Chapter Text
Sitting on the apartment balcony to watch the twin suns set behind Xandar's impressive skyline, Quill felt completely at peace. The late summer air was moved by a leisurely breeze, which brought sweet flowery scents up from the park below. A few units over, someone was barbecuing. And beside him on the balcony, reclined in a plastic pool chair, was the being he had decided was the love of his life. Quill turned to grin drowsily at Adam, who felt the gaze on him and gave a demure smile from under his sunhat. He was aglow in the rosy light of dusk.
"You want another drink?" Quill asked, looking at Adam's empty glass.
"I've had quite enough," Adam replied, sitting up a bit. He reached out to find Quill's hand, dangling over the arm of his chair, and held it tight. Quill purred.
The glass door of the apartment slid open suddenly. They both turned to find Drax leaning out. "I've just spoken to Richard."
"Did he find her yet?" Quill responded, sitting up.
"No. He reports that her sister has been very unhelpful."
"No surprise there." Quill let out a sigh. They hadn't seen Gamora in almost three weeks. She had stayed behind on Knowhere with Nebula and her Ravager crew following a run-in with a member of the Universal Church of Truth. Shortly thereafter, she had vanished without a trace. Although she had sworn Drax to secrecy on the matter, her disappearance had prompted him to tell Quill what he knew. Now, it seemed, no one had any idea of her whereabouts- and while Quill trusted that she was able to look after herself, he couldn't help but be worried. From what he had been told about the Church, their power was immense and their influence uncanny.
"How's Richie?" He asked.
"Anxious."
"One can hardly blame him," Adam said. "I find it strange that Gamora would chose to exclude even him from her plans."
"That's assuming she had plans," Quill replied. His placid mood disturbed, he got to his feet and stretched. "The only way we're going to find her is if we find the Church, I reckon."
"I would not hold out hope of that," Drax replied evenly. "They are impossible to find, unless they want to be found."
With this cryptic statement, he gave the couple a nod and returned inside. Quill grasped the railing of the balcony, gazing down at the quiet street below. Soon he felt a gentle nudge at his side, and reached to put an arm around Adam. He closed his eyes and let his cheek rest against the being's silky hair. He had not known the sort of inner peace he felt now before Adam had become his constant companion. Even in the face of losing his closest friend, he felt comforted in Adam's presence. "You're my angel," he whispered. Adam laughed gently, one elegant hand finding Quill's jaw to stroke.
"And you're my..." He trailed off with a frustrated sigh, clearly having no idea of how to proceed.
Quill chuckled. "You'll think of something eventually."
They stood in this embrace for a long while, until the last beams of sunlight had vanished from the sky. The stars appeared one by one- soon the hazy summer sky was aglitter. At last, Quill's arm began to tingle painfully. He released Adam, reaching for his hand to kiss his knuckles. "How about a little evening stroll before bed?"
"Yes- I'd like to go down to the water."
The river was a short walk from the apartment complex. During the day it was crowded with people trying to cool off, but now, it was quiet. Adam and Peter walked there hand-in-hand; when they had arrived at the bank, looking out over the dark expanse of water, Adam said, "Let's go swimming."
Quill did not need to be persuaded any more than that. It was a hot night, and the water looked refreshing- not to mention, he took any opportunity given to be naked with Adam. He quickly pulled his shirt off, then watched as Adam unfastened his chiffon robe. He was wearing a black catsuit of sorts underneath, which he slipped out of with surprising grace. Naked, he walked to the river's edge to let the water touch his toes. Quill, dropping his shorts, followed close behind. He waded in without hesitation, having no desire to be caught naked by any passerby. The water was cool, but not cold; the current was gentle enough that parents often taught their children to swim here.
Adam was lingering on the bank, watching Quill closely. "Come on in, my sweetheart," the man called as he sank in up to his chest. “The water’s swell.”
Adam beamed, wading in to meet him. He made his way unsteadily over the sandy riverbed and all but fell into Quill’s arms. They laughed a moment, and then they were kissing. Quill tasted the remnants of Adam’s fruity drink on his lips.
