...whale food porn. what is my life. thanks, nasu.

[commemeorate]

Caught in the rain

It started out quietly, and then, quite suddenly, you're caught in a storm. Time to find cover. Nothing much to do but to wait it out.

Scenarios listed below for those who want 'em.


i WHERE:
001 PLAYGROUND - Well, you can try to hide under the slide or maybe in the jungle gym... at least you're some place fun?
002 PARK - Always happens, caught outside trying to take advantage of the weather... and it ends up pulling a fast one on you.
003 STORE FRONT - Better hope they have an awning you can take advantage of.
004 THE BEACH - Not exactly the best place to be during a rainstorm, however it is possible to get caught in a sudden storm.
005 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it.


ii HOW:
001 TREE - Not the best cover, but it'll have to do, stay close to the roots and you won't get too wet.
002 UMBRELLA - Most conventional... Kinda boring. But it works.
003 NEWSPAPER - Not permanent, but it'll have to do. Good luck.
004 BAG - Well... y'gotta do what you gotta do.
005 NONE - You know what. You're a rebel. You don't need cover. Screw convention.
006 WILD CARD - that's the way you need it.


iii WHY:
001 REJECTED - Welp. Rejection sucks. And no one will see you crying in the rain.
002 WAITING - For the bus? For someone else? For some revelation? What are you waiting for.
003 MELANCHOLY - Sometimes the best place to feel a bit down is out in the rain.
004 HAPPINESS - Is everything going your way? Are you singing a refrain while walking down the lane? Just singing. Singin' in the rain.
005 ANGER - WELL YOU KNOW WHAT. SCREW YOU TOO, RAIN.
006 WILD CARD - Anyway you want it.



>> POST with your character
>> TAG others, use RNG if you need to, or just make up your own scenario if you want!
>> HAVE FUN.

Comments

[gardenofthegalaxy]

( another thread, y/n? )

[nostalgiabomb]

(( aahhh yes, absolutely! i'd love one! ))

just gonna take some liberties

[gardenofthegalaxy]

Quill? Quill?

[ Gamora was struggling to keep the rain out of her eyes as she stood in the middle of what had been a rather nice restaurant. Or it had looked like it would have been. She and Peter hadn't even had a chance to take their seats when everything had literally exploded. For once - as far as she knew - they hadn't actually been the target, just a severe case of wrong place, wrong time.

She'd come to first with her ears still ringing for the moment. There were already emergency services and bystanders helping the other patrons, but Gamora didn't care about them. For once she was going to be selfish. She'd used the communicator long enough to have the other Guardians work out what had happened, and who they could fight - she would take care of Star-Lord. ]

Peter!

[ Her voice grew more desperate and she had flashbacks to Ego's planet the moment when she thought she'd lost him. And then there was a slightly more pleasant flashback of kisses shared amongst dead mercenaries and down alleyways after a chase.

Maybe this really was inevitable. Maybe they really were cursed to never have a 'normal' date. A normal time together without any kind of chaos following them. She also knew that her skirt was hardly the kind of clothing she should have been wearing to go climbing around rubble in.

She was covered in cuts and bruises, but they would heal soon. Finally she found Quill under a table and what looked like it could have once been a coffee machine. ]

Peter!

ahhh perfect

[nostalgiabomb]

[ It was going so well.

Sure, the evening hadn't really properly started, but the walk from the docks to the restaurant had been nice in spite of the rain, even if butterflies had been going absolutely wild in his stomach, even if his palms felt sweaty in a way they hadn't since he was an awkward, gangly teenager, about to strike up conversation with a pretty girl at a bar, even if he felt like he was smiling way too much and way too wide in a way that was distinctly uncool.

But Gamora was suffering his nervousness with her usual aplomb, and when the host directed them to their table, Peter told himself he was going to calm the hell down.

And then the place exploded.

Or at least, one side exploded, and part-time heroes as they were, Gamora had gone one way, Peter the other, ordering nearby patrons and waitstaff under the tables for some semblance of cover.

And then the rest of the place exploded. (Peter probably should have taken his own advice.)

