Hi, I wrote this at 3am - I hope it's okay, I did proofread but sometimes I miss stuff. This chapter is Peter's proposal. Enjoy! And reviews are always welcome.

Peter tried to steady his breathing as he lay there. Gamora was pressed to his side, completely spent and, he hoped, not about to wake up any time soon. She was still wearing his jacket after she had insisted on wearing it the night before as they had sex.

He had loved every second of it; getting to make love to her then cuddle her as she lay in a bundle in his jacket. But now he was panicking. He had gotten caught up in the moment and completely forgotten what was in the pocket of his jacket.

Gamora had been thoroughly intoxicated the previous night, and Peter prayed she hadn't felt the small box in the inside pocket. He wasn't sure, if she had felt it, if she would even know what it was. He didn't know what the custom was when it came to proposing marriage where she came from.

He slowly slipped his hand under the jacket, his face screwing up in concentration as he tried not to touch her. She stirred against him and he let his hand fall against her skin, hoping his hand would prevent the box from touching her.

"Hey," he smiled, trying not to gulp.

"Hi," she smiled back, her head leaving the pillow so she could kiss him. "I feel strange."

"You drank more than the teams body weight combined, that's why," he laughed.

"It takes a lot for me to get drunk," she shrugged, her hands coming up to play with the hair on the back of his neck. "You're really sweaty."

"Yeah," he chuckled, trying to disguise his nerves. "When you're sleeping next to the hottest woman in the galaxy, it's hard not to get sweaty."

Gamora rolled her eyes, but pulled him down to kiss him. He tried not to get too caught up in it, but a moan escaped him and Gamora smiled against his lips.

"We should shower," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "Sleeping in your jacket seemed like a good idea at the time, but now I feel really hot."

An idea popped into Peter's head and he kissed her deeply, pushing her into the mattress. She hummed and he worked his hand, gently, into the pocket of his jacket. He almost cheered when he felt the box and removed it, hiding it behind his back.

"Why don't you go turn it on and I'll sort us some clothes out," he said, rolling onto his back with the box under him.

"Okay," she said, getting up after kissing him once more. She shrugged off his jacket, hanging it up, removed his gun holster that she'd also been wearing, and slipped into their bathroom.

Peter looked desperately around the room for a new spot for the box. He decided on shoving it in his underwear drawer for now, and ran his hands through his hair with a relieved sigh.

"Peter!" he jumped at Gamora's voice then hurried into the bathroom and hopped into the shower.

/

"Have you asked her yet?"

Peter looked from Gamora, who was sat on the floor with Groot as they sorted through Groot's old toys, to Mantis.

"Oh, uh, not yet."

He gestured for Mantis to follow him to another room.

"I don't know how."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, like, how the hell do I ask her? I've never done this before."

"I have not done it before either. I still do not understand why you had to purchase a ring."

"It's a symbol. It's like… like she wears it to show she's engaged to someone, to like, y'know, show our commitment to each other."

Mantis smiled widely and held her hands over her heart, but then frowned. "Why do you not get an engagement ring?"

"I don't know, it's just the way Terran's do it. I get a ring later, on the wedding day, and she gets another one to go with her engagement ring."

Mantis smiled once again, "That is beautiful. Gamora likes rings, she has many. She will be very happy."

"Yeah," Peter scratched nervously at his neck, "I just wish I knew how to ask her, y'know."

"All you need to do is tell her how much you love her. You love her a lot, we can all see that. Then ask her."

Peter mumbled, "I wish it was that simple."

"It is."

"What if she says no? That's gonna be flarking embarrassing."

"She will not say no."

"Peter?"

Peter and Mantis both jumped at Gamora's voice and Peter whirled around, meeting her eyes. He knew he must look guilty for something.

"Groot is asking for you."

"Be right there."

"Is everything okay? You are very red."

"Everything's fine," he nodded, quickly, then rushed past her.

