They announced their engagement to the rest of their odd little family during dinner that Solar cycle. Mantis, Groot, and Drax offered their congratulations, Rocket shouted over them, "Well it's about damn time!" Which was his way of congratulating them.
Quill chuckles, he's reveling in all the attention. "Well, it's not official yet. We've gotta get engagement rings and then there's the wedding to plan."
"What are engagement rings?" Mantis asks curiously tilting her head to the side.
"It's like, this metal piece of jewelry with a diamond. It symbolizes the promise to form a union." Quill explains enthusiastically.
"If ya want diamonds, we can make a detour to the mining settlement in Omis 25." Rocket pulled up a holographic map of the stars. He stood up on his chair to zoom in on one particular star cluster. "They go for 15 units a pop."
"What?" Quill leaned back in his chair and squinted at Rocket. "That can't be right, aren't diamonds like super rare?"
Rocket shook his head, "they're made of carbon, it's the fourth most common mineral in the universe."
"They are often sold to children," Drax added.
"Regardless, plot a course," Quill decided with a wave of his hand. Rocket punched a few buttons on his transmitter and Gamora felt the Milano rumble beneath her. The gravity hiccups when the ship changes speed. The Milano's artificial gravity came from its acceleration rather than a spinning hull. They would reach Omis 25 by the weeks' end.
"What about your union ceremony? What does it involve?" Mantis asked. Their family was full of questions about Terran weddings. Quill did his best to answer them. He tried to appear relaxed as if he had not been dreaming of the perfect wedding since he was but a pup. However, he's soon leaning forward in his seat, his gestures have more flourish. He's grinning like an idiot. It's absolutely adorable.
Quill caught Gamora staring at him. She quickly turns away suddenly very interested in the ceiling. "What's got you smiling like that?" Quill knows very well what the answer is but asked anyway.
"I am not smiling." Gamora insisted defensively.
"No, no, you were definitely smiling, " Rocket agreed with Quill.
Mantis nodded, "I don't need to be an empath to tell that you are in a good mood."
"Nonsense!" Gamora tried to force a scowl but failed. "Drax's terrible cooking is giving you all mass delusions."
"What's wrong with my cooking?" Drax feigned offense.
"I am Groot, " He pushed what used to be chicken around on his plate.
"Yeah, I didn't think it was possible to make me miss prison food but you did it," Rocket said.
Drax nodded, "that is where I learned to cook."
Gamora stood up and collected her dishes. "I believe it is my turn to do the dishes."
"May I help?" Drax offered.
"It would be most welcome, " Gamora replied. Drax collected the rest of their dishes and brought them into the galley.
"I am Groot, " he volunteered to take the first watch of the night. He left for the bridge. Mantis disappeared to continue her medical studies. After she had appointed herself as their medical officer, Mantis began studying for her doctorate.
"Uh, hey Rocket, you wanna help me send out invites for the engagement party?" Quill asked.
"Yeah, not a problem." Rocket opened his contacts on his tablet.
Gamora moved into the galley. She took off her engagement bracelet and it left a trail of white powdered sugar on her arm. The only thing holding the colorful chunks of sugar together is an elastic band. It's fragile and perishable but sweet. It makes her nostalgic for a childhood she never got to have. Quill always said she was overly fond of symbolism. She nibbles on one of the sugar chunks. It tastes like berries. Gamora stashed her bracelet somewhere safe, where it wouldn't get wet.
Drax got started on the dishes while Gamora dried and put them away. They fell into a steady rhythm. Gamora could hear Rocket and Quill talking about the wedding in the other room. Gamora took a slow deep breath, "There is something I wanted to ask you." Drax raised his eyebrows curiously and waited for her to continue. "There is this tradition in Quill's culture that the father walks them to the wedding arch."
"That is unfortunate," Drax mumbled absently.
"It's not really," She replies softly, "not if you are the person who walks me down the aisle."
Drax paused and looked up at her. "I would be honored to take part in your wedding."
Gamora let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. It's a weight off her chest. "Thank you," Drax smiles and puts a hand comforting on her shoulder. Gamora leaned into him, hoping to stay in this moment for just a minute longer. It's soft moments that make the universe feel kinder.