It was a long, slow kiss. After a few seconds, Adam’s fingers wove into Quill’s hair, and under the water, one leg slowly wrapped around the man’s waist. Quill withdrew from the kiss to give Adam’s neck a gentle nibble. Adam gave a delighted whimper. He was stroking Quill’s beard and caressing his neck. Eventually he sighed and said, “I’ve changed my mind. Let’s go back to the bank, so I can suck-”
He was cut off by a shout from behind them. Immediately, a beam of white light was shining on them. Quill groaned.
“Peter!” A voice called. “I didn’t think I’d ever catch you like this again!”
“Who’s that?” Adam said, clinging to Quill’s shoulders.
Quill let out a sigh. “It’s the fun-police.” Releasing Adam from his arms, Quill moved to put himself between his lover and the intruding light.
“Dey,” he hollered. “They got you on skinny-dipper patrol again?”
“Just training up the newbies,” the man standing on the riverbank answered. There were two young Corpsmen standing a bit behind him. He turned to them and said, loudly enough for Quill to hear, “Lucky for you, you get to meet one of our frequent flyers.”
“You’re Star-Lord, right?” One of the Corpsmen blurted.
“Sure am,” Quill replied. “I bet they already told you all the stories about me, huh?”
“Yes, sir.”
Quill chuckled. He turned, taking Adam’s hand in his. The being looked like a deer in headlights. “What’s going on?” He asked.
“Old Dey’s breaking the party up.” To Dey, he said, “You’ve met Adam, right?”
“Briefly. He was the cause for all that trouble with Ayesha last month.” He clapped his hands briskly. “Alright, you two. Go home.”
Adam was watching the trio over Quill’s shoulder now. “Does he mean for us to get out of the water? We’re naked!”
“Hey, maybe y’all could turn the big light off?” Quill called at once. “I may be shameless, but Adam is not.”
Obligingly, the light was switched off. Quill towed Adam back to shore, where he hurried to grab the being’s robes so that he was spared as much indignity as possible. As they dressed, Quill turned to Dey. “What ended up happening with Ayesha, anyway?”
“Not much, really,” Dey replied. “We’re letting her return to Sovereign with a sanctioned officer to… keep an eye on things.”
“Oh, you needn’t worry about that,” Adam replied. “Father has promised to make sure she is kept in line.”
Quill shuddered at the memory of Adam’s father- a menacing metal man called the High Evolutionary. From the brief time Quill had spent in his company, he was more than certain that he would have no trouble controlling Ayesha.
“Well, if you two can promise that we won’t catch you misbehaving any further, I don’t think there’s any need to pursue the matter,” Dey said.
“Yessir,” Quill replied. “I promise you won’t catch us.”
With a good-natured laugh, Dey left them standing in their damp clothes on the riverbank. When he had led his trainees back to the road, Adam turned to Quill.
“What did he mean when he said you were a frequent flyer?” The being asked.
“I used to get in trouble a lot when I was a kid,” Quill replied. “Running with the Ravagers meant I used to get collared for petty thievery and public drunkenness a lot. Dey was always real nice to me when I got brought in. Saved my hide a few times, in fact.”
Adam watched him evenly. “You haven’t told me much about your time with the Ravagers.”
“There ain’t much to tell. They were a bunch of mean, drunk pirates who raised me from a pup. They weren’t the nicest bunch of people, but I made it out alive, didn’t I?” As he spoke, he took hold of Adam’s hand once more and led him from the riverbank. “It could have been worse.”
Adam did not seem remotely satisfied with this answer. “It must have been terrible for you, to be stuck living with them for so long.”
“It wasn’t easy. A lot of times I went hungry, or had to find somewhere to sleep because I pissed the old man off. And I used to get the living hell beat out of me pretty often. But it’s behind me now, darlin’. I couldn’t ask for a better life.” He leaned in to kiss Adam’s nose.
