(MCU) Olive Branch

[salmon_pink]

Title: Olive Branch
Fandom: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Pairing: Groot/Peter/Gamora/Drax/Rocket
Rating: G
Words: 441
Notes: Spoilers for Guardians Of The Galaxy. For comicdrabbles, prompt "tree".



They’re bickering again. No big surprise. For all the insane crap they went through stopping Ronan, they’re still a group of very different people thrown into a confined space and trying to learn to live with it.

Peter doesn’t even remember what started the latest argument. Some combination of Drax getting into a brawl, Gamora getting sick of trying to stop him snapping bones and bringing the Nova Corps back after them, Rocket running into an old bounty and starting his own fight, and Peter being a little bit too drunk and too involved in chatting to the pretty bartender to pay any attention to the others.

They stumble back to the Milano with laser-fire chasing them the whole way, sniping at each other as they shove their way inside. Thankfully nobody follows them out into space, but that just leaves them simmering with no distractions.

It’s just the creak of Groot’s branches that fills the tense silence.

Right up until Rocket gives a yelp.

Peter glances over, and Groot’s got Rocket completely snared, pulling him off the ground with one long arm, tugging him closer. Peter sniggers at Rocket’s outraged face for all of two seconds, before there’s a branch curling around his middle and he’s being yanked in too, feet scraping over the floor.

Rocket laughs at his shocked expression.

Drax frowns and stares in curiosity as Groot reaches for him next, pulls him close, and Gamora just sighs and raises her arms, allows Groot to grab her next.

A group hug between a raccoon, an assassin, a maniac, a ravager and a walking tree should probably feel more awkward. But instead Drax glances over at Gamora, nods slowly at her assessing glare.

“I am sorry,” he admits quietly. “You are trying to keep us from becoming fugitives again.”

“I just wish you’d be more aware of your temper,” she tells him. “And I wish Peter wouldn’t disappear when he’s needed.”

“Yeah, that was my bad,” Peter apologises.

“You’re all idiots,” Rocket grumbles. “But I probably shouldn’t have been making it worse like I was, so yeah. You know. Sorry.”

Groot’s branches squeeze them tighter. “I am Groot,” he says warmly.

Peter grins, reaches up to pat a gnarled shoulder. “Yeah, you are, big guy. Any chance you could let us down now?”

Groot looks at him. “I am Groot,” he intones, solemn.

“Fair enough,” Peter shrugs, twigs petting his hair. Looks like this hug is gonna go on for a while, so he snuggles in, hums Can’t Hurry Love under his breath.

After a while, Groot starts to sway to the rhythm, gently jostling them in his arms.