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[ Attachment, as Yondu always liked to remind him, was a dangerous thing. You build a foundation, and it's liable to crack when the ground shakes, liable to become weak with age. Better to live like air. Better to always be on the move, to not be tied down to anyone or anything.
But his Ravager instinct had died down, ever since the mess with the Infinity Stone. Peter had become less selfish, somehow; he let the barriers he had built for twenty-six years come crashing down for four assholes, four goddamn idiots. And now he had friends. And turning a new leaf had put him on a new path, had led him to Kasumi, and goddamn, is he glad it did. He's never met anyone like her -- witty, clever, gorgeous -- and when friendship started to turn to something more, he had thought, Fuck it, and finally grew roots, wrapped them around the people most important to him. His life was going fan-fucking-tastic. He was the happiest he had been in twenty-six long years.
He should've known it was coming, when everything was going so well.
Peter had been separated from the group after celebrating a job well done. He was dragged into a dark alleyway and slammed against a wall, a Ravager pinning his arms on either side. He hardly knew what was happening until a familiar whistle echoed against the walls, and the sharp tip of Yondu's arrow nicked the skin of his throat. He went rigid in the Ravagers' hands, head tipped back and breath held as Yondu grinned at him.
"You owe me a debt, boy," the Centaurian said. And when Peter sneered, ready to throw back some smart-ass response, Yondu whistled again, and the tip dug further into Peter's skin. He could feel something warm flowing down his neck, catching in the collar of his shirt, and wisely kept his mouth shut.
"You owe me, boy," Yondu repeated, and the grin disappeared. "You owe me big. And I'm gonna get what I'm owed, d'you hear? Either from you or your--" and here Yondu sneered, voice dripping with distaste -- "your friends."
At Peter's unimpressed look, Yondu drew closer, crossing his arms. And when he said, "I hear you got yourself a girl, Quill," Peter's heart sank.
By now it's been a few months, and Peter's come to think of this as conscription, working with the Ravagers again. Like serving in a shitty, pointless war -- and he even has a standard issue uniform again. The red leather duster with the flame insignia on the upper arm. Like comin' home, ain't it, Quill? Yondu said, slapping him on the shoulder. And much like serving in a war, there's no end in sight; seeing as how he promised Yondu something upwards of four billion units, Peter's pretty much stuck here. Which is about what he expected a year or two ago, before all the shit with Ronan, so, really, it's not so bad.
And hey, he thinks, better that he's here on the Eclector than Yondu taking it out on the others, right? Better than taking it out on Kasumi. And at least Yondu had let him send a quick message to everyone to keep them from mounting a rescue mission. Promise I'm fine. Back when I can be. Talk to you soon. A little vague on details, sure, but with Yondu breathing down his neck as he spoke, there wasn't much else he could say.
They don't let him take the good jobs anymore, for obvious reasons, so he's stuck playing lookout most of the time. Today he finds himself on a mining colony that reminds him a bit of Knowhere; the other Ravagers are mounting some bank heist, and he's supposed to let them know if the authorities pass by. He's leaning his shoulder against the lip of an alleyway, ankles crossed, and he's-- clearly doing a pretty bad job of keeping an eye out, since he's mostly fiddling with his Walkman. ]
But his Ravager instinct had died down, ever since the mess with the Infinity Stone. Peter had become less selfish, somehow; he let the barriers he had built for twenty-six years come crashing down for four assholes, four goddamn idiots. And now he had friends. And turning a new leaf had put him on a new path, had led him to Kasumi, and goddamn, is he glad it did. He's never met anyone like her -- witty, clever, gorgeous -- and when friendship started to turn to something more, he had thought, Fuck it, and finally grew roots, wrapped them around the people most important to him. His life was going fan-fucking-tastic. He was the happiest he had been in twenty-six long years.
He should've known it was coming, when everything was going so well.
Peter had been separated from the group after celebrating a job well done. He was dragged into a dark alleyway and slammed against a wall, a Ravager pinning his arms on either side. He hardly knew what was happening until a familiar whistle echoed against the walls, and the sharp tip of Yondu's arrow nicked the skin of his throat. He went rigid in the Ravagers' hands, head tipped back and breath held as Yondu grinned at him.
"You owe me a debt, boy," the Centaurian said. And when Peter sneered, ready to throw back some smart-ass response, Yondu whistled again, and the tip dug further into Peter's skin. He could feel something warm flowing down his neck, catching in the collar of his shirt, and wisely kept his mouth shut.
"You owe me, boy," Yondu repeated, and the grin disappeared. "You owe me big. And I'm gonna get what I'm owed, d'you hear? Either from you or your--" and here Yondu sneered, voice dripping with distaste -- "your friends."
At Peter's unimpressed look, Yondu drew closer, crossing his arms. And when he said, "I hear you got yourself a girl, Quill," Peter's heart sank.
By now it's been a few months, and Peter's come to think of this as conscription, working with the Ravagers again. Like serving in a shitty, pointless war -- and he even has a standard issue uniform again. The red leather duster with the flame insignia on the upper arm. Like comin' home, ain't it, Quill? Yondu said, slapping him on the shoulder. And much like serving in a war, there's no end in sight; seeing as how he promised Yondu something upwards of four billion units, Peter's pretty much stuck here. Which is about what he expected a year or two ago, before all the shit with Ronan, so, really, it's not so bad.
And hey, he thinks, better that he's here on the Eclector than Yondu taking it out on the others, right? Better than taking it out on Kasumi. And at least Yondu had let him send a quick message to everyone to keep them from mounting a rescue mission. Promise I'm fine. Back when I can be. Talk to you soon. A little vague on details, sure, but with Yondu breathing down his neck as he spoke, there wasn't much else he could say.
They don't let him take the good jobs anymore, for obvious reasons, so he's stuck playing lookout most of the time. Today he finds himself on a mining colony that reminds him a bit of Knowhere; the other Ravagers are mounting some bank heist, and he's supposed to let them know if the authorities pass by. He's leaning his shoulder against the lip of an alleyway, ankles crossed, and he's-- clearly doing a pretty bad job of keeping an eye out, since he's mostly fiddling with his Walkman. ]
[ "Promise I'm fine. Back when I can be. Talk to you soon." were too few words to go on for months without knowing anything else about Peter's situation. Just how soon is soon, Quill? was what Kasumi thought every time she checked to see if maybe, just maybe, he'd sent an update. But she dealt with it, for a little while, trusting that he'd make good on his word.
That is, until she found out that he wasn't on the Milano with the rest of the Guardians. It had been, thankfully, Gamora that she inadvertently reached when she sent a message through the private comm, poking around for an update in case he could spare the time. And it was Gamora who had to break it to her: "...Goto, he's not with us. We were separated a few months ago. We thought you knew."
That's when Kasumi's heart sank--why hadn't she bothered to confirm this when she got the message months ago, instead of assuming the it meant that he was going to be away with the Guardians for a while? Gamora, and probably the rest of the Guardians, were probably the only living individuals in this galaxy at that point to have ever witnessed Kasumi in a panic. Even if it had been a veiled, controlled panic over the comm channel, it was still panic and they weren't sure how to deal with her--only knew to answer her questions. "We're certain the Ravagers took him," they said.
"Ravagers?" Kasumi paused. There had been a job, sometime ago, before Peter disappeared, during which she may or may not have swiped a target just a split second before the Ravagers; her contact had warned her that she'd be pissing them off, but at the time, Kasumi didn't particularly care. "So? They can join the club." were her exact words to the contact. Then it was "Damn it!" over the comm, startling the other Guardians, as she realized she gave them reason to track her down and--god, Peter, I'm so sorry. It was too easy to connect the dots and come to the very possible conclusion that she had been used as leverage, if they really did take him, of which Kasumi had been convinced at that point.
What followed then was a mad frenzy of data gathering, calling in a few favors, and even asking for help from the Shadow Broker, just to find out where exactly the Ravagers would be and when, and how Peter was doing. The latter hadn't turned up anything, and when Liara noticed that the typically enigmatic and playful thief was clearly perturbed and asked if she was okay, all Kasumi could say was, "No news is good news."
It had been somewhat of a challenge to coordinate this entire effort with the rest of the Guardians, somehow, despite the fact that they were all mutually invested in finding Peter (even if some of them would not like to admit as much out loud), but all that matters to her is that they're on the mining colony now, and Kasumi's somehow convinced them that letting her scout ahead while they wait at the Milano, while the more prudent course of action, is the best way to ensure this whole operation goes smoothly.
She's cloaked and grace under pressure doesn't even begin to describe her level of focus. While the initial shock of him being gone certainly sent her into a panic, it's more than enough for her to know that he's alive and she can actually do something about it. Still, she has to very consciously keep herself from leaping out of cover and out of her cloak when she finally, finally spots him in an alley, looking bored as hell.