The rest of their walk was spent largely in silence, although Quill caught Adam staring at him in a rather bemused way.
When they got home, the apartment was dark. They changed quickly out of their wet clothes and settled down for bed. As they laid beside each other, Adam made a point of cuddling into Quill, his back to the man’s belly. Quill wrapped his arms around the being, who clasped them at his belly. Any playful mood had been dispelled by their encounter with Dey, so Quill was content to simply lay his cheek against Adam’s hair and drift into peaceful dreams.
-----
By noon of the next day, it became obvious to Quill that Adam was growing restless. He had fidgeted all through breakfast, and now he was pacing the apartment like a caged animal. If there was one thing that Quill had learned about his lover in the past 3 weeks, it was that Adam despised stagnation. He loved to learn and experience, even if it was something as mundane as being taught a card game, or visiting a new store. He kept a book, Quill had discovered- a diary of sorts. Adam had let Quill look at a few pages, which he had filled up with writing about his daily life. He seemed to record everything, from what he ate for lunch to when he took his medicine. There were drawings- flowers, animals he had met, even a few doodles of Quill himself. He had also written Quill’s name over and over, at least once on every page- always written in his fanciest script and surrounded with flowers.
This had warmed Quill. Adam’s excitement for life was inspiring, and he was determined to nurture it in any way he could. Now, as he sat in the living room, watching Adam study the people on the street below, he said, “What do you say I take you over to the botanical gardens today?”
“For a date?” Adam asked, looking back at Quill with a glint in his eye.
“Yeah. You’d like that?”
“Oh, yes. I love plants. And I love our dates.”
Quill beamed. He rose from his seat, reaching to slide an arm around Adam’s waist. They danced in a circle, Adam’s long robes sweeping gracefully as he turned. He brushed his golden curls aside and batted his long, dark lashes at Quill. Quill leaned in to give him a gentle kiss.
“Gross. Do you two ever quit it?” It was Rocket, who had come in to fish a screwdriver out of the couch cushions.
“Why would we quit?” Adam asked. “We’re in love, after all.”
“Yeah, yeah,” Rocket replied with a sneer. “Believe me, I know.”
Unperturbed, Adam smiled at Quill and said, “I should go and get ready. Maybe I’ll ask Mantis to help with my hair.”
Quill watched him go, feeling his heart swell with adoration. There came times like these when he could scarcely believe his good fortune. Six months ago he was a man who had given up on the prospect of ever having a partner; years of being unlucky in love had left him resigned to a bachelor’s life forever. He had had an injury that he was afraid would keep him from his life as a Guardian, and despite the presence of the Guardians, he had never felt so alone. And then, as if Fate herself had intervened, they took a call for a downed ship in the Rajak wilderness- and aboard it, the lovely creature he now called his boyfriend. A real fairy tale , Quil mused.
When Adam had dressed and had Mantis help to style his hair, he came to find Quill and tug enthusiastically on his sleeve. “Come, my love,” he said. “I’m anxious to get there. Should I bring my book, in case I find something I’d like to draw?”
Without waiting for an answer, he hurried off to fetch his book. He walked with it tucked under his arm as they made their way from the apartment and over several blocks to where the massive greenhouse stood.
Inside the gardens, which consisted of one large room with a massive tree at its center, the air was thick with the scent of blooming flowers. It made Quill’s nose twitch, but Adam took a deep breath and said, “That smell reminds me of home. Father grows so many flowers for his research.”
Quill tried to smile. “Maybe we could not talk about your daddy for a while.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I know he makes you anxious. It’s just that I miss him so.”
This, Quill could sympathize with. He hadn’t seen his own father in weeks, and he was itching to be back in the Titan’s presence. He mentally noted that they would have to visit Eros soon, if only to share the joy of their love with him.
The gardens were never particularly busy; a few people drifted about here and there, admiring flowers or taking pictures of butterflies. Mostly, Adam and Quill were alone as they walked. This was a relief, because every time Adam stopped to examine a particular flower, his passionate curiosity filled Quill with the desire to kiss him.
