[So… Who ordered some Angst with a side of Mild Spice and a dash of Daddy kink? Feast yer eyes, dear readers! Lydia and Yondu get a bit close in this chapter.]
[Music Referenced and Suggested for Chapter 19]
~ 'Pour Some Sugar on Me' by Def Leppard (entering the bordello)
~ 'Addicted to Love' by Robert Palmer (listen whenever. It's just kinda the overall theme for this chapter.)
~ 'You Sexy Thing' by Caleb Hawley (listen when things start to get a little spicy between Lydia and a certain blue-skinned captain.)
~ 'Cold, Cold Heart' by Louis Armstrong (one of the songs Lydia listens to while in the shower)
~ 'Somebody Nobody Loves' by Ella Fitzgerald (one of the songs Lydia listens to while in the shower.)
Chapter Nineteen
Addicted to Love
Terran Date: September 12th, 1989
The silence was making me moody. Not moody in the sense that I was feeling sad, but moody in the sense that I wanted to break something. Yondu's behavior toward me the other day-cycle had been harsh, and I'd already gone through feeling sad about it. Now I was feeling angry. It wasn't fair.
I might have been a bit aggressive as I hit the button to open my tinker shop. I had a job that needed doing. One of the crew had dropped off a weapon that required some fixing and it needed my focus. If only I could have blamed my lack of it solely on Yondu's sharp words.
Although, I suppose Yondu was a bit to blame. But it wasn't just his remarks that kept my mind occupied. No. It was the captain's absence.
Yesterday, the Eclector had arrived at a planet far enough away from the Ravager gathering that Yondu deemed it worth visiting the planet to recruit some new crew members. He, along with Halvi, Horuz, and a few others, had left the ship early yesterday and other than a communication sent from Yondu two hours after their M-ship had landed, it had been nearly twenty-four hours since they'd last heard from the captain and the group of six that had joined him.
I wanted to tell myself that the anxiety I felt over the radio silence was out of concern for Halvi, but I knew better. I was worried about Yondu too. It wasn't like him to go so long without reaching out to his crew.
Peter was getting antsy as well. He acted like he could care less about Yondu, but at this point I was fairly certain that Yondu was the closest thing to a father-figure Peter had. He'd also made friends with Halvi, and having the darkness dweller absent along with the captain for so long with little to no communication wasn't sitting well with the kid.
Frankly, it wasn't sitting well with me either. So, swallowing my pride, I tried to reach out to Yondu on his comm-link via a private frequency.
"Captain Yondu? It's Lydia. Can you hear me?"
There was silence for several seconds, then Yondu's voice, "Lydia?" He sounded slurred and a little surprised at hearing from me. The sound of a scuffle in the background. When Yondu spoke again, he had a slight edge in his tone underneath the slurring. "Hey! What are you doing? Don't –,"
Another voice, a female's, husky and low, interrupted him. "Now, we can't allow any distractions, captain." Then the connection was cut off.
I stood in my shop, trying to process what I'd just heard. None of my anxiety had gone away. If anything, it had increased.
Yondu had left Kraglin in charge. So, naturally I went to him to ask if I could get an M-ship and fly down to the planet to …
Yeah, you're not buying that either are you? Siiigh. Okay, okay. So, I might have skipped the part about seeking out Kraglin and asking his permission to take an M-ship.
Look, it's just like I told Yondu a while back. I spent years being on my own without seeking someone's approval for my actions or ideas. I just did them. I moved forward. Now I was on a ship that had a captain and other authority figures that you were required to check in with before acting and I was still trying to wrap my head around that.
There were moments when I remembered to do just that. Check in with my "authority figure", A.K.A Yondu. But due to recent events, he was more prone to bite my head off than listen, so I'd reverted to old habits to avoid his teeth.
But there was this gnawing in my gut concerning Yondu's absence and the scrap of words I'd heard on the comm. Something wasn't sitting right with me about it, and I couldn't just sit by and wait. I needed to do something. I needed to make sure Yondu was – I mean, the crew – were okay.
Of course, my actions didn't go unnoticed for long. I'd barely been flying the M-ship for fifteen minutes when Kraglin's voice came over the ship's speakers.
"Lydia! What in the hell are you doin'?! I don't see any flight request of yours bein' approved."
I forced a smile on my face so that it would show in my tone. "That's uh, that's because I didn't submit one."
"Whyyy?" he prompted, a bit of sarcasm coming out.
I winced. "Would you believe me if I said that I kinda… forgot to?"
"You forgot to?" Kraglin repeated, the disbelief glaringly evident.
"Yeah. So, this is one of those times when I got an idea in my head and it kinda pushed all other thoughts out."
"Including asking for approval to pilot an M-ship? Which, come to think of it, you're still not cleared for solo flight!"
Pleeease, don't remind me, I thought nervously. I was not looking forward to entering the planet's atmosphere on my own without Yondu there to guide me through the steps. I remembered his instructions, but I would have felt a sprek of a lot better if he'd been there to talk me through it.
"Look, Kraglin, I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't think it was important."
Kraglin's frustrated sigh through the speakers created some brief static. "What's this about, Lydia?" he asked, defeated.
"Yondu and the crew have been gone too long. And the lack of communication … That's not Yondu. He wouldn't leave you and the rest of the ship hanging like this."
Kraglin was silent for a moment. "You've got a point there. I'll admit, I got distracted and haven't paid much attention to how much time has passed. But why are you flying off to go planet-side?"
"I tried to contact him."
I conveyed what I'd heard over the comm-link and explained my idea. "So, here's my thought. I'm going planet-side to check it out. We don't need a bunch of Ravagers showing up and arousing any uneasy feelings amongst the residents. I'm not wearing the colors, so they won't suspect me of being one of you. I can get in and take a look around and see what's happened with the crew. I've got Halvi's comm-link's coordinates. If nothing's happening, great. I'll come back to the Eclector and you won't mention this to Yondu."