Instead, she nestles herself in the shadows of the alley, just to make sure that none of the other Ravagers see her deactivate the cloak before she says, very quietly from behind Peter: ]
It's boring without me around, huh?
That is, until she found out that he wasn't on the Milano with the rest of the Guardians. It had been, thankfully, Gamora that she inadvertently reached when she sent a message through the private comm, poking around for an update in case he could spare the time. And it was Gamora who had to break it to her: "...Goto, he's not with us. We were separated a few months ago. We thought you knew."
That's when Kasumi's heart sank--why hadn't she bothered to confirm this when she got the message months ago, instead of assuming the it meant that he was going to be away with the Guardians for a while? Gamora, and probably the rest of the Guardians, were probably the only living individuals in this galaxy at that point to have ever witnessed Kasumi in a panic. Even if it had been a veiled, controlled panic over the comm channel, it was still panic and they weren't sure how to deal with her--only knew to answer her questions. "We're certain the Ravagers took him," they said.
"Ravagers?" Kasumi paused. There had been a job, sometime ago, before Peter disappeared, during which she may or may not have swiped a target just a split second before the Ravagers; her contact had warned her that she'd be pissing them off, but at the time, Kasumi didn't particularly care. "So? They can join the club." were her exact words to the contact. Then it was "Damn it!" over the comm, startling the other Guardians, as she realized she gave them reason to track her down and--god, Peter, I'm so sorry. It was too easy to connect the dots and come to the very possible conclusion that she had been used as leverage, if they really did take him, of which Kasumi had been convinced at that point.
What followed then was a mad frenzy of data gathering, calling in a few favors, and even asking for help from the Shadow Broker, just to find out where exactly the Ravagers would be and when, and how Peter was doing. The latter hadn't turned up anything, and when Liara noticed that the typically enigmatic and playful thief was clearly perturbed and asked if she was okay, all Kasumi could say was, "No news is good news."
It had been somewhat of a challenge to coordinate this entire effort with the rest of the Guardians, somehow, despite the fact that they were all mutually invested in finding Peter (even if some of them would not like to admit as much out loud), but all that matters to her is that they're on the mining colony now, and Kasumi's somehow convinced them that letting her scout ahead while they wait at the Milano, while the more prudent course of action, is the best way to ensure this whole operation goes smoothly.
She's cloaked and grace under pressure doesn't even begin to describe her level of focus. While the initial shock of him being gone certainly sent her into a panic, it's more than enough for her to know that he's alive and she can actually do something about it. Still, she has to very consciously keep herself from leaping out of cover and out of her cloak when she finally, finally spots him in an alley, looking bored as hell.
Instead, she nestles herself in the shadows of the alley, just to make sure that none of the other Ravagers see her deactivate the cloak before she says, very quietly from behind Peter: ]
It's boring without me around, huh?
[ He's still busy examining his Walkman while Kasumi is approaching him. The fast forward button has been sticking for a few months now, and he only noticed it just before the Ravagers nabbed him. He really, really wishes he had Rocket's deft hand when it came to electronics. Sure, the Ravagers had their own tech guys, but he trusted them about as far as he could throw them.
(At least one of them weighed 500 pounds, being made of what Peter was sure to be mostly stone, so clearly Peter couldn't throw him very far at all.)
That, and some of the Ravagers were pretty vocal about hating him, and wouldn't have helped him anyway. They resented the fact that Yondu had clearly gone easy on him. If it had been any of them that betrayed the Captain twice over, the other Ravagers would've been using the poor bastard's head as a soccer ball. But it hadn't been them; it had been the little bastard of a Terran they had picked up so long ago, the one that Yondu staunchly told them they could not eat, despite Terran flesh being a delicacy.
But Peter's used to dealing with that shit, too, though some of the crew has definitely ramped up its efforts; and though it's been a while since he's had to stay on the Eclector, bunking with the crew was like riding a battered, shitty bicycle. You know, if the bicycle were actively trying to kill him and make it look like an accident or put him at fault.
(This really takes me back, Peter had muttered on his first night back, while a couple of guys beat the shit out of him in the engine room. I missed you guys, too.)
Suffice it to say, staying with the Ravagers these past few months has definitely made Peter jumpier, so when he hears a voice from behind him (not a gruff one, not one accented with that typical drawl), he first registers Not Ravager before he registers Not an Enemy It's why he spins around, blaster in hand and aimed at the source of the voice.
Luckily, his brain registers Kasumi at the last second, keeping him from pulling the trigger. But that's mostly because he's frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth partially open. From this close, the bruises and cuts on his face are clearly visible. The skin around both eyes is darkened, though only his left is slightly puffy, and his lips have old scabs from where they were split.
It takes a long moment for him to find his voice, to finally regain the presence of mind to reholster his blaster. His eyes are no less wide as he quickly gets his bearings, though, as he makes sure the two of them aren't in any of the other Ravagers' line of sight. ]
What the fuck are you doing here? [ And his voice comes out in a hoarse, panicked whisper. ]
(At least one of them weighed 500 pounds, being made of what Peter was sure to be mostly stone, so clearly Peter couldn't throw him very far at all.)
That, and some of the Ravagers were pretty vocal about hating him, and wouldn't have helped him anyway. They resented the fact that Yondu had clearly gone easy on him. If it had been any of them that betrayed the Captain twice over, the other Ravagers would've been using the poor bastard's head as a soccer ball. But it hadn't been them; it had been the little bastard of a Terran they had picked up so long ago, the one that Yondu staunchly told them they could not eat, despite Terran flesh being a delicacy.
But Peter's used to dealing with that shit, too, though some of the crew has definitely ramped up its efforts; and though it's been a while since he's had to stay on the Eclector, bunking with the crew was like riding a battered, shitty bicycle. You know, if the bicycle were actively trying to kill him and make it look like an accident or put him at fault.
(This really takes me back, Peter had muttered on his first night back, while a couple of guys beat the shit out of him in the engine room. I missed you guys, too.)
Suffice it to say, staying with the Ravagers these past few months has definitely made Peter jumpier, so when he hears a voice from behind him (not a gruff one, not one accented with that typical drawl), he first registers Not Ravager before he registers Not an Enemy It's why he spins around, blaster in hand and aimed at the source of the voice.
Luckily, his brain registers Kasumi at the last second, keeping him from pulling the trigger. But that's mostly because he's frozen in place, eyes wide and mouth partially open. From this close, the bruises and cuts on his face are clearly visible. The skin around both eyes is darkened, though only his left is slightly puffy, and his lips have old scabs from where they were split.
It takes a long moment for him to find his voice, to finally regain the presence of mind to reholster his blaster. His eyes are no less wide as he quickly gets his bearings, though, as he makes sure the two of them aren't in any of the other Ravagers' line of sight. ]
What the fuck are you doing here? [ And his voice comes out in a hoarse, panicked whisper. ]
I should be asking you that, Quill--what the hell are you doing here, away from everyone?
[ Her tone is defiant, at first, because she knows the last thing he wants is for her to be here trying to bail him out. That's the only logical reason Kasumi could come up with for his brief message, after all, when she realized it for what it was and not a "Hey I'll be busy, team's got a job out in bumfuck nowhere," message like she had initially thought.
But she can't bring herself to keep up the sass as she's speaking to him and her eyes are flicking rapidly to look at every little cut, bruise, and scab on his face. There's a pause, there, as she processes it all. They did this to him. Then she reaches up with a hand, tentatively and gently touching his cheek, her voice shrinking in concern. ]
And away from me? God, what have those assholes done to you?
[ Calm down, Kasumi, your sentimentality is showing. Asides from her unveiled concern, part of her is just so goddamn relieved that she's finding him with cuts, bruises and scabs and not in a pool of his own blood with his head carved open. So much that for the first time in a long while, Kasumi Goto is having trouble keeping her emotions in check, and the the way her eyes start shining even in the dark with what might actually be tears says just as much. ]
[ Her tone is defiant, at first, because she knows the last thing he wants is for her to be here trying to bail him out. That's the only logical reason Kasumi could come up with for his brief message, after all, when she realized it for what it was and not a "Hey I'll be busy, team's got a job out in bumfuck nowhere," message like she had initially thought.
But she can't bring herself to keep up the sass as she's speaking to him and her eyes are flicking rapidly to look at every little cut, bruise, and scab on his face. There's a pause, there, as she processes it all. They did this to him. Then she reaches up with a hand, tentatively and gently touching his cheek, her voice shrinking in concern. ]
And away from me? God, what have those assholes done to you?