They walked for a long time, Quill’s arm around Adam’s waist. Adam read aloud some of the name cards, or reached out to stroke a velvety leaf. Once, a large crimson butterfly fluttered up and landed on Quill’s cheek, which rendered Adam positively speechless. When the insect at last moved along, Adam said, “They seem to trust you.”
“Who, the butterflies?”
“Animals in general. Like that stray dog who let you pet it when it growled at everyone else, or the birds on the balcony.”
“Huh,” Quill murmured. “I guess I didn’t notice.”
Adam broke away suddenly, pointing to an especially beautiful silvery blossom on a nearby bush. “I want to draw this one,” he announced. “Do you mind if we sit for awhile?”
“Not at all, honey. You take your time.”
They found a small bench with a good view of Adam’s subject matter. Quill watched over Adam’s shoulder as he began to sketch, unable to help but be awed by the being’s skill. He perfectly captured the delicate petals of the flower, shading them meticulously as he went.
“Who taught you to draw like that?” Quill asked eventually.
“No one, really. I learned by copying pictures from my textbooks.”
Quill was going to say something else, but he was interrupted by a sudden tap on his knee. He looked down to see that a young Xandarian child of about 5 was standing before him, looking up in wonder.
“Mr. Star-Lord,” the child lisped.
Quill leaned forward, smiling. “That’s me. And who might you be?”
“Tirki. Are you here to save us again?”
“Nah, nobody needs saving right now. I’m here with my boyfriend.” Quill looked to Adam, who had paused in his drawing to stare at the child in bewilderment. It occured to Quill that, with the Sovereign being born full-grown, it was possible that Adam had never seen a child.
Tirki was looking back at Adam, too. “Is he your family?”
“Sorta,” Quill responded. “I guess he’s our newest member.”
Tirki looked pleased by this. “My big sister has a boyfriend. She says when she gets married to him, he’ll be our family.”
At last, Adam had set his book aside and was leaning in, as though he were as fascinated by the child as he was by the flowers around them. “How old are you, Tirki?”
“I’m five and a half. What’s your name?”
“My name is Adam. Are you here all alone?”
“No. My mama and papa are right over there.” The child pointed to two adults approaching now. One of them, a young woman who Quill immediately recognized as one of Dey’s trainees from the night before, was very red in the face.
“I’m so sorry about Tirki,” she was saying as she approached. “You know how children this age are.”
“No worries,” Quill said. He watched as she gathered the child up and hurried off with one more embarrassed apology. He turned to Adam. “Pretty awkward, considering she saw us both naked last night.”
Adam nodded absently. “Children are very strange, aren’t they?” He said in a way that suggested he was talking more to himself than to Quill. “I had never seen one in person before. They’re actually rather charming.”
Quill studied his expression a moment before giving a sigh. “I’ve always liked them. When I was younger, I figured I’d have some of my own. But you can see how that turned out.”
Adam seemed to consider this. “I would hardly say that you’re out of time,” he said. “Surely it wouldn’t be difficult to find a mother.”
“Well, considering that I’m going steady with you, I won’t be finding anyone.”
Adam looked very puzzled. “I don’t think I quite understand how all this works.”
Quill gave a chuckle. “Don’t worry, buddy. You’re not alone there.”
As Adam resumed work on his drawing, Quill reached out and rested a hand on his thigh. They sat in perfect silence a while, which was just as well- Quill was thinking about a great many things. He knew it was awfully premature to be entertaining these kind of thoughts, but he found he couldn’t help it. He wanted more than anything to have a future with Adam, and that would mean broaching some difficult questions. Quill had always wanted a family of his own, and while he had all but given up on that idea years ago, it seemed that things were changing for him. Perhaps it wasn’t out of the question after all.
“What are you thinking about?” Adam asked offhandedly, having noticed Quill’s uncharacteristic silence.
Quill leaned in and kissed his ear. “Don’t you worry, my darlin’. Don’t you worry.”