2.2. ɢᴀᴍᴏʀᴀ - ʜᴇʟʟ ᴏꜰ ᴀ ʀɪᴅᴇ

Pairing: Gamora x M!ReaderWarnings: NoneWords: 10k+

"We're stopping only for one drink, we have something to do later and I don't want any distractions." The words were flying past your head as Rocket and you gave each other knowing looks.

"Uh-hu." Peter waved his finger in your faces with a clearly proud expression. Like he'd win a million dollars. "I know these looks, I know them." He repeated himself, hands on his hips as he smirked.

"What looks?" Rocket tried to rile him up a little, acting like he had no idea about anything happening right now.

Peter's head tilted as his lips pressed together. "You know what looks. I saw them." He waved his finger between the two of you with a tight-lipped smile.

He wasn't very appreciative of Rocket's little game while you tried to hide your grin. "Well, I have to throw him some looks since he's not getting any from Gamora anymore." Rocket said playfully, looking very proud of himself as he laughed in your face.

Yours instantly dropped when you heard him as Drax burst out in laughter. "Ha! Y/n is not getting any! That was funny!" His loud voice irritated you only more as your jaw clenched.

Peter's head was still directed at Rocket but his eyes found you, seeing how hints of anger appeared in yours. "Okay, okay!" He tried to calm the two down as you tried not to kill anybody at this moment.

Any possible thoughts were disappearing from your head and you just hoped you wouldn't lose your cool as Peter was doing his best to shut them up. "It was funny a week ago, Rocket, do you really not have anything better?"

This caught Rocket's attention as he looked at the man offended. His eyes squinted in irritation and his teeth showed. "Better? You think I can't do better?" His agitated tone made Peter give you a knowing smile.

You grinned a little as a thank-you when your friend dismissively waved at Rocket and turned around, walking to the bar. "Yeah, yeah. I heard that before." Rocket stayed behind as everyone followed before he snapped out of his thoughts.

"This is bullshit. I can't do better? Me? Please!" He kept talking, catching up to you. "It was a good one, wasn't it?" He asked you without actually asking, smirking up at you and patting your leg.

Not sparing him a glance, you pushed him with the same leg, hard enough to throw him a good distance away. "You asshole!" His distant yell caused the corner of your lips to tug up as Drax started laughing again.

It was normal for you and Rocket to tease each other and bicker. But this topic was not one of the funny ones at all. At least not for you. The situation hadn't gotten any better ever since your best friend had yelled out what you and a certain lady had done.

You two hadn't really talked for weeks now. You'd tried to initiate a conversation and talk everything out, but you'd been met with silence or exasperated sighs each time. Eye rolls had been frequent as well, making you feel like you were a waste of space and air.

At first, you'd been confused and a bit hurt. You'd not had a clue as to why she would be acting like that. Sure, you hadn't been on best terms already at the beginning, but this situation now was just ridiculous.

So more than anything now, you were just angry. And every time somebody mentioned anything about it, you felt like breaking something. It was getting on your nerves and Rocket's smart-ass comments were not helping at all.

The team also noticed the shift in the mood between you two. It also affected everyone else in the group. Sometimes they felt like walking on eggshells when you and Gamira were both around at the same time.

It was like a game of a ticking bomb, who would blow up first. They wanted to help, mostly Peter and Mantis, but they weren't sure how. The fear of making things worse was running through their mind each time they were ready to do something.

There had been some hope when you'd been trying, but it'd changed when you'd stopped. You didn't give two shits anymore about what your relationship with Gamora looked like. If she didn't, why would you?

So you held your head high, walking behind Peter as he pushed the door open and entered the bar. Making your way to one of the booths, you stood at the edge and waited for everyone else to take their seats before you sat down.

Quill was between you and Gamora, taking the best place he could. It was like that now, making sure you two didn't sit next to each other or anywhere where you could easily see the other. The team didn't really pay attention to it, but you did. And you could tell Gamora was doing the same thing.

Easily and unsuspiciously avoiding each other in simple ways was the key to peaceful days.

The empty space in front of you was awaiting for a certain someone. And that certain someone could be heard entering the place before reaching the table. Sitting down, he raised his eyes to face your smug smile.

The irritated look he gave you only made you happier as he wasn't happy at all. "How was the flight? Did you like the first class?" A snort was heard from next to you and in the corner of your eye you could see Peter covering his mouth.

It did almost nothing as his big ass grin could be seen anyway before he pulled his eyebrows together and became very interested in the menu. "This one's good." He pointed at a random thing on the paper covered with plastic as his eyes moved to you.

"Oh, I know. It's always good." You replied, knowing what he meant. He nodded at you, trying not to smile as he went back to the menu.

Rocket's little fists were clenched and up on the table as he looked at you with pure hatred. "You! You are a horrible friend!" He husked out in a dramatic tone as he slumped down in his spot, crossing his arms.

You only shrugged your shoulders as you weren't about to argue with him. You had enough of the topic that had been following you for weeks now. You wanted to put it behind you.

Not long later, a waiter came up to the table and started taking your orders. You weren't speaking much really, just some replies here and there.

Ever since Peter had given you information about the upcoming mission today, you'd been researching more about it to make sure you were ready.

Sitting at the edge with your back pressed against the soft material, you were engrossed in what your little device was showing you. You felt eyes on you from time to time but you weren't paying enough attention to actually know who wanted what from you.

"Y/n, can you get me another one?" Drax's voice finally made you look up as he kindly asked for one more beer. "Sure, the same?" It was a good excuse to get away from the group. Mostly from Gamora, but it wasn't that important.

Not that she tried to say anything to you or about you. Just being around her made you feel uneasy now. It wasn't because of what she was doing, it was because you weren't sure where you two stood.

You started slowly standing up when Rocket spoke up, looking at you. "Just don't let him go with Gamora, we wouldn't want any surprises again." Drax was the first to chuckle before Rocket laughed at his own 'joke'.

