An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Relationships: Mantis/Nebula (Marvel), Gamora & Nebula (Marvel), Nebula & Rocket Raccoon, Nebula & Peter Quill, Drax the Destroyer & Nebula
Summary:
Those emotions came in surges big and small, sometimes springing leaks in her walls and her bodily crevices. They'd shatter into salty foams and outlive the needless thoughts that started all the problems in the first place.
Some would leave her terribly shivering and drenched.
Some would begrudgingly wander off by themselves with an uncertain promise to return.
It was unnerving for her to do nothing but watch herself erode.
I wrote my first fanfic as a late contribution to bugborg week 2023! I hope I did this correctly kjdsds
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mantis leads when they dance NO you cannot change my mind
special shoutout to @lesbianchasestein for not only know EXACTLY what i was going for when i showed her the wip BUT also suggesting hooked on a feeling thank u jenna ur the best
Commissions || Ko-fi || AO3 mirror || accompanying fic under the cut!
Mantis drops into the empty space on the couch beside Nebula with a breathless laugh. Her cheeks are flushed with activity and her hair is slightly askew. She smooths the stray strands back into place with an absent sweep of her hand and settles in beside Nebula, snuggling into her side.
âFinished dancing already?â Nebula asks dryly. Sheâs wearing her usual, grouchy expressionânot the least bit impressed by the Guardiansâ post (successful) mission celebrationsâbut she shifts to let Mantis lean against her more comfortably.
Mantis tips her head back until she can see Nebula, who is frowning down at her. âJust taking a break,â Mantis answers. âIâll get back to it in a minute.â
Nebula grunts in reply and goes back to doing what she had been doing beforeâpointedly ignoring the festivities, which included her ridiculous sister dancing with her idiot Terran and the rest of the equally foolish Guardians getting boisterous and rowdy across the room. Beside her, Mantis studies her for a moment and then moves to flop down into Nebulaâs lap. Nebulaâs arms snap up reflexively before gradually relaxing as Mantis makes herself comfortable.
 Nebula makes a face. âHappy?â she grumbles, even as she slowly threads her fingers through Mantisâs hair.
âYes,â Mantis answers immediately. She closes her eyes and sighs happily.
Soon Mantis is absently humming along to Peterâs music, which was currently playing over the shipâs speakers. Sheâs almost dozed off, lulled by the repetitive motions of Nebulaâs fingers through her hair, when the first notes of Hooked on a Feeling starts up and she snaps back to alertness.
Mantis sits up abruptly, grinning, and Nebulaâs fingers slip from her hair. âI love this song.â
She turns to Nebula but before she can speak Nebula beats her to it. âNo.â
âDancing is so much fun, though!â Mantis pleads. âIâm sure youâd like dancing if you tried.â
âI donât dance,â Nebula insists.
âItâll be fun!â
âMantisâŠâ
Mantis looks at her beseechingly. âPlease? For me?â
Nebulaâs protests die in her throat in the face of Mantisâs earnest, pleading look, and she silently curses her weakness even as she sighs in defeat and gives in. Mantis lets out a delighted squeal and leaps to her feet. She takes Nebula by the wrist and pulls her along onto the âdance floor,â starting in with a simple swaying motion.
Already Nebula is regretting this. The other Guardians have noticed her sudden presence among the partyingâsomething Nebula is painfully aware ofâand are trying (and failing) to discreetly watch as Mantis coaxes her into the dance.
âI donât know how to dance,â Nebula mutters quietly. She sees Quill nudge Gamora with his elbow and lean in to murmur something Nebula canât make out. Theyâre both watching. Nebula sets her mouth in a thin line and refuses to look their way. Instead, she focuses on Mantis, who beams up at her.
âItâs okay, Nebula. Just follow my movements.â Mantis clasps one of Nebulaâs hands in her own, places the other on her waist. âIâll lead, you follow. Okay?â
Mantisâs smile is warm and infectious, and despite her misgivings Nebula feels a twinge of reassurance. She nods, slowly brings her hand up to rest on Mantisâs shoulder.
She follows Mantisâs lead as best as she can, but she is surprisingly clumsy for how effortlessly graceful and precise she is in combat. Mantis doesnât seem to mind, though, even giggles fondly in a way that makes Nebula feel warm when she fumbles, occasionally murmuring encouragement or advice.