[ Calm down, Kasumi, your sentimentality is showing. Asides from her unveiled concern, part of her is just so goddamn relieved that she's finding him with cuts, bruises and scabs and not in a pool of his own blood with his head carved open. So much that for the first time in a long while, Kasumi Goto is having trouble keeping her emotions in check, and the the way her eyes start shining even in the dark with what might actually be tears says just as much. ]
[ His eyes wander briefly as he tries to come up with a good excuse. He'd only had time to send the one message -- but even if Yondu had given him more time, his message to Goto would've been just as brief. It's already bad enough Yondu knew about her (and the how and why of that still escaped Peter), but to add fuel to the fire by sending her a heartfelt message explaining the situation would've made everything worse.
He wants to shout and yell and tell her to get the hell away from here. She may be skilled, but the Ravagers make up for the lack of finesse through sheer numbers. It's dangerous as fuck for her to be here, and he wants to tell her as much-- but the gentleness of her touch snaps something in him, and he sags, leaning into her hand. And-- oh fuck, is she crying? Fuck. ]
I'm fine, seriously. I've had worse. [ His voice has softened considerably. He tries for a reassuring smile, but it's tentative and barely even there. ] Got into a bar brawl a week ago. [ Which is-- sort of true, in a way. At least, some of the dudes were drunk, at the time. ]
[ He glances around again, trying to look as casual as possible in case one of the other Ravagers were looking his way. When he directs his attention to her again, his voice is still pitched low. ]
Look, you really shouldn't be here. You need to go. Right now.
He wants to shout and yell and tell her to get the hell away from here. She may be skilled, but the Ravagers make up for the lack of finesse through sheer numbers. It's dangerous as fuck for her to be here, and he wants to tell her as much-- but the gentleness of her touch snaps something in him, and he sags, leaning into her hand. And-- oh fuck, is she crying? Fuck. ]
I'm fine, seriously. I've had worse. [ His voice has softened considerably. He tries for a reassuring smile, but it's tentative and barely even there. ] Got into a bar brawl a week ago. [ Which is-- sort of true, in a way. At least, some of the dudes were drunk, at the time. ]
[ He glances around again, trying to look as casual as possible in case one of the other Ravagers were looking his way. When he directs his attention to her again, his voice is still pitched low. ]
Look, you really shouldn't be here. You need to go. Right now.
Edited (html is hard) 2014-11-30 22:58 (UTC)
[ Kasumi doesn't blame Peter for the brief message, despite the fact that it left a lot to be desired in retrospect. He was trying to protect her and the other Guardians. Mostly, she's frustrated, firstly, that the Ravagers found out about her, and then about her and Peter. She realized that slighting them on that one job gave them plenty of reason to hunt her down, and the fact that they found enough to threaten Peter with means she needs to seriously reevaluate some things. Like, for instance, that contact she had spoken to in the first place--had they noticed a connection between her and Quill, and subsequently been double-crossed? She's also frustrated that she made an assumption and didn't look into things until it had been months and now she's here, in front of Peter, and he looks worse for the wear--and she can't help but feel guilty. If I'd just been more careful, if I'd just figured it out sooner.
She's definitely fighting back some tears, and thankfully winning. It would be totally uncool of her to lose it right now, after all, especially when really she's just glad he's alive. ]
You don't look fine, and you can't honestly think I'm just going to leave you here, Peter. [ Not Quill. ] I can't do that.
[ She knows she shouldn't be here and she knows that if the situation were reversed, she would be saying the exact same things to Peter. You need to get out of here, it's not safe. They're going to hurt you if they see you.
But she's not going to be leaving someone she cares about in uncertain danger, not again. ]
Everyone's here, too. And the Milano.
She's definitely fighting back some tears, and thankfully winning. It would be totally uncool of her to lose it right now, after all, especially when really she's just glad he's alive. ]
You don't look fine, and you can't honestly think I'm just going to leave you here, Peter. [ Not Quill. ] I can't do that.
[ She knows she shouldn't be here and she knows that if the situation were reversed, she would be saying the exact same things to Peter. You need to get out of here, it's not safe. They're going to hurt you if they see you.
But she's not going to be leaving someone she cares about in uncertain danger, not again. ]
Everyone's here, too. And the Milano.
They're what?
[ His stomach drops, and he thinks, god dammit, Goto. God dammit, everyone. They weren't supposed to be here. The Ravagers that had landed in the colony alone outnumbered all of them fifteen to one, and even with all the skills that the galaxy's best thief and assassin, a deadly maniac, two thugs, and an idiot could bring to the table, the Ravagers would just overwhelm them, and they'd be back at square one.
He tangles a hand in his hair, winces when he brushes against a bump he'd nearly forgotten about, but mostly his expression reads terrified.
And even if they could pull it off, even if they did manage to escape with all five of their asses intact? Four billion units is a lot of fucking money, and Yondu lost a lot of good men that day on Xandar. Peter's debt is fucking huge, and they'll keep coming after him for a long time yet.
He grabs her shoulder, leans in close, words clipped and tense. ]
Just-- listen to me, okay? Tell them all I'm fine, and get your asses out of here. If any of the Ravagers catch wind that you're here, they're going to find and kill you. Okay? They'll fucking enjoy it.
[ He tries again for a reassuring smile, but gives up after a second or two. It's just not happening with the way every nerve is screaming panic. ] I'll be okay. Seriously. They're not gonna kill me. Yondu'll make sure of that. I can't pay him back if I'm dead.
[ His stomach drops, and he thinks, god dammit, Goto. God dammit, everyone. They weren't supposed to be here. The Ravagers that had landed in the colony alone outnumbered all of them fifteen to one, and even with all the skills that the galaxy's best thief and assassin, a deadly maniac, two thugs, and an idiot could bring to the table, the Ravagers would just overwhelm them, and they'd be back at square one.
He tangles a hand in his hair, winces when he brushes against a bump he'd nearly forgotten about, but mostly his expression reads terrified.
And even if they could pull it off, even if they did manage to escape with all five of their asses intact? Four billion units is a lot of fucking money, and Yondu lost a lot of good men that day on Xandar. Peter's debt is fucking huge, and they'll keep coming after him for a long time yet.
He grabs her shoulder, leans in close, words clipped and tense. ]
Just-- listen to me, okay? Tell them all I'm fine, and get your asses out of here. If any of the Ravagers catch wind that you're here, they're going to find and kill you. Okay? They'll fucking enjoy it.
[ He tries again for a reassuring smile, but gives up after a second or two. It's just not happening with the way every nerve is screaming panic. ] I'll be okay. Seriously. They're not gonna kill me. Yondu'll make sure of that. I can't pay him back if I'm dead.
[ She's looking at him squarely in the face when he speaks, and there's some degree of conflict in her eyes because part of her can't believe he's actually telling her to leave, yet part of her completely understands why, and that she would have done the same. She tries for an understanding gaze, but it fails just much in the way that his attempt at a reassuring smile does. It turns into a look that says, please don't make me do this. ]
Peter, please. I can't do that. They'll keep hurting you, and what if Yondu decides one day that you're better off dead? That can't happen--I can't go through that.
[ Her words are a mush and she's less composed than she'd like to be, even if she still manages to keep her voice down, because her mind can't help but pull through the memories of her cradling Keiji in her arms as he bled out, sobbing and refusing to move, and Keiji begging her to leave him, so she could live, with his last breaths.
So, right now? With Peter not being on the verge of death and there being the most remote chance of them getting out of this? She's going to be stubborn as hell because she needs him where she knows he's not being treated like shit, where he's (relatively) safer, and she just--needs him.
It's an inopportune and terrifying moment, nags the small voice in Kasumi's head, to realize she's probably, legitimately in love with this fool. ]
Peter, please. I can't do that. They'll keep hurting you, and what if Yondu decides one day that you're better off dead? That can't happen--I can't go through that.
[ Her words are a mush and she's less composed than she'd like to be, even if she still manages to keep her voice down, because her mind can't help but pull through the memories of her cradling Keiji in her arms as he bled out, sobbing and refusing to move, and Keiji begging her to leave him, so she could live, with his last breaths.
So, right now? With Peter not being on the verge of death and there being the most remote chance of them getting out of this? She's going to be stubborn as hell because she needs him where she knows he's not being treated like shit, where he's (relatively) safer, and she just--needs him.
It's an inopportune and terrifying moment, nags the small voice in Kasumi's head, to realize she's probably, legitimately in love with this fool. ]
[ His voice loses some of its tenseness when he sees the look on her face, and his expression gentles a little. ] Kasumi, I--
[ A click and the buzz of static interrupt him, though, and he jumps when a series of voices chime in softly over his communicator. He'd nearly forgotten about check-in. When it's his turn, he lifts up the lapel of his coat, bringing it close to his mouth. When he murmurs into it, he affects a convincingly bored tone -- he's not a bad conman, after all. ]
All good in Section Four. Look, how much longer is this gonna take? This is dull as shit.
