Summary: In a galaxy where the Infinity Stone was never given to the Nova Corps, Peter and (Y/n) struggle to let it go.
Word Count: 2436 words
Warnings: Sooo much angst! Some cursing, some violence, mentions of death!
Author’s note: This is for @thorsthot ‘s writing challenge! Congratulations and thank you for letting me participate!
I had Prompt #23:” Kiss me, you idiot.” This ended up a lot more angsty than it was supposed to, maybe cuz I was listening to this the whole time. Also tagging @imamotherfuckingstar-lord in this since she loves angst and the lord of the stars.
I hope y'all enjoy!
(Y/n) felt absolutely trapped. She wanted to scream, wanted to get away.
“(Y/n)... (Y/n)?! Baby I said I was sorry!”
She jumped at the sound of her boyfriend’s voice and shut the door to Rocket’s old room. Looking around the room she settled for one of Groot’s old planting pots and approached it.
(Y/n) would be damned if this didn’t work. She placed the metal orb into the pot and began filling it with some old soil, setting it among the other pots on the table.
Before returning to Peter she washed her hands, knowing he’d pinpoint the orb’s hiding place the second he saw her hands.
When Peter saw her step into their room his blood ran cold at the look in her eyes. The leather straps on his wrists had him tied down and vulnerable to her fury, he would probably die tonight.
“You think you’re so slick, huh?” she growled, crossing her arms and watching him frantically try to get free of the straps on his wrists.
“Baby, cmon… I needed to get my fix, you know I can’t quit cold turkey…” he whined, leaning away as she moved to his side of the bed.
“Oh yes you can. I’m not letting you go to prison.” she said, grabbing his shoulders and pushing him further into the mattress. “Using that thing puts a target on our backs, the Guardians knew that, where are they now?”
Peter narrowed his eyes at her and gave up on trying to escape. “Is it so bad I wanna use the stone every now and then to help people…?”
(Y/n) sighed and turned from him, beginning to undress while her boyfriend looked on.
“It is bad, you stole it from the Nova Corp, they’ve been tailing us for months. All for what?” She slipped on one of his old t-shirts and crawled onto her side of the bed. “Just so you could feel better about yourself…?”
Peter made an attempt to turn towards her, only to be held back by the straps on his wrists.
“Baby… I can’t explain why. Really I can’t…” He murmured, feeling defeated. “It just… It calls to me yknow? I used it once and it felt so good. I finally had the power to do right by other people.”
(Y/n) frowned and looked him over. The puppy pout was too much for her, so she straddled him and began untying the straps, relaxing into him once his hands rubbed up her thighs.
“You don’t need some stupid magic stone to help people.” she sighed, running her fingers up his bare chest. “I hid the stone… Swear to me you won’t look for it.”
Peter nodded at her and pulled her flush against him, peppering kisses on her lips and rolling on top of her.
“I swear…” he murmured, looking deep into her eyes and brushing a strand of hair behind her ear.
“Kiss me, you idiot…” she said with a soft smile, squeaking as he pressed an eager kiss to her lips.
Waking up to Peter whimpering and thrashing in his sleep was one of the worst things about his dependence on the Infinity Stone. Which is why (Y/n) was wide awake when she didn’t feel him struggling beside her.
She turned to his side of the bed, panic surged through her when she saw the straps were broken and Peter wasn’t there.
(Y/n) practically ran through the entirety of the ship, but there was no sign of Peter. Her bare feet padded along the metal floors towards the one place she had been too afraid to check.
She froze once she peeked into Rocket’s old room and saw Peter rifling through some of Groot’s old pots. He turned, immediately sensing her presence, and slowly set down the pot. He glued his eyes to the floor and shifted on his feet.
(Y/n) slowly walked towards him and picked up the pot he had been searching for. Holding it up for him to see, she watched the look in his eyes go from one of guilt to one of yearning. He didn’t even notice the hurt in her eyes.
“I don’t know why I’m surprised.” She said, her tone causing Peter to finally take his eyes off the pot.
Shaking her head she turned and left the room, Peter hot on her heels and following her to their bedroom.
He quietly sat on the bed, watching (Y/n) mill about the room as she gathered her things into a bag.
“You’re just gonna leave me then…?” Peter spoke up, only to be met with silence.