âOkay, twirl,â Mantis instructs, having told Nebula what that entailed in advance.
Nebula grumbles, âThis is ridiculous.â But she does as Mantis instructs, and at first it goes well, but when itâs time to twirl back she spins too sharply, too abrupt, and she bumps into Mantis, making them both stumble.
Nebula winces. âSorry.â
Mantis regains her footing quickly. She falls back into step easily, briefly cupping Nebulaâs cheek.
âRelax. Youâre over thinking it.â
She resumed their dance, gently prodding Nebula into motion. Nebula follows her lead, managing to fall into a stiff sort of rhythm that has Mantis beaming up at her. Nebula canât help but smile back.
Suddenly Mantisâs eyes take on a mischievous gleam, and before Nebula can say anything the world drops out from under her and Mantis is leaning over Nebula, hair spilling over her shoulders and framing her face.
Mantis holds the dip for only a few moments that seem to stretch forever, and Nebula is too stunned to properly react. Her mind races and she cycles rapidly from alarm to baffled surprise toâŠeven more baffling attraction. Nebulaâs pulse spikes and she is all too aware of how close Mantis is holding her; of Mantisâs arm curled securely around her waist and the pressure of her fingers against her hip, of how tightly her own fingers had curled into the back of Mantisâs shirt and just how hard sheâs suddenly finding it to breathe.
Fuck, she thinks through a dizzying rush of want.
The song sounds so far away to her now, and the tiny snatches that she catches swirl around her head in an endless loop.
(Iâm hooked on a feeling)
Mantisâs antennae are glowing, but Nebula is too distracted by the moment to realize what that means until Mantisâstill holding one of Nebulaâs handsâgives it a squeeze and starts Nebula out of her reverie.
Of course. Mantis knows exactly what sheâs feeling.
Nebulaâs cheeks darken and Mantis giggles, her own reddening as she yanks Nebula upright again and lets the momentum take into a twirl as the song winds down and finally ends.
âThat wasnât so bad, was it?â Mantis asks, pulling her close and looping both arms around Nebulaâs waist.
âI suppose,â Nebula grudgingly admits. Her heart is still racing and shows no signs of slowing down. âBut that song was ridiculous.â
Mantis laughs. âI think itâs fun. And a little romantic.â
Nebula lets out a huff. Sheâs not feeling quite that generous. She leans forward to press her forehead to Mantisâs. âStillâŠI wouldnât mind doing that again,â she says, more quietly.
âSounds like a date,â Mantis says, settling into their embrace and rocking them gently in time to the next song.
(Iâm high on believing that youâre in love with me)
admittedly both the art and the fic for this one were a teeny bit of a stretch but u know how it is
Commissions || Ko-fi || AO3 Mirror || ficlet under cut!
Mantis sighs happily as she falls into bed, happy to finally be in bed after a long day and smiles into her pillow as she settles comfortably into the mattress. Nebula lets out a little âoofâ from where sheâs lying beside her, jostled by Mantisâs dramatic flop into bed.
âAnd I thought I was violent,â Nebula mutters. âWhat if I had been asleep?â
âBut you werenât. And you only got into bed a few minutes ago; I know you did not fall asleep that fast.â
Nebula grunts, and Mantis finally rolls over to face her. âSorry,â she giggles, unable to help herself at the way Nebulaâs nose scrunches when she tries (and fails, in Mantisâs opinion) to scowl. âI didnât mean to disturb you.â
She holds one hand up, palm out, and waits expectantly as Nebula eyes her grumpily. After a long pause she gives in with a huff and leans into Mantisâs touch. Mantis giggles again at the way Nebula melts into her touch and shifts close enough to press a kiss to her lips.
âForgive me?â she asks, a teasing lilt to her voice.
âMmph. Yes,â Nebula answers and leans in for another kiss, which Mantis happily returns.
They eventually break apart and settle into bed. It doesnât take long for them to doze off, the quiet hum of Nebulaâs cybernetics barely discernible in Mantisâs ear.
-
Mantis sleeps easily that night, and the several nights that follow until Nebula leaves again. She doesnât sleep poorly when Nebula is away, but it does take her longer to drift off without her, which is one reason (among many) why sheâs so enthused when Nebula announces her arrival over the comms.
