Author's Note: Thanks for such an amazing response! I'm glad people are enjoying Peter/Gamora as much as I am. Please enjoy this chapter. Spoilers for volume 2!
"Play me one more song,
That I'll always remember,
And I can recall,
Whenever I find myself too all alone,
I can sing me home."
—Kenny Loggins, "Celebrate Me Home"
Two—
Yondu always knew Peter was an idiot.
Sure, from the moment he picked up the scrawny little kid from Terra, the head Ravager knew the boy wasn't the brightest bulb in the shed. First thing Peter said—after the tears, after the shock, after most of the fear wore off—was, "Did you dye your skin blue?" Kid hadn't been more than eight and Yondu remembers his team staring at him, waiting for him to tear this child asunder for this disrespectful statement.
He hadn't though. Yondu had laughed instead. Maybe that's why he decided to keep Peter instead of selling him or shipping him somewhere. While the head Ravager sure as hell knew that he wasn't going to take the kid to his douchebag of a father—even Yondu, deep down, had a conscience—he hadn't decided to adopt the kid until Peter had spoken.
"Did you?" Peter questioned, voice shaky.
"Hell no," Yondu replied, a grin on his lips. He clapped his hand on Peter's back and smirked, "Say kid, what's your name?"
"Peter," The child ducked his head, eyes locked onto the floor, "Peter Quill." He was scared shitless, that much Yondu could see from the way the tremors were wracking his small frame.
"Peter, welcome to the Ravagers."
And if the crew had any problems about taking in a scrawny, defenseless Terran, they knew better to say anything.
Because Yondu liked the kid and that was enough for the Ravagers.
Yondu didn't consider himself a father.
A mentor maybe, but never a paternal figure. Half of the time, he threatened to let his crew eat Peter and let the boy's fear do the work of discipline for him. Maybe, in hindsight, this was a cruel tactic. But what was he supposed to do? He'd stopped caring for people years ago and his heart had hardened. He wasn't about to let some wimpy Terran squirm past his carefully constructed defenses.
At first, he managed to keep the kid at an arm's length. Raising a child wasn't exactly what his crew signed on for so Yondu found a way to make Peter an asset. The boy's small body proved useful and it was thanks to Peter that the crew had managed to pull off some of their more difficult heists.
"Is this why you won't eat me?" Peter asked one day, after the crew's latest celebration wound down. They'd just managed to get their hands on an ancient statue that, thanks to Peter; they could sell for more units than anyone knew what to do with. Repairing the ship would be the first order of business, but after that, who knew? Hell, the Ravagers could even take a vacation.
"Cause you can steal stuff?" Yondu pressed, leaning down to become level with the boy's gaze.
"Yeah." Peter murmured, his eyes glancing away.
There were a million ways the leader of the Ravagers could respond to that, from half-truths, to straight up lies. If he looked into his heart of hearts, Yondu could admit that the kid was starting to worm his way into his hardened heart. Of course, he could never tell Peter that. He couldn't risk looking soft in front of his crew. That's how mutinies got started and if Yondu got deposed, who would keep Peter safe? Terrans were rare in the galaxy. Peter could fetch a decent price on the black market somewhere.
But that wouldn't happen. Not on Yondu's watch.
So, he lied, "Yeah kid," He ruffled Peter's hair, "That's why we keep you around."
He tried not to let the disappointment that shown on the little boy's face get to him.
Maybe that's the moment that Yondu realized that Peter's idiocy wasn't exactly the problem. The boy was reckless. He didn't like to listen during planning meetings and as soon as he was on the field, Yondu never knew whether Peter would be able to successfully keep it together or fly off the rails.
"Damn it, boy!" Yondu snapped, pressing a piece of cloth against the gaping wound in the teen's side. Peter was barely thirteen but acted like a fool twice his age. He thought that since he was a teenager now that he could be a man, a true ravager, and run headfirst into danger.