"Oh, I won't, huh?" Kraglin responded sardonically.
"Nope. Not a word. Nothing. Zilch," I insisted. "But, on the off chance that something suspicious is going on. I'll be able to send word to you and keep an eye on Yondu and the others until you can come up with a solution."
"You mean to tell me you didn't have a real plan for what you'd do if things were bad?!"
I pursed my lips. "I have never made any claims that I am a tactical genius, Kraglin."
The first mate groaned. "Yondu is gonna kill me."
"Don't rat me out and he'll never know, so you'll live to see another day-cycle," I replied cheerfully.
I could just picture him closing his eyes and rubbing his temples as he spoke. "I'm going to regret this." He sighed. "Just keep me updated. And don't do anything rash – or even more rash than what you're doin' now!"
"You got it."
"Oh sprek," I muttered under my breath.
After landing the M-ship, and thanking whatever entity watched out for me as I'd done so without exploding, I'd followed Halvi's coordinates through the city until it brought me to the doors of an establishment I was reluctant to enter. A bordello.
It towered over me with it's sign in blazing yellow lettering; Hidden Treasures.
I glanced down at my info disk. "Please tell me I'm reading this wrong." I begged the little piece of technology. "Please, please, please. Let me have misread the directions and taken a wrong turn. Tell me there's a sublevel to the city and there's a building right underneath this place that the crew are actually at."
The red dot representing Halvi's position on the info disk's screen continued to blink innocently at me. No glitch. No repositioning itself. It remained fixed on the bordello's location.
I let out a defeated whimper and slipped the info disk into my back pocket. Okay, I was just going to have to be a big girl about this. Suck it up and go inside. I could totally do this.
My left foot extended out as I readied myself to move forward, only to immediately swing back, turn on my right foot's heel and quickly walk away to the opposite side of the street. I cowered behind a news post where several flyers for various jobs and bounties were attached.
Peeking around the post at the building, I scolded myself for being such a baby. "C'mon! It's just a sex house, you weenie! Get in there and find out if Yondu and the others are there. C'mon, let's go." My feet didn't move.
"Stars above, I'm pathetic," I groaned, thunking my head against the post. "Stop being squeamish and move your tookum, Lydia Christine Brosh!"
I finally peeled myself away from the post and marched towards the bordello doors. There appeared to be a security guard, but I must not have ranked high on his list of possible safety risks because he let me pass without comment.
The first thing I noticed upon entering was that it was dark yet lit up like a night club on Knowhere. I'd only been to one once with Zeg because he'd begged me to go with him. Said I needed to have more fun in my life. And while I may have agreed with him about my lack of fun, I definitely did not see eye to eye with him about night clubs. The darkness only lit by flashing lights, the pounding music that you had to scream yourself hoarse to be heard over, the smokey air, and the continuous brushing of bodies against your own was not my idea of fun. Nor was what had happened a few hours after arriving…
Besides, I couldn't stay out late and drink myself to drunkenness when I needed to get home to look after Mom. Couldn't waste the units either. I'd needed every bit of money I made to keep us fed and save up for a way to leave Knowhere.
This bordello was much bigger than the club Zeg and I had attended. Three floors tall. And the music wasn't as loud, but it oozed sensuality. The upper floors were structured like indoor balconies overlooking the main lobby. Doors to rooms were visible from the ground floor.
Lounge chairs of various sizes but similar style were situated all over the black tiled flooring. Many were occupied by couples in different stages of intimacy.
Through the dim lighting I could see couples scattered throughout on each level, some writhing against each other in time to the music, others chatting over drinks that had a pale blue glow to it. Yellow seemed to be a popular color amongst the attendees. At least one person in each couple was wearing something in that color. Every now and then a couple might leave the ground floor and ascend a set of stairs and disappear through a door. Others didn't feel the need to hide their activities behind closed doors. I shied away from those couples.
Moans and groans that sounded almost manic echoed out from a couple on the second floor. I couldn't help but glance at the source of noise. A man lay on his back as a grey-skinned, white haired woman ground against his pelvis while pouring the glass of glowing blue liquid down his throat which he eagerly gulped down like he couldn't get enough. I quickly looked away. Something about the man's behavior came across as unhinged and a little disturbing.
Everywhere I looked I saw something that made me feel even more uncomfortable and felt my body curl into itself. My arms crossed over my chest and my shoulders hunched. Stars, I wanted to get out of here so bad!
Booming laughter sounded from behind a large double-sided, highbacked seating bench to my right and I instantly recognized the sound's owner. Halvi!
I scurried around the bench until I came to the other side. Due to his pitch-black skin, Halvi was at first difficult to make out in the dimness, but then he grinned and those pearly white teeth caught my eye. His big frame lounged in the seat with two grey-skinned, white-haired, black-eyed females in short yellow dresses, one on each arm. They were plastered against his naked chest.
My eyebrows rose at the display. Well, sprek, Halvi.
The darkness dweller sported a physique that, upon reflection, didn't really surprise me. Halvi was as tall and solid as a mountain. It made sense he'd be built like one.
The female on his right crooked her finger at him and he leaned down so she could speak into his ear. Whatever she said caused him to break into a massive grin and throw back his head with that familiar booming laughter. He squeezed her closer to his side as he took a big gulp of the glowing blue refreshment he held in his right hand. The female cooed her approval at the closeness and dragged a finger against his muscled forearm. The second female pouted and complained that he wasn't showing her enough attention.
"I showed you plenty of attention just a few minutes ago in Room 20, Nerfaya," Halvi teased, bringing his face close to her's with a lazy grin. "Or have you forgotten?"
Nerfaya pretended to ponder for a moment. "Hmm. I guess I have." She rose to her knees and stroked Halvi's neck and face. "Maybe you should refresh my memory?"