That first night sheâs back Mantis drops happily into bed and Nebula starts her usual grumblings when the bed jostles, to which Mantis replies, âYou werenât even asleep.â
âAre you even capable of getting calmly into bed?â Thereâs a hint of fond amusement in her voice despite her otherwise monotonous tone and somewhat grouchy expression.
âNope,â Mantis responds cheerily, all too happy to keep playing along with their now-familiar game.
Nebula grunts but before she can reply further Mantis tucks into her side and snuggles close with a happy sigh. Nebula huffs out a quiet laugh and loops an arm her waist and Mantis falls asleep with the faint hum of Nebulaâs cybernetics in her ear.
-
Once, after a particularly grueling excursion, Nebula returns in a smoking ship and with enough new cuts and bruises to make Mantis and Gamora both fuss over her (much to Nebulaâs annoyance). She comes back in one piece, at least, and after a quick trip to the medbay to take care of the worst of her latest batch of injuries (at Mantis and Gamoraâs insistence, of course) she lets Mantis drag her over to the shipâs couch with only minimal complaining.
Itâs the least she can do after worrying her so badly.
Mantis is curled into Nebulaâs side, their fingers laced together and her antennae glowing softly in contentment. Nebulaâs tended to the worst of her injuries, but some part of her cybernetics has been damaged. What is usually little more than white noise is now an audible, droning hum. It isnât serious (or at the very least, it isnât fatal, Nebula had said when Gamora asked) but she does think something has been knocked out of place or might need fixing or replacing, and she isnât sure she has the energy or tools to do that tonight.
The noise doesnât bother Mantis, but she can feel the tension in Nebulaâs shoulders and see the tight frown across her face. Sheâd long-since gotten used to the noise of her body mods over the years to the point of tuning it out, but recent damage had dragged the noise to the forefront of her mind again. Nebula had almost forgotten how grating it was.
Mantis peers up at her thoughtfully, and when Nebula notices she slits her eyes suspiciously in a silent question. Mantis opens then closes her mouth, shakes her head a little and laughs.
âWhat?â
âItâs justâŠdo you know what a cat is?â
Nebulaâs scowl changes into a look of confusion. âWhat?â
âTheyâre a Terran speciesââ
Nebula huffs. âYouâve been spending too much time with Quill again.â
ââspecies of animal,â Mantis continues, ignoring Nebulaâs grumbling. âPeter says they do something called purring.â
ââŠPurring,â Nebula echoes, eyeing Mantis. She isnât quite sure where Mantis is heading with this.
Mantis nods, trying and failing to hide her growing smile. âIt is a vibratory kind of noise. Apparently, it is a sign of contentment and relaxation.â Nebula glares. Her cheeks flush a darker blue even as Mantis teasingly finishes, âIt sounds like youâre purring.â
âThe increased noise is the result of a fault in my cybernetics,â Nebula retorts. âIt is nothing so saccharine.â
âI think itâs cute,â Mantis says, resting her head against Nebulaâs shoulder.
âYou are ridiculous,â Nebula growls embarrassedly.
âMaybe,â Mantis concedes. âBut I distracted you from the noise.â
Nebula blinks at her, and then makes a face. âI suppose,â she mutters, slowly moving to lay her cheek against the top of Mantisâs head. ââŠThank you.â
Mantis hums happily in reply and lets the fluttery, irregular thrum lull her further in relaxation.
-
Mantis notices, over time, that the best position to hear Nebulaâs cybernetics (and therefore her favorite) is when she sprawls across Nebula, ear to her chest.
Nebula notices, too.
âDoesnât it bother you?â she asks one night as Mantis gets ready for bed. Mantis looks at her questioningly as she gets comfortable, gradually nudging Nebula onto her back with her shifting. âMy cybernetics. The noise,â Nebula clarifies.
âWhy would it bother me?â
âIsnât the noiseâŠbothersome?â Nebula sounds genuinely baffled, and now itâs Mantisâs turn to be confused.
Mantis carefully settles across Nebula, crossing her arms across Nebulaâs chest and resting her cheek on her arm, head angled to meet Nebulaâs gaze. âI think it is comforting. It relaxes me.â
Nebula looks skeptical. She remembers how long it took her to get used to the endless, constant drone of her body mods, to learn how to tune it out. She remembers how maddening it was to never have a single second of silence to herself.
