#okay its this dude's office/playpen

[spockvarietyhour]

Columbo breaks into your house and plays with your trains.

[anagentinwriting]

Subscribe - Part 1

Summary: (Modern AU) Peter was your college sweetheart until a certain event led to your break up. Seven years later another event brings you two back together, but this time a little girl is in the picture. Will listening to your podcasts be the reason you two get back together or be another reason to keep you apart?

Pairing: Peter Quill x Reader

Word Count: 3452

Warnings: Accident, Hospitals, Injuries

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Peter tapped his foot as he listened to the new group talent Walkman Records was planning to sign. Natasha discovered The Revengers after watching their videos online realizing they had a distinct refreshing sound people would love. Val, their lead singer, could tell a story through her voice while her bandmates helped bring the story to life. Thor, a tall not so handsome guy, strummed the guitar, Heimdall beat on the bass, and Bruce played the drums. They were a great group of individuals, and he couldn’t wait to see where their career would take them.

Bucky sat beside Peter, listening to Val’s voice as he adjusted a few marks on the soundboard. Once he was satisfied, he leaned back in his chair to enjoy the rest of the song. Peter mouthed along to Val’s lyrics, getting lost in her song when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

“Mantis, I told you not to interrupt us unless it’s an emergency. Buck and I are in the middle of a session,” Peter remarked, swinging his chair around to face her.

“Sorry, but there is someone on the phone saying it is an emergency and needs to speak with you,” Mantis replied in a soft voice, looking a little shaken.

“Is it the same boy from Queens who keeps calling coming up with random reasons to get us to sign his girlfriend?”

“No, it’s a woman. She threatened to break my arm if I don’t get you on the phone right away.”

“Okay, well that doesn’t narrow it down,” Peter sighed, running a hand down his face. “Did you get a name?”

“Gamora,” Mantis whispered in a frightened tone.

“Sounds like something she would do. I’ll take the call in my office.” He stood up, nudging Bucky to let him know he needed to take a call. Bucky nodded as Peter stepped out of the room. He hasn’t spoken to Gamora since you broke up with him years ago, so why would she be trying to contact him now? “Hey Gamora, still threatening people I hear. What’s it been like......seven years?”

“Yup. It gets things done faster, and it’s pretty handy when it comes to my job.”

“I heard you’re a big-time lawyer these days, but I can’t say I‘m not surprised.”

“Whatever, Peter. I didn’t call to make small talk with you.” Gamora paused. “I know you and YN didn’t end on the best of terms, but I promised her that if anything happened to her I would call and tell you…”

“Wait, hold on a second--” he interrupted her “--what happened to YN?”

“She was in an accident this morning.”

“Shit, is she okay?” Peter inquired, running his hand through his hair. “I mean, why would I care? We broke up years ago.”

“Okay, I'll try to believe that.” He could picture Gamora rolling her eyes through the phone. “I still haven’t heard anything, since she went into surgery. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing at this point.” She cleared her throat. “Can you swing by the hospital? I need to talk to you about something important.”

“Ahhhh….what is this about? YN and I broke up ages ago. Besides, I’m at work, and I got a lot on my plate right now.”

“I wasn’t asking Peter, I’m telling you. It’s the least you could do after breaking my sister’s heart.”

“You had to go there, didn’t you,” Peter sighed, staring down at his desk in defeat. He should know by now that Gamora never loses a fight once she starts one. “Okay fine, I’ll be there in an hour.”

“Perfect. We’ll see you then, I’ll text you the details.”

They exchanged numbers before hanging up, and he went back into the recording studio. The room was quiet, and he noticed the empty sound booth. Nat must’ve taken them into her office to discuss the contract. He groaned, plopping down in the chair next to Bucky.

“Whoa man, you look like you’ve seen a ghost,” Bucky commented, taking in his appearance.

“I have to go meet a friend. Are you and Nat going to be fine without me for a couple of hours?”

“Yeah, it shouldn’t be a problem. Everything’s okay, man?” Bucky narrowed his eyes, moving his long hair out of his face.

“I hope so.”

_________

Peter pulled up to the hospital not sure what he was expecting. He wasn’t dating you anymore, but he didn’t want to see you hurt. He went up to the waiting room Gamora mentioned, but no one was there besides the nurses behind the desk.