Halvi's grinned broadened. "I guess I could spend a little more units to help you remember your time with me. Wouldn't want to leave you thinking I was an unexceptional client."
He stood up, sweeping Nerfaya off her feet and gathered her in his arms. She squealed in delight as she gripped Halvi's drink glass. He turned for the stairs and froze at the sight of me. He swayed on his feet and squinted.
"Lydia?"
I gave an awkward wave and forced a smile. "Hi."
He blinked a few times and I noticed he seemed a bit…dazed. "Wha – what are you doing here, squig baci?" Nerfaya leveled an annoyed glare at me for distracting him.
"Um, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just – uh – where's Yondu?"
A couple of seconds flitted by where Halvi stared at me in silence, as if my question didn't register with him. "Yondu… Oh! He's uh, he's upstairs. Second floor. Room 8. He's… he's kinda busy."
Despite knowing that I would only be further embarrassing myself and alerting Yondu that I was planet-side, I felt determined to check on him. That uneasiness I'd felt since hearing his voice over the comm-link had only grown with every minute I was inside the bordello.
Maybe my inexperience with sex and how it affected people was what was making everyone's behavior seem a bit off to me. Was being sex dazed a thing?
Nerfaya offered Halvi a sip of his drink and his attention faltered from me to her. She raised the glass to his lips, and he welcomed it. His eyes closed as he drank deeply. My gut twisted once again. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as possible.
Thanking Halvi, I hurried away towards the closest set of stairs I could find and quickly scaled them to the second floor. More couples crossed my path as I made my way to Room 8. Some were so intent on sucking each other's faces that they'd forget to open the door, and some weren't bothering to wait until they were inside the room to start taking off their clothes. I kept my eyes averted and only glanced up to check on the progress to my destination.
When I finally arrived, I stood frozen in front of the door for nearly a minute, working up the courage to knock. What am I doing? I fiddled nervously with my mom's blue pendant as I stared at the room number.
Why are you doing this? It's pretty clear that Yondu's just having a night of sex. Nothing nefarious going on. Just turn around and get back to the M-ship before you make things worse.
I almost did just that. I got as far as turning around but I couldn't make myself walk away.
Why had Yondu gone so long without communicating with Kraglin or anyone else on the ship? How did he go from coming planet-side to recruit new crew members to attending a brothel? Yondu wasn't one to completely disregard his duties like this.
Stealing myself, I took a deep breath, whirled around, and banged my fist against the door before I could talk myself out of it. A tall grey-skinned, white haired female with black eyes and scantily clad in yellow lingerie answered the door.
I did a double take. Didn't the two females with Halvi look just like – ?
As if she could interpret my expression, the female rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, there's a group of us Skirens that work here."
Skirens. I'd never heard of that race before.
She folded her arms and leaned against the door frame. "What do you want?" she asked impatiently.
"Right, sorry. Um, I'm looking for Yondu."
She arched a brow and scowled at me. "Look, you're just gonna have to wait your turn, hun. We've got him for a long while."
I blinked at her. Wait, did she… Did she think I was one of the workers?
I looked down at my clothes. Yellow tank top, jean shorts, boots. Hold on! Was yellow the uniform color here? No wonder the security guard hadn't so much as blinked at me!
My face flushed at the implication, and I began to stutter. "I'm not – that's not what I – it's, it's not –,"
From within the room, a familiar voice drawled, "Who's at the door, darlin'?"
I stiffened.
The Skiren didn't even glance back at the speaker. She kept her black gaze on me. "Some red head who doesn't know how to wait her turn."
"Red head?" Yondu's voice repeated with interest. "Well, send 'er in! The more the merrier."
The Skiren's expression said she wanted to kick me off the balcony, but she stood aside and gave a sarcastic wave of the hand for me to come in. "It's your lucky day," she sneered.
"It really hasn't been," I groaned as I slipped inside.
I stopped short almost immediately. My eyes were confronted with the sight of three other Skiren women, in various states on undress (all in yellow!), draped over a shirtless Yondu who was sitting on the end of the bed. All eyes turned to me.
"She must be new," muttered a Skiren who was currently under the covers with Yondu on his right. Now that there was more than one Skiren present to compare them to, I could see that each female had a different shade of grey to their skin. Some even had white spackles on their shoulders and cheeks, like my freckles.
"Brosh?"
My face turned bright red as I looked down at my boots. "Oh sprek."
"Well, well, well," Yondu's voice went on. I could hear the grin in his voice as he drunkenly slurred his words. "If it ain't Cinderella!"
I attempted to look at him, saw Cover-Girl Skiren nipping his earlobe, and promptly directed my eyes to the ceiling. Only to discover the ceiling was a giant mirror and returned my gaze to the floor. Nice and safe to look at that floor – oh sprek. That's a thong right there. That's a very yellow thong.
I cleared my throat and kept my eyes flitting from Yondu to the top of my boots. "Could I have a word with you, captain?"
A Skiren with short hair gave his left shoulder a teasing bite to get his notice. Door Keeper Skiren moved away from me to join the rest on the bed and ran her hand along the outline of his leg beneath the bed sheets. The last Skiren, whom I belatedly realized was the owner of the yellow thong after she crawled along the bed to be behind Yondu, rose onto her knees and wrapped both arms around his neck and shoulders while peppering his skin with kisses.
Yondu's attention skipped between me and their caresses. Thongless began to move her kisses lower down his back, her arms sliding from his shoulders. He reached up and grasped her wrist to keep her in place. "Can't it wait?" he asked.
Something in me snapped. He'd been radio silent for over twenty-four hours, wasn't recruiting new members like he'd come planet-side for, and I was still smarting from his harsh words the other day.
"No, captain. It can't," I ground between clenched teeth.