It takes a minute for Mantis to collect her thoughts, and when she does, she says slowly. âOn Egoâs planet, there was scarcely any noise. We were the only living beings on his planet, and the silence when I was alone was maddening.â
Nebula doesnât interrupt, but brushes her hand across the back of Mantisâs neck in quiet reassurance.
âBut now,â Mantis continues, smiling at Nebulaâs comforting gesture, âI am rarely alone, and when I am, there is always some kind of ambient noise to remind me of that. And youââMantis stretches until she can press a quick kiss to Nebulaâs lipââare my favorite.â
Nebula makes quiet, embarrassed sort of huff and Mantis settles back down with a giggle. Mantis feels Nebula shift beneath her until sheâs comfortable, and then feels her arm settle across her waist.
âSentimental fool,â Nebula mumbles. Sheâs quiet for a long time, long enough that Mantis almost thinks sheâs finished speaking. âI sleep better with you, too.â She says it quickly and quietly, but thereâs affection in her voice despite how flustered she sounds and feels.
Mantis smiles, rubs her thumb gently across Nebulaâs collar bone. âAnd you claim Iâm the sentimental fool.â
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just a fic for today! jdhkhs i say âjustâ this oneâs a tad longer than my other ficlets :â) As before, fic is under the cut! Possible title change incoming if i happen to think of a better title in the future but no promises.
AO3 mirror || general audience rating, sfw, about 2800 words.
The first time Mantis tells Nebula she thinks sheâs pretty is a mistake. Itâs not that she isnâtâNebula is beautifulâitâs that. Well. They werenât close and Nebula isâŠNebula.
But she is breathtaking both in and out of a fight, strong and quick and deadly, and when she and Gamora have finished sparring and Nebula walks past Mantis canât stop herself from blurting it out.
Nebula freezes, shoulders tensed. Her expression cycles from surprise to bewilderment to guarded suspicion in seconds and Mantis regrets opening her mouth immediately. Nebula doesnât say anything, but she scowls, turns away, and stalks off.
Mantis is left with a burning sense of embarrassment at her outburst and she avoids watching any other sparring sessions for a while, even when Nebula is not involved.
Nebula leaves the Guardians again only a few short days later.
-
The first time they speak again after that is after another one of Nebulaâs failed excursions. She returns in a smoking ship and with busted cybernetics and Gamora welcomes her back with a tight hug and clear relief that her sister is still in one piece.
âIâm sorry if I made you uncomfortable.â
Nebula doesnât respond right away, but Mantis can see the tension building in her shoulders and knows she has heard her. Itâs the middle of the night. Mantis canât sleep, Nebula is attempting to repair her damaged cybernetics, and theyâre along on the bridge.
âThe day after your sparring match,â Mantis clarifies when Nebula still doesnât answer. âIt was a few months ago now.â
âI remember,â Nebula says tightly.
Thereâs an uncomfortable pause. Mantis isnât sure what to say, or if she should even say anything at all.
âI donât need an apology. Your mocking means nothing to me.â
âItâI wasnât mocking you,â Mantis says, a little surprised at the response. âAnd I wasnât lying, either.â
âThey why apologize?â Nebula demands.
âBecause you seemed unhappy with my comment, and you have been avoiding me ever since. I do not want you to be uncomfortable around me.â Mantis forces her hands to stay relaxed at her sides, trying not to look as nervous as she feels.
Nebula stares at her intently, as if trying to determine if sheâs being honest or not, then abruptly looks away. Mantis waits a moment longer, then gently says, âIâll leave you be now,â and moves to leave.
âYou can stay,â Nebula says abruptly. Her fingers curl and uncurl into fists. âOr you can go. I donât care.â
She doesnât look at Mantis, but she isnât leaving, or chasing her away either, and so Mantis says, âI think Iâll stay, then,â settles down in a spot near a window, and tries to hide her growing smile.
-
The first time they spend time togetherâreally spend time together, like actual hanging out and not just existing in the same room togetherâMantis has somehow roped Nebula into listening to music with her.
