cuddlecity | Gamora | MCU

CHARACTERS: Gamora & YOU!
LOCATIONS: best friends rescue, b-sides, shooting range, good times, etc
WARNINGS: none yet
SUMMARY: catch-all for gamora and anyone that wants to meet/speak to her

Gamora was becoming more comfortable with life in Cadelle even if not everyone was particularly comfortable with her. She was still the only one that she was aware of that didn't look immediately Terran and was clearly from somewhere else. It's why she valued the friendships she had.

And the dog that Baby kept at B-Sides just had her thinking more and more about getting her own pet. For a couple of weeks she was one of those annoying people that kept visiting Best Friends Rescue and looking like she wanted to adopt a pet of some variety, but never quite able to decide what. A dog reminded her of Quill (it was a compliment, wasn't it?). A cat seemed more independent like her. They didn't offer up raccoons like Rocket, or little baby trees like Groot. Nothing was like Drax. Not that she should have been trying to recreate her crew with animals.

She had finally discovered the gun range as well, though the guns here seemed primitive compared to the weapons she was used to wielding. It also seemed safer to practice under a controlled environment rather than her apartment or anywhere else.

And then there were nights when sitting around reading up on Earth's history wasn't going to cut it, and she ventured out to the pubs and clubs, but her personal favourite was Good Times where they played the music she had decided was her favourite - nothing new, all the classics - and she could disguise her like of dancing by wearing roller skates and getting as lost in a crowd as a green-skinned alien could.

[ as always feel free to write your own starter with where you want to run into gamora, or hit me up

kindofabigdeal or pm. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The truth is Gamora might enjoy the idea of teasing him all the more because she knows he will want to win. He's clearly used to getting what he wants. Still, Loki makes a valiant effort and even as he concedes she's trying to hold back a smile and failing.

She came to a stop, holding out a hand to catch him so that Loki came to a stop to. She let it rest on his shoulder as she moved in a little closer and kept her balance easily.

"I thought we already covered the fact that I am definitely not a lady." She tilted her head, eyes once more flicking to his mouth before she didn't move in for a kiss. "You can still take me to dinner if you like."

"But perhaps that is why I enjoy referring to you as such," he says lightly, watching her with a calm, sharp eye. In truth, he would gladly be rid of these skates, having already moved on to consider other things, but might return to the pastime again. "You have given me no true indication, in fact, that you are no lady. I have known many, and you surpass them." Silver-tongued indeed.

Now he takes her hand from his shoulder and doesn't look away from her eyes as he presses his lips to the backs of her fingers. "It would be my pleasure to take you to dinner. But as you have won our wager and gracefully allow me that pleasure, I leave the choice to you. Where will we go?"

"We'll see if that ends well for you, Asgardian," Gamora returned, and while it could have been said with a lot more sharpness there was a clear twinkle in her eye. Why did she have to prefer the men that could give as good as they got? The ones that could be frustrating and charming? "Now how many times have you used that line and truly meant it, Prince?"

Gamora huffed out a breath, genuinely unsure of what she was supposed to do in the face of such a gesture. She wasn't one inclined to blush, and hitting him would have broken the spell. Besides, she didn't actually want to hit him and that concerned her. Because not hitting him meant she wanted to do something else. "Since you probably haven't had much chance to sample the food here, I think we should go to Pho Sizzle. It's surprisingly good."

"Only when I have been given cause, Lady." Because men who cannot keep up with her and keep her guessing are boring, and she'd never fall for someone boring. She's like him.

There's a little pause, brows drawn together as Loki tries to make sense of the unfamiliar words without losing the air of flirtatious anticipation they've developed. A part of him suspects she's done it on purpose. "I will gladly take your recommendation," he says at last, opting not to repeat it quite yet and hoping he'll find it acceptable.

Turning in their skates and reclaiming their boots takes little time and soon they find themselves on the sidewalk, where Loki immediately offers Gamora an arm. "I am forced to follow your lead in this," he says with a sleek smile, "but somehow I may not find it a hardship."

