The Signs that Yondu Cares Part 5

So since I noticed that I seemed to have it in for hurting Peter, thought I'd have a little flashback to his Ravager training

Touch the Stars

Peter took one more look at the decompression port and shivered inside, this was it. Yondu had found out that he had snuck into his quarters through the air vents just to see if he could, and now Yondu was going to space him…in the worst way possible.

It had begun when Yondu had been on a mission and had returned with all sorts of spoils including a collapsible breather, made either for a dwarf or a child. Yondu's eyes lit up as he saw it, with a plan in mind as he gave it to the tech crew to repair and fix up before presenting the device to the boy.

Now Peter Quill aged nine couldn't stop the trembling in his body as Yondu fitted the helmet over his neck, almost immediately the mechanisms activated and unfolded itself over his face with the pressed metal sheets covered his skin.

"Oxygen levels good, breath normally Peter". He heard Alezduran as the headset built into the helmet came to life, and he nodded as the image screen came to life and the eyepieces glowed red. If Peter was calmer he would have done a Darth Vadar impression, even though he may have been the only one in the galaxy that got it…but to him it was still funny.

Yondu Udonta stood back as the final modifications were completed. "There is ninety minutes of oxygen, but you have to breathe normally". Alezduran supplied as Peter was silent causing Yondu to snap "Do you understand Peter?" Peter finally nodded too scared to speak over his own breaths, as Alezduran inspected the gravity boots he had modified for the boy. "This is going to feel heavy, so you have to walk toe to heel, ok toe to heel at all times…but just see it as a simple mission and you'll be fine".

"How would you know, you've never been on a mission". Peter stated, his voice coming out squeakier than he would have liked.

"Oh, so I guess hacking into all those programs, getting information and I've built so much shit for missions, so I know what I'm talking about, Peter".

There was an undercurrent in the answer, Alezduran was a decade older , and had been participating longer on missions because of it, but Peter was the one getting the full experience and neither of them were "In the red", yet.

Even though Peter was still in training, Yondu hadn't given Alezduran the reason why he wasn't wearing the Ravager colours yet, and the hybrid was too scared to ask.

Alezduran knelt down to the boy and zipped up his jacket, "You are going to feel cold, but you won't be. Your mind is going to play tricks on you, but just ignore them…because you are going to be fine.

"What did I do to deserve this?" Peter muttered, even though there were about a dozen answers, as Yondu with a grunt left for the bridge.

"Nothing, remember you said you didn't want to do ship maintenance, and wanted to graduate to stealing shit…well here's your chance".

Peter kept silent at the true statement as he felt himself be led to the vent portal, "Good luck". Alezduran said as the doors slammed shut behind him, and the vent begun to decompress as Peter jammed his eyes shut "Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit". He repeated to himself trying to keep calm, as on the bridge, Alezduran had reached his seat, giving an ok nod to Yondu and Kraglin as he sat on his own console and brought up the information.

"Vitals are good; his heart is slightly elevated but nothing too extreme though". He informed the Captain, as Yondu nodded and announced "Send the kid up".

In the tube Peter willed his body to relax, as he felt the pulsating beneath him as he was pushed up rapidly. Feeling the cold of space as it engulfed him. Peter with his eyes still closed, felt for the safety rail, which he knew was there and held tightly as Yondu's voice came over the receiver in the helmet.

"Boy, take your hand off the rail and start walking…And this is an order". Yondu's voice had the effect of overriding Peter's fear as he managed to drop his hand, and with his eyes still shut took his first steps into the vastness of space.

"Toe to heel, toe to heel". He kept repeating to himself as he lifted the metal boot in the air and dropped it to the hull plating, "Good, now the next". Yondu's voice instructed him. As Peter realised he was hanging in space by a foot, felt a moment of panic as he brought the left foot down.

"Now tell me what you see?" Yondu instructed as gingerly Peter opened his eyes, even though Yondu already knew what the boy saw if he opened those damn eyes, but he needed Peter's perspective. "Its hull plating, I see the hull plating". Peter informed the Centurian, as the boy got his bearings and got over the shock of where he was standing.

"Right, just think about that…And keep walking". Stated Yondu as on the bridge, he leaned back in his chair, wondering if Kraglin was right and he was too young to try this. Hell most of the men got spacesick on doing ship walks, as he watched the boy walk more steps but at least not speaking, being too focused on the hull plating, which was beginning to reveal the stars.

Peter had dreamed of this moment, but this was the moment his brain decided to launch into self-preservation, as he found himself unable to move and his breath heavy.

Yondu". Alezduran looked up from his console "Peter's having a panic attack!"

"Ah hell, said the Captain as he left his chair came over and saw Peter's body shaking as he opened a channel to the boy's head.

"Peter…Peter do you hear me?"

Through his rasps, Peter heard the voice and managed to get out a strangled "Yes", his heart thumping so hard in his chest he felt like he was going to explode.

