to all the housing issues they’ve been facing since returning from the Snap, so for old times’ sake, Happy went all the way to Peter’s current apartment to take him to the peaceful lake house the Potts-Starks have decided to retire in.

The trip felt… uncomfortable.

Happy of all people tried to get Peter to talk, in the most awkward way imaginable. Eventually, Happy would only shoot him sad glances, not at all grumpy, until Peter quietly asked him to give him some privacy for now (of course, not rudely). The boy didn’t even listen to music while he delved into New York City. Save for new stores and buildings, for the most part it didn’t look so awfully different to the human eye.

But Peter knew better than that. He sees more than the average person did. And that’s a curse.

It certainly is with Peter here, in this party that he should actually care about.

The teen gets to see Tony with the biggest smile on his face, despite the scars and the metal arm he built himself. He gets to see Pepper and Morgan, now relieved that Tony is not trapped in a hospital bed anymore. Even the… Guardians of the Galaxy have come along, like they’ve been Tony’s friends this whole time, despite the events that initially brought them together, and those that separated them as well.

Everyone is fine.

They’re exhausted and hurt, but they’re fine, because for now they celebrate.

Peter, however, has nothing to celebrate. When he should have.

This feels like Liz’s party, but at least back then Peter had Ned with him. At least things were easier. Not better , but easier .

What makes this all worse is that everyone is trying.

Like Happy did in the car, Morgan is constantly taking his hand and grinning at him with her adorable dark eyes, trying to lure him into her antics – she’ll whisper in his ear to beg him to be Spider-Man and grab all the juice pops for her –, and then Pepper immediately finds them and she will reassure Peter he doesn’t have to do anything the little “burglar” says, so Morgan will pretend to be innocent and she’ll run somewhere else. After this, Pepper is sweet and attentive towards Peter, smoothing his brown curls like she’s always done this, like he’s been her child from the moment he was born. While Rhodey likes joking with Tony, the former is incredibly soft and patient with the boy, telling Peter he can always tell everyone to stop smothering him, half-joking, half-meaningfully. Finally, the Star-Lord, who’s apparently also named after Peter, tries to sound like his cool older brother/cousin figure, only for him to end up sounding even more unaware than Uncle Ben, since Quill hasn’t been to Earth in forever. Everyone laughs when Peter accidentally implies that Quill is an old man since he has no idea how smartphones work, for a guy that has a spaceship and everything.

Admittedly, talking to the Guardians of the Galaxy kind of helps Peter get distracted from his haunting thoughts, since he ends up acting like a guide to them, in cultural terms. So you’ll basically find a teenager showing a group of aliens – and animals (as Peter eyes the walking raccoon that does not like being called a raccoon) – random memes. Drax doesn’t get the majority of them, and he demands explanations. Honestly, nobody but Groot gets it, even if all he says is “I am Groot”.

Peter never had a chance to know these guys better, as they all had to face Thanos and save the universe, so… this is nice.

That is, when Morgan steals Peter again – as well as the blue girl with black eyes, Nebula, if he’s not mistaken – to beg him to know when they’re going to play and get the juice pops. Suddenly, all the Guardians tune in and Drax “the Destroyer” is all for doing justice for the “Iron Daughter”, which draws Pepper’s attention, Tony’s and Rhodey’s laughter, and Happy doing his best to not let chaos rule the house, even if he might be secretly laughing as well.

And Peter is just… there .

He has been just there from the very beginning and… there’s nothing left for him to do.

This shouldn’t be upsetting. Peter should be laughing with them. He should be happy that Tony is alive. He should be grateful he’s here with him and everyone else.

But he isn’t.

He can’t keep pretending.

Peter flees the scene when he’s sure no one will notice, so he’s outside by the lake, facing the distant buildings he’s grown up with. The teenager already wonders how in the hell he’s going to leave without asking Happy, because he certainly doesn’t want to cause any more trouble for them. Peter does have his homemade suit with him, since it’s a habit he’ll never grow out of, but again, there aren’t any buildings in this area, and trees aren’t exactly stable enough for web shooting. Not to mention how expensive a cab would be to leave such an isolated place.

In the middle of his overthinking, a presence approaches, somehow undetectable by his enhanced senses at first.

“You’re leaving?”

It’s… truly not the voice you’d expect.

Peter turns around to find Nebula, who observes him with a knowing look… yet not judgmental. She doesn’t look confused by him leaving, either. She just pointed it out.

He opens his mouth but he only makes weird noises instead of words, hiding his cell phone since he’s already been caught, and fidgeting nervously.