/

It was the next day and Peter was sat on their bed, waiting for Gamora to come out of the bathroom. He was ready to ask her, but couldn't stop his body from shaking. One of his legs was bouncing up and down and his fingers were drumming against each other.

His eyes met her as she walked out of the bathroom. She was wearing one of his shirts and towel drying her hair. He gulped; he loved this sight. He enjoyed seeing her look so comfortable and relaxed. He could feel his heart rate rising as he drank in the sight of her.

"Quill, you are staring," she smirked, and Peter shook himself out of his trance.

"You just… look beautiful."

She folded her towel, placing it down, and walked to him. He smiled up at her as she rested her hands on his shoulders and shuffled her legs between his knees.

"Thank you," she moved one hand to the back of his neck and he closed his eyes as she laced her fingers through the hair there. "You are handsome."

"Mmm," he hummed, he felt entranced by her touch.

"I have told you I love you, haven't I, Peter Quill?"

"Once or twice," he smirked, opening his eyes.

His insides fluttered at the look on her face. She was looking at him with more love than he'd ever seen before.

"I love you," she said, moving her hand, that wasn't on his neck, to his chin and leaned down and kissed him.

He reached up, playing with the pink tips of her hair and rested his head against her chest. He slid his hands around her waist and up and down her back, as she played with his hair.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Just enjoying the moment," he mumbled into her shirt.

He smiled when she kissed the top of his head and he nuzzled his face into her, thoroughly enjoying the embrace. He pulled back and rested his hands on her hips as he looked up at her.

"What?" she asked, bemused.

"I love you, too."

"I know."

"I, uh, I also… have something to – to tell, uh, ask you."

"Oh?"

He wiped his hands on his boxers, as they'd started to sweat, and bit his lip.

"I'm gonna ramble for a minute, so just bear with me."

Gamora nodded, and sat on his knee, one of her hands still on the back of his neck to soothe him. He was incredibly nervous and he knew she could tell.

"We've been through a lot, you and I, I know to you we've only been together for two years but… it's been so much longer for me… and after I lost you… I… thought that was it. I felt like there was no point in going on if it meant living without you. I know that probably sounds dramatic," he chuckled. "But, that's genuinely how I felt. I love you, so, so much, Gamora. I never wanna lose you again."

"You won't."

"I – I hope not. I'm… I'm so proud of how far you've come. You've been through a heck of a lot in your life and still manage to be this amazing, compassionate, beautiful woman; you're truly something. The way you are with the rest of the team is amazing, you treat everyone like family even though we're not. You're just – you're just awesome."

Gamora smiled, her eyes looked shiny in the dim light and Peter almost choked at the look on her face.

"That's why," he reached under a pillow, where he'd moved the box to and pulled it out. "I want to – well, I want to, y'know, ask you to, uh-" he cut himself off, when Gamora moved her hands from him and widened her eyes at the box.

"That is what I felt!"

"W-what?"

"In your jacket – I was wondering what kept poking me."

"Do you… do you know what it is? Why I've got it?" he asked.

"I think I have read about it," she nodded, looking back to him with a small smile. "Though, I would prefer it if you asked the question."

Peter gulped and opened the box, revealing the ring. He held it in between them with a shaking hand and said, "'Mora, will you – will you marry me?"

Gamora's smile grew and she cupped his face, "I will."

She kissed him and Peter almost fainted with the relief he felt as the anxiety that had been weighing him down lifted. He picked up the ring, his hand a little steadier now and slipped it onto her finger.

"Rocket helped me figure out the circumference. You have very small fingers," he chuckled and played with her fingers as he spoke.

He smiled at the look of awe on her face as she examined the ring.

"I didn't know if people were given rings when proposed to on your planet or not."

"I do not know either. My mother had many rings, but I do not know whether they were from being proposed to," she wrapped her arm around his shoulder and kissed him. "I like this Terran tradition."

"I was hoping you would," he smiled.

"Shall we," she gently pushed him so he lay down with her on top of him. "Celebrate?"

"Oh, definitely," he mumbled into her lips.