Even Mantis isnât quite sure how she managed that. Nebula has always been outspoken when it came to making fun of Peter (including his music, naturally) and yet despite all the grumbling and scowling sheâs now sitting next to Mantis, one earbud in her ear, and letting Mantis show her some of her favorite songs.
She likes to think itâs because Nebula has developed a soft spot for her over the recent months.
âWhy do you even have this?â Nebula grouses as Mantis thumbs through the list. âQuill never goes anywhere without his stupid music player.â
âHe wanted to take advantage of our downtime and nap for a while,â Mantis says, âso he let me borrow the Zune.â
Nebula grumbles indistinctly, but quiets once Mantis selects a song and the first notes start up. Mantis watches from the corner of her eye, wanting to see Nebulaâs reaction. Her expression is carefully blank, and Mantis wants so badly to reach out and touch her arm to know what sheâs feeling.
Nebula catches her eye and starts. Mantis tries not to laugh; she reminds Mantis of Groot when he got caught trying to sneak some sweets before dinner. âWhat do you think?â
Nebula looks like sheâs struggling with what to say. âItâŠisnât terrible,â she eventually says.
âYou donât have to pretend to like it.â The amusement in Mantisâs voice is obvious.
âItâs notâŠitâs not bad. Itâs very you. Sweet and cheerfulââ She cuts herself off abruptly and pointedly avoids looking at Mantis. Her cheeks have darkened noticeably, and Mantis feels her own start to warm.
Nebulaâs still not looking at Mantis, but she doesnât get up to leave, so Mantis risks scooting closer and holds out the Zune. âHere,â she offers. âLetâs find something youâd like.â
Nebula slowly turns and leans close enough to see the screen. Together, they start scrolling down the list of songs.
-
The first time someone says something about it, itâs Peter, and in true Peter fashion heâs a bit of a dramatic dork about it. He catches her in the kitchen early enough one morning, in a rare moment where theyâre the only ones awake, and he mentions that Nebula might be visiting soon.
âOh?â
âYeah,â Peter says. He has a strange look on his face, unusually scrutinizing. âGamora said Nebula might be in the area sometime soon, so we might get a visit from our favorite murderous in-law.â
Mantis tries to act casual, but the thought of seeing Nebula again makes her heart flutter a little. âThat would be nice. It has been a long time since Nebulaâs visited; Iâm sure Gamora would like that.â
Peter smacks his hands down on the table and Mantis jumps at the suddenness of such a loud sound in the otherwise quiet room. âOkay, I know what youâre doing and Iâm not falling for it.â
âIâm not doing anything,â she protests, flustered.
âYouâre pretending you donât care! Or that youâre not as interested in the news as you really are!â
âIâI donât know what you mean.â
âYou like Nebula,â Peter says. âAnd she likes you back, and itâs killing me that my sister has a crush and isnât doing anything about it.â
âI do not!â Mantis exclaims before the second half of Peterâs statement sinks in. âSheâŠshe likes me?â Sheâs almost embarrassed of how hopeful she sounds.
But Peter is Peter; heâs a sweet man and a good brother, and he just nods excitedly at her. âGamora says Nebula asks about you all the time when they talk. In typical angry, pretending-not-to-care Nebula fashion, I mean. And you guys are always hanging out when sheâs here. Youâre like, the only person she willingly spends time with. Aside from Gamora, I mean.â He laughs a little. âYou two really arenât subtle.â
Mantisâs cheeks burn. âAm I really that obvious?â
Peter softens immediately and drops the joke. âAw, hey, itâs not a bad thing,â he assures as he pulls her into a crushing hug. âHaving a crush isnât badâthough, I gotta say, Nebula? I wouldnât have expected that. âSheâs scary manââ
âPeter,â Mantis interrupts, voice muffled against his shoulder.
Peter releases her from the hug but keeps an arm wrapped comfortingly around her shoulders. âSorry. My point is, nobodyâs going to make fun of you, and anyone that does is going to have your whole pissed off family to deal with, okay?â
Mantis smiles weakly at him. âThanks, Peter.â
âNo prob.â He pats her shoulder. âAnd if you need anything, just let me know, yeah?â
âI will. Thank you.â
âNow, how do you want to do the whole âasking her outâ think? âCos Iâve always had good luck with music and dancing, but on Earth some people use flowers, and then in space thereâs lotsââ
âPeter.â
-
Their first real date contains a few other firsts, too.