When he came to, he laid face down in rubble – cutlery and broken wood and glass. He groaned, ears ringing, and tried to push himself up. Giant mistake, apparently, because it was then that he realized he hurt, he ached. The sort of pervasive ache that signaled he had done something terribly, terribly wrong. (And how unfair was that? He had actually dressed up for this, and he was pretty sure he probably looked like a mess, now.)

He heard someone shouting his name, and he slowly lifted his head. ]

—'Mora.

[ Wheezed out, relieved, because he'd recognize that voice anywhere. Peter was similarly covered in cuts, in bruises, and an ugly, darkening, bleeding welt on his forehead signaled a recent blow to the head. A concussion, probably, given the way his eyes refuse to focus, the way his brain felt like it was liable to melt out of his ear.

He tried to push himself up onto all fours again but his limbs refused to obey, dropping him back to the ruined floor. ]

Shit. [ Somehow, he sobbed the word out as four syllables. ] Ow.

so glad you liked it - it was the first thing to pop into my head when i saw peter

[gardenofthegalaxy]

Peter.

[ This time she managed to make his name sound like she was telling him not to move, and to stay still. The panic was gone the moment she had seen him moving, but then the concern set in. She ripped one of her sleeves to try and gather enough material to hold over the head wound as she attempted to look over the rest of him.

If he could survive an Infinity Stone she was fairly certain he could survive this, but she was still trying to discern what exactly he was capable of when it came to healing. Her own had long ago been enhanced thanks to her would-be father, Thanos.

She managed to hide her own disappointment at Quill's clothing being shredded. He really had looked handsome. She hadn't even minded all the smiling. He smiled enough for the both of them, her own excitement much more subdued out of habit rather than any lack of.

Gamora had been counting down to this night for what felt like an eternity. She'd carefully chosen her own outfit, even straying from her usual black to add a little bit of colour here and there. But never yellow. Yellow reminded her too much of the prison on Xandar.

She ran the fingers of her free hand through Peter's hair, simultaneously a gesture of comfort and to check for more injuries. ]

I really wasn't ready for tonight to end so quickly.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He heard the unspoken command in her voice, but, contrary jerk as he was, he still forced himself to roll over onto his back. All the better to look up at her, he told himself, even as his aching body protested the decision.

He winced as she pressed that bit of cloth to his forehead, instinctively grabbing at her wrist, though the movement was sluggish and imprecise. He hissed in his breath as she applied a bit of pressure, then added helpfully ]

Ow.

[ But he grit his teeth instead of pulling her hand away, a distant part of him aware that she was trying to help. At her comment, Peter huffed out a rueful sort of laugh. ]

Doesn't have to. 'M good. Just get me some ice, and I can go all night.

[ It was nice to dream.

Peter looked up at her, trying to examine as best as he could when his eyes refused to focus. At length, he eventually gave up trying to assess her. ]

You okay?

[gardenofthegalaxy]

I'm fine, Peter.

[ Tonight he was Peter. Not Quill. Well, not always Quill. As she leaned over him, her fingers lightly caressing his face now that it was in her lap, she was the one taking the brunt of the rain while she sheltered him.

As much as she wished it was as simple as getting him some ice, she knew it wasn't. She could hear medics and let them deal with the more serious cases first. She wasn't about to call attention to her and Peter for the moment.

Gamora leaned forward and gave him an upside down kiss; a brief peck on the lips as she tried to work out what exactly the plan was. Did she let him get taken to the local hospital? Did she try and get Rocket to pick them up?

Selfish thoughts of not wanting her time with Peter to end were still plaguing her and she bit her lip briefly after turning to look out at the city around them. ]

I have a really bad idea...

[nostalgiabomb]

[ For a long moment, he let himself settle, eyes slipping shut. Gamora was warm against him, her fingers still carding through his hair, brushing along his face.

God, it felt good. Like, really good, and if it weren’t for the way his entire body throbbed like a giant bruise, he would be more than content to lie there all night. Even if it was raining on them, and the chill was starting to bite into his skin. It was especially worth it for that gentle way she kissed him, and when she pulled away, he let out a soft, contented hum.

