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Rocket cared more about Groot than he wanted to admit. He cared about everyone more than he wanted to admit, really. He tried to hide it, though when winter set in and he walked into the communal room and saw Groot shivering in his pot on the table, he knew he had to do something about it.
Nobody questioned why Rocket was spending time away in his room. He did it often anyway, and when they'd hear soft cursing and grunting from behind the closed door, they were further reassured it was something that they should have stayed out of. Rocket could handle himself, and if it was important enough he'd tell them. They knew that, or at least hoped, so they let it be, and the whole situation was silently kicked under the rug.
It wasn't long before Rocket came back out, sitting heavily in his chair. He stared, his eyes lingering over everyone with quizzical looks, picking at his nails in thought before rushing back to his room. He did it multiple times over the span of the next few weeks.
Peter was admittedly overjoyed when Christmas rolled around. It was one of the few holidays he had with his family before his mother died, and he celebrated it every year, even if he was alone. This however, happened to be the first holiday he wasn't alone.
He sat in the communal area with Gamora and Drax, Groot seated at his usual spot on the center of the table. Peter was explaining the holiday as best he could, though Gamora and Drax were disinterested, their attention mostly focused on Groot who was moving slower and jerkier, his branches becoming pale and thin. They'd been worried about him for weeks, though they'd tried not to show it. Peter had shared his worry with Rocket when he managed to get him to open the door, though his concern earned him a door to his face when Rocket slammed it shut. He decided not to mention it again.
Peter was in the middle of defending Christmas when Rocket walked out with a large box in hand. He went silently to the table, looking between all of them before dropping the box on the table, muttering a 'merry Christmas' before he vanished back into his room.
They stared after him before Drax reached forward and pulled open the box, his eyebrows raising slightly.
The box was full of sweaters, scarves, gloves, and mittens.
They were really terrible. They couldn't even manage a lie. The colors were bad, the wording was off center, the spelling wasn't good, and it was already fraying at the ends. But it was clear Rocket had made each and every item in the box in their sizes. Even small ones for Groot, that were much nicer, and had clearly been the original intent.
Peter was the first to react, grinning and taking out his sweater which he pulled over his head, disregarding how itchy it was. He pulled on his gloves and wrapped the scarf around his neck before carefully helping Groot into his own hand made clothing. His color began to return almost instantly, and the small tree sighed in relief at the warmth.
Everyone else soon followed, pulling on their own sweaters before they went to Rocket's room with Peter's convincing. He knocked on the door with one hand, holding Groot in the other.
Rocket came out a moment later, looking up at the other's. His eyes widened slightly as he saw them all with bright and somewhat awkward smiles on their faces, wearing the sweaters that he'd spent nearly all month making. Warmth swelled in his chest and he looked down. "Idiots." He grumbled before hugging Peter's leg lightly.
That soon turned into a large group hug, and if anyone saw that Rocket had been crying they didn't bring it up.
Rocket was just glad to know that he finally had a place to call home, and people who cared, regardless of how they'd come about meeting.