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Chapter Text

Author's Note: This takes place a year after Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Two. Grammarly Premium will edit all chapters.

*****

The Benatar drifted lazily around the planet Tareon. At the same time, the inhabitants of the M-Ship groggily awoke to start the day and begin their week-long scavenger hunt for the Zakions.

The intelligent and sentient multi-colored pegasus race could manipulate the different colored fire stored in their bodies to their will, including using it as a flamethrower from their mouths and flying tremendously faster after alighting their hooves.

They desperately needed an ancient and scarce frozen flower to keep their race alive.

The Guardians of the Galaxy were all too happy to find the single plant that could supposedly keep them alive for one hundred years for the soon-to-be dying race since the horses were not equipped for space travel yet.

Still, they had the intelligence to contact other life forms outside their world.

The pay had better be worth all the hassle, that was for damn sure, and if possible, they would try to snag extra flowers for the ponies.

That forward-thinking had to be worth the extra credits, especially since the winged herbivores needed it since their stock was nearly non-existent, and they had contacted the rag-tag group of freaks in the first place, right?

Kraglin Obfonteri shuffled through the ship like a zombie from where his shift ended on the bridge, watching for any sneak attacks from unsuspecting armed ships looking to steal Units, weapons, and other accommodations or, even worst, enslave people if they were fucking scumbags.

He was also alert to distress calls from estranged or attacked ships that would no doubt be willing to offer compensation in response to being rescued.

The Guardians never claimed to be heroes after all, and doing anything from the kindness of their hearts was certainly not their style.

They still needed to eat.

Gamora Zen Whoberi Ben Titan had missed the call for shift change again.

Kraglin was fine giving her a pass here or there, but this was the third time in a month that she had ignored the chime that sounded in each occupant's room for rotation.

He was honestly starting to get annoyed with the Zehoberei, ignoring the critical need for him to get a break for sleep, food, or bathroom breaks.

Leaving only one to be on high alert all day or night was very dangerous for the crew, not that the concept of time meant an absolute thing in the frigid void of space since it was hard to tell without the exact holo clocks on the ship.

He may have been a nearly dead sleepy zombie, but he was a rather pissed-off one.

The older ex-Ravager entered the kitchen and caught sight of Mantis, Rocket, Groot, and Nebula eating different food for what could technically be called breakfast if the holo clock, which showed the current Earth time, was any indication.

He was surprised that Rocket was awake as he usually slept in later.

He worked very late on different projects, long after others had gone to bed and sometimes as long as shift rotation among the ship.

Groot looked as though he wanted to go back to sleep as quickly as possible, not that Kraglin could blame the growing Flora Colossus, who was currently the size of a small child, close to ten years old, and certainly acted like one at times.

The heavy sentient tree was asking questions about the fire-breathing horses they had met yesterday while eating a vegetarian stuffed omelet with a purple-colored sauce that Kraglin had momentarily forgotten the name of as he suddenly wanted one for himself, only stuffed with meat.

Rocket scratched his face with a giant yawn, his razor-sharp teeth became fully visible, and with an exhausted sigh, he reached for the steaming, glorious cup of Nirvana in front of him with a paw.

Thankful to the others that they had found glasses and cups suitable for his size as he took a slow, patient sip of his dark coffee.

He sat in an elevated chair so he didn't have to sit on the table; Mantis sat next to him, casually eating a bowl of cereal, while Groot ate across from him, eagerly taking a bite of his food.

Rocket planned to eat later; for now, he wanted a hot cup of joe, as Peter called it, and was not feeling hungry.

It got that way sometimes for him, where he got so invested in the work that he forgot to eat or didn't feel hungry, but when Rocket did, he was a force to be reckoned with for someone as small as he was.

Nebula was across the kitchen, multitasking with cleaning one of their modified sniper rifles with meticulous professional care and patience while snacking on a roasted, seasoned Orloni as she alternated between the gun and food.

Almost as if this hadn't been the first time she had cleaned or repaired while eating, sitting on the stairs that led to the bridge.

The illegally cybernetic-enhanced raccoon flicked his tail in irritation as he listened to Groot talk far, far too much for what was supposed to be relaxation before they started their day.

He loved Groot like a son, but Christ was he starting to exhaust Rocket with his nonstop questions some days.

"Groot, eat your food, please. Your father is trying to enjoy his coffee." Mantis's soft, almost loving voice as she interrupted the talking tree felt like a cool sip of water in a desert during such moments.