Maybe he should get caught up in explosions more often, if this is how it would end up.

(No, actually, a more reasonable part of himself said. That’s an awful, awful idea.)

And speaking of awful ideas, apparently...

He cracked an eye open, peering up at her, and despite the situation, he found the corner of his mouth twitching upward in an almost delighted smile. ]

This oughta be good.

[ Those words so rarely fell from Gamora’s lips – hell, Peter wasn’t sure if he had ever heard her say anything like that &dnash; and Peter opened both eyes to watch her. ]

Go on. I’m listening.

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ It really was rare for Gamora to be the one with the bad ideas. Normally it was Quill, or Rocket that had them. Occasionally Drax, but that was usually down for his thirst for revenge, or his taking things quite literally.

She looked back down at Peter, her eyes starting to shine with a look that should have made him feel much more concerned than the look that she got when she was about to unleash her fury upon him, or an enemy. ]

Do I need to carry you?

[ She wasn't telling him the plan. Not just yet. She did need to know his limitations though, and she was already suspecting that movement was one of them if his struggle to roll over had been any indication.

She also would have made him feel even more pain if she'd known he thought that blowing himself up should become a regular occurence. Her gaze was back to flicking around the immediate area, checking where each of the emergency services officers were; looking at the spectators and where their attentions were being held.

She and Peter had walked, and perhaps on a normal night they would have been able to walk to a hotel, but this was not a normal night, and she was not about to carry him the whole way. She also wasn't quite so selfish as to steal one of the emergency vehicles.

But one of the civillian's vehicles, well... ]

I already have the others chasing this up on our behalf. Making sure it's nothing we need to get involved with, so we do still have a free night...

[ Assuming both of them really were perfectly okay with leaving their hero mantles behind for the moment. ]

And I'm perhaps making the assumption that you'd let me take care of you before you let a medic near you.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Maybe a different person would take that gleam in her eye as a bad sign, but Peter, known uncommonly to some as Bad-Ideas-Lord, read that particular look as mischief, rather than danger. Still, she wasn’t telling him the plan, and he wondered why that was. Secret plan? Secret even from him, who would ostensibly be participating in it?

... Yeah, actually, Peter didn’t really mind the secrecy. He had done stupider things, back when he still numbered himself among the Ravagers. This probably wouldn’t rank anywhere in his top ten, considering it was Gamora coming up with it. She was practical, most of the time, and this probably wouldn’t lead to an excess of property damage or stolen chickens and cows.

They really ought to be helping the others, he thought. And considering how this had nearly ruined their evening by getting them killed, Peter had a personal vendetta against whoever was behind the bombing. He doubted this would get solved in a day, though, and considering the state of him, he doubted he’d be much help (loath as his pride was to admit it).

It’s the mention of medics, though, that really spurred him into action, because medics meant ambulances, meant trips to hospitals, and Peter—

Well. He wasn’t good with hospitals, to say the least.

Which was why he struggled to sit up, gritting his teeth. ]

Might need to lean on you.

[ An admission he was reluctant to make, but if it meant they could get out of here before a well-meaning EMT ushered them into an emergency vehicle, he would happily admit it five times over. ]

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ If there was ever any doubt that Gamora paid attention to Peter's reactions to things, and the truth behind his stories, there shouldn't have been any in that moment. She knew to keep him away from medics and out of hospitals.

She also may have been in more a position to help, but it wasn't her priority. Quill was Gamora's priority right then. He had not allowed her to die in space, and she was not about to let him get taken away. Nor was she about to let him try and help when he was definitely not fit enough to.

He should have been appreciative of that fact. That Gamora was letting him off the hook and not trying to tell him that it was their duty. She'd maybe be mad at herself for it later. For now she moved to let him drape his arm over as she got a firm grip of his waist. ]

I've got you, Quill.

[ In more ways than one. She would always have his back, even if it was him coming up with the bad plan. The path she took guided them away from the largest cluster of medics and victims, her gaze still scanning for anyone that was about to get in their way.