Tilting your head, you let your shoulders drop before directing your glare at Rocket. He avoided your eyes at all costs as Drax kept giggling to himself. "Keep doing that and you will find piss instead of beer in your bottle."

The man's face dropped as he looked at his remaining drink and put the bottle to his lips quietly. Leaving your eyes on him for a second longer, you just shook your head before leaving the table.

Passing other ones, it didn't take you long before you reached the bar. You raised your hand as you took a seat to let the bartender know you wanted to order. "What can I get you?" The man asked as he wiped his hands with a cloth.

"Just two beers, thanks." He nodded before walking off to grab your things. He quickly snatched two bottles from the shelf as somebody put a hand on your shoulder before taking a spot next to you. "One more."

The bartender left two bottles in front of you before quickly going back to grab another one while you looked slightly to the side. "What can I help you with?" You said jokingly to the man next to you.

"I hoped I could help you this time." Your eyes dropped down before you opened the bottle and looked ahead of you. "With what? There's nothing to help me with." You dismissed the topic, taking a swing of your drink.

Quill nodded gratefully as he took his bottle from the bartender before turning back to you. "Look, I understand you're hurt-"

"Hurt?" You cut him off with an annoyed look as your face scrunched. "I'm not hurt, no, not anymore. I'm angry, Peter." The words were almost hissed out as you leaned closer to him, irritation swirling in your eyes.

It was pissing you off that you were getting this mad so easily just at the assumption that he was trying to navigate the conversation to talk about Gamora. At this point, you were sure you were more mad for being mad at all than because of the green-skinned woman.

You didn't want anything to have an effect on you to this extent. And you sure as hell didn't like it that someone who didn't give a fuck about you could rile you up like that without even trying.

Straightening up, you calmed yourself down with a deep breath before taking another sip of your beer. "I know you're mad." Your friend started slowly, his hand up as he tried to gauge your possible reactions.

"And I know Rocket's comments are not making it better." You scoffed in the middle of his sentence as your eyes rolled. It was really because you knew he was right. It wasn't hard to figure it out.

"He's really being a little shit." Shaking your head, you said the words lowly before taking a more aggressive swing. "I know that. But you and Gamora." He paused for a second, moving his head a little like he'd be thinking about the right words. "Not talking to each other won't make anything good, it won't even make anything decent or civil."

He continued as you tried to tune him out but a part of you wanted to know what he thought. "It's just making things worse. You're both getting mad at each other to the point it looks like you actually want to kill the other."

Turning to him, you held the bottle in your hand as your eyes were jumping between his. "And why do you think it is like that?" Your question wasn't the one to answer. Peter knew where this was going. "I tried, Peter. I wanted to talk to her."

You were getting agitated again as you spoke about it. However, you kept your voice down, not wanting everyone else to hear. "She didn't want to. She's acting like-" You cut yourself off as you glanced at the rest of the group, seeing Gamora talk to Mantis as she was grinning a little.

"She's acting like she doesn't give a shit, so why should I?" Peter was about to say something before another voice got involved in the conversation. "Hey, morons." Your furry friend spoke up as he jumped up on the stool next to Peter.

"Did you forget the way back or what?" You knew he was joking but his voice sounded like he was confused with the situation.

You weren't sure if you wanted to say anything to him about this. He could be serious when he wanted to, but you also knew he found the situation funny. "Just anger issues stuff."

You brushed it off, hoping he would let it go. But Rocket wouldn't be himself if he did. "Ooh, you mean how you and the killer lady hate each other?" You rolled your eyes as he chuckled to himself.

"Okay, that's it!" You slammed your hand on the bartop before quickly standing up. "Y/n, wait!" Peter called to you as you left the bar without looking back.

You were done with the family bonding. It was time to let out some anger.

——

You prepared your guns and put them in your holsters as Peter went over the plan once more before the ship's door started lowering. "We have only one chance, so don't screw it up."

You listened with one ear to make sure you got all the details right as your hands were making sure you got everything in place. Ammunition, knives, and guns. All of your favorite things.

"Okay, so as all of you know, we are supposed to get-" Peter started again before Gamora cut him off. "Steal." She gave him a stern look as he stared at her with a bewildered expression.

"Call it what it is." She added in a calm tone as she was checking her knives as well. You scoffed in a chuckle-like manner while passing her. "Look who's talking." Mumbling to yourself, you bent down to pick up your earpiece before putting it in.

The volume you spoke in was not loud but apparently loud enough for the green-skinned woman to hear. However, she just sized you up, staying quiet and ignoring your comment. Nothing new, really.

Peter slowly looked between the both of you, keeping his guard up. "Okay, what if-" He cautiously began, making sure not to irritate anybody. "We just talk about who goes with who, huh?"

Not getting any replies, maybe a few nods, he decided to keep going. "Drax is going with Groot to the backup place, in case we need to hold them off. They will stay close to the ship but close enough to us."

You leaned back on the boxes as you fiddled with your gun. "Rocket is going to secure all the possible surprises that we might need. He's with me, as well as Mantis, and Y/n is going with Gam-" Your head quickly whipped up at what you heard.

Raising your hand, you moved your finger in Peter's face. "No, no, no. There is definitely no need to make groups like that." You could see Gamora's eye roll as soon as you opened your mouth.

She wasn't making the situation better. Her reactions were only annoying you more. "You two are the best at stealth. There aren't supposed to be a lot of guards, so our best bet is doing it quietly." You knew he was right and his words made sense, but you still weren't thrilled about it at all.

With an unhappy expression, you just shook your head as your eyes rolled, making the man satisfied with the outcome. "Great! I'm happy we reached an agreement."

"No, we didn't." You countered him quickly, causing him to give you a look that formed a small smug smile on your lips. "Anyway." He exclaimed loudly. "We have only one chance, don't screw it up."

As he uttered out the last word, everyone exited the ship, dividing into previously planned groups. It was very interesting. "The crystal is in the little chest in the tent. We need to try to be sneaky about it." Peter's voice came through the comms as you kept walking low on your legs.

