Yondu Week Day 2
Theme: Rain
After the Rain
All three of them just stood stunned, and it took a moment for them to realise Kraglin muttering "Don't look at me" in a panicked tone, yet none of them could take their eyes away, and on instinct, they all rushed in together.
True all of them had seen each other naked more than once, but this. None of them could ignore the bruises on Kraglin's back as if he had been pushed down hard, and the blue blood seeping out of his ass.
"Please don't look at me", there was a note of fear in Kraglin's voice and any bravado within Yondu was overwritten as he rushed over and assisted his stricken friend.
"Said he kill me if I told anyone and he'll hurt them too". Kraglin whispered the water running down his face mingling with his tears, "And I couldn't tell anyone, I just couldn't".
The unspoken words hung between all of them and it was Iztel who being one of the strongest wrapped his arms around Kraglin in a tender manner which was unlike him.
"It was Riddhi wasn't it?"
Kraglin nodded and sniffed back his tears, which Yondu wanted to just tell him to let it go but was unable. Ravagers didn't cry, Ravagers were hard bastards, and everyone knew it but Kraglin had been through so much and was vulnerable and this made him a target.
With gentler motions and all of them getting wet, they managed to get Kraglin clean whilst he hung on to all of them and got him back to their shared quarters whilst they patched him up as good as they could whilst Kraglin just whimpered finally giving in to his pain.
"The bleedings stopping but let's face it, any internal damage, go to the med bay and everyone will know" stated Horuz in a rare display of clarity whilst Iztel left them all and came back several minutes later. Whilst Kraglin had been placed in Yondu's bed because it was closer and wrapped up in a blanket, shivering from feeling physically and emotionally raw.
It was then that Iztel came back with a sort of strew, steaming in a small bowl which Iztel explained "Family recipe, it will make you feel better" Iztel said quickly passing the dish to Kraglin who took it carefully and managed to utter with surprise "It's good".
"Yeah, but don't tell anyone, the last thing I need is to be cooking for all you assholes, and it's the only thing I know how to make, we'll all be bored and sick of it real soon". Iztel explained whilst Kraglin his stomach becoming fortified by something warm and comforting managed to get out what he had been keeping in for so long.
"It happened a few days ago, you were all on a mission, perhaps he thinks you were mine or something. I'd seen him looking at me, laughing at me, that stupid laugh of his", Kraglin shook his head, reminding him of something he didn't want to.
"I went to get beer, and it tasted strange, then it got weird. I work up in his quarters, I couldn't stop him, could hear him laughing in my ear, what he was going to do to me, and he did it, all of it. I couldn't even scream, just lay there helpless
I was helpless Yondu, just like before and could do fuck all to stop him…wanted him to stop so much".
Fresh tears run down Kraglin's face, while the others in a show of solidarity, knowing what he had been through just comforted him whilst he cried. Unable to help the anger that was seething anger seething through them.
However, Yondu just held him whilst he cried and manages to drift off to sleep in his arms until Yondu got up and managed to entangle himself with an "I'll be back soon", into Kraglin's ears, and in return got a whimper, as they all slipped away into the defunct shower room.
There in the room, all three of them hardened battles Ravagers, it was Iztel who pinched the binge of his nose, "I hate this, this is something I'll never want to see again, I want to rip his head off. Of all of us, Kraglin is the one pathetic shit who can't protect himself and he knew that.
Starker knew that and probably told him, give him a target, was that the plan all along, let's go for Kraglin. Show I blame them both for Regellen and Hoag's deaths, and now this. Bet this was his plan all along".
There was such an edge in Iztel's voice, indicating he was on the verge of his legendary berserker rage, whilst Yondu, only thinking of Kraglin put his hand up.
"Right, you'll get your chance, let me think on this and sleep on this, this isn't over", then he looked over at Kraglin, still sleeping "I promise the lot of you".
With this, all of them agreed to stay silent for the moment and said their goodbyes and to try to calm down, which for Iztel's sake would be pounding something in the gym until his hands were raw.
However, Yondu instead just stayed with Kraglin, understanding why he had latched onto him over the past few days. These men were intimate in a way, enough that they would never cross that line and be together.
Yondu wasn't capable and Kraglin deep in his soul was a romantic, and a typical Xandarian who craved intimacy which Yondu could never give.
But at this moment, he could be there for Kraglin and whilst Kraglin just slept feeling raw in every sense of the way, Yondu just held him, comforting him, his presence was enough until Kraglin whispered in the half-light of their dingy quarters.
"I wish I never joined the Ravagers. On Hrax, I was in an underworld but no one had ever hurt me, not like this. And then, I thought I was going to be promised the stars, and look me now, screwed over by both my Captains", Kraglin would never and wasn't blaming Yondu for this.
However, Yondu had thought just that when it was suggested to this grimy faced man to join Stakar's crews, and one betrayal after another and here they were. Internally Yondu felt like he had betrayed Kraglin with false promises no different from his old masters, which made Yondu feel more twisted inside. Kraglin wasn't his responsibility, but because of this, he felt responsible.
Eventually, Kraglin drifted off to sleep, and Yondu just lay next to him, before an idea began to formulate in his mind, but one he needed help for
Opening his communicator, Yondu sent one letter to two crew members, whose help he needed, and in Yondu's mind knew it could end his life, but anything was better than this. And maybe Starker was right about one thing "Find something worth fighting for" and maybe this was it. And with that Yondu Udonta began to prepare.
To be continued…and in the mighty words of Bug Bunny "This means war"
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