Even though it was unintentional that she mothered Groot alongside him, he was grateful for it nonetheless.

With a subtle glance her way in appreciation, he caught her ghost of a smile.

He didn't shy away from her fingers, slowly reaching and gently stroking the fur on his left front paw, his right near his coffee, until he wanted another sip.

The fingers dragged across the back of his hand in a manner that most would consider passionate.

Mantis's hand was gone so quickly the next second.

She brought the fist to her mouth as she cleared her throat in a way that Rocket would qualify as fucking adorable before he realized the reason she had done it, as Kraglin had turned around from where he was preparing his omelet.

The Xandarian looked at the two with an unreadable expression as he caught Rocket's gaze before reaching for a cup to get his coffee.

It was ignored by Groot, who was taking a long pull of his juice.

The small rodent resisted the urge to sigh in disappointment as he swallowed a giant mouthful of coffee, flicking his tail in annoyance at the wrong timing.

They had talked about this a week ago; Mantis wanted to inform the others on board the ship that they were dating and had been for a month.

She was adamant that their insane, dangerous family would accept them given enough time.

Still, Rocket was terrified that they would be disgusted seeing the two being affectionate, even if it was simply in the confines of the ship.

He didn't want contempt and scorn for what could have easily been a borderline illegal relationship in the eyes of many, especially not for someone as kind and caring as Mantis.

She didn't deserve that, and he certainly didn't deserve her.

But the look in her eyes as she took another bite of her cereal and looked at him made his heart practically stop in his chest for a second; it wasn't the entire crew, but perhaps if a few of them knew the truth, it could be a step in the right direction.

Rocket cleared his throat rather loudly, catching the attention of those in their small circle of friends before he brazenly reached his left paw over to grasp Mantis's hand.

He was taking a sizeable nervous breath before he spoke, not wanting to look any of them in the eyes, even Groot, as he looked at the table before him instead.

"We got something to tell you guys…Mantis and I are seeing each other. You know, as more than friends." He felt like his fur would catch fire at any moment at the confession.

Mantis, for her part, had a smile almost as big as her large black eyes, her antennas pointed up at the ceiling as straight as arrows, and before Rocket could react, she reached over and captured his lips in a long, breathtaking kiss before pulling away.

The kind that made him know he wouldn't get up in a minute or two without utterly humiliating himself and scarring all on board.

He hoped his girlfriend would be willing to take the next step in their relationship with him soon, or he would lose his mind.

The feeling of their hands together was awkward due to the different sizes.

Still, it felt natural to him if he was honest.

The love and admiration she held in her eyes for him at this moment made Rocket feel he could take on an entire ship of pirates by himself.

He sincerely hoped the warm feeling in his chest never left.

"We know." Nebula's flat, bored tone as she returned to her gun without pause extinguished Rocket's relaxed, almost surreal relief at finally telling others what the two had dreaded for nearly the entire week like a candle being taken out by a puff of air.

"You two aren't nearly as clever as you think when it comes to sneaking around the ship," Kraglin responded with a yawn before he took a sip of his hot coffee and shook his head with a smirk.

Mantis's cheeks were pure lime green in embarrassment and disbelief at the accusation that they weren't being as careful as possible regarding their relationship.

Rocket's face was almost comical as he looked between the cyborg and the Xandarian in genuine shock, entirely at a loss for words for once before he looked at his adopted son, who acknowledged him with an innocent smile and a shrug.

"You're telling me you knew all this time, Groot?!" He couldn't help himself; his shout of rage caused Mantis and Groot to jump at the sudden outburst.

"I am Groot." The small tree answered confidently with a bit of sass that Rocket didn't appreciate.

Mantis has been coming to our room more often, Dad. I knew you were close, but I didn't realize how close until now.

"Have they finally confessed their romantic attraction towards each other out loud and freed us from the pain of the utterly awful attempts at stealth?" Drax the Destroyer's voice, might as well have announced it over the entire ship.

Rocket felt his fur bristle in shame, guilt, and rage at the excuses he told Mantis when she wanted to let their friends know they were together publicly.

"Does everyone and their fucking mother know about us!" He screeched, immediately feeling guilty after seeing Mantis flinch beside him.

Squeezing the hand he still held softly as an apology.

