Wanda & Groot

Teaming up with the Guardians of the Galaxy, as they called themselves, was interesting. The ever present threat of Thanos had brought the Avengers back together, and though it was an uneasy truce, the peace between them held for now. The Guardians had tested that peace, however. For example, adding the additional element of Peter Quill into the mix of personalities had been fascinating. He reminded her of Pietro in a way, recklessly confident and outspoken. A ladies man with a heart of gold. She sensed his dedication to the woman Gamora, which he attempted to hide behind layers of bluster and flirtation, but she knew he would not be with another woman. The only woman in his heart was her.

However, his attitude clashed with that of Stark and Captain Rogers. He and Stark were too alike to get along easily, both arrogant and cocksure. Both certain they knew what was right. And Captain Rogers, being the straight and narrow sort of man he was, had little tolerance for their brand of mischief, which was one of the reasons he and Tony had such a difficult time maintaining a friendship. They both wanted to like each other, and in a way they did, but there was always an undercurrent of irritation. They rubbed each other raw.

Peter Quill was a bad element to add into that mix.

His companions were little better. Drax was far too loud and aggressive. He and Sam had a horrible time trying to communicate, what with Sam's liberal use of slang and colloquialisms. Sam was easily frustrated by Drax's literal nature. Natasha, however, seemed to enjoy Drax, if only by needling him. Nat could also be very literal when she wanted to be, and she had little difficulty conversing with Drax. Vision had no problem at all, of course. Drax liked him a lot.

Gamora was aggressive and a bit belligerent at times. She tolerated no nonsense, and so she and Clint tended to clash. He was a rather laid back person, coming off as a little dismissive and casual about serious things sometimes. That was just Clint's way of dealing, but Gamora was very serious by nature and tended to be offended when Clint acted that way about things she deemed important. Again, though, Natasha got along with Gamora well. They were birds of a feather, warriors who understood each other. Women who had depended on no one but themselves for a very long time, but had come to find a family to care for. Natasha and Gamora could often be found in each other's company, speaking in low voices. Wanda knew they were sharing experiences and concerns, and perhaps finding comfort in each other.

Mantis was odd, though she seemed harmless enough. Vision got along well with her, as they were both very innocent and kind, with a unique way of looking at the world. She made the rest of the team uncomfortable, though. Wanda knew why. Her own powers were bad enough. Now there was a woman who could read them at a touch, could affect change on them to a degree just by laying hands on them. With both her and Mantis along, her teammates were a bit discomfited, some more than others. Some trusted her more than others, after all.

Rocket was probably the hardest for the rest of them to take. He had little respect for Tony's inventions, which irked Tony to no end. He was abrasive and rude, offering little respect to anyone. Captain Rogers frowned every time he looked at Rocket, which didn't make matters any better. Rocket could tell Steve didn't like him, and that only encouraged him to be worse in Steve's presence. She knew it was a defense mechanism, and did her best not to cross paths with Rocket too often. She could understand him, but that didn't mean she wouldn't lose her temper, and she really couldn't afford to do that. Control was her life's goal now. Control of her emotions was necessary.

And then there was Groot. He was the strangest creature she had ever seen, even more so than Rocket. A walking, talking tree creature, whose limited verbal vocabulary disguised a broad intelligence and sharp wit. She knew only Rocket really understood Groot, though the other Guardians had developed a certain level of understanding. Vision had tried to communicate with Groot on more than one occasion, only to leave actually frustrated. There was no way for Vision to translate something that wasn't verbally or physically expressed, but rather spoken through the mind. The Avengers tended to avoid Groot whenever possible. None of them were comfortable interacting with someone who couldn't hold a conversation with them. She understood that.

But she also understood Groot. Her powers were useful in letting her past his limitations and directly into his mind. They had never spoken, but she listened to his comments to others, and sometimes couldn't help but snicker when he said something snarky that he knew none of them would understand.

However, she could also sense his loneliness underlying everything, and so she made it a point to find him one day to talk to him, deciding it might bring him some happiness to have another person to communicate with.

She found him watching Drax wrestle Thor. There was quite a crowd, actually. Most of the Avengers were there, as well as the Guardians, and there seemed to be a good bit of betting going on about the outcome of the wrestling match. She would place her money on Thor. He was an Avenger, after all. Solidarity. Groot was watching from a place near the wall, and he looked both alarmed and entertained. She smiled as she approached him.

"You are having a good time, I see. I'm glad." Groot just stared at her for a moment, his soulful eyes wide and startled. "Is there something wrong?" she asked uncertainly.

"I am Groot." "I thought my soul mark was a lie."

Wanda gaped as she tried to process what she'd just heard. She couldn't ignore the sting, though, as her soul mark Flared on her back, and she realized this really was it. Groot was her soulmate, and it wasn't the words he could vocalize that she had written on her skin, it was his truth. The real Groot.

"I am Groot." "Maybe I'm not what you wanted."

"I don't know what I wanted, except for someone who would accept me and love me as I am. So many have not," she said. She gave him a questioning look. "Will you reject me?"

"I am Groot." "Never."

"Then we are fine as we are," she said, relaxing and giving him a bright smile. She took his hands in her own and brought them to her lips, placing soft kisses on his fingers.

"I am Groot." "You are a very odd Terran. Most people would not be so eager to embrace my strangeness." He looked so sad that it broke Wanda's heart. She reached up to stroke her fingers over his face, marveling at the disparity of a wooden, yet very animated being.

"You are different, but that doesn't mean it's in a bad way. Your friends love you. You have a kind heart. Anyone who can't see that is not someone you should concern yourself with anyway." She tried to project her certainty, her belief. This was something he needed to be told. She placed her hand on his chest, over where she assumed his heart would be.

"You are beautiful to me," she said simply. Groot seemed taken aback by her words, but then broke into the biggest, most charming smile she had ever seen. She watched in amazement as he produced a single flower from his body and plucked it for her. She took it and tucked it into her hair by her ear, blushing.

"I am Groot." "I will watch over you. It's my duty now, and my pleasure. You are mine to care for."

"Yours forever," she agreed.

Watching from the other side of the room, Natasha stuck her hand out. "Pay up, boys."

"How does she always know?" Peter whined.

"Never bet against the Black Widow," Clint said, nodding sagely and handing her a twenty. "I definitely didn't see that coming."