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Yondu and some other Ravagers are out on a job, and Yondu brings little Peter along for some experience training.
The planet is really cold. Snowy ground, ice clinging to the trees, the works.
It wasn’t supposed to be. They thought for sure this part of the planet was in its summer months, so other than their regular Ravager jackets, they aren’t exactly prepared. However, they travelled a long way, they aren’t just going to turn back when what they came for should somewhere among the ruins nearby.
None of the other Ravagers want to get stuck with a cold whiny kid when they split up to find what they came for, and so Yondu pretends he’s doing them a favor by keeping Peter with him. (In truth, he wants to make sure none of them “accidentally on purpose” leave the boy behind.)
They split up and look around the ruins for their score, and before long it’s getting dark. Then it starts snowing. Hard.
Kraglin tries to call Yondu but only manages to get out “…Blizzard… *Static* … too far… *Crackle* …ship *Static*…find shelter-” before the signal cuts out. But the message is clear enough. It’s starting to blizzard, they won’t be able to reach the ship, they need to find shelter until it passes.
The ruined building Yondu and Peter had been searching has a good enough roof over it, so Yondu declares they’ll stay in there for the night.
Peter would complain, but Yondu has that tone in his voice. The one that means “Ya better listen to me, boy, or ya might die.” Only not in the threatening way. This tone means danger. It means something has gone wrong.
Peter whimpers that he’s cold, and Yondu rips a dusty tapestry off the wall, tossing it at the boy and telling him, “Here. Now get some sleep.” before pulling a big old rug against the only non-exterior wall to sit down himself, leaning his back against the wall. The rug is big enough for both of them, so Peter lays down at the other end a few feet from his captain, curling himself into the makeshift blanket. He manages to fall asleep quickly despite the cold, or maybe because of it.
But the little guy is shivering so bad Yondu can hear him. He can hear his little teeth chattering in his skull as he watches the little shaking form beneath the dusty cloth.
Yondu furrows his brow. The boy really needs to be warmer.
But what's he supposed to do about it? Hold him close for warmth? Pfft. Yeah right. Yondu Udonta is not a cuddler. No sir. He’s the toughest Ravager Captain this side of the Galaxy.
But the boy is surely gonna chip a tooth if he keeps chattering his chompers like that…
No. Yondu has killed scores of assholes with just a whistle. Men hear his name and run in fear. He ain’t no cuddler.
But it’s awfully cold. How cold can Terrans get, especially little ones, before they…?
Absolutely not. Nope. Not gonna happen. He’ll be fine. Yondu Udonta does. not. cuddle.
***
Yondu wakes up to Kraglin nudging his boot with his own. He squints up groggily in the bright morning light to see Kraglin and his other three men looking down at him with raised eyebrows. He looks down.
Peter, still wrapped in the dusty old tapestry, is sat in his lap, curled up against his chest. He’s still got his arms wrapped protectively around the boy.
He looks back up at his men with a stony face, and somehow manages to stand without dropping or waking the young Terran, who, in fact, actually just reflexively curls up tighter into his captain’s chest.
As he gruffly pawns him off to Kraglin he says, “What? Did ya’ll really think I was just gonna let my skinniest thief freeze to death?? Who else would get into the places he can??” before walking off and declaring they’re going home.
“But boss? What about the score?” one of his men calls after him.
Yondu keeps walking, doesn’t turn around to face them. He can feel his cheeks are just a bit too warm for that… He throws up a dismissive hand. “Fuck the score. It’ll still be here when this place thaws.”