It Had To Be You

Peter sat in the Collector’s museum again. He was beside a large pond which still housed his two flowers. To be specific, he was sitting on a nice flat stone along the pond’s edge. Ronan was standing in front of him and droning on and on about Kree anatomy. Peter wondered if it was possible to fall asleep from boredom in your own dream. He still wasn’t sure giving the big idiot a body was for the best, not to mention the whole-

“Whoa! What are you doing?” Peter demanded as Ronan began stripping himself of his clothing. How had he missed the removal of his armor?

“There is no better way to acquaint you with the knowledge of my body than showing it to you.” Ronan reasoned casually. Shouldn’t he be embarrassed or something?

“Why should I be embarrassed?” Ronan tilted his head. “I am everything a Kree warrior should wish to be. Tall, athletic, well defined, and proportionately endowed.”

Peter felt his cheeks blush as he watched Ronan drop his pants as he spoke. He immediately looked away, because apparently in the last few minutes he’d somehow turned into a teenage girl. All that was missing was a loudly exclaimed “Eww!”

“I really don’t need-”

“You do, because there will be no guess work. You will not ‘wing it’ when you build my body.” Ronan warned irritably.

Peter still didn’t want to look, so he didn’t. He kept his eyes on the flowers and focused on their pretty little melody. He felt something strange tickle in his chest and before he knew it, that electrical charge was building up.

“Do you find me lacking in some way?” Ronan nearly shouted as he stood before him.

His jaw dropping, Peter quickly shook his head and stood up to face him. “No, God no! That’s not what I meant at all!” Oh fuck, he hadn’t thought Ronan was capable of having his feelings hurt. He wasn’t meaning to be insulting, truthfully, he was worried he didn’t measure up to Ronan.

“Then why do you look away as if disgusted?” The very tall and very naked Kree demanded, his tone no more pacified than a shrieking A’askavariian.

“I’m not! I’m not at all, I’m just you know? I’m not used to seeing men in the nude.” Peter shrugged, hoping that Ronan could understand.

“Why should this state of undress disturb you? I have heard of your exploits, I am fully aware of the women you have copulated with.”

“Yeah, Ronan, women. Not men.” Peter blushed, still forcing his eyes not to take in the sight of all that well defined, blue flesh.

“For a man who was once referred to as a Casanova of the Stars, I am surprised to find you so limited in your sexuality.” It was so difficult with Ronan’s tone to tell if he was teasing him or being serious.

“Wait, you’ve heard of Casanova? That’s a Terran.” Peter frowned. “I barely know about him.” 

“That’s because you are uneducated and preoccupied with yourself.” Ronan snapped.

“Hey!” Peter held up a finger and pointed it in Ronan’s face. “You aren’t one to be calling any one out on being a selfish jerk! You tried to destroy a planet!”

Rolling his purple eyes, the blue alien shook his head in obvious irritation. “We have been over this; how many more times must you bring it up?”

“How about until I get a promise that you aren’t going after Xandarians or Xandar.”

“You are more likely to hear Groot say something other than ‘I am Groot’ or ‘We are Groot’ than to hear such a promise from my lips.” Ronan snarled as he stepped into Peter’s space.

“Whoa!” Peter’s eyes widened as he stepped back, his eyes staring down at Ronan’s nudity. Too bad he wasn’t paying attention to where he’d been standing as he tripped over the pond ledge and fell in, ass first. “Damn it!”

Ronan snorted as he stared down at him. “You are abysmally unaware of your surroundings even when you are the one creating them.” He paused for a moment while Peter glared up at him, thinking about how he could ring his neck without touching the giant jerk while naked. “Then again, your attention to detail is highly impressive.”

“Because I fell?” Peter griped, his legs hanging over the ledge while the rest of his ass, mid torso and hands were in at least a foot and a half of water.   

“Precisely.” Ronan smiled, and it was a strange, black toothed smile that seemed almost genuine, which only caused Peter to blush more, much to his horror. “When your mind creates something it becomes fixed. You have created everything surrounding us. You didn’t have to trip or fall in to the pond, but you did because when you created it here, you didn’t forget about it. Its details are present in the back of your mind without you needing to focus your attention on it.”

Huh. When he put it that way, Peter could definitely understand how that was pretty awesome. Though, to be honest, he was still mostly horrified that he’d managed to trip in his own damned head and was feeling soggy and gross sitting in a pond. He blinked as a blue hand came into view.

