Work Text:
It was over. Ronan was defeated, and they all managed to survive. All except Groot that is, Rocket thought to himself, as he desperately held the broken twigs in his hands.
He noticed who had sat beside him despite the tears in his eyes. It was Drax the Destroyer, the man who had called him all those horrible words in only a day, although with everything that had happened it felt like it was a memory from long ago. Rocket looked away as Drax sat there with him in the debris of the fight, but he suddenly jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand slowly move down his head.
He knew what was happening. Drax was petting him like a dog, like some vermin. Rocket was oh so tempted to bite those fingers, but with all the recent chaos of crashing down on Xandar and losing his best friend, he chose not to let his instincts take over.
As the petting continued, Rocket started to lean into the feeling. If Drax asked later, Rocket would simply state he was tired, he would never admit to anyone that the petting felt good, especially not to someone he met only two days ago.
Rocket felt himself slowly drifting off to sleep when he jolted awake from Drax starting to speak. “We should go back to the others, I believe the Nova Corps have agreed to look after all of our wounds” Drax stated. As he slowly got up, holding the wooden sticks close to his chest before placing them into his pockets, Rocket finally spoke up, “ok.”
By the time Rocket and Drax reached the medical tent set up by the Nova Corps, it felt like they had walked for an entire day, they were so tired from the battle. Peter and Gamora were already bandaged up and were talking to some Nova officers about a place to stay as the new team recuperated.
The medical staff made Rocket tense, it was too much like his days at the labs, being poked and prodded at. He never showed it bothered him too much though, his pride helped him from freaking out. As his cuts and scrapes were cleaned with disinfectant and wrapped up, Rocket noticed the others in his newly formed team were given some form of pills.
”What are those pills for?” Rocket asked the nurse that was finishing up her care on him. “Those are painkillers” she simply stated to him, “Well where the hell are mine then? I was also in that crash, I need some pain relief too!” By this time the other Guardians began to take notice of the conversation between Rocket and the nurse.
”We cannot give you any of those pills, they are not animal safe, they would most certainly hurt you more” the nurse said. “I AM NOT AN ANIMAL!” He shouted, but he then saw everyone staring at him and so he closed his mouth. Rocket now felt heat in his face from embarrassment, as he saw how his new friends were watching the conversation unfold. “Do you think you could find me some pain relief that won’t kill me then?” He asked in a much more calm but still annoyed voice, his body was really starting to hurt all over now, he was almost feeling desperate for anything that could numb the pain, but the nurse just shook her head. “Our medical staff is trained for people, not pets, if you want medication you’re going to have to get it on your own” she said in her own annoyed voice.
With this, Peter decided to speak up, ”Whoa hey! Yeah lady Rocket is not a pet, he’s our teammate and friend, he just saved Xandar with us! He deserves pain relief just like the rest of us!” Rocket couldn’t believe what he was hearing! Someone he hardly knows just defended him, the question is why? Why would anyone, let alone a guy he met only days ago defend him? Rocket thought to himself.
The nurse’s bright pink skin colour now looked pale as she began to say, “I am truly sorry about this Peter Quill, and thank you again for your help in saving us, but we just do not carry pain relief for something, I mean someone, like Rocket” she quickly stated. “Peter it’s no use fighting, c’mon we’ll find him something to take later once we are in the hotel rooms” Gamora said to Peter loud enough that the staff would know they were upset on how they treated Rocket.
Even Gamora was defending him! Rocket was in utter shock as he stared at Peter and Gamora with wide eyes. Just then he felt a large hand gently press onto his shoulder, it was Drax again. “Let us leave new friend, they are clearly not helpful and do not wish to be helpful. You can rest in the hotel room while we find you some medication.” Drax is right, Rocket thought as he quietly got off the examination table and quickly followed his teammates.
Once they finally got to the hotel and the two rooms to share amongst themselves, Rocket honestly felt like he would collapse from how exhausted his body was.