He sighed loudly before seeing Mantis reach over and gently kiss his cheek as he did his best to prevent himself from blushing.

"It was pretty obvious, dude; we didn't say anything because we didn't feel it was our business. As long as you two are happy, we ain't gonna be up in arms about it." Peter Quill spoke casually as he calmly walked towards the bridge to get to work, Drax and Nebula quickly following him.

Soon the new couple was alone; even Groot had left, and the two silently finished their coffee and cereal.

"I'm sorry," Rocket whispered to the half-Celestial before he looked up to stare into her onyx-colored eyes. "I made such an ass out of myself disregarding how you felt because I was scared of how they would react."

He finished, tears pricking the edge of his eyes before he cleared his throat.

"I know. And I know you didn't do it on purpose, Rocket. Next time, please consider my feelings. We are a team, not just with the others but with each other." Mantis answered as Rocket nodded slowly.

She gave him one more long, slow kiss on the lips.

The action and passion of the kiss made him growl with lust as she giggled, pulling back.

"We agreed to take it slow, Rocky." She spoke and kissed his lips again as he hummed softly and sighed loudly before nodding.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Come on, let's find this damn flower for these horses and get paid." He replied, shamelessly jumping onto the table and collecting the dishes to put into the sink.

A concealed and eager part of him that Mantis had never seen up close caused a shiver down her spine as he merely winked at her.

And she bit her lip with a barely audible moan.

That next step may come sooner than Rocket expected.

Chapter Text

Author's Note: This chapter occurs two years after the Guardians of the Galaxy volume two events. Warning; This chapter is rather dark.

*****

Rocket Raccoon wasn't just drunk; he was fucking trashed.

Granted, he had an excellent reason for being nearly black-out drunk.

After their small, suicidal crew had saved the prince of a conscious, friendly, if not incredibly arrogant, race of animals close to their ship from dangerous pirates, they were treated like royalty, especially Rocket himself.

The Guardians of the Galaxy not only got fucking paid, but the king threw a banquet in their honor.

It only made things easier for the group when the nation saw they had a half-worlder on their ship.

It also didn't hurt that the king's daughter was a seriously smoking hot young vixen that he couldn't remember the name of if he tried.

If only he were still single.

But Rocket truly loved his girlfriend; Mantis was loyal, caring, sweet, and unbelievably sexy in his eyes.

Not to mention incredibly badass when she wanted to be; even though they were still navigating a two-week relationship, he knew they had each other's back in ways he would never get with the king's daughter.

He had yet to have a fundamental concept of where the others had wandered off to.

After all, they were getting just as shit-faced as he was, and Mantis had gotten up from where she was lying on his lap to go to the bathroom.

Taking a long pull from the bottle of Yagana in his right paw, he glanced over slowly to see the fox walk over to him and giggled at his inebriated state.

"Having fun, Rocket?" She asked as he blinked, his vision not knowing which of the three girls in front of him was asking the question.

"I'd have more fun if my girl could join me, you know?" He hiccuped before taking another sip.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be here soon. But if you like, I can take you to her?" She teased gently, her tail dragging slowly over his neck as he shivered lustfully.

"That's ok. I'll wait for Mantis here." He responded with a large sigh.

Maybe the alcohol was affecting him more than he thought it was.

"No, no. We can search for your girlfriend together. Why don't you come with me, and I'll help her put you to bed." She asked.

Her voice would have alerted the hairs all over his body if he wasn't so drunk.

"Y-yeah, that sounds like a great idea. I'd love for her to join me in my bed." He answered before finishing the bottle in his paw and wiping the liquid off his lips as he jumped off the table he sat on, immediately falling to the floor like a sack of bricks.

The fox caught him in her arms at the last second as he tried to keep himself from throwing up all over her.

It was nice to have new friends.

She kept a tight grip on him as he stumbled, claiming he could walk even though his body was doing anything but what he was attempting to tell it to do.

His mind was hazy with what was going on around him.

It wasn't until the festival lights darkened and he felt two paws touch the waistband of his pants as he sat on the ground, his back laying on a wall to rest, that he could tell something wasn't right.

"Yo, hands off the merchandise. Only Mantis can touch me like that, got it?" He slurred as he attempted to push her off, feeling his pants sliding lower down his body.

She made a cute little giggle that caused a shiver down his spine, dragging a clawed finger down the front of his shirt.

