I'm sorry I haven't written in eons. I still love this pairing. I also love reviews!
Mantis was still somewhat frozen. She'd been stiff as a board since approaching Gamora and getting dragged over to a nearby outlook's ledge.
She wasn't afraid of Gamora… much. But, to move in this moment seemed wrong, and would no doubt be irritating when the green woman was performing such a delicate task. Her fingers were gently raking through Mantis's hair, pulling at the strands enough to tug at her roots.
That in itself wasn't unpleasant - but it was like being touched by royalty. One wrong move and Mantis could possibly offend her teammate, or make her angry.
"Am I hurting you?" Gamora leaned to one side and caught Mantis's eye. Reflexively, Mantis looked down at the floor.
"Oh, no. No." She chirped. "I'm just… not sure what we're doing?"
Gamora snorted, though the sound was so soft it might as well have been a sigh. "Sorry. You were panicking so…"
The warrior separated Mantis's hair into six parts and began to entwine different strands together in a braid. She'd raised an eyebrow at the uneven length that her teammate had from front to back, but Gamora had faced challenges far greater than this.
"I thought this might calm you." She continued. "When I'm nervous, I often braid my hair."
"Oh." Mantis spoke in awe.
"I've done so since I was a child." Gamora finished. Her hands continued working
She was sheltered, but not so naive that she didn't understand that this information wasn't precious. Gamora had come across as a guarded person since Mantis first met her, and was threatened with a broken hand for even being near her.
They were on much friendlier terms now, but even then Mantis found it difficult to gather the moments when Gamora showed softness or affection. That she'd reveal something from her past was even more of a wonder than when she was kind and open.
It stayed silent for a beat, and Gamora had moved on to setting the next braid with stealthy ease. Mantis found that she hardly minded it, as the barely there pull of Gamora's fingers and the sight of stars whirling by their outlook became soothing just as quickly.
"What made you think you were ill?" Gamora asked in a light murmur. "Or worse? Whatever that may be."
And all of a sudden, Mantis went stiff again and felt her insides jump uncomfortably. "It… It is difficult to explain."
The light pulling stopped for a moment, but went on: a silent inquiry for Mantis to go on and try.
Mantis breathed in. "At the cave, before you and Peter got to me, Rocket got to me first."
The very mention of his name made her stomach clench. "He was very intimidating, when he threatened our foe."
"Rocket scared you?" Gamora asked.
"No, I don't - I don't think so, but when he'd run into that cave, I felt so strange." Mantis wrung her hands together. "I couldn't stop shaking."
"Rocket would never hurt you." Gamora stated.
"I know -" Mantis hurried to dissuade her, but Gamora cut her off without notice.
"But, perhaps you were scared for him." She went over the words slowly, as if testing the thought out. "That would make sense. We were all scared for you when that Lycyber attacked. Yet, Rocket put himself in danger for you."
Mantis blinked, feeling airy lightness in the hollow of her chest. It made her almost breathless, and as though she could somehow float out of her skin and into the compressed oxygen inside the cabin.
"For me?" She breathed quietly.
Behind her, Gamora bunched the five braids she'd made together, then twisted them around seamlessly. Her brow had furrowed a smidge at Mantis's apparent disbelief that they would come save her. It had been some time since Mantis had joined the Guardians, and Gamora had believed that - though it was unspoken - Mantis understood that she was valued as a team member. It mattered to not just her or Peter or Drax, but to everyone that Mantis was safe. Gamora was certain that even Rocket cared, though he tried so damn hard to hide it.
"Any one of us would have done so." Gamora said. "Just as you would have done if one of us was in your place."
Mantis nodded without hesitation. "Of course."
Gamora smiled. She'd both bought and pilfered jewelry from the many different vendors and shops they'd passed since their second return to Xandar, including a group of chainlink hairbands. There were plenty on hand for Gamora whenever she needed them, but it didn't hurt to spare one in this case.
The silver glinted pleasantly against the black as it held Mantis's newfound braid.
"But, Gamora?" Mantis pivoted to glimpse at the green woman's face. "Why am I still feeling it? My heart is still beating so fast when I only just think of what happened."
