Just another short story. Please review, if you wish and thank you for taking the time to read. Apologies for any errors.

The dulcet music flooded The Milano, but not a soul on board moved along to it. Gamora stood in the kitchen, sharpening her knives, her shoulders tense and her face blank. In the corner of the room, on the floor, sat Peter, hunched over his own legs with his journal on his lap.

He and Gamora had argued moments prior, and now both were reluctant to be the first one to speak. Peter had repeatedly looked up from his journal and eyed his girlfriend but his stubbornness had taken over and he'd looked away once more.

Peter hadn't wanted to argue but Gamora had continued to yell at him as they walked back to The Milano and he had eventually shouted back. She had been mad at him for jumping in front of her when a man pointed his gun at her; thankfully, Drax had been there to tackle the man to the ground, but Peter still earned a hard punch from Gamora for his, as she called it, stupidity.

Now, he had a sore arm from her hit and a heavy heart from their arguing. 'My love is alive, way down in my heart' rang in his ears, and a shiver rippled down his spine. Placing his journal on the floor, he raised his knees and buried his face in them. He was exhausted from their fighting, he wanted nothing more than to take Gamora to bed and lie there in each other's embrace while he told her tales from Terra. She always found them incredibly fascinating; she had no idea half of them were the storylines from his favourite movies.

Something landed on Peter's shoulder, and a warmth enveloped his side. He looked scarcely from his knees and saw Gamora had placed her head on his shoulder, her eyes watching him, and leaned her body against him. When she saw him look at her, she looped her arm under his and placed her hand on his leg. She didn't say a word, she just looked at him with a sad shimmer in her eyes. He gave her an understanding smile and covered her hand with his.

They sat for a moment in silence, content in each other's embrace, until Gamora spoke. "I know you were only trying to save me."

"I didn't want you to get shot, I don't wanna lose you."

"And I don't want to lose you, Peter, that's why I was so angry."

Peter nodded and squeezed her hand, "We're both too protective, yanno that? And we really need to stop fighting every time one of us saves the other one's life."

Gamora shrugged, "It's because," she said with a small smile, moving Peter's arm so it was around her shoulders, and looking into his eyes, "I love you."

"You're perfect, yanno?"

Gamora let out a puff of air resembling a laugh, and made herself more comfortable against Peter's side. "That's a new compliment from you."

"I should tell you more often," smiled Peter.

"Don't be mawkish."

"Hey, I'm not being mawkish!"

"Peter, do you even know what 'mawkish' means?"

"… No."

Gamora rolled her eyes, laughing.

"I mean it, Gamora…"

Peter jumped slightly when Gamora abruptly stood up.

"What?" he asked, when she offered him her hand.

"Just come with me."

"Where-"

Gamora shook her head, "No questions."

Gamora helped Peter up and lead him out of the kitchen. She stopped by the music player and studied it for a moment.

"Need help?" Peter asked, but Gamora shushed him with a wave of her hand.

She pressed several buttons before the song changed to another, and she turned back to him with a satisfied smile.

"Elvin Bishop, nice choice," grinned Peter, as Gamora took a step closer to him and took his hand lightly in hers. They started swaying together, closely, their noses always touching.

"Now I'm being mawkish," Gamora mumbled. Peter kissed her cheek, watching as the beginning of a smile played at the corner of her mouth. "Peter, if I'd never met you… I… well, I fear I would never have felt half of the emotions I do."

"What do you mean?"

Gamora wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pressed her forehead to his and looked down; she didn't want to look at him, being so raw about her emotions while looking at him made her uncomfortable.

"I… I never saw myself as a woman who could… fall in love one day. I never thought I would ever have any friends nevermind a partner. Thanos turned me into a weapon… he made me an assassin, a monster, I-"

"You're not a monster. An assassin – yes, but a monster – no," said Peter, "Hey, no, come on, look-" he nudged her head up with his finger to her chin and looked into her eyes, "Who cares if you were an assassin? I'm no stranger to hurting or killing people – you still love me though, right?"

"It's not the same," Gamora shook her head.

"It is."

Gamora gave him a doubtful look but Peter shook his head and said, "I love you, no matter what. You told me your whole backstory when I first met you, and yet here we are. I would never judge you on your past, okay?" He stared at Gamora until she nodded and then he moved closer to her once more and they started to sway to the music again. "The amount of times you've saved my life, and the Galaxy, I'm sure that makes up for all of the bad."

"God, you two are out of control!" came Rocket's voice from the doorway, after Gamora and Peter had fallen back into their rhythm.

"We're just dancing. It's not like we're doing it right there on the floor," commented Peter.

Gamora leaned her forehead against Peter's shoulder in exasperation and they fell still.

Rocket emptied out his bag of new supplies onto the floor and started piecing random parts together.

Peter ushered Gamora backwards, until they reached their bedroom.

"He's got earplugs, right?" he asked Gamora.

"Yes, why?"

"No reason," grinned Peter and roughly kissed Gamora, guiding her backwards into their bedroom and kicking the door shut behind them.

"Unbelievable," scoffed Rocket, rolling his eyes and scrunching his face into one of disgust.