“I- I-I dunno,” Peter manages, “I just…”

The arachnid teenager truly has no idea what to say. Every excuse he can come up with only sounds more and more dickish.

Nebula hums.

“Although you smiled the entire time, and were even socializing well with others…” Her eyes are deep like outer space. “All you wanted was to escape.”

Peter bites his lip. Nebula doesn’t sound like she knows the whole truth. Once again, she just observes and wants to confirm her suspicions.

“I-I’m sorry,” he mumbles.

Nebula shakes her head. “You don’t need to apologize for wanting to escape.”

Peter frowns, looking down.

“I-I don’t want to be ungrateful, I know everyone wants me to be here and- and you’re all trying really hard to make me feel comfortable, but…”

The cyborg crosses her arms, yet again, not in a way to make him feel bad.

Peter sighs. “I just feel like I don’t belong.”

His voice sounds wet and broken. Honestly, he’s been wanting to cry the moment he stepped here.

“These past few months have been so hard for me,” the boy opens up, despite Nebula being basically a stranger to him. “I already have to deal with the fact I turned into dust and woke up five years later. I have to get home and realize nothing is the same, I realize how much I’ve lost. People have moved on from me. And yet I have to go to school and be a normal boy like none of the things I mentioned ever happened. A-And then, I almost lost Mr. Stark, and he was isolated in the hospital this entire time… the staff told me I had to be his actual family to visit him.” Peter sniffs, drying his eye with his sleeve. “And even though I know Mr. Stark and Mrs. Potts would do everything to include me in their family, I still… never went after that. It doesn’t make sense, does it? I’m hurt that they didn’t let me see him… but I also didn’t have the heart to tell them I was hurt. Not to mention seeing him in that state… I don’t think I could handle the sight.”

Peter doesn’t look at Nebula at all, though he’s aware she’s listening in silence the whole time. She seems to have stepped closer to him, but they keep a fair distance from each other. He half realizes Nebula seems to have… glitter on her face, probably thanks to Morgan. He would have laughed if he weren’t breaking down.

“Like, even the Guardians are way better at this than me! At being their family!” Peter resumes. “It’s like they’ve been Mr. Stark’s friends since forever, like they weren’t dead for FIVE YEARS or the fact that they barely know him!”

He hates how childish he sounds right now, how needy and spoiled he is for being upset about all of this; especially after just admitting that he never bothered to tell Mr. Stark what he wants.

Peter dries his tears because he doesn’t want them to be seen, to be discovered, even if Nebula looks like the best person to keep secrets.

“S-See? The problem isn’t them, it’s me,” he says, angry. “They want me to matter, but it’s pointless. I’m not worth anything, ‘cause I can’t do anything right.”

He only remains cleaning his face meaninglessly with his shirt while Nebula is quiet, maybe shocked or sympathetic, he doesn’t really know. Peter also makes sure nobody else is watching them, which thankfully seems to be the case.

Either way, the boy dries the water and snot until his eyes shut up… besides Nebula finally saying something for once.

“... you are not the problem.”

Peter frowns. “What?”

“You’re not the problem,” Nebula repeats patiently.

“Why?” He’s too distraught to apologize for the slight lashing out.

Nebula, however, is unfazed by the reaction.

“I… never had anything,” she starts. “Thanos stripped everything away from me. And when he killed half of the universe… somehow I managed to have less than nothing. But then… I had Tony.” Nebula is the one looking away, staring at the lake. “We were the only survivors.”

Peter watches her not shed a single tear.

“It only lasted a few days, but they felt so long. We were out of food and gas. Even still, he made sure to look after me. We even played games together. He… praised me. Tony barely knew me and yet… he liked me,” Nebula contemplates. “And he was going to die. I knew I couldn’t do anything… but I did what I could.”

She pauses.

“After we were saved, I thought he’d be better off without me. I knew he had a family,” Nebula admits. “But whenever I was available, I’d find myself getting repairs and updates the most carefully I have ever witnessed. I’d find myself drinking… hot chocolate. And sometimes babysitting Morgan. So… I ended up being part of his family, I guess.” She shrugs affectionately, a shy smile even surfacing there. “I never thought I’d be part of a family. The Guardians didn’t convince me otherwise, not at first. It was Tony’s.” She stops again. “It might not look like it, but to this day, I still believe I don’t deserve to be here. I don’t deserve to be taken care of. I don’t deserve Tony loving me the way my father never did.” Now her voice is the one which breaks.

