I look down, focusing on the figurine in my hands.
“Guardians of the Galaxy is my favorite Marvel movie.”
“All right, who told you to prank me?” he growls.
“What?” I blink.
“Who told you to say that to me? Was it Penny? Or that asshole brother of mine, Cas?”
I shake my head, genuinely confused. “I never even met your brother…” I let out a small laugh, but his look tells me he’s serious.
“You think you’re the only Marvel fan on the planet?” I ask.
“No,” he says slowly, his eyes sweeping over me, mocking. “But you sure don’t look like one.”
“Well, didn’t anybody teach you that looks can be deceiving?” I fold my arms over my chest, the figurine still in my hand.
“Okay,” he says, amused now, though something in his expression hasn’t fully let go of the suspicion. “Let’s pretend you know Marvel.” He steps closer, his scent wrapping around me,grounding and dangerous all at once. “Why is that your favorite movie?”
“The music and how it’s woven into the story,” I say without thinking. “The wanting to escape through it. The way they form a found family. The way they tease each other to death but still have each other’s backs no matter what.” I shrug. “And mostly because of Rocket.”
His brows draw together.
“He went through hell and back,” I continue more quietly, “and he didn’t let it break him. He let it form him.”
Dex shakes his head slowly.
“I can’t believe it.”
I laugh. “Why, because I’m a woman?” I plant my hands on my hips. “Rocket and Groot are the best characters Marvel ever created.”
He’s quiet for a moment.
“No way, that’s Iron Man… and I still don’t buy that you know them,” he murmurs.
With a sigh, I turn around and tug my hoodie up, revealing the tank top underneath and my tattooed shoulder. Rocket and Groot stretch across my skin.
“Fucking shit,” Dex whispers.
Before I can pull the fabric back down, I feel it, the shift in the air, his attention sharpening, the space between us tightening.
Then his fingers trace the tattoo.
The touch is light, almost careful, but it sends heat straight through me, sharp and unexpected, stealing my breath for half a second.
“When did you get this?” he asks quietly.
“My brother went to college in September,” I say, staring at the wall. “We used to have Marvel marathons together.” I clear my throat. “He called me Rocket because…” I shake my headslightly. “Let’s just say we didn’t have an easy life, and I kind of took the brunt of it. We got the same tattoo the day before he left.”
His hand gently pulls my hoodie back into place.
“I call him Groot,” I add with a small smile. “Because he was a pain in the ass as a kid, but now he’s taller and stronger than me. And just like Rocket only has Groot… I only have Mason.”
When I turn back, Dex is close.
Too close.
His eyes search my face like he’s seeing me for the first time.
