"Thor's not getting better," says Drax, apropos of nothing.
Nebula looks at him over her cards, takes a second to consider his expression, then puts them down. "Guess we're done playing then," says Rocket, following suit.
"What are you talking about...? He lost so much weight already..."
"Quill," says Nebula, clearly thinking better of what she was about to say and instead going with, "I don't think you noticed but you're the only person here judging him mainly on what shape he's in physically."
It still sounds like there's a comment about his attitude in there somewhere. One that's kind of spot on, even he has to admit. Now this would be the perfect opportunity to get all childish about this, but he decides that it's yet again time to be the captain. Which unfortunately means he's gonna have to act like an adult for the next few minutes or so. "He's not, is he?" he sighs as the others nod. "Yeah, I can hear him too."
No one quite knows what to say to that, because it is a small ship and they can all hear him. They all know about the nightmares...
"Should I tell Mantis to...?" starts Quill after a few seconds go by in silence.
"No."
"But... It's what she does..." he frowns at Nebula.
"No," she repeats, just as decisively. "Mantis can only really cure the symptoms. She can make him feel untroubled enough to be able to fall asleep but the trauma is still there when he wakes up..."
"How do you know that?" frowns Drax.
Nebula looks to stare at him, openly surprised by the question. "I asked her. I need to understand how her powers work so I know what I can count on her to be able to do. It improves my chances of survival," she adds. In a tone of someone saying something really obvious – to a room of people she's suddenly very aware did need the explanation.
"Why aren't you asking us about...?" starts Quill on hearing that.
"You have skillets, not powers," she points out. "Besides, I know exactly what the rest of you can do."
"That's true," admits the terran. Then chuckles to himself seeing her expression. "You should be glad we're not that thorough about these things. If we knew half the stuff you're capable of we'd let you bail after Ego... There's a compliment in there somewhere," he adds.
She gives him a look. Not an unamused one, because she could tell there was a compliment in there somewhere. One she might be willing to take, even.
"So… not Mantis then."
"No," repeats Nebula, her tone making it clear she does have a solution. Which she immediately confirms by adding, "I'll take care of it."
"Ehm... how...?" he can't keep himself from saying.
"Oh," says Rocket, as usually being the only one to know what she's talking about. "And you think that will help...?"
"Guys," says Quill, trying his best not to sound annoyed. "You're doing it again."
"Sorry," says Nebula. She seems to mean it too. "I used to have nightmares too," she explains.
Not one of the Guardians is surprised by that revelation. Drax even utters "Understandable," under his breath.
"Oh," says Quill, finding he dropped his cards as the understanding hit him. "Used to," he repeats, starring at her. "What helped?"
"This," she says only.
Nothing happens for a second. And then there's a hologram taking up the space in front of her face, seeming to project out of one of her eyes. "Maybe you should have given them a warning you were going to do that," comments Rocket, taking in the shocked expressions of the other two Guardians.
"How are you doing that?" says Drax, waving his hand in front of her face, distorting the image as his fingers pass through it. Nebula slaps it away and turns off the projection.
"For the record, yeah, a warning next time" says Quill, sounding distant. Clearly needing some time to get over what he just saw. "But... yeah. We should definitely try that before putting Mantis on the case."
"Good," nods Drax, sounding satisfied. He picks up his cards again.
"Well," says Quill, stretching the syllables. "Since we're on the subject..."
"If this is another comment on his weight..." groans Rocket.
"We do need to do something about the beard..." continues Quill, ignoring him. "I suggest we slip him something and shave him while he's passed out."
"And then pray we survive what follows when he wakes up...?" guesses Nebula.
"See, that's why I was going to volunteer you for the job."
"Why?" she says, narrowing her eyes in suspicion.
"I just... don't seem him hurting you," he shrugs.
"Not without breaking his hand," says Rocket under his breath as he reshuffles the deck.
"Yeah," agrees Nebula. "I got a lot of vibranium replacements."
"Not what I meant," comments Quill looking up from his cards briefly.
"I think he thinks Thor wouldn't harm you because you're a lady," says Rocket in a theatrical whisper. Putting way too much emphasis on the last word, making Quill roll his eyes. Drax and Nebula exchange a look and burst out laughing.
"Pretty sure he meant Thor wouldn't because he knows I wouldn't hesitate to put him through a wall..." says Nebula when she eventually regains her composure.
"Exactly," nods Quill, glad they're on the same page.
"I'm still not going to help you with this."
"Are you enjoying looking at that thing? It's ridiculous..."
"We're putting up with Drax not knowing shirts are a thing, we can absolutely put up with..."
"Thor having decided the homeless wizard look really works for him," finishes Rocket with a grin. Nebula just nods before going back to happily ignoring the way Drax narrowed his eyes at her after her comment.
"I am curious how much longer is he going to grow it," says Drax then, in his usual completely matter-of-fact tone.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" says Rocket, his expression turning mischievous immediately.
"We are not making bets on that," says Quill. Trying to kick Rocket under the table to get his point across. Missing and… "You weren't kidding about the vibranium upgrades," he says weakly when he finds himself able to talk again. "I think all my toes are broken."
"And I think you have a terrible hand and this is you trying to get out of paying," says Rocket dismissively. "Suck it up captain. You can have painkillers after the game is finished."
...
He hides his face in his hands and stays that way until his breathing settles. It could be minutes. It feels like hours.
When he takes them away there's a figure in the door to the tiny excuse for a cabin.
Which is not that rare an occurrence, what with this being by no means a private space. Since this lumpy mattress is the closest thing to an actual bed aboard the ship and no one gets to really claim it – instead the ownership automatically changes depending on who is the most sleep-deprived person aboard in any given moment. So being woken from a nap by someone who decided he's been usurping it long enough is nothing new. Though Nebula does usually open up with kicking him in the ribs and telling him to get out. Her personality does not get improved when she needs her sleep.
But as he studies her expression in the gloom he finds that is not why she's here. This is about something else. What, he can't begin to guess.
"You need to see this," says Nebula. Her expression remains utterly unreadable as she comes in and sits down at the end of the bed.
The holographic footage that starts playing a few seconds later doesn't come as a surprise. He'd seen her do that before. What it shows, however...
"I didn't," he says as the few seconds showing the moment Thanos died come to an abrupt end. "Need to see that. I remember it happened."
"Not when you're dreaming," she says and waits, giving him a moment to decide whether he wants to lie to her - or himself - about that being the case. He finds he does not. "I used to play it for hours," she says then, her voice so soft it's almost unrecognizable. "After so many years it took effort to actually make myself believe he was gone. That I was free of him. So after every nightmare I would play this. To remind myself."
He nods to let her know he hears her. That he understands.
"May I... see it again?" he finds himself saying after some hesitation. She says nothing, merely plays the scene again. And again. Giving all indication she's willing to stay for hours if that's what he needs. "Thank you," he says in a whisper.
"Anytime."
She pats him on the hand before getting up to leave.
"Look who turns out to be good at being the captain," greets her as soon as she steps into the corridor outside.
"What does that even mean?" she says, her tone making it clear she's rolling her eyes.
"Just take the compliment, angry," replies Rocket.
Thor chuckles to himself as the sound of their voices gets more faraway. Then simply closes his eyes and escapes into sleep. To wake up hours later, rested after the first night untroubled by nightmares he got in years.