Peter watches her this whole time, without breaking down again. Nebula seems to be tough, but at the same time she’s being very vulnerable right now. She ends up letting out a deep sigh.

“What I mean is… you have every right to feel hurt or alone, or out of place. That does not make you a bad person. That is not your fault,” Nebula reassures him. “And most importantly, you deserve help for that. You deserve love.”

Peter looks at her with his well-known puppy eyes, like Tony would call them.

He wants to say something – he should, but not sure what it’d be.

The blue cyborg stands awkwardly next to him, probably feeling the same way, especially after the two of them opened up so deeply like that. Nebula likely believes that she might have not helped much, hence why she’s going back to the house without a lot of certainty (or she’s really not the best at socializing, given she’s, you know. An alien).

When she’s about to leave, Peter finally lets out:

“Hey, Nebula?”

She merely turns around.

“Th… Thank you,” Peter smiles, “for looking after Mr. Stark.”

Nebula’s expression manages to soften even more. If she weren’t a cyborg, Peter is almost sure her cheeks would be red.

She nods, not saying anything. She doesn’t have to for Peter’s grin to widen.

Now, he’s rather unsure what to do. Maybe he’ll stick out here for a while, throw rocks to the lake with his super strength and see how far they can go. He doesn’t get to decide with Morgan coming back… only she’s on Tony’s lap.

“Petey! Aunt Nebula!” The little girl smiles. “Where were you? You should’ve seen Mr. Drax falling asleep in just three seconds! Without any bedtime story!”

“Mantis had to stop the big guy before he ripped our fridge apart,” Tony explains, smirking.

“Are you okay, Petey-pie?” Morgan asks, worried.

“O-Oh.” Great, that question. Why is he so obvious? “Yeah, yeah. Sorry, Morgan.”

“It’s okay. Daddy says everyone needs some good cry every now and then. And at least you weren’t alone!”

“Yeah,” Peter sniffs as he briefly smiles at Nebula.

He feels too embarrassed to look at Tony back, knowing the older man is staring at him with those big concerned eyes of his.

Due to the heavy silence, Nebula suddenly walks to Tony to talk to Morgan, her low voice softening and even sounding playful. Just vaguely.

“What do you say we prank Drax while he’s asleep?” Nebula suggests. “We could put some glitter on his face, too.”

Morgan gasps, excited. “Yeah! He’s a Guardian of the Galaxy, so he needs to shine reeeeally bright!”

“That’s right,” Nebula smiles, picking the girl up.

“Are you coming, Petey?” Morgan wonders.

Before the boy can even open his mouth, Tony speaks for him.

“We’ll be right back at you, Morguna,” he winks at her. She returns the gesture, so Morgan hugs Nebula, who seems completely alright with the affection. When Peter first met her, he never thought the cyborg would be so sweet with children.

Only for the teen to realize, he’s alone with Tony. Perhaps the first time in so long. They feel like strangers even if Tony tries not to leave that impression.

The last time they were together… Tony was dying in front of him, and all Peter wanted was to hold onto him, because he couldn’t handle losing someone else. It had felt like losing Uncle Ben all over again, and Peter wanted to push everyone else away to save Tony, to cry and mourn, and beg him to stay, to not leave him.

Peter can only understand how Nebula must have felt when she also thought she’d lose the only person that ever made her feel loved.

Tony is back.

Then why isn’t Peter happy?

“Pete?”

He can’t even look at Tony.

Peter is so ungrateful.

“Hey, buddy… you don’t need to hide your tears from me,” the man says softly. “You don’t have to be fine for my sake, or anyone’s sake.”

Peter knows that, and it only makes him want to cry harder.

When Tony approaches him, while still not directly touching him, Peter smells wood, which is… quite new for him. That and a shampoo that screams “Dad” shampoo. However, he smells the same oil and coffee that brings Peter back to their lab days. It brings him back to the nights the boy stayed over at the Compound, watching movies with his mentor, accidentally falling asleep on the hero’s shoulder, and not realizing it until he was wrapped up in a blanket and too tired and comfortable to move. It reminds Peter of when Tony put a hand behind his neck, his fingers running through the former’s curls, as the teen was being crushed by the weight of his grief, the weight of bullying and loneliness. It reminds Peter of when he felt loved despite the entire world telling him otherwise.

Everything has changed so much now, but in the end… Peter can still find some of the old smell of home.

He’s… home.

It doesn’t look like it, at all.

But he’s home.

And he loses it.

