Matjiga stares out the window into the vastness of stars and galaxies from her reclined position in the Captain's seat of the Milano. The blood red cat girl is used to this view as it is the only thing that calms her mind after she experiences a nightmare. She didn't want to bother the others with the torments of her mind, feeling it too personal to relay the dark secrets to anyone else. They had enough going on already with Thanos trying to track them down when he discovered she hadn't die during the invasion of the transport ship after Peter slipped up by revealing her name in one of the bars they stopped at while darting about the galaxy. She feared going back into the possession of the titan and the Guardians were doing all they could to make sure Thanos would never see her again except in combat. Right now, Rocket and Peter were doing their best to lead a few spies down a trail to the other side of the galaxy to allow the rest to find a place to hide. Now they are floating in a quadrant Matjiga is fairly familiar with, recognizing the constellations from her cub days. She used to sneak out, climb to the top of the tallest tree near her village, and map out the night sky. It was a pleasant hobby she only shared with one other person but now she was left alone to gaze at the swirling galaxies and ever-burning stars without her fatherly Kree companion.
Reflecting on the days after meeting Ronan brings a heavy sorrow to the Scarletclaw's chest. Her blue-skinned savior had meant the world to her, taking her into his care when she had no one else and helping her understand and hone her psychic abilities, making her a natural killer that only marched to the beat of his drum. That drum has long since fallen silent and she had been forced to follow Thanos without any argument. She was lucky to have known Gamora or else she would be alone once again among men she could barely trust. She would have run the first time Peter threw a sexual comment her way but her two close friends of the group promptly taught him to control his tongue. Gamora seemed to hone in on how Thanos treated her during her servitude under him and was ready to scold Peter on his behavior, almost like an older sister or mother. Drax was a bit more forward about handling Peter's harassment of Matjiga when he nearly broke his neck after slamming him into a wall.
He had been very protective of Matjiga since they first met on Thanos's transport ship. He reminded her of Ronan quite a bit and she didn't hesitate in following him, clinging to the familiarity to her once dear friend. The two had become very close despite their experiences with Ronan being stark contrasts. Drax showed a great care for Matjiga even after discovering her once dear friend and father figure was his family's killer. It had been him who persuaded her to continue her life despite her fears of capture by Thanos and ridicule from her new friends among the Guardians because of her past. He always made her feel at ease, much like Ronan did, but on a deeper level. She always felt this warmth in her chest and a feathery lightness in her gut when he was around. She never felt such a sensation around anyone before Drax and she was certain she would never feel it around anyone else, but what was causing it?
"Are you unable to rest, Friend Scarletmark?" The voice draws Matjiga from her thoughts and she looks upwards from her position to find Drax standing in the doorway to the central room of the ship.
She was always so intrigued by his physicality from his brownish-gray skin to the vivid blood red scars that tattoo most of his body. His muscularity was quite similar to Ronan's but it being on Drax seemed to make it a bit more…attractive? That was one of the terms Peter had used to describe the odd feelings Matjiga had toward Drax: attraction, infatuation, amorousness, and a few other that seemed strange. She somehow thought it wise to ask Peter for advice about her strange fascination with the man because with as many bed mates as he claimed to have, she assumed he would know something about this feeling she had around Drax. After many joking jabs and half referenced songs that went over her head, The Star Lord said she had "the quietest of all crushes" on Drax. He then explained that meant she loved him but she wasn't very forward or obvious about it around them. It seemed to make sense to her but she was unsure if the feelings were returned. Drax had a wife and daughter once before and assumed he was not looking for any lovers but she felt comfortable being such close friends with him.
Matjiga quietly sighs and rolls over in the reclined pilot's seat to face her friend. "Just star gazing really, trying to relax before going back to bed."
"And the Terran is okay with you sitting in his chair?"
Matjiga simple shrugs "I don't know. I never really asked him." She rolls back over to stare outside again, brushing her blood red hair from her eyes and noting the few stars she recognized from her childhood. "This is my own private hobby now, so I didn't really want to ask him in case he tried to butt in like he usually does."
"You mean it once wasn't yours?"
Matjiga glances to the side in thought, her ears folding flat against her head as she speaks. "I wouldn't say that. A hobby never really belongs to someone; they're shared most of the time between…close friends." She feels tears sting the corners, recalling the days she would watch a view similar to the one above her from Ronan's observation deck on the Dark Aster with the other right beside her, pointing out the different parts of galaxies and constellations.