[ "Fuck off, Quill."
"Shut the hell up, Quill."
"Fucking dumbass."
"Good in Section Five."
He sighs in relief as they continue, all the way up to Section Ten. Apparently whatever they're stealing from this colony warrants a whole lot of eyes watching for the authorities, so Peter assumes it's going to be a big haul. Probably taking whatever these poor colonists have been digging up.
Peter's glad for the interruption, though. It gave him a chance to calm down a little, and now that he's over the initial shock (Kasumi's here, oh God, please don't let them find her, please don't let them know), his rational side is starting to peek out. Then again, his rational side has always left much to be desired. So while he knows what Kasumi says is definitely a possibility, it still leaves him shaking his head. ]
I'll be okay. Honestly. Yondu's sort of like-- [ And here he struggles, because-- what the fuck is that guy to him? ] He's-- I dunno. He's kind of like-- my dad.
[ A fucked up dad who punches and screams at him, sure, and once when he was fifteen, he had fucked up a job so badly that he was convinced Yondu was going to let him bleed out on the airlock floor. But Yondu's as close to a father figure as Peter's ever had, nonetheless, and he's pretty sure that he'd keep the other Ravagers from killing him. If only because the man would want to deal with Peter himself.
Paternal Love. ]
It's dangerous for you to be here. I don't know how Yondu knows, but-- he knows about you, okay? He knows we're-- I dunno. Dating. [ It's definitely more than dating, he knows that much, but he's not really great on the vocabulary front. ]
Just-- think of this as another job, okay? I'm on a solo job or something. And I'll be here for a while.
[ A click and the buzz of static interrupt him, though, and he jumps when a series of voices chime in softly over his communicator. He'd nearly forgotten about check-in. When it's his turn, he lifts up the lapel of his coat, bringing it close to his mouth. When he murmurs into it, he affects a convincingly bored tone -- he's not a bad conman, after all. ]
All good in Section Four. Look, how much longer is this gonna take? This is dull as shit.
[ "Fuck off, Quill."
"Shut the hell up, Quill."
"Fucking dumbass."
"Good in Section Five."
He sighs in relief as they continue, all the way up to Section Ten. Apparently whatever they're stealing from this colony warrants a whole lot of eyes watching for the authorities, so Peter assumes it's going to be a big haul. Probably taking whatever these poor colonists have been digging up.
Peter's glad for the interruption, though. It gave him a chance to calm down a little, and now that he's over the initial shock (Kasumi's here, oh God, please don't let them find her, please don't let them know), his rational side is starting to peek out. Then again, his rational side has always left much to be desired. So while he knows what Kasumi says is definitely a possibility, it still leaves him shaking his head. ]
I'll be okay. Honestly. Yondu's sort of like-- [ And here he struggles, because-- what the fuck is that guy to him? ] He's-- I dunno. He's kind of like-- my dad.
[ A fucked up dad who punches and screams at him, sure, and once when he was fifteen, he had fucked up a job so badly that he was convinced Yondu was going to let him bleed out on the airlock floor. But Yondu's as close to a father figure as Peter's ever had, nonetheless, and he's pretty sure that he'd keep the other Ravagers from killing him. If only because the man would want to deal with Peter himself.
Paternal Love. ]
It's dangerous for you to be here. I don't know how Yondu knows, but-- he knows about you, okay? He knows we're-- I dunno. Dating. [ It's definitely more than dating, he knows that much, but he's not really great on the vocabulary front. ]
Just-- think of this as another job, okay? I'm on a solo job or something. And I'll be here for a while.
[ She furrows her brow during check-in--because she's totally convinced that he doesn't belong here. Playing lookout? Please, he can do so much better. When it's done, and he's said what he's said, her immediate response is: ]
And how long is a while, Peter? Why do I have a feeling you're basically serving a life sentence here?
[ And then she draws out a long, silent sigh as she remembers about Yondu, her expression visibly changing into one that vaguely says I fucked up and but I'm still really concerned about this whole thing at the same time. She needs to tell him--it's going to piss him off, what she did, and it might not be the right moment to drop this, but it's important. Maybe if Peter does convince her to leave, at least he'll have an answer to one of his questions. ]
Hold on. About Yondu--I. [ She looks away for a moment as she tries to find the right words to say, before looking back at him and taking a deep breath. ] He knows because I stole a job away from the Ravagers sometime ago--and my contact--I don't know if Yondu forced the information out of him, or if I've been stabbed in the back, but either way, that's... how he knows about me. And then it probably wasn't too hard to connect the dots between us after that.
[ She purses her lips almost immediately after she finishes talking, sort of bracing herself for his reaction. ]
And how long is a while, Peter? Why do I have a feeling you're basically serving a life sentence here?
[ And then she draws out a long, silent sigh as she remembers about Yondu, her expression visibly changing into one that vaguely says I fucked up and but I'm still really concerned about this whole thing at the same time. She needs to tell him--it's going to piss him off, what she did, and it might not be the right moment to drop this, but it's important. Maybe if Peter does convince her to leave, at least he'll have an answer to one of his questions. ]
Hold on. About Yondu--I. [ She looks away for a moment as she tries to find the right words to say, before looking back at him and taking a deep breath. ] He knows because I stole a job away from the Ravagers sometime ago--and my contact--I don't know if Yondu forced the information out of him, or if I've been stabbed in the back, but either way, that's... how he knows about me. And then it probably wasn't too hard to connect the dots between us after that.
[ She purses her lips almost immediately after she finishes talking, sort of bracing herself for his reaction. ]
[ His expression goes blank as she explains. And for a long moment he just. Stares.
But-- eventually, he sighs and rubs his forehead, frowning. His gaze drops to the ground, and his expression is a little annoyed, but he's not directing it at her, at the very least. ] I kinda figured it would be something like that. He takes this shit way too personally.
[ He glances up at her. His smile is small and tired when he finally manages one, and his hand falls to his side. ]
It's fine. I'm-- I'm not mad, or anything. Just the nature of the business, right?
[ He lets out a slow breath. ]
It's fine. [ He repeats it, because the more he says it, the more it'll be true. ] It'll be fine. I mean, it's fine that it happened, and it's fine that I'm here, okay? He was gonna catch up to me eventually, anyway, and it's not like I was really in the middle of anything important, you know? It's-- it's fine.
[ He waves a hand vaguely. ] You've got more important shit to take care of. You're on a super-secret mission to save the galaxy, aren't you?
But-- eventually, he sighs and rubs his forehead, frowning. His gaze drops to the ground, and his expression is a little annoyed, but he's not directing it at her, at the very least. ] I kinda figured it would be something like that. He takes this shit way too personally.
[ He glances up at her. His smile is small and tired when he finally manages one, and his hand falls to his side. ]
It's fine. I'm-- I'm not mad, or anything. Just the nature of the business, right?
[ He lets out a slow breath. ]
It's fine. [ He repeats it, because the more he says it, the more it'll be true. ] It'll be fine. I mean, it's fine that it happened, and it's fine that I'm here, okay? He was gonna catch up to me eventually, anyway, and it's not like I was really in the middle of anything important, you know? It's-- it's fine.
[ He waves a hand vaguely. ] You've got more important shit to take care of. You're on a super-secret mission to save the galaxy, aren't you?
No, I'm not.
[ His statement gets her a little worked up, because she's not fighting a war--not like Shep is. In fact, Kasumi refused to do anything of the sort. She's just doing what she loves, and it just happens to benefit the cause to fight the Reapers.
So she's not a hero, no. Not by any means. And pulling that card isn't going to convince her to leave Peter behind. After all, before meeting him? She was perfectly find pretty much ignoring the whole destruction of the galaxy bit in favor of spending the rest of her days in the graybox.
The topic, though, has steered her away from "emotional pleading" and towards "are we really going to fight about this right now--yes we are." ]
You realize you're asking me--us, [ in reference to the Guardians ] to leave you here, and basically never see you again, right? Because that's the last thing I want, Peter.
[ His statement gets her a little worked up, because she's not fighting a war--not like Shep is. In fact, Kasumi refused to do anything of the sort. She's just doing what she loves, and it just happens to benefit the cause to fight the Reapers.
So she's not a hero, no. Not by any means. And pulling that card isn't going to convince her to leave Peter behind. After all, before meeting him? She was perfectly find pretty much ignoring the whole destruction of the galaxy bit in favor of spending the rest of her days in the graybox.