Unlike in the battlefield, Peter rushes to Tony’s arms before anything bad happens to separate them again. Before anything and anyone can take Tony away from him.

“I’m sorry!” Peter sobs, “I’m sorry, I missed you, I thought you’d–!”

“Hey, hey, hey… it’s alright, Peter.” Tony just soothes his back up and down. “I’m not going anywhere, I promise.”

Peter weeps, “I’m sorry.”

“Shhh… you have nothing to apologize for. Nothing, do you hear me?”

Tony sounds so incredibly patient that it only has Peter cry more in his shoulder, at this point too out of it to apologize for wetting Tony’s dad-looking sweater. Peter just buries himself in his mentor’s shoulder, wanting to be wrapped up in his home again, to feel like he belongs somewhere again. He’s missed this so damn much…

“I missed you,” Peter whispers, voice high like a child’s. “So much…”

Tony laughs wetly, squeezing the teenager in his arms, and kissing his head many times. “I missed you too, kiddo. You have no idea.”

His right arm is a little more solid than the rest of his body, but it’s still the same arms that have always loved Peter. The arachnid isn’t hugging the armor this time. They’re not fighting an evil overlord. They’re home again.

Tony just calms him down and never once complains about how long it takes. He’s willing to stay forever if Peter needs it. Truly, he doesn’t know what he did to deserve… a father like Tony Stark.

Although he’s grateful, the black hole in him aches again, absorbing his joy. That’s how his life feels most of the time.

“I’m sorry,” Peter repeats.

“Peter…” Tony sounds pained.

“N-No, I mean it. You were all doing everything to welcome me, and I just… didn’t say anything. I just left.”

Tony just looks heartbroken, his flesh and mechanical arms wiping some of Peter’s tears for him.

“I thought…” Peter gulps. “I thought of leaving without anyone knowing. I didn’t feel right staying in there. Ever since I came back, nothing has felt right, but it feels like I’m expected to live like I didn’t literally die . A-And even though you’re trying to help me feel less alone… I still feel alone. And that’s not your fault.”

His mentor looks like he’s about to hug Peter the same way he did when they reunited, only for the boy to say more.

“I-I guess I’ve always felt like this, but… I still felt like I had something, before this all happened. But now, I don’t have anything and I feel like everyone has lived on well without me. You might try to include me, but… I can see it. I see how you guys interact. How… better you are without me.” He sniffs grossly. “The Guardians were gone for five years too, but they’re having so much fun, celebrating your return. I know I should be, too. I-I’m so relieved you’re back home, Mr. Stark,” Peter insists. “B-But I don’t feel like… I’m home. It’s like I lost it. Forever.”

The boy lowers his head, staring at the dirt, the ground reminding him of his own demise. He’s stepping on it like… he belongs there.

“I-I f-feel like… like…” Peter cries, scared of Tony’s reaction, “like maybe I shouldn’t have come back.” He feels so much like a little kid. And it makes sense, doesn’t it? Peter didn’t grow up with Tony. He’s stuck in a teenage body when he should be a young adult. “M-Maybe I… I should have just stayed dead.”

With the way Tony’s hands stop gently touching Peter’s face, the latter is sobbing furiously again.

Maybe now, he should leave.

Leave and never return.

Peter never wanted to admit these thoughts to anyone, because they just make him realize how much of a horrible person he is.

When his instinct tells him to run and hide, and never – ever – return, Tony’s left hand stops him, grabbing his arm firmly but not to the point of hurting it. If anything, it seems to shake silently.

“M-Mr. Stark, l-let me go,” he begs.

“You’re not better off dead.”

Tony is quiet and gentle, yet he appears to be close to breaking down, too.

“I-It doesn’t feel like it,” Peter bites.

“I know.”

The way Tony speaks… the way he’s rubbing Peter’s arm…

The boy wants to reject it, but he can’t.

“Let me help you, Peter,” Tony quietly pleads.

“Nobody can help me.”

“That’s not true.”

“Then why hasn’t it gotten better? Why do I keep losing everyone and- and everything? Why does life just get worse every time I think it’s going to get better?”

“Because it sucks. I know it does.”

Tony is behaving a lot like Nebula right now. They both speak from experience. Only here, Tony doesn’t explain where it comes from. Maybe because, right now, it’s not the focus.

“I’m…” Peter lowers the defenses. “I’m so tired, Tony.”

“I know, Pete.”

Like this, Tony is hugging him again.

“You can rest now,” he promises.

Peter cries once again, and it only hurts even more. Yet somehow, the crying is less desperate and loud. It’s more… here , if that makes sense.