(Y/n) dumped out the contents of the pot and pulled the orb out of the dirt. She shoved it into her bag and slipped on a pair of pants and shoes, ignoring the feeling of Peter’s eyes on her.
“I’m leaving and I’m taking this with me.”
Peter bit his lip and slowly shrugged, “If that’s what you think is best…”
(Y/n) whipped her head around, clutching the strap across her shoulder.
“Since when have you ever cared about what I think is best?!” she snapped, taking a step towards him. “I’ve been telling you what I think is best for months! And you never. Listen!” (Y/n) shouted.
The way Peter stared at her only made her anger burn in her core, through her lungs and up to her cheeks.
She stomped past the bed, heaving a sigh when she heard his heavy footsteps behind her.
“I have always listened, but-”
“It’s hard!” she interrupted him, throwing her duffel bag into the pod. “That’s always your excuse, I’m sick of it!”
Before (Y/n) could step into the pod Peter took hold of her and turned her to face him.
“I can help people like this, (Y/n)!”
“Not if you’re dead-”
Before the shouting match could continue, the two were thrown off their feet as the Milano shook around them.
(Y/n) sat up in Peter’s lap, shrieking as he lifted her and bolted to the cockpit with her practically under his arm.
“It’s a fucking Ravager ship … Musta spotted us from our last stop…” Peter murmured, watching the ship pull alongside them. The two ducked under the control console, dropping onto their knees and out of sight.
“There’s gotta be like what… five guys in there…”? (Y/n) trailed off.
The Milano shook again, the sounds of metal clanking surrounded the two and Peter pulled (Y/n) close.
“They’re docking us…” he whispered into her hair.
(Y/n) pulled away from him and crawled across the floor, gripping one of the grated floor panels and pulling it up.
“You gotta hide…” (Y/n) turned to Peter and watched him carefully slip under the panel.
“Baby cmon,” he pleaded, gently grabbing her hand, “come hide with me baby, please.”
(Y/n) shook her head at him and pressed a kiss to his knuckles. “They won’t believe the ship’s completely empty. You’re the one they’re after… Maybe they’ll just let me go.” she reassured him.
Peter nodded at her reluctantly and let her set the panel back.
He couldn’t hear most of what was said over the pounding in his chest and the ringing in his ears. He did his best to keep hs breathing quiet, but he could hear the panic in (Y/n)’s voice as she tried convincing the Ravagers she was alone.
“This ship belongs to Quill. He ain’t leavin this ship for nuthen and we got a bounty to collect.” one said, looking around the ship.
“I know, I knew him… He’s dead.” (Y/n) replied, watching the other Ravagers look around the ship. “That stone killed him... “
“You mean this?” another asked, holding up the dirt covered Orb above (Y/n)’s forgotten duffel bag.
Peter held his breath, pressing further into the shadows as (Y/n) tried explaining herself.
“I was trying to return it. I’ve been travelling across the Galaxy to get it back to the Nova Corps.” At least that was half true...
Peter heard a grunt from (Y/n) followed by the sound of her falling onto her knees.
“We know Quill’s here, little girl! Sell him out and we’ll leave. And take the stone off your hands!” barked another, standing over (Y/n) who held her stomach and struggled to catch her breath.
A beat passed before Peter heard her grunt again as she fell onto her back. Before the Ravager could land another blow, Peter had enough.
“Stop! I’m down here, a-holes!” he shouted, pushing up one of the panels and raising his hands over his head. “Just stop…”
The Ravagers quickly pulled Peter onto his feet only for (Y/n) to place herself between them.
“No please! You don’t have to do this!” she pleaded, pressing one hand to Peter’s chest and the other to the lead Ravager’s shoulder.
“Get your hands offa me, we’re taking him to Yondu! You can either stay here or come along for the ride!”
“Please, just take the stone. I’ll give you all the money we have, just take the stone and leave him!” she begged, practically on the verge of tears.
The second the Ravagers put their hands on (Y/n) Peter began fighting against them only to be pulled away from her.
(Y/n) slipped away from her captors and lunged for Peter. She felt her fingers brush against his arm before she felt a deep, penetrating burn in her back.
Peter watched her slam into the floor at his feet. She stayed limp for a moment. Then her shoulders began shaking and he could hear her whimpering into the floor in pain.
