Conversation on the Milano

Gamora
Barely ten clicks from the first jump point and Gamora had unbuckled and moved to check on Groot. He was old enough that he didn't need to be micromanaged, but when he stopped answering when she called out to him she decided it was best to be sure he had made it through the jump alright. His head was drooped, the gaming console still making sound over the guitar that drifted through the bridge was have hanging from his grasp and Groot himself was decidedly very much asleep. His seatbelt was the first thing she adjusted, being sure he was fully strapped in just in case things got turbulent. "If Rocket were here he would have plenty of scoldings for you, sapling." She murmured f

oldly, soft enough that it didn't cause the tree to stir. His gaming system was gently relieved from his grasp and powered down before she tucked it safely beneath his chair. The Milano and the Benatar had room for independence for the next while so the comms were cut in and out as necessary. Scott didn't need to be overwhelmed by the bustle of both ships, and Gamora had learned the hard way that Nebula didn't want her to interfere in what was going on on the other ship. Bringing Scott was her idea and she apparently wanted the space to enjoy Scott's company without contest. Making her way back to her chair, Gamora let dark eyes wander back towards the man in the pilot's chair. A

small smile played over her lips, small enough that most wouldn't even notice it. Whether she voiced it or not, she was glad to be on the ship where he was. Memories of her death didn't ache quite as much when she could see that he was still smiling, that her death hadn't hurt him as much as she had feared, or at the very least that it wasn't a lasting pain. "Do you need to rest?" It took a few minutes for her to speak up. "We're far enough from the next stop that it'd be fine to put the Milano on autopilot." She strategically avoided bringing up questions like 'Why don't you like Scott' or 'How was your trip to see your mother?', she knew neither were going to be all the helpful.


Peter J Quill
While Gamora left from her seat, Quill remained dutifully placed in his. His expression was a casual smile, but there was something more behind his eyes. They were staring out at the stars and whatever space matter they passed, but none of it seemed to be actually catching her attention. The familiar sound of Gamora turning the little gaming device off, along with her gentle whispers, let him know why she had stood up in the first place. Even as she sat, though, he didn't see to move his glance from what was ahead. The lights of passing stars, sometimes more intense than others, played on his face, causing the shadows to give his expression more depth and meaning. With this lightning, and only when it was brightest, was she able to see a small sheen of moisture over his eyes. It was minuscule, so tears weren't a

t all a worry, but it was there. At the question, his gaze finally broke away from the path in front of them. He locked eyes with her, and with a halfhearted chuckle, he released the controls. "I've had it on autopilot since we came out of the jump." The reveal made his smile widen just a bit more, but there was certainly something dampening his characteristics, and he was fighting to keep whatever it was from affecting him too much. Deciding movement would assist this, he stood from his chair. Some minor stretches and a twist of his body loosened up his form, and with a casual pace he made his way over to the refrigerator, out of which he pulled two cans of his 'carbonated beverage' as she called it. After returning to her, he offered one can to her and sat in the floor between their seats. It let him be closer

, and that was something he wanted more than most things right now. "I don't need rest. I've spent enough time resting." His tone seemed remorseful, and when he looked up at her again it was as though he couldn't tell whether she was actually there or not. At her noticing, he laughed and apologized. "Sorry. I just can't believe I'm back. We're back." After a moment, he clarified. "The Guardians, I mean. And we're going on some big mission that'll probably get the ship beaten up and bring us all closer." Exaggerated hand and body motions accompanied his prediction, as it was often a tactic he used to lighten whatever he was saying. "It just doesn't seem real yet. I've been waiting to wake back up in Missouri." With that final confession, he opened his can with a click and took a small sip to round off the fizz.


Gamora
She was no expert in reading him, but she liked to think that she could get a general grasp on what was going through his mind when he was thinking about something far harder than he needed to. If she hadn't spent so long letting her eyes sweep the curves of his facial structure then she might have missed the hints of tears in his eyes. For a moment, she was worried that he was sad to be back with them. That maybe they had taken him away from his home too quickly and he wasn't ready to be back among the stars. This was a fear that made her heart sink. Maybe it showed in the way her light smile seemed to falter, or maybe she managed to hide it alright. Things were in such a fragile state, and seeing him without his usual glow was more concerning than she liked to admit, even to herself. "Oh." She uttered slowly as his hands left the controls. There's a silent tension when she lifted her eyes to meet his, dark on light, both seeming somewhat unsure. He broke eye contact first when he