The topic, though, has steered her away from "emotional pleading" and towards "are we really going to fight about this right now--yes we are." ]
You realize you're asking me--us, [ in reference to the Guardians ] to leave you here, and basically never see you again, right? Because that's the last thing I want, Peter.
It's not-- C'mon, it's not like you'll never see me again. [ Probably. ] Just-- I need some time, okay?
[ The quality of his voice has changed, too, and now he's the one pleading. Maybe if this had happened a several months ago, before there was this thing between him and Kasumi, he would've leapt at the chance of escape. But, no, there is a thing between them, and Yondu was right. It's a weakness, it's a vulnerability.
And it should be scary and worrying, and maybe if you told him a year ago that an attachment would land him in enemy territory, he would have been terrified. But right now? Peter wouldn't give this weakness up for anything.
Peter's an idiot. He knows that much. Peter's a dumb kid from a planet he barely remembers anymore, and he threw himself at an all-consuming, destructive weapon to save a galaxy, once. He'd do it again if it meant he could save just Kasumi, just his crew. Luckily he's just throwing himself at a man with blue skin and a wicked smile, and he thinks he can handle it. ]
It's just-- it's easier this way, alright? [ Because Peter's all about the path of least resistance; and usually that path means running, but not this time. ] I give him what he wants, he'll leave all of you guys alone. Simple.
[ The quality of his voice has changed, too, and now he's the one pleading. Maybe if this had happened a several months ago, before there was this thing between him and Kasumi, he would've leapt at the chance of escape. But, no, there is a thing between them, and Yondu was right. It's a weakness, it's a vulnerability.
And it should be scary and worrying, and maybe if you told him a year ago that an attachment would land him in enemy territory, he would have been terrified. But right now? Peter wouldn't give this weakness up for anything.
Peter's an idiot. He knows that much. Peter's a dumb kid from a planet he barely remembers anymore, and he threw himself at an all-consuming, destructive weapon to save a galaxy, once. He'd do it again if it meant he could save just Kasumi, just his crew. Luckily he's just throwing himself at a man with blue skin and a wicked smile, and he thinks he can handle it. ]
It's just-- it's easier this way, alright? [ Because Peter's all about the path of least resistance; and usually that path means running, but not this time. ] I give him what he wants, he'll leave all of you guys alone. Simple.
Peter...
[ She's biting her lip now, because what he's asking her to do makes a lot of sense, but damn it all, she really doesn't want to leave him and be so uncertain for the rest of however long it is (and it definitely feels like the answer would be forever). When she next speaks, there's a slight quiver in her lips. ]
There's absolutely no way to convince you, is there? I definitely understand what you mean, that this is easier and you're trying to protect us, I just..
[ She trails off because god, she's so conflicted and she seriously cannot do this. The rational side of her wants to be cool about it and leave and trust him on this, really, but it's drowned out by the side of her that's screaming because she cares about him this much, that she's acting so weak and probably selfish.
She acknowledges that they'll just be going around in circles if she keeps arguing with him, so she's just going to shut up for now and reach for his hand. ]
[ She's biting her lip now, because what he's asking her to do makes a lot of sense, but damn it all, she really doesn't want to leave him and be so uncertain for the rest of however long it is (and it definitely feels like the answer would be forever). When she next speaks, there's a slight quiver in her lips. ]
There's absolutely no way to convince you, is there? I definitely understand what you mean, that this is easier and you're trying to protect us, I just..
[ She trails off because god, she's so conflicted and she seriously cannot do this. The rational side of her wants to be cool about it and leave and trust him on this, really, but it's drowned out by the side of her that's screaming because she cares about him this much, that she's acting so weak and probably selfish.
She acknowledges that they'll just be going around in circles if she keeps arguing with him, so she's just going to shut up for now and reach for his hand. ]
I'm sorry. [ It comes out in a hoarse whisper, because he can't trust his voice to do much more. But he's genuinely sorry for all of this -- for getting caught like a dumbass, for making all of them worry. ] It'll be okay.
[ He doesn't hesitate when she reaches for him, and he moves to take her hand--
But there's a click and a buzz of static again, and he groans impatiently.
"Pair of eyes in Section Three, heading to Section Four. Get your dick outta your hand, Quill."
Peter goes rigid at that, stepping back into alleyway and moving Kasumi along with him as he peers out. He catches sight of the two patrolling cops heading his way, but their leisurely pace tells him they don't have any reason to be suspicious yet. He speaks into his lapel again, arm outstretched to keep Kasumi behind him (and isn't that a weird instinct, when he knows she could just go invisible and cheese it?). ]
I see 'em. They're just putzin' around.
[ "Make sure it stays that way." ]
Only 'cause you asked so nicely, sweetheart.
[ There's a derisive snort on the comm and distinctively alien swearing, but Peter looks over his shoulder to Kasumi, smiling half-heartedly. ]
This really isn't a good place for the galaxy's best thief, y'known.
[ He doesn't hesitate when she reaches for him, and he moves to take her hand--
But there's a click and a buzz of static again, and he groans impatiently.
"Pair of eyes in Section Three, heading to Section Four. Get your dick outta your hand, Quill."
Peter goes rigid at that, stepping back into alleyway and moving Kasumi along with him as he peers out. He catches sight of the two patrolling cops heading his way, but their leisurely pace tells him they don't have any reason to be suspicious yet. He speaks into his lapel again, arm outstretched to keep Kasumi behind him (and isn't that a weird instinct, when he knows she could just go invisible and cheese it?). ]
I see 'em. They're just putzin' around.
[ "Make sure it stays that way." ]
Only 'cause you asked so nicely, sweetheart.
[ There's a derisive snort on the comm and distinctively alien swearing, but Peter looks over his shoulder to Kasumi, smiling half-heartedly. ]
This really isn't a good place for the galaxy's best thief, y'known.
Being in places I'm not supposed to be in is kind of my thing, love.
[ She lets that slip out without particularly meaning to, again, but when she realizes it her only thought is screw it, because at the moment, "Quill," "Peter," "Star-Lord," "cowboy," and whatever else she might have been calling him just don't cut it. If this really might be the last time she sees him in a long, long time, then dammit, she's going to let him know just how much this is tearing her apart, leaving without him in tow when he's right there, and that she's one-hundred percent serious about them. In spite of the heavy risks and the fact that situations like this are bound to happen, he needs to know--she's going to come for him whenever it does, because she can't afford to lose someone so important to her again, can't afford to lose him.
To that end, she grabs a hold of his arm--the one that's seemingly trying to protect her--moving it down so she can bring herself as close to him as she can, standing on her toes a little so he can see her face more clearly. That urge to cry has long since passed, but the concern in her expression remains, now mixed in with a little bit of determination. Her voice is soft and hushed when she leans in and whispers into his ear: ]
If Yondu thinks he can take you away from me, he's dead wrong. I'll be back for you whether you like it or not, Peter, I promise.
[ She lets that slip out without particularly meaning to, again, but when she realizes it her only thought is screw it, because at the moment, "Quill," "Peter," "Star-Lord," "cowboy," and whatever else she might have been calling him just don't cut it. If this really might be the last time she sees him in a long, long time, then dammit, she's going to let him know just how much this is tearing her apart, leaving without him in tow when he's right there, and that she's one-hundred percent serious about them. In spite of the heavy risks and the fact that situations like this are bound to happen, he needs to know--she's going to come for him whenever it does, because she can't afford to lose someone so important to her again, can't afford to lose him.
To that end, she grabs a hold of his arm--the one that's seemingly trying to protect her--moving it down so she can bring herself as close to him as she can, standing on her toes a little so he can see her face more clearly. That urge to cry has long since passed, but the concern in her expression remains, now mixed in with a little bit of determination. Her voice is soft and hushed when she leans in and whispers into his ear: ]
If Yondu thinks he can take you away from me, he's dead wrong. I'll be back for you whether you like it or not, Peter, I promise.
Edited 2014-12-03 06:12 (UTC)
[ He doesn't quite wince when he hears that again -- "love" -- but something does twinge in his chest, warm and aching and strange, but not unpleasant. He's not quite sure what to call it, yet, but all he knows is that he sort of likes it.
And when she pulls him down a little, when she meets him halfway to speak into his ear, he chews on the inside of his lip, worries at the still healing cut there with his tongue. He wants to say, Don't bother coming back. He wants to say, I can take care of this. He wants to say, Let me take care of you, for once. He doesn't have much to offer, he knows. He's just a guy who's thrust his lot in with a bunch of amazing, overpowered dudes who put up with him, ostensibly because he's got a ship, but he'll take it. And he wants to say, I'll be okay. I'm promise. But that's-- really not something he can promise, and he's trying to become a man of his word, at least where it comes to the people who actually matter to him.
