video; @star.lord

[nostalgiabomb]

[ INT. Shared Housing, Floor 13, Room 4 – Very Late Night.

We open on a shot of the living space in one of the many shared housing units. It's dark in the messy room, with a couple of red jackets tossed onto the backs of chairs. Nearby, soft snores are audible.

In frame is a small, wooden creature, his giant eyes squinting with concentration as he stares at the screen. An old, beat-up mp3 player and a Sony Walkman sit beside him on the coffee table. The little creature mumbles a tiny, irritated— ]

I am Groot?

[ —in the same tone of voice someone else might use to ask, “How the hell do you work this thing?” He pokes at the screen fruitlessly for a while, but soon enough, his eyes light up as he shoves his hand forward one last time.

Suddenly, “Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap” by the illustrious AC/DC shrieks over stereo speakers.

DONE. DIRT. CHEAP.

Sorry about your beauty sleep, Floor 13. And probably Floors 12 and 14.

The sapling yelps, scrambling and panicking to figure out how to stop this crazy thing, just as a sleep-tousled Star-Lord stumbles into frame, flicking on a light. Barely audible over the music, ]

Groot, what are you—?

[ Busted.

Peter picks up the device, sees that it’s recording, and he grimaces. ]

Oh, son of a—

[ Which is when the feed and the music both cut out. ]

Comments

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Yeah, that doesn’t really clear anything up. ]

What?

[ But he follows the gesture toward Groot, who’s still pouting away on the coffee table, shoulders hunched up around his head. ]

Oh. Oh. [ Peter huffs out a breath and waves dismissively. ] It’s fine. He’s heard worse from Rocket.

[ Hell, Peter’s heard worse from Groot, and they were still trying to get him out of the habit of dropping f-bombs every chance he could. ]

[buildsomething]

Fair enough.

[Look, he tried. There are reasons Tony does not spend that much time around kids.]

He in time out or something?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Peter’s gaze flicks over to Groot. ]

For the next five minutes or so, yeah.

[ And he says it with a touch of discomfort, because he knows how that sounds, how that makes this relationship look, and while it might be true – that Peter is definitely helping to raise Groot – he’s not entirely sure if he’s cool with the title and all the baggage that comes with it.

(Peter and fathers, literal or figurative, don’t tend to mix very well.)

Which is why Peter changes the topic, nodding toward Stark’s work station. ]

I see you’re burning the midnight oil.

[buildsomething]

[Tony's head lifts long enough to give Peter a look that's almost commiserating before one side of his mouth kicks up into a sort of half-smile. He shrugs, leaning back in his chair.]

I don't really keep any kind of regular hours. Just sort of whenever I happen to get an idea.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ It's not really Peter's place to mention that that doesn't sound particularly healthy, even if he thinks it. And considering he's still currently awake, now that the music had jolted him out of his sleep, he could use the company. ]

Working on anything fun?

[buildsomething]

Depends on your definition.

[It's all fun to Tony, mostly.]

Why, you need something?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He snorts out a laugh. ]

No, I'm good.

D'you get that a lot? Like, "Hey, Stark, it's 4am, but would you mind making me a flamethrower?"

[buildsomething]

Sometimes.

[Look he works with a lot of insomniacs, it's a thing.]

Or more like someone comes up with a brilliant idea while sleep deprived.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ That earns a slightly skeptical smile. ]

Are you sure it's a "brilliant idea"? Or is it just that you're so tired that it seems like one?

[buildsomething]

Excuse you. I'm a genius, all my ideas are brilliant.

[There's no real heat in it, one side of Tony's mouth tipping up a little.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Deadpanned, ]

Gosh, and so humble, too. [ The effect of his sarcasm is ruined a little when he lets the corner of his mouth quirk upward. ] It's just a packaged deal with you, huh?

[buildsomething]

What, humbleness and genius? Sure. It's hard when you're this amazing.

[He almost manages to keep a straight face, too.]

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Flatly, ] What a tragic burden. How ever could you possibly cope?

[buildsomething]

I ask myself that every day.

[It's solemn and dramatic, but Tony's also eyeing him.]

Can't get back to sleep?

[nostalgiabomb]

Cut me some slack. I just got jolted out of a dead sleep by Bon Scott. I’m still riding the adrenaline rush.

[ It’s 100% a lie, but it’s a feasible one, right? And before the Guardians, Peter had made a career out of lying.

Truth is, he’s got a lot on his mind, right now, and he’s pretty sure Gamora is coming down with that weird Riverview-flu (River-flu?), but she refuses to admit it, and he’s worried. It’s all his childhood nightmares kicking down the door into his adult life. ]

Don’t let me keep you if I’m distraction you from your all your geniusing.

[buildsomething]

[Tony flicks him a look that's borderline knowing, but gives an offhand shrug rather than comment.]

You're good. I can multitask.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He hesitates for a second, but—

Yeah. He appreciates the offer. And he could use the distraction. ]

Are you working on something top secret? Or can I ask what it is?

[buildsomething]

No real secret. Building a computer for someone.

[Well. Essentially a computer, anyway. He holds up the motherboard he's been working with, just in case Peter is actually curious.]

It's pretty easy work.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He quirks up an eyebrow – examining the motherboard by the small screen. A part of him wants to ask, "Your friend knows they sell those around here, right?" but— ]

I'm guessin' there's more to it than just a computer.

[buildsomething]

[Tony flashes a quick grin at him.]

Might be a little souped up. I admit to nothing.

[nostalgiabomb]

Uh huh.

[ Flatly, though there's a smile curling the corner of his mouth. ]

What, is it gonna be able to slice and dice? Cut julienne fries?

[buildsomething]

Yeah, I've learned better than to give computers sharp objects.

[Is that Dum-E wandering through the background behind him?]

Nah. Just runs better than most.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Yeah, he sees the robot drifting past, and Peter quirks an eyebrow. ]

Are you speaking from personal experience?

[ And pointedly nods past Stark to Dum-E. ]

Have you been running a robot knife-fighting ring on the side?

[buildsomething]

Nah. That's just the roombas.

[He says it with such a blandly straight face, too.]

There's a lot of stuff in my lab. Sometimes he decides to pick it up.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Predictably, Peter has no idea what a Roomba is. The joke, sadly, is lost on him. ]

You normally leave knives lying around?

[ There’s probably not nearly as much judgment in his voice as there should be.

Look, Peter lived with Drax the Destroyer, a known collector of knives. Standing in the common area of the Milano during a bit of turbulence was as likely to result in a limb being blown off, courtesy of one of Rocket’s half-made explosives, or in evisceration. ]