~~•˖✧•✯•✧˖•~~
Omis 25 was a shithole. Mining colonies sprung up all over the galaxy and are ghosted just as quickly. The colony was cobbled together, the steel buildings are rusted and shabby. The air had been pushed through the recycler one too many times. It tasted stale and dusty. None of that mattered to Quill.
They had been to three different jewelry stores today. He was determined to find the perfect engagement ring. "Hey G, what about this one?" He pointed out an engagement ring with an intertwining silver and copper bands.
"It's lovely, " Gamora agreed, drifting past him to look at the other rings in the collection.
Quill trails after her, moving at a much slower pace. "Diamonds are traditional, but we don't have to stick with that. Look at this one!" He paused in front of a bronze ring with three sapphires each cut into the shape of flowers.
"You really liked the sapphires at last store too," Gamora commented lightly. She couldn't find a display with sapphires here, it was a little frustrating.
"Yeah, that ring with the infinity symbol was rad to the max." Quill snapped around to look at Gamora and pointed at her. "Wait, hang on! We're not shopping for me!"
"No?" Gamora held up her wrist to show off her engagement bracelet. She had already eaten half the candy pieces, "but I already have something I like."
Quill bit back a laugh, "babe I love you, but that's gonna get super grody in a few days. You can't wear that forever."
"I most certainly can." Gamora scoffs and puts her hands on her hips. She raises her chin slightly, "Neither gods nor man could stop me."
"Oh no, my love made you too powerful!" Quills whispers melodramatically
Gamora grinned and rolled her eyes. Disappointed with this jewelry stores severe lack of sapphires, she strolls back out into the marketplace. Quill managed to keep pace with her. After a beat, Quill sighs, "Look I don't need an engagement ring anyway. It's not like I'm gonna get… proposed…" He stopped dead in his tracks. His eyes went wide and he let out a gentle gasp. "I could get proposed too," Quill says this as if the thought was just now occurring to him. "Babe, are you going to propose to me?!"
Gamora glanced over her shoulder at him. She quirks her eyebrows, "curious, indeed."
"That's not an answer!" Quill hurried to catch up with her. There was more bounce in his step, and he couldn't stop himself from smiling. "There's nothing that says that only one person can propose, and I mean, we've never been the most traditional family. I never even considered that I could be—that I wouldn't be the one to,"
"Peter?" She interjected gently.
"Uh, yeah?"
"You're babbling."
"Right, sorry, " He smiles sheepishly. Quill follows Gamora into the next jewelry store and stopped in front of the sapphire display. He went all of 30 seconds before blurting out, "How are you going to propose to me?"
Gamora pointed out a ring, "They put the sapphire in the mouth of some kind of serpent creature."
"Is it gonna be like those big public displays of affection you always see in movies?" Quill asked. Gamora asked the clerk if Quill could try on rings. "Or are ya gonna invite me out to dinner on the beach, with candles and music and then Bam!" He clapped his hands for emphasis.
Gamora chuckled, "bam?"
"It's in the cake!"
"Why would I put the ring in the cake? You would choke on it." She handed him several plain rings to try on.
He tried on a few before they found the right size. He was borderline whining, "C'mon, G, at least give me a hint! I'm dying, you're killing me. You're killing your future husband." Her future husband. Quill was going to be her husband. By the stars, she loved the way that sounded. Gamora grabbed Quill by the collar and pulled him down so she could kiss him.
She can feel the warmth radiate off his skin. His soft honeycomb hair brushes against her forehead. She's itching to be closer to him. She wants to wrap her arms around his waist and nuzzle her head into the crook of his neck. She doesn't realize how much she misses his gentle touch until they spend time apart. Quill is the first to pull away. She settles for holding his hand instead of kissing him again. Humans are so soft and warm.
Quill was a tad pink and breathless. "If you were kissing me to shut me up it didn't work. Now I'm excited and a little turned on."
"You're going to be my husband, " She mutters just to hear it again.
"Uh-huh," Quill chuckled and squeezed her hand. He shifted his attention back to the display case. "I like the silver one with the leaves."
"Noted, " Gamora replied softly. They bought a plain set of wedding rings. Quill treated Gamora to dinner (to make up for eating her sandwich) before they returned to the Milano.