You were right behind Gamora as you both were making sure nobody would notice you. The two of you had the worst job, it was your responsibility to actually steal the crystal as everyone else was on the lookout, ensuring that no one would get in the way.

Rocket, Peter, and Mantis were close to you. They had their hiding spots nearby as well as the responsibility of planting helpful little devices for possible emergencies. "We are in position, how are things going?" Peter asked as you and Gamora hid behind rubble, peeking out to study your surroundings.

"We are almost at the place. There are only a few guards, so it shouldn't be a problem." The green-skinned woman replied, pressing her earpiece to talk.

You moved lower, sitting down as your back was pressed against the rocks. They were poking you in all the wrong ways but you would endure it. Quickly adding a silencer to one of your guns, Gamora kept looking around, trying to come up with a good plan.

"We have to go to the left. Let's go." She whispered to you, not sparing a single glance at you, as she lowered herself and started moving. Your face changed to confusion very quickly as you stayed seated in the same place.

You were not about to listen to her orders. She hadn't talked to you for weeks but would now? Not happening. "They are around but far enough from the crystal. We can steal it without them noticing we were ever here." Gamora continued as she kept walking low on her legs, using rubbles and different objects to cover herself.

"You will go to the other pillar, this way we have a clean shot at-" She stopped herself when she glanced over her shoulder and realized that you, in fact, were not there. "Y/n?!" She whisper-yelled as she started looking for you.

Her head whipping around as her jaw slowly clenched, accepting that you decided not to give a shit about the situation. "Y/n, where the hell are you?!" She whispered harshly into the earpiece, hoping to reach you.

"What?! What do you mean where he is?!" Peter's voice followed right after as you kept walking and covering yourself. Getting closer to the destination, it seemed like it would be a very easy job.

Shame it didn't involve any punches, but it was what it was. "Oh my God." Gamora sighed out in disbelief when her eyes found you jumping and skipping through things. "Y/n, get back here!"

You didn't seem to listen at all, making the woman groan in frustration as her mouth stayed closed. You were now a few steps away from the desired chest, ready to snatch its contents and go home.

"What is he doing?! What are you doing?!" Peter asked the woman in a screeching voice right before directing the question at you. "This is not gonna end well." Rocket's voice joined in as you neared the destination even more.

You searched the area for any possible surprises, slowing down and taking careful steps. You were now just outside of the tent, one more move and you'd have it. "This is going to be easy-peasy."

You whispered to yourself, forgetting that your earpiece had been turned on this whole time, so your teammates could hear your little motivational comment. "Y/n! Stop, wait until I'm there." Gamora spoke up again, her voice a little ragged.

"You're gonna get yourself killed!" She added in an angry tone, making you stop and clench your jaw. Scoffing loudly, you chuckled bitterly to yourself. "Don't talk to me like you'd give a shit about it."

Even from this distance, you found her face as she was hiding behind one of the big rocks. Her mouth dropped before she looked at you agitated. "What did you just say to me?" Her voice sounded calm but a hint of anger could be heard.

"You heard me." You replied right away, not caring about what she was going to say. "You really need to-" Her voice was cut off by a very concerned Peter, he was probably sweating now. "Guys! It's not the time!"

You decided to completely ignore your teammates as you sneaked into the tent, carefully moving towards the chest and opening it. A dim purple light got out as soon as you pulled the lid up. "Here you are." You said to yourself as you grabbed it and put in your pocket.

Quickly shutting it close, you escaped the place and began walking to the ship through the same path. "Are you okay? Did you get it? Did he get it?" Peter's frantic voice kept coming through the comms as you quickly made your way back.

"I got it, calm your tits down." You said as all of them gathered in one place near the ship. Concerned but happy Peter was looking at you with a smile along with Rocket.

And there was also a very pissed green-skinned lady that was looking at you with such an amount of hatred you didn't know was possible until now. "Here is your gift." You threw the crystal to Peter as you gave Gamora an empty look, having a short staring contest as you passed them all.

Your friend caught it and inspected it as you entered the ship before everyone else followed. The atmosphere was definitely intense. They were mad at you for putting yourself in danger but happy that you were okay and that the mission was successful. In a way that was.

The door started closing and you went to the front of the ship. "Fly here." You uttered out shortly before walking away as Gamora and Peter went to the pilot seats, getting ready for the take-off. It wasn't long before the engines started as everyone either buckled up or occupied themselves with something.

When the ship raised in the air and was stable, Gamora quickly unbuckled herself, her serious face and strong walk made everybody move out of her way with scared looks. They all knew where she was heading and they all started praying for you.

She reached the ladder and went down to the lower deck, following you, while you were taking off your gear. "Are you insane?! What was it back there?!" Her infuriated form would be enough to make anybody shit in their pants.

But you didn't seem to be bothered at all as your eyes stayed on the table, your hands fiddling with your gun. "Oh, wow, now you're talking to me? That's a surprise." Your sarcastic tone wasn't appreciated by the woman at all.

Her jaw clenched with her eyes squinting from the anger running through her body. "Can you stop being a child for a second? It's not funny." Her stern voice was the complete opposite of your seemingly not-caring attitude.

However, you suddenly turned your body to her. Your lips pressed tightly together. "Oh? It's not funny? I thought it's been so funny when you've been playing your game of 'how long will I not talk to Y/n'. It seemed so funny." You were getting frustrated with each word you spoke.

The anger was getting the best of both of you as the argument was becoming more heated. "This is not relevant right now!" Her yell was probably heard throughout the whole ship.

"Isn't it?!" You raised your voice back at her as you both stood closer to each other. Both of your faces tensed, showing off the bones and muscles in them very clearly. "You don't talk to me for weeks! Weeks! Just because we slept together? You couldn't talk to me about it but now you suddenly wanna talk and act like you give a shit?!" The yelling got louder and louder with each word both of you spoke.

