So here we go, chapter 4. and two people on the ship are really trying to fight their feelings

Chapter 4

"What the hell is going on?" Yondu demanded as the crowd that had gathered immediately parted in his sight. There was Iztel holding the screaming Terran in his arm, trying to calm the Peter down as several feet away he saw Proctom one of his newest crew members having the shit punched out of him by several others. The Xandarian looked to be trying to protest as the blows rained down on his body, but looked too drunk to put his arms up.

"My boy". Exclaimed Kraglin rushing over to the screaming baby and tried to console him.

"Proctom got wasted Captain". Horuz explained mid punch, "Thought he'd see what Terran flesh tasted like. Went over and cut the boy"

Kraglin took Peter from Iztel's arms and checked the wound still dripping with Peter's blood. "It's clean, but it's deep. I'm taking him to the med bay". He urgently told the Centurian and immediately rushed from the room as the rest of the Ravagers stood back from there fallen crewman, waiting for the Captains words.

"You stupid bastard….what did you think you were doing?"

"Ain't ever tasted Terran before Captain". Proctom slurred and looked on the verge of throwing up. "Thought he looked fat and tender".

Yondu thought for a second as the voice of Horuz broke through. "Do you want us to space him Captain?" Thrown out of the airlock whilst still alive, the worst fate for any Ravager as Yondu found his head shaking. "Just chuck him in the brig, until this mission's over and give him basic food. I want to hear him suffer". He told the men, who immediately dragged their still inebriated colleague away. Yondu looked towards Iztel who wore a look of total guilt on his face "It happened so quickly, there was no way to stop it. He just walked over to the box and pulled the knife".

"It's alright". He told the older crewmate making it clear he was not to blame as he pulled the lapels of his collar up and made his way to the med bay. Hearing the shriek of the baby, a good few seconds before he stepped through the door.

There was Peter as his t-shirt which a new addition from one of the crew, was now cut off and the medic was trying to clean the wound whilst the baby sobbed uncontrollably into Kraglin's shoulder, "It's going to need stitches and it's going to leave a scar". The Xandarian informed him, as he run a hand over the Peter's back to ty to calm him down and failed.

"It also could lead to an infection, so we're going to give him some ant-bio and knock him out…If that's ok". The medic advised as he stepped back to get a needle. "But the lightest dose we have will probably knock him out for a few days, we're not stocked for babies and there's nothing else. But we will give him nutrients to keep the hunger away so you don't have to worry about feeding him."

Having Peter silent over the screaming was preferable as Yondu nodded his approval and the needle was inserted into Peter's arm.

The effect was immediate as the crying ceased, but Kraglin refused to release his grip on the baby, holding him tight to his body, and kissing his head until the wound was sufficiently stitched and dressed, whilst Yondu begun to wonder if this would affect the sale. They wanted the boy alive, but they never said how intact and the fact that he had gone this long without injury was a miracle in itself.

The Medic gave the pair the option of keeping Peter in the med bay, but they decided to return him to their quarters just in case someone else of the crew was inspired to take a taste of him, and as Yondu exited the bathroom he found Peter asleep on a pillow in his own bloody bed, with Kraglin next to him, casually drawing his fingers through the boy's blond hair.

Kraglin looked up at Yondu but said nothing, and Yondu knew there was nothing to say that would make the boy leave their bed that night, as he slipped in beside the pair, and have them some distance to make sure he didn't crush the boy in the night. It didn't change the fact that Yondu woke up in the early hours with his hand placed upon Peter's back, and spent several minutes just looking at the boy intently.

The next morning, Yondu woke up late to find Kraglin no longer in the room, but had left a note telling his mate he had gone to check on one of the power couplings, it was routine but if one of them went the Eclector was screwed.

He had taken the time to wash and dress Peter, who was still sleeping soundly sucking on his dummy as Yondu peered down at the still unconscious boy, and tried to figure out what to do with him. He knew he couldn't leave him in the mess, not after yesterday and he doubted Kraglin would be able to take him for the day.

Deciding to take a shower, as the water run over his body, He raised a hand to the pouch on his chest, it had never been used even though he knew if his tribe was still alive, he would have been a father several times over by now, and possibly a grandfather too.