"Oh, but Mantis told me to get you all...warmed up for her. You wouldn't want to leave her high and dry with how plastered you are, would you?" She questioned as he felt his ears drop, and he frowned.

Mantis wouldn't want him cheating on her, would she?

No, she'd be severely heartbroken and angry if he went through with this, and yet he couldn't deny that the vixen's paws were so damn good as they caressed his hips; her tongue slid up his neck, and he couldn't help but moan.

What she was doing was wrong; he knew that in his mind, but the alcohol and the prospect of sex were overriding his logical side.

He fought back with his last remaining strength, or he feared he would do something that he would deeply regret.

"We should probably ask her if she's cool with this just to be sure, right?" He bargained.

It took all of his willpower to keep her paws from going any lower down his legs as she suddenly snarled in his face, razor-sharp fangs flashing before his eyes as he winced.

"Don't be such a bitch, Guardian. You wouldn't even last five minutes in your state, so let it happen. I'll be quick, I promise, and your little squeeze will be none the wiser." She snapped before he tried to swing the empty bottle he held in his paw towards her face.

She merely knocked it out of his grip with a scoff.

"You know you want this, Rocket." She whispered in his right ear as he gritted his teeth, feeling his pants pulled away against his will and utterly powerless to do anything.

She saw him at full, drunken glory and hungrily licked her lips.

"You want to go get wasted and go to bed." A voice spoke from behind them.

A familiar hand touched the fox's head, and a white glow from a source Rocket couldn't pinpoint shined before his eyes.

The king's daughter suddenly stopped what she was doing, turned, and walked away, completely entranced.

"Have you seen my girlfriend?" Rocket asked as tears trailed down his face.

"Yes, she won't let anything happen to you. Let's get you to bed, huh?" Was the only reply as he sniffed and leaned his head back against the wall, wholly exhausted before he was out like a light.

Mantis carefully put his pants back on and cradled him in her arms as she walked back gently toward their ship.

Rocket Raccoon was many things in his long lifespan as a genetically engineered soldier and mechanic.

Still, deep in her heart, the absolute one thing she knew he was not when he was in a serious and committed relationship.

He was not a cheater.

Chapter Text

Author's Note: This chapter occurs four years after the Guardians of the Galaxy volume two.

*****

In hindsight, what he was about to do was so fucking stupid.

Rocket stood outside the door where Mantis slept on the Benatar; his paws shook before he took a deep, shaky breath and forced himself to calm down.

She didn't want him.

She couldn't have wanted him.

The fire in his heart, mixed with the words and clever jokes he had in his head, rapidly evaporated the longer he stood outside the metal door.

Mantis needed a real man in her life, one who wouldn't look out of place as she hung onto his arm.

Or leaned down to kiss her lips, held her tight and wiped away her tears when she cried, comforted her when she was scared or overwhelmed, or gave her genuine praise when she succeeded in a mission or a goal.

Someone who could love her when she was angry and answer her questions about a galaxy she didn't fully understand without sarcasm or a stupid joke.

A man who would be willing to accept the evil she had done because she didn't know how to do anything else that wasn't her father's will; she needed someone strong, brave, passionate, patient, sincere, and honest with her throughout every step he took with her in her life.

She needed a man willing to cherish and love every inch of her, flaws and all; once she gave him the heart she guarded exceptionally carefully.

One who would give her the stars if she asked for them, a man that would go to any length to shield her from the monsters that threatened the galaxy, or at the very least, one who was always willing to fight by her side.

Rocket wasn't a man.

He was a genetically altered, engineered beast that had gotten extremely lucky to escape his 'father' as he watched his friends die around him and cobbled together different inventions that he had scrounged up from the trash.

His adopted son was a walking, talking sentient tree he had found when he crashed his 'borrowed' ship and landed on an unknown planet.

He was a bitter, spiteful, alcoholic, gun-obsessed, explosion-loving, sarcastic, rage-fueled nightmare.

Rocket was everything that was wrong with science and evolution.

Hell, the very first time they had met, he had nearly bitten her hand off when she did nothing more than pet him, all because of his issues and insecurity with personal space.

He didn't like when anyone touched him without permission, and Drax knew it was nothing more than a stupid joke, one she didn't even realize she was privy to.

They were bonding slowly, genuinely enjoying each other's company and laughing, either at something done or at another's expense.

He enjoyed teaching her all he could about the ship, different weapons, and what little knowledge he knew about the galaxy.

