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New York City. The Biiiiig Apple. The city that never sleeps.
Bob wonders if he was supposed to take that last one literally, because why was he up at 3 am, and there was some guy outside his window? Their mask covered their face, but he could see some dark brown curls sticking out of the top. He recognized the outfit, he was one of the Guardians of the Galaxy. Bucky had told (warned) the team about different groups and heroes that he might encounter. He racked his brain trying to remember the names. He remembered Rocket, but he was probably most memorable because Bucky had said he was not only a raccoon, but had tried to steal his arm. From the descriptions, he guessed the man flying outside his window was Star-... Prince? It’s 3 am!
“Hey, dude, I can see you staring at me! Open up. I’m not a cop, man, don’t worry!” Ah, yes, because that was the worry he had. Figuring he was safest not only being in the Watchtower, but one yell for help would probably alert everyone sleeping on his floor (which was the whole team), he opened his window. Star-Prince landed safely inside, unmasking to reveal he was just… some guy. “Thanks, man, I was starting to get some stares.”
“What do you want, Star-Prince?”
“It’s Star-Lord, buddy,” he proudly stated, “and you’re Robert.”
“Nope.”
“Isn’t that-”
“Try again.”
“... You prefer Bob?”
“You prefer Star-Lord?”
“Well, my name is Peter Quill, actually. What’s your superhero name then, huh?”
“... I don’t have to tell you shit- WHY are you here, Quill?”
“I’m here because you’re also a ‘patient’ of Doctor Strange.”
That had caught Bob’s attention. He’d begun to see Doctor Strange a while after they started living in the Watchtower, Bucky’s suggestion. He wasn’t forced by any means; he had expressed that he wanted to have some control over his new powers. He didn’t like the feeling of being a ticking time bomb of bipolar manifested, but he also understood that his situation would be out of any normal psychiatrist’s pay grade. While Strange wasn’t a psychiatrist, he learned he had been in similar circumstances to Bob from their time together. A car accident that seemingly ruined their life, leaving them with nothing and searching for something to fix their problems overseas. Left with not a penny to their name in their last attempt to do something with their lives.
Stephen was someone he’d come to trust, so this begged the question: why had he told this guy where to find him?
“So what if I am? Did he tell you to come find me?”
“Not exactly. He told me about how he had another patient, some guy named ‘Bob’. He’d said you were an addict.”
That stung. Was that really all Strange saw him as? He could feel his blood start to go from a simmer to a boil, “And if I was? I don’t see how that’s any of your business.”
“Hey, I’m not judging you! Actually, it’s the opposite,” he put his arm around Bob’s shoulders, “The Guardians are coming by Earth and they wanna party, was wondering where to find any good shit around here for them.”
Bob felt like he needed to pinch himself, because what the fuck situation is this? “So, you’re telling me Doctor Strange told you to come by my home. At 3 am. To ask me for my dealer?”
“Well,” Peter started nervously, “he never told me to visit. He’d mentioned you a while ago, the last time I went to pick up my opiates-”
“I’m sorry, what?”
“Yeah, I went for a pick up, but he didn’t really have any extra for the team, and told me to beat it because he was meeting with you soon,” he explained, “‘I must ask you to leave, I have another meeting soon. He, too, was an addict, and it would be best you steer clear of him,’” he quoted, with a terrible Strange impression.
Well, Stephen wasn’t wrong, Bob guesses. He smacked Peter’s arm off of him, “So instead of steering clear, you stalked me to my home.”
“Yeah, if you wanna be paranoid about it,” he answered casually.
This fucking guy. “Well, Quinn-”
“Quill!”
“-I’m not trying to disappoint you, but 1) I don’t use anymore, 2) I was more of a meth guy, 3)- “ he pushed Quill into the wall, rough, “You STALKED me, putting my identity at risk, my team at risk, and 4)-” he grabbed Quill by the collar, raising him up, “it’s 3 in the FUCKING MORNING. GO HOME!”
Star-Lord could see almost a hint of yellow in Bob’s eyes, burning a hole into him. Oh shit. “I-”
“GET OUT-”
Suddenly, the door burst open, Alexei now on the floor from ramming into it, the rest of the team standing in the doorway, staring at the scene.
“What- Who the hell is that, Bob!?” John yelled, pushing his way in, grabbing and pinning Peter to the floor.
Yelena and Ava pulled Bob away, sitting him down at his bed and checking him for any injuries, “Are you okay? How’d he get in?”
Quill yelled from the floor, “HEY, he had ME pinned!-”
Bucky yelled, “Quiet, Star-Lord!” He walked over to John, putting his hand on his shoulder, “Stand down, he’s not a threat, he’s one of the Guardians I was telling you about. Star-Lord, Peter Quill.”
John hesitated, but released the man. He stepped back and stood over by where Yelena and Ava had gone to look over Bob, acting as a sort of barrier.
“Peter, what are you doing here?” Bucky asked.
“I-”
“Actually, I don’t want to know, why’d I ask? Get out, now.”
Quill looked around, seeing the death glares around the room, and made his way to the window. “Well, I know when to leave a party, I’ll just come by later, Bob! Byeeeee!” With that, he flew off into the night.
John yelled after him, “NO, DON’T COME BACK- Ah fuck it, he can’t hear me, he’s gone.” He turned to look back at Bob, “Did you… let him in, Bob?”
“I mean, I did, but-”
“DUDE, stranger danger, that’s rule number 1! AND it’s 3 am.”