Running his hands through his skin, trying to stretch it, he eventually left the shower and dressed quickly, leaving an opening at the front of his coat, he picked up the boy and tried to remember how it was done, how he was carried by this own father. Eventually, he managed to settle him onto his chest, the skin wrapped around him, as Peter gave a contented sign, being lulled by Yondu's heartbeat the same way Yondu could feel the baby's own.

Stepping onto the Bridge, there were stares at the sight of the baby sticking out of the Captain's chest, but no one said anything as Yondu took his place and begun to issue orders. During the day, he peered down at the baby, who was content courtesy of the drugs to just lie there, at times when he seemed to be getting fidgety, Yondu gently rubbed his thumb between the boys eyes until he had calmed down. Eventually he progressed to the point he had forgot that Peter was even there until an exhausted Kraglin poked his head through the door, covered in grime but the engine working perfectly and blinked at the sight of his mate carrying the baby so close just like a…

"Do you want me to take him?" He asked Yondu who just shook his head "Boy's happy where he is". He said casually sticking his feet out, as a look crossed Kraglin's face that Yondu couldn't read, but decided not to question it further.

It took five days for Peter to wake up fully, and for the stitches to dissolve to leave a very beautiful scar and in those five days since the days were now turning into its fourth week Peter spent most of it in Yondu's pouch. Several times Yondu looked down to see the boy bleary blinking at him before settling down, or the pressure when the boy was giving a good kick in the ribs as the boy tried to manoeuvre into an easier spot.

Yondu was sort of hoping that the boy would be asleep until the end of the mission, but soon he woke up one the morning admits the Terran music to hear the boy giggling to himself. As he picked the boy Peter instantly reached his hand out searching for Yondu's pouch trying to find the sanity of the sacred spot. In the end, he passed the boy to Kraglin as he went for the Bridge. They had already discussed what to do and the only idea they had was that Peter would be put in a box on the bridge, it was one of the most stupidest ideas they had, but even though Yondu would never admit to himself even though Kraglin had no issue with voicing it out loud they he wanted to keep an eye on the boy.

As Kraglin watched Yondu leave the room, and he begun the task of dressing Peter, who was currently sticking his tongue out at him, then laughing as if the universe was a joke and the boy was the only one that got it.

Kraglin felt a familiar stab enter his heart, the one he had felt for almost a month. He was trying to keep his distance, thinking it would be easy, he had never seriously entertained thoughts of having children. Yet every time he looked at the boy, bathed his skin, shovelled food in his mouth he could think of nothing else, and this was the child he had wanted to get rid of only a few weeks earlier.

He knew he couldn't voice these feelings to Yondu, to his mate the boy was a just a job and everything he had done was out of necessity. All Kraglin had done was out of…

Eventually, Kraglin picked up the boy and breathed in his scent as he took him to the bridge, and placing him in the box, whilst Peter sat playing happily with his toys as Kraglin sat at his console and did his job until a few hours later they both looked up as Peter began to whine.

Picking him up from the box, Kraglin addressed the boy, "What is it, you're not hungry…You can't be". Peter's grinned at the undivided attention, as he kicked his legs excitedly, which caused Yondu to glance round and say in a casual fashion. "The boys bored, let him crawl around for a while".

Without being ordered, the rest of the crew immediately understood as everything harmful or sharp was picked up from the metal deck as Peter was placed to the ground and began to mark his territory. The fact that the men had been getting his attention to win a bet seemed to have backfired as Peter remembered his favourites and crawled up to their chairs, his arms open widely for a cuddle, which they obeyed with a nod from Yondu before the Peter got bored again and whined to be put down to move on to the next.

In the end it becomes a game between the Bridge crew and a small wonder anyone got anything done that day.

Eventually it was time for the switchover and the rest of the crew along with Peter who was now secure in Kraglin's arms made their way to the mess, as always Iztel was pleased to see the boy, as he begun to prepare something to eat. With the sight of the boy waving his arms at the cook, he was the one to feed the boy that evening.

At Yondu's instruction so the boy could expel his energy Peter was put to the ground, and spent a few minutes crawling around the floor, as the men moved away with skill Yondu thought they would never possess, at least the boy was keeping their reflexes sharp Yondu thought as he tried to concentrate on his meal, when he felt Kraglin grab his hand excited.

"Oh gods Yondu look!"

Yondu followed Kraglin's gaze, and immediately even though it wasn't intentional got to his feet. There fifteen feet away, Peter was standing on the deck, and moving his legs towards the tables.

Next chapter, we have the mother of all arguments and some choices need to be made

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