The team was trying to mind their business, sitting in their seats, buckled up like good kids. But they were hearing everything very clearly. "Oh my God!" She groaned out loudly as she looked up in frustration, throwing her hands up.

"Can you just drop it?! It was just sex!" She almost hissed out at you in agitation, losing her temper faster with each second.

Chuckling unamused to yourself, you shook your head as your hands landed on your hips. "Just sex? That's very interesting of you to say." Your voice was bitter as you both got closer to each other.

Your face couldn't show more anger even if you wanted to, just as Gamora's. Her eyes were burning, fire swirling in them as she stared into yours. "Yes! Just sex. It's not my fault you're too soft to distinguish simple sex from feelings." She spat the words right in your face as you were now inches apart.

The audacity of her actions was amusing and infuriating to you at the same time. "If it'd been just sex, all of this wouldn't have happened in the first place!" Your annoyed voice was thrown back at her as both of you were reaching your limits.

"If I'd known you'd treat me like I'd be invisible afterwards, I wouldn't even have considered it!" You exclaimed loudly as both of your jaws clenched tightly, your bodies completely tensed as deathly stares were coming from both of you.

"Why do you care so damn much about it?" She gritted out through her teeth, staring up at you. "It's not like we were getting along swimmingly before!" She stated like it would be the most obvious thing in the world. "Why can't you just put it to rest?"

It was only silence now, and thick, dangerous tension floating in the air around you two. You'd never been angrier and you were sure Gamora hadn't been this angry at anybody before as well. But those words didn't make you annoyed. They felt almost hurtful.

"Because I thought there was more to you!" You exclaimed louder, causing the woman to become quiet. "You can say that we hated each other all you want. But this now-" You angrily gestured between the two of you. "This is closer to hating each other than anything else before."

The woman just kept silently looking at you, studying your posture and expressions as she didn't know what to say or do.

You didn't know how things could go so wrong just because of one thing. You were to blame, sure, but you were not the only one at fault here. "Um, hi, hey, guys." A quiet voice could be heard from above you, but none of you looked away from the other.

"We have a situation here, can you help me, Y/n?" Mantis asked you carefully, snapping you out of your intense staring. "Sure, I'll be right there." You replied calmly, looking at Gamora.

Sparing her one last glance, you passed her and climbed up the ladder, leaving her there to herself.

——

You'd been flying for a good while now, Peter and Rocket were asking a million questions about the coordinates you typed in the ship's monitor.

Not giving them any reply besides 'you'll see', they were getting annoyed and whiny, wanting to know what it was. But you stood your ground.

After you'd helped Mantis with a very unnecessary thing, which now you were sure had been just an excuse to break your argument with Gamora, you made sure to stay away from the green-skinned woman.

You didn't want another blow up to happen. She also didn't seem like she wanted to talk to anybody at all, staying in a seat that was as far away from the rest as possible. Any attempts at initiating even small talk with her were unsuccessful and met with a hard glare that made each person shit in their pants.

The tension still could be felt but not as much as before. You were goofing around with Groot a little to raise your spirit. He also needed more attention now that he was small. He wanted it all and affection.

So you tried your best to take care of him. Obviously, without everyone else seeing. You couldn't risk it and you knew Groot wouldn't say a word. You guys made a deal.

Everything darkened as the ship went through a place as black as night, dimming the whole space on the ship. "What is this place?" Peter asked with a confused and fascinated expression when the brightness suddenly blinded everyone.

"Not even a warning!" Rocket screeched out, shielding his eyes as he blinked repeatedly. When it got better, he lowered his arm with his mouth dropping in shock. "Oh my." He breathed out, his eyes going wide.

"Land there." You pointed at a spot near the bridge, showing Peter where to stop. He quickly looked down while gripping the stick firmer. His eyes jumped back up a second later as he was taking in the sight.

The whole group was at the front of the ship with their lips formed into an 'O' shape. You went to the back, glancing at Gamora as you passed her. She stayed seated in her place, staring blankly at a wall.

You felt a little bit bad for yelling things out like that. It should've been said in a normal conversation instead of a screaming match. Shaking the thoughts off, you grabbed your backpack and zipped it up just in time as Peter landed the ship.

Pushing the button as soon as you touched the ground, you waited for the door to open. "Wait, why are we here? What is this place?" Peter's questions continued and you smirked at him a little. "To relax and you'll see."

When the platform lowered, you immediately exited, stepping onto the bridge as you saw a familiar face, waiting for you. "You've surely taken your time, haven't you, my dear?"

Your smile couldn't get any brighter at the person's words. It'd been way too long without seeing each other. "Queen Frigga! I've missed you so much!" You sounded so alive all of a sudden, like life would be injected into your veins.

Engulfing her in a hug, she brought you closer and held tightly, sighing out contentedly. "Oh, I've missed you too, my child." She whispered out to you, closing her eyes as yours fell shut as well.

Pulling away, she held her arms on yours with a warm smile plastered on her lips. It was before a quick slap met your arm, turning your face into a shocked one. "What was that for?" Your voice went up a pitch as you spoke before quickly clearing your throat as you glanced behind you, making sure nobody heard it.

You thought there was a hint of a smile on Gamora's face but with a singular blink, her face was a perfect picture of serious. You weren't sure if your eyes just played tricks on you, but you wouldn't dig into that right now.

"I told you not to call me a Queen." Frigga told you with a stern look, making you gulp a little. "And it was also for not visiting as much as you should." She pointed a finger at you accusingly.

You sent her a nervous smile as your hand went up to your neck and scratched it a little. "Yeah, I know. Life didn't let me, but I will try better, I promise." Raising her eyebrows, she tilted her head before sighing out and grinning at you again.

"Oh, also, these are my friends." You said, stepping away a little so as not to cover anyone as you introduced each of them separately. "And this one is Groot." You finished as the Queen gasped happily at the sight of the small guy.