The ringing in (Y/n)’s ears drowned out Peter’s shouting as his blurry figure was dragged off the Milano. Once he was out of sight (Y/n) suddenly realized how cold she felt.
Space had never felt so cold… Space had never been so black.
The ringing (Y/n) heard next was different. Familiar.
Her eyes fluttered open and she glanced around, spotting Peter in the pilot’s chair right beside her. Was it all a dream.
He reached over and flicked a switch on the console, giving her an apologetic look before looking back at the galaxy before them.
“Didn’t mean to wake you up…” he murmured.
The ache in (Y/n)’s back told her she was injured. It couldn’t have been a dream.
She slowly sat up, adjusting the chair into its proper position and groaning once she sat straight.
“What happened…?” she asked, reaching to feel her wound, only to realize it was nothing but a bruise now.
“Those assholes attacked us… I sent them back to Yondu.” Something about his tone felt definite. He had nothing else to say on the matter.
“Coulda sworn I took a harder hit…” (Y/n) trailed off, looking between Peter and the orb resting on the console.
Peter only shrugged, refusing to meet her eyes.
“I patched you up… It was just a scratch.” There was that tone again.
(Y/n) knew deep down it was much worse. She coulda sworn she let go…
She bit her lip and relaxed into the co-pilot’s chair. She knew Peter wasn’t telling her something… She hoped he would tell her soon.
~~The last of the Ravagers crawled across the floor, whimpering like a pitiful animal as he heard Peter’s footsteps approaching him.
He winced away as Peter stopped in front of him, slowly raising his hands over his head and giving him a pleading look.
“Please… Let me go. I’ll go to Yondu, tell em to drop your bounty. Leave you alone…” he croaked, staring at the unforgiving pair of purple eyes that stared into his soul.
Peter kicked him onto his back and pressed the sole of his boot into the Ravager’s chest. He clenched his fists at his side, feeling one shake as purple energy enveloped it while the other clenched the Infinity stone like a vice.
“You’ll just hurt her again.”
When Peter got back to the Milano he didn’t go anywhere near (Y/n) until the stone was back in the orb.
He took his sweet time, not wanting to take a close look at the woman who had been dumb enough to stay with him as long as she did.
Once he finally knelt beside her he moved her onto her back and cradled her in his arms. He took a moment to just look at her face, already drained of its color. Peter pressed his thumb to her lips, the weight of the galaxy crashing on him when he felt how cold they were.
“You gotta get up… You gotta tell me what to do…” He whispered, hoping she’d stir awake at the sound of his voice.
He didn’t even realize he had started crying until his tears began dripping onto her cheeks.
“I need you to tell me what to do... “
Peter slowly gripped her and pressed his face into her neck, mumbling against her icy skin for her to wake up, almost like a prayer.
A surge of energy passed through him. The energy from the stone was so dirty, so corrupt. What Peter felt in that moment was different. It was pure, immaculate. It felt like eternity at his fingertips.
Peter quickly pulled back once he felt (Y/n)’s breath tickle his ear, he watched in shock as her color slowly returned to her cheeks. ~~
“Where are we headed…?” she spoke up, watching him intently as he leaned back into his seat.
“We’re returning that.” He pointed to the orb.
(Y/n) felt her stomach twist with a mix of happiness and worry. He had never suggested taking the stone back himself… but that just meant he was really messed up from whatever happened with the Ravagers.
She slowly stood up and made her way to him. (Y/n) gingerly took his hands, noticing the small burns covering his fingers as she knelt in front of him.
“Swear to me… Swear to me that we’re really taking it back…” she murmured, shivering as his eyes locked with hers. Something deep in his eyes felt so distant.
He pulled her hands to his lips and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I swear…”
(Y/n) slowly smiled, feeling tears begin to sting the corners of her eyes. Peter’s lips quirked up ever so slightly and he gently cupped her cheek, relishing in the warmth of her skin.
You didn’t know when you fell in love with Thor. It didn’t happen at one specific moment like in the movies. It was slow, over a long period of time. You were pretty sure that it started the second you met, but you didn’t know it at the time.
You loved him, but he had no idea. Of course he didn’t. He was oblivious at times. Sometimes it was cute, sometimes it...was not.
Tony was throwing a party to celebrate New Year’s, and you had to watch Thor go around and flirt mercilessly with every girl. And you had to watch them flirt back. At times like this, his obliviousness was not cute.