Would she take this the extra step and attack someone who did? She hoped it wouldn't come to that, and she was relieved when they had made it as far as the street that had been behind the restaurant. All the vehicles were abandoned, their occupants either part of the explosion, or part of the growing audience.

She kept one hand on Peter, her cybernetic enhancements letting him take his weight even as she used her free hand to assess which vehicle was going to be easier to get into and take. ]

I knew I should have looked up more about this place. The hotel better have room service.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter caged in a few noises of discomfort as they got him to his feet, and he leaned a little more heavily on Gamora than he wanted or would ever admit to. And when she offered those words of reassurance, he nodded in return. It was one of those things between them that was understood, he thinks. He trusted Gamora with almost everything, his life among them.

So trusting her to help him cross a few streets was child's play, in comparison.

When they stopped in front of a row of parked vehicles, Peter frowned. He had thought they were hoofing it from here, to wherever Gamora intended to take them. He looked between the vehicles and Gamora, as she seemed to inspect them.

Then, he huffed out a disbelieving laugh. ]

Gamora. [ He had sense enough to keep his voice low, but there was no disguising the genuine delight, there. ] Are we stealing a car?

[ It was a treasured pastime of the Ravagers, to hot-wire a hovercar or a hoverbike or some other personal cruiser and go to town. Peter hadn't done it in a while, considering he was a "good guy" these days, but he had always been good at it, quickest at getting the cars going. ]

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ Gamora rolled her eyes before looking back at Peter. She may well have been about to steal a car but that didn't mean she wanted to hear that particular tone in his voice. The kind that made it seem like he was proud of her for breaking the law. ]

I am fairly certain that I have killed a lot more people than you, Peter. Did you really think I'd never stolen a car before?

[ Finally she got the door to one open and eased Peter into it. She made sure he was comfortable and checked his headwound to make sure it wasn't about to bleed over the car and leave any large amounts of genetic material.

And then she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before smirking. ] I just don't feel a need to advertise it every few minutes like you do.

[ Hero or not, he still liked to remind people that he was an outlaw. That he'd been a Ravager. She didn't really hold it against him, but it was fun to tease him with now again. Especially given that she had somehow become the moral compass after all the blood she had shed under orders from Thanos.

She looked around to check they weren't being watched before she made her way to the other side of the hovercar and let herself in. ]

Besides, I had to give you something for showing me a good night out, didn't I? Consider this my gift to you.

[ Because it wasn't like either of them were the candy and flower sort. A stolen car apparently was more Peter's speed. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter was about to protest, to point out (rightfully so, in his mind) that being able to throw a knife across a room and take out a guy's eye did not mean one was well-versed in the finer arts of grand theft auto, but the kiss made the words die on his tongue.

... Oh, that was unfair, especially if this was going to be a common tactic for her to shut him up. But Peter wasn't going to complain. At least, he wouldn't complain now. Maybe after the dozenth time she had done it, he might see fit to grumble a little, but currently? It was proving an effective and far more effective strategy than just saying, "Hey. Shut your trap."

With her point made, though, Peter wipes rain water from his face, careful to avoid the goose egg on his forehead. As she set to work, Peter settled back and watched, a doofy sort of smile curling his lips. He hummed contentedly. ]

Best night ever.

[ —which may or may not have been the concussion talking. ]

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ Gamora indulged him with a smile, but she was already putting the comment down to concussion. She was also trying to ignore the even goofier smile on his face. Surely that was the concussion as well. Or maybe it was just Quill. It was the happiest she had seen him in a long while. She wasn't sure she was supposed to take all of the credit but it did give her a certain sense of pleasure knowing that a night out with her - bombing or not - could make him so happy.

She was still looking at him as she hotwired the hovercar, but finally broke eye contact when she thought her expression might reflect his. And Gamora was never goofy.

Her tongue was poised in the corner of her mouth for a second and then the vehicle came to life and she quickly tapped at the central controls to get them moving and to disconnect any further security measures.

As she kept her eyes on the path ahead and made sure to circle around the bombsite and avoid the crowd, she glanced at Peter from the corner of her eye. ]

I hope you weren't going to stare at me like that over dinner. It's disconcerting, Quill. And I also hope that you'll keep this to yourself.

