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Groot knew something was wrong as soon as he opened his eyes. The Flora Colossus prided himself in his ability to sleep through anything short of a dire emergency, and if he had awoken now, in the dead of this planet's 17-hour night, something had to be amiss.
Groot slowly drew back his vines from where they had spread themselves along the concrete wall behind him. He felt the air with them as he did so, trying to pick up any odd sensations in the air. Any strange vibration or alien smell could be a sign of danger, and after years as a fugitive, Groot knew all the telltale signs. He ran through the list in his mind: there was no coppery smell of blood, no rumble of approaching vehicles, no heat of fire... Groot let his vines wander, snaking around the near-empty room, feeling the old warehouse floor and the slight wafts of air from the boarded windows.
Groot had been skipping from planet to planet for weeks, always on the run, ever since he had escaped Nova prison with the fiery little creature he had met there, a genetic experiment called Rocket...
Of course: Rocket. And there it was. The sensation that had woken him up. Under the mildew and old plywood smell of the warehouse was the faint, bitter scent of an animal in fear. Groot glanced around, still leaning against the cold wall, and located his traveling companion, curled into a tiny, unassuming ball in the far corner of the spacious room.
The raccoon had squeezed himself into the smallest space he could, wrapped his bushy tail around himself and hidden his face behind it. He was shaking slightly, and his shoulders twitched every few seconds, but Groot could tellurium his even berthing that Rocket was still asleep.
Groot stood and lumbered across the room, before crouching down and poking the sleeping animal with one large finger. Rocket jerked upright, fangs already bared in a snarl. Groot could see tears fresh in his eyes and down his furry cheeks. He was gasping for air, his tiny chest heaving as his eyes darted around wildly. The colossus held up his hands reassuringly. "I am Groot," he assured his companion.
The other relaxed visibly. "Yeah man, I know. Sorry if I woke you up."
Groot tilted his head to the side, humming a question. Rocket shook his head. "It was nothing. Just a bad dream."
Despite his words, the little creature was still crying. Groot reached out a small vine to gently touch his friend’s cheek, and shook his head vehemently. "I am Groot!" Not just a dream.
The raccoon sighed, pulled his head away from the comforting touch. "Whatever. What d'you suggest doin' about it?"
Groot smiled and held out his hand. Tentatively, still new to his companion's sheer size, so in odds with his gentle nature, Rocket clambered on and scampered up to Groot's shoulder. "Okay, big guy, where to now?"
Groot smiled secretively and turned to the broken warehouse doors, carrying his little friend out into the night. Rocket looked around for a moment, confused; then his gaze followed Groot's, up into the night sky.
The raccoon gasped. The arching sky above them was alive with stars, glittering in a myriad of colors, winking at the pair from the cosmos. What astounded Rocket, however, was the huge, nebulous galaxy visible near the left of the skyline. It looked almost like an enormous cloud, glowing with blues, greens and reds, and it was peppered with the brightest stars of all. The mismatched pair of outlaws gazed up at the sight in wonder, feeling suddenly small compared to the immeasurable mass of the universe before them.
Rocket leaned against the side of His companion's head, draping one arm across the giant's neck. "Y'know, Groot, I think we'll make an excellent team."
Rocket jerked awake, the stench of blood and metal and cold chemicals fresh in his mouth. Disgusting. Another nightmare, he thought, another night waking in a cold sweat, disoriented and terrified. The raccoon spat on the gritty motel floor, as though he could rid his glands of the sheer memory of pain.
Rocket shuddered, rubbing his arms the wrong way for warmth. He curled closer against Groot's leg, the rough bark a solid comfort, grounding him in this dingy little room. The two of them were sharing a moth-eaten motel bed, somewhere in the slums of Xandar, running from some small-town baddie sheriff and his gang of police thugs. And speaking of...
Rocket was about to drift to sleep again when he heard the sirens. Peeking out the little window, the little outlaw saw the familiar blue lights coming around the corner. A line of cruisers whistled around the bend, megaphones blaring: "EXIT THE BUILDING WITH YOUR HANDS UP. DO NOT STRUGGLE AND MINIMAL HARM WILL COME TO YOU."
Rocket barked out a laugh, snatching the large, double-barreled machine gun from where it rested beside the bed. Next to him, Groot opened his eyes and grinned at Rocket, holding out an arm for him to climb. Rocket scampered up to Groot's shoulder, holding onto one of the large bark slabs on his head as the colossus stood to his full height. Rocket's ears were brushing the ceiling, and he laughed in pure, adrenaline-fueled joy. "Alright, big guy. Let's go get 'em!"
Unthinkingly, the raccoon pressed a swift kiss to his friend's cheek. Groot hummed in confusion, and Rocket froze, shocked at his own actions, but then the door was being kicked down and the pair was springing into action.
Groot ran forward, bellowing a war cry as he grew large shields on his forearms. He pushed easily through the throng of officers outside the door, barreling out into the warm night. Rocket was laughing, holding onto his friend's head as he spun around, the enormous gun propped on his shoulder. He spotted the sheriff, all sneers and swagger, and opened fire. With the rat-tat-tat of the gun, the smell of smoke and Groot's roar rumbling through his body, Rocket's nightmares were completely forgotten. Teeth bared in a triumphant grin, the outlaw and his best friend escaped into the chaotic night.