“Excuse me,” the nurse at the station looked up at him with a warm smile. “Is YN LN out of surgery?”

She flipped through some files on her desk before clicking away on her computer. “She is still in surgery, but the doctors will be with you as soon as they can. You’re welcome to take a seat and wait. Are you family?”

“Yes,” he nodded without a second thought. He took a seat in the waiting room, running his hands through his hair and down his face. You were still in surgery, which could mean two things: everything was good and they were taking their time, or it was worse than they anticipated. He glanced at the television seeing a reporter speaking about the accident you were in. He read the subtitles as they drifted across the screen.

“On this mornings commute, a dump truck flew through a red light colliding into the side of a bus forcing it to topple over onto its side. We have gotten reports saying at least 12 are injured, but their conditions remain unknown at this time. As paramedics work hard to get everyone to safety, police are still investigating the cause of the accident. I will keep you updated on this story as it unfolds. Back to you in the studio…” Peter’s eyes turned away from the screen and back to the floor.

“Hello, Peter.” He glanced up to find Gamora with a little girl clutching onto her hand and eyeing him over. “You got here quick. Can we talk for a bit?”

“Yeah. Why else would I be here?”  He shrugged, standing up from his chair.

“Hey, Bug,” Gamora crouched down in front of the little girl with a caring smile on her face. “Would you be okay with hanging out over there for a little while?” She pointed to the children's playpen.

“Okay,” she nodded, ignoring the playpen to sit on one of the double-seated chairs. She pulled out an old green iPod and slipped in her earbuds as she tried to get comfortable. There was something about the little girl that seemed familiar to him, but he couldn’t put his finger on what it was.

“Someone finally snatched up the lawyer Gamora, who cared more about her career than settling down with some dude. Who’s the lucky guy?” A cocky smile spread across his face.

“She’s not mine. She’s YN’s daughter,” Gamora corrected him.

“Wait, what?” Peter’s smile faded away, leaving his mouth hanging open before he snapped it shut. “When….when did that happen?” He asked, widening his eyes at her.

“Little over 7 years ago.”

“She found a guy right after she left me. Awesome, like that doesn’t hurt my feeling a little bit.”

“Not exactly,” Gamora replied while Peter ignored her.

“It’s good though…..good for her. As long as she found someone who does right by her, and cares about her and makes her happy. I’m happy for her…..” he rambled on.

“Peter shut up.” His eyes snapped to hers as he shut his mouth. “YN’s had only one person in her life for the last 7 years, and it’s been her daughter.” He narrowed his eyes, not understanding where she was going with this. “Okay, I promised YN if anything ever happened to her I would tell you.”

“Tell me what?”

“The little girl over there--” she glanced in her direction “--is your daughter,” Gamora confessed in a hushed whisper, forcing Peter’s eyebrows to shoot up his forehead.

“What? No! No, no, no, no.” He shook his head not believing this. “It can't be! I would’ve known if YN was pregnant. She...she would’ve told me.”

“Really? Because the last I remember, you were halfway across the country when she found out.”

Gamora had him there. This must’ve all happened when he was at his internship in LA. How did he not know? Why didn’t he realize something was wrong? You always seemed so happy whenever he talked to you on the phone or through video chat.  “Why didn't she tell me?”

“YN tried to tell you, but she was afraid of how you’d react. Once she started to show, she knew she needed to tell you so she went to L.A. to surprise you and we both know how that turned out,” Gamora recalled, forcing Peter to clench his jaw. “I can’t tell you why she hasn’t told you because I don’t know why.” Gamora shrugged.

His eyes flickered over to the little girl swinging her legs back and forth in her seat. Her eyes connected with his for a split second before she focused back to her feet.  “What's her name?

“Meredith,” Gamora revealed, keeping a close eye on him.

Peter’s head snapped to her. “She named her after...after my mother.” Gamora nodded. He ran his hand through his hair, letting out a deep breath. “Why...um...do you..” He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to find the right words.

“YN wanted to name her after a strong woman,” Gamora filled in the blanks, making Peter crack a small smirk. “She’s a wonderful little girl. Strong headed and soft-hearted like her mother, but her quick-witted humor and love of music comes from her father.” He breathed a smirk, shaking his head at the little girl. “Can I ask you to do me a favor?”

“What’s the favor?”