And really, all of that's a waste of breath at this rate, he thinks. And a waste of time, and they have so little of it.
Especially when a new voice, raspy and authoritative, with a southern twang, rings out over the comms.
"Nearly done, boys. Get ready to haul your asses back to the Eclector in five."
So what Peter says instead is this: ]
Just stay out of trouble. [ He leans forward, presses a tentative kiss to her forehead. His other hand cups her cheek gently, mindful to not push the hood aside, just in case they do actually have eyes on them. ] Don't do anything I would do, alright, Kasumi?
And when she pulls him down a little, when she meets him halfway to speak into his ear, he chews on the inside of his lip, worries at the still healing cut there with his tongue. He wants to say, Don't bother coming back. He wants to say, I can take care of this. He wants to say, Let me take care of you, for once. He doesn't have much to offer, he knows. He's just a guy who's thrust his lot in with a bunch of amazing, overpowered dudes who put up with him, ostensibly because he's got a ship, but he'll take it. And he wants to say, I'll be okay. I'm promise. But that's-- really not something he can promise, and he's trying to become a man of his word, at least where it comes to the people who actually matter to him.
And really, all of that's a waste of breath at this rate, he thinks. And a waste of time, and they have so little of it.
Especially when a new voice, raspy and authoritative, with a southern twang, rings out over the comms.
"Nearly done, boys. Get ready to haul your asses back to the Eclector in five."
So what Peter says instead is this: ]
Just stay out of trouble. [ He leans forward, presses a tentative kiss to her forehead. His other hand cups her cheek gently, mindful to not push the hood aside, just in case they do actually have eyes on them. ] Don't do anything I would do, alright, Kasumi?
[ On her end, she draws in a sharp breath when she hears Yondu's voice over the comms, recognizing it from when she swiped that job from him--only then there had been significantly more profanities being screamed over the comms. She's half-expected that Peter would insist that she just leave him alone, so when all he says is to stay out of trouble, she can't help but reach up to touch Peter's hand on her cheek.
This leaving him behind thing is so goddamn difficult, probably the most difficult thing she's had to do over any of her jobs in the last few months, but she wants to leave things on as good a note as they can possibly manage in this kind of situation, so she closes her eyes and returns his tentative kiss with a more decisive one on his lips, making sure to be careful since she'd noticed the cuts and other injuries. It's quick, but gentle, and when she pulls away she somehow manages to find it in her to look him right in the eyes and give him a small smile. ]
I'll try not to have too much fun without you.
[ At least this way, when they part ways, the last thing he'll remember of her before she pulls her body away from his and starts cloaking is a light joke and her smile. ]
This leaving him behind thing is so goddamn difficult, probably the most difficult thing she's had to do over any of her jobs in the last few months, but she wants to leave things on as good a note as they can possibly manage in this kind of situation, so she closes her eyes and returns his tentative kiss with a more decisive one on his lips, making sure to be careful since she'd noticed the cuts and other injuries. It's quick, but gentle, and when she pulls away she somehow manages to find it in her to look him right in the eyes and give him a small smile. ]
I'll try not to have too much fun without you.
[ At least this way, when they part ways, the last thing he'll remember of her before she pulls her body away from his and starts cloaking is a light joke and her smile. ]
[ As she flickers out of sight, Peter has the sinking feeling that he might've just made a huge mistake. Maybe he should've just made a run for it with Kasumi the second she appeared behind him.
Hindsight is 20/20, though. It's something Gramps used to say all the time.
Yondu's voice comes over the comms again, commanding them all to get back to the ship, job's done, haul ass before the poor bastards know what hit 'em. A series of affirmatives rings out, but Peter lingers in the alleyway. Maybe he could just-- go. Maybe they won't even realize he's gone. Maybe--
"Quill." Yondu's voice again. "If you ain't dead already, son, you're gonna be if you don't check in." ]
Yeah, yeah. [ He mumbles it into the comm as he moves, steps sluggish and dragging. ] Don't get your panties in a wad.
[ It's two months later, and Peter finds himself in a bar with a handful of other Ravagers, celebrating a job well done. He's still bruised and battered and looking worse for wear, but he at least seems in better spirits than last time Kasumi saw him. The alcohol probably helps, in that respect. And the leash Yondu's put him on has become looser with time, now that he's convinced that Peter knows his place -- that place being, "Either stay here with us, or we'll kill your friends." It's a pretty shitty place, Peter admits, but at least there's no beating around the bush.
And he's been given more freedom, allowed on slightly better jobs; hell, the Centaurian had even let Peter send off another quick audio message to the others. (Peter could've sent a video, if he'd wanted, but judging by Kasumi's reaction the last time she saw his bruised face, he decided against it.)
Still alive, it went, and at least his voice doesn't have the same tone of defeat as it did in his last recording. Still uncharacteristically subdued, to be sure, but a touch brighter than before. Don't worry about me. I'll get in touch again when I can.
The small group shoves Peter toward the bar, evidently having put him in charge of acquiring this round. A pretty Krylorian woman at the bar sidles up beside him, her skin a light pink that reminds Peter of the color of a certain person's blush. There's a slight twinge in his chest -- aching and warm, but not unpleasant -- and he grimaces a little. He stonewalls the Krylorian woman's advances; ignores her cooing and feigned concern over his injuries; ignores the way she trails her fingers up his arm; ignores the catcalls from the table behind him while the Ravagers watch. One of them shouts, "What's wrong, Quill? Spend too much time with your li'l buddies that you forget how your dick works?"
After all, of all the Ravagers, Peter had always been pretty vocal about his romantic conquests; he'd always had the best luck of all of them in charming someone into bed. And if it had been half a year ago, Peter would've been answering the woman's flirtations in kind; and come morning, he would've found himself scrambling around silently while she slept, slipping out just before dawn and wandering his way back to the Eclector.
But it isn't half a year ago. It's now, and that warm ache in his chest won't let up, clenches around his heart like a vice, and Peter's just not in the mood to deal with this.
Eventually he turns to the woman and says flatly, ] Look, I'm flattered, but I'm just not interested. But, hey-- [ And here he gestures over his shoulder ] --you should try your luck with one of the dudes back there.
[ The woman gives him a dirty look, but follows his advice, sauntering toward the table of Ravagers who howl and encourage her as she advances. They, at least, seem enamored with her, and have apparently forgotten about the round of drinks they were promised. Peter can't help but sigh in relief, rubbing at a sore spot on his neck. ]
Hindsight is 20/20, though. It's something Gramps used to say all the time.
Yondu's voice comes over the comms again, commanding them all to get back to the ship, job's done, haul ass before the poor bastards know what hit 'em. A series of affirmatives rings out, but Peter lingers in the alleyway. Maybe he could just-- go. Maybe they won't even realize he's gone. Maybe--
"Quill." Yondu's voice again. "If you ain't dead already, son, you're gonna be if you don't check in." ]
Yeah, yeah. [ He mumbles it into the comm as he moves, steps sluggish and dragging. ] Don't get your panties in a wad.
[ It's two months later, and Peter finds himself in a bar with a handful of other Ravagers, celebrating a job well done. He's still bruised and battered and looking worse for wear, but he at least seems in better spirits than last time Kasumi saw him. The alcohol probably helps, in that respect. And the leash Yondu's put him on has become looser with time, now that he's convinced that Peter knows his place -- that place being, "Either stay here with us, or we'll kill your friends." It's a pretty shitty place, Peter admits, but at least there's no beating around the bush.
And he's been given more freedom, allowed on slightly better jobs; hell, the Centaurian had even let Peter send off another quick audio message to the others. (Peter could've sent a video, if he'd wanted, but judging by Kasumi's reaction the last time she saw his bruised face, he decided against it.)
Still alive, it went, and at least his voice doesn't have the same tone of defeat as it did in his last recording. Still uncharacteristically subdued, to be sure, but a touch brighter than before. Don't worry about me. I'll get in touch again when I can.
The small group shoves Peter toward the bar, evidently having put him in charge of acquiring this round. A pretty Krylorian woman at the bar sidles up beside him, her skin a light pink that reminds Peter of the color of a certain person's blush. There's a slight twinge in his chest -- aching and warm, but not unpleasant -- and he grimaces a little. He stonewalls the Krylorian woman's advances; ignores her cooing and feigned concern over his injuries; ignores the way she trails her fingers up his arm; ignores the catcalls from the table behind him while the Ravagers watch. One of them shouts, "What's wrong, Quill? Spend too much time with your li'l buddies that you forget how your dick works?"