Yelena sighed, “John does have a point.”
Ava groaned, “Bob, don’t ever make me agree with Walker again.”
“Why did you let him in, Bob?” Bucky started, “I get you have powers, but it’s still a risk letting someone in the tower unannounced.”
“I’m sorry, guys, honestly,” Bob began apologetically, “he just showed up, I-I recognized him from Bucky’s description of the Guardians. I figured if it was anything to worry about, I was safe enough in the Tower since you guys were on this floor.” He looked down, fidgeting with his hands, “I didn’t really think it through. I’m sorry, it’s my bad.” Bob glanced back at the window, “Y… you think he’s actually coming back?”
“The Guardians are kinda wild cards, but they’re pretty good at improvising to get what they want, so chances are he’ll find something else to get what he’s lookin’ for.” Bucky sighed, “He might come back, though, so just let us know if anything.”
John made a face, “He’d better steer clear, or else-” before John could finish, a portal began to open, interrupting his train of thought. He moved to put himself between Bob and the portal, “What the fuck?”
Strange stepped in, wearing his pajamas similarly to the rest of the team. “Sorry for the intrusion. I came to check up on Bob.”
“Does everyone just come by your room whenever they want?!” John yelled.
“Sounds like someone’s jealous,” Alexei whispered loudly to the girls, pulling a laugh from them.
Bob ignored the chatter, “Hey, Strange, uh, I’m fine. You didn’t have to come by, sorry.”
Strange put his hand up, “No, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have even mentioned you to Star-Lord. He didn’t mean any harm, but he’s also not the best when it comes to actually interacting with humans.”
“Isn’t he human, though?”
“It’s complicated.”
“... I do have another question, though,” Stephen motioned for him to continue, “Do you actually… give him opiates?”
Stephen sighed, “Yes, but-”
“But?” John whispered.
“But, it’s not even actual opiates, more of a cosmic placebo that I just put in a bottle for him. He kept asking me to prescribe them to him because I’m a doctor. It didn’t really get through his head that I wasn’t even that kind of doctor.” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “It’s a whole thing, but I am sorry for putting you in this position, Bob.”
“He said you mentioned I was an addict. Strange. I’m past that; I’ve been clean. It’s been rough, but I’m doing it! You know that-,” Bob felt himself getting angry, took a deep breath, and continued, “I just don’t get why you told him.”
Strange flicked his hand, having the cloak form a chair for him to sit across Bob, meeting his eye level, “Please, don’t get the wrong idea. When I mentioned you, your past, I hadn’t meant to say you were the same as him.” He put his hand on Bob’s knee, “You’ve improved a lot, come so far, and I know your journey hasn’t been an easy one. The reason I told him to steer clear was not because I thought he’d drag you back into that lifestyle, but because I was worried he’d trigger unpleasant memories of your past that you didn’t need while trying to heal.” Stephen added, “Also, he’s very… very annoying.”
Bob chuckled, “Heh, yeah, he is.” He gave Strange a hug, “Thank you, means a lot to hear that.” Strange seemed to be taken aback, but reciprocated.
“Aw, group hug, everyone!” Alexei boomed, grabbing everyone and putting them all into a crushing group hug. The rest of the team acted inconvenienced, but all participated in the hug.
“Thanks, everyone, for checking on me, but it’s still 3 am, so everyone out-”
“No, no, no, like we’re leaving you alone, “ Yelena interjected. “Sleepover in John’s room. C’mon, everyone!” She grabbed Bob by the arm and made her way to John’s room, with everyone following in tow.
“Why my room?” John asked, but continued to follow the group.
“Because otherwise you’d try to get out of it.”
John opened his mouth to object, but quickly closed it and just accepted the reality of everyone heading to his room, “Whatever, but I get to sleep in my own bed!”
“Fine, but you’re sharing with Bob and me.”
“Do I get a choice in this?” Bob asked.
“No, you’re gonna be in the middle, Bob,” Yelena answered, laughing when she saw the heat rising in John’s face as he turned away from them.
Bob glanced over to Strange, who had also begun to follow, “Hey, you don’t have to stick around, it’s pretty late-”
“No, I think I’ll stick around. Quill might show up at the Sanctorium, anyway, and I don’t think I have the mental energy to deal with that right now,” Strange states, but then sighs, ”I mean, I do, but I don't want to. Wong can deal with him.”
-
“Hey, Quill, you managed to get any more?” Rocket asked, seeing Quill return to the ship.
“Nah, and the other guy wasn’t much help. He’s actually got a whole team of bodyguards! It was messy. Fun, though! Oh, yeah, there’s also that guy whose arm you have? Think he got a new one.”
Rocket laughed, “I told you going at night was a bad idea. At least if you’re gonna ask. I could’ve just snuck in.”
Peter rolled his eyes, “Nah, man, dude’s got powers, he had me by the neck! Don’t wanna imagine what he woulda done if he caught me goin’ through his shit.”
“He attacked you? Thought you said he had bodyguards?”
“Maybe just roommates, but one of them did have me pinned me down when they broke into the room.”
“Cute, it’s his family,” Rocket snickered, “Well, guess you’re just gonna have to share for the party.”
“Dude, I don’t even use it anymore for parties, you know that,” he glared at Rocket, “YOU of all people should know! Last time I used it, you kept yelling ‘NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE NIGHTMARE’ and freaking me out!”
Rocket cackled, “And I’ll do it again! It was hilarious!”