Tony Stark woke up to screaming. Not in his room, but definitely one of the adjacent rooms. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the morning light and hangover. He reaches over to feel for Pepper, but he doesn't find him there. Worried that he might still be upset, Tony peered around the room looking for him. The bed was ruffled enough to show that Pepper had at least been there.
More muffled shouting and screaming came from outside the room. No longer one for ignoring a situation, Tony looked through the closet, put on pants, changed t-shirts, and proceeded to go outside.
He opens the door to see Happy and Sam both standing in the hallway looking at the room that's making all the noise. They can hear even more shouting before the door swings open, revealing a partially dressed Star-Lord, hurriedly fiddling with her Jacket.
"This is not happening! This did not happen." Star-Lord says rushing out. After taking a few steps she spots their audience. She looks from Sam to Happy then back to Sam before rushing toward Happy and grabbing his shoulders. "You saw. Nothing happened right?"
Happy, a little confused, shakes his head. "I didn't see anything."
Star-Lord turns to Sam then Tony. "You guys saw something right?"
Tony forgets about his troubles for a moment and shakes his head with Sam.
Tony, Happy, and Sam all turn toward the room to see a shirtless, and most likely naked Mantis walking toward the door. He is partially concealed by a blanket wrapped around his waist. "Hi," he says with a smile. "We're engaged."
Peter Quill turns back toward Mantis and points at him. "No! We're not! I never approved of this, nothing happened..."
"Hey, what's going on out here?" Rocket says as she slowly shuffles out of another room. "Is everyone alright?" She turns toward the group and notices Star-Lord in distress.
Peter Quill looks toward her friend and starts to tear up. "Rocket..."
Immediately on guard, Rocket rushes toward Peter. "What happened? Who hurt you? Was it one of them?" Rocket turns toward Happy, Sam, and Tony. "Are they picking on you? Grrr..." she growls at Sam.
Sam takes a step back raising his hands in the air. He looks at Happy then Tony before turning back toward Rocket. "What the hell? Why am I the first suspect?"
Rocket is unaware of the connotations of the question, so she just assumes Sam is blaming the others. She now looks back and forth between all three, unsure of who to growl at.
"It's not them Rocket." Peter Quill says. "It's Mantis." She points at Mantis who is still smiling.
"Mantis?" Rocket asks somewhat confused. She looks at Mantis, noticing he is undressed then looks toward Peter who is shyly covering her body. It dawns on her what might have happened. "Oh no! Mantis! You can't do stuff like that!" Rocket shouts, angrily. Mantis looks at Rocket confused. "Bad Mantis!" Rocket continues to shout. "Very bad!"
Another door opens and a very naked Drax steps out to see what all the noise is about.
"Oh God!" Star-Lord says loudly, turning away.
Tony, Sam, and Happy turn away and cover their eyes at the sudden intrusion.
"Is everything alright?" an equally naked Nebula asks slowly walking into the doorway, with his large genitalia swinging in the open air.
"WHAT!?" Star-Lord shouts.
"You too?!" Rocket asks loudly. Drax just smiles, while Nebula looks on, confused. He is not accustomed to people being offended by nudity.
Tony, Sam, and Happy at various points risk taking a glance before deciding to turn away again.
"I didn't mean to be bad." Mantis says sadly. "I just woke up and we were like that."
"Like what?" Rocket asks. "Naked? How did that happen?"
"Nothing happened!" Star-Lord shouts. "It was just hot last night, and I decided to take off some clothes." Rocket and Drax look toward Star-Lord with scepticism.
"She wasn't in there with me!" Peter Quill shouts. "She must have come in sometime in the night!"
"Did anyone see anything?" Rocket asks, getting a round of shaken heads and "nos" from everyone.
"Hey guys," Sam interrupts them. "This conversation is getting a little too awkward for me, so I'm just gonna peace out... and go eat." He points down the hall and starts walking away. Tony and Happy choose not to add to the conversation and just start following Sam.