moved past her to get something to drink and she took the moment to settle back into her chair and begin idly looking through the messages between herself and her sister. She had asked a few times if Scott was doing alright. Peter returned to her side with a drink for her as well as one for himself and she did the polite thing and took it, even if she wasn't really thirsty. He settled on the ground and she suddenly felt odd for sitting in her chair. The urge to move to join him struck, but she didn't give into it just yet. She wasn't sure if that was what he wanted or not. "There's nothing wrong with needing a break, or needing space to breath." The can in her hands was being shifted about, but not yet opened. His remark of being back together made her eyes snap towards him, maybe a hair too quickly, but the understanding of what he truly meant kicked in just as quick. "I felt the same way for a long time. When I--" This was something she hadn't talked about, not really. Nebula had

heard a bit, and Rocket had heard of her nightmares in reliving it, but Gamora avoided the topic of her death. "After the war was over and everyone was at the compound, it was hard to believe that it was all over and it was all really happening. A part of that was because you weren't there, but another part of it was because I was." Finally, she opened the can, as if the action would defuse the tensions in her. "Everyone is happy to have you back, we need you more than Misery does." This was a quiet moment, the kind that they had shared a few times in the past. Rarely did she talk about herself, but he would tell her things, like his childhood or his father or how much he missed his mother. She took a small sip of her drink before giving him a thoughtful glance. "It will feel real when we are all together in one place. Right now, there's still the distance of us being on two ships. But one we're in the battle, once we've saved lives, that's when it will feel real and right."


Peter J Quill
Quill prided himself on being suave, clever, and witty in nearly every situation he found himself in, and with most people he would put on that sort of show in nearly any situation, no matter how dire. Well, except for the time he slapped Thanos a couple of times after learning about what had happened to Gamora, but that was a certain life-altering situation that he doubted would happen again any time soon. Around Gamora, however, he felt much more willing to let that sort of showmanship drop. With Groot asleep and Drax out like a light, Quill felt they were alone enough for such communications to happen. She assured him by relating, and it did help to hear that, but he had also been avoiding the topic

. Yondu had always told him to never look a gift horse in the mouth and, after learning Gamora was still alive, well that was the biggest gift horse he would have ever seen. At the comment of him being needed, he gave a single chuckle. "Yeah, someone's got to keep you crazy kids in line." The smile he offered her then would assure her that the chat was easing his mind. There was no question that Gamora was the sense of the team, but he couldn't pass up the opportunity to prod at her for the pure fun of it. From his vantage point, he had to look at her at an odd angle, and so he gave a couple of pats next to him on the floor. Though they could see the view just fine from their piloting seats, the view down her

e wasn't all bad. Being closer was his goal, but he was trying his best not to be greedy with it. After all, so much had changed in so little time. A crunch could be heard behind them, and he quickly turned his head, worried that their heart-to-heart conversation was being observed. Drax had just shifted in his rest, and he released a heavy sigh of relief. "If- When this job works out, I think you and I need to get some drinks, listen to a bit of music, maybe do a little dancing?" He wore that grin he always sported when offering something he knew was treading in dangerous waters. Gamora wasn't the one to shirk work, and they had only really danced the one time, so that was still shaky ground at best.

Gamora
"Is that someone meant to be you?" Just a hint of snark, not nearly enough to label her as sarcastic, but enough that he could tell it was just as playful as the jab. "I was doing an alright job, but I would have ended up killing someone if you hadn't come back when you did." His smile and his laugh were enough to soothe some of her concern. He was okay, that was all she needed to know. When his hand tapped lightly against the ground, she let her eyes slide from side to side before she rose from her seat. Being close was always a double edged sword. He had a way of overwhelming her just as quickly as he could ease her. But seeing him look at her like that, those light eyes sparkling at her, Gamora hard such a hard time declining. So with a small exhale, she settled onto the floor beside h

im, the both of them fitting in the large gap between seats. This was hardly productive, but for the time being she was okay with that. The small crunch caused her to jerk a bit, concerned that she was going to have to explain to Drax why she was sitting on the floor close enough that she could lean her head against Quill's shoulder if she really wanted to. That was a conversation she did not need or want. Not at all. But it was nothing and she was able to return to her drink. His offering sent her back to when she had talked with Bucky, the phantom of that pleasant dance they had shared was something that had been on her mind so heavily when she saw the look on the soldier's face as he discussed the mourning that accompanied the person he loved most being trapped in the soul stone. That

night, she would have asked Peter to dance herself had he been there. But now was a different time and she made sure to make the roll of her eyes apparent. "Spending units we just earned on drinks in a loud and likely seedy bar doesn't sound at all appealing." She preferred his company when they were alone, and she definitely wouldn't dance with him where eyes could find them. "Once this job is over we have to take Scott back to Earth. Hopefully he will still like us at that point." Mostly for Nebula's sake, but almost because Gamora had grown decently fond of him. He had been a good person to talk to about Groot because he understood parenting... He also had a silly smile that served as a stand in for the one that was facing her now. "And then we'll have more distress calls to answer."