"Ooh, that one's feisty," Cover-Girl snickered in Yondu's ear.
His eyes became half-lidded as he continued to look at me. "Yeah, she is."
Door Keeper handed Yondu a half-full glass of the pale glowing drink I'd seen the other Skiren women ply Halvi with. He took it and downed what was left of it.
"Captain, please."
"Please," Short-Hair mimicked, pitching her voice to sound whiney. The other Skirens tittered while throwing me mocking looks.
"Alright, Brosh, alright," Yondu said, shrugging off the women and rising from the bed. I spotted his discarded clothing piled in a chair just as the sheet began to fall away from Yondu's waist. I slapped a hand over my eyes and avoided getting an eyeful.
"Oh, my gods!" scoffed one of the Skirens. "She really must be new to this job!" They all exploded into shrieks of laughter while I felt my ears burn in embarrassment.
"I'll just be a moment, girls," Yondu's voice said from behind me.
I felt his hand touch my elbow and I cautiously peeked out from my fingers. He was still shirtless, his scars and muscles bare for me to see, but he'd at least put his pants on. He'd had his drink refilled and took it with him as he led me out the door. The Skirens' nasty cackles followed at my heels. I felt like if I'd been born with a tail, it would have been tucked between my legs as I exited the room.
Yondu paused in front of Room 9 and tried the knob. It turned easily and he poked his head inside. He looked back at me. "It's empty. C'mon, darlin'."
I paused before following him in. He hadn't called me any sort on endearments since the gathering. Now he'd called me 'Cinderella' and 'darlin'' within minutes of each other.
He closed the door and looked me over before asking, "What's up, Brosh?"
I took a good look at him and detected that same dazed look in his eyes that Halvi had.
"I was actually going to ask you that," I responded. "It's been a little over twenty-four hours since you left the ship, captain. We haven't heard anything from you –,"
Yondu pulled an expression of disbelief while tsking at me. "That's a load of crap, Brosh. I sent word to the crew two hours ago."
I blinked at him. "No, sir. That was –," I checked my info disk for the time, "now going on approximately twenty-six hours ago."
Yondu's brows knit together. "I…" He ran a hand over his scalp and red metal crest. "Nah. That can't be right."
I took a step closer to him. "Peter's been worried about you. Why haven't you been in touch? Why are you here? What happened to recruiting?"
At the mention of Peter's name, Yondu's crimson eyes started to look a little less hazy and regained a bit of focus. "Peter? Is he okay?"
"He's fine. Just a little worried. So was I," I added quietly.
Shaking his head as if to clear it, Yondu squinted at me. "Why would you two be worried about me?"
"Because you've been gone for over a whole day-cycle with no communication!" I repeated with increasing frustration.
"No – no," Yondu insisted. He paused to take a sip of his drink. "I sent a… I sent…" His eyes began to lose focus again. He swallowed more of the beverage and his face lost its distressed expression. A glazed look came over him. "Well, I appreciate the concern, darlin', but why don'chu head on back to the ship, hm? Me an' the boys'll be back in no time." He turned towards the door and paused. "Better yet…"
He slowly faced me again and a sensual smile curled his lips. "Why don't you join us, sugar?"
My stomach felt like I'd just dropped from a great height. "Wha – what?"
Yondu finished what was in his glass and set the vessel aside. "Then again, you don' strike me as the type of girl who'd want an audience." He leisurely approached me, his eyes roving up and down my body in such a licentious way that it caused my heart to skip a beat. "You'd want it to be one on one. Ain't that right, sugar?"
My mouth felt incredibly dry. "Um. I – uh… Huh?"
His hands went to my hips and pulled me in. "Ya know…" He kneaded the flesh of my hips, his thumbs caressing my skin. "We never did get around to addressing your lack of sex education."
His left hand slid around to the small of my back, pressing me closer to his body, while his right slowly traced up my spine, creating goosebumps in its wake. Yondu lowered his face nearer to mine. His voice came out in a gravely whisper. "Ya want Daddy to teach ya, babygirl?"
Boom! Oxygen vacated my lungs. A shiver worked its way down my spine. Heat surged through my veins. I probably stared at him in silence for a good ten seconds before my brain tried to work again. The only sound I could make was a pitiful squeak.
The metal of Yondu's teeth flashed in the room's low lighting as he grinned teasingly at me. His forehead touched mine, those crimson eyes boring into me. A finger lifted my chin. "Daddy's been so mean to his sweet girl lately. Let me make it up to ya."
Both his hands slid down my body and went to my belt. My muscles suddenly jerked into action. I stumbled out of his grasp, backing away. "You're drunk!" I spluttered. "You hate my guts, remember?"
A wounded wince crossed his face as he stepped forward and reached for me again. "Aw, honey, nooo," he moaned mournfully. Like I'd actually caused him physical pain with my words.
The backs of his knuckles stroked my cheek tenderly as he pulled me in to him again. His other arm wrapped around my waist. "Baby, I love yer guts." He bucked his pelvis against me and I gasped aloud at what I'd felt beneath his pants. His grin turned wicked. "I love every part of ya," he growled.
Without warning, he kicked my feet out from under me and I fell back onto the bed that I'd unknowingly moved closer to. He crawled atop me, resting his weight against my smaller frame, and cradled my face in his hands. His voice came out in a breathy whisper. "Every." His kissed my forehead. "Single." He kissed the tip of my nose. "Part." His lips dipped to my neck and I let out another gasp, louder than the first.
Seriously, how the sprek did he know that that particular spot on my neck would short-circuit my brain?!
His teeth nipped at the sensitive skin and my body pulsed with energy yet at the same time I felt myself wanting to go limp beneath his larger muscled form. His tongue darted out and laved at the spot then sucked gently with his mouth. My eyes fluttered closed at the sensation. Another nip. Another lick. This time he sucked a bit harder before moving to another area on my neck.