“I’m due in court tomorrow, and I have to get caught up on what I missed today. Would you mind watching her tonight? I can't take her with me, and she’s too young to be left alone.”

“Ah...is this a good idea? She doesn’t even know me. Whatever happened to the whole stranger danger phase?”

“Trust me, you’re my last option.” Peter scoffed, forcing Gamora to roll her eyes. “If I could ask Nebula, I would, but she’s out of the country. I could ask a sitter, but Meredith hates them. She says they’re only in it for the money.”

He chuckled at her response. “Wait, hold on, you need me to take her tonight? Like tonight tonight? Right now.” He let out a deep breath as he glanced between Meredith and Gamora.

“What else would I mean by tonight? Meredith is smart for her age and if she needs anything she’ll ask for it.”

“Do you trust me to take care of her? I mean I once had a goldfish, and it died. I had a dog, but it ran away. This is an actual human being,” he emphasized, biting his lip to calm the nerves tingling in his stomach.

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t trust you after what you did to my sister, but you’re all I got at this point.”

“Psh.....that’s reassuring,” Peter scoffed, taking a deep breath to think it over.  “I have to move some things around, but she’s my daughter, and I should at least get to know her. Right?”

“That's the spirit.” Gamora patted him on the shoulder.

“Does she know who I am? Does she know anything about me?”

“YN’s told her some things, but as far as I know, she doesn’t know who you are.” He nodded, pushing his lips together in a tight line. Gamora walked over to Meredith with Peter in tow.  “Hey, Bug.” Gamora leaned down, placing a hand on Meredith’s arm as she took out her earbuds. “An old friend of your mom's is going to watch you tonight and tomorrow until I’m done with work. Do you think you could take care of him for me?”

Meredith peeked up at him through her eyelashes and scrunched up her face as she observed Peter. She was the spitting image of her mother, except for her eyes; she had his eyes. “I can’t promise anything, Gam,” she mumbled, shrugging her small shoulders.

“Hi, I'm Peter.” Peter held out his hand, and she reached up shaking it.

“I’m Meredith Quill.”

_________

Peter sat in the waiting room for what felt like hours. They still haven’t heard any news about your condition, and it was making him nervous. He didn’t want to lose you all over again especially after finding out he shared a daughter with you.  He had so many questions he wanted to ask you: Why didn’t you ever tell him? Did you think he would get upset and leave? Did you not think he was ready to be a father back then? What about today?

Peter flipped through a hospital magazine, keeping a close eye on Meredith. He still couldn’t get over the fact he had a daughter. She swung her legs back and forth in her chair as she mouthed along to the lyrics flowing through her earbuds. He smirked, knowing he did this at the studio all the time. Something in front of her caught her attention as a soft smile spread across her lips. Peter glanced in the direction to find a golden retriever.

Meredith shoved her iPod in her pocket as she approached the dog. He couldn’t hear the conversation between Meredith and the owner, but he suspected it was about petting his dog. The man nodded with a smile, and she knelt down scratching the dogs head as it licked her face. He couldn’t help but enjoy seeing her smile for the first time.

“Mer is more like you than you think,” Gamora commented, highlighting and reading through some documents a seat away from him.

“How so?”

“She loves animals and won’t leave the house without her iPod. Sure YN loves music, too, but the way Mer listens to it is a lot like you. She can be a real pain in the ass sometimes, too.”

“I think she gets that from her mother though,” he chuckled, making Gamora shake her head in amusement. Mer scratched the dogs head one last time before returning to her chair and her music.

“So, what has YN been up to?” Peter asked, scratching the scruff on his chin.  

“Well--” she closed her file “--she’s been working at Potts of Honey for the past 4 years and…”

“Wow! What do they do there?”

“It’s a company helping parents and parents to be. They make all sorts of baby and toddler products, but they’re branching out to older age groups now, too. It’s a good company.” He nodded with pursed lips. “She also helps run a podcast for the company called Everyday's a Monday. It’s been a raging success and it’s helped the company’s brand grow.”

“What kind of podcast is it?”

“A parenting podcast,” Gamora informed, crossing her arms across her chest. “They talk about the latest trends in the industry and parents share their experiences hoping to help other parents. She loves her job.”

“I’m happy for her,” Peter nodded at the floor. “She always wanted to help people, and now she is. It’s great.”

“Her job keeps her busy when Mer isn’t,” she grinned at the little girl. “How’s business at Walkman Records?”

