#post-gotg2

"Tony. Wanda wanted me to let you know that some of herclothes are too small now."

"Thanks for that insight," Tony said, stillwithout looking up, thumbs flying across the screen of his phone.

Steve frowned at the top of his head. "She'll need somenew ones," he persisted.

"Then she can get a job and buy them herself."

"Tony! That's not very nice."

With a put-upon sigh, Tony finally locked his phone and putit away. "I didn't mean for it to be nice. You're only ten minutes fromthe nearest town. I'm sure someone is hiring."

Steve shook his head. Looked like Tony's bad attitude wasstill sticking around. He'd have to broach the subject again, maybe after theyhad sex. Tony was always much more agreeable after a good thorough fucking. Hereached for Tony's hand, fully intending to pull Tony into his arms, maybewhisper a suggestion for them to find a nearby closet so Tony could blow him -he'd missed Tony's mouth for that, at least.

He was caught off guard when Tony jerked out of reach. Atthe same time, this tiny plant thing appeared out of nowhere and startedkicking Steve in the shins. The hits barely hurt - he'd felt worse when hestubbed his toe - but Steve still stumbled back, more out of surprise thananything else.

"I am Groot!" the tiny thing yelled. "I amGroot!"

"Groot!" Tony exclaimed. “What are you doing?!”

"What the hell is this?" Steve demanded."Another one of your inventions? Did you create another robot, Tony?"He just barely kept himself from uttering the name 'Ultron', but only becauseWanda was within hearing distance and that name tended to upset her.

He shifted his weight and froze when a knife appeared at histhroat. He hadn't even seen the woman move, and she would've been impossible tomiss. Her bright green skin and purple-tipped hair was extraordinarilynoticeable. 

"Don't touch them," she hissed. "Or I'll slityour throat."

"Gamora!" Tony said, now sounding more exasperatedthan surprised. "What part of 'please lay low for the day' did you guys notgrasp?"

"Drax understood." Another man joined them,sliding an arm around Tony's shoulders. "He's in his bedroom laying on thefloor. I heard him asking Rocket if that was low enough."

Tony giggled. It was a sound Steve had never heard before.He stared at Tony, who flushed.

"So you're Steve," the man said, looking at Steveand baring his teeth. It was decidedly not a smile. "I'm Peter Quill."

"Nice to meet you," Steve said automatically. Themovement of his throat caused the knife to knick his skin and he winced. Gamorarolled her eyes and drew back, looking at the blood on the blade of her - not aknife, holy shit - sword with disdain.

"Are all Earthlings this stupid?" she asked Peter."Who speaks when there is a blade flush against their throat?"

Steve touched a hand to his throat, feeling the woundalready closing, and half-wondered whether he should be trying to get at hisshield. "I think a better question is who puts a sword to someone's throattwo seconds after meeting them?"

"I think I didn't ask for your opinion," Gamorasaid. She scooped up the tiny plant thing - what had Tony called it? Groot? -and passed it to Tony. Groot clambered up onto Tony's shoulder and glowered atSteve.

"Okay," Tony said loudly. "I think we're donehere. Steve." He nodded at Steve absently, already turning away. He leanedcomfortably into Quill's side as they walked past. Gamora fell into step onTony's other side, her sword held down at her side. Groot twisted around and pointedtwo fingers at its eyes and then at Steve, which Sam had explained meant 'I'mwatching you'.