Theyâre on a local little planetâostensibly to refuel and restock the shipâs supplies, but Mantis and Nebula leave that to the rest of the Guardiansâthat Rocket snarkily calls âboring and pathetic,â Peter says is âsimple,â and Gamora says is safe.
âItâs nearby, itâs out of the way, and itâs small,â Gamora had said when the Guardians had been deciding which planet to stop at. âWe should have no trouble resupplying and finding entertainment untilââ
âThe bug and you murderous sister are done with their date, yeah yeah. We all know the reason you picked this town is âcause you donât want any cops on our tail if they start shit.â
âWhy would we do anything to get arrested?â Mantis canât fathom their date going that poorly but now that the thoughtâs been put in her head she canât help but start worrying.
âOkay, look, nobody is going to get arrested,â Peter started, and thatâs when Drax chimed in.
âYes, Nebula is a fierce warrior. If she does not want to be arrested, she will not.
âDude, thatâs not helping.â
From there the conversation only further devolved into bickering (somehow on an entirely unrelated subject), and it was a relief to Mantis when the ship finally docked and she and Nebula were able to officially start their date.
To say they were both nervous would be an understatement.
They were walking a bit apart as they wandered slowly through the park. Neither had particularly wanted to stick around near the market, crowded and busy as it was, and the nearby park sounded quieter and more appealing anyways, so they had agreed that they would head there first and see where that would lead.
Nebula wasâŠtense. Mantis didnât have to touch her to know that much, but Mantis had no room to talk. They were both nervous. Mantis, certainly, had never dated before, and based off their past conversations, neither had Nebula.
âWe can head back, if you would prefer,â Nebula interrupts her thoughts abruptly, after theyâd been walking for a while.
Mantis stops and blinks confusedly at Nebula. âGo back?â She thinks she can hear a bit of panic in her voice; did Nebula not want to be here with her that badly?
âIf you are regretting this, we can head back,â Nebula clarifies stiffly. Sheâs staring straight ahead, pointedly refusing to look at Mantis.
âIâno!â Mantis blurts out, and Nebula seems so startled by her outburst she snaps around to look at her. âWhy would youâdo you want to head back?â
âNo!â Nebula bristles defensively. âBut you seem tense. I thought maybe you might have begun to regret this.â
âI could say the same about you.â Mantis doesnât realize sheâs wringing her hands until her nails bite into the back of her hand. They stare at each for a long, awkward minute until Mantis finally admits, âIâŠam nervous, but itâs not because I donât want to be with you. The Guardians put some silly thoughts in my headââ
âIdiots,â Nebula growls.
ââand I let it feed my nerves,â Mantis finishes. She feels a bit silly now, having said this out loud.
Nebula clenches and unclenches her hands and haltingly says, âI was nervous too. I thought you might not being enjoying this.â
Mantis slowly unlaces her hands and reaches tentatively for Nebulaâs cybernetic hand, which hangs stiffly at her side. âMaybe we couldâŠstart over, and try again?â
Nebulaâs hand twitches, their fingertips brushing. âI would like that.â
Mantis smiles; she still feels a little jittery, but instead of growing dread in the pit of her stomach she has butterflies. Nebula offers a tiny smile of her own in response and Mantisâs stomach flutters, then flips when Nebula lets her hold her other hand.
âCan I kiss you?â Mantis asks.
Nebulaâs cheeks darken slightly. âYes.â
Their first kiss is brief and clumsy, but itâs sweet and leaves Mantis feeling giddy and warm, especially when Nebula tips her head to follow Mantis and they end up with their foreheads pressed against each other. Nebula lets out a flustered little huff and squeezes Mantisâs hand fondly.
Nebulaâs hands are rough and her grip is a little too tight, but Mantis never wants her to let go.
-
The first âI love youâ is also the first time Mantis manages to talk Nebula into dancing.
Thereâs music drifting down from the speakers in the quadrant, and Mantis sits up from where sheâd been leaning against Nebulaâs shoulder as she read.