Peter J Quill
Another chuckle was achieved at her jab back at him. 'Whipped' or not, Quill couldn't help the control Gamora had on his emotions. If they fought, he was passionate about it. If he laughed, there truly was happiness. If he cried, well, he did his best not to cry most times. His offered seat was accepted, and being right next to her made his heart feel as though it had grown three sizes. 'Like the Grinch' he thought to himself with a small smirk. What he didn't realize is he had mumbled that very phrase, and could only hope she didn't question it. Then, her complaint of his plans came along, but it didn't seem to upset him. He just sat there was a knowing smirk, and i

mmediately after she had finished with her idea of what was to happen after they finished this job, he decided to specify. "I never said anything about a bar." He started, his smile widening as she fell right into his verbal trap. The art of the hunt wasn't to chase your prey, but to make them trip over the plan you've carefully laid. "I was thinking some wine, some music, and a 'test flight' on the Milano. It's been driving pretty bumpy, don't you think?" His eyes spoke of his true intentions, which he was aware Gamora didn't need spelled out. They often needed to speak in such a code when it came to their wanting alone time as neither of them was terribly op

en about their intimacy around the others. Still, getting some alone time with her and finally using those slow dancing lessons his Grandma taught him all those years ago would be the perfect comeback into what their life was before everything. The mood had become more pleasant, which he felt like was the perfect opportunity to ask a potentially depressing question. Equilibrium in conversations was everything. "So.. why are you back? I haven't really gotten the details on that. I'm picturing some sort of clone bay with a bunch of blank Gamoras, though." The joke was an attempt to soften the question, though he knew there was no escaping the weight of such an answer.

Gamora
Gamora debated asking about what exactly 'the grinch' was, but she also felt like she probably didn't want to know. So she just fixed him with the same blank look he usually earned with references she didn't fully grasp. Being around him this long had taught her a thing or two, but it seemed like Earth had unending references and even an eternity with him wouldn't give her the complete knowledge. His smirk as she spoke didn't deter her at all, but it did inform her that he had a prepared response. One that she felt herself blinking at just once before turning her gaze back down to her drink. A smile touched the corners of her lips. "I suppose that doesn't sound so bad. You'll need someone on navigation in case you get yourself lost." They were rarely alone, maybe that was why this moment on the floor was panning out so pleasantly. She never knew what she would get when they were close like this, so a small t

rip to get supplies together could range pretty heavily in contents, but he knew just as well as she did that there was a lot that they needed to catch up on. Even if it wasn't broadcasted to the entire team, there was something somewhat spoken between them. So when she looked back up at him, her eyes met with an equal amount of intent. She didn't dance, at least not when people could see or hear of it, but he always had a way of making her consider the possibility. But all things that were pleasant had to come to an end, such was the rules of balance. She lifted the drink to verdant lips and he asked a question that made her feel cold. The cliff stretched through her memory, dark eyes, harsh purple fingers, the cling of snow to red hair, and at last the hard ground the lie beneath it all. She swallowed hard, her grasp on the can tightening. Maybe it was her turn to be vulnerable, to speak of something that

made her ache. Peter was always so forthcoming with her, maybe he had earned that same right. "It's a blur." The whisper shocked her, being all too soft. She hated feeling soft. Years of conditioning kicked in and screamed at her senses, causing her to curl in on herself and place more space between them. The phrasing of 'Why are you back?' didn't make her feel particularly wanted back. "When the soul stone was destroyed by Thanos, I found myself back on Vormir, shivering and alone. I wasn't truly alive, but my soul was sent back to where it had been claimed." A long pause followed. "When the stones were used to turn Thanos to dust, someone must have wished for my return. Whether the person who snapped wished for me specifically or was just wishing for Nebula's happiness I can't know, but I do know that I found myself very much alive and surging with an impossible amount of grief." The can in her hand

was crushing inwards from the vice of her grasp, luckily it was near empty. Trembling and fighting wetness in her eyes, Gamora scowled. "I have dreamed of my death ever since. But what hurt me more than being thrown off that cliff, more than Thanos forcing his sham of love on me, more than anything, was knowing that you and the Guardians didn't get the chance to say goodbye, or the benefit of knowing how it happened." And with that, she set down the ruined can, watching it clatter over due to its now mishapen nature. She didn't delve into the entirety of her guilt, but this was the most she had said to anyone and it was leaving her feeling raw. Righteous warriors didn't carry this kind of guilt because they knew they had always done what was best for the universe, but Gamora was no longer one of those blind soldiers and the weight of her wrongs was immense, even on cybernetically enhanced shoulders.