The others asked if he would be ok alone, since the three of them split up should be able to find animal safe painkillers much more swiftly. Rocket tiredly shook his head yes, he would be fine, in fact he would probably fall asleep as soon as they left.
Once the door was shut and locked, Rocket went over to the bed only to notice a pair of brand new and clean clothes left for him. On the other bed was clothing most likely for Drax, although Drax would probably ditch the shirt. At least the hotel staff are being more understanding than the flarking, rude ass medical staff, Rocket thought to himself.
He brought the new clothes to the bathroom with him as he proceeded to change, but he suddenly stopped to stare at something. He was staring at himself in the mirror, and he was finally able to get a good look at himself. He was covered in dirt and dried blood, along with chips of wood. Groot. Rocket began to feel tears fall from his eyes and roll down his cheeks; cheeks that were previously wet and then dried from tears.
He took the twigs out from his jumpsuit as he took it off and began to change into clean clothes. In hindsight he probably should have showered first, but he just felt too sad and tired to care. Once he was by the beds again, Rocket noticed a potted plant of some kind on one of the bedside tables. Rocket quickly dug the plant out, and then carefully placed one of Groot’s twigs into the soil. From there he took it back to the bathroom and gently watered the stick from the tap.
Finally, Rocket went and laid down on the bed after placing the pot onto the table next to him. He had never felt a mattress this comfortable, Rocket was just so used to a hard, metallic cage floor. That thought was forgotten suddenly however as the door to the room unlocked, and his team came in closer to him.
”Hey Rocket! We found some painkillers for you, here you can take two now, and take another two in eight hours,” Peter said. Rocket quickly gulped down the pills with the glass of water Gamora offered him, and then promptly laid his head back down onto the pillows of the bed.
”Thanks, you didn’t have to do that, I could have gotten them myself” Rocket stated, Drax then began to speak up, “We know small friend, but we saw how tired you were, and without pain relief we knew the trip would have been much more difficult.”
”He’s right Rocket” Gamora said. “Plus we are a team now, and teammates help each other out. I’m sorry about the whole ordeal at the medical tent, and I’m sorry for treating you like an animal earlier. You may have an animal-like body, but I know now you are a person just like the rest of us.” The others nodded, agreeing with Gamora’s statement.
”Thanks again guys” Rocket said to the other three in the room. “I need some sleep now, so get out of my space,” Rocket violently said, he still had to keep up his image after all.
“Ok bud, me and Gamora will be across the hall in our room, you get some rest” Peter said to him. As Peter and Gamora left, Drax mentioned something about getting some rest too, but Rocket was already half asleep and so he grumbled something incoherent to Drax. His last thought before sleep took over was the fact that no one had mentioned Groot’s sticks in the pot on the bedside table, it was like they were waiting for Rocket himself to speak to them about his grieving process.
A few weeks later and the newly formed Guardians of the Galaxy were taking off from Xandar in the restored Milano, courtesy of Nova Prime and the Nova Corps.
As he sat in one of the pilot seats, Rocket noticed the twig in the pot that he was currently holding begin to move like it was alive. It is alive! Rocket excitedly thought.
His thoughts were cut off however as he began to listen to the so called Star-Lord speak.
”Something good, something bad, bit of both?” Peter said followed by Gamora, “We’ll follow your lead, Star-Lord.” Rocket smiled as Peter answered with “a bit of both.”
As the Milano took off into the sky, Rocket thought to himself about his new group of friends. Maybe they’ll end up being my new family, I already lost the one in the lab and now Groot, third time’s the charm right?
He still felt anxious about the whole idea, but since the battle against Ronan they had been treating him like a family member. Maybe humanoids aren’t too bad.
Rocket smiled as he saw the sky of Xandar turn into the endless void of space. Rocket felt comforted by now knowing he wasn’t going to be alone ever again, and so the raccoon let himself relax in the pilot chair.