âQuill and his stupid music,â Nebula grumbles (because really, if he wants to listen to that blasted Zune all the time then fine, but why inflict that on everyone else by playing it over the speakers?) at the same time Mantis says:
âOh, I like this song.â Mantis shifts and Nebula can practically feel her staring imploringly at her. âNebulaâŠ,â she starts.
âNo.â
âYou donât even know what Iâm going to say!â
âYouâre going to ask me to dance. The answer is no.â
Mantis leans closer, laying a hand on Nebulaâs cybernetic forearm for support. âOh, please? Just one dance, Nebula.â
âI donât dance. No,â Nebula repeats flatly.
âNot even for me?â
Nebula finally turns to fix her scowl on Mantis, only to falter when she sees Mantisâs endearingly sweet, pleading expression.
That was a mistake, Nebula thinks. She opens her mouth to refuse again but the words catch in her throat, andâsensing weaknessâMantis smiles hopefully.
Dammit.
Theyâd only been dating for a few short monthsâstill so early in this relationship thing neither had any experience withâand yet, it seemed, Mantis already had her wrapped around her finger. Nebula wishes she could blame it on Mantisâs powers, but her hand is on Nebulaâs prosthetic arm and even if it wasnât she knows Mantis wouldnât try to alter her feelings (she wouldnât do that to her) but the alternative is that Nebula has gone soft and sappy like her sister and she isnât sure if she can deal with that revelation right now so instead she takes the thought and shoves it to the very back of her mind and tries to forget about it.
âI hate when you do that,â Nebula growls, but thereâs no real bite to her tone and Mantis lights up, sensing immediately that sheâs won. She jumps out of her seat, tugging Nebula by the wrist and Nebula begrudgingly follows.
âThank you for indulging me,â Mantis giggles. She pulls Nebula closer and takes her other hand, the one still covered in blue synthetic skin.
Nebula scowls. âOnly for you,â she grumbles, and follows Mantisâs movements without complaint. âJust donât tell anyone. If Quill finds out, Iâll never hear the end of it, and he will wind up with a knife in his throat.â
âDo not stab my brother, please,â Mantis chides, but sheâs still smiling, too happy to pay Nebulaâs grouchy threat any attention. âBut, I wonât tell anyone. I promise.â
Nebula doesnât say anything else, just follows Mantisâs lead. Not that it was a particularly complicated dance, as they opted to simply sway gently to the music, but Mantis wasnât complaining. The fact Nebula was going along with it at all more than made up for the simplistic motions.
The song that started this has just ended when Mantis slides her hand up to Nebulaâs wrist and gently guides her hand to her waist. She doesnât protest, but Mantis feels her pulse spike. Mantis steps closer and loops her arms around Nebulaâs neck, and Nebula tentatively moves her other hand to rest on Mantisâs waist.
Their movements slow until their swaying dance is lazy, barely a dance at all at this point. Nebula has recovered from her initial spike of adrenaline (gentle touches and physical affection are something she still hasnât quite gotten used to), and has relaxed minutely, even seems to be almost enjoying herself. Mantis moves close enough to tuck herself under Nebulaâs chin. After a moment, Nebula responds by resting her cheek against the crown of Mantisâs head.
So content in the moment, Mantis misses Nebulaâs first mumbled comment. When she finally registers that Nebula has said something, she shakes herself alert and pulls back enough to look at Nebula, head cocked curiously. âWhat was that?â
Nebulaâs brow creases, and Mantis feels the fingers at her waist curl into the fabric of her clothes with a restless, nervous sort of energy. âI said I love you,â she huffs, a little louder and more flustered.
At first Mantis is too surprised to reply, and then she breaks into a huge smile, cups Nebulaâs cheek with one hand, and pulls her into a gleeful kiss, clumsy with the sheer giddy joy of I love you.
Nebula melts into the kiss and when they break apart Mantis presses her forehead to Nebulaâs. The hand on her cheek slides down to rest across her chest.
âI love you, too,â she says, breathless, and Nebula makes a relieved sort of noise and holds her tighter, and that sets Mantis off and she giggles, and even Nebula canât hide the growing smile on her face.
BugBorg Week 2019 is officially overâbut if youâre a procrastinator like me, you can still submit works at any time! And to everyone who participated in this: thank you so much for all the hard work and beautiful pieces you created! Weâll see you again next year.