They spent enough time together through the ship, missions, and their friends that they had formed a real friendship, which technically could be called a closer bond than Mantis had with Drax or that Rocket had with Peter, maybe even Groot if possible.

Mantis had come out of her shell in ways Rocket would have never thought possible after hanging out with the Guardians and being a member of their remarkably murderous group of shitbags.

She was more confident in herself, not one to shy away from foul mouth humor or afraid to speak her mind as she had been in the past.

She was bold when negotiating or quick to take down a client when they tried to rip them off or betray them, both of which happened so often that the Guardians now demanded that those who wanted their services paid half the money upfront as opposed to when they first started.

She was passionate about her friends and the few new friends they made along the way.

He knew from her personality and how she held herself, which still had a shy demeanor when meeting new people, that if she ever found the love of her life, she would pour every ounce of her heart into the romantic relationship.

It's just who she was.

Rocket and Mantis had grown closer than they probably thought they would ever get from where the two had started, and he knew they should have just stayed as excellent, honest, caring, and loyal friends.

But Rocket knew deep in his heart that he loved her.

Even unintentionally, he had a habit of fucking shit up.

As expected, it's who he was and where he stood now to ruin an ideal thing.

Lost in his thoughts, Rocket didn't remember knocking on the metal door, loud enough to catch her attention but hopefully not so loud that it woke the others sleeping.

He didn't want an audience.

Ten seconds felt like an hour as he waited, his fur bristled, and his tail waved behind him rapidly as he tried to psych himself up for whatever dumb shit he would say to start a romantic conversion.

His confidence deflated like a balloon as his nerves went haywire at the thought of trying to woo his best female friend.

He couldn't do this.

He grimaced at what a complete and utter failure he was, ashamed.

He was a coward; he was being unfair to her wants and needs in favor of his selfish desires and goals instead of focusing on what the two could accomplish together as more than friends.

Typical Rocket, always crossing a line that should have never existed in the first place.

He let out a deep, depressing sigh before he turned away and slowly walked to head to any destination other than the one he wanted with all his heart to be standing near.

She needed a real man, not a monster that reached up to her knees and who she constantly had to bend down, or he had to be picked up or climb to her shoulder simply for affection.

Because of their different facial structure, she didn't need someone covered in fur or who had to angle his face simply for a damn kiss.

Their hands would never properly fit together in the way she could get with someone her height and size, and there would always be disgusted glares, jealousy, and whispers of their relationship that would never fade as long as she was with him.

Mantis needed an accurate, solid, stable, and honest man to be the love of her life.

Rocket wasn't a man.

If not for his genetically cybernetic hearing, Rocket wouldn't have heard the door to her room open as he paused halfway through from wherever he wanted to go on the ship.

He had half a mind to run on all four, away from her curious expression and gentle, heartwarming smile.

"Hey, Rocky. What's up?" She asked softly; in such a way, Rocket swore he felt his heart stop, and he nearly disregarded the nickname she had called him.

His affection for nicknames must have been rubbing off on her; how ironic.

"N-nothing much, Firefly. I just wanted to see what you were up to today. Got anything going on tonight?" He had no idea where the sudden thunderbolt of confidence had come from, nor where the new nickname he had just randomly called her had sprouted from, yet it felt right to his ears.

"Gamora was planning to teach me how to use a sword more professionally later, but other than that, I don't have any other plans for tonight. Why do you ask?" She spoke, her large black eyes tracing every nervous shake his body gave, almost in anticipation but for what, she wasn't sure.

She deserved a real man.

Rocket was the furthest sentient being one could get from a man.

But he was exponentially great at thinking on his feet.

He took a large, shaky breath and thought carefully of his following words, the heartfelt confessions that he wanted to say and that she should hear, the starting line that could begin a long, romantic relationship or bathe their friendship in flames.

Fuck it.

"I wanted to see if you wanted to go down to the next planet and catch a Flarnix show with me over drinks. I think Quill said they were similar to jazz, whatever the hell that is." He chuckled softly, watching her expression closely and waiting to put up the metal walls that guarded his emotions the second she rejected him.

What he was asking wasn't a friendly outing they had often done.

He didn't reference any of the others of their crew on board, not even Groot; the look, eyes, and body language acted like he wanted to get black-out drunk, start a fight, or blow something up.

But knowing Rocket as well as she did, it could have easily been all three.