He knows more than anyone that this is not enough for the black hole inside him. Nothing is enough for the black hole.

Still… Tony is able to quiet it down.

With just this one hug.

So, Peter just holds onto it.

It's true, then. That sometimes, a hug is really all you need to know that things will be alright.

--

They don't even notice the time pass until the Guardians come to say goodbye, though they almost retreat in respect, seeing that Peter and Tony were having a moment. Peter is the one who reassures them it’s alright. Each of the Guardians comforts the teenager in some way. Quill even suggests they should cruise in space some of these days, whenever he feels like escaping Earth. Obviously, with the glare Tony gives him, Quill ensures that Peter will have all the resources needed, including some great taste in music, or so he says. Either way, it… doesn’t actually sound like a bad idea.

Nebula promises she’ll keep visiting as well, or at least make video calls in case she’s stuck out there. She also tells Peter to keep in touch with her whenever he needs. He smiles and raises a hand for her to shake. She returns both gestures, and hopes he gets to feel better soon.

Rhodey and Happy still stick around the lake house while the spaceship flies away, mostly so they help Pepper clean the house. Peter would’ve helped, but Morgan takes his hand to show him his room. Not her room, but… his . Tony sighs dramatically that she ruined the surprise, but he joins the duo to what appears to be an untouched bedroom.

Morgan tells him to close his eyes and not peek.

“I have enhanced senses, Morgan,” Peter gently reminds her.

“Then turn them off!”

The boy giggles. “Okay, okay.” He even covers his eyes with his free hand.

Obviously, he can’t turn his senses off, but he keeps it up for her.

The room smells… very clean.

“O-kay, you can look!” Morgan instructs him.

When he sees…

He gasps.

Besides the exact same Star Wars posters he had at the Compound – and some new –, there are hand-made drawings of Spider-Man shooting webs. They’re all signed with Morgan’s name, and some appear to include Nebula’s as well. There are a couple colored lightbulbs, red, blue, and yellow gold, hanging in the ceiling, and then… Peter notices a few pictures by the other wall, most of which feature Peter and Tony in the lab, or whenever Pepper or Rhodey were able to capture them sharing a sweet moment.

But what really has Peter laugh and almost cry again is a photo of a small Peter Parker in the Stark Expo, Uncle Ben picking him up and laughing like his nephew was his whole world. The little boy, his true identity hidden behind an Iron Man mask, is pointing his toy repulsor at May, who took the picture while she also laughed like an angel.

“What do you think, kiddo?” Tony asks.

Peter laughs more, quietly. “I-It’s… It’s perfect.”

“I’m gonna design my own suits for you!” Morgan states rather determinedly.

“Oh, I would love that, Mo,” Peter squeezes her in a half hug, making her giggle. Meanwhile, Tony is looking at his kids with the proudest gaze he’s ever given someone.

Tony eventually leaves to help Pepper and the others, allowing Peter and Morgan to interact more properly. She shows him the books, comics and graphic novels she helped her father pick for Peter. Some of them were also hand-made stories about Spider-Man and his adventures, including his antics with Iron Man. As Morgan reads them to Peter (she sits on a chair next to his bed), the latter is very much invested. He knew that Tony probably told Morgan those stories, since they were all specific and familiar to Peter. Her comics bring the biggest smile to his face.

It feels like the day will never end, in the good way, when Pepper arrives (only she doesn’t interrupt them just yet, also looking like she probably took a picture of them like this, since she has her phone in her hand) to tell them it’s Morgan’s bedtime. Tony is next to his wife with curious eyes while the woman asks Peter if he’s going to stay overnight, as Happy is ready to leave and take him home if he wants.

As he lies in his bed, Peter… shakes his head.

“I’m already home.”

Tony looks like he’s about to cry at any moment, while Pepper and Morgan smile affectionately.

“You can come home whenever you want or need, okay?” Pepper touches his hair softly again.

“Okay.”

“Now, say good night to Peter, sweetie,” she tells her daughter.

“Wait! Can I kiss Petey good night?”

“Sure you can, Mo,” Peter smiles.

Thus, Pepper helps Morgan reach his forehead, her little lips touching it like it’s precious. Peter returns the affection with a smooch on her cheek.

“Nighty-night, Petey-pie,” Morgan says.

“Good night, honey,” Pepper kisses his head next.

“G’night.”

As the two leave, Tony comes in, silently, wearing a… Mandalorian hoodie. Mainly one where he’s protecting Grogu, if Peter is not mistaken. Tony doesn’t come to kiss him good night just yet.