Gamora wanted to tell him to stop with the Lady thing again, but instead she just gave him a bemused look. Was he doing it to see how far he could push her? Maybe. It was true that she wouldn't want boring, and he was definitely not boring.

She waits to see if he repeats the name of the restaurant, that same expression on her features as she fought any urge to outwardly laugh. She filed the quirk away for later. Clearly Loki had standards even in names. "Good, I find Asian food to be one of the better foods of Earth."

When Gamora had her boots back on she was a lot closer to Loki in height. The platform heels had always helped her even in fights, and she was quietly grateful for them now that he couldn't tower over her quite so easily. "You know, it's okay if you want to ease up on that silver tongue. Save it for dinner. It would be a shame if you ran out of flattery before dessert."

That makes him laugh, a genuine laugh that reaches his eyes when he looks back at her. "As you wish," he says, and means it. It's easy for him to speak such high, flowery words, but it does get wearisome.

As they walk, he decides he likes this taller version of her. She walks like a challenge, like she's stepping the world back into place. He asks about the restaurant she's taking him to, what is a Pho Sizzle—yes, he actually says it this time—and the discussion of Asian cuisines lasts them from door to door. They share a table in the window, a tiny one that nearly disappears beneath all the dishes they order. Loki takes a suggestion from their server and ends up with a bowl of salty black noodles in a dark broth that seems to contain more flavor than anything he's tasted before, and he says as much.

He'd expected to spend the evening flirting rather heavily, continuing their dance, but their conversation flows naturally back and forth, and each side dish that's brought is tasted and discussed. It's an exploration as much as a dinner, and it's far more fun than he'd even expected. It's strange, feeling so genuine with someone, as if there aren't sides of himself he needs to hide.

Gamora is guarded by nature. Years of abuse, years of running some else's agenda - it's one of the things that used to frustrate Quill and she knew it. Magnus had managed to creep under her armour and maybe that had a lot to do with the fact that he hadn't flirted. He wasn't trying to insinuate himself in her life. He had been nice, he had given her food and friendship and the talking had come easily because of it.

Gamora could flirt, it was just rare and most of the time it was just as easily miscontrued as something else. Or she stopped herself halfway through when she realised she was straying into what she considered dangerous territory.

And maybe it was why she had needed to see if Loki could last without his silver tongue. She didn't want the flattery, she didn't need it. She was at home in her own skin. She was starting to get comfortable in the city and with Terran food. The ability to share it with someone else in the way that Magnus had first shared it with her meant more than flowery words - whether Loki would have meant them or not.

And his face when he ate the black noodles was something to savour. Occasionally she wondered if she ever had such an open expression on her face that wasn't a result of listening to music. As the night seemed to come to a natural close though once they'd started the walk back to the residential area Gamora had taken his arm without it needing to be offered, and without really thinking about it. She might have even considered a goodnight kiss but there was still a part of her that regarded anyone she didn't immediately want to hurt as dangerous.

That part of her was broken and she knew it. But she compromised with a kiss to the corner of his mouth instead of directly on it. When it came to battle, throwing herself into the fray - she never second guessed herself. But this? This needed just a little more thought.

There are things about Gamora that Loki doesn't know. Of course there are, there would need to be, she's far too complex a person. But he's finding that the things he does know, he likes. Quite a lot. Neither of them is a native of Midgard, but her approach to exploring Midgardian cuisine and culture is fascinating to him. It's been a long and difficult path, trying to feel less superior when thinking of Earth, and he knows he isn't there yet, but perhaps he can take a lesson or two from her. He already has, he certainly would not have tried roller-skating without her there, alternately challenging and encouraging him into it.

He's already decided partway through their meal to allow her to set their pace. He will not invite her to his apartment, nor will he ask about hers. He has his credit to earn toward a wish, yes, but so much in the past few years has gone by in a rush, and he finds he does not want this to be one of them.

When she kisses the corner of his mouth, it makes him smile. He holds still for it, and when she straightens he lifts one of her hands and dots a brief brush of his lips against the back, releasing it again immediately. "Gamora. Thank you," he says, a simple and honest statement. "Rest well. I hope to see you again very soon."

Gamora | MCU | OTA

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