He seemed to reciprocate her fondness as he skipped up quickly to her. "What about this one?" You heard a man's voice from behind, causing your body to whip around quickly. "Don't tell me you forgot me, you bloody bastard." You laughed at his joking tone before coming up quickly to him and hugging him.

"Watch your language, Loki." Frigga reprimanded the man and he quickly apologized with a sheepish look on his face.

It didn't last long as he smirked at you mischievously, his head lowered a little. "So, who are all these...people?" He hesitated with his words as he carefully took in the appearance of your friends.

You turned around and looked at them as well, seeing a widely smiling Mantis as well as Drax wave at your best friend. Loki waved back awkwardly as Rocket was looking around. "Uh, hi, I'm Peter Quill."

He was the first to come up and introduce himself to the black-haired man. "Hello, I'm Loki and quite frankly, I don't care." He said in his usual tone, giving his typical smile.

Peter's face dropped as Rocket started laughing his ass off. "You seem like a fun guy." Your furry friend said to the god. Loki glanced at you with an amused smile, his hands still behind his back.

The rest introduced themselves and the only one left was nobody else but the green-skinned lady. "And you must be?" The black-haired man waited for her as everyone else already had their turn.

"No one of your concern." Her reply was followed by a sweet but not exactly genuine smile. Your eyebrows shot up for a second, but given the situation you were in with her currently and that Loki was like a brother to you and your best friend, it would explain why she was acting like this.

Plus, it was Gamora. It was pretty normal for her to do and say things like that. "Oh, I see. A feisty one." Loki chuckled at you with an open-mouthed smile. "You do sure know how to pick them, my brother." He elbowed you slightly as your head whipped to him faster than Rocket could run away from you.

"What do you mean?" Your question was met with a deep sigh and still the same smile plastered on his face. "Oh, nothing. I'm just messing around." He dismissed the topic quickly as Frigga came up to you.

"Let's not stand here, it's time to properly welcome all of you. It's not every day that you are here, unfortunately." She spoke while walking, making Loki extend his arms to his sides.

"Don't keep the Queen waiting." He uttered out as you chuckled and waved for the rest to follow. "I heard it." Frigga replied from ahead of you, making Loki's face drop as you laughed more.

You kept walking with the rest of the group, Peter and Rocket were at the front with you and Loki, as the rest was behind with Gamora as far from you as possible. "So." The god started in a whisper. "Have you got any interesting stories for me?" He glanced at you quickly with his eyebrow raised.

A smile was gracing his lips as you glanced back confused. "What are you getting at?" It wasn't unusual for his behavior, but you were becoming suspicious. Mostly because of his previous comment.

"Why so hostile? I'm just asking like a good brother." His grin became cheeky in seconds as you looked around if anyone was listening. "We both know how you are, Loco." His face dropped immediately in offence and it was your turn to smile smugly at him.

He hated the nickname. And it was your easiest way to get him back literally for anything. "So, you're the god of mischief?" Rocket asked, looking up as you kept walking. "That I am." He got a fast and short reply that he nodded at, clearly thinking deeply about something.

You reached the palace pretty quickly, Frigga already ordering people around to prepare for a feast and informing them about your arrival like a proud and happy mother would.

"Come on, all of you, I will have somebody show you to your rooms." She informed the group with a smile as she turned around and called for the servants. "Rooms?" Mantis asked confused just the same as everyone else looked.

"Of course, my dear. You each will have a room and can stay here for as long as you want to!" She happily informed your friends and you smiled appreciatively. "Y/n's friends are always welcome here." She said, turning to face you and stopping as she clasped her hands.

"I have to go and take care of some things, but we will see each other tonight. Thor will come back just in time for it as well." You both hugged as she kissed your cheek before pulling away with a huge grin. "I am so happy you're back."

You chuckled at her enthusiasm as she started walking away, talking to other people and giving orders. She definitely got into planning the party.

"We will see each other later here, okay?" You asked the group as they nodded, looking around the place in fascination. "Yeah, sure." They replied as servants started coming up to them with polite smiles, asking to follow them to their respective rooms just as you started making your way to yours.

——

"So, he helped you with a bad guy and you let him join your group?" Loki asked to make sure that he got the story right as it was night now and you were celebrating your arrival.. His face was questioning as everyone else nodded.

His eyebrows raised as he tugged the corners of his mouth down, nodding. "And you were his best friend first?" He pointed at Rocket who confirmed with a nod while smirking.

Loki then stood straighter, turning his body more to the green-skinned woman as his face showed pure curiosity. You tilted your head, seeing that and knowing there was definitely more to it. "So, are you two dating? I've felt quite some tension ever since you emerged from the ship."

You mentally screamed the worst possible profanities at him as you pinched the bridge of your nose. This absolute idiot. "Oh, no." The woman replied with a breathy chuckle.

Loki scrunched up his face in confusion, which now you were sure was fake, before tilting his head questioningly. "Really? There is nothing between you two?" His question was followed by Gamora running her tongue over her teeth with what you could tell was an unamused smile.

"No." She replied lowly, holding a cup in her hand, before moving her eyes to you. "We have ever only hated each other." She slowly put the drink to her lips and took a sip as she kept staring at you.

Her reply made Loki smirk slightly to himself as his eyes dropped to the floor. You only sighed to yourself at the exchange and hoped for someone to save you.

"Ah! My brother! Here you are! How have you been?" Thor's loud voice reached you, making your lips move away from your own cup as you turned around. You couldn't be more grateful for his timing.

His arms were spread wide as a huge smile graced his lips. "Thor! Hello." You replied, reciprocating the grin. "I'm definitely better now, how are you?" Giving him a quick hug, you both pulled away as he held your shoulders.

"Ah! You know, I've fought some battles, met new Midgardians, a lot of adventure." He listed one by one, excited about his stories as Loki busied himself with his drink, his eyes looking up slightly as he listened with one ear.

Thor gesticulated with his hands as he stared at you. "I've heard you've had quite a fascinating time yourself. I am glad this time away from home did you good." He patted your shoulder with a warm smile as Loki smirked to himself with a shake of his head.