"Freaking hurts." Peter hissed, wincing as Yondu applied more pressure.
"It should! You got hit by a laser!" The worry was starting to drip into his tone now. Kraglin and the crew were still a warp away with the ship and with the amount of blood staining the cloth crimson, Yondu doubted that Peter had much time.
"You sound like a mother hen." Peter wheezed, a shaky smile on his lips.
"Shut up!" Yondu growled.
"Hey," Peter placed a shaky hand on top of Yondu's arm and smiled, that carefree bright grin he always seemed to have on his face, "It's gonna be fine."
Peter was an idiot sure, but damn it all if Yondu wasn't proud of him. This was his boy, the closest thing he would ever have to a son. Maybe he would never be able to tell the boy that—Ravagers were never touchy feely—but Peter had to know. Deep down inside, he had to know what Yondu really thought.
"Damn right it will be." Yondu replied, a soft smile of his own tugging up his lips.
And when Kraglin finally got there with the crew, no one said anything about the way Peter was holding onto Yondu's hand.
Of course, raising a boy—a stupid, stubborn, reckless Terran boy at that—was bound to cause a bit of stress. Peter had the worst taste in women. While Yondu went for mature, smart beauties, Peter would jump at the chance to be with any pretty girl, which often resulted in the youngest ravager getting beaten up at bars on more than one occasion. Peter didn't have the common sense to know which girls were taken and which were free. If she had pretty eyes and a good sense of humor, Peter was there, ready to sweep her off her feet.
But, really, the woman that stood before him now might be the stupidest choice Peter had ever made.
Gamora, Thanos' daughter. Out of all the beauties in the galaxy, Peter had to go and fall for her.
Stupid. Reckless. Idiotic, really! Did Peter have a death wish cause Yondu damn near had a heart attack when he warped to see Peter clutching Gamora to him, his body crystallizing as the life began to flicker out from his eyes. A second later and they both would've been dead, lost forever to the cold reaches of space.
But Peter was alive and his hand was resting on Gamora's back as a few of the crew circled them, clearly indicating that Gamora was under his protection. Not that she needed any protection. Gamora's reputation as a coldblooded deadly assassin preceded her.
"Peter." Yondu called, his tone clipped.
His boy shared a glance with Gamora before dropping his hand and coming to Yondu's side.
"Hey." Peter greeted, a fake grin plastered on his lips. He must know how deep he was here, how careful he had to be lest Yondu lose his temper yet again.
"Let's take a walk." Yondu ordered. He took a few steps before Peter's strong arm yanked him to a stop.
"I can't leave her. The crew—" Peter started to protest, worry coloring his every word.
"Kraglin!"
Immediately, his second-in-command nodded and moved towards Gamora, effectively protecting her from the rest of the crew.
"Thanks." Peter murmured and the two began to make their way through the twisting corridors of the ship. Yondu, as the captain, had his own quarters and as the door slid closed behind them, he tried not to snap at the boy.
"You wanna tell me why the hell one of Thanos' daughters is here on my ship? Why I found you two floating in space?" It was hard not to let his temper carry him away. More than anything, he wanted Peter to stay alive. Sure, right now, they were fighting and Yondu was pissed about Peter stealing from him, but hey, that's what fathers and sons did right? They fought and then made up. But seeing Peter growing fond of a woman half the galaxy wanted dead was not something Yondu was going to let slip by. He had to stop this before Peter's recklessness and stupidity finally got the best of him—
"She's a friend." Peter ducked his head, sheepishly avoiding his gaze.
"Boy, I wasn't born yesterday!" Yondu growled, pacing the length of the room. He shook his head before finally planting himself before Peter. Lowering his voice, he continued, "Are you two together?"
"Together?" Peter questioned. Then, his eyes widened as comprehension sunk in, "No! No, she and I, we're not."
"So, you almost killed yourself for her because—"
"Because we're on the same team! We're doing a job together, okay?"
