He used to just want someone to love him, it wasn't too much to ask for really. He didn't think so anyway. But the constant taunting and loneliness of Rockets youth cause him to have a hole in his tiny heart that made him think sometimes that maybe he didn't have a heart at all. He knew he did though, he could feel it. He knew he had a heart because with every taunt and every punch he could feel that hole getting a little bit bigger, and the pain he grew up feeling in his heart hurt more than any of scraps he got into. It hurt more than all the cuts and all the bruises he'd endured. Hell, it hurt more than the body mutilation his creators had cause him. Not even they wanted to keep him after they were done with him.
Rocket finally realized that maybe nobody would ever want him around, and he grew to ignore the dull ache in his chest and started to resent everyone in return. He stopped trying to be nice to people, and that made it easier when they inevitably rejected him. He started to cause fights instead of just defending himself against them, and he got good at it. Rocket realized that he'd need to learn how to make weapons if he was going to survive, so that's exactly what he did and he used them to his advantage. Despite his small size, even as a child, he could defend himself against most. It was when he failed at protecting himself that trouble began.
On a particularly hot and dry day Rocket was having trouble concentrating because of his dehydration. He began scavenging the town, going from dumpster to dumpster looking for something to drink. He could usually find half empty water bottles or puddles from the rain, but the sun dried everything up before he could get at it. He didn't have a choice but to drink from the fountain in the middle of town, though he did think that was disgusting. He hated going there. It was a high risk environment and Rocket hadn't gotten any materials to make any weapons to protect himself. He'd have to rely on his stealth and agility, but although he got more skilled each day, he was still just a kid and could only do so much without weaponry, barely being half a foot tall.
He made it to the fountain without drawing much attention, and carefully looked around before drinking to see if anyone was watching him. It seemed safe, there was only a small group of kids nearby and they weren't paying him any mind. He cupped his small paws together and dunked them into the fountain, watching the water slowly pool into his hands and bringing them to his lips.
"Ew! That's disgusting! What do you think you're doing you rodent!? That is not for drinking! Get out of here you freak!" Rocket raised his ears and looked back at the small group of kids, counting four of them as he let the water leak through his fingers, and standing up to his full height getting ready to defend himself against them. They were advancing towards him now, lead by some sort of pink girl with an upturned nose and clenched fists. She continued "I said to get out of here! You overgrown rat, you shouldn't even be here. My mom says you don't even count as alive! You're a freak and nobody wants you here. So just go."
"Listen girly, I'm not lookin' to fight you all, I'm just here for a drink. Nothin' wrong with that. Best leave me alone if you know what's good for you." Rocket said, trying to look threatening. But they just laughed at him as they started to surround him. Rocket wasn't surprised, not really. He had already learned how cruel other kids could get. He barred his teeth and clenched his fists, getting ready once again to go down fighting, unknowing of the onlooker. The small group of kids started towards him, and he looked up at them with ferocity despite his tininess. He knew he couldn't take them on without weapons, but he refused to run. He was tired of running and hiding in the streets. Tired of all of it. He let them grab him and he let them hit him and pull out patches of his fur while they tried to rip out his wiring. All the while telling him how wrong he was, how disgusting and unnatural and abominable he was. He refused to yell out in pain, so he scrunched up his face to hold it in as he let them try to tear him apart.
Rocket was about to pass out from all the pain but still he refused to scream. But then all the pain stopped. He didn't feel hands holding him down or the pain of his fur being ripped out. He just felt cold as he fell back into the fountain, sinking down, too weak to swim. He was grateful for the water, and he was grateful for the pain being stopped, although he didn't understand why it did. He embraced the cool and he embraced what he thought would be his end. He didn't have that long of a life span anyway. But then he was being grabbed again, gently, but he still braced for pain as he was lifted up and out of the water. But the pain didn't come.
Rocket opened his eyes and saw the group of bullies wrapped in some sort of plant, unable to move. He looked down and realized the same stuff was holding him, although he wasn't trapped like his attackers, so he could move if he wanted. He followed the the branches until he saw exactly what it was that was holding him. Some tree-man was starring down at him from what seemed like a huge height. Rocket realized what must have happened, he realized that he had been saved, and he was filled with hatred and disappointment in himself.
"What d'you think you're doing you twig, I had it!" Rocket screamed at him, trying to stand and falling off the creatures make-shift holder. Bracing to hit the ground, just to be caught by the stupid tree again. "Let me go! I'm fine! Let me go!" He continued to scream, finally being dropped on the ground, but only by a foot, by the giant plant. Rocket stared in anger at the creature as it turned to the kids to growl in their faces "I AM GROOT!" and leting them run away. Groot turned back to the small and courageous thing he found and smiled.
"What the hell are you smiling about? What you go and do that for? I was fine!" Rocket yelled and turned his back on the tree, walking toward the fountain. Groot didn't want to let him go in his state. He thought the little furry thing he found was too wounded. He followed, he was needed and he would follow. "No, no-no! What d'you thing you're doing? Stay here! Don't need a bloody tree following me around, I can take care of myself." Rocket stated, stubbornness etched onto his features as he stared the tree down. "What d'you think you're doing?" He asked.