"Maybe your fears were suppressed?" Gamora said. "You were fine before because you didn't want to frighten us. But now that the danger has fled, you're experiencing what you would have in that moment? A rush of adrenaline."
The answer stumped Mantis. She stared at Gamora before slowly turning back to the outlook. Her reflection beheld a very forlorn expression, highlighted by silver stars still trailing beyond their ship.
It was plausible that what had happened on Satno (and in the medbay) were no more than a twisted nerve elicited by the terrifying experience of being dragged away from her friends. Mantis had been so sure that the heat and the fluttering and the chills that she'd had as Rocket came to her rescue were all a part of her attraction to him.
The feeling had been akin to when Mantis had first discovered Peter's love for Gamora, and before then, at a time when Ego's thoughts meandered to territories that Mantis didn't understand. She'd thought she'd known that feeling better than anyone ever could, despite never having felt it herself.
Then again, Ego had lied about many things. Had manipulated and tricked and harmed those around him, including not just his offspring but his past lovers as well. What he'd projected was perhaps not to be trusted.
Mantis considered the possibility. She'd always been fuzzy on everything that she was capable of, ever since birth on Ego's planet. He'd given her little guidance in the way of knowing herself, most likely because information on her kind wasn't useful for him to divulge.
However, Mantis could conflate the two concepts of love and fear together. She might have displaced herself, having always feared Ego, and mixed the feelings up in her mind until she couldn't pick either apart.
Before long, Gamora had leaned forward and squeezed Mantis's shoulders comfortingly. It wasn't exactly a hug, but the intent spoke volumes and broke Mantis's reverie. "I don't think you're sick."
"It'll go away with time." The woman assured Mantis. Gamora stood and offered Mantis a hand to pull her to her feet.
Internally, Gamora admired her own handiwork. The braid had all but made Mantis a little more approachable. And a little more adorable.
"Don't worry. We'll be headed to Xandar next." Gamora said. "And you'll have plenty of time to calm down and feel safe, again."
Mantis couldn't remember falling asleep - where or when was a mystery. Yet she knew on the spot, as soon as she'd gotten a look at her surroundings, that she was dreaming.
Berhart should have long been forgotten. In her mind, Mantis knew that that was impossible, since she'd been cataloging the very few places she'd gotten to visit since childhood. Still, the sight left her uneasy and a bit puzzled.
It took her forever to realize that she was in not only a dream, but a memory.
A memory of what had never happened.
Ego was inviting the guardians to his ship, as they sat around a campfire. He looked proud and charming, like always, as he telegraphed to Mantis that he knew he'd get his way. Ego had had such faith in Peter Quill, and that in itself paved the way for Ego to brim with almost kindly glee.
Mantis had heard garbles of sound as she took in the sight of the fire and the blue of the night against her companions, but the dream seemed to solidify when she finally understood what was said.
"…Even your triangle-faced monkey there." Mantis's gaze tore from Ego's swarthy gate and instantly targeted Rocket.
He bared his teeth in defiance of Ego's words, but only for a moment. Mantis watched him blink and pull back, cupping his snout with private indigence and a flicker of hurt. Mantis felt her heart turn into stone at the very sight.
Ego had disappeared while Mantis ached, and a tiny part of her understood that though this memory had never been, she couldn't possibly speak out against her former master. No, not even in her mind.
She leaned toward Rocket, as though waiting to go to him and offer comfort.
"I am sorry." Mantis heard herself speak.
Rocket's head swiveled in her direction. "What?"
"I said I'm sorry." She repeated. "Ego is cruel, and - and he isn't always right. He's wrong."
Rocket's brow shot up, but he didn't say a word.
"He can't see how wonderful you are." Mantis said. "And it's wrong. You're special and more than Ego will ever be."
He wasn't really Rocket, but the light that touched his brown eyes was painstaking. A touch of reality, because that flicker of hurt before seemed to have shifted to genuine surprise, and even gratitude.
Mantis's heart fluttered again, the ache turning into longing.