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After the New Year’s Eve celebrations on the Eclector, everyone had to draw straws to see who would end up with cleaning duty. Gamora, Rocket, and Peter drew the short straws. As Peter was too drunk to be of much help, Gamora and Rocket settled him in a corner and turned to look at the mess.
“I could just blast it all away.”
Rocket was already reaching for a weapon when Gamora shook her head. “No, it would destroy this part of the Eclector, and I do not want to be the one to tell Yondu we messed up his ship.”
Rocket’s arm dropped to his side. “Yeah, you’re right. Well, here goes nothin’.”
They each grabbed a bag and began to clear up the mess, working in silence.
“How about Quill’s New Year’s resolution?”
Gamora gave a short laugh. “I do not think he will succeed in going an entire year without being an idiot.”
Rocket looked to the corner where Peter was snoring. “Yeah, you’re right.” He picked up an empty bottle and dropped it into his bag. “Hey, listen, so I know we already made our resolutions at the party, but I didn’t tell all of my resolutions.”
Gamora raised a brow and turned to look at him. “Oh, really?”
Rocket refused to meet her eyes, instead focusing on picking up pieces of confetti. “Yeah. My, uh, other New Year’s resolution is to finally tell you the truth, so here it goes – you remember that time you got mad at Quill for losing your sword out of the airlock and didn’t talk to him for like, a month?”
Gamora went still. “Yes.”
“It wasn’t Quill.”
She took a step forward and Rocket held his paws up in front of him, the half-full trash bag dropping to the ground. “It was an accident, I swear! I was working on some airlock-proof tech and it backfired!”
Crossing her arms, she gave him a steely glare. “And why was my sword in there in the first place?”
Rocket rubbed the back of his head. “Groot wanted to practice his swordsmanship.”
“He’s too small to use a sword that size!”
“Yeah, well, you try telling him he can’t do something. I’ll buy you a new sword.”
“You cannot buy a replacement for that sword! It was forged in the -”
“Okay, okay! I’ll buy you a similar sword!”
“And you’ll apologize to Peter.”
“Apologize to Qu – what? No way!” Gamora’s hand shifted to her sheathed knife and Rocket hurriedly continued, “Fine! Fine, I’ll apologize to him.”
“But not tonight. Tomorrow, at breakfast, when he is no longer drunk.”
“Aw, man, everyone will be there at breakfast!”
“Exactly. Maybe that will teach you not to mess with the swords of others.”
Rocket sighed. “Fine.”
Gamora nodded and then continued to clean up the room as Rocket picked up his trash bag again.
“You know, I’m sure Quill probably deserved you being mad at him anyway. I’m sure he’d done something stupid recently.”
Gamora tossed another empty bottle into her bag. “Oh, I am sure.”
“So, really, there’s no need for me to apologize to him. I mean, he would have -” He stopped talking when he realized Gamora was standing right in front of him. “Geez! You mind warning somebody before you appear right in front of them holding a knife? I’ll apologize, I’ll apologize!”
She slid the knife back into its sheath. “Make sure you do.”
“Yeah, yeah, at breakfast, I got it.”
There was muffled movement behind them and they turned to see Peter struggling to sit up, rubbing his forehead. “What’d I miss?”
“You missed us cleaning up everything while you slept, Sleeping Beauty, that’s what you missed.”
“There is still plenty to clean.” Gamora tossed her trash bag to Peter. “You can finish in here. I am going to bed.”
“Night, ‘Mora.”
After she left, Rocket moved next to Peter, peering up at his face. “You’re looking kinda tired, Quill. Might wanna sleep in tomorrow morning. Get some rest. I’ll save some breakfast for you.”
“You know what, I think I will.”
Rocket moved to the other side of the room and laughed under his breath. “Sucker.”