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[ His laugh is halfhearted at best, but he tries. He bats ineffectually at her hand. ]

Cut it out.

[ His smile doesn't quite fade, but it takes a slightly sober edge as his arms settle by his side again. He lifts a shoulder in a shrug. ]

Like I keep saying: a lot happened.

[Her expression is that mix between wistful and forlorn. Yet her gaze remains light on him, gentle, watchful, taking him in more fully. A lot. Such a small word for such monumental things.

A delicate pause as they move, taking a left at the intersection.]

You know... I do want you to be happy. Or to find some measure of happiness.

[ Another soft exhale, something that wants to be a laugh. ]

I know.

[ And he does know that, genuinely.

His gaze softens, and he returns her gaze, eyebrows knitting together. ]

You know I want the same for you, right? I don't want you to feel— I dunno, obligated or anything to spend time with me.

If you need more time on your own, that's fine. Or if you want company, I'll come running. Whatever you want.

[Obligated. He might frustrate her and annoy her, drive her up the walls, but... But it would never fall into the category of an obligation. Her feelings are still fresh, not having that expanse of time that the others do. Not having those years of struggle and turmoil as they had. Not seeing Thanos finally taken down. Stopped.

Her own steps pause, and halt.]

... I'm the ghost here, Peter. I don't- I don't know- want to hinder you.

[Which yes, she knows sounds slightly (or a lot) ridiculous. Vulnerable is not something that Gamora tends to be, but there is that uncertainty, as if not wanting to acknowledge that they return to place how things have been before. An earlier time. A step back,]

[ He can't quite help it – he breathes out a soft, disbelieving laugh. ]

You would never hinder me.

[ And maybe in a different tone that might sound cocky, but he's not using that kind of voice. Maybe Peter's knowledge and experience with the multiverse was shallow at best, but he can't imagine any world, any universe, where Gamora had held him back.

In their universe the only one that really mattered (because he's always had a selfish streak), what had Gamora ever done in their brief time together but make him want to be better?

... And, okay, admittedly, that's a lot of shit to put on one person's shoulders, which is why he's been working on himself, lately. Sort of.

He hesitates before pulling ahead to step in front of her – not quite blocking her path, but at least forcing her to pause. ]

I need you to understand something. I've been tiptoeing around it, because I've been worried about rushing you, or pressuring you into something, so— I'm just gonna say it. But I'm not saying it to push you, so do what you want with this information.

[ He pauses, pulling a hand through his hair. And maybe he spends too long collecting himself, trying to form the words – because once he realizes he's stalling, he gives himself a silent shove, and the words come out in a rush: ]

I loved you, Gamora. And I kept loving you. And when I lost you, I didn't know what to do. I fell apart. I was a wreck. I'm sure Nebula will probably be more than happy to let you know how much of a mess I was.

And, yeah, I went home 'cause I was trying to move on, but that doesn't mean I ever stopped loving you. Because I still love you, and I don't see that stopping any time soon.

[There's a small scrunching of her forehead with that laugh, but yes, okay. Perhaps it hadn't exactly been the best choice of words. She is more than capable and for the most part, Peter is as well. He may make some questionable decisions at times, but Gamora has learned that it is part of his charm.

She does draw to a halt though, glancing upwards at him as he stops there. There's that inquisitive gentleness on her face although the air around her also seems electric. As if she could be moved into action. It's not a fight or flight reaction. It's just- he had been a mark, someone to steal from, and Gamora had not planned for the encounter to be more than that. Get the orb. Get off planet. Get away from Thanos.

Then this Terran had fumbled and tripped his way into her life, with his outlandish sayings and idiotic plans. And... And it had worked. By the stars, what they had accomplished doesn't seem possible, and yet they had. A family. A place to belong. Home. They are not things that Gamora had ever thought to find, and life had been all the sweeter for it. She hadn't understood what it was that she was missing, until she had found it.

A small inhale when he uses the past tense, but no. Of course not... She doesn't like to be vulnerable, to be put in a position where she lacks power, where she doesn't know her footing. It makes her feel awkward and she hates that feeling. And stalling he might have been, and no poet he is, but it is from the heart. It is always from the heart with him, and it is one of the many things Gamora does love about him.]

You fool.

[It's that soft tone, tender. But he was and is her fool. Always. Just like her love for him. Always.

It's that half step into him, and while Gamora might not be the touchy feely type, not one to skip or stop to smell the flowers or generally invading other's personal spaces, it doesn't stop her from ducking her head against his chest or slipping her arms around his waist, from breathing in deeply and squeezing tightly.]

[ It's a common enough epithet that something bittersweet lurches in him with it – because he recognizes the tone, recognizes the affection behind it, and he breathes out another quiet laugh, though this one might be a little rougher, a little more choked.

The instant she steps into his space, and the instant she hugs him, he curls his own arms protectively around her shoulders, tucking his cheek against her hair. And maybe his grip on her is a tight enough to be stifling, but he doesn't really care. It's been years since he's had the opportunity to do this, and grief and relief are both swarming through him in equal measure.

He dredges up an unsteady smile and manages to imbue some lightness into his voice: ]

I might be a fool, but you like me anyway.

[Years for one and not for the other. If she closes her eyes tight enough, she can still recall the anguish on his face from the last time that Gamora had seen them. She doubts that time would change it for either of them, and while she might generally protest any extreme or overt displays of affection, she doesn't mind it in this morning. Doesn't mind how his arms confine her, cut off her awareness of her surroundings, because in this moment, her focus is solely on him. The warm of his skin, the familiar scent of him (although perhaps a little less grimy than he sometimes was) and the soft thud of his heart against her ear.

She'd missed them all in those last days, something fierce and hard. Had thought of a million ways to return, although none had come to fruition. Then again, no plan she had attempted had turned out as she had thought, right down to the switchblade on Vormir.]

Most of the time.

[That soft murmur that is surprisingly level. She lets it linger there for a heart beat or two, before she does add more.]

Love you, always.

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