"So, how're you feeling, Lover Boy?" Sam asks, turning to Tony with a smirk.
"Now's not the time!" Tony snaps back, rubbing his temples as they continue on their way.
Another door opens down the hall as the Guardians continue to converse.
"Do you remember anything that happened?" Rocket asks Peter Quill.
"No!" She mopes. "What if she did stuff to me?" Peter Points toward Mantis.
"You two were getting very touchy with each other last night." Drax tells Peter.
"Shut up!" Star-Lord tells her. "You're no better! What about you and Nebula?!"
Drax looks toward Nebula momentarily grabbing his hand in hers. "What Nebula and I had was different." Drax responds. "What we had was a warrior's bond. It will bring us closer in the upcoming battle. We are like brothers."
"WHAT!?" Star-Lord shouts. "No, no, no!" Star-Lord crosses her arms again. "What if she...?" Star-Lord bobs her head in an attempt to point at her crotch.
Rocket, realizing the question, walks up to sooth Star-Lord. "It's okay Peter, it's okay. Do you feel any different? Down there?"
Star Lord thinks for a moment then nods. "I think so, but I don't know. I always feel different nowadays. What if I get pregnant? Is there a way to tell?"
"I don't know." Rocket responds with equal concern. "I'm not ready to be a grandma!" She says throwing Star-Lord off guard. Before she can ask what Rocket means Thor approaches them.
"Why's everyone naked?" Thor asks.
Drax looks up toward Thor. "Our Captain and Mantis have consummate their relationship."
"Oh, cool. Congratulations." Thor says disinterested, before looking behind Drax. "Nebula? Is that you?"
"Yes." Nebula responds matter of factly.
"Way to go, my Brother!" Thor cheers, reading the situation. "A natural playboy! Let's celebrate, and eat!"
"Very well." Nebula says. "Is that alright?" He asks Drax, unsure why he wants her permission.
"Yes, please." Drax responds patiently, releasing Nebula's hand. "Go, enjoy the company of your friends."
The idea of having friends brings a different feeling of joy to Nebula, and he is having a hard time recognizing it. He just knows it feels good as he collects his clothes to join Thor.
"What is pregnant?" Mantis asks, stepping further out the room.
"You don't know what pregnant means?" Rocket asks, shocked.
"Oh God!" Star-Lord says, feeling shocked, hurt, and violated.
"Pregnant is the product of your consummation." Drax tells Mantis, who smiles at her like she understands, but really doesn't. "If Peter takes your seed, she will become with-child, and bear your offspring."
"What's offspring?" Mantis asks with a smile.
"It's a baby!" Rocket snaps. "She might have a baby!" Star-Lord is now clutching her stomach like she is going to be sick.
"A baby?" Mantis asks. "Babies are so cute. Like when Groot was little."
"Terran babies aren't cute!" Rocket says, annoyed and pointing at Mantis.
"Yes! They're hideous," Drax responds. "and they are a lot of work. They require constant feeding, and attention." Mantis begins to listen, with concern. "You will need to settle down, find a home, and work hard to support your child."
"It can't live on the ship?" Mantis asks.
"We can't take care of a human child!" Rocket shouts. "It's yours and her responsibility!" Rocket points at them both.
"But how will we adventure?" Mantis asks worriedly.
"Ha ha ha!" Rocket laughs loud and sarcastically.
"You cannot take a baby adventuring!" Drax tells Mantis. "You have to find a way to support Peter and your child now."
"I have to support Peter, too?" Mantis now looks legitimately terrified.
"Yes!" Rocket continues to shout. "You can't expect her to do all the work of taking care of your half-breed child! You have to be a father!"
"But, I don't want to be a father." Mantis protests. Star-Lord and Rocket look at him, shocked at his reaction.
"You have to." Drax says patiently. "It is what a good man would do."
"No!" Mantis says defiantly. "I don't want to be a good man! I want to be a scrapper, or an adventurer, or a Guardian of the Galaxy!"
