green thumb (nature)
Status: Complete
Theme: Day 04: Nature
Published: 06 February 2019
Chapters: 1
Words: 883
Rating: General Audiences
Tags: Mantis/Nebula (Marvel), Mantis (Marvel), Nebula (Marvel), fluff, Oneshot, Illustrated, also peter is there for like 2 minutes
Opening Notes:
Original AO3 Note: Flowers! Because...that counts right. Title change possibly incoming in the future, if I can think of one. I hope you guys enjoy this silly little ficlet! Thanks in advance for reading <3
Mantis is humming along to the music drifting from the ship’s speakers, bobbing her head along to the beat as she prods at the bouquet on the table. The cellophane it’s wrapped in crinkles noisily as she adjusts the placement of the flowers and fluffs the leaves and petals.
It’s a pretty bouquet; beautiful, even, if she says so herself. She’d picked out the flowers herself the day before when they’d first docked on the planet, and arranged them herself. Maybe it wasn’t quite the level of professional florist, but it was nice and she’d had fun putting it together.
She only hoped Nebula would like it as much as she’d enjoyed making it.
The song eventually fades away as it ends, but Mantis continues to adjust the flowers even as the next one starts. Her touch is gentle, so as not to damage the fragile petals, but her movements are charged with an anxious sort of energy.
It’s okay, she tells herself. It’s just another date.
“Hey, Mantis.” Peter pokes his head in through the door. He watches her nervously swap a bright blue flower with a purple one. “You okay? Excited?”
“Oh, yes.” She turns a flower in between her fingers. “A little nervous, but mostly excited.”
“Yeah, I get ya. First anniversaries can be a bit nerve-wracking, but it’ll be fine. The most important thing is that you guys love each other and have fun, and these”—he steps closer and gestures to the colorful bouquet—“are lovely.”
Mantis can’t help but beam. “Thank you. I hope Nebula thinks so, too.”
“Nebula’s gonna love it,” Peter assures confidently. “She’s gonna love it so much, her cybernetics are gonna short-circuit.”
Mantis smacks his shoulder lightly. “Don’t jinx me!” she gasps. “I don’t want her short-circuiting on our date!”
Peter throws his hands up placatingly. “It was just a joke!” He puts an arm around her shoulder in a half-hug and gives her a gentle shake. “Seriously, you’re gonna have fun, and Nebula is gonna love the flowers, and it’s all gonna be great.”
Mantis smiles. “Thanks, Peter.”
Peter grins in response. “’Course. Speaking of Nebula, that’s actually why I’m here. She called a little bit ago to say she entered the atmosphere, so she’ll be here soon.”
“Oh!” Mantis brightens and her antennae perk up. “I’ll go out to wait for her. I want to be there to greet her.”
She gives the flowers one last fluff before bundling the bouquet into her arms and following Peter off of the ship.
-
Mantis waves to Nebula as she exits her ship but hangs back for a moment while Gamora greets her sister. After, Nebula heads straight for Mantis and her heart skips a beat in excitement and she has to stop herself from practically flinging herself at Nebula. It was hard not to—it was always so exciting to see Nebula again after so long, and in the end she can’t resist for long.
She rushes to meet her, quickly closing the distance between them and throws her arms around Nebula’s neck in a tight hug. The bouquet—which had been hidden behind her back—goes with her. Nebula’s hands move to catch her and come to rest on Mantis’s waist.
She opens her mouth to say something, but then tilts her head slightly when she notices the bouquet resting across her back, hears the stiff paper holding it together crinkle and rustle, and she looks questioningly at Mantis.
Beaming, Mantis steps back and presents the bouquet to her. Nebula’s eyes widen slightly, surprised, and she slowly takes the bundle with careful hands.
“I wanted to get you something,” Mantis explains as Nebula studies the bouquet and carefully touches the petals of a blue flower. “Peter said flowers are often used for gifts on Terra, and I liked the idea. I picked flowers that made me think of you.”
“You picked out each flower?”
“And arranged them, yes.” Mantis wrings her hands. “Do you like it?”
“Yes,” Nebula says, her voice hitching. “It’s lovely. Thank you, I…it’s very sweet.”
Mantis exhales in relief, delighted that she does. But then Nebula frowns. “I didn’t get you anything,” she says slowly, looking guilty.
Mantis gently lays one hand on Nebula’s arm, and with the other she selects a pretty blue flower and plucks it from the bouquet. “You didn’t have to get me anything, Nebula. I’m just happy to see you again.”
Mantis deftly tucks the flower in her hand behind Nebula’s ear. “There,” she smiles. “It suits you.”
Nebula’s cheeks darken and Mantis giggles at how flustered she looks.
Mantis moves her hands to Nebula’s waist and leans up to press a kiss to Nebula’s lips, smiling into it when Nebula kisses her back. Mantis thinks she could stay there forever, just holding Nebula, but they have plans for their anniversary, so Mantis eventually extracts herself and links her arm with Nebula’s.
She can hold her later.
“Come. Let’s put the bouquet in your ship and get going. I want to spend all day with you, and there’s a nice food stall I think you might like where we can start.”
Nebula snorts in amusement, the corners of her mouth twitching into a faint smile as she lets Mantis drag her off.
Ending Notes:
N/A