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When you thump a tub.
[ And he deadpans it, without skipping a beat. ]
[ And he deadpans it, without skipping a beat. ]
To get folks' attention, probably.
[ He waves a hand a little dismissively. ]
Anyway— no. Or— maybe kinda yes?
Just saying, they've got more like this, but they've also got some stuff that's poppy, you know? Lots of earworms.
[ He waves a hand a little dismissively. ]
Anyway— no. Or— maybe kinda yes?
Just saying, they've got more like this, but they've also got some stuff that's poppy, you know? Lots of earworms.
[ ... ah.
Right. ]
No, not really. They're just catchy enough that it feels like they're burrowing into your brain. That kinda thing.
Right. ]
No, not really. They're just catchy enough that it feels like they're burrowing into your brain. That kinda thing.
"Dancing Queen."
[ And he says it without hesitation, with the utmost gravity. ]
It's their biggest hit.
[ And a fucking bop. He'll fight anyone on that front. ]
[ And he says it without hesitation, with the utmost gravity. ]
It's their biggest hit.
[ And a fucking bop. He'll fight anyone on that front. ]
[ For a second, he can't quite smother the surprised smile that curls the corner of his mouth. ]
Yeah?
[ It's all the hesitation he offers, though, because he knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.
His Zune, unfortunately, is still waiting for him back in his quarters. He pushes himself up, though when the sudden movement jars his healing wound, he stops himself with a hiss, bracing himself with a hand on the back of his seat.
It takes only a few seconds for the discomfort passes, and once it does, he lets out a slow breath. ]
Gimme a bit. Gotta grab my Zune.
Yeah?
[ It's all the hesitation he offers, though, because he knows better than to look a gift horse in the mouth.
His Zune, unfortunately, is still waiting for him back in his quarters. He pushes himself up, though when the sudden movement jars his healing wound, he stops himself with a hiss, bracing himself with a hand on the back of his seat.
It takes only a few seconds for the discomfort passes, and once it does, he lets out a slow breath. ]
Gimme a bit. Gotta grab my Zune.
[ This time, when Peter's pain is more pronounced, Gamora doesn't manage to withhold her reaction. She straightens, watching him intently as he holds himself steady, though she doesn't reach out or offer anything.
(She's not sure what she could offer.)
He finally seems to relax, but her eyes stay carefully fixed on him.
Then, ]
I'm not going anywhere.
(She's not sure what she could offer.)
He finally seems to relax, but her eyes stay carefully fixed on him.
Then, ]
I'm not going anywhere.
[ He nods, offering a brisk be right back before he heads off.
And to his credit, he's quick about it, gone and back again in a handful of moments (and maybe just a touch out of breath, because he may have been going at a decent clip). ]
I, um. I've got a clone of this, too.
[ This, cast over his shoulder, as he heads to the makeshift sound system he and Rocket rigged years ago. ]
The music on the Zune, I mean.
And to his credit, he's quick about it, gone and back again in a handful of moments (and maybe just a touch out of breath, because he may have been going at a decent clip). ]
I, um. I've got a clone of this, too.
[ This, cast over his shoulder, as he heads to the makeshift sound system he and Rocket rigged years ago. ]
The music on the Zune, I mean.
Yeah, all of it.
[ 300 songs is a fucking lot, in Peter's mind, but the amount of data it takes up is practically a drop in a bucket. ]
One of the first things I did after I got it was to make sure I had a backup. And a backup of the backup.
[ It was something he would've surely gotten around to, but the encounter with Ego had spurred him to put in the extra effort. ]
[ 300 songs is a fucking lot, in Peter's mind, but the amount of data it takes up is practically a drop in a bucket. ]
One of the first things I did after I got it was to make sure I had a backup. And a backup of the backup.
[ It was something he would've surely gotten around to, but the encounter with Ego had spurred him to put in the extra effort. ]
[ He lets out a quiet breath, something approaching a laugh. ]
Yeah. Pretty sure Rocket's got, like, three copies of everything stashed somewhere.
[ He plugs in the Zune, navigating the menus. The alphabet is on his side, for once, and reaching ABBA's "Dancing Queen" takes only a matter of seconds. ]
Yeah. Pretty sure Rocket's got, like, three copies of everything stashed somewhere.
[ He plugs in the Zune, navigating the menus. The alphabet is on his side, for once, and reaching ABBA's "Dancing Queen" takes only a matter of seconds. ]
[ Gamora waits patiently for Peter to start the music, but the introductory scale catches her completely off guard. She almost jumps, not quite, but her eyes are momentarily comically large.
The melody itself kicks in immediately after, and Gamora relaxes again, tilting her head to the side to listen to the new song.
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Gamora has found over the last few weeks that it's shockingly easy for her to get into this music. She often moves with it, even in small ways, and now, she sits tapping her fingers against her knee to the beat. ]
The melody itself kicks in immediately after, and Gamora relaxes again, tilting her head to the side to listen to the new song.