After all, of all the Ravagers, Peter had always been pretty vocal about his romantic conquests; he'd always had the best luck of all of them in charming someone into bed. And if it had been half a year ago, Peter would've been answering the woman's flirtations in kind; and come morning, he would've found himself scrambling around silently while she slept, slipping out just before dawn and wandering his way back to the Eclector.
But it isn't half a year ago. It's now, and that warm ache in his chest won't let up, clenches around his heart like a vice, and Peter's just not in the mood to deal with this.
Eventually he turns to the woman and says flatly, ] Look, I'm flattered, but I'm just not interested. But, hey-- [ And here he gestures over his shoulder ] --you should try your luck with one of the dudes back there.
[ The woman gives him a dirty look, but follows his advice, sauntering toward the table of Ravagers who howl and encourage her as she advances. They, at least, seem enamored with her, and have apparently forgotten about the round of drinks they were promised. Peter can't help but sigh in relief, rubbing at a sore spot on his neck. ]
[ It had been difficult, Kasumi remembers, coming back to the Milano empty-handed, and having to explain to the Guardians that she couldn't get Peter. To at least one of them, it had been enough of a relief that he was alive, and to most of them, "outnumbered," and "if we take him and Yondu realizes, which he will, we're not going to get away with it" were reasonable enough explanations. To a certain raccoon, however, that wasn't quite enough, and an argument ensued. It was then that whatever composure Kasumi had managed to gather and keep during her conversation with Peter was lost.
"You think I'm okay with coming all this way, seeing him alive, and then not doing anything about it?"
It was a long, painful ride back to Illium after that, and then a long, painful two months of silence.
Kasumi dropped off the radar, herself, in that time. Apart from the occasional Cerberus raid, Kasumi was extra careful not to communicate with anyone she didn't have the utmost trust in. After all, the fact that Yondu found out even about her existence meant that she fucked up somewhere along the line, and she can't afford to make a mistake like that again. So when she receives Peter's next message, she feels a little weight off her shoulders, even allowing herself a little smile when she hears his voice again, but the twisting feeling in her heart remains and would be so long as he wasn't safe, or whatever the equivalent of that is for a man who's wanted in at least twelve systems, usually runs around with an assassin, two thugs, and a maniac, and whose girlfriend is someone who's similarly wanted and happens to be the galaxy's best thief.
She was on a job, taking a break from Cerberus raids in favor of gathering some highly classified data for the Shadow Broker. It was her way of repaying Liara for her help in finding Peter.
"Actually," Kasumi had already said her goodbye and turned on her heel to leave when Feron called out, causing her to stop in her tracks and glance at him over her shoulder, "the real reason we asked for your help on this? The Shadow Broker--Liara--asked me to let you know after we finished that the Ravagers are here."
She's frozen, then, because damn it, Liara, a little advanced warning would have been nice. But then there's an energy surging inside of her, telling her that this is your chance, and she gives Feron a thankful smile pretending to be a sly grin. ]
Then it looks like I've got some more work to do.
[ It doesn't take her very long at all to find them--really, she just had to go to the seediest bar she could find. She draws in another one of her sharp but silent breaths when she spots Peter at the bar, but decidedly avoids letting herself seen by him, if only because it would be dead giveaway in case Peter had a big reaction to seeing her all of a sudden.
She casually takes a seat at the bar a number of seats away from where Peter stands and is apparently being flirted with by a Krylorian woman--an exchange she watches from the corner of her eye with as amused of an expression as she can manage. She's still not happy, after all, about the way he looks like he's seen way better days, but hey, at least he's still alive and apparently not cheating on her? Small victories.
When the Krylorian woman finally leaves him alone, it's the bartender's turn to cajole Peter. He sets a drink down in front of him, preempting any questions with his monotonously-delivered statement: "From that lady over there." He jerks his head over in Kasumi's direction.
She's sitting with her legs crossed and an elbow on the bar counter so she can rest her chin on her hand, and just gives him a smile. Think you can play it cool, Peter Quill? ]
"You think I'm okay with coming all this way, seeing him alive, and then not doing anything about it?"
It was a long, painful ride back to Illium after that, and then a long, painful two months of silence.
Kasumi dropped off the radar, herself, in that time. Apart from the occasional Cerberus raid, Kasumi was extra careful not to communicate with anyone she didn't have the utmost trust in. After all, the fact that Yondu found out even about her existence meant that she fucked up somewhere along the line, and she can't afford to make a mistake like that again. So when she receives Peter's next message, she feels a little weight off her shoulders, even allowing herself a little smile when she hears his voice again, but the twisting feeling in her heart remains and would be so long as he wasn't safe, or whatever the equivalent of that is for a man who's wanted in at least twelve systems, usually runs around with an assassin, two thugs, and a maniac, and whose girlfriend is someone who's similarly wanted and happens to be the galaxy's best thief.
She was on a job, taking a break from Cerberus raids in favor of gathering some highly classified data for the Shadow Broker. It was her way of repaying Liara for her help in finding Peter.
"Actually," Kasumi had already said her goodbye and turned on her heel to leave when Feron called out, causing her to stop in her tracks and glance at him over her shoulder, "the real reason we asked for your help on this? The Shadow Broker--Liara--asked me to let you know after we finished that the Ravagers are here."
She's frozen, then, because damn it, Liara, a little advanced warning would have been nice. But then there's an energy surging inside of her, telling her that this is your chance, and she gives Feron a thankful smile pretending to be a sly grin. ]
Then it looks like I've got some more work to do.
[ It doesn't take her very long at all to find them--really, she just had to go to the seediest bar she could find. She draws in another one of her sharp but silent breaths when she spots Peter at the bar, but decidedly avoids letting herself seen by him, if only because it would be dead giveaway in case Peter had a big reaction to seeing her all of a sudden.
She casually takes a seat at the bar a number of seats away from where Peter stands and is apparently being flirted with by a Krylorian woman--an exchange she watches from the corner of her eye with as amused of an expression as she can manage. She's still not happy, after all, about the way he looks like he's seen way better days, but hey, at least he's still alive and apparently not cheating on her? Small victories.
When the Krylorian woman finally leaves him alone, it's the bartender's turn to cajole Peter. He sets a drink down in front of him, preempting any questions with his monotonously-delivered statement: "From that lady over there." He jerks his head over in Kasumi's direction.
She's sitting with her legs crossed and an elbow on the bar counter so she can rest her chin on her hand, and just gives him a smile. Think you can play it cool, Peter Quill? ]
[ He totally can't.
When the bartender plops the drink in front of him, Peter just sighs a little, a hand threading through his hair. (And who the hell can find him attractive, when he's looking so beat up and rundown? Peter is pretty vain, but even he's not stupid enough to think he looks like a catch, tonight. He hasn't looked like one for months now.) He is seriously not in the mood for this, tonight. Not when he feels like his chest is being constricted and there's this weird cold feeling in his gut, and fuck, he just really, really misses Kasumi right now, and it's been two months since they left off on that weird note; and sure, they were doing the long distance thing before this shit went down, but at least they still managed quick chats and vid messages and flirty voice mails or whatever.
Having to maintain radio silence for months on end? Pretty much hell.
So when he reluctantly turns to where the bartender gestures, already queuing up the same speech he told the Krylorian, he just looks tired.
That changes instantly, though, the instant he realizes who the mystery woman is.
A grin immediately finds its way to his face, and a fog lifts, and holy shit is he glad to see her. And it's a damn good thing the Krylorian woman is distracting his companions, seeing as how he's not bothering to hide his relief, not bothering to hide how god damn happy he is to see her.
Two months is a long time, after all.
(And a part of him is saying, Don't. This is dangerous. You're putting her in the line of fire. They're too close.
He ignores it. At least for now.)
He finally manages to rein it in a little, with a surreptitious glance over his shoulder. None of the Ravagers are paying him any mind, it looks like, and he slowly makes his way to Kasumi's side, taking unhurried strides. He sits down on the stool beside her, facing forward and leaning against the bar top on his forearms. He looks at her from the corner of his eye, but the smile never quite goes away. He keeps his voice low, even though he's certain the Ravagers don't give a shit what he's doing. ]
Thanks for not giving me a heart attack this time.
When the bartender plops the drink in front of him, Peter just sighs a little, a hand threading through his hair. (And who the hell can find him attractive, when he's looking so beat up and rundown? Peter is pretty vain, but even he's not stupid enough to think he looks like a catch, tonight. He hasn't looked like one for months now.) He is seriously not in the mood for this, tonight. Not when he feels like his chest is being constricted and there's this weird cold feeling in his gut, and fuck, he just really, really misses Kasumi right now, and it's been two months since they left off on that weird note; and sure, they were doing the long distance thing before this shit went down, but at least they still managed quick chats and vid messages and flirty voice mails or whatever.