The blonde man started talking to your friends who were not far away as Peter looked at you and Loki with a curious look.

"How do you guys know each other anyway?" He asked, intrigued with the place and the people you seemed to know very well. "He fell from the sky and I touched him with a stick." You glared at the man in the green clothing, not appreciating the words he chose.

"It wasn't like that at all." You defended yourself quickly as he breathed out a laugh. "Oh, but it was." Loki replied with a cheeky smile as he looked at you amused.

"You fell from the sky?" Peter's genuine question made you give him a look as you didn't find it funny. "No." You replied quickly as Loki said 'Yes' at the same time.

"So? Yes or no? Where did you fall from?" Your friend kept asking, getting more confused with the situation. "He fell from the sky and I touched him with a stick." Loki replied instantly, making it sound like it was obvious.

"I didn't fall from anywhere and wasn't touched by anything." You began 'correcting' your friend at the same time as the black-haired man spoke with your eyes moving to him in slight annoyance.

Dropping your head and rubbing your eyebrows as your eyes closed, you couldn't believe what was happening. "You know what? I'm not gonna talk to you." You cut the conversation short with a wave of your hand.

"What about me? Don't tell me I'm banned too." A female voice was heard before a figure emerged from behind people, smiling at you teasingly with her pearly white teeth on display.

A chuckle passed your mouth at the sight of her before you smacked your lips. "Well, it depends if you wanna be a mean butt as well or not." Your choice of words made the woman giggle as she came up to you. "You're still the same, aren't you?"

"The best me, always." You said with a cheeky grin and she engulfed you in a long and warm hug. It'd been long since you'd seen her.

"I've missed you." She whispered in your ear as her eyes fell close, relishing in the feeling of you being close again. "Me too, Sif." You replied in the same tone, rubbing her back as you felt her tightening her arms around your shoulders.

"Won't you introduce us?" Rocket interrupted your little reunion moment and you pulled away with a roll of your eyes. Your unhappy look didn't go unnoticed by the woman and she chuckled as she gave you a teasing one.

Turning around to your furry friend, you saw him eyeing Sif. It was better than Peter's blatant stare with his mouth hanging open. "You guys are pigs." Mantis spoke up with a disgusted face, seeing their stares as Gamora nodded in agreement.

The green-skinned woman's tongue was running over her upper teeth as her mouth stayed closed. One eyebrow raised as she carefully analyzed Sif. "I feel like they'd jump on me any second. For different reasons too." Sif whispered to you, moving her mouth to the side and towards you.

You moved your eyes to her, pulling your eyebrows together. "What do you mean?" Your confusion was clear in your voice as she looked at you in slight disbelief. "Well, starting from the fact that your green-skinned friend looks at me like she'd want to kill me."

Glancing at Gamora, you saw her eyes flicker to her hands as she casually played with her nails. "You're seeing things, she's just really guarded." Sif just hummed to you, not convinced as you faced your friends.

"Okay, guys. Stop drolling." Your voice was stern as Peter cleared his throat and looked guiltily at you. "So, you guys are-" He dragged out, not wanting to assume anything and waiting for you to answer.

"Lovebirds? Oh, they used to be." Loki answered for you tho, making Sif and your heads whip to him instantly. "No, we weren't." You both said in unison, defensively.

The tension in the circle quickly shifted as you saw Gamora's jaw clench and her eyebrow raise. Her eyes were intensely trained on you and you felt like under the fire of undodgeable bullets. "Whatever you say." Loki replied with a small smile as he raised his hands in defense.

Rocket laughed, giving you a look that made your eyes roll. Sif squeezed your hand in an attempt to calm you down and give you some comfort. It helped you a little, you had to admit.

It probably didn't help Gamora, cause you could swear you saw her grip tighten around her cup. "Why won't we get to know each other better? I would be happy to show you guys something." Sif informed your friends as she started walking.

Everyone followed without a question besides Gamora whose eyes lingered on you for a second before she followed as well. You watched them with a smile as they glanced at you over their shoulders.

You turned to Loki with a very different expression as soon as they were out of hearing range. "Why did you do that?!" You whisper-shouted at him, slapping his shoulder as he grabbed it.

"Ow! What do you mean?" He asked you, pretending not to know what you were talking about. You gave him a bored look, making him sigh dramatically as he waved his hands. "Don't worry, your little girlfriend will be fine, you'll keep your balls."

Blinking at him several times, you smacked his arm again, ignoring the title he used. "After that little stunt, I might not!" Your harsh tone made him smile smugly at you. "Oh, Y/n/n. It won't do you any harm. She just needed a little push." Shrugging his shoulders, he looked at you like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What push? For what?" You didn't understand what he was getting at as you stared at him. He sighed out, grinning to himself. "You'll see soon enough, let's just say...she doesn't know that I can tell when someone is lying." He winked at you before walking away and leaving you alone.

You stood stunned for a second, watching him, before you snapped out of your thoughts. "What do you mean?!"

——

"Oh, I remember how mad you were." You sucked in a breath through your teeth at the memory. "You were ready to kill him." Sipping on your drink, you stared at Sif as she rolled her eyes, remembering the story.

"If it wasn't for you, Y/n, I probably would." She was nodding her head with a tight-lipped smile, looking back at you. You were standing in a secluded spot with Sif, talking about everything and nothing as you both wanted to catch up with each other.

A chuckle passed your lips as she threw her thick braid over her shoulder and to the front. "Risking losing his life for such a stupid thing." She breathed out in slight disappointment.

"It's Loki. That's what he does." You laughed lightly, shrugging your shoulders as she rolled her eyes at you again.

Her face suddenly became serious as she circled the top of her cup with her finger. "Okay, enough avoiding. What is going on with you and Gamora?" Her voice was gentle as she spoke the words.