Where they play the right music
Getting in the swing
You come to look for a king
Gamora has found over the last few weeks that it's shockingly easy for her to get into this music. She often moves with it, even in small ways, and now, she sits tapping her fingers against her knee to the beat. ]
[ He leaves the Zune where it's plugged in, glancing back over his shoulder. He smothers a smile when he sees that the music must've caught her off-guard, though he decides not to call her on it.
Instead, he makes his way back to sit with her – though for a split-second, instinct nearly has him take the seat directly beside her. He falters before carefully lowering himself back in the seat across from her.
She seems to be enjoying it, and he wonders if she's conscious of those little tells – the almost unnoticeable sway of her body, the way she follows the rhythm with subtle taps of her fingers.
It's achingly familiar, and for a brief second, it feels like a stab in the gut.
He'll blame it on the gunshot wound. ]
Not bad, right?
Instead, he makes his way back to sit with her – though for a split-second, instinct nearly has him take the seat directly beside her. He falters before carefully lowering himself back in the seat across from her.
She seems to be enjoying it, and he wonders if she's conscious of those little tells – the almost unnoticeable sway of her body, the way she follows the rhythm with subtle taps of her fingers.
It's achingly familiar, and for a brief second, it feels like a stab in the gut.
He'll blame it on the gunshot wound. ]
Not bad, right?
That's 'cause you're missing a valuable component.
[ And as if on cue, they reach the chorus again, and Peter gestures meaningfully. ]
Namely, the dancing.
[ And as if on cue, they reach the chorus again, and Peter gestures meaningfully. ]
Namely, the dancing.
[ With the pun very much intended, Peter's been through this song and dance before.
Both of them have, admittedly, but— Gamora doesn't know that.
He smiles a little, though he's largely unconscious of the faint shadow that lies beneath it. ]
Don't or won't?
Both of them have, admittedly, but— Gamora doesn't know that.
He smiles a little, though he's largely unconscious of the faint shadow that lies beneath it. ]
Don't or won't?
Don’t.
[ She repeats it with certainty, but the reality for her is that she never has. Without Peter, Gamora has never been truly introduced to dancing, and even after the time she’s had so far to be free of Thanos, dancing hasn’t exactly made it to her list of to-do activities.
(To be fair, her list has largely consisted of “survive,” up until now.) ]
[ She repeats it with certainty, but the reality for her is that she never has. Without Peter, Gamora has never been truly introduced to dancing, and even after the time she’s had so far to be free of Thanos, dancing hasn’t exactly made it to her list of to-do activities.
(To be fair, her list has largely consisted of “survive,” up until now.) ]
[ He remembers that night on Knowhere, of course. Then again, considering all the shit that happened, it'd be far more worrying if he didn't.
But he remembers the balcony, the shooting sparks and the colored dust and gases in the sky. Him making up some bullshit about Kevin Bacon, and Gamora swaying slightly to the music on his mother's mix tape.
... then nearly slicing his throat open.
He wonders, for a second, if he wants to live that again. He wonders if trying to chase after what they once had is disrespectful to this reality's Gamora – the one who loved him, against every lick of good sense in the universe. The one he failed to protect.
He clears his throat, gaze darting off to the viewport. ]
Can't knock it till you try it.
But he remembers the balcony, the shooting sparks and the colored dust and gases in the sky. Him making up some bullshit about Kevin Bacon, and Gamora swaying slightly to the music on his mother's mix tape.
... then nearly slicing his throat open.
He wonders, for a second, if he wants to live that again. He wonders if trying to chase after what they once had is disrespectful to this reality's Gamora – the one who loved him, against every lick of good sense in the universe. The one he failed to protect.
He clears his throat, gaze darting off to the viewport. ]
Can't knock it till you try it.
[ As much as Gamora notices Peter looking at her sometimes, it feels just as stark when he tries to avoid doing exactly that. She can’t help wondering how often he sees his Gamora instead, until the harsh reality reminds him of what he’s lost.
She doesn’t blame him for looking away.
Gamora looks to the viewport, too, watching the slow churning of dark space beyond, with Huridius there below them. She likes this spot, likes the quiet she often finds here, though it’s now filled in contrast with the lighthearted music from Peter’s Zune.
After a moment of simply listening to the song, Gamora speaks again without looking back at Peter. ]
Did she dance?
[ Gamora is sure she doesn’t need to be more specific than that. ]
She doesn’t blame him for looking away.
Gamora looks to the viewport, too, watching the slow churning of dark space beyond, with Huridius there below them. She likes this spot, likes the quiet she often finds here, though it’s now filled in contrast with the lighthearted music from Peter’s Zune.
After a moment of simply listening to the song, Gamora speaks again without looking back at Peter. ]
Did she dance?
[ Gamora is sure she doesn’t need to be more specific than that. ]
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