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Gamora wasn't sure what it was with beautiful women holding guns to Peter's head, but it was an occurrence she was quickly growing tired of. Of all the days for the others to be absent."Now, uh... Tamara-" Peter said, kneeling at the woman of unknown species' feet, not daring to move for fear of her pulling the trigger."Tamina." the woman corrected irritably."Sorry. Can't we talk about this?" he was using the voice he used to charm people, the one Gamora refused to believe worked on her, "There's really no need for violence. I, personally, detest violence in every form. I'm a pacifist, you know? Just really hate shooting people.""I've hunted you for four years, Peter Quill." Tamina ignored his words, pressing her gun warningly to his head when Gamora stepped too close, "And now I've found you. You will not sweet talk me a third time.""Katrina, this isn't-" Gamora wished he'd stop talking so she could formulate a plan. It didn't sit right with her, standing helplessly like this, no matter how much Peter may deserve a little scaring every now and then."Tamina!" and now the woman looked genuinely angry, "My name is Tamina! And you broke my heart!""I... get that a lot." Peter admitted, "But this whole thing is just a cultural misunderstanding.""You fled from our wedding!" she yelled, and Gamora had to stifle a snort."I didn't know your people mated for life!" Peter defended, "And anyway this was years ago!" Gamora felt like this would be amusing if not for the gun."Tamina, this is ridiculous." Gamora sighed, "Release him.""I won't.""At least let Gamora go." Peter requested, and Gamora felt warmth color her cheeks even as she cursed his stupidity."If I let her go, she'll save you." Tamina said, "And then you'll do to this poor girl what you did to me.""I wouldn't- are you kidding- at least she wouldn't spring a mandatory marriage on me!" Peter snapped, hands working behind his back on something Gamora couldn't see."Let him go." Gamora said again, amusement fading as she didn't budge. Tamina raised a single eyebrow, and her sudden look of vengeful mercilessness reminded Gamora coldly of her sister."No." she said, and without preamble, fired. Peter crumpled to the ground with a soft exhale. The sound Gamora made was wrenching. Animalistic. It tore out from somewhere inside her, tearing her throat with its rawness. She stared wide eyed at Peter's unmoving form, silently begging him to get up, straining her ears for the slightest hint of breathing. But he didn't get up, didn't move. He remained on the ground, all his light, his humor, his warmth gone with the pull of a trigger.Dead. Dead. Peter Quill was dead. Peter Quill was dead and Gamora couldn't think straight. The world was suddenly too loud, too crushing. Her chest felt like it was being torn apart, like Thanos modifying her but a thousand times more agonizing.Tamina prodded his corpse with her foot, and that pushed Gamora over the edge. She gratefully allowed fury to consume her.---Tamina was in sixteen pieces, going on seventeen, when a voice cut through Gamora's battle rage."Gamora! Gamora, calm down!"Easy for them to say. They hadn't just watched their first friend murdered in cold blood."Gamora! Shit shit shit, dammit, Gamora!"Her throat hurt. Her eyes burned. There was a ragged hole in her chest that felt like it'd never heal."Sorry about this." A fist to her stomach brought her careening back to reality, and then warm arms wrapped around her from behind, immobilizing her. She kicked and snarled, twisting and struggling, all finesse forgotten in her rage and grief."Jesus, Gamora..." Funny. The voice sounded almost like Peter. She wondered if she'd lost her mind."Release me!" she snarled, but the arms only tightened."It's me. I'm alive. It was all a trick, Gamora. It was all a trick." The person holding her laid their head on her shoulder, and she caught sight of light brown curls. A familiar scent found it's way to her nose, and she abruptly stilled when it struck her what it was."...Peter?" she rasped, her voice wrecked. She idly wondered if she'd been screaming."I'm sorry." he was saying, and now that she knew it was his voice, no music could ever compare, "I'm sorry, I let her think I was dead so we could get the advantage. I didn't think I'd fool you too.""You're alive?" she bent her neck uncomfortably to try and see him, and was rewarded with a cocky, if somewhat strained, grin and grass green eyes. Stars, he'd never looked more beautiful. One arm released her just long enough to hold up a small device, something Rocket had been working on."Her gun was embarrassingly easy to sabotage." His smile was impish, his eyes sparkled with the mischievous glint of a job well done. She wanted to yell. To hit him. To kill him herself for putting her through that. She ended up doing none of that, instead she twisted in his embrace to crush him to her. He let out a small 'oof' at the strength of her grip, but hugged her back as tight as he could manage. The position was a little awkward, but nothing in the galaxy could have torn her away in that moment."I thought..."Adrenaline was still coursing through her, though no longer driven by loss. She reached up and grabbed his head, bringing it down so their foreheads were touching. His hair was soft, his eyes were vibrant and bright, even brimming with apology. She glared into them with as much ferocity as she could muster."Never. Again." she hissed, "I can't promise I'll react so well to losing you a second time.""I understand completely." Peter gulped, "But Gamora, you were like a total Viking back there!""A what?" she asked, blinking in confusion. He smiled at her, and her heart tugged just a little."You know, a Viking. Berserker rage?" at her look of incomprehension, he rolled his eyes in a way she'd come to know was in jest, "Alright, back to the Milano. You and me, we got a date with some Viking movies."