LEGENDARY

the brush of his lips against her cheek caught her by surprise, more because of how natural it felt than the gesture itself. such affection, and more, between them wasn't unknown to her, but this seemed entirely...simple, in the best way. she could feel the scrape of his beard lingering for a moment afterward, prompting an instinctive wrinkle of her nose as she looked at him with mock scrutiny. "you're lucky that's endearing." there was warmth behind the words that made it difficult to mistake them for anything else but. "otherwise i'd have to start believing all those stories people tell about the infamous starlord." jean reached up to smooth an invisible crease from the front of his jacket before letting her hand fall away again, the movement unconscious and casual.

his confession settled unexpectedly soft in her chest. there were plenty of people in her life who loved her, who depended on her, who needed something from her, but peter never seemed to approach her that way. with him there wasn't an expectation waiting just beneath the surface. no professor asking for guidance, no student looking for reassurance, no teammate silently wondering whether jean grey could hold everything together one more time. somehow, without ever saying it aloud, he'd made space for her to simply exist as herself, which she was grateful for more than anything. peter was fun, kind, a bit of a pest at times, but deep down she knew every intention was pure, and that was not easy to find no matter how far into space one went. "i missed you too," she admitted quietly, meeting his gaze without hesitation. "more than i realized, actually."

she slipped her arm through his with an easy familiarity, holding the flower carefully against her side. "so," jean said, tilting her head toward him, "are you going to tell me where you adventured off to this time, or are you planning to make me guess based solely on mysterious alien flowers and your increasingly questionable souvenirs?" a smile finally broke through at its fullest, dimples appearing in her cheeks. "maybe one of these days i'll have to tag along."

Pete doesn't even bother to hide the fact that her own admission immediately brightened his features, beaming down at her as he leads her towards the plush sofa in the corner of the room. He almost felt as if he could kick his rocket boots off and propel into the air with joy in a dance because was there a better feeling than being missed by someone? He was no stranger to the feeling of longing, lost friends, a lost love that nearly destroyed him, even people who flitter in and out of his life nomadically he missed.

It felt good for once to be missed as well.

" Oh you definitely should join me on my next adventure! " He animatedly responds, allowing her to take a seat while he talks with his hands, loud gestures to get his point across. " Near Andromeda, I know it's a cliche to go near our nearest galactic neighbor, but there's a small planet there that's mostly flora. " His fingers point towards the bloom stil restingl between her fingers, smile all the brighter. " When the planet's moon shines it makes those flowers glow, moonkissed. I thought they were beautiful and thought of you. " Chuckling, his cheeks pinken. " I know that's corny, but it's true. Every time I find one of those questionable trinkets you've been on my mind. " Not a lie, Rocket had loudly teased him over his dopey smile after he gingerly had picked the flower up and examined it beneath the moonlight. Not green like the shade of her eyes, but just as pretty. " I can get you a vase, maybe when you return to earth you can find out if your moon makes it glow too. "

however very real that sentiment ultimately was. and not like the thought wasn't pinging around in his brain constantly for a long time. worldmind (un)helpfully told him the exact amount of time and he subsequently told worldmind to shut the flark up. richard wasn't going to make the first move — though ironically, saying those words might as well have been. caution to the wind and all that;

(you've had a lot of friends in your life. what made peter quill special among them?echoing in his head. damn therapist...)

but still easy to play it of as a joke if things took a turn that neither of them were comfortable with.

he almost expected a punch when pete came storming forward, something altogether not too uncommon between them. but they were starting to kinda get along again. and then his back was against the wall. his fist sparked in instinct, power thrumming under his skin. then tempered down by logic and heart. they've worked through their differences time and again, they can work through this one. even if it was so very different from everything else before.

somehow, richard was still surprised when peter quill did kiss him. it was harsh, charged with emotion, want and repressed need. he gave it as good as he got, returning the enthusiasm with eagerness and equal years of restrained pining. lips chasing pete's even as the other man pulled away. unsaid words catch in his throat as peter bush their noses together, spilling a bit of his heart out.

"i ain't the one going around claiming that they love me over and over without actually doing anything about it. 's real confidence booster about everything i'm — we're feeling." he huffed out, no heat in his words. a little hypocritical, but in fairness he only did say it ONCE. aloud that was. and to his ex. he cannot help but wonder if gamora told peter too. he'd assume so — probably something about them having their head stuck up their asses about the whole situation.

richard could feel peter's breath on his lips, still taste him on his tongue. seconds ticked by as he moved his hand to caress the other's chin. they were twin stars circling each other for years upon years. burning into each other's presence, mixing atmospheres. and then now, finally, FINALLY colliding. a phenomena that happens once every ten thousand years; at least in the Milky Way.

He wanted to get angry about Rich's response though, he would not take the blame for being cautious. He might put on airs and act the seasoned mature man when it came to the two of them, but he was still a person. He could still have his heart broken and he did everything he could to protect it from Rich. Loving someone so fiercely but knowing when not to push, it took both great strength and restraint. He never wanted to lose Rich's friendship, not that he ever thought the man would leave his side over a crush, but things could have been different. Their bond could have shifted.

Now he felt like an idiot and a laugh leaves him, resting his head against Rich's as his body shakes. " I hate you. I'm still in the prime of my youth. " A lie, they were both old soldiers . . . it was better late than never he supposed.

" We've been idiots, haven't we? " He finally asks, blue eyes rising to meet Rich's gaze and he leans in to capture one more kiss on the lips before breathing in harshly and moving his mouth to trail down Rich's jaw, peppering kisses in a long line along the sharp stubble lined edge. He hoped every kiss translated fully into how he was feeling. Relief, eagerness, happiness, absolute devotion? How the flark could he even begin to express what this revelation meant to him? How do you tell someone the extent of your feelings when you've died for one another? No love could really top that and yet he tried with each kiss, reaching his neck and immediately burying his face there and inhaling.

" Rich. " His voice comes out muffled and he kisses at the man's neck and just because he could, he shifts tactics nipping at the same spot he kissed and then eagerly sucking on the spot, his body suddenly pressing tightly against his best friend. " On earth they call it going steady, is that what we're doing? " He asks, one hand reaching up to card through dark hair while he does his best to plant kisses beneath the hem of his shirt where the collarbone was. Damn clothing.

" Seems a tad juvenile for us. We already love bombed one another and people visit our flarking memorial as a tourist attraction. We're our own ridiculous tragic love story already. Boyfriend is not the word I'd use to describe you. " Not that Peter wasn't itching to take Rich out on dates or hold his hand or do other stupid romantic things with him like other couples do, but he still remained sure that dating felt too casual for them.

Another harsh breath later and he's pulling away, beaming with newfound excitement as he pecks at Rich's lips yet again. " I love you. There I'm saying it again. No war mongering planet, no black hole, no exploding supernova can stop me from saying it. I love you and I resent the fact that I wasted so many years pretending I was okay with just being your best friend. " This time it's him that grabs at Richard's jaw. " Let's not waste anymore time, sound like a plan, gorgeous? "