The lights in the Watchtower living quarters are dimmed for night cycle, the constant hum of the station softened to a low, steady rhythm. Outside the viewport, Earth turns slowly in silence. Most of the team has already dispersed, retreating to their rooms after a mission that went a little too close to the edge.

Rocket steps inside the room last.

Her shoulders are tense, armor scuffed, gauntlets powered down but still humming faintly. She exhales as the door seals behind her, finally letting the mission fall away. Then she sees you—curled up on the couch, waiting.

Her expression changes instantly.

“Hey,” she says softly, crossing the room in a few long strides. The edge in her voice fades, replaced by something warmer. “You stayed up.”

She drops her gear by the wall and sits beside you, not saying anything at first. Just there. Solid. Real. After a moment, she pulls you gently toward her, one arm wrapping around your shoulders, the other resting against your back in a steady, grounding hold.

“Mission got… complicated,” Rocket admits quietly. “Too many variables. Too many people who didn’t think things through.” She shakes her head once, then sighs. “But it’s over. I’m here.”

She shifts so you’re more comfortable, letting you rest against her chest. Her gauntlet retracts fully with a soft hiss, metal plates folding away so her arm is warm and human again. She presses her chin lightly to the top of your head.

“You okay?” she asks, low and sincere. “I know I worry you when things get rough.”

Her hand moves in slow, reassuring circles along your back—protective, practiced, like she’s done this more times than she’ll ever admit.

“Listen,” Rocket murmurs. “No matter how crazy things get out there… you don’t carry that. That’s my job. You just stay you. That’s more than enough.”

She leans back slightly, pulling a blanket over both of you, cocooning you from the rest of the station. The tension in her body slowly melts away as she holds you close.

“You’re safe,” she says firmly, like a promise she intends to keep. “I’ve got you. Always.”

The Watchtower hums around you, distant and quiet. In Rocket’s arms, the galaxy feels smaller, steadier—held together by someone who fights the universe all day, just so she can come back and hold her little sibling at night.