You knew it would come up sooner or later. It didn't mean you wanted it tho. Your head dropped down slightly as you breathed out through your nose. "It's just...complicated-"

"I know complicated and this is not it. So, talk." You chuckled at her reply as she seemed to be very adamant about it. "That is a little hurtful, we weren't that complicated." Maybe a slight dismissal would help with her dropping the topic.

"Y/n." Her stern look and a tone like you would be being scolded made you stand straighter before putting the cup away. "We didn't have the best relationship at the beginning. You know the situation with Peter and I kind of...went off on him when I saw him. Everything bad with her started already there." You began the story, looking at different spots as you tried to find the right words.

"We'd been acting like we couldn't stand each other this whole time. I never actually hated her, but the way we started off was just more convenient to maintain than actually trying to work on it." Your friend was listening to everything intently as you were talking calmly in a low tone.

Sighing to yourself deeply, you rubbed your eyebrow with your eyes closing. "Everything was relatively fine until-" You paused, looking down at your hands. It wasn't something you should tell somebody. Even more so that Gamora had asked you not to.

"Until a situation happened. I don't want to make you feel bad or anything, but I really don't feel like talking about it in detail." You whispered out the last words.

Sif put her hand on your shoulder, sending a comforting smile your way. "Hey, it's okay. I just want to help you." You gazed up at her with an appreciative look, nodding in understanding.

"It just seems like you found someone as stubborn as you are." She teased you as she took a sip of her drink, making you laugh as she chuckled against the cup.

Her eyes were sparkling at you with joy as you smiled at her warmly. "Queen Frigga wants everybody at the table." A voice snapped you out of your staring as you looked in its direction. "If you're done with gazing into each other's eyes." Gamora's unhappy look was clear as day as her jaw was tightly clenched.

You nodded with an awkward smile before she quickly turned around and left, causing you to chuckle to yourself bitterly. "That went well." Your sarcastic comment made Sif give you a sour look. "You need to talk to her. And no excuse."

You just dramatically groaned as both of you walked to where you were needed before the Queen started her little speech. As bad as it could sound, you didn't hear a word when your eyes were scanning the room in search of Gamora.

You knew Sif was right. Even tho Gamora and you weren't on the best terms right now, you didn't want her to get the wrong idea and worsen your already bad relationship.

You finally found her in the crowd. Her face was tense while her eyes were entirely focused on the Queen. You couldn't help but focus on every feature, scanning her face slowly.

You'd never admitted it before, not until that one day, but she was the most beautiful woman you'd ever met. Everything about her was perfect.

Just as a little smile formed on your lips, it dropped when you realized she probably hadn't believed you when you'd said it. Quickly glancing at the Queen, you noticed Gamora's change in expression as her body leaned to the side.

Your eyebrows scrunched as you moved your head back to get a better look. Mantis was standing next to the green-skinned woman with a slightly frustrated look.

This made you more confused. She was always collected and calm. She was animatedly talking to the other woman, gesticulating a little. You could say Gamora was giving short replies that visibly irritated Mantis even more.

It was until the green-skinned woman turned her head to the other one and said something that made Mantis smile slightly and bump her shoulder with Gamora's.

"I couldn't be more glad that my beloved child is back here. I love you and remember that you will always be welcome at any time." Frigga said happily and you quickly looked at her, realizing she was talking about you.

Kissing your hand and extending it to her, she returned the gesture as you smiled at the woman who became a mother to you. "Enjoy the rest of the night!" Everyone cheered and walked off to different places as you looked around for Ganora again.

"Shit." You cursed under your breath while you started moving in an attempt to find her. Pushing through people wasn't as easy when there were a million of them.

You hated large groups as it was, so it definitely wasn't enjoyable. Finally almost falling out of the crowd, you stabilized yourself on your legs as your eyes scanned the room for the woman.

You scolded yourself mentally for losing sight of her when somebody lightly grabbed your shoulder. Your body quickly turned around to stand face to face with no one else but the person you were looking for.

"Hey." She said with a somewhat anxious look on her face. "Hey." You replied, a little bit out of breath. It was like time stopped for a second as you just looked at each other.

"Can we-" You both started in unison. "Sorry, you can go." You apologized with a tight-lipped smile right after as she nodded. "Can we talk?"

You'd been waiting for her to say that ever since that one day. How could you say no? "Sure. Where do you wanna go?" She gestured with her head to follow as she started walking.

You moved after her without further questions, noticing quickly that she was leading you out to the balcony. You walked in silence and stayed like that as she reached the railing and leaned on it a little.

Joining her, you didn't say anything, giving her the time to think about whatever she wanted to say. "I talked to Mantis and I...I want to say sorry for ignoring you." She started, looking down with small occasional glances at you.

You nodded your head in acknowledgment as you opened your mouth. "No. Let me talk." She raised her hand, shutting you up quickly as your eyes widened slightly.

She wet her lips with her tongue as she blinked, her hands tightening around the cup she held. "It was wrong of me to treat you like a stranger. What happened that day was the doing of both of us." You slowly breathed in as your eyes jumped from one spot to another, not knowing where she was going with this.

"I should've talked to you about it instead of pretending like nothing happened. We both made that decision and I shouldn't have been angry at you for that." Her tone was calm but her voice wavered a little as she talked.

"Gamora-" You tried to speak but she quickly shook her head, cutting you off again. "I knew you were hurt." She said, looking up at you with an unguarded expression. "I knew what I was doing was hurting you."

Her bottom lip started quivering before she cleared her throat and gazed back down at her cup. "And knowing that was hurting me too." You couldn't see your face but you were sure it was showing nothing but pure shock at her words.

"I thought that maybe if I hurt you enough, all of it would go away. That you would forget and I would forget." Her voice got quieter as it broke down a little at the end.

You were genuinely too stunned to say anything as she kept looking down. "And- And then the mission happened. I almost had a heart attack. When I went to you on the ship, I wasn't angry at you." Her eyes moved up to yours as you could see sadness and sincerity in them.