It wasn't until later that Rocket remembered his moment of accidental affection, but Groot didn't seem to care. As soon as they were out of danger, safe aboard their (hijacked) ship, he scooped the raccoon into his arms and planted a happy kiss on his cheek. The tree was large enough that his face covered nearly the entire side of Rocket's head, but Rocket didn't mind. He grumbled indignantly, but secretly, he was relieved. Being friends with a dumb tree with no sense of personal space was a great way to avoid awkward situations.
Rocket was drunk. Groot thought it was obvious from his slurred speech and the way he had draped himself over the bar, but the raccoon insisted that he was "vury mush sob'r, I'll haff you grow!" He started giggling uncontrollably. "Grow, geddit? Cause you're a free... Treef... Yurr a plant." He swished his glass of whiskey and blinked owlishly at the plant in question, who was rumbling with suppressed laughter.
Rocket shot upright and glared up at his friend. "Don’ laugh, man! I'm a– a door… pormented... Poor torment... I got DAMAGE, okay?" Groot hummed worriedly, not sure how to react. His companion was clearly distressed, but the colossus was unsure what he was upset about.
Rocket sighed, seeming to deflate as he flopped back against the bar. “Whatever… I just dunno howta handle it… all th’ scary dreams and memories ‘n’ stuff. Y’know when I wake up ‘n’ I’m all scared ‘n’ shit?”
Groot nodded, stroking his friend’s back lightly. “I am Groot…” You don’t need to tell me if you don’t want to…
Rocket rolled over in his stool, looking up at the tree mournfully. “’S fine, I c’n talk.” He hiccupped loudly. “I jus’… I think about th’ past a lot. Where I come from ‘n’ all. I ’member th’ scientis… sciensits… the guys who made me. Wit’ the needles an’ the mechanics an’ all the pokin’ an’ proddin’ and fuckin’ takin’ me apart like some… some sorta lab rat!” Rocket was standing on his stool now, leaning up on tiptoe
and clutching at Groot’s shoulders, his own small frame shaking noticeably. The tree frowned deeply and scooped his friend into his arms. He had known that Rocket was the product of illegal experimentation, but he had never realized bow deeply it still affected him. The colossus was struck with the realization that the creature in his arms, his brave, sweet friend, was very much a victim of circumstance. He felt the overwhelming urge to protect Rocket, to keep him close and help to him be the happiest that he could be.
Groot sighed, hugging the raccoon close as he paid for the drinks and left the bar.
The sunset was amazing. Rocket sighed as he snuggled into the warm sand, gazing out into the ocean, tinted red by the reflection of the sky. Groot sat behind him, petting his head and humming quietly. They had just cashed in for a large bounty and were enjoying the payoff immensely, relaxing in the knowledge that for once, no one was coming after them. Rocket leaned against his friend’s stomach, tilting his head up to look into the tree’s face. Groot’s eyes gleamed in the low light, his face glowing with affection.
Rocket averted his eye. “C’mon, Groot, don’t look at me like that!”
“I am Groot?”
You know what I mean! All soft and loving and shit… I don’t deserve that.”
Groot shook his head violently, trying to find words. “I AM, I am…” He tugged Rocket closer, hands shaking. “We are Groot.”
Rocket gaped up at him. “Did you just…?”
Groot shrugged, smiling bashfully, and damn if it wasn’t the cutest thing Rocket had ever seen. The raccoon buried his head in his hands; he was so far gone.
Groot was rumbling questioningly, poking at Rocket’s head and urging his companion to look up at him. Rocket sighed. “Fuck this,” he muttered, and scampered up Groot’s chest to look the colossus in the eye. “You’re gonna be the death of me,” he informed him, dead serious. Groot looked alarmed for a moment, unsure of what he’d done wrong, but Rocket just huffed in exasperation and pulled himself forward, pressing his lips against his friend’s warm, rough mouth.
Groot started, but quickly relaxed into he kiss. He wrapped his arms around Rocket’s body, tilting his head to press even closer him. Groot hummed happily, and Rocket chuckled against his mouth.
Groot threw himself down onto the sand, and Rocket laughed loudly, falling forward onto the tree’s chest. The two of them slept on the beach that night, wrapped up in each other’s arms, unbothered by bad dreams.
Now, lying comfortably in his and Rocket’s bed aboard the Milano, Groot smiles. Rocket moves against his chest, twitching in his sleep, but his lips are curved into a smile as well. No more nightmares. The colossus strokes his mate’s head, pulling him closer against himself and nestling his head into the raccoon’s fur. Rocket stirs, yawns, and slips his arms around Groot’s neck, before dozing off again. His claws dig into the grooves in Groot’s bark, grounding him in the here and now. Rocket no longer wakes in the night, crying and fighting off invisible enemies. His past is in the past, and he is happy with the life he has now, and the partner he is sharing it with. Groot runs one finger along his mate’s back, presses a light kiss to his head, and drifts slowly back to sleep.