“Uh…”

“Don’t be a child. Take my hand.” Ronan ordered.

Peter shivered at both the tone and the memory of his mother. Those two really shouldn’t be blended together so he tried to get up without the Kree’s help. When he got to his feet, he saw that same look flash in Ronan’s eyes and before he could apologize, he felt a hard impact to his chest, knocking him back into the pond.

“What the fuck?”

“Accept my help or you will find yourself in the water.” Ronan warned, once again offering his hand.

“What is your deal?”

“You will become familiar with me, you will stop looking at me as if I am somehow lesser than the countless women you’ve lain with, and you will build me my body.” Ronan all but shouted.

Yeah, he’d definitely hurt Ronan’s feelings. Peter could see it clear as day, whether the Accuser wanted to admit it or not. He could understand, he supposed. He’d tried to look anywhere, but Ronan’s body and he’d refused his help even after the guy had given him a sincere compliment.

“You’re not lesser than the women I’ve fucked!” Peter shouted as he remained sitting in the water. He didn’t care if he looked like a bratty, pouting child. “I’m just not used to…I mean,” Peter frowned as he rubbed his face with his wet hands. God, how was he supposed to explain this? “It’s not like Drax, you know?”

Those lavender eyes flared with fury and Peter knew he’d fucked up in his wording. “I should think not.” The Kree snarled through gritted teeth.

“Easy Ronan, fuck. That’s not what I meant. I mean…” He sighed and took Ronan’s still offered hand and tried not to blush when he found himself standing extremely close to the naked, blue warrior. “I mean, I never really noticed Drax. He walks around shirtless, I was aware he was well built, but that’s it. I just knew, but I didn’t care.”

Ronan looked as confused as Peter felt. Was it because he was trying to feel him out? He nearly laughed at the thought. That wouldn’t do him any good. Not because Peter didn’t know how he felt, but because he didn’t know how to explain it and that’s all his feelings were focused on. Stupid jerk deserved to be knocked down a few pegs, though.

“Stop insulting me in your head.”

“At least I don’t do it out loud, unlike you.” Peter returned.

“Get to your point, my patience is running thin.” Ronan ordered.

“I…” He took a deep breath and closed his eyes and said it as fast as he could. “Ifindyouintimidating.”

“Repeat yourself at a slower pace.”

Peter glared, mostly because he wasn’t sure if the man just wanted to hear him say it again or if he truly hadn’t made sense of it. “I said, I might, find you…intimidating.”

“That is to be expected. I was bred to be this and only this.” Ronan replied and held out his hand. “The only way to overcome your fears is to face them.”

“Why are you handing me your hand?” Peter demanded.

“You must do more than see my body, you must familiarize yourself.”

Peter swallowed as he found himself looking from the blue hand and down toward blue hips. He felt his cheeks burn as he looked back up to the face those hips belonged to. “Do I have to?” 

Ronan’s eyes narrowed as Peter felt them study him carefully. He felt a shift, and somehow knew that he’d boosted the Kree’s ego, especially as amusement began to filter in. “You’re afraid to touch me.”

“What?”

“I am not intimidating to you because you fear me.” He reasoned and then there was a strange look as the Kree tilted his head. Was he trying to feel him out emotionally again? Ronan clearly had a better grasp on how to read their bond and therefore how to read him.

“Dude, just let it go.” He tried, but the Kree was having none of it.

“I intimidate you because you are insecure. Your place in my life is unsteady and you are not sure how to react to me…” Peter tried to deny it, but Ronan just kept talking. “You are afraid of enjoying touching me.” Ronan grinned. “You are afraid you will have a visible reaction.”

“Okay, I’m out of here.” He decided as he looked all about them. “How do I get out of here?”

Just as he turned around to find an exit, he felt Ronan step up to him, pressing his naked front into his back. Peter blushed and felt his entire body heat up at the unexpected contact. He felt Ronan’s right arm wrap partially around his waist, as the same hand came up and rested on Peter’s heart. The free hand wasn’t really free because it was holding Peter’s left wrist tightly. The electricity crackled between them, and Peter’s breath hitched as he felt Ronan’s lips press against the shell of his ear.