“She read you the stories of Petey-pie?” He teases.

Peter snorts. “She’s the only one allowed to call me that.”

“You don’t have much of a choice here.”

They don’t really engage in further with the snark competition, not as Peter holds the blanket as if someone is going to take it away from him.

“Y-You’re not going to bed?” Peter asks.

“Yeah… but I still felt like my kid needed me. Guess you’re not the only one with Peter Tingles in the family.”

Peter rolls his eyes affectionately. Even then, Tony always sounds so… certain when it comes to the boy.

“This… might sound stupid, I dunno,” Peter gulps, “but… I d-don’t wanna wake up and… lose this, y’know?”

He expects Tony to reassure him that Peter won’t lose anything… only to come across the most tragic expression in the universe.

“... me neither,” the man whispers, likely something not even Pepper and Morgan know.

Peter doesn’t know what to say… other than shyly scooting over to the side.

Tony smiles sadly.

Once again, they haven’t cuddled in forever, and Peter forgot how good it felt.

“I missed my clingy spider-son,” Tony sighs in relief.

“Like you’re not clingy yourself.”

“Remind me again who’s the one being literally stuck right now?”

“Hmmmph,” Peter grumpily replies. Tony’s laugh feels contagious.

The former hesitantly touches the latter’s metal arm, then his brown eyes find Tony’s hairless right side, burnt skin now dark red, somewhat dead. Peter wonders if it hurts.

Tony, as usual, notices.

“Hey, you’re the one who needs attention here, bud,” he reminds him softly.

Peter looks away. “It’s different.”

“And it’s still valid.”

“Y-Yeah, but…”

Peter shakes his head.

“Sorry.”

“It’s fine, kid.”

“No, it’s not, I keep–”

“You keep being your best self, that’s what. And I’m very proud of you, Peter.”

The teen has lost count of how many times he’s wanted to cry today. He has cried since coming back, but never like this – maybe because Peter wasn’t even allowed to cry, or he didn’t feel like he was allowed to.

Peter clutches the older man’s hoodie, afraid of what just came to mind.

“What?” Tony questions.

The boy shrinks.

“W-When… When you…” Peter swallows. “When you snapped your fingers… d-did you want to die?”

Tony doesn’t tense at the question. If anything, he… relaxes?

“No. I didn’t want to lose Morgan, or Pepper… I didn’t want to lose you again. When I saw you crying for me… damn, kid. I felt like throwing Thanos far away to the other side of the galaxy, just to tell you I wasn’t going anywhere,” he replies, not sounding snarky in the slightest. “But there were many moments where I should’ve died. Moments where I thought… dying was the only option.”

Peter contemplates.

“What made you… not die, then?” He wonders.

Tony hums. “I never actually wanted to die.”

Something in the boy aches while hearing that.

“I was taught to believe my life was worth nothing. Even when I became Iron Man… they all told me I had to die to make peace,” Tony continues. “I still thought that when I was in the hospital. But every time I saw Morgan and Pepper, and Rhodey and Happy… every time I remembered Nebula was there for me in my darkest moment, and every time I remembered you were finally here and we could be together again… it gave me more strength than anything. It made me realize… that was the whole point. That’s the point of living. You get to live with people you love. You live to become someone you love, too.”

Peter remembers when Tony took away his suit, the way he was more disappointed than angry.

“That’s not a road that ends, nor is it an easy one. Mine began late in my life, but it’s worth every single mile.” Tony cups Peter’s face so they look at one another. “I’m sorry yours have been this bad, kiddo. I promise I’ll do what I can to help make it easier for you. I hope you get the breaks and support you need. Please, remember that you can count on us, for anything, even when it doesn’t feel like it.”

The moment Peter sniffs, Tony is cradling him like in those nights the boy had nightmares and needed to be comforted. Peter can only cling back with everything he has.

“I’m sorry,” he says either way.

“It’s okay, buddy,” Tony never gets angry. “One day, you’ll see that you don’t need to apologize for being you. One day, the emptiness will be easier, and calmer.”

At this point, Peter knows better than to get his hopes up.

But then…

Tony kisses his forehead and adds, “We’ll be here to help you see that day.”

And just those mere words seem to take away the tensions and calm the hungry, angry black hole in him.

Peter knows it’s just going to bite him back and make him question everything. But right now? He wants to believe Tony. Because it’s Tony Stark, because he’s a genius and a hero, and…

“... I love you, Tony,” Peter mumbles, muffled by the Mandalorian hoodie.

