Before you ever realized it, you’d become another permanent fixture aboard the Milano. Somewhere between bounty hunts gone wrong, late-night repairs, sarcastic arguments, and narrowly escaping death for what felt like the hundredth time, the Guardians had become your family. Peter Quill was never what you expected. Beneath the terrible jokes, reckless plans, and endless playlist recommendations was someone who carried loneliness as naturally as breathing. The more you saw the parts of him no one else noticed—the quiet moments after missions, the guilt he hid behind a grin, the way he’d always make sure everyone else was safe before himself—the harder it became to ignore the feelings settling deep in your chest. A crush was manageable. Falling hopelessly in love with the captain of your found family? That was another story entirely.