The tree bent down and extended a branch, which was actually a tree arm... With a tree hand. "I am Groot." The tree said softly, kindness emanating from him. Rocket stared at him, dumbfounded at the tree, not understanding why it was still there. He'd never seen a thing like it before.
"I don't bloody care if you're a Groot or not, you shouldn't have have stopped those dumb kids, I had it!" He yelled, only to receive another "I am Groot." He was surprised to find that he could understand the thing. "What the hell d'you bloody mean it didn't look like I had it? That just rude. You don't know nothin', get out of here. Stupid plant." Rocket turned on the thing again, heading back toward the fountain to finally get a drink. Hopping up onto the platform, Rocket realized just how sore he was, but as ever, he ignored the pain and dunked his head into the water as he finally quenched his thirst. A part of him knew he would be safe drinking like that with the stupid tree around, but he tried to ignore that fact. He didn't need anybody. He didn't need the tree there. His bitterness slowly wore off as he drank and he realized it might be useful to have the stupid thing around for situations like today.
When Rocket was finally done drinking the fountain water, we turned around, wiped his mouth and burped. "So, you wanna follow me around do ya? Well that's fine but you gotta know what's what. I'm the boss got it? You can be the extra muscle if you want, but you're not needed. I'm just throwin' you a bone here, got it? You can stay if you do what I tell you." He stared the tree down as it nodded "I am Groot." Rocket thought it would be a pretty good set-up. Getting the tree to find parts needed for weapons, or food when he was making things. A good set up indeed. Groot was obviously easily manipulated. "Right then you big log-"
"I am GROOT!" The tree interrupted. Groot had plans to help his new friend, and he wouldn't let it's rudeness get in the way of his healing.
"Alright, Groot, fine, fine. You call me Rocket. I was saying, I live this way, are you comin' or not?" The small animal asked his new companion. He received a nod and ordered the thing to follow him. Rocket led the tree through his usual back alleys, avoiding the ones he knew were high-risk zones, and finally getting to his usual back alley. It was dirty and full of scrap metal and garbage, and the only protection that could be seen was a ratty cardboard box. Groot watched in silence as rocket made himself at home, rummaging through the garbage as he looked for something to eat. Groot felp a pang of empathy, and knew he made the right choice in following Rocket.
"Alright, you need food or somethin'" Rocket offered, he needed his new side-kick to be in tip-top shape. He recieved a shake of a head and an "I am Groot." "You get energy from the sun? Well how d'you expect to do that, it's staring to rain, you big dummy." Groot gave him a shrug. "Well suit yourself, but I'm only offering once." Rocket said, as he made his way to the box to avoid the rain. Rocket lay down in a bed of news papers and wrapped himself in his tail to keep warm. He'd had worse days, he thought, as the sky darkened with the night, allowing him to sleep.
BANG!
Rocket awoke with a start, expecting a fight. He panicked in the darkness before he realized it was just storming. "Ah, bloody hell." He said, as he pushed the ruined cardboard off of himself, frustrated as the soggy cardboard covering him. He had no choice but to sit in the rain, waiting for the storm to end before he'd get dry again. He walked over to where Groot was sleeping and sat beside the giant, muttering about the rain and his cardboard box. He was so absorbed in wallowing about the rain that he didn't notice at first when is was no longer hitting him.
He looked up to see that Groot had stretched and expanded his arm to make a small tree umbrella, protecting Rocket from the continuing storm. Rocket was surprised at first, that the tree would even bother, he'd only ever been mean to the thing and only just met him that day. He was mostly uncomfortable, but slightly grateful with the tree, and he wasn't sure what to do. He looked at Groots face, and he could tell that Groot was pretending to sleep, but Groot couldn't help but peek at the fuzy creature to make sure it was okay every so often.
After a few seconds of Rockets uncomfortable silence, he said "Uh, thanks. You don't have to do that y'know." Rocket said to the tree, getting the exact response he had expected.
"I am Groot." The tree-man said softly, kindly, with empathy in his eyes. Conveying that he was there to help Rocket, even with the rain.
"Right, you are Groot." Rocket said, looking up at the tree who was doing a terrible job at hiding his smile. Rocket had never felt protected from anything before, not even from something as simple as the rain. Although he wasn't quite sure what to do with the gesture, he was appreciative still. "What about you, though? You're still exposed." Rocket mumbled awkwardly. With three words Groot explained that he needs the rain, so there was no problem. "Well thanks, Mate." Rocket said.
He pondered on that for a while, after he realized he had called the tree a friend. He'd never really thought he'd find anyone who would be willing to put up with him, he had given up on that fantasy a long time ago. But here was Groot, caring for him with small gestures, sitting with him in the rain, and protecting him from strangers for what seemed like no reason at all. Rocket was cautious, remembering everyone who turned on him before, but willing to at least try to make a friend out out this creature who had found him. This creature who had saved him. For the first time in Rockets life, he felt safe in his little alleyway full of garbage. He felt safe with Groot.
