“You might want to give up your dignity sister, but I don’t!” Rocket sneered. “I’m not doing it, nothing any of you say is going to make me….”
“I am Groot!” The raccoon’s ears flattened,
“Fine I’m in whatddaya want?” Gamora looked blankly from Groot to Rocket and back. How she wished she understood the Flora colossus. But for the time being she conceded to simply explain her plan. Peter was out with Drax, meeting a potential client for their next job. But the three had stayed behind, Rocket and Groot to work on the ship and Gamora to get ready for her plan. The Donkey Kong game and the cushioned chair were nice gifts and all, but after learning about the festivals of lights on Terra, and thinking about that time they spent talking on Knowhere so long ago, Gamora decided a more spectacular and sentimental gift was in order. The holidays were about being joyful and merry, being full of love and appreciation for family and friends. She’d never had either of those things and certainly had never thought she’d ever find love, until now. Peter had taught her to dance, the two of them stealing away to his room, or in the cargo bay to listen to his old tunes and dance around. She should be well enough at it by now that she hopped she could pull this off. Sure there were times when Peter’s immaturity and affinity for nonsense annoyed her, he hardly knew the time and place for it, but so much more than that, his unabashed passion for dancing and making fun had allowed Gamora to embrace her own silliness, a light hearted side of herself she never even knew existed. But sure enough, as much as she denied it in front of the others, she was in fact a dancer.
“That doesn’t sound so bad,” Rocket mused, fiddling with some metal trinket in his paws. “When are we doing this?”
“As soon as Peter and Drax get back. Drax already knows.” Rocket rolled his eyes,
“That idiot of course he agreed to this.”
“I am Groot!”
“Groot says he’s excited.”
“Good!” Before the raccoon could tarnish her good mood she turned from the engine room, up to the bay where the ramped entrance to the Milano was closed. They’d be back any moment. This is ridiculous, you are letting this human get the best of you. Her old worn instincts scolded her. He makes you soft. It is because he allows me to be soft that I love him, she thought back at herself. As if on cue, the ramp of the Milano began to shake, in preparation for Peter and Drax’s return. “Groot! Rocket! Ready!! I already set everything up!” She waved to the small makeshift stage. Lights had been rigged up, with fake cosmic snow and greens from Groot’s fallen leaves.
“Wow, you really went all out,” Rocket observed with skeptical eyes. He stepped up on to the stage, examining the microphone in his paws. Gamora watched, making sure he didn’t take it apart for a moment before rushing to her quarters to change. The red short-skirted dress had been bought at the light market after Peter had gone off to look at weapons. She stuffed herself into it and looked at her mirror. Santa does wear red and white…stars I hope I don’t regret this. She remembered Peter’s words: dancing, why it’s the greatest thing there is. The thought of him made her heart feel light.
“Gamora,” she jumped, whirling around, hand going to her swords on the wall but she paused seeing Drax poke his head in. He already wore his designated Santa hat.
“Are you ready?” She nodded and walked with him to the bay.
“Where is Peter?”
“He is going to his room to put his things down. I told him to come back to the bay once he is done to help me find the severed head I hid down there.” Gamora gave him a look but choose not to inquire further. Groot already stood across from Rocket on the stage, his large eyes eager. Drax took up his place in the middle and switched off the lights. Gamora took a deep breath, trying to ease the butterflies in her stomach as the fog machine let loose it’s clouds. No sooner had she begun to doubt herself when Peter’s footsteps echoed down the stairs. It’s now or never she thought amid the different colored lights and smoke, dancing is the greatest thing there is. She gripped her microphone tightly, starting slow. The music started, the fog began to slowly make way for her as she stepped forward, silhouetted against the lights.
“I don’t want a lot for Christmas,” she began remembering the words she’d rehearsed, “there is just one thing I need, I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I just want you for my own,” Gamora intoned, Peter’s blank, confused face in the shadows, “more then you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you,” she pointed at him as Drax drummed up the music louder. The lights shimmered and Peter stood aghast as she spun around, dancing closer to him, the butterflies slowly going away in the mid of the music. “I don’t want a lot for Christmas, there is just one thing I need, and I…” at this point Rocket and even Groot joined in for the backup. “ don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree. I don’t need to hang my stocking there upon the fire place,” she swung her hips and sauntered towards him as he taught her. “Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas day.” She grabbed his hand, twirling him around as the lights flooded them both in green. In the background Groot’s ‘Grooting’ managed to sound enough like “ooh.” Peter’s wide eyes took her in, sparking courage inside her as she spun away and then back to him, skirt twirling. “I just want you for my own, more then you could ever know, make my wish come true, all I want for Christmas is you!”
“Ohhhh, babyyy,” Drax and Rocket cooed upon the stage. Peter’s shock turned to full on laughter and when Gamora swung closer to him he met her with full force, taking her hand and spinning her around. Gamora sang,
“I won’t ask for much this Christmas, I won’t even wish for snow, and I just want to keep on waiting underneath the mistletoe!” Privetly she wondered what mistletoe even was Peter dipped her and she flung her head back, laughing as the white, blue, green and red lights ablazed. He pulled her up and she moved her hips in tune with his to the rhythm. “I won’t make a list and send it to the north pole for saint Nick, I won’t even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click,” all the traditions Peter had been telling them about! Her smiled widened as she danced away, going back up to the stage where Groot, Rocket and Drax were swaying along, singing together,
“Oooooh baaaby,”
“Cause’ I just want you here tonight, holding on to me so tight! What more can I do? Oh baby all I want for Christmas is youuu” she was so captivated by it all even her paranoia did not catch that the song lyrics were a dead giveaway to the two of them. She sang louder as the music got louder and danced in the center of the stage, the lights illuminating her hair. “All the lights are shining so brightly everywhere, the sound of children’s laughter fills the air!”
“Laughter fills the aaair!” Drax, Groot and Rocket echoed. Peter’s laughter and eager dancing before the stage only encouraged her to twirl.
“And everyone is singing I hear those sleigh bells ringing!” She sped up to the beat, “Santa won’t you bring me the one I really need, won’t you please bring my baby to me quickly!” She vaulted off the stage, steadying herself on Peter’s shoulder for a moment fumbling. Their eyes met and oh how she wanted to kiss him, but the music made her move, dancing around him, “I don’t want a lot for Christmas this is all I’m asking for! I just wanna see my baby standing right outside my door!” He took her hand and dipped her once more.
“Outside my door!” The backup singers chorused. Gamora let the music fill her, move her and rocked alongside Peter who’s large grin was plastered to his face, eyes almost in tears as he spun her again. “I just want you for my own! More than you could ever know, make my wish come true,” she sang. “Baby all I want for Christmas is you!!” Drax slowed the music, this was it! The end! She met Peter, standing so close his panting rushed against her own heaving chest. She sighed, looking at those eyes, like she had done a thousand times before. Slowly she whispered the last of the song, “….all I want for Christmas is you, baby.” The music wound down, the lights trickled over Peter’s face. Gamora smiled, leaning in as their noses touched, she tilted her head, ready to meet his parted lips.
The music ended. So too did her boldness. She stepped away in an embaressed flush as the lights came back on. Peter only laughed. Gamora too giggled.
“I….I’m that was amazing! Gamora! I told you you were a dancer! You did it!” The pride in his voice was enough to make her blush. She linked her pinky with Peter’s between them unseen and secret. The only downside to the performance, Peter listened to the song on repeat for the next four days. She guessed she should’ve anticipated it at this point but she didn’t truly mind.