"Mantis!" Rocket shouts. "Don't act like that!"
"No! I don't want to talk about this!" Mantis tries to grab the edge of the blanket and rushes back to the room. Because he does not have a good grip, they all get a good glimpse of his butt.
"Mantis! You get back here, young man!" Rocket shouts.
Mantis turns around after entering the room and shouts back. "No! I don't want to be a daddy!" He slams the door.
"That was awkward." Thor says, who was actually still watching the whole conversation unfold from nearby.
Rocket and Drax ignore Thor and turn toward Star-Lord, who looks on the verge of tears.
"Peter..." Rocket approaches her and places her paw on one of Peter's hands. "It's gonna be alright. We're here for you. We're family." Star-Lord looks up toward Drax who is nodding in agreement.
"Thanks guys..." Peter Quill responds. "I just wish there was some way of knowing what happened last night."
They all seem to nod and accept that it may always be a mystery.
***Five hours earlier***
"Huh! What the hell is that?!" Rocket wakes up in a panic. She looks around the room and spots Groot sitting in the corner, still playing his game. Mantis is still curled up on Groot's outstretched hand snoring extremely loudly.
"I am Groot."
"Groot, what's Mantis doing in here?"
"I am Groot."
"I can see that, but why is she sleeping in our room?"
"I am Groot."
"I don't know where her room is either. Just take her to someone else's room. I'm trying to sleep here."
"I am Groot!" Groot grumbles as he slowly gets to his feet. He pulls Mantis to the door and out the room.
Standing outside in the hallway Groot looks up and down at all the available doors. He tries to take a guess at which room was meant for Mantis, but he really wasn't paying attention when Shuri brought them down the hallway.
Groot begins to walk down the hallway, placing his ear on every door until he hears a familiar breathing. He smiles and opens this door to reveal a big open room with Peter Quill sleeping half dressed on a large bed in the middle.
Groot pulls Mantis in, lifts him over the bed, and gently sets him down on the other side, roughly arms length away from Peter Quill. "I am Groot." he whispers happily at the fact he didn't wake either of them.
Groot is able to pull his hand out from Mantis easily and quietly exit the room. He starts his game up almost immediately to celebrate his accomplishment.
Meanwhile in the room, after a few minutes, Mantis begins to thrash. Much like Peter, he is used to sleeping on their ship, floating in the coldness of space.
"Why is it so hot!" Mantis mumbles as he begins undressing in his sleep, tossing his clothes on the floor near the bed. He resumes snoring loudly after stripping completely naked. He does not move a single inch until he wakes up in the morning due to Star-Lord's screams.
***Back to roughly five hours later***
"Why's everyone naked?" Thor asks loudly outside the closed door.
"Oh my god, they're being so loud!" Hawkeye says as he stretches and runs his right hand through his hair. "I just want to get a little more sleep." He says as he turns to his left and pulls his companion closer.
Natasha reaches his left arm around and wraps it around Clint's chest, pulling him closer as well. Clint rests his chin in Natasha's hair.
"Do you think maybe we should go out there and check on them?" Natasha asks.
"Hell no!" Clint responds. "After last night, and the way things are sounding out there, I think they've got enough drama and gossip to deal with for one day."
Natasha laughs before looking up into Hawkeye's face. He doesn't have to second guess Clint's decision. Hawkeye has never been the type to hide his feelings, so Natasha knew he wouldn't care if anyone knew about their relationship. Even if it was only for one night.
"I know I probably shouldn't be saying this," Natasha tells Clint, "but it feels pretty good that we seem to have finally had our moment, however brief."
Clint's gaze jumps back and forth between Natasha's eyes. "It does, doesn't it?" He asks him.
"This is how I wanted things in Budapest to end." Natasha says, lowering his head and resting it on Clint's chest.
"You and I remember Budapest very differently." He responds with a light chuckle, before kissing Natasha's head and pulling him closer.