She blinked, and a small smile crossed her face at just how agonizing this must have been for Rocket to have the strength to take their friendship to another level.

"Could we get dinner afterward? I've read great things about Terafarain fish that I've wanted to try if we could find some." She teased.

The shine in his eyes at her acceptance of what he was offering practically made every bit of tension leave his body instantly as his natural, carefree attitude took over his words.

"Shit, we might as well go for a walk underneath the stars after dinner at this rate." He replied with a smirk as she giggled.

"I'd like that, Rocket. Then it's a date." Mantis responded, making Rocket feel like he had just got hit with a sledgehammer with how easily their conversions flowed.

"Y-yeah. A date. So, how does six tonight sound?" He asked as she rolled her eyes with a grin.

"Sounds perfect." She whispered before yawning and, with a slight wave goodbye, she returned to bed.

Rocket couldn't keep the smile off his face even if he tried.

Mantis needed a man who would sincerely love her with all his heart until his last breath.

She got Rocket Raccoon instead.

Chapter Text

Author's Note: This chapter occurs three years after Guardians of the Galaxy volume two. Apologies for this chapter being so short; I haven't written anything in a while, so even a short chapter is better than nothing. I'll try to make a longer one soon; I needed to write something to stay energized. I hope you enjoy it.

Rocket was fucking tired.

It wasn't enough that the Benatar had a large, gaping hole on the right side due to pirate attacks creeping up on the galaxy more and more.

Or that Peter had been arguing with him on every fucking thing concerning the ship due to said pirate attacks, along with Peter and Gamora having verbal fights with their relationship that was starting to affect the whole team.

Kraglin drank way more than usual; it would be impressive if he ever bothered to stay awake on his guard duties.

Drax was starting to repeat his stories from his past to ease the tension lingering among the ship like a fog, and Nebula bounced temporarily to get away from the drama.

Not that Rocket could blame her in the slightest; part of him wishes he would have joined her.

Groot stayed in his fucking room all day playing video games save for meal times or when Peter needed the teenager for a mission, and Rocket would have been furious had it not been for the fact that he knew the real reason was to keep his distance until everyone figured their shit out.

Rocket questioned whether joining a team was worth it in moments like this.

As he turned the wrench harder in his paws and bared his fangs, just thinking of the shitstorm that was happening today gave him a headache.

He needed to get away from it all, so he did what was always done and focused on his work; he was currently trying to seal the hole while they landed on an unknown planet and did his best to stay as far away from everyone as possible.

"Rocket?" Mantis called out to him. 

Her voice immediately made his chest tighten as he bit his bottom lip.

"Yeah, baby girl?" He answered, knowing that if he didn't respond when he had the chance, she would hunt him down, and his girlfriend was much faster than most would assume.

"I brought you a sandwich; you have been working for hours. I'd assume you would be hungry by now." She spoke; Rocket couldn't help but smile at her thoughtfulness and care as he rolled his shoulders with a yawn.

He was getting rather hungry now that he thought about it.

With a sigh, Rocket put down the wrench and stood up with a significant stretch before he turned and saw Mantis holding a plate with the food in her hands with a smile, having a seat on a medium-sized rock near her and being careful with the plate before he joined her.

"Thanks, Bug." He said sincerely, taking the plate from her hands before she leaned down and gave him a long, slow kiss, which caused his tail to wag in content after she pulled away.

She giggled at the giant smile on his face and put her hands on her lap with a sigh as he leaned against her body and dug into his food, feeling more hungry than he thought.

As he ate, Mantis slowly and calmly stroked his head; his fur never failed to make her relax, and she didn't even need to use her ability to tell that he was calmer than he had been in days, if only for a brief moment.

They did nothing more than be in each other presence, and once Rocket finished his food, he put his plate to the side and slowly ended up on her lap, wrapped around her arms before tilting his head up as she smiled and leaned down to give him another long, slow kiss.

"I love you." He whispered. 

It was so quiet that if Mantis weren't as trained to Rocket's way of affection as she was, she wouldn't have even heard him.

She gave a small, calm smile before she placed her chin between his ears and stroked his arms with her fingers.

"And I love you, Rocket." She answered genuinely, and though she couldn't see his expression, Mantis knew that the two had nothing more they needed to say.

She knew without a shadow of a doubt that her love meant everything to him.

Because monsters rarely received genuine romantic love.