Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3

Chapter 27

Adam wasn't entirely sure what he'd said or done wrong, but he felt bad. And worried. What if this broke the deal? What if they decided to boot him and Fallon off into space once it was all said and done? Sure, he could survive out there, but could she? Was his stupid slip of the tongue going to be the thing that got her killed? Would he just have to watch her die out there, powerless to stop it? How could he live with himself if—

The sound of footsteps rescued Adam from his thoughts, and he looked up to find Gamora had returned, her face set with an expression of grim irritation.

"This is ridiculous." The green woman huffed, pacing around the common area for a moment before muttering, "I'm going to radio my crew."

And just like that, she was off again, leaving Adam and Fallon to exchange a look before Adam asked, "Was she talking to us?"

Fallon shrugged. "I think she was just talking."

"Oh."

A silence fell over the pair, one Adam wasn't sure how to break. When they'd interacted before, there'd always been some pressing matter to drive conversation—their first meeting, his procedure, the deaths of the Wherins. But now, they were just...safe. There was no looming threat, no problem to be solved or pain to be eased. They were just there. Together. In silence.

How did one start a casual conversation? He searched through his coded thoughts, the ones that usually had a basic explanation for whatever he was dealing with, but nothing presented itself. It made sense, he realized grimly. He'd been programmed for destruction, not companionship.

He wasn't sure if Fallon sensed his discomfort or simply acted on her own, but either way, she was the first to speak up. Thankfully.

"Okay, this is boring." She waved a hand, revealing a small device with a screen that read 'Zune.' "We need music."

Adam's brow furrowed. Where had that thing come from? But his curiosity at her words far outweighed his curiosity over the device's appearance. "Music?"

"Yeah." Fallon's brow furrowed as she tapped at the device's main button. "You...you do know what music is, right?"

"Yes." A basic definition presented itself easily enough. "It's a sound produced in the service of beauty, harmony, or expression. I just don't see how that helps us."

Fallon chuckled dryly as she scrolled through some icons on the Zune's screen. "Not in the literal definition, it doesn't. But..." She paused for a moment. "It's like the colors. You have to experience it to really know what it is."

Adam narrowed his eyes. "How do we do that?"

"By listening. Dancing. Feeling."

The first and the third seemed easy enough. But the second...

"What if I don't know how to dance?"

Fallon shrugged. "Then you can just listen and feel." She paused, a mischievous grin slipping over her lips. "Or I could teach you."

Adam hesitated at the suggestion. Even with just a definition, he felt dancing was a poor idea, at least for him. He was built to be coordinated, but not for dancing. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Oh, come on." Fallon stood up, her grin growing as she offered out a hand. "It's fun. You've got to try it at some point."

She said "some point" as if he'd been alive longer than a few days. But despite that, Adam found himself taking her hand and failing miserably to fight off a smile.