[ Just like everything else he knows about her. Just like the dancing, and the kissing. Not so much this date since their ability to find an excuse for spending a night alone that didn't involve a lie so good the others wanted to come had been pointless.

And yes, maybe she was going to use kissing to shut him up. It was worth it, but only because the kisses felt... right. It finally felt like she was supposed to be this free with her affections. Or at least when it was the two of them. So much was going to be kept between the two of them for now and she had to trust Peter with that.

They sped through the city and Gamora took a few odd turns here and there just in case they were followed, but there seemed to be no sign. Finally she set the car into autopilot and turned to examine the back. ]

Somehow we have to clean you up. Find you some clothes.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter was, in fact, staring at her like that, and the chances were pretty high he might have ended up doing the same over dinner, if their plans hadn't been so rudely interrupted. If Gamora had called him on it over their main course or something, he might have shifted awkwardly and averted his gaze. As it stood now, emboldened by the blow to the head or by the strange turn of the night, Peter just continued to smile at her. ]

Dunno what you mean. This is just my face.

[ His warm, smiling, completely enamored face, with the darkening lump taking up station on his brow.

When she engaged the autopilot, he carefully turned to watch her. At her comment, he glanced down at himself, picking at his torn, dirtied, and slightly bloodied shirt. (A damn shame, really; he had bought it just for this occasion. What a complete waste of units.) His trousers fared better, at least. The back seat didn't have much to offer – though from this angle, there was what might have been an old coat he couldn't see. ]

We could swipe something from a gift shop.

[ because why let their crime spree end with just stealing a car?

He turned to face forward again, resting his head against the cool, rain-spattered window. ]

Where are we going, again?

[gardenofthegalaxy]

Your face is ridiculous.

[ But the twitch of her lips showed she wasn't serious. She just didn't know how to deal with him constantly smiling like that. No one had ever smiled at her like that for this long. She wasn't even sure someone had made her smile for this long. Even if it wasn't always curving her lips, it was always in her eyes.

She had to climb to into the back completely before she found something. It wasn't an old coat, just an ugly sweater. Who were these people? Great taste in hovercars but terrible taste in clothes. She tossed it over Peter's shoulder so that it landed in his lap before she climbed back into the front.

She turned off the autopilot and went back to focusing on the view outside their window. ]

I have some units saved from the last job we actually got paid for. I thought maybe I'd get us a night in a hotel I saw on the way in.

[ She pressed her lips together as she did her best to ignore his comment about the gift shop but finally she just let out a sigh - indication that she was still in a mood to give him just about anything he asked. ]

We can still go to the gift shop. My units will cover the room and the room service... Not the souvenirs.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Her teasing earned her a flat look, though given that he was unwilling to turn around for it, it was directed toward the windscreen rather than her.

The ugly mound of a sweater landed on his lap, and he jumped a little in surprise, his battered body protesting the movement. He bit down on the noise of discomfort, plucking up the sweater and examining it. It definitely didn’t suit him – hell, he didn’t think it suited anyone, really – with its lumpy shapelessness and clashing colors, but he had to admit, it was slightly better than what he had on. For one, it wasn’t torn, and for another, it wasn’t covered in dirt and blood, and for a third, it wasn’t soaked through with rainwater, as his current shirt was.

He pulled it on over his head, movements slow and careful in deference to the bruises that were sure to be darkening all over his body, but when he had it on properly, he grimaced at it in distaste for a second before letting out a sigh. He tilted his head against the window again. ]

I can pay for stuff, you know.

[ He did have his own account with a decent amount of units in it. Life with the Ravagers taught him many things, but it was Yondu specifically who instilled in him the importance of saving, keeping a rainy-day fund.

And, well, this was literally a rainy day, he figured, as he shoved wet hair away from his face. It seemed as good a time as any.

With a bit of amusement, ]

We don’t actually have to steal everything today.