Peter J Quill
Silent cheering was had in his head when that hard-earned smile and acceptance of his suggestion, or at least of the idea of it, was had. This was why he was the strategist of the group. He knew how people think, he had been in enough close calls to circumvent what fate had in store for him many a time, and he executed his plans without falter. Most of the time. However, when the topic he had brought up started to take effect, it was as though he could see the air around Gamora shift. It became heavy and hard to look at, but he knew it was just her body language and tone causing such an illusion. For once, Quill shut his mouth and listened to her with great interest. The tale she told was somewhat similar to his own, but he had already come back to fight Thanos and his army, and the only Gamora he had seen after that was not the Gamora in front of him. His heart still hurt every time he thought about how she addressed him

, like when a bad nightmare was being unwillingly recalled. That was probably the most annoying part of the human mind. Finally, her story came to a close, and it took Quill time to process everything she had said. The distance between them grew, but he wasn't in the business of immediately closing it again. No, she was fragile right now; a right sight, and needed to be handled with absolute care. "I'm.. I'm kind of glad we didn't say goodbye." He started, though he understood the implications of such a phrase. "It means we were never really apart. We were just.. away for a little while." His eyes glanced over her expression, and there was limitless understanding and compassion in his furrowed gaze. He still wore a smile, though it was obviously just for her benefit. From his perspective, when it all happened, he was crumbling to dust one second, and returning to his form the next. He didn't know that five years had passe

d, nor did he think to find out. It was a stroke of luck, and only once Doctor Strange explained what was going on did he understand the full force of the situation. A timid hand reached out, slowly, like when one would approach a scared, injured animal. Eventually, though, it found its perch on top of hers. Contact was something they rarely allowed each other, save for the punches and slaps she would occasionally give him for his remarks, so it held emphasis when such was achieved. "It took a world-bending universal dictator to take us down. I don't think that will be happening any time soon." His voice was sincere, more sincere than it had been in the entirety of their relationship, and finally the adult in Quill was truly showing. Knowing this moment couldn't last, he eventually retracted his hand and finished his beverage. "I won't let anything else happen to you or any of the others. I'm not losing my family again."

Gamora
Intimacy, both emotional and physical, were things that Gamora still hadn't perfected. Her upbringing intentionally isolated her, forced her to be dependent on no one but herself and Thanos' 'generosity'. But Peter Quill had come into her life and turned so much of that on its head. He saved her life in a prison, a woman who had attacked and stolen from him, he introduced her to the music of his people, he saved her life a second time when Nebula had left her to die in the vacuum of space, and all before he even really knew a thing about her. That man, the one hidden under the bravado of Star-Lord and the childish ego he put on full display when others were around, that was the man who had taught her how to care. The way he looked at her now, eyes full of much earnest care and compassion, it made her forget some of the pain. Dark eyes widened some, the moisture in them starting to subside. "I... missed you. I hope you didn't have to miss me quite as m

uch." It was so like him to find the silver lining in it all. Peter had a way of looking at the bleakest things and still managing to make them sound appealing. Gamora envied that kind of optimism. He didn't have to tell her how much he missed her, she saw it clear as day every time his smile grew or he swore she wasn't looking so he took the time to double check and be certain she hadn't disappeared. Those glances always tore her apart. Lips parted, words not really ready to form but her desire to breach the silence was strong enough to prompt them anyhow. He stopped her from blundering by setting his hand atop hers, instantly melting the snow that still clung to her soul. She was alive. He was live. They were close enough that one could believe for a few moments that those two facts had always been true. A laugh, so light, so faint, but so earnest crept through her lips. Turning her hand to her fingers could brush lightly with his, she savored the c

ontact. No one could see, so for just a few seconds they could share that silent understanding of something more. What they were was undefined, but it gave her peace nonetheless. Mirroring his smile as best she could, Gamora nodded. "Even if it did happen again, I don't believe most people manage to fool us twice." Saying 'us' in this context was odd, it was like acknowledging something without having to truly admit to its depth. They were quite good at that, but when the emotions were so high it made her wonder just what would happen when they finally did admit to the depths and if she might be swept away forever when the dam finally broke. His hand left her and they settled back into something more simple. "This is the only family I've ever known, I can't watch it fall apart. I think that's something we can all agree on." Gamora turned to look forwards again, watching the stars through the window. "Thank you, Peter. I'm glad we were able to talk."