Having to maintain radio silence for months on end? Pretty much hell.
So when he reluctantly turns to where the bartender gestures, already queuing up the same speech he told the Krylorian, he just looks tired.
That changes instantly, though, the instant he realizes who the mystery woman is.
A grin immediately finds its way to his face, and a fog lifts, and holy shit is he glad to see her. And it's a damn good thing the Krylorian woman is distracting his companions, seeing as how he's not bothering to hide his relief, not bothering to hide how god damn happy he is to see her.
Two months is a long time, after all.
(And a part of him is saying, Don't. This is dangerous. You're putting her in the line of fire. They're too close.
He ignores it. At least for now.)
He finally manages to rein it in a little, with a surreptitious glance over his shoulder. None of the Ravagers are paying him any mind, it looks like, and he slowly makes his way to Kasumi's side, taking unhurried strides. He sits down on the stool beside her, facing forward and leaning against the bar top on his forearms. He looks at her from the corner of his eye, but the smile never quite goes away. He keeps his voice low, even though he's certain the Ravagers don't give a shit what he's doing. ]
Thanks for not giving me a heart attack this time.
[ There's a shift in her expression when he finally makes eye contact with her, and god, does her heart melt at the way he looks at her. She really freaking missed him, too--she missed his smile, missed the way he runs his hand through his hair when he's annoyed or frustrated, missed his voice--and while she too was used to the long-distance thing and she missed him when they were apart then, too, you don't quite realize how much the little things like quick chats, random vid messages, and flirty voice mails mean until they're altogether gone all of a sudden, and there's nothing but silence.
She's just thankful for the hood she wears, because she can't quite mask how happy she is to see him, either. ]
Oh, sure. [ She tilts her head such that her cheekbone is resting on her hand now. ] You looked like you needed a drink after having to turn down such a beautiful woman.
[ She can manage her usual teasing smile, but there's something inside of her that's bursting at the seams and wants nothing more than to just get him the hell out of here, because it at least seems like they have a chance at that, probably secretly sticking her tongue out at the Ravagers on the way out, and just--be with him without a care. She wants to take him someplace safe and tend to his wounds and tell him how damn glad she is that he's still alive. ]
She's just thankful for the hood she wears, because she can't quite mask how happy she is to see him, either. ]
Oh, sure. [ She tilts her head such that her cheekbone is resting on her hand now. ] You looked like you needed a drink after having to turn down such a beautiful woman.
[ She can manage her usual teasing smile, but there's something inside of her that's bursting at the seams and wants nothing more than to just get him the hell out of here, because it at least seems like they have a chance at that, probably secretly sticking her tongue out at the Ravagers on the way out, and just--be with him without a care. She wants to take him someplace safe and tend to his wounds and tell him how damn glad she is that he's still alive. ]
[ He clicks his tongue, pulling a face. ] Please. It was more her loss than mine. [ He doesn't quite turn to face Kasumi, yet, but his smile softens into something more fond. ] Besides, I managed to get the prettiest girl in the galaxy to buy me a pity drink, so I’d say it was worth it.
[ It takes him a second to compose himself, and he examines the bar top as he does so. (There's a small stain that looks a bit like a cactus, he notes.) He turns his head a little, catching her gaze (or he thinks he does, anyway; hard to tell with the hood). The pressure in his chest lessens, turns into something weirdly floaty, and he finds he likes it. There's a peal of laughter from the table behind him, and he decides-- fuck it. He moves to take her free hand, wrapping his fingers loosely around hers. His knuckles are bruised and scabbed from one too many fist fights, but that, at least, is nothing too new. ]
I-- I've really fucking missed you. [ And he can't help it-- his voice is unsteady and thick and, man, he's being seriously lame, he thinks, but who the hell cares? Better to be honest while he has the chance. He doesn't know if or when he'll see her again after this. ]
[ It takes him a second to compose himself, and he examines the bar top as he does so. (There's a small stain that looks a bit like a cactus, he notes.) He turns his head a little, catching her gaze (or he thinks he does, anyway; hard to tell with the hood). The pressure in his chest lessens, turns into something weirdly floaty, and he finds he likes it. There's a peal of laughter from the table behind him, and he decides-- fuck it. He moves to take her free hand, wrapping his fingers loosely around hers. His knuckles are bruised and scabbed from one too many fist fights, but that, at least, is nothing too new. ]
I-- I've really fucking missed you. [ And he can't help it-- his voice is unsteady and thick and, man, he's being seriously lame, he thinks, but who the hell cares? Better to be honest while he has the chance. He doesn't know if or when he'll see her again after this. ]
[ She just quirks her brow at him at first. ]
Smooth-talker.
[ But then everything else sinks in, and she isn't quite expecting what happens. What she had been expecting was a pause before he would realize she's actually there, and then he would say Holy fuck, Kasumi, you shouldn't be here, or something to that effect--something similar to the last time they saw each other. Or maybe a you just can't stay away from me, can you? She certainly wasn't expecting him to do something as open as reaching for her hand, either, especially when the Ravagers are only a few feet away, so she ends up staring at their hands for a brief moment before she looks back at him with worry in her eyes.
She's a sentimental person at heart, after all, so her emotions get carried off when she hears the shakiness in his voice, sees the bruises and scabs on his hand. He seems to her like he's breaking, and she is too. ]
Peter... I've missed you too. Like hell.
[ But really isn't the time and place to get emotional. Nope, not with the Ravagers right there, so she's quick to follow up with something else. ]
God, what is wrong with us?
[ Yep.That's the best she can do at the moment. ]
Smooth-talker.
[ But then everything else sinks in, and she isn't quite expecting what happens. What she had been expecting was a pause before he would realize she's actually there, and then he would say Holy fuck, Kasumi, you shouldn't be here, or something to that effect--something similar to the last time they saw each other. Or maybe a you just can't stay away from me, can you? She certainly wasn't expecting him to do something as open as reaching for her hand, either, especially when the Ravagers are only a few feet away, so she ends up staring at their hands for a brief moment before she looks back at him with worry in her eyes.
She's a sentimental person at heart, after all, so her emotions get carried off when she hears the shakiness in his voice, sees the bruises and scabs on his hand. He seems to her like he's breaking, and she is too. ]
Peter... I've missed you too. Like hell.
[ But really isn't the time and place to get emotional. Nope, not with the Ravagers right there, so she's quick to follow up with something else. ]
God, what is wrong with us?
[ Yep.That's the best she can do at the moment. ]
[ He laughs softly, pulling a hand down his face. His eyes were stinging, and not because of the bruising of his skin. He really is just-- bone tired, but, hey, Kasumi's here, at least for a little while. He could do with the pick-me-up. ]
We're seriously being gross right now, huh?
[ His grin is his one of his usual lopsided-but-charming affairs, but it's not as bright as it could be. He squeezes her hand, once, before pulling away. Best not to prolong it, he thinks. Risky enough that he even pulled that stunt, small as it was, even worse that he didn't think to leave at least one barstool between them instead of sitting right next to her. If the Krylorian wasn't unwittingly providing such a good distraction, the Ravagers would've been suspicious of how close he is to Kasumi, and the least-drunk among them probably could have put two and two together, would have hauled him away or, worse, would have turned their attentions on hurting her.
They've been lucky so far, and Peter's thankful for it. Fortune rarely smiles upon him, but he's not naive enough to expect it to last. ]
I can't stay here long. Sooner or later the guys are gonna notice they still haven't gotten their drinks. [ He's turning to face forward again, hands wrapping around the glass the bartender had given him earlier; he's still looking at her from the corner of his eye, though. ]
You, uh. You been alright?
We're seriously being gross right now, huh?
[ His grin is his one of his usual lopsided-but-charming affairs, but it's not as bright as it could be. He squeezes her hand, once, before pulling away. Best not to prolong it, he thinks. Risky enough that he even pulled that stunt, small as it was, even worse that he didn't think to leave at least one barstool between them instead of sitting right next to her. If the Krylorian wasn't unwittingly providing such a good distraction, the Ravagers would've been suspicious of how close he is to Kasumi, and the least-drunk among them probably could have put two and two together, would have hauled him away or, worse, would have turned their attentions on hurting her.
They've been lucky so far, and Peter's thankful for it. Fortune rarely smiles upon him, but he's not naive enough to expect it to last. ]
I can't stay here long. Sooner or later the guys are gonna notice they still haven't gotten their drinks. [ He's turning to face forward again, hands wrapping around the glass the bartender had given him earlier; he's still looking at her from the corner of his eye, though. ]
You, uh. You been alright?
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