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1. INT. BENATAR COMMON ROOM - SPACE
The room is empty, quiet. WE PAN THROUGH it as we see belongings of the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY scattered messily throughout the metallic chairs, tables and the floor:
A dirty shirt. Three daggers. A videogame. One more shirt. A half-broken mug on top of it. Robotic parts, a book and a blaster balanced on top of each other almost impossibly. And a Walkman and headphones.
The intro of "I'M NOT IN LOVE" BY 10CC fades in. It plays as we follow through the ship. We get further away from the common room and soon enter...
2. INT. BENATAR BRIDGE - SPACE
Five out of the six chairs are empty. The one in the very front, down a few steps - the pilot - is occupied by PETER QUILL a.k.a. STAR-LORD, with a Zune in his hands and earphones in his ears. He's in a tight long-sleeve shirt and pijama pants. He looks forward.
Cosmic dust drifts through the air in front of the Benatar, it beautifully forms an ethereal combination of dark blue, yellow and hints of magenta.
The light from it shines through the room, the only source of light present. The dust looks bold, almost impenetrable. It gets closer as we hear the first verse of the song playing:
I'm not in love
So don't forget it
It's just a silly phase I'm going through
Peter's face is longing. He looks at the dust like it's familiar. Wait-- it is familiar.
JUMP CUT TO
3. EXT. KNOWHERE BAR - 2014 - NIGHT
GAMORA and PETER QUILL face each other. A walkman in Peter's hands and the headphones in Gamora's head.
She listens to the unfamiliar tune, looks beyond Peter as she takes in the magnetising melodies playing around her ears. The look on her face is as if she was enchanted by the tune.
That makes Peter smile.
Beyond them, cosmic dust. Dark blue, yellow and hints of magenta.
I'm not in love
No, no
It's because
Peter gets closer to her.
BACK TO
4. INT. BENATAR BRIDGE - SPACE
A strong touch on his shoulder brings Peter back from his trance. He looks beside him as THOR a.k.a. THE GOD OF THUNDER stares at him with his mismatching eyes, wearing a big sweater and loose sweatpants. Hand on his shoulder.
He presses pause on the Zune.
- PETER: ...What do you want?
Thor shakes his shoulder like they're intimate friends.
- THOR: Oh, nothing. I apologize if I startled you. I took notice you weren't on your chambers - so I knew you'd be somewhere.
Thor looks forward. Massages Peter's shoulder with his hand.
Peter first glances at the motion, then takes the god's hands off his shoulder with his own, clearly annoyed by the touch. Thor notices.
- THOR: Oh, right. I apologize. (gesturing the quotation marks) "Boundaries".
...Which suggests they've had this conversation before.
Peter closes his eyes. Irritated.
The redhead looks forward again. He doesn't feel like bickering (he normally would). Thor takes notice as the air is filled with unfamiliar silence.
The blonde man slowly backs away.
- THOR: Can't sleep, either?
- PETER: Why do you care?
Thor doesn't answer. Tiredness all around his face. They're both tired.
Thor sits down on the furthest chair. Four seats are unoccupied now, all between the two men.
- PETER: Can you not read a room, man?
- THOR: I beg your pardon?
- PETER: Why are you here? Sitting down. Talking to me. Touching me. When I clearly am not in the mood to do any of that right now. Or maybe ever. (beat) Why are you here?
They look at each other. Thor shrugs: he doesn't know either.
Peter looks at him, bothered. He looks forward again, to the cosmic dust. Pulls out his Zune, plugs in both earphones, and presses play.
I'd like to see you
But then again
It doesn't mean you mean that much to me
So if I call you
Don't make a fuss
Don't tell your friends about the two of us
In the background, we very faintly hear:
- THOR: (muffled) Peter? Peter? Quill?
I'm not in love
No, no
It's because
Thor taps Peter on the shoulder, startling him. Peter takes his headphones off and gets up angrily. The music doesn't stop on the headphones.
- PETER: (a bit louder than usual) What the fuck, man?? What are you doing?!
- THOR: You- weren't responding!
- PETER: Headphones, dude! Zune?!
He points to these objects as he says their names, explaining like Thor is a child.
- PETER: They play music? (mocking) Do you know what that means?
- THOR: Of course I do, Quill. We had the finest of tunes in Asgard, you know.
Peter makes his way back to the chair as he puts one of his earphones back in his ears.
- PETER: (mocking/imitating Thor) "Oh, yeah, "Asgard"! The best place on Earth! We had this and we had that and everything was so perfect there, just like me, I'm so perfect with my amazing strength and bulging muscles-"
- THOR: (interrupting) Are you mocking me?
- PETER: (still mocking) "Are you mocking me?"
- THOR: Alright, stop that.
Surprisingly, he does. He puts the other earphone in.
I keep your picture
Upon the wall
It hides a nasty stain that's lying there
He closes his eyes.