“Good. Natasha’s been finding a lot of great talent, and Bucky’s such an expert on the soundboard it’s insane. Wait, how did you even know where to find me?"

“My assistant found you,” Gamora confessed. “I learned a bit about your career, too. Like, how you and your two friends started Walkman Records six years ago after signing your first client. Somehow you became an overnight success and have been creating music with the best artists of our generation.”

“Hmm, your assistant really did her homework on me.”

“She wanted to keep her job. Excuse me for a second.” Peter nodded as Gamora got up and went to sit next to Mer. She smiled as Mer laid down using Gamora’s leg for a pillow and closed her eyes.

Peter pulled out his phone replying to a few emails while his thumb hovered over the podcast app. He wasn’t a huge podcast listener because he preferred listening to music rather than people talking. He bit his lip trying to figure out if he should download an episode to see what it was all about. He was curious. What did you talk about on there? Were you only the producer of the show or were you the host as well? Maybe he could hear your voice again or your addictive laugh. He shrugged as he started downloading the first couple episodes of Everyday’s a Monday.

_________

With still no word from the doctors, Peter could feel his stomach turning into knots, and his doubts started to set in. He didn’t want to think about it, but how could he not? He was about to assume the worst when two doctors dressed in scrubs stepped into the waiting room. Gamora noticed them and maneuvered herself out of Mer’s grasp, trying not to wake her. Peter shifted in his seat, so he could hear their conversation better.

“Hi, I’m Dr. Palmer, and this is my colleague Dr. Strange. YN is stable and out of surgery, but we wanted to tell you we did experience some complications.”

“What sort of complications?” Gamora asked, crossing her arms across her chest.

“At the scene, paramedics told us she was conscious and talking, insisting she was fine. Her only complaint was a massive headache and blurry vision. Medics brought her in right away but on the way she suffered a seizure. This forced us to run a quick CT scan, and we discovered a bleed in her brain. We believed she suffered a brain aneurysm from the accident, which led to her seizure. Once we found the bleed, we got her straight into surgery to repair it. This is when the complication during surgery set in causing her hemorrhaged and slip into a coma.”

“Is that normal? Is she going to be okay?” Gamora asked as Dr. Palmer looked to her colleague.

“It is hard to say at this time. We won’t know if she experienced any further damage mentally until she wakes up. Physically all she suffered was a couple of scrapes and bruises, but as of right now, all we can do is wait for her to wake up.”

“Thank you,” Gamora cleared her throat, earning a nod from both doctors. “Are we able to see her?”

“She is going to stay in recovery for the night and be monitored. We encourage you to go home to get some rest tonight so you will be a full 100% refreshed when you see her tomorrow,” Dr. Palmer reassured.  

“Can we at least say goodbye to her before we go,” Mer piped up, sneaking up beside Gamora and grabbing her hand.  Dr. Palmer peered over at Dr. Strange, but he shook his head no.

“I’m guessing YN is your mother?” Dr. Palmer asked, kneeling down to her level. Meredith nodded. “I bet she would love to see you, too, but she is asleep right now. Your mom needs to rest so she can build her strength to keep up with you when she wakes up. I promise you’ll get to see her tomorrow.”

“I WANNA SEE HER NOW,” she cried, stomping back to the chair. She crossed her arms, staring hard at the table with her forehead scrunched up.

“Don’t worry I’ll talk to her,” Gamora told the doctors. “Thank you again.” The doctors smiled before walking away. Gamora let out a deep breath and pinched the bridge of her nose before going over to Meredith.  

Gamora kneeled down in front of Mer setting her hands on each side of her. Peter could see her mouth moving, but he couldn’t make out the words she was saying. Meredith's arms loosen up around her, and she wiped her nose as Gamora pulled her into a quick hug. Gamora let go of her, and in an instant, she pulled her iPod back out of her pocket.

“What did you tell her,” Peter asked, staring at Mer who didn’t seem to be upset anymore.

“The truth.” Peter narrowed his eyes at her. “YN would want Mer to be strong and patient for her, and let the doctors do their job."

AN: Hope you enjoyed Part 1! Thanks for checking it out. This is a series I have been working on for some time. I am not much for the romantic type, but hopefully, I will be able to pull this off. I would love to hear what you all think so far and any theories on what is going to happen next!