"Right, I need you to breath through your nose and out through your mouth slowly, alright?" Peter nodded and did at Yondu instructed, feeling himself starting to calm down at the sound of his Captain uncharastically calm voice until he could feel the tension easing off.

"Ok, Ok…I feel better". Peter half cracked a smile, realising how pathetic he must have sounded to the Bridge crew, who were doubt laughing at him. The thought of that, their smirking faces, "Bastards, I'll show you". He muttered under his breath, which caused a look of confusion on the bridge crews faces all who had been sitting concerned as the boy calmed down.

"Is he talking about us?" Alezduran asked, as Yondu could only shrug, feeling relieved as the boy moved forward slowly, seeing more of the metal giving way to the stars, which Peter could no longer focus on, concentrating to hard on moving, as he was getting nearer to the edge as Yondu leaned forward by the console.

"Peter, stop now. Stop what you're doing". There was urgency in his voice, as Peter suddenly realised where he was standing. At the top of the Elector, with the world beneath him, and deep space in front of him, whilst Yondu breathed an inward sigh of relief that he the boy hadn't walked off the damn ship, and keeping his voice flat he dropped his voice to a lower tone, almost bordering on caring.

"Now tell me what you see?"

In Peter's mind curiosity begun to override any fear, as he forced his eyes to look up and his jaw just dropped.

On the ship, he was behind the glass and steel, but now he was surrounded by the stars, twinkling all around him, knowing they were millions of miles away from each other, but looked so close that he could almost touch them as he placed one hand up, and reached out.

"Wow". He breathed, which caused Yondu to smile as he overheard the boy, and made a decision as he slipped back to his seat.

"Alezduran, how far is the Crielain Nebula?"

"Ummm, about two hundred light years away?" The hybrid looked up, to see a smirk cross the Captain's face. "Then get us through it, say about warp two".

Alezduran looked to be saying something, but changed his minds, as the course was plotted and everyone seemed to look up at that moment. On the top of the Eclector, Peter begun to feel the rumble beneath him and Yondu's voice came over the headset "Hold on tight kid."

Before Peter could say a word, he was hurtling into space the only thing protecting him were the boots stuck to the hull. He was too amazed to be scared as the stars flew past him before he could reach a hand out. "This is incredible" he breathed, as he saw a cloud in front of him. "Just keep your eyes open", he heard the voice of his Captain as the Eclector pushed into the cloud, and immediately Peter was swathed in multicoloured lights, which seemed to wrap around him. Putting his hands out he could make shapes in whatever the hell it was, as the Eclector cut into it. The colours all mashed together to create a rainbow effect as he trailed his hands to leave a pattern, feeling Yondu dropping the speed slightly so he could enjoy this wonder of the universe.

"I'm the only Terran ever to have done this", Peter whispered to himself as he leaned his head back to see more of the fantastic colours, blue, reds, pinks, some that he didn't know the names of, as he saw the colours darken as they came out of the cloud back into normal space.

Peter felt his breath catching in his chest, overwhelmed with what he had just seen, as Yondu came over the headset "How ya feeling."

"Amazing, this is amazing". Peter laughed, not wanting to move and to just enjoy the vision, as on the bridge Yondu cracked a smile "Well, Happy Birthday Peter".

"Ok...ok…What!" Peters tone grew serious, slightly as he just blinked. "Today's my birthday…"

"Yeah, you turned ten today, get your ass back in the ship I got you a few things…that you needed" He stressed the last word not wanting to show favouritism to any of his crew, even the look that Kraglin gave him wasn't convinced.

"Wait today's my birthday". Peter repeated more to himself that anyone which caused Yondu to cross his arms.

"Yes Peter, according the Earth calendar, it's June the 21st, which makes it your birthday…ya idiot".

"But I thought we didn't celebrate birthdays". Peter asked, wondering why Yondu had bothered. "You didn't notice last year."

"Because you never told me you moron, you mentioned it to Kraglin ages ago so I looked it up…why they celebrate it, is beyond me." He told his crew, who really were not convinced by Yondu's comments, but decided not to show it.

"So…do I get a cake?" The fact that Peter was standing in deep space protected by only metal boots, a helmet and was discussing cake, caused Yondu to shake his head. "Ok fine, there's cake…just get your ass in".

"Yes", Peter yelled and suddenly jumped, making one of the boots detach from the hull suddenly which caused everyone who was watching to react. "This is the best birthday ever". He yelled as he recovered his balance and turned to make his way back to the ship as Yondu sent a message to the cook to make a cake for the boy. "I'm going down to get him….stupid kid will probably walk into the engine or something".

As he left the Bridge to Kraglin, and Yondu disappeared down the deck, Kraglin and Alezduran held it in, for exactly three seconds before cracking up laughing. "Oh man, that was hysterical". Alezduran whipped the tears from his eyes. "He did this as a birthday treat," As Kraglin joined in. "Yeah, it is really sweet isn't it". As the pair exchanged a look, which spoke volumes how Yondu really felt for that boy.

The end

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Also Chris Pratt's birthday is June the 21st which is why I choose it for Peter