Groot the guardian

Bella listened intently before nodding her head a bit. “It sounds pretty cool! I’ll definitely have to check it out one day. Because I love Rocky Horror, so I’m sure I will love that one.” She giggled. “Maybe we can watch it together! Have some dinner and a movie.” 

“If you like Rocky Horror then you’ll like this. The costumes aren’t as flashy but the comedy is still there.” Groot gave Bella a warm smile and nodded. “I would like that. Just name the time and place and I’ll have it set up.”

“I’ve been laying low since the fire,” Mittens admitted. “Not really payin’ attention. Maybe some real shit DID go down but I missed it. So long as me and mine are okay, I don’t really give a shit what goes down at this school.”

 Groot nodded a bit. “Right. Well, so far I haven’t heard anything so I don’t think much has happened.” Biting his lip he looked at Mittens and sighed. “I’m glad to hear that no one got hurt when I was gone. I’d only make me feel worse.”

“I’ll have to make a not to watch it. What’s it about?” She asked, still wearing her bright smile. “Thank you. I think it would be bad if people heard I actually thought this plant would try to bite me. Even saying makes me want to cringe.” 

“Well, this shop in a bad part of the city is about to go out of business but just before it does one of the workers finds a really weird plant and uses it to get business because people come by to look at it. Then that’s when he finds out what it eats and things just go crazy.” Groot laughed a bit. “It’s a slapstick musical like Rocky Horror Picture Show. There is nothing scary about it.” 

Hearing him explain, Bella’s smile grew and she started laughing, shaking her head a bit. “Now I feel like an idiot.” She giggled. “I’ve never seen that, so I didn’t quite get it, but yeah. Let’s just forget I actually thought this was a man eating plant.” 

“You haven’t? You really should watch it , I think it’s really funny.” He said trying not to laugh that she actually thought he was being serious. “It’s an older movie so it’s not that bad that you haven’t seen it. But I’ll be sure not to tell anyone.”

Bella’s smile dropped a little as he spoke and she looked back at the plant in her hand before looking back at him. “That isn’t this plant…right?” 

Groot noticed her smile fall and jumped to explain. “It was a joke... a Little Shop of Horrors reference.” He said trying to chuckle it off. “The plant that the main character found fed off humans.”

Tony sighed he pulled out a cigarette. He looked over at the stranger. “Do you want one? Maybe a drink?” He offered the bottle towards him. Too drunk to notice the hostility “Look. Ive already accepted the fact that we’re gonna hate each other. No reason we can’t civil about it. Sorry about being a drunk asshole and yelling at you. I’ll do my best to leave you and your own alone. Now can we sit and chat politely about how tasty gin is? If not do you mind leaving this sick drunk alone.”

“I don’t want your petty apologies. I don’t hate you, but I don’t want a single thing to do with you. And as long as you stay away from Wanda I will be able to keep it that way. So continue your path of destruction by yourself. I really don’t give a shit. But I’m not ever going to share a drink with you.” Groot said in a serious tone. “You don’t even deserve the company.” It was bitter for Groot to speak to someone this way but after everything he’d let the caring personality he had go. “Fuck off Tony Stark.” He finally said before returning to his walk.

“Sunlight and water daily.” Bella repeated to herself. “I’m sure I can get those done.” She commented as she reached for the plant. 

“It’s easy.” He said softly. “I just hope we don’t get the them mixed up with the ones that actually take human blood as food. I hear that can turn into a bad situation after a while.”

“It happens, people have to worry about themselves sometimes… There’s nothing wrong with that…” Vitani left her family to go to college and find herself, but came back for Nuka. She never talked about it yet she gave everything she’d ever dreamt of up so that he wasn’t alone. Now she wasn’t sure if she made the right choice anymore. “You didn’t hurt me, no one hurts me. You can’t hurt someone that can’t feel anything…” As lies spewed from her lips she tried to convince not only him but herself that was the truth. It hurt her more than she wanted to admit than he left yet she faked it in hopes he couldn’t tell. “Groot… You’d be a really smart dude if you just never talked to me again.” Vitani looked up at him with saddened eyes and exhaled a heavy sigh from her lungs. Upon feeling the kiss to the top of her head she closed her eyes, savoring a moment of someone actually caring for her. “You can’t fix me and you don’t need to, I’m okay.”

“Not when you are me. I’m only good at making sure others are safe. If I’m not doing that... what good am I really?” He said. Looking back it really is all that Groot has ever done for people Groot has always put others before himself. “It’s how I knew what I did when I left was so wrong. I was being selfish.” Vitani’s words actually sent pain through him. Hearing her say she didn’t feel anything made him feel stiff. “Oh.. yeah. Right...” He let out in a quiet sigh. But he only came back by holding onto her tighter. “I have never been known to be very smart, Vitani. Or really listening to people who tell me to leave them... not when I feel the way I feel about you.” 

“Alright! I trust your judgement and hopefully I will be able to keep it alive.” She replied with a small giggle.

“I’m sure you can do it. Like I said I’ll start you off with something easy. This is a good one, peperomia. Just water it daily and let it get sun.”

Tony squinted at the stranger. “Oh joy another high and mighty asshole thinks they can remind me how awful I am.” He took a step closer. “Look. Normally I would let a someone walk past with no prombelm. But lately every stranger I meet wants to either punch me, yell at me, or sneak a picture for the paparazzi. So excuse me for being a bit on edge when it comes to strangers. I just want some peace and quite. So please say what you wanna say. Im the twins and I agreed to just aviod each other if you’re with them.”

“High and mighty my ass. I can’t believe you... you are calling me the asshole when you are the one that started with me. I would have never even noticed you if you didn’t start your crap with me. I know it is so hard for your huge ego to take in but not everyone cares about what Tony Stark is doing.” Groot scoffed. “I’m not going to fight you unless I have a reason. And unless you shut your mouth and not call me an asshole then I wont need to do anything other then keep walking.”

Hearing the question, Bella turned back toward him and smiled. “I could take some! I’ve never been great with plants, but I could learn.” 

“Course you can. Plants benefit people. I personally think we need more of them around campus.” Groot suggested. “I’ll help you pick an easy one, nothing that needs too much attention so that you wont kill it.” 

It’s supposed to be a spider… But I accidentally cut off a few of the legs. But it’s nothing some googley eyes won’t fix, huh?

“I’m... Sorry to tell you it’s looking a bit more like a dust ball now. Are you going for a realistic spider?”