Yondu didn't buy that for a second. Sure, maybe that was the excuse, but Peter's actions always spoke louder than words. And the way the boy risked his own life for her spoke volumes.
Yondu folded his arms across his chest, "What is going on here, Quill?"
"What?" Peter muttered defensively.
"Don't try to pull a fast one on me, boy—!"
"I am not a boy!" Peter roared, surging towards the ravager captain.
"Really? Cause your stupid choices tell me that you ain't got half the sense I taught you!"
"Look, I couldn't let her die!" Peter hissed. Then, the anger seemingly drained from him and he sunk onto Yondu's bed.
"You love the girl?"
"No."
"Liar." Yondu chuckled darkly. He sighed before coming to sit next to his adopted son.
"Yondu, listen—"
Yondu held up his hand to silence him, "Look, I don't get it. There's a lot of better girls out there for you, but I ain't gonna stop you either. Just don't get yourself killed. If I ever catch you out there in space again, I might just kill you myself."
Peter laughed and Yondu couldn't help the small grin that tugged at his lips, "Right. You got it."
"Good."
Things weren't settled between them. Peter had to pay for betraying them, but that would come. For now, Yondu could at least believe things were going to be okay.
"Gamora."
She inclined her head a bit, "Yondu."
He glanced around the ship, searching for Peter or the familiar timbre of his boy's voice, but aside from that familiar music from his tape, there was no sign of the former ravager.
"Peter ain't here?" He already knew the answer.
"No," She replied softly, "He and Drax have gone to the market."
"Okay."
So, it hadn't been Peter who had summoned him here. And with the rest of the team gone, that meant Gamora wanted a one-on-one meeting and Yondu would bet that whatever she was going to tell him was something she didn't want Peter to know.
Of course, Yondu didn't trust Gamora. Savior of the galaxy or not, she was still Thanos' daughter and there had to be hundreds of people gunning for her, not to mention Thanos himself. Yondu didn't like the idea of Peter being in the crossfire should someone come back for revenge on the former assassin. If the boy would just listen to Yondu and find some other girl—
"I wanted to know more about . . ." Gamora bit her lower lip, a rare moment of nervousness that he'd never seen before. Finally, she steeled herself and continued, "I want to know more about Peter as a child."
Yondu's jaw practically fell to the floor, "What?"
Her stance shifted to a more rigid posture, her arms folded across her chest and her eyes blazing. Her tone was ice cold as she stated, "You heard me."
"I did," Yondu wasn't one to be intimidated, "But why the hell would I tell you anything?"
"Because I am Peter's teammate—"
Yondu scoffed, "Right. Cause that's a good idea given your reputation. How many bounties you got on your head, girl? Don't think that just cause you saved the galaxy once that Thanos ain't going to come for you."
Indecision flickered on her face for a moment, but soon vanished, replaced by a fiery determination in her gaze, "If Thanos comes, I will handle him."
"And Peter will—"
"Peter will not be involved," She hissed, stepping closer to him, "I would never endanger him or my team. If—" She sighed softly, "When Thanos comes, I will leave."
He wasn't buying it. Surely the girl knew that taking on Thanos alone would be a suicide mission! Not that her team stood a chance but she could use them as a distraction in order to get away. He shook his head, "If you think I believe—"
"Believe it or not," She stated coolly, backing away from him, "Yet it's the truth."
Yondu didn't know what to make of her. Peter was easy to read. One look in the boy's eyes and you could see into the depth of his soul, but Gamora? She had a carefully constructed façade and Yondu wasn't sure what lay beneath that frosty exterior.
"Why do you want to know about Peter's childhood?" Yondu questioned quietly.
"His birthday is coming up," Gamora began, almost hesitant, like she was confessing a deep secret, "And he doesn't want to celebrate it. Why?"
"His birthday?" Yondu echoed.
"Yes."