The next nip involved more teeth and it hurt. I flinched and whimpered. Yondu instantly stopped and pressed several kisses over the spot. "I'm sorry, baby." He let his lips linger there a final time. "I'm sorry," he repeated softly.
He returned to what he'd done earlier. Little nips along my neck and licks to sooth the slight sting. A moan escaped my throat. His chest rumbled with a chuckle at the sound. "Ya like that, babygirl?"
I nodded, unable to form words, unable to even think straight. A part of me was utterly confused at the turn in his attitude towards me, but the other part was just so sprekin' happy that it had changed from hating me to – well – kissing me senseless.
His weight on top of me was the comfort I'd been seeking since he'd shredded my tentative hopes to pieces after the debacle at the Ravager gathering. My body wanted to soak up his heat, nuzzle into his chest, and curl up against him with a contended sigh.
As if he were privy to my thoughts, strong arms and hands slithered around my hips and back to press me closer to him. He kissed his way up the column of my throat, nibbled at my jawline, glided atop my cheeks, and then hovered teasingly over my mouth. His breath, sweetened from whatever he'd been drinking, ghosted against my lips as his hands stroked and caressed my curves.
I didn't know what to do with my own hands, so they stupidly stayed drawn close to my chest, hands clenched into white-knuckled fists. He chuckled at the sight and drew his head back to kiss them.
"Don' be so scared, babygirl. Daddy's got 'chu. I ain't gonna hurt ya, baby."
Stars above, his voice was doing things to me. That usually gruff tone full of gravel and harshness had gentled to soothe away my worries with murmurs of assurance and my body was responding to it.
He reached down to tug at my left hand, and I slowly let my arm be moved away from my chest. He gently worked at uncurling my fingers from their clenched state. Rubbing the digits free of tension. Once he succeeded, he pressed my hand to his scarred chest, right over his heart. It beat strongly beneath my fingertips. My own was thumping away so rapidly I could feel the pulse pounding in my head. My breath came out in short, quick pants.
"Ssh, ssh, ssh, ssh," Yondu hushed, dropping a few more kisses along my cheek and forehead. "It's okay, angel. It's okay."
He dragged his pelvis against mine and my breath hitched as my body tensed. Yondu gave a low, broken moan as if my anxiety was killing him inside.
"Baaaby," he groaned, dropping his head into the crook of my neck. "Please don't be scared. Don' be – Please, don' be scared of me, babygirl. I'm gonna be so good to you, sweetie. So, so good." His whispered promise was spoken directly into my ear and I shuddered in pleasure.
His fingers deftly worked at unbuckling my belt and slipping open the button of my jeans. He pulled down the zipper.
"Yondu," I managed to whimper.
"I know, baby. I know," he cooed, lips brushing from my temple down to my collarbones.
"Please…" I have no idea what I was saying 'please' for. Maybe I wanted to forget that I'd set up a line I wasn't supposed to cross? Maybe I wanted to feel good and protected just for once. I don't know for certain, but Yondu seemed to understand. He thrust himself against me again and something like a sob caught in my throat.
"Beg me again, baby."
"Please…"
Finally, he pressed his lips against mine and the carnal moan that came from deep inside him reverberated not only within his body but my own. My back arched off the mattress on its own volition and he slipped his arm beneath me to squeeze me closer to him. My legs decided that he shouldn't have to put in all the work to draw us closer together and wrapped themselves around his waist. His tongue licked at the seam of my lips and I opened them to him. He plunged inside and I tasted –
Oh… Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no!
I recognized that taste. And it did not come with a good memory.
Back on Knowhere, the residents of the space mine were literally living on the remains of a Celestial being's head. There were shipments of drugs made from extracting dopamine from the Celestial's brain matter. Celestial dopamine extract was different from most beings. It had a taste and a subtle smell to it that made people want to hand over thousands of units just for a bottle of the stuff.
In the drug's sanctioned form and dosage, it doubled the pleasure one received to the brain, heightening every experience to the fullest effect. It helped those that battled with depression.
In its unsanctioned form, however, it tripled the brain's pleasure center. It would nearly override all other thoughts and sense from the receiver's brain and those that took it often ran the risk of serious side effects such as hindering their concentration, speech impairment, blackouts, cognitive destruction, and even a coma. The illicit drugs were sold on the black market, but some of the miners liked to keep a small bottle or two for themselves.
It was at that nightclub Zeg had dragged me to. I'd allowed myself one drink. Just one drink. A fight had broken out and I'd looked away for less than five seconds. It was still enough time for my drink to get spiked.
I could taste the difference in my drink instantly. It was sickly sweet and coated my tongue. My hand latched onto Zeg's arm and squeezed. The bliss hit me within seconds. Zeg told me later how it unnerved him to see the glazed look in my eyes. The dopey smile I'd given him.
That night had happened rather early on in our acquaintance and his decision to take me home and stick around until the drug wore off cemented a friendship between us. It could have turned out so much worse if Zeg had been like most of Knowhere's residents and not cared.
That drug covered the inside of Yondu's mouth. I yanked my face away and spat to the side. Yondu frowned in confusion. "Babygirl?"
"You're drugged!" I rasped. I spat again and wiped my mouth.
"Drugged?" He stared at me blankly.
"That drink," I jerked my chin in the glass' direction. "It's a drug. I've come across it before on Knowhere –,"
His brow pinched and he shook his head as he pulled back and settled on his haunches. He was still on top of my lower half though, so I couldn't fully sit up, but I lifted myself onto my elbows.
Words came out of me in rapid fire succession. "They must have put a diluted version of it in the drinks. I've heard of this scam before. It happened at a brothel on Knowhere. A small team integrated itself into a large bordello and they drugged their clients to keep them longer and got the clients to spend more money but they didn't tell their employers –,"
"Lydia?"