Somehow, the hero manages to hold him even closer.

“Love you too, kiddo.”

And just like before, Tony’s cuddles are the only way to make Peter sleep.

[irondad-defensesquad]

I'm Still Here

Fandom: MCU

Rating: G

Relationships: Peter Parker & Peter Quill

Characters: Peter Parker, Peter Quill; other characters are only mentioned

Summary: “Excuse me, are you waiting in line?”

Peter looks back in surprise, seeing a taller man with short, brown curls, and wearing a band t-shirt he doesn’t know, as well as orange headphones around his neck. The latter suddenly looks concerned and confused.

“Whoa, are you okay?” He asks.

Peter only stares at him in shock, saying just one word:

“... Star-Lord?”

Word count: 1.487

AO3

A/N: An idea I always wanted to write, because I personally love the thought of Peter and Quill bonding (which we sadly didn't get much from canon).

This is my first time writing Quill, so please be nice. ;-;

TRIGGER WARNINGS - major character death (Tony, Aunt May), grief/mourning

--

Starting out life again, alone, is… hard.

‘Hard’ is a soft way to put it.

It’s terrible.

Peter knows he isn’t entirely alone, since he still has Happy. But he doesn’t remember him, and quite literally no one else remembers him, either. Peter also doesn’t want to meddle in their lives again after the chaos that he caused. After… he killed May.

Maybe things are better this way. If he’s not remembered.

Peter is waiting for his order at Delmar’s, who also treats him like every other customer, and not an old friend. Peter is checking his phone to distract himself while the sandwich is not ready. As usual, not a single new text besides one from Happy that he’s going to be away for the next few days, asking if Peter is going to be okay. The teen, like the liar that he is, says that he will be.

He wants to cry.

Right here, right now.

“Excuse me, are you waiting in line?”

Peter looks back in surprise, seeing a taller man with short, brown curls, and wearing a band t-shirt he doesn’t know, as well as orange headphones around his neck. The latter suddenly looks concerned and confused.

“Whoa, are you okay?” He asks.

Peter only stares at him in shock, saying just one word:

“... Star-Lord?”

The other’s eyes widen.

“What?”

“Star-Lord, what- what are you doing here? I thought you were in space?”

“I- I’m sorry, who are you?”

The question breaks Peter’s hopes and dreams again. He should’ve known better than to get excited.

“I’m…” he gulps, “Peter. Parker.”

As he avoids the other’s eyes, Peter senses a hand standing out to him, to shake on it.

“You can call me Peter, too.”

The teen manages to smirk. “That’s going to be confusing.”

“Then call me Quill, if you want.”

Finally, Peter is shaking Quill’s hand, feeling a little better with the reassuring smile the latter is giving him.

“Now, Peter,” Quill releases his hand. “How do you know the almighty Star-Lord?”

“Oh, uh… We… kind of battled Thanos together.”

“Thanos? Really?”

“Yeah! I remember you, and that guy with knives, the blue lady with black eyes, the bug lady…” Peter lists. “And I remember you guys talking about a… Gamora?”

Quill’s expression suddenly falls at the mention of her, but not entirely sad. It’s more melancholic and nostalgic.

“Wow. How come I don’t remember you, then?”

Peter sighs. “It’s a long story.”

Quill hums. Suddenly, Delmar is back with Peter’s order and he asks the other’s. As Quill orders his sandwich, Peter awkwardly waits, probably knowing Quill is going to leave soon. He just really needed a friendly face.

“So… how come you’re here?” Peter asks when Delmar is gone.

“Oh, the Guardians kind of… split.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. We thought we might go separate ways. We still keep in touch, though.”

“Oh, that’s good.”

I wish I could keep in touch with my friends, too, Peter wants to add, but doesn’t.

“And… I thought you were from Missouri?” He says instead.

“I am, but I thought I might do some traveling. Get to know my home planet better, you know?”

Peter nods, falling in silence.

“So, what have you been doing, Peter?” Quill asks the usual adult questions.

“Nothing much.” He knows there’s no one else in the store right now, but he doesn’t want Delmar to know that he’s Spider-Man.

“Hm.” Quill sounds suspicious.

Right on time, his order arrives. Peter already braces for his departure, knowing he might just want to go on with his life rather than listen to a hopeless teenager.

“Are you… doing anything after this?” Quill wonders.

“W-Why?”

“Ah, you know, we could hang out, talk hero to hero.” The man also implies, I know you might need it.

