GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY IMAGINES

Look What I Found | The Guardians [platonic]

this wasn't requested i'm just really sad tonight and i wish the guardians were real and i lived with them

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Being a daughter of Thanos, you were never sure what a family was supposed to be like. Unlike your older sister, Gamora, you didn't remember a single thing about your biological family. You couldn't remember a mother's touch or a father's strong arms - you weren't even sure if you had either one of them in your life. If you had siblings, you would never know. Thanos had stolen you weeks after your birth, murdered half of your people, and left you to be your sisters' problem.

If Gamora was considered cold and guarded, then who knows what you were considered. You were so much more than loud and defensive. At the sound of a tool being knocked over by baby Groot, you had your weapon drawn, convinced that it was Thanos behind you. 

While your team would joke and laugh, the most you could do was twitch your lips into somewhat of a smile.

Rocket had started out making fun of you for it, but he quickly stopped. Every comment he made seemed to make you worse - and you got to the point where you were throwing knives in his direction. Not to hit him, but to make him back off.

It wasn't as if you needed to explain yourself. They knew who Thanos was and what you were raised to be. But the more Gamora opened up about it for you, the more they understood. They started to stick up for you when others would point out your abnormal stature and actions, like Yondu or the other Ravagers. 

You never spoke a word. Gamora could read your face, and she would convey what your glances and movements meant. After a couple of years, the rest of your team could understand you as well.

And slowly, over the three years of your life where you were crammed on the Milano with Peter, Gamora, Drax, Rocket, and Groot - you learned to trust them. 

For a long time, the extent of your trust was how you let Gamora sit near you, touch you when you were hurt, hug you when you were sad, and talk to you like a sister. But inside of you was cold and empty - all your life, you'd felt alone. You, Gamora, and Nebula were thrown together - not by choice, but by force. And you were tormented and tortured and manipulated for years.

For twenty years.

You weren't even aware of when you started to trust the people you lived with. But there were little things, like taking a piece of Zagnut that Drax was offering, or letting Mantis touch you to convey what you were really feeling right after meeting her, or tapping your foot and watching Peter dance. Babysitting baby Groot. Letting Rocket curl up by your legs to sleep, and reaching over to scratch his fur while he snored. Helping Gamora brush the tangles out of her hair and laying your head on her shoulder. Sometimes you fell asleep there. 

It wasn't until after Yondu died that you finally spoke. 

Gamora was speaking to Nebula on her own. Emotionless Nebula, standing still, made no movement when Gamora opened her arms to hug her. You knew she was going to leave, so you said:

"Stay."

Both of your sisters looked up at your in shock. 

"What did you just say?" Nebula whispered. 

You walked towards them. "I said stay, Neb. Stay with me and Gamora." 

She blinked slowly. Gamora put her arm on your back, bringing you close. Her other arm wrapped around Nebula's shoulders, so you completed the circle by taking both of them in your hold and hugging them close. 

Nebula didn't stay, but before she left, she grabbed your hand and squeezed it. "I will come around," she promised.

"You will always be our sister," Gamora said in return. 

Nebula swallowed thickly, nodded once, and pulled away.

You smiled gratefully, even though you were sad to see her go still. You just loved your sisters.

You and Gamora walked back to your team hand in hand. Everyone stood at the window together, watching the streaks and swirls of color against the already vibrant colors of the galaxy. The Ravagers were celebrating the life and heroic death of Peter's adoptive father. But you couldn't look at the lights or the colors. 

You could only look at your family. From Rocket standing in front of you, sniffling quietly to himself, to Gamora, standing strong and silent at your side. To baby Groot getting passed down from your sister to Drax - everyone you loved was right here. Even Mantis, who you barely knew.

You grabbed Gamora's hand and Peter's arm. They both looked at you. With tears overflowing from your eyes, you shifted your eyes to the beauty of the galaxy. 

"Look what I found," you whispered.

Peter's eyebrows raised in shock. "Did you just-?"

Gamora smiled, squeezing your fingers. "Hey!" Rocket exclaimed, "she can speak!" 

"You can speak?" Drax asked. "I was positive your species was incapable of speaking." 

You laughed. Everyone was turning towards you, hugging you, embracing you, touching you. They were so happy for you. They were so happy to hear you. 

Peter kissed the top of your head as he hooked an arm around your waist. You put your hand on his chest, shutting your eyes and leaning into it. He broke away, then looked at your sister. Gamora was staring at him fondly now. 

You bent down to rest on your knees. After reaching out to scratch the back of Rocket's head, you glady accepted a playful punch to the shoulder from him. And then Groot was awake, scrambling towards you, screaming "I am Groot!" in his high pitched voice. You picked him up and felt Drax's hand on your shoulder. He looked down at you like a proud father.

And after years and years of feeling unwanted, unneeded, and alone - and after spending several years remaining guarded, unsure, and afraid, you finally had a family. A family that you trusted wholeheartedly and would spend the rest of your life, no matter how short, to protect.

Look what I found.