But you became even more confused when you heard what she said. "What?" You breathed out, not understanding. "I was angry at myself. That what I was doing made you not want to be near me at all."

She looked up at the sky as she chuckled bitterly to herself. "And then we got here and your whole family was so nice and welcoming." Hints of tears started forming in her eyes. You weren't sure if you could touch her, but you didn't know how else to give comfort.

"The way you acted with them was like a completely different you. And then Sif appeared and I thought I finally had a good excuse to be angry again." She said, moving the cup to one of her hands as she gripped it tighter.

You tilted your head at the mention of your friend with an unsure expression. "But she turned out to be nice too and with every snarky comment I made, I felt like such a bitch." She breathed out an irritated chuckle as she slammed the cup on the top of the railing.

"Okay, what if we-" You tried to calm her down, seeing how angry she was getting. "I'm fine." She said, quickly composing herself as she cleared her throat.

A deep breath passed her lips as you nodded with your mouth tugging down, not convinced at all. "I just-" She paused as her hand went to her hair and ran through it.

"Everything happened so quickly that day and I felt free." She uttered out, looking into your eyes. "I felt like I finally had control over my life, like I could do what I wanted to."

You could see it wasn't easy for her to say, but you didn't want to interrupt after she asked you not to. So you simply nodded to let her know that you were listening. "My whole life, I was punished for showing any sign of emotion. It was shoved in my face and laughed about. I couldn't show anything at all. I had to guard myself."

Her bottom lip started quivering a little, causing pain in your chest at the sight. "They made me feel like emotions made me weak and powerless." Her voice wavered more as she spoke to you, her eyes looking out to the sky.

"So when you showed up, I admired your bravery and abilities. And the more time passed, the more I was telling myself that it was the only reason why I had any fondness towards you." She gazed back at you as she struggled to stay still.

Her fingers were fiddling with the cup as she tried not to fall apart. "I was never annoyed with our...'arguments'. I enjoyed them because they were with you." A small smile appeared on your face at the information, causing a warm feeling in your body.

"And then that day. I loved every second of it." She chuckled out with a sniffle. "I would never allow myself to do anything like this with anyone. But it was different with you." You took your chance and slowly moved your hand to hers.

She didn't fight you as you pulled it away from the cup she was holding onto so dearly. "It felt amazing and liberating. But when you spoke up, it was like my head snapped back into my training, making me feel like I made a mistake."

Guilt was swirling in her tone as it got quieter with each word. Her eyes were focused on your hand as you held hers. "I got scared and tried to ignore it. But every time you crossed my mind, I wanted nothing more than to be with you." Taking a step closer, you grabbed her cup and gently pulled it away before putting it down.

"You made me feel like me." Her teary eyes stared into yours as you couldn't take them away from her face. "It terrified me, feeling all these things and not knowing what to do." She stuttered out in sadness as a tear fell down her cheek.

"I'm so sorry for all the pain I've caused you. You deserve better than me and I will never forgi-" You shook your head quickly as you put your finger over her lips while using your free hand to wipe her tears.

"We both made mistakes, we both hurt each other. I shouldn't have blown up on you like that earlier today. I shouldn't have gotten angry about you not wanting to talk. You can make choices and I should respect them." She squeezed her eyes shut as you cupped her face.

Leaning into them, you inched closer until your bodies were almost touching. "I had no right to assume your reasons and judge your actions." She opened her teary eyes and stared into yours as listened intently.

"You are amazing the way you are and you don't owe anybody anything. I should've done better." You whispered as she moved closer, making your noses brush.

Your foreheads connected as both your eyes closed in content. The moment felt so intimate and affectionate. You felt like you had everything you needed right with you. Her unsteady breaths continued as her mouth was open.

"If you want to try, I will be happy to. But if you don't...I need to know where we're standing." She gently held onto your wrists before she traced her hands down your arms.

Tilting her head up, she looked deep into your eyes, jumping from one to the other. "I'm standing with you." She whispered out against your lips, making them curl up into a smile.

You slowly moved closer, both of your gazes dropping down before she smashed her lips against yours. Your hands held her face softly as the kiss was gentle, her lips pressing nicely against yours.

It was a second later that you both took a quick breath before she deepened the kiss, your hands went down to her waist as you pulled her closer. Hers shot up to your head, tangling in your hair as she moved her mouth with yours.

It was passionate, intimate, and yours. Every second of it was amazing and unforgettable as every ounce of emotion was put into it. Both of you started smiling so wide that the kiss couldn't last longer as it broke.

Your laughs filled up the small balcony as you held her in your arms. Her head throwing back for a second before she moved it to its previous position, making your noses brush again.

Her smile was warm and brighter than any existing star. Her eyes were sparkling at you with love, making your smile widen even more. "I know what you were taught, but you don't have to guard yourself anymore. Not with me." You whispered affectionately against her lips as she brought you closer to her.

"I know. I have my guardian now." She whispered back in the same tone before connecting your lips once again. Both of you smiling before you twirled her a little, picking her up.

Her laugh was music to your ears as she held your face and deepened the kiss. It became heated with seconds as her tongue entered your mouth.

Your grip on her hips tightened as her nails scratched the back of your head. She explored your mouth before your tongues tangled together. Pushing her gently against the wall, she sucked on your tongue as her fingers dug into your cheek.

You could feel your body getting hotter as she was pressed against you. Her lips were so soft yet so fierce, making you want them on you forever.

She was holding onto you tightly as she moved her head in sync with yours, a mix of emotions surging through her whole body as she gave her all into the kiss.

It broke not long later as you both needed the air, both your breathing ragged while you looked into each other's eyes. "I don't want this to stop." She whispered to you as your hot breaths were hitting the other's mouth.

"We have the whole night ahead of us." You replied, making her smile before she pulled you back to her lips.

It was only the beginning of an amazing future. And you both couldn't be happier about what it would bring.

Loki was a little mastermind there😉 Let me know what you think in the comments!