Reckless ↪ Peter Quill [Starlord]

five ↪ collateral effects

    A soft light beamed on my face who knows how many hours later. My head hurt, it felt like someone had hit it with a sledgehammer, I suppose. Come and get your love was playing and blasting through the Milano's speakers. I was safe. I rolled over the bed, a pair of branches keeping me down as I tried.

    "Groot" I smiled light-heartedly. I finally managed to snap my eyes open and curiously looked around. — "Whose room is it?"

    "I am Groot" he informed. I sighed of relief and relaxed all my muscles.

    "Ha, look who decided to wake up! Are you out of your mind?!" a raspy voice scolded me.

    "Happy to hear you're okay" I slowly sat upright and smiled down at him.

    "Ha-ha, very funny!" Rocket huffed. — "You could've died you dipshit!"

    "Woah" I widened my eyes. — "How's your leg, Paddington?"

    He stared me flatly, confusion spreading on his features. I snorted and tried to get up. — "Sorry"

    "My leg's fine"

    "It doesn't look fine"

    "You don't look fine!" he snapped.

    "I am Groot" Groot calmly scolded his friend.

    "I don't care if she just woke up! She- ugh!" Rocket groaned angrily. — "Why would you do that?!"

    "What is it that I did exactly? My memories are a little dazed" I sincerely asked.

    "No shit, shit-head!" he attacked me again.

    I quirked an eyebrow and tried my best to remember what I did bad. I remembered saving Quill, helping Rocket, asking Drax to go back to safety. The rest was blank. Not even blurry, just deadass blank. Nothing.

    Right, Quill! Was he safe? Did he get back alright? Was he hurt? I must've made a very worried face because Rocket groaned at me one more time.

    "Is he okay?" I finally asked.

    "The other dipshit? Yeah, he's fine" Rocket deadpanned.

    Before I had the possibility to ask him why he was so angry, Drax burst into the room, a grin creeping on his face. — "Mae! Mae is awake! Ha! Told you she wasn't dead!"

    Groot abruptly stood up, almost giving me a hell of a jumpscare. — "I am Groot!"

    "I just, uh, need a shower, I guess" I quietly spoke, caught off guard by Groot standing up for me like that. He hushed everyone with just six words. I never noticed before how much I grew on him, how much he genuinely cared about me. It was heartwarming.

    "Someone should check on her" Rocket half-heartedly groaned.

    I wanted to fight with that, but decided he was angry enough. Plus, some company wouldn't kill me. — "Mantis?"

.

    As smoking hot water poured on my skin, I felt a thousand times better. Most of the tension got released from my body, making me feel a little bit lighter. The next song of Awesome Mix Vol 2 blasted in the room: Wham Bam Shang-A-Lang. I smiled like an idiot, repressing my thoughts so I could keep them away while my heart jammed to the sounds.

    "We got a wham, bam, shang-a-lang, and a sha-la-la-la-la-la babe" I sang along light-heartedly. I smiled like an idiot, all my worries fading away into thin air.

    "I like this one song" a quiet voice suddenly spoke up. And that's when I remembered I wasn't alone.

    "Oh, shoot, sorry about that" I mentally slapped myself for forgetting it, a nervous chuckle slipped out of my lips.

    "Why?" Mantis genuinely asked.

    I grabbed one of the towels and wrapped it around my body before stepping out of the shower box. I felt way better, a completely new person.

    "I have never seen Rocket so angry" my new friend blurted out.

    I glanced at her curiously as I started brushing my hair. — "What is he so mad for?"

    "You don't know?" she widened her already big eyes. I shook my head no, waiting for her to explain. — "He was so scared to lose you"

    Passive aggressive much? I smiled at that. It was actually cute, and definitely something Rocket would do.

    "When Quill carried your senseless body on the ship, Rocket was so angry" Mantis continued.

    My heart abruptly stopped. I snapped my head up and widened my eyes in confusion. — "Sorry, when Quill did what?"

    "You sacrificed your oxygen mask for him" she informed. Okay, that I remembered. — "You still needed that. You fell unconscious but Peter got you before you could hit the ground"

    My lungs stopped working properly. What. — "He- He came back for me?"

    "You look surprised" she tilt her head to the side. — "I can show you my memories, if you want"

    "Okay" I let out a shaky breath as my voice broke.

.

    Quill was somewhere on the ship. It took me so long to actually process it. Mantis and I stepped out of the bathroom and went for the cockpit. I owed Rocket an apology. From the main aisle I spotted Peter sitting on the pilot seat, talking to Rocket.

    I stopped on my tracks. What was I supposed to tell him? I almost had a deadass panic attack before I felt Mantis' grip on my hand. I snapped my eyes on her, her antennas lit up. Crap. Her sight wandered around before she stopped it on me with a small smile. Exposed. In addition to that, like the situation wasn't nerve-breaking enough, Quill snapped his head in our direction.

    The thermostat's blowing wind made his dirty-blonde short hair fly in every possible direction, making it almost look like slow motion. My gaze fell on his lips, now curving up in a breathtaking yet shy small smile. I gulped and felt my cheeks growing warmer the more he got closer. I felt both Rocket's and Mantis' curious eyes on me, so I quickly looked away and cleared my throat.

    Groot's voice snapped me out of the temporary trance I was trapped in. — "I am Groot?!"

    "I'm fine, buddy" I reassured him, the last thing I needed at that point was another nap. — "I just wanted to apologize"

    "I don't want to hear that crap!" Rocket groaned as he folded his tiny arms over his chest. Quill flickered his eyes from me to his friends and back, a cute confused expression on his face.

    "Cut the attitude, pal" I sighed. — "Don't act like you wouldn't have done the exact same thing"

    "I said I don't want to hear-"

    "Jesus, Rocket, shut up for a goddamn second!" I snapped, before remembering how Quill was there too. Crap.

    I gulped and nervously bit my bottom lip, my feet nervously tapping on the floor. — "You know what? I just wanted to apologize for making you worry. That's it. I'm sorry."

    I eyed Rocket for one more second before sprinting out of the room. A soft voice called out for me before I could lock myself into Groot's room. — "No, wait!"