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ Gamora's hair was still wet and clinging to her scalp. Luckily she had tied some of it back so at least it wasn't obscuring her vision but it was starting to be uncomfortable. She rearranged it to sit over one shoulder as she pressed her lips together.

How did she even begin to explain? It wasn't so much that she didn't want Peter paying. He would have paid for dinner. Neither of them had planned for this though, and there was an odd sensation that prickled through her at knowing Peter was hurt. ]

Let me do this, Quill. I need to do this.

[ Comfort wasn't something that Gamora was known for but she was learning. She was getting better at it. It was easier with Peter, but it was one thing to let him pay for dinner. Another to let him pay when this part of the night was just her improvising. ]

And maybe not, but I know you want to.

[ She looked over at him, but failed to keep a straight face as she saw him in the jumper. It might have been an abomination of wool, and it may not have suited him but somehow his 'ridiculous' face still looked handsome. ]

Even if it's just to counterbalance having to wear that thing.

[ Gamora pulled up in front of the hotel and shifted in her seat so that she could face Peter properly. She reached out for his hand and gave it a squeeze. All of a sudden all she could think about was a hot shower, room service and just being with Quill. No interruptions. ]

You can pay next time.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ The words took him by surprise, and he looked over at her, almost a little concerned. There was an unfamiliar quality to her voice that he couldn’t quite place, and he frowned a little. For a few seconds, he stayed silent, then, slowly, ]

... Yeah. Okay.

[ And even if she didn’t quite laugh, he could still see the way her face brightened at the sight of him in this stupid sweater. Peter was never one to embarrass easily – especially given that his plan of action against Ronan the Accuser was to perform half-remembered Michael Jackson moves – but he still felt a bit of color reach the tips of his ears.

He sank a little in his seat, plucking self-consciously at the ugly sweater. ] Ha ha ha. Get it out of your system.

[ When they reached the hotel, he appraised it. It was nicer than he expected, and he hesitated for a second, lips parting to offer to help pay again, but—

Her hand bridged the gap between them, squeezed around his fingers, and he found himself relenting all over again. ]

Fine. Next time.

[ And he smiled unconsciously. Good to know that the way dinner had literally bombed hadn’t ruined his chances for a second date night. ]

But next time, you’re wearing the ugly sweater.

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ Gamora relaxed when he didn't press further, or start an argument over paying. She honestly wouldn't have put it past him and she didn't think a kiss would have stopped it. Her shoulders dropped just slightly. Taking care of someone other than herself was still new no matter how many fights the Guardians had been in. No matter how many times she had patched up Quill, or Drax, or Rocket.

This was different. This felt different.

When they were on safer ground talking about the sweater, Gamora opened her door before throwing a smirk over her shoulder at Peter. ]

Who knows, maybe I'll be only wearing the ugly sweater.

[ She left him with that thought as she walked around to help him out of the hovercar. He seemed to be slightly more coherent than when they left the former restaurant, but she didn't think that quite extended to the rest of his body.

She also waved away a couple of employees. She didn't need their help and nor did Peter. As before she slipped his arm around her shoulders and hers around his waist to hold him up as they walked in.

Gamora could only imagine what they looked like to the staff, but she was genuinely beyond caring. They had the units to pay, they had saved the freaking galaxy twice now. This place could learn to suck it up when a couple of patrons came in bruised.

But still, she skipped the front desk for the moment and went straight for the row of shops that lined the lobby. ]

So what do you feel like, Peter? Leather, suits, t-shirts, or... is that fur?

[ Her nose crinkled. Just when she was ready to believe nothing could have beat his ugly sweater. ]

That looks like it might itch.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Well, then. If her aim was to short-circuit Peter’s brain, Gamora definitely succeeded with that throwaway comment.

It was a bit of a struggle, getting out of the car. The adrenaline from earlier was slowly ebbing away, and the ache was starting to really hit him. Still, it wasn’t the worst he’d ever experienced (grasping the Infinity Stone and Ego draining him like he was a battery ranked at the top of that particular list), and he made it through as well as he could. Maybe if the two of them didn’t already look so beaten up, Peter would pass it off as a couple just enjoying each other’s company. But already soaked by rain, scuffed up by the explosion, they looked like crap.