He opens them again when Thor comes close and grabs the Zune out of his hand, consequently ripping the earphones off of his ears. Peter quickly jumps up from the chair.
- PETER: What the fuck is your problem, dude? Give that back!
- THOR: Stop ignoring me, Star-Lord! I'm trying to talk to you!
Peter reaches for it and grabs it from Thor's hand.
- PETER: Not now, you prick. Go back to sleep.
Peter retreats to his chair as Thor looks.
- THOR: You carry that thing around everywhere. Why is that?
- PETER: What's it to you?
Thor sighs. He sits down. Two empty chairs away from Peter. A moment of silence between them as they both stare at the cosmic dust.
After a long pause:
- PETER: I need it.
- THOR: Hm?
- PETER: The Zune. I need it.
A beat.
- THOR: What is it that makes it so special?
- PETER: I don't know, man. It just is, alright? Now get out.
Peter gets his Zune out again, scrolls through songs, and presses play on "HAPPY TOGETHER" BY THE TURTLES. The strumming guitar plays.
Thor doesn't move.
Imagine me and you, I do
I think about you day and night, it's only right
To think about the girl you love and hold her tight
So happy together
Thor stares forward. Doesn't bother Peter, but his presence still does.
Peter opens his eyes and quickly gazes at Thor, gets up and starts walking away from the bridge.
I can't see me lovin' nobody but you
For all my life
When you're with me, baby the skies'll be blue
For all my life
- THOR: (muffled by the music) Quill? Where are you going?
Peter takes his headphones off.
- PETER: WHAT?
- THOR: Where are you going?
Thor gets close. Too close. Peter glares at him, tension forming in the air. He tries his best to mask his slight lust with anger:
- PETER: To my room.
Peter pushes Thor away. Thor then grabs him by both arms - quick reflexes. Their bodies get much closer, almost no space left for them to touch.
- THOR: Does my presence bother you this much?
Peter moves his sight from the god's lips to his eyes. His expression changes from faintly aroused to irritated.
- PETER: (challenging) Does it, Thor? What? Did I not make it any clearer? (beat) You know, you walk around, drink my beer, eat our food, sit in the bridge...
He points at the chairs behind them.
- PETER: (firm) You sit in the bridge. You sit in her chair.
Peter put his face closer to Thor. Her chair - Gamora's chair. Thor's penny drops. His grip on Peter lightens.
- PETER: (threatening) Maybe the rest of the crew can welcome you,, can let you walk around the Benatar like nothing happened. Like there shouldn't be someone else walking around, too. Like we shouldn't be one chair short. (beat) But I can't.
Thor lets one of his hands go from one of Peter's arms, the other slightly caresses the remaining arm. Peter looks at the motion. Such a soothing gesture - it irks him.
- THOR: I apologize, Lord of Stars. It was never my intention to disrespect this group's loss.
Peter looks at him as Thor diverts his gaze downward.
- THOR: I know loss. You know I... lost loved ones too.
Peter offers him a puzzling look. Is that... sympathy?
- THOR: And.. I get very angry, at times, too. (beat) (sincere) I learned to not take it out on other people. I think you could try to do the same.
Peter shrugs to get rid of Thor's touch and walks away at that.
- THOR: Quill...
- PETER: Yeah, man, my condolences and all that jazz. Good night.
WE FOLLOW Peter as he...
5. INT. BENATAR COMMON ROOM - SPACE
...walks through the common room, gets the shirt that was under the mug, knocking it over...
6. INT. BENATAR HALLWAY - SPACE
...wanders through the hallway and enters his room, slamming the door.
BACK TO
7. INT. BENATAR COMMON ROOM - SPACE
Thor enters the common room and looks around for a while.
He picks up the Walkman and headphones and analyses it. He presses a button and we faintly hear the music coming from the headphones. He picks them up and after a quick look-through, puts it on his ears.
He keeps observing the Walkman as the music plays, he clicks a button - The box opens, stopping the music abruptly, and a tape falls out, it reads: AWESOME MIX VOL. 2. He puts it back on the walkman and carries it with him. Picks up the half-broken mug and walks to...
8. INT. BENATAR KITCHEN - SPACE
There, Thor fills the mug with an unknown liquid (probably beer) and drinks it as he stares at Quill's shut door in the hallway.
9. INT. BENATAR BRIDGE - SPACE
The room is filled with the same colors as before.
Thor walks in, sits on his chair, and presses play on the walkman. "THE CHAIN" BY FLEETWOOD MAC resumes playing. We hear it from the headphones, with a muffled and reduced sound as we observe Thor staring forward, his back to us.
A subtle change in the colors, the yellow turns into green. The magenta into purple.
CUT TO
10. INT. BENATAR HALLWAY - SPACE
Peter Quill's door is still shut. Thor walks in-camera and knocks on Peter's door. When there's no answer, he tries again. He's about to walk away when the door opens.
