To Catch a Thief | Peter Quill

Part 8

It was 8 o'clock sharp on Thursday night which meant movie night and take-out food at Peter's. You haven't hung out since your birthday, and you hated to admit it, but you missed him. Sure, you were tailing him all week and texting each other, but it wasn't the same.

"Hey, Peter. What's up?" You barged through his front door not bothering to knock.

"Trying to figure out where to order from," he answered, sifting through the huge stack of menus. "Any ideas? Mexican, Greek, Chinese, Italian...."

"I'm down for whatever," you interrupted him. You didn't need to hear all the different menus when we would end up ordering pizza from down the street. "Ah...Can I ask you a question that's been bothering me?" He hummed. "How do you know Yondu?"

"Oh, that......" He set the menus down and spread them out and closed his eyes picking one at random. He looked at the menu with disgust, then did it again. This time he seemed satisfied and cleared his throat as his eyes ran across the menu. "He was the first officer on the scene the night my father was murdered."

"Oh, okay. Wait, hold up....your father was murdered?" You raised your brows as your mouth dropped open in shock. You knew this, but you had to play the part. "You only told me he died."

"Uh yeah....petty details. Look, I don't want to get into this tonight. Can we just hang out and forget about life's problems?" He rocked on the back of his feet tapping the menu against his palm.

"Of course, sorry, it's my curious nature. What's on the agenda tonight?" Peter seemed nervous, almost like something was bothering him with the way he changed the subject so fast. Did he figure out you were on the case? Is he going to ask you about it?

"For starters, I've been meaning to give you this." He stepped closer to you after grabbing a thin square covered in unicorn wrapping paper. "I was gonna give it to you on your birthday when we got back, but that didn't happen so I waited. Then you got busy and finally your not busy, so....."

"You didn't have to get me anything?"

"I wanted to. Happy Birthday, YN." He flashed you a gentle smile.

You ripped it open as your eyes widened seeing what was underneath the paper. Inside was a vinyl disk with a colorful cover that read 'YN Birthday Mix Vol. 1'. A mixtape via vinyl, you couldn't stop the smile spreading across your face.

"I don't know what to say, Peter. Thank you so much. I love it. No one's done anything like this for me in....in a long time." You turned it over and started reading the playlist.

Side A

Separate ways by Journey

Hooked on a Feeling by Blue Swede

I Feel the Earth Move by Carole King

Brandy by The Looking Glass

Nothing From Nothing by Billy Preston

Just the Way You Are by Billy Joel

Side B

Night Moves by Bob Seger

Edge of Seventeen by Stevie Nicks

Saturday Night's Alright (For Fighting) by Elton John

Faithfully by Journey