Chapter Text
Honestly, Kraglin had lost track of how long he had been on the Eclector . The days had long since run together simply from the routine, not to mention the lack of clear time without the constant presence of a sun. And he’d gotten used to the way of life as well as he could. It had taken a long time, but he felt like a Ravager now.
It was as he was preparing the roster for the next rotation that Kraglin heard heavy bootfalls behind him, and the gruff voice of his Captain approaching. “What’re ya doin’ here?” Kraglin swiveled his chair around to face Yondu as he came towards him, and for a moment he felt a twinge of guilt, like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have been. It wasn’t grounded in anything reasonable, except for the fact that he was perhaps a little more relaxed than he should’ve been. Boots off, feet tucked under him as he sat cross-legged in the pilot’s seat. The tension he had started to carry in his shoulders over the last few months was very obviously beginning to take a toll on him, and in some ways it seemed that moments like these were one of the few times he was able to de-stress. Kraglin took his job seriously, and if that meant the first mate worked harder than even the Captain, then so be it… not that he would ever suggest that to Yondu.
“I’m just finishing this up, Cap’n,” he murmured, unfolding his legs and setting his feet down on the floor. He nonchalantly started to pull his boots back on, just in case Yondu was about to kick him off the bridge. But the Captain just hovered for a second and then sat down in the other chair.
“Ya’ve been on this ship for how long, Kraglin? Ten months?” Yondu leaned back and picked at something in his teeth with a fingernail. Once, Kraglin might’ve found that gross, but he barely noticed now.
“I ain’t sure exactly, something like that I think,” he replied with a shrug. “It’s been a while.”
“Yes.” Yondu sounded thoughtful. “Ya oughtta take a vacation.”
“I know, I know, I should know better than to— wait, what?” Kraglin spluttered, the words registering a little too late. “ Vacation?”
“Sure.” Yondu shrugged. “Ya work hard, ya’ve been busy non-stop for weeks. Ya deserve a break, time to go relax on some sleazy resort planet with all the women and sex bots ya could ask for.” Kraglin blinked. Was he teasing him? “That is, unless ya don’t want to, in which case I got a pile of work fer ya to do.”
“No! I mean— I would love to have some shore leave, I mean… if ya really don’t need me here.” Kraglin fumbled over his words, unable to hide his surprise. This was the last thing he had been expecting, and he couldn’t help but feel there was a catch to it, somewhere. But if there was, Yondu wasn’t making that clear just now.
“Nah. We’ll survive withoutcha fer a week, Krags. We did it before ya came.”
“Not as good,” Kraglin shot back, boldly. Yondu just quirked an eyebrow and snickered.
“Yer right,” he said with a shrug. “But I think we can handle it. Go. Take an M-ship and enjoy yerself.” He plucked the datapad from his first mate’s hands. “I’ll finish this off, or get Tullk to do it.”
“...Thank ya, Cap’n.” Kraglin still sounded a little baffled as he stood up and stretched. “I appreciate it.” He started to walk toward the door.
“I better not hear any complaining about work from ya after this!” Yondu called after him, and he couldn’t help but give an amused sigh. There was always something.
***
It didn’t take long for Kraglin to locate a tropical vacation planet to spend his week off. Not that he had any experience with such things, as he had gone straight from his Nova Corps duties to the busy life of a Ravager. Vacation was new for him, but he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to enjoy it.
Yondu had been right, too. There was plenty to keep him occupied. He didn’t even realize how badly he needed this break until he was there. He napped a lot, mostly, enjoying the sunlight on the beach. Maybe he even dipped his toes in the water a few times. And if this was the cleanest he’d been in ten months, well no one was going to know anyway.
Still, there was something to be said for the normalcy the routine of the Eclector brought, and Kraglin found himself on occasion uncomfortable with the lack of structure in his downtime. He sort of missed the hustle and bustle, the order (or lack thereof), and even the smell. Sometimes.
But that was it, really.
Or, maybe he missed the company of Tullk, or Iznen.
No one else.
***
So okay.
He missed Yondu a little bit.
When you start spending that much time with a person, separation can be unnerving, right?
***
It might’ve been more than a little bit.
No need to ruin the rest of his shore leave by thinking about work, though.
***
A tropical beach on a resort planet can be sort of lonely when you’re by yourself.
***
By the time his vacation was over, Kraglin was anxious and ready to go back. His M-ship met the Eclector at the designated rendezvous point and he headed straight to Yondu’s cabin so he could find out what all he missed.
“Ya get sunburnt or something?” Yondu grunted, giving Kraglin a withering look. He frowned and looked at his hands. They were a little pink. Ugh.
“Everything under control here?” Kraglin asked, changing the subject.
“O’ course, I told ya it would be.” Amusement laced the Captain’s tone. “Anxious to come home?”
Kraglin shuffled his feet. “Something like that.”
“Back to work tomorrow,” Yondu said. “Ya might want to go to medbay, get that burn checked on. Looks like it’s spreading to yer face too!”
Well, that wasn’t a sunburn.
Kraglin turned away and nodded, already moving toward the door. “I’ll be on call first thing, Cap’n.”
“I ain’t got a doubt about it.”
As Kraglin retreated down the hallway, he sighed. Being back felt right. Talking with the Captain also felt right, and he cursed himself on becoming dependent on another person for contentment. Was that really what it was? It seemed like it. With that unsettling thought, he reached his cabin and turned in for the night, still taking in everything he’d been feeling all week.