(Naturally, Gamora fared way better than Peter did. So maybe he looked like crap, and was dragging her down by association.)

When they actually made their way to the shops instead of up to a room, Peter allowed himself a small, private smile. Before the Guardians of the Galaxy was officially formed, he and Gamora came at lawlessness from two different directions. Their realms of expertise were wildly different, even if both of them had stolen or killed as a consequence of their work. So the idea of Gamora shoplifting was still kind of novel to him. ]

T-Shirt.

[ And the answer was nearly immediate, given the options. His nose similarly wrinkled at the sight of that furry sort of— vest? Shirt? Definitely not his style, especially given how coarse that fur looked. ]

No need to get adventurous.

[gardenofthegalaxy]

[ Maybe it wasn't so unnatural for lawlessness to continue to be a theme through their attempted date. The first time they had met she had lied to him, stolen from him, and tried to kill him. An explosion, stolen car and now shoplifting seemed to fit along that particular trajectory.

She kept a hand free as they wondered through the racks, her eyes constantly scanning to assess just how easy this was going to be. With Peter not at his best it was going to be a challenge. She tried to fight a smile when she caught him looking at her, but failed as her head ducked and she clicked her tongue. ]

Stop it. You're meant to be a distraction for the cashier, not for me.

[ She had already picked out a shirt, something he was sure to agree with. She nodded at it as they passed that rack. She also spotted a t-shirt for herself. Maybe her clothing wasn't quite as torn up as Peter's, but it would give her something to remember their first date by. If the memorable events weren't enough. ]

Be honest though, would you have had quite as much fun if everything had gone smoothly?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He grinned, catching sight of the smile she tried to hide. ]

Still dunno what you’re talkin’ about. Still just my face.

[ His eternally stupid, smiling face.

Peter looked around the store, ostensibly to get a better look at the other products, but he was scoping out the place. The employee in question was toward the back of the store, making a bit of a show of straightening shelves. (In all likelihood, the clerk was taking a break but was currently trying to look busy, now that customers were here.) The clerk didn’t look particularly worried about them, even if he did seem curious about why they looked like they’d been put through a blender.

At her prompting, pointing out the shirt she planned on swiping, Peter gave a quick shrug of his shoulders in response. “All the same to me,” he silently said. Her question earned her a soft, quick laugh. ]

I dunno. Right now? My gut reaction is, no, probably not.

[ Gingerly, he prodded at the bruising bump on his head. ]

Could’ve gone without the headache, though.

[gardenofthegalaxy]

I didn't think so. Truth is, dinner would have been nice but I like this too. Without the headache.

[ Gamora wanted to say that she hated his face, but she really, really didn't. That was becoming far too obvious. Maybe it was the fact that they weren't currently on the ship, or in the middle of a mission that had her being more relaxed about it than usual.

It was what a date was for, right? Explosions and stolen hovercars aside. She shifted like they were about to start dancing in the middle of the store, Gamora still taking Peter's weight even as she used one hand to reach behind him and take a t-shirt. At least the ugly sweater would now serve a purpose. It could be used to smuggle goods.

And then she did something that horrified even her as she gave a giggle like she was one of those many waifs Peter had previously wasted his time on. There was another giggle as she pretended he'd said something shocking. ]

Stop it! Can't you just wait until we get a room?

[ She couldn't make eye contact with Quill for a few seconds as she tried to sell this truly horrible persona. She shifted just enough to reach one of the more feminine t-shirts and that got shoved up the back of the ugly sweater as well. ]

Okay, okay! Wow, you're so impatient. Forget the souvenirs then.

[ She took his waist and gave an exaggerated look of apology to the cashier who was only mildly interested in the fact that the odd pair were no longer going to be interrupting their break. ]

He's just so insatiable! Thank you, sorry. Have a good night!

[ A final giggle as she turned her head in towards Peter's and she was quickly taking him out of the store and heading straight for the front desk. Her false smile dropped in an instant. She really wasn't going to be able to maintain that kind of voice through another conversation. ]