I stopped talking and looked Yondu in the eye. His gaze appeared to be sharpening.
"Is it coming back to you?" I asked slowly.
He looked about at his surroundings. "Where the hell am I?"
"A bordello called Hidden Treasures."
"The crew that came with me?"
"I saw Halvi in here too. I assume the others are probably around here somewhere."
His eyes came back to me and took in my position beneath him, his bare chest, his partially undone pants, and my fully unzipped and unbuckled shorts. His gaze then went to my neck, lingering at the places I'd felt him nip and suck at. He froze.
"Lydia… Did I –!" He lurched back from me and came off the bed entirely as if it were on fire. "Did I hurt you, baby?" he asked earnestly.
My heart fluttered at the endearment, but I suspected it was due to remnants of the drug. I shook my head hastily. "No, no, no, no!"
"Hell, Lydia, I – Are you sure?" he demanded. "Don't lie to me, darlin', tell me the truth!"
"You didn't hurt me!" I insisted.
Yondu's eyes squeezed shut and he sank to his knees in relief. He pressed his hands to his face and heaved a sigh. "Sweet mercy," he breathed unsteadily.
If I'd ever had the slightest of doubts against Yondu Udonta regarding the likelihood of him taking advantage of me, they were wiped away at the sight of this full-grown, dangerous, battle-scarred, hardened man brought to his knees over the very thought that he'd possibly hurt me.
Lifting his face from his hands, the Centuarian looked about the room and frowned. "Where are my clothes?" His hand felt along his right thigh where his holster usually sat. "Where's my damn arrow?"
"They're in the next room," I told him. "Look, um, there's like four Skirens in there waiting for you to come back and we've been gone too long. Yellow seems to be the uniform around here, they think I'm a fellow worker, and they hate me," I quickly surmised. "Also, I'm pretty sure the Skirens are the ones drugging their clients."
Yondu pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled. "Okay, okay, okay," he murmured. "First things first. Lemme get my clothes and my arrow. Ain't goin' nowhere without my arrow." He got up from the floor and quicky finished securing his pants. His eyes flicked down to me and his cheeks turned a bit purple.
"Erm. Brosh, your pants."
I blushed profusely as I stood and zipped up my shorts and closed my belt. He extended his hand as if to guide me out of the room but dropped it before touching me. "C'mon. Let's go give some Skirens hell for messing with Ravagers."
When the door to Room 8 was opened, the four Skirens were giggling and chatting with one another but broke off when we stepped in. Door Keeper ran an appraising eye over the two of us. "Well, that was quicker than I thought you'd be." Her gaze lingered on me. "He lasted longer with us. Much, much longer. Guess a newbie like you hasn't learned all the tricks of the trade yet. More time means more money, honey. You're not gonna get many clients if you can't keep 'em hard."
"That a fact?" Yondu said, his voice taking on an edge that had the women stiffening. Door Keeper certainly noticed.
She gave him a strained smile and sashayed over to a table that had two bottles of the pale blue liquid. One was empty, the other half full. She picked up the half full one and removed its topper. "Let's get you another glass, hm? You seem a little tense. Did Red not do a good job getting you to relax? Don't worry." She filled an empty vessel and offered it to him. "This'll hit the spot."
Yondu sneered and slapped it out of her hands. The three Skirens behind her gasped while she remained still. Yondu stepped into her personal space and glowered down at her. His entire being radiated with the threatening air of a man who had no qualms with getting his hands dirty.
"You thought you could drug me and my men and take all our money?"
Door Keeper flicked her dark eyes from Yondu to me and seemed to connect the dots. "You don't work here, do you?"
I gave her a fake smile. "Bet'cha feel real dumb right now."
"Hmph."
Without another word, Door Keeper snatched up the half full bottle and hurled it at me. I twisted away, my arms coming up to shield my face, but I wasn't fast enough to avoid it. It struck my right arm and shoulder. The glass shattered and sickly-sweet smelling liquid drenched my shirt and skin.
Yondu growled and charged at her, tackling her to the floor. The other Skirens leapt from the bed as if to flee the room. I swiped fluid from my eyes while I grabbed my gadget from off my belt and activated the trident. Electricity sparked along the prongs in a warning.
"Don't even try," I grunted.
They stopped in their tracks and backed away. Apparently, out of their group, Door Keeper was the only one with the guts to fight.
She and Yondu continued to grapple with each other on the floor. He grabbed a fist full of her hair and snarled in her face. "You insult her and then you try to hurt her!"
Door Keeper hissed back at him then kneed him in the groin. He curled into himself and rolled off of her. She scrambled to her feet, reached for the remaining bottle and raised it, ready to strike Yondu on the head. He let out a sharp whistle and the Yakka arrow zipped out from beneath his pile of clothes and stopped less than an inch from Door Keeper's nose.
"Ya wanna rethink that, girl?" Yondu growled from his hunched over position. He eyed her as he rose to his full height. "I say go for it. Let's see which one of us is quicker."
Door Keeper let her arm drop, the bottle thunking onto the floor. She heaved a defeated sigh. "Damn."
Yondu glanced back at me and inclined his head at the door. "Babyg – Brosh, go get security and tell them about the scammers they've got working under their establishment. Then have them round up our boys."
"Yes, captain."
I deactivated my gadget, clicked it back onto my belt, and hurried out of the room. I only managed to have someone confuse me for a worker once on my way down the stairs. Finding a security guard was a bit difficult in the dim lights, so I gave up on being subtle and shouted, "Security!" until one showed up. He also briefly mistook me for an employee, but I filled him in on the way up the stairs.
"That drug could never find its way in here," he insisted. "We've got clearance officers who check all the supplies we have delivered and –,"
"Would one of those officers happen to be a Skiren?"
His steps faltered. "Um, well…Yes, actually."