"Like you and Ronan?"
Matjiga feels a strong hand on her shoulder and almost jumps from the seat, having flashbacks of her days under Thanos but when she turns, she finds Drax standing beside her. The tension in her wavers as does the strength to hold back her tears as a large but gentle hand wipes away some of the escapee tears. She glances away sadly as she sits up, hugging her knees to her chest.
"When I first had nightmares after my home was burned down, he wasn't sure how to help me. I was still just a cub at the time, a child. He tried just about everything to settle me back down but nothing worked quite well enough and I would have numerous night terrors through the night, some to the point where I could barely breathe. One day, while he was walking me around Dark Aster to calm me after a particularly horrid nightmare, we managed to find the observation deck and I recognized some of the stars outside the window. I had always been fond of studying stars and galaxies, so the sight calmed me enough that I fell asleep in his arms. It became a routine after that really and we bonded through it." She somberly laughs as she continues. "I even taught him a few things in our times spent together. He taught me to fight and I was able to navigate him to places never marked on maps, planets one could only dream about and one Thanos could never find on his own."
"You cared deeply for him then?"
"Of course I did. He saved my life and cared for me like one of his own when he could've taken me elsewhere to be care for. He comforted me when I had nightmares or hurt myself during training. He taught me new things and helped me grow as both a warrior ad a woman. He wasn't only a mentor and father, he was my best friend."
"You loved him then?"
Matjiga looks up at Drax curiously, his gaze not meeting hers and instead angrily glancing out the front view of the pilot's bay. She could smell the aroma of anger but not like when he spoke of Ronan in the past. This was a stronger smell of some variant of anger, not hate but something equally as heated.
"I did" Matjiga murmurs "but more the love of a daughter towards her father. I could never see him in a romantic light after all the years I grew under his care. Not like how I feel for…" She grows quiet and shifts to lie down, turning her back to the other. "Never mind…"
"Feel for who?"
"I-it's not important."
"I'm not going to leave until you answer me."
"I just wanna be alone now."
"Finish your statement and I'll leave you be."
"I don't wanna talk anymore."
"I'll sit here until you wish to communicate."
"Drax, you're not making this any easier."
"I only wish you help you, not hurt you."
"Then leave me alone."
"And why would I do that?"
"Because I know you don't feel the same way!" The Scarletmark immediately covers her mouth, shocked that she had blurted out the very reason she never said anything to other than Peter, the only thing she feared more than Thanos's control. "You're the only one that's ever made me feel safe since Ronan, the only one who's ever cared about me. Aside from Gamora, you're the only friend I've had after…" She curls into a tight ball, trying to prevent herself from shaking and her powers from going crazy. She knows if she becomes too emotional, she could possibly tear Drax and the entire pilot's bay apart. She had to keep calm. "…after I lost him." This does not prevent her from crying however, unaware of the soft sobs and quiet sniffles that echo in the silence of the pilot's bay. She only notices the new presence behind her when she feels arms gently lift her and move her to lay against a familiar scarred chest then carefully wrap around her. She clings to the other and it takes her a few minutes to calm down enough to potentially speak without hiccupping.
"Scarletmark," Matjiga looks up at Drax, finding him staring out the window above them "could you can teach me about these stars and guide me to these places of dreams?"
It takes the tiger girl a minute to understand what he means then settles back into his arms, shifting so she is facing the skylight as well and begins pointing out the different stars within view. "That cluster is of the Incalina constellation and the primary stars are Taur, Ociafit, and Nuac. Taur is a symbol of strength being found in the center of the constellation and is believed to be where a god of great power in some alien species resides. Then there is Ociafit, the third eye…"
As Matjiga goes on about the stars, the two are unaware of Gamora watching from the doorway Drax arrived through earlier. She heard Matjiga and thought she was in trouble and stealthily came to her aid but it seems she is the not one her friend needs right now. She quietly observes the two before slipping back to her private quarters. She would not be surprised if they all found the two fast asleep in the seat in the morning. Peter would not be too thrilled to learn that Matjiga has been using his seat without his permission but at least Matjiga will get a restful night's sleep for once.