I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because
I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made
I'm not in love, no no, it's because...

Peter walked around the Milano, hoping they'd make it to the buyer soon and he didn't have to deal with Tessa's and Rocket's bickering. They'd stopped for the moment; Tessa had gone upstairs to shower and change while Rocket…

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Yo, Ranger Rick! What are you doing? You can't take apart my ship without asking me! See, what is this?" Peter demanded.

"Don't touch that, it's a bomb," Rocket said simply, Peter's eyes widening.

"A bomb?"

"Yep."

"And you leave it lying around?" Peter asked incredulously.

"I was gonna put it in a box," Rocket said.

"What's a box gonna do?" Peter asked as Rocket pulled out a box; Peter's gift from his mother inside.

"How about this one?"

"No, Whoa! Hey! Hey! Leave it alone!"

"Why? What is it?" Rocket asked.

"Shut up," Peter said, Rocket getting offended.

"Hey!"

"What's that?" Peter asked, referring to the other thing.

"That's for if things get really hardcore. Or if you wanna blow up moons."

"If we end up blowing a moon, you're going to be on it," Tessa said, hopping down the stairs and smirking when Rocket snarled.

"You just wanna ruin everythin'."

"Gamora, we need your buyer's coordinates," Tessa said, ignoring Rocket for the time being.

"We're heading in the right direction, for now," Gamora replied, picking up the orb.

"If we're gonna work together, you might want to try trusting me a little bit," Peter said, Tessa rolling her eyes as she picked up on his flirty tone.

"And how much do you trust me?" Gamora asked, Peter taking the orb out of her hand.

"We'd trust you a hell of a lot more if you told us what this is. 'Cause this bad boy has got face melt-er written all over it," Tessa said.

"I don't know what it is," Gamora admitted.

"Well, that's real reassuring," Tessa whispered sarcastically as Peter put the orb down and Drax picked it up.

"If it's a weapon, we should use it against Ronan."

"Put it down, you fool! You'll destroy us all," Gamora said.

"Or just you, murderess!" Drax yelled.

"I let you live once, princess!" Gamora replied.

"I am not a princess!"

"Both of you SHUT UP!" Tessa yelled.

"Nobody is killing anybody on my ship!" Peter agreed "We're stuck together until we get the money."

Drax threw the orb to Peter.

"I have no interest in money." Then he stalked off.

"Great. That means more money for the four of us," Peter said.

"Five," Tessa corrected, nodding at Groot, who smiled at her.

"Five of us. Partners," Peter said.

"We have an agreement, but I would never be partners with the likes of you. I'll tell the buyer we're on our way... And Quill, your ship is filthy," Gamora said before walking away.

"Oh, she has no idea. If I had a black light, the place would look like a Jackson Pollock painting."

Tessa lifted her hand off of the table she'd been leaning it on, wiping it on Peter's arm.

"You got issues, Quill," Rocket said simply.

I like to see you
But then again
That doesn't mean you mean that much to me
So if I call you
Don't make a fuss
Don't tell your friends about the two of us
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

"What's Quill's deal with that box, anyway?" Rocket asked Tessa.

"Last remnant of his dead mother. Don't touch it," Tessa said, slightly deadpanned.

"Jesus," Rocket said, making a face "Quill does have issues."

"An unhealthy amount of them," Tessa said, plopping down in a chair and kicking her legs up on the table, watching Rocket work.

"What're ya lookin' at?" Rocket asked, feeling self-conscious.

"Got nothing better to do; Peter's probably trying to seduce Gamora, Drax is off pouting, and me and Groot can't exactly have meaningful conversations. Or, any conversations, really. So, I'm gonna bug you."

"Whata honor."

"Yep, anyways; why're you building bombs?" Tessa asked, pulling out her tablet to fiddle with it.

"Nothn' better to do," Rocket replied.

"You could not build things that may go off and kill us all," Tessa offered.

"You could not be a naggy bitch, but you're still doin' it."

"You need to get some new insults, Weasel, bitch is getting stale."

"You know what-."

They both prepared to start fighting again but were cut off by something landing on Tessa's head.

I keep your picture
Upon the wall
It hides a nasty stain that's lying there
So don't you ask me
To give it back
I know you know it doesn't mean that much to me
I'm not in love, no no, it's because..

Tessa frowned, going cross-eyed for a moment before reaching up and looking.

It was a flower crown.

"I am Groot."

Tessa and Rocket both looked with wide eyes over at Groot, who'd grown enough flowers to make a crown and was now smiling dopey at Tessa. Rocket braced himself to yell at Tessa for being a dick to Groot by taking it off or something.

Then she laughed.

Her real laugh, not her mean laugh that she did when she was arguing with someone; it was light and slightly bubbly.

"Thanks, Groot."

And then she hugged him.

Groot's mouth opened more in a soundless squeal, hugging her back, and then when they pulled away, he reached up and delicately fixed the crown on Tessa's head, the girl still smiling.

Rocket had to admit, she did look real nice with it on; Groot had picked blue flowers that looked real bright against her blonde hair.

Rocket frowned at his thoughts, returning to his work as Tessa sat back down, not noticing as Rocket snuck little peeks at her every so often.

But, Groot did.

Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time
Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time

Groot had left a little bit ago, and it was a surprisingly companionable silence between Rocket and Tessa.

Before Tessa started swearing under her breath.

"What's your problem?"

"This damn thing is breaking again," Tessa muttered, referring to the tablet in her hands.

Before Rocket plucked it out of them.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Humie," Was all Rocket said as he pulled out a few wires and fiddled with inside of it before holding it back out towards Tessa "There."

Tessa frowned and slowly took it back, messing around on it for a second to find it working perfectly, if not better than before.

"Thanks," She said quietly, sounding surprised.

"Whatever," Rocket muttered, going back to his work.

Tessa shot a few contemplative looks over at Rocket, but never at the same time as Rocket's looks.

But, what neither of them saw was that Groot was watching from behind the corner.

Along with Peter.

"Oh, this is gonna be good."

I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
And just because I call you up
Don't get me wrong, don't think you've got it made
I'm not in love
I'm not in love