I stopped too and gestured out towards the other floors, indicating the couples we could see. "Notice how only the couples including a Skiren worker have their client drinking a pale blue drink? See anything about the client's behavior that's a bit off?"
The security guard took a moment to locate the couples I'd pointed out and his lips pressed into a thin line as he observed them. The clients were too giddy. Too blissed out. Too manic in their happiness and pleasure.
The guard pressed a finger to his comm-link. "There's a situation going on involving a number of the Skiren workers. I'm about to investigate an alleged incident against a client involving four of Skirens. I'm going to need eyes on our other Skiren workers in case this turns out to be a group scheme."
I waited as he passed on more instructions and information to his team before leading him the rest of the way to Room 8. Any worries I had about convincing the guard about the truth of Yondu and I's words against members of their staff were dashed when we entered the room and found the Skiren women arguing amongst themselves about who's "stupid idea" it was to drug the clients. The argument turned into a couple of pushes, then a scuffle, and swiftly evolved into a full-on fight between them.
Yondu craned his neck over his shoulder at us and gestured at the women. "Well?"
The guard heaved a sigh and spoke into his comm-link. "Yeah, I'm gonna need some backup in Room 8. And we'll need to bring all the Skirens in for questioning. Management's gonna looove this."
Management did not in fact love it. Management was livid. Management was also mad at Yondu and I for discovering they had dishonest employees and were freaking out over what it would do to their reputation if word got out. Management had the Skirens arrested and all but kicked us out to make the problem go away faster.
Yondu, Halvi, and the five other men who'd come along with the captain all trudged back to Yondu's M-ship. Some of them were still a bit groggy and dazed from the effects of the drug, but they could at least think coherently. Well… as coherently as a Ravager could, I guess.
"It was her perfume," Yondu grumbled from next to me.
"Hm?" I was startled at the sound of his voice. He'd been quiet since we'd left the bordello and avoided looking at me.
"The one who tried to bludgeon me with the bottle. We ran into her and another Skiren outside of a recruitment station. Anyone looking to work on a ship would have left their information there. We hadn't even stepped inside when I caught a whiff of her perfume and… She struck up a conversation with us. Convinced us more fun would be had if we came with her… things got hazy after that."
"…Oh."
Silence steeled over us again. Yondu glanced at the crew walking ahead of us and paused. His arm extended out to stop me as well. He waited until the men were further away before speaking again. His voice was hushed and strained as he said, "I know you said I didn't hurt you in there. But I gotta ask… Did I – did I force you into doin' anything?"
Sprek, he was still worried he'd done something bad to me. I shook my head emphatically. "No. No, you didn't force me. But… you kinda… guided me a little?"
At his furrowed brow I tried to explain. "You know I don't have a clue what to do, so you just… you just…" I found it difficult to keep eye contact and looked down as a blush formed. "You were helping me."
Yondu cleared his throat and looked away as well. "Right…well…" He directed his attention ahead of us to the docks at a short distance. His M-ship could be seen from where we stood. And so could the one I'd flown.
Yondu's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute…"
I kept my head down and speed marched toward the docks.
"Brosh?" Yondu's voice began in a warning tone. "Why do I see two of our M-ships here? … Brosh? … Brosh, who flew that ship?... Brosh, you better not have flown that thing by yourself! … Who gave you permission to fly? … Brosh!"
I desperately wanted a shower. I could smell the too sweet aroma of the dopamine extract coming off my shirt and hair. Unfortunately, I had to wait until the closest shower units to my room were clear for me to get one. So that meant sitting in a wet shirt and steadily becoming sticky hair for about two and a half hours.
When the coast was clear, I set up my music box on the sink outside of my shower stall and listened to some Louis Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald. Maybe if I hadn't been playing music, I might have heard whoever the giant snotwad was that thought it would be funny to sneak in and steal my clothes.
When my shower was finished, I opened the frosted glass door to find not only my clean change of clothes gone, but my dirty clothes as well. Thankfully, they'd at least left me with my towel, but it wasn't the biggest towel. It barely managed to stay wrapped around me despite the tight grip I kept on the fabric's corner. Turning off my music box, I held it rigidly in one hand while my other kept my towel from slipping off, and thought about my situation.
It was light in the night-cycle. Not many crew members were about in the corridors. My room wasn't too far. I'd finally managed to memorize the way to and from my quarters and this specific shower unit. I could do this. I could suck it up and go for it.
Stealing myself, I peeked out the doorway of the showers and quickly scurried away. Unfortunately, for me… I had overestimated my memorization of the path back to my room and took a wrong turn.
"Ya want Daddy to teach ya, babygirl?"
Yondu nearly groaned as more memories began to clear of the drug-induced haze. He couldn't sleep due to all the revelations occurring in his mind now that the altered dopamine had vacated his body. He'd taken to pacing his quarters, got sick of it, and decided that maybe pacing in the observation deck under the stars might calm him down.
"Daddy's been so mean to his sweet girl lately. Let me make it up to ya."
He should run full speed at the nearest wall, headfirst and hope it would put him in a coma.
The only good thing about being able to recall everything that had happened was that he wouldn't have to solely rely on Lydia's word that he hadn't hurt her or forced her to do anything when he'd been in that state.
Sweet stars above, she'd felt so good under me. So sweet and shy.
Yondu shook his head. He didn't need to be thinking about that. He didn't need to be thinking of her that way anymore. He was supposed to be angry with her!
You felt how she kissed you back, right? Nervous and eager. Those legs wrappin' around you so tight –
Shut. The hell. Up.
That girl wants you.
She wants to use me.
She didn't have to come and find you, ya know. She was worried about you. She said so herself.
Yondu's steps slowed.
That was true. Lydia alone had come looking for him. If she hadn't, there was no telling how much longer those Skirens would have kept him and his men. They would have continued plying him and the others with that damn drink without worrying about the effects it would have on the Ravagers.