“I cannot see if your body reacts to mine like this. There is nothing to be ashamed of, Terran, even if you did.” He spoke in a low voice that was almost hypnotizing and definitely…seductive. “I want you to place your right hand on top of mine and just feel it. Run your fingertips over mine. Feel the bones, the muscles, the ligaments. Notice the differences between the two of us.”

With a shuddering breath, Peter nodded as he raised his hand up to his heart, where Ronan’s hand was still firmly placed. It might have seemed intimate, but he reminded himself that this was simply a good hold for Ronan to have in case he tried to run away from him, which was really what his instincts were telling him to do. Just run. Run and run until he’d been caught and pinned down...and what the fuck was wrong with his head?

A deep chuckle vibrated against his ear and Peter’s eyes closed at the sound, his body tensing in both fear and excitement. “Your mind instinctively knows it’s place.”

“Shut up.” Peter griped and to make sure he did, he placed his hand atop Ronan’s.

The first thing he noticed once his heart stopped pumping so hard that all he could hear was his heart beat, was that Ronan had long fingers. Not disproportionately so, but what his mother had once referred to as piano fingers. They were long and slender. The skin atop the hand was soft and if there were scars he couldn’t feel them. Then again, he wasn’t sure that all types of scars could be felt. So, he focused next on the finger tips and found that unlike his own, Ronan’s finger nails hung about a centimeter off the fingers.

He then turned the hand over, so the top of Ronan’s hand rested somewhat awkwardly, but there was no complaint voiced. As Peter touched the bottom side of the hand, he realized he could feel calluses; tough and hardened skin from years of training with what Peter assumed was his war hammer.

Feeling a little more curiosity and a lot less trepidation, he pulled Ronan’s hand from his chest and found his left hand was free to help the other explore. Just as he was getting comfortable holding the Kree’s hand, he felt Ronan’s left hand skim down his side until it rested firmly on his hip. Again, Peter shivered and tried to ignore the way it felt as he attempted to focus on the blue hand in his. He looked down, squeezing and testing the strength of the limb.

Ronan said nothing, but Peter noticed his breathing stutter once or twice when he squeezed the flesh between the thumb and index finger. It was an erogenous zone for many, and even for those it wasn’t, it was still a pleasant and relaxing muscle to have massaged, so he continued. He wouldn’t admit aloud that he was curious as to what other sounds the alien might make.

When he finished the impromptu massage, he very softly ran the pads of his own finger tips down the top of Ronan’s. He felt the Kree shiver against his back and both heard and felt a low growl rumble in the chest against him. The hand at his hip then applied just a little pressure.

“Peter,” Oh but God, his name shouldn’t sound like that on the tongue of a Kree Accuser.

“Yeah?” He asked as he tried to turn and face him, but he found he was rooted in place as Ronan took back his hand and held him still against him.

Warm breath blew against his left ear as those alien hands came up to his torso, pulling him against the Kree’s hard chest. He wondered if it felt just as charged to Ronan as it did him. Peter was confused by the warmth against his neck and ear when it felt like sparks and snaps of electricity were running against his back.

“You are distracted, and your thoughts are equally so for me.” Ronan admitted, but he didn’t sound all that upset about the behavior.

“Well, you are pressed up against me and…” Peter swallowed. “Look I’ve never uh, I’ve never been with a, you know with a, uh…a male…before.”

Peter swore he heard the Kree purr at the revelation, but just as he tried to ask about it the presence was gone. Peter woke up in his bed aboard the Milano. “What the fuck?”

Rocket, Gamora and Drax were frowning down at him, their eyes focused on something that Peter was holding.

Actually, what was it?

He looked down and found he was holding a Kree-blue hand. A Kree-blue, right hand. Ronan’s Kree blue, right hand. Which was in no way attached to anything. It was just a fucking hand! He shouted and tossed the hand off him as he simultaneously rolled away from it. He promptly fell out of his bed. “What the fuck!”

“You made a hand?” Drax frowned as he moved to stand over the appendage.

“No.” Peter denied as he shook his head and got to his feet. Rocket and Drax were both kneeling down beside the hand and staring at it, though neither seemed willing to touch it, yet. “No, that’s not possible.”

Gamora, who had hung back for whatever reason, looked at him sympathetically. “Peter, you know that’s not true. It is very possible.”