He didn't know what to say or how to start. There were secrets he was keeping from Peter—why he was really taken that day on Earth, the lie Yondu told to the boy's father to protect Peter—but he couldn't tell Gamora any of that. Still, the earnestness of her request . . . he had to say something.
"His birthday is kind of a long story," Yondu sighed, "You got time?"
Gamora beamed and for a second, Yondu saw what Peter must see, the beautiful, kind woman before him.
"Okay," He started, "Here's what I know."
And he began to talk.
Months go by.
Peter checks in once a week and Yondu does his best not to tease the boy too much about Gamora, but it's clear that whatever it is between them—and there is definitely something between them, an unspoken love or bond—is taking a toll on Peter. He worries more—mostly about her—but he's also happier.
Peter's in love, that much is obvious to Yondu
"And she just took the brunt of the damage!" Peter roared, pacing the floor, going in and out of frame.
"Is she okay?" Yondu questioned, though he was assuming she was. That girl could more than handle herself and if something serious had occurred, he didn't think Peter would be the one making the call. No, Peter would be by her side, that much Yondu would stake his ship on.
"She says she's fine," Peter sighed, running a hand through his hair, "But she lost a lot of blood. Rocket said she had a concussion. It could've been worse, but—"
"But what, boy?" Yondu pressed sharply, causing Peter's gaze to jump back up to the monitor, "She's okay. You know that y'all are bound to get in a few scrapes here and there. That's the line of work you're in."
"I know that!" Peter snapped, pacing a few steps before standing in the middle of the room. He let out a ragged breath and shook his head, grimacing.
"What is it?" Yondu wished he were there now. If he didn't have a crew to run, he'd easily drop everything to come to the boy's side and help him sort out his feelings. Real father or not, Yondu was the closest thing the kid had and he needed him now.
"She protected me," Peter whispered, his voice ragged, "Why would she do that?"
Yondu chuckled softly, a tight grin tugging up his lips.
"Because, Peter," He started, wondering how the kid hadn't figured it out yet when the signs had been so obvious, "She thinks you're worth it."
Peter hesitated a moment before speaking, "You think?"
"Boy, I know it."
And with that, Yondu disconnected the feed.
"So, if Gamora and Peter get together . . . " Kraglin began one day, his voice trailing off.
"If they do?" Yondu pressed. They had three jobs to finish up today, two drop-offs and one briefing. They really didn't even have time to have this conversation and Kraglin knew that, which meant that he knew Yondu might get mad. His second-in-command may not be the best fighter, but he was a lot smarter than people gave him credit for.
"Well, would you be okay with that?"
Yondu actually stopped in the middle of the hallway.
"Why?" He growled.
"Cause she's the daughter of Thanos—"
"She saved the galaxy! She's damn smart, not to mention beautiful. If Peter managed to land her, the boy would have to thank his lucky stars!"
The small grin Kraglin wore on his lips told Yondu all he needed to know.
He actually approved of Gamora.
In the end, as the coldness of space settles into his bones, as the screams from his son's lips fade away, as his vision gives way to the darkness of death, Yondu has no regrets.
Well, okay, just one.
He would've liked to see Peter finally tell Gamora how he felt. That was the one call he'd been waiting for, to see Peter triumphantly say, "Yondu, I did it!" And then, Yondu would've lectured him on all the ways to keep a woman pleased and they could've argued a bit.
Maybe it sounds corny—his crew would've thought so—but hey, isn't that what fathers wanted for their sons, for them to settle down and be happy? And he gets it, he hasn't exactly been the best dad, but he still wants the best for Peter.
But hey, it's over now. Peter will have to find that happiness for himself. Maybe that's not how Yondu pictured it, but that's life. But at least his son has a team that loves him like a family and Gamora will keep him safe.
With that, Yondu can rest easy.
Author's Note: Wow, this one spiraled out of my control! I really enjoyed it. Next chapter will be more fluffy, I promise! Please review if you have a moment. Thanks!
