If he were alone when it happened, he would have wanted to die.
Rocket had liked to pride himself that he didn't need anyone or anything. Even when the formerly gigantic Flora Colossus was a few lumbering steps behind him. It was a lie, because although he thought that he would never need anyone, he needed Groot.
At first, that knowledge had drove him crazy. Made him more 'trigger-happy' as Quill likes to call it. But back then, being trigger-happy wasn't always for the hell of it. He constantly strove—no matter how much he knew that he and Groot were partners—to prove that he didn't need the Flora Colossus.
Looking back with the insight gained from actually making friends—people that don't feel an obligation or need his full-time protection—Rocket knows that he was trying to prove that he could protect Groot as much as Groot had him. Not saying that the gigantic tree hadn't been able to protect himself, but to be fair, Groot was the first anything to him that wasn't a scientist or someone that died. No, Groot survived and chose him.
So when Groot had saved them, these bunch of jackasses that somehow chose them—all deal breaking flaws aside—and died. Freaking died and left him alone. He was devastated, angry, and hurt like he hadn't been even when scientists we're taking him apart and putting him back together.
But Rocket didn't go through it alone.
Sure, he knew Groot the longest, had loved Groot in a way that none of them did. But they helped and didn't laugh when he put the remains of Groot in a pot and carried him around. And they've helped this smaller version of Groot who's slowly getting his memories, strength and height back.
Shit, they love this small brat. They love him. Rocket. The only other person to do that is currently smaller and fussing in a flower pot.
This brat which used to be giant—will be a giant again—that used to protect him and tower over his enemies with leafy shoulders, trusted them enough to protect him when he wasn't a lumbering giant anymore. And that trigger-happy behavior that was more irritation than fun in the past, it's not the same anymore. That long sought need to protect Groot and prove that he was worth not leaving behind and worthy of being chosen, came true.
It came to him one night on a planet that he can barely remember the name of, drunk and staring at the ceiling on the Milano, practically hugging a pot while the crew gave him space after they had to escape whatever-its-name planet when he attacked a stupid local that tried to spit in Groot's pot as though it was a—what Quill had said through clenched teeth—'ashtray'. At the realization, Rocket had laughed until it turned into choking sobs.
After that sonofabitch had did that and Rocket had tried to blow his freaking face to pieces, none of the crew had been angry at him after missing out on a bounty they didn't have time to complete. In fact, they were as pissed as he was, still is really.
Drax wanted to throw the sonofabitch off the edge of the planet; Gamora had actually swore in dirtier words than Rocket had expected to be part of her vocabilistics and probably wanted to poison the fucker if the few words that managed to escape the jumble of swears were anything to go by; and Quill was tempted to fly back and and beat the stupid out of the guy, gripping the Milano's controls in a way that he had argued with Drax not to do.
Rocket isn't a softie, but he can't deny that the tears weren't touched.
So for how long it takes for Groot to grow back to his full size, well, these bunch of jackasses and him have his back.
Rocket grins, wrapping his arms further around the flowerpot where the smaller Groot has nestled himself in for the night.
"Yeah, yeah," his grin widens, the small Flora Colosses fussing in his pot, "you can play tomorrow. Right now you gotta sleep, otherwise you won't be able to help kick that bounty's ass."
"Grooot."
"Yeah," Rocket says softly, though he'd never admit it, "you too."
My first Guardians Of The Galaxy fic! :D Tell me what you think!
Disclaimer: I don't own Guardians Of The Galaxy