“It’s a hand! Just a fucking hand! No body, no…” He paused as he searched for the words to express his surprise and sort of his fear at having woken up holding a damned hand!

“Your craftsmanship is remarkable.” Drax stated and Peter turned to see the alien holding the hand and looking it over carefully.

“I gotta admit Quill, this is better than I thought it’d be.” Rocket grumbled, his claws on his hips. “You even got those dark blue nails down and the calluses seem right, too.”

Peter didn’t know whether to feel proud or horrified, but just as he was starting to go with horrified, he felt a surge of pride settle over him like a blanket. He couldn’t help the relief and the ease he felt at recognizing his soul-mate’s presence. Weird and fucked up as he insisted to himself that it was. He just felt better knowing that he hadn’t really disappeared when he’d been pulled from the dream.

“Thanks, Rocket.” Peter mumbled. “So, what’s up?”

“We’re approaching Xandar.” Gamora told him. “We’re an hour away and we figured we should keep an eye on you.”

“In case the Kree shacking up in your body decides to get homicidal.” Rocket snickered meanly.

“Just out of curiosity, what would you do?” Peter asked, he tried to ignore the smug impression that Ronan was giving him.

“It would be poor strategy to make you aware of our plans.” Drax answered as he walked over and handed him the hand.

“Nice try though, Quill. Or Ronan. Whichever.” Rocket shrugged.

Peter took the hand and frowned. “This is creepy.”

“It is unsettling.” Gamora agreed, her burgundy eyes remaining on it, despite the revulsion etched so plainly on her green face. “Throw it out, Peter. We don’t need random Kree parts cluttering up the ship.”

“Better be the only Kree part I see, I’m warning you now.” Rocket muttered.

“Dude!” Peter snapped, but he knew his cheeks were burning red. Damn Ronan and his stupid nude body being all pressed up against him. “All of you get out! I’ll be in the cock-pit momentarily.”

“Fancy way of saying just a sec.” Rocket glared as his nose twitched, a sure sign that he was irritated and feeling antagonistic.

“Perhaps you too should work on your vocabulary, Rocket.” Drax suggested. “It is good to have an articulate captain.”

“Not to mention Groot could certainly use a less vulgar influence.” Gamora agreed as the three walked out of Peter’s room.

“You both can go fuck yourselves,” Rocket growled just as the door shut.

Peter stared at the lifeless hand that he was still hanging onto for some reason. He sat back on his bed, inspecting it to see if it really was as accurate as the others claimed. Because really, how would they know? It wasn’t like they spent any amount of time just studying one hand like he had moments ago.

He shivered at the unexpected memories of Ronan at his back and he closed his eyes tight. “No.” He told himself firmly. “No. You were learning his body and nothing else.” 

Peter hated that he had reacted, even in a dream to the sound of Ronan’s voice or the warmth of his hands on him, or even the way he shivered at the feel of his lips moving on his ear. At least he’d been turned away from the Kree. Even if he hadn’t physically responded down there, it would have been mortifying if he had. Especially since the nude Kree seemed only to be mocking him. Ronan certainly hadn’t responded to him being pressed against his naked body, even as he touched and teased.

Angry and embarrassed, Peter wasn’t at all surprised to find that he couldn’t feel Ronan anymore. What exactly did he do when he wasn’t nearby haunting him? Did he sleep or rest or something? He was just there a moment ago, but then, he was probably just feeding him that feeling of pride so that he wouldn’t give up on making him a body.

He ran a hand through his hair, his own, and shook his head. “God, stop being a girl!” He reprimanded himself as he stood back up. He didn’t want to be bonded to Ronan, but he especially didn’t want to be his lover, right? Right. Besides, Ronan was wrong. “Oh man, I really am insecure, aren’t I?”

When he didn’t receive an answer or any foreign feelings he nodded to himself and then looked at the hand. It seemed a waste to just toss it, but he wondered if it had to be. He created it, why couldn’t he un-create it or maybe even turn it into something else?

He smirked as he held the hand tightly and closed his eyes, concentrating hard. He felt sweat beading along his brow as his breathing increased both in depth and in frequency. He held the image as best he could, until finally, he felt his head spinning and figured it was as good as it would get.

“Huh. Not bad.” He smiled as he stared down at his creation. Sure, it was a little creepy, but it made him feel a lot better about the idea of creating a body for Ronan.