[ Peter has never been great at inspirational speeches, at least not in the time that she's known him. But this? There's honesty there, and something dark and raw and angry and real. It's anchoring, reassuring.
It brings her peace. Not much, but enough. A sliver of light through the clouds, and her smile may be just as tired as it was before, but this time there's something sweet and almost hopeful about it. ]
I have to wonder sometimes what I did to deserve you.
[ His smile is small, but no less genuine. ] Pretty sure I should be the one askin' that, actually.
You'll get through this. I'll be with you every step of the way -- as long as you need me, and probably even when you don't.
[ He looks thoughtful for a second, then he puts his hands to her cheeks, slides them back a little to gently cup her ears. He presses his forehead to hers -- one second, two seconds -- before pulling back.
Yondu taught him this when he was young, had done it to him. One of the other Ravagers had taken his Walkman, and Peter had thrown himself at him, bit and scratched and screamed and kicked like a wild animal until the pirate in question had easily knocked him down and left him with a split lip. Only Yondu's intervention had spared them both from another round.
You know what it means when I do this, boy? They were in Yondu's quarters, Peter sat on his lap trying desperately not to cry from stress and relief in front of the captain. When Peter shook his head, clutching the tape player to his chest, Yondu told him, It's a Centaurian gesture. Means "I promise" or "I swear to you." When someone does that to you, means he's made you a solemn vow. So now you know when I say this ain't gonna happen again, when I say I'm makin' sure ain't no one takin' that player from you, I mean it. You hear me?
And for Peter, the gesture made sense. He can stumble over words, he can lie through his teeth; he can bend truths and offer conciliatory remarks and make speeches all he wants -- but he's always let his actions speak for him. Just like his mom taught him, just like Yondu taught him, in the captain's weird way. ]
Whatever you want, whatever you need, it's yours, okay?
[ the significance of the gesture is lost on her- evident in the way she blinks at him a couple of times- but she appreciates it nonetheless. It's obvous it was important just by the deliberate nature of his movements. ]
I guess at this point I don't know what I want. But you're right, what I need is rest.
[ She says it with a little smirk. She's far from okay, but she thinks that maybe, just maybe, with Peter's help, she'll get there.
Just as she's thinking about what she's going to have to tell Sir Hammerlock when they get back, the Fast Travel whirs to life and Gaige, Axton and Rocket materialize out of the blue light. (Never a more dangerous combination on all of Pandora, Maya thinks with no small amount of amusement.)
It's easy enough to pass on the details of the job with only a couple concerned questions, and she watches, amused, as the three of them descend the hill. ]
... I wonder if we'll be able to see the explosion from Sanctuary.
[ To say their arrival was well-timed is an understatement, but it was welcome, nevertheless. Peter had been especially stern with Rocket, making sure that he understood that blowing things up is fine and dandy, but to make sure that the blast radius wouldn't catch their new acquaintances in addition to whatever beasties they were targeting.
His warnings were met with an annoyed, "I'm not a goddamn idiot, Quill," and grumblings as they headed downhill. ]
I won't lie. I'm kind of tempted to stick around and watch the fireworks. But!
[ He stands, brushing himself off, then offering a hand to Maya. A small part of him is tempted to just pick her up and carry her all the way back, but he's pretty sure that'd piss her off, make her feel babied, so he doesn't. ]
[ She's tempted to tell Peter that if Gaige and Axton can survive the Warrior, they can survive Rocket, but, well. She's seen Rocket in action. As for his offered hand, she takes it, picking up her rifle with her spare hand before rising to her feet. ]
We shall.
... So what were you saying earlier about beaches?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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It brings her peace. Not much, but enough. A sliver of light through the clouds, and her smile may be just as tired as it was before, but this time there's something sweet and almost hopeful about it. ]
I have to wonder sometimes what I did to deserve you.
... Thank you.
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You'll get through this. I'll be with you every step of the way -- as long as you need me, and probably even when you don't.
[ He looks thoughtful for a second, then he puts his hands to her cheeks, slides them back a little to gently cup her ears. He presses his forehead to hers -- one second, two seconds -- before pulling back.
Yondu taught him this when he was young, had done it to him. One of the other Ravagers had taken his Walkman, and Peter had thrown himself at him, bit and scratched and screamed and kicked like a wild animal until the pirate in question had easily knocked him down and left him with a split lip. Only Yondu's intervention had spared them both from another round.
You know what it means when I do this, boy? They were in Yondu's quarters, Peter sat on his lap trying desperately not to cry from stress and relief in front of the captain. When Peter shook his head, clutching the tape player to his chest, Yondu told him, It's a Centaurian gesture. Means "I promise" or "I swear to you." When someone does that to you, means he's made you a solemn vow. So now you know when I say this ain't gonna happen again, when I say I'm makin' sure ain't no one takin' that player from you, I mean it. You hear me?
And for Peter, the gesture made sense. He can stumble over words, he can lie through his teeth; he can bend truths and offer conciliatory remarks and make speeches all he wants -- but he's always let his actions speak for him. Just like his mom taught him, just like Yondu taught him, in the captain's weird way. ]
Whatever you want, whatever you need, it's yours, okay?
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I guess at this point I don't know what I want. But you're right, what I need is rest.
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[ She says it with a little smirk. She's far from okay, but she thinks that maybe, just maybe, with Peter's help, she'll get there.
Just as she's thinking about what she's going to have to tell Sir Hammerlock when they get back, the Fast Travel whirs to life and Gaige, Axton and Rocket materialize out of the blue light. (Never a more dangerous combination on all of Pandora, Maya thinks with no small amount of amusement.)
It's easy enough to pass on the details of the job with only a couple concerned questions, and she watches, amused, as the three of them descend the hill. ]
... I wonder if we'll be able to see the explosion from Sanctuary.
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His warnings were met with an annoyed, "I'm not a goddamn idiot, Quill," and grumblings as they headed downhill. ]
I won't lie. I'm kind of tempted to stick around and watch the fireworks. But!
[ He stands, brushing himself off, then offering a hand to Maya. A small part of him is tempted to just pick her up and carry her all the way back, but he's pretty sure that'd piss her off, make her feel babied, so he doesn't. ]
Shall we, my lady?
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We shall.
... So what were you saying earlier about beaches?
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Beaches with white sand and clear blue water, with no terrorists or bomb defusing or ambushes or anything. Just us and the waves and the sun.
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Pretty sure we don't have any jobs lined up, so we've got the time, as long as you promise to take it easy.
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That's my girl.