“Oh. Is- Is that okay?”

“Sure!” Quill smiles. “What do you think, then?”

“I- I’d love to,” Peter laughs nervously.

“Great.” After they pay their orders, Quill is wrapping an arm around his shoulders. “Let’s get outta here.”

--

“... and then everyone’s memories were wiped, now no one remembers me, so I’m trying to live on my own and start things fresh again.”

Their paper bags have been emptied two hours ago, Peter speaking like an actual chatterbox. Quill, for some reason, doesn’t seem impatient nor cocky like the first time they met.

“You’re completely on your own, then?” Quill asks, frowning.

“Not really. I still have Happy, who was Mr. Stark’s best friend. But he doesn’t actually remember me, he mainly looks after me because of Aunt May. And he’s going to be away for a couple days and I said it’d be fine. It’s- It’s fine.”

“I don’t think it’s fine, Peter. Having no friends or family… I think that might be the worst thing to happen to someone.”

Peter bites his lip. “I mean… my friends are still out there. They were accepted into MIT. Which is nice. But I thought… After everything I did to them, I don’t want them to get hurt again. Maybe it’s best if I let them go, y’know?”

“But it’s not fair to you, buddy.”

Peter wants to cry again.

“I…” his voice gets wet. “I miss everyone. I miss MJ, I miss Ned, Aunt May… I-I miss Mr. Stark and- and my Uncle Ben…” he sniffs. “I keep losing everyone I love. And I’m so tired.”

He feels bad crying to someone who sees him like a stranger, but Peter can’t keep it in anymore.

Quill doesn’t complain.

If anything, he’s opening an arm for Peter to lie on.

So, the teenager does.

It’s so weird, receiving comfort like this from a guy Peter doesn’t know that much. All he remembers is them being snarky to each other and fighting Thanos, with the destiny of the universe in their very hands.

Quill comforts him, cursed with knowledge, too.

Peter realizes… he must still regret screwing up and allowing Thanos to snap half of the universe into dust. Quill must have lost people, too. Like Gamora. Now, he’s back home, trying to start fresh, too.

Peter doesn’t need to ask to know all these answers.

“I’m sorry you went through so much shit, Pete,” Quill exhales.

The boy sniffs timidly. “Yeah.”

They sit on a park bench, the sunny day blessing the town. It’s not too hot, though, and it’s the kind of temperature Peter likes due to his spider-senses. Not too cold, but not scalding, either.

“We all need someone,” Quill says. “We need, and we deserve someone.”

Peter is slowly released so they’re looking at each other.

“You can count on me, Peter,” Quill smiles, determined.

“But… you barely know me,” the other says, lying.

“Nah, I do. More than you think.”

Indeed, he does.

“But don’t you live far away from here?”

“I literally have a spaceship, kid, faster than an airplane. And if I can’t make it for any reason…” Quill is picking something from his pocket. “You can call me.”

… except it’s a super old phone and he’s taking forever to get to the contacts app. Peter can’t help laughing.

“Oh my god, you’re worse than Uncle Ben,” he mocks.

“Hey, go easy on me. I’ve been away for like, twenty years.”

Peter instead takes the phone and registers the number himself or else it might take forever. Quill is a really slow typer for someone who just texts him “hi”.

“I don’t get it, you’re literally Star-Lord,” Peter insists. “Didn’t you use tech like this in space?”

“Trust me, it’s not the same thing. For one, it’s not this tiny.”

Peter snorts. “Okay, then.”

“I do have this, though.”

Quill takes something else and reveals…

“A Zune? I haven’t seen one of those in years.”

“Really? That old?”

“Super old.”

“Ouch.”

Peter laughs.

“Do you… want to try?” Quill offers.

“Really?”

“Yeah. I promise, all the great taste in music is right here.”

Peter rolls his eyes with a grin. He takes it with care and wears the headphones, listening to the first song in the playlist. A calmer, acoustic tune, reminding him of a time things were easier, even if he’s not familiar with the song.

If anything, it reminds him of someone.

Tony.

Now that he thinks of it, Quill and Tony would get along well if they had the chance.

He feels sad by the thought, but he doesn’t break down again. The song brings him a sense of comfort despite the mourning. Not to mention that Quill is next to him, making sure he’s not alone.

When the day is nearing its end, Quill lends his Zune to Peter. Something that Peter knows means the world to him. He wants to reject it, but with Quill’s insistence, wanting him to remember he has a friend out there that knows who Peter Parker is…

At night, Peter is still listening to music.

With the biggest smile on his face.