- PETER: Fuck, dude. What is it?
Thor looks at him, gets close. Peter has one of the earphones in his ears, the song playing a bit too loud. It's "JUST LIKE HONEY" BY THE JESUS AND MARY CHAIN.
His eyes are red, he rubs at them. He's been crying. Thor looks at him with concern.
- THOR: Um...
The blonde holds up the Walkman.
- THOR: It's very dulcet.
Peter immediately grabs it from his hands.
- PETER: (quietly - he's tired) Don't touch this.
He checks to see if there's anything broken.
- THOR: The tune that goes (very off-tune) "Still na-na, never break the chain!" (back to talking) that was terrific.
Peter looks at him. This is new.
- PETER: Fleetwood Mac. Timeless. (beat) Sure you don't- hate it or find it useless like everybody else in this ship?
- THOR: Well, if it's so important to you- to anyone, as a matter of fact -- I don't see how it could be rendered as "useless".
Peter looks in the other man's eyes:
He's grateful to hear that.
- THOR: Plus, it's very catchy.
He starts dancing and singing terribly.
- THOR: (offtune) "And if you don't love me now, na-na-na-na-na..."
Peter chuckles.
- PETER: Ok, stop that. It's awful.
- THOR: (rolling his hips) What? I am but imitating you.
Peter's jaw drops.
- PETER: How fucking dare you! I don't dance like that.
- THOR: Peter Quill, this is exactly how you dance.
He rolls his hips some more. Peter lets it happen a little too long until-
- PETER: Ok, enough. I don't -- I got funk, but- please just- enough of that.
Thor stops. They both chuckle.
A long beat.
- PETER: Sorry for yelling at you. I guess.
Thor offers him a smile.
11. INT. BENATAR HALLWAY / INT. BENATAR COMMON ROOM - SPACE
Thor walks back to the common room. Peter observes him as he sits on the sofa, surrounded by objects from his fellow teammates.
He notices he sat on top of something, he retreats the videogame from under his buttock, carefully analyses it. Puts it on top of the book, which makes quite a handful of objects fall. He clumsily tries to save them all as Peter quietly chuckles.
The Lord of Stars then looks at him, but not with the same hostility we've seen before. The way he carefully treats all of the guardians' belongings, all of his family's belongings. He sees him, a hurt man, looking for a home.
Peter glares at his Walkman and headphones, still in his hands. The muffled song on his earphones changed to "ELENORE" BY THE TURTLES.
He approaches Thor and hands him the Walkman.
- PETER: There's more than.. Fleetwood Mac here ... When the tape stops you have to turn it.
He demonstrates it carefully to the god. As he does so, Thor puts a hand on his back. Peter freezes at first but slowly accepts the touch. Thor looks up to the redhead.
- THOR: What are you listening to?
- PETER: Uh... The Turtles. Ever heard of them? You being on.. Earth and all.
- THOR: (genuine) Midgard has singing turtles?
- PETER: (lightly laughing) What?? No, dude. That's just the band's name.
- THOR: (still genuine) But then why would they claim they are turtles?
- PETER: Ah... I don't know man.
Peter walks to the door of the bridge.
- THOR: Can I listen, too?
He stops and looks back.
- PETER: Uh... sure.
12. INT. BENATAR BRIDGE - SPACE
Dark blue, yellow and hints of magenta fill the room.
Peter walks into the bridge as Thor follows him. They both sit on the steps that lead to the pilot's chair. They get quite a good view of the space dust from this spot.
Peter puts one of the earphones in the other's ear. The music starts.
They sit there listening to it for a while.
- THOR: What were you listening to before?
- PETER: Um what?
- THOR: Earlier. Here.
- PETER: How did you know I was listening to something else?
- THOR: I could faintly hear it.
A beat.
- PETER: 10cc. "I'm Not In Love".
- THOR: Could we possibly listen to that?
- PETER: Uhh sure.
He scrolls through the Zune until he finds it. Presses play.
The song plays as the two men sit looking forward.
Be quiet, big boys don't cry
Big boys don't cry
Big boys don't cry
Peter looks at Thor. He looks beyond Peter, beyond the cosmic dust-filled window, just beyond. He's mesmerised by the melodies and instruments playing, he sits fascinated by what's playing around his ears, enchanted by the tune.
That makes Peter smile.
Thor looks at him for the first time since the song started. Peter quickly diverts his gaze.
- THOR: This is- um... This is a wonderful song.
Peter glares at the god again. The former nods. Looks out the window.
The cosmic dust's colors changed, the room is now colored with a beautiful mixture of blue and orange.
Ooh you'll wait a long time for me
Ooh you'll wait a long time
He looks at Thor's enthralled face. Admires it.
After slight hesitation, the redhead lays his head on the blonde's shoulder. The blonde warmly accepts it.
And they sit there.
Listening to the music.