resting in the hands of strangers for just a crumb of attention
Peter hasn’t run a seduction mission in months, and it feels weird. He hasn’t had to use his body to get what he wants or to aid his crew. He doesn’t know how he feels about that.
Growing up, Peter was made to believe that his looks were all he was good for. He was a good distraction, a good bargaining tool. People trusted a pretty face, and therefore, they trusted Peter.
But, now, Gamora handles it if they’re a few units short. And Rocket makes distractions. Peter doesn’t know where that leaves him.
So, one day when the guardians split up and Peter goes to buy supplies to last them the next month, he flirts his way into discount and sleeps his way into free groceries. It feels good to help. Now, they have extra units to spend elsewhere.
When the team meets up again, Gamora asks how much he spent, and Peter tells her that he spent nothing.
“What do you mean?”
“It was free.”
“And how,” Gamora glares, “was it free?”
Peter shrugs. “I slept with the saleswoman.”
Gamora stops. Rocket stops. Drax stops.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” Rocket scoffs in disbelief.
“I was saving us units, man,” Peter defended. “I did it for the Ravagers all the time.”
“Ship,” Gamora growled, “Now.”
No one says anything, they just follow her to the Milano in uncomfortable silence.
“We,” Gamora hisses, once she has Peter sat at the dinner table, “are not the Ravagers. We pay for our things. You do not sleep with people to get freebies.”
Peter opens his mouth but finds he has nothing to say.
“How long has this been a thing?” Rocket asks, arms crossed and brows furrowed.
“I dunno, since I was little. It’s no big deal. It’s not like I stole from her.”
“Peter, it’s not a matter of whether or not you stole. It’s the fact that the Ravagers had you using your body to get things for them.” Gamora tells him. “That’s not right.”
“What? No, it’s fine. I got used to it. I'm good at it.” Peter can’t quite grasp what the problem is. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he remembers the dirty feeling he used to get after flirting his way into or out of things, but it seems like such a long time ago.
“It is immoral on my planet for little ones to have such relations with adults,” Drax informs, “I do not feel right knowing that this has happened to you.”
“I mean, I guess it wasn’t ideal,” Peter concedes, “but it’s just how things were.”
“So, you’re saying Yondu made you sleep with people when you were, what, fifteen? And you just don’t see anything wrong with that? I knew I hated that blue bastard.” Rocket adds in, shaking his head.
“It wasn’t as bad as you’re all making it seem,” Peter says, resolute.
“If Thanos making me kill to earn my keep is wrong, then Yondu making you have sex with others to earn yours is wrong,” Gamora decides quietly.
Peter pauses. He thinks.
“You’re right. But I’m an adult. And I still chose to sleep with some people to get what I wanted.”
“Yeah, because Yondu flargin’ brainwashed you,” Rocket growls.
“Guys,” Peter sighs. “Can we just drop it for now? Please?”
“This is why the Ravagers say you are pretty, is it not?” Drax questions suddenly.
“Yes,” Peter responds truthfully, “they call me that because of my reputation.”
“Peter,” Gamora says suddenly, “the Ravagers never- they didn’t…”
It takes a moment to click.
“No! Gods, no. Yondu made sure they knew I was off limits.” Peter swears.
“Ah, so he’s good for something,” Rocket grumbles.
Eventually, the team decides to leave it alone. They all gather to put away the supplies they didn’t buy and then disperse throughout the ship.
Peter stands alone in the kitchen. He wanders over to the cockpit and puts his headphones on, staring out at the planet that started this all. If he strains hard enough, Peter imagines he can hear the docking crew’s shouts.
He knows that they have nothing else to buy from this planet, yet he hesitates to leave. It doesn’t feel right without Gamora in the co-pilot chair. Peter’s fingers tap a beat against his thigh.
Was being made to seduce people at a young age really that bad? He vaguely remembers the grownups on Terra whispering about the gods-awful teacher who got too familiar with a student. They thought that was bad. But Peter was initiating it, right? Not the adult. So was it even the same thing?
Ugh, this was all so confusing. He wishes he could go back to thirty minutes ago when the team never brought up the ethics of his role.
But then, Gamora emerges from behind him. She places a warm hand on his shoulder and nods. Peter nods back with a grin. Gamora slips into the co-pilot chair, and Peter smiles wider, preparing the ship for takeoff.