Rocket’s partner actively going out of their way to befriend Groot, because they know how much Groot means to Rocket and as a result Groot and the partner end up becoming besties.
Cartoon Rocket or Rivals Rocket are preferred but I’m ok with whatever Rocket you choose for this 😊
(Also I really like your writing and I hope you’re doing well)
I’ve never tried to write cartoon rocket before — at least not outside of the every!rockets. so i guess I’ll give it a crack here, my friend. thanks for the excuse! ̗ ̗ര́ ̬꤮ ̗ ̗
now, as a reminder — it's not exactly a hardship to try to befriend groot. to be honest, i can't imagine a universe in which you don't try to befriend groot, even if rocket weren't in the picture.
but for better or worse, rocket is in the picture, and that raises the stakes. because if you somehow fuck up — if the universe's sweetest, kindest, most tender-hearted lifeform decides, for some reason, that you are a menace — well, then you know you've got no shot of getting the resident grumpy mechanic to soften up toward you.
maybe you're shy, and striking up a friendship with the much-less-intimidating flora colossus feels like a safer way to hopefully win over rocket. or maybe you're clever and cunning and sly, smirking and trying not to wink at rocket every time he grumbles about you taking up too much time with his bestie.
either way, groot's as (platonically) besotted with you as you are with him.
you tend to stick close to the big guy’s side, trying to look out for him — as if he isn't almost twice your size. you talk to him as if he's your cat — not that he's a pet, of course. it's just that you sort of ramble your stream of consciousness at him while you work on things, and you listen attentively on the occasions when he speaks — even though your understanding of his speech is entirely dependent on his tone of voice or nonverbal cues.
groot, for his own part, indulges you as if you are his cat: smiling bemusedly at you while you chatter and chirp, gently nudging you aside when you get underfoot. sometimes he dares to crown you with wreathes of leaves and flowers, if he thinks he can get away with it without you batting it confusedly off your head.
and rocket continues to grumble.
now, rocket was actually already intrigued by you before your friendship with groot blossomed — in the same way he's intrigued by any newcomer, that is. he's always been a curious guy, and despite his frenetic, irritable attitude, he starts to linger around the two of you.
"that's my friend," he points out crankily, almost shrill with exasperation. "you're flarkin' hoggin' him!"
groot says something admonishing, and rocket growls and grumps and stomps around, lashing his tail. but he keeps darting speculative glances at you over his shoulder. what is it about you that's charmed groot so much? he wonders.
plus, he has to admit he likes having someone else keep an eye on the big guy. sure, you're not particularly good at flying the ship yet, and you don't really handle the recoil on the big blasters very well — but at least you can be another set of eyes when trouble is coming, and you can remind groot not to do stupid things.
it’s almost a full quarter later that something finally snaps into place for rocket. he’s not expecting it, of course. it’s just another sleepshift: one where he’s working on the thrusters late into the so-called night. groot's waiting for him, sitting on the floor with his back braced against a bulwark in the adjacent cargo bay. like the next tile in a row of dominoes, you're waiting too: slouched against the flora colossus’ side, watching something on your datapad, occasionally chuckling and tapping groot's knee so you can show him whatever's playing out on the screen.
and rocket finds that, in spite of his growly complaints, he can't help but be kinda — well. he’s not annoyed that you’re there.
he makes a face to himself: musing over this unfortunate realization while he clinks away inside the hull, fixing a few broken valves and redirecting some lines from the various fuel tanks. his ears flick at your every quiet murmur and hushed laugh, and groot's rumbling inquiries, and the vague mumble of the datapad videos. rocket doesn't pay much attention — at least not consciously — but his body notices. his muscles loosen. he shoulders ease into something comfortable and relaxed. his tail even wraps around him — almost cozily.
hours pass, and your commentary grows more muffled and sparse. groot's gravelly responses spread thin. eventually, even the voices on the holovids slowly sputter to a halt.
rocket finishes.
he tucks his tools in the pouches at his hip, standing up and cracking his back — then his neck — pleased with the work he's done. eager for a little flarkin’ praise. he practically struts out of the hole in the hull, chest puffed up and thick tail waving like a flag, only to nearly stumble over his own feet.
groot's asleep, and so are you: curled up into the big guy's flank. it's such a domestic sort of scene that rocket feels his heart kinda skip in his chest a little. there's a lopsided tug at one corner of his mouth, and it takes him a full thirty seconds to realize he's smiling.
it's — well. it's sorta cute, actually.
maybe you havin' you around actually ain't so bad.
Saturn five Space Rocket Tie - $41.95 Made by Zazzle Apparel Saturn five Space Rocket Illustration - A rocket launch is the takeoff phase of the flight of a rocket. Launches for orbital spaceflights, or launches into interplanetary space, are usually from a fixed location on the ground, but may also be from a floating platform such as the San Marco platform, or the Sea Launch launch vessel. http://www.zazzle.com/saturn_five_space_rocket_tie-151597575695156184?CMPN=shareicon&lang=en&rf=238954090655243732