You knew you had no reason to be jealous, but you still were. It wasn’t like he belonged to you or anything, because he didn’t. But that didn’t change the fact that you wanted—no, needed—him to love you. You could barely function around him at this point, and it was getting a little ridiculous.
You sat at the bar, a glass of red wine in your hand. You didn’t even notice that you were gazing at Thor longingly until a voice pulled you from your thoughts.
“You should tell him, you know,” Tony said, leaning against the bar. His face was flushed red from intoxication, and his hair was a mess. Clearly, he’d had a few too many drinks. You rolled your eyes and took a sip of your drink. He frowned and looked at you.
“You should. I mean, it’ll stop him from flirting with other girls like that,” he elaborated.
“I’m not gonna tell him,” you mumbled. “How do you even know?”
“Are you kidding? It’s obvious.” He scoffed and sipped his drink. “You look at him like...like he’s the sun or something. It’s ridiculous.”
“Shut up.” You smacked his arm. “What, is it so bad that I have a little bit of a crush?”
Tony immediately burst out laughing, making a few people glance in your direction. Thor, however, was still preoccupied with a blonde SHIELD agent.
“Tony, shut it!” You snapped. He caught his breath and pointed at you.
“You’re-You’re whipped for the guy, (Y/N)!”
“I am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!” God, you felt like a child, arguing with him like this.
“Are too!”
“Am–”
“(Y/N), is Tony bothering you?” Thor’s voice suddenly cut in. You felt your face heat up as Tony’s laughter continued.
“No, Thor.” You brushed your hair out of your face, looking down. “I gotta go.”
You managed to avoid Thor, and your feelings, for almost a week. You threw yourself into your work, working double shifts just to avoid thinking about him. As a nurse, you couldn’t think about other things while you worked, and by the time you got home, you were too exhausted to do anything but sleep.
Clearly, he noticed this. After two days, you received a text.
[Thor]: Are you okay?? 😮🤒😢🐍
You chose to ignore this message, continuing on your conquest of forgetting your feelings for the god. But on the fifth day, you were awoken by a knock at your door. You sighed; you were about to get in bed! Nevertheless, you got up and walked to the door. You opened it, and found none other than Thor standing there, looking concerned.
“(Y/N),” he said gently. “I noticed you were not responding to my instant messages. So I figured, they must be sick. So I brought you lunch.” He grinned and handed you a paper bag. Oh, fuck. Why did he have to be so sweet? If he was an asshole, it would be so much easier to forget how you felt about him.
“Oh...thanks, Thor. But I’m not sick,” you explained. His grin faded.
“Oh? Then why haven’t you been talking to me?” A beat, and realization struck him. “You’re avoiding me, aren’t you?”
“I’m not avoiding you.” You laughed nervously. He easily caught onto your lie and sighed.
“Did I do something wrong?” He asked, letting himself in. He leaned against your kitchen counter and crossed his arms. He looked amazing in casual clothes, you noted. In that red t-shirt that hugged his muscles perfectly and his hair tied back—no.
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” you replied. You placed the paper bag on the table.
“Then why are you avoiding me? Do you not want to remain friends?”
“No, Thor—”
“Because that would be okay. I will respect your wishes.”
“Thor, that’s not it—”
“Are you feeling sad? Do you need cheering up?”
“Thor–”
“Did something bad happen?”
“Stop!” You snapped. His face fell, and you instantly felt guilt rise up in your chest.
“It’s stupid,” you whispered. He frowned and stepped forward, taking your hands in his. Your heart was beating a million miles an hour at this point.
“I’m sure it’s not,” he murmured. Tears welled up in your eyes. He hushed you and brushed your hair out of your face.
“I want you t-to love me,” you whispered. He frowned in confusion.
“I do love you. You’re a very close friend of mine,” he said. You shook your head.
“No, Thor. I want y-you to be in love with me,” You stammered. His face turned pale.
“Oh, (Y/N), I…” he swallowed nervously. “I’m so sorry.”
“And you were f-flirting with all those girls last night and it’s stupid but it made me feel so so bad because I just want to be with you,” you said quickly. He cupped your cheek and wiped a tear from your face.
“Breathe,” he instructed. You took a deep breath, and he smiled reassuringly. Once you had calmed down a little bit, he spoke.