He'd looked up what the unsanctioned drug could do to its users and felt a rush of gratitude towards Lydia for arriving when she did. It could have gone very badly if she hadn't.
It's almost like the universe sent her to ya, ain't it?
Phft! As if the universe has ever done me any favors.
It brought her in your life, didn't it?"
And look at the harm she's caused since she came!
I guess the only way you'd ever believe the universe was finally doin' you a favor would be if it served you Lydia on a silver platter wearin' nothin' but a towel!
Yondu turned the corner and came to an abrupt halt.
"…Hi," Lydia's voice squeaked out as she struggled to keep her towel in place.
Well, look what's on the menu.
For once, Yondu's cynical side had no response.
"Where's the silver platter?" Yondu muttered absently.
Lydia's head tilted to the side. Her nose wrinkling in confusion. "Huh?"
"Nothin'," he answered quickly. He waved at her lack of clothing and tried not to pay too close attention to the wet sheen of her freckled skin. "I hope you got a good explanation as to why yer traipsing about in a towel that can barely contain yer goodies in the first place."
"Some jerk stole my clothes while I was showering. I thought I knew the way back to my room, but, um…" She gave him a strained smile.
Yondu chuffed as he shrugged out of his coat. "Here." He approached, wrapping it around her shoulders. It swallowed her whole and a primal part of Yondu's brain rumbled at the sight of her draped in nothing but his own jacket. That buzz beneath his skin stirred up.
"Ya know, I'm really startin' to rethink the idea of not having signs on this ship." A hint of a grin peeked out from his lips. "You get lost more often than a blind orloni."
Lydia's mouth answered back with a smile of her own. "So I've moved on from vixen to being compared to varmint, huh? Nice."
She craned her neck around to make sure they were still the only ones in the corridor and Yondu caught a glimpse of a bruise. Not just any bruise though. That was a hickey. A hickey he suddenly could vividly remember giving her.
Yondu couldn't hold back the wince as he looked at it. Lydia knit her brow questioningly at him. "What is it?"
He rubbed the back of his neck. "Ya got any turtlenecks?"
"No, why –," she cut herself off with a gasp as her mouth fell open. "Did you give me a hickey?"
"Weeell."
She slapped a hand over her neck and Yondu thanked whatever deity was out there that he'd thought to give her his coat. The voluminous garment kept her covered as her towel dropped to the floor. "Sprek, sprek, sprek, sprek!" she chanted in a panic, not even paying attention to the towel.
Yondu couldn't help but chuckle. "Don't get yer panties in a twist, darlin'. Although, I reckon that'd be a bit difficult considerin' you ain't wearin' any."
He expected her to scowl and chastise him, but instead she gave him a tentative smile and chuffed out a little laugh. "I missed this," she said softly.
"Missed what?"
"This. The teasing. The talking. You not looking at me with hatred."
His chest twinged painfully at her words.
"Daddy's been so mean to his sweet girl lately."
Yeah, Yondu silently agreed with his intoxicated self. Yeah, he has…
"Brosh –,"
"Are we good, captain?"
Yondu couldn't answer. He wanted to say yes. He wanted to scoop her up and hold her tightly against him and apologize for being cruel. But that ugly beast residing in his heart, that distrusted so readily, snarled at his thoughts and kept him from taking that step.
He scratched his jaw and ticked his head in the direction she'd just come from. "Let's get'cha back to yer quarters, Brosh."
He pretended he didn't notice her shoulders sag in disappointment at his response.
They didn't say much else as he led her back to her room. She asked him to wait outside while she changed into some clothing so she could give him back his jacket.
When the door shinked shut, he rested his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes.
Angel, I'm so sorry. I'm such a coward.
The door emitted a low whirring sound, a split-second signal that it was about to open. Yondu straightened up and briefly met Lydia's eyes as she handed him his coat.
"Thanks for that."
"Couldn't have you flashin' my men, now could I?"
She offered him a tiny smile. The amused look on his face slowly vanished as the silence between them stretched on. He swallowed thickly and cleared his throat.
"Listen, Brosh, um… I know I gave you hell about flyin' an M-ship without approval, but… I wanted to… I wanted to thank you for coming after us. I ain't done much to incite friendly thoughts in you lately and… you still came when you sensed somethin' was wrong."
Lydia fiddled with a tendril of wet hair as she stared at his boots. "I know you don't believe much of what I say right now, but I still think of you as a friend and someone I can trust to keep me and Peter safe. Or, well," she backtracked, "at least Peter. Last time we spoke, you said you wanted to get rid of me and couldn't stand the sight of me –,"
"I don't."
Lydia hesitantly raised her eyes to his.
Oh, sweet mercy, the hope in her eyes. Why was it still there? What had he done for her to keep her hopes up for him?
Thought we stamped that out last time.
Don't you dare hurt her again! That sweet girl just saved you; don't you dare kick her down again!
"I don't feel that strongly anymore. I can stand to look at ya now."
It wasn't exactly what he'd meant to say. He'd meant to say that he didn't want to get rid of her anymore, but at least he hadn't thrown more hurtful words at her.
Lydia's mouth quirked up in a cautious smile. "One step at a time, I guess."
Yondu gave an almost imperceptible nod. "We'll see." He turned on his heel and walked back down the hall to his own quarters. Oddly enough, he wasn't feeling as coiled up as he'd been and was ready for bed.
In the morning, he'd look at the security footage and find out who'd stolen Lydia's clothes. When he did, he'd have that crew member in for a very long and grueling day of cleaning the entire ships' bathroom toilets. With their own toothbrush.
[Well, I hope that makes up for the long delay in updating. Sorry about that! Sometimes life just gets in the way. I hope you all have a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. Please let me know what you think in your reviews!
Until next time, Dear Readers!]
