Forget 'near' teary-eyed. When Yondu puts it as plainly as that, that Devero had needed to be saved, his eyes well over. Not out of shame, but pure relief and gratitude to hear it said so simply. He covers Yondu's hand with his own and squeezes.
He's known something was wrong about his relationship with Valdana for a long time, but all of the people and systems that should have alerted on his abuse... hadn't. The safety nets that should have saved him failed, time and again, and left him floundering in a sea of gaslighting and second guesses. And the longer it went on, the deeper she was able to drag him, until the part of him that knew what was happening was wrong had been walled away inside of him and all that was left was her obedient little "submissive".
Yondu's observation validates not only that his position under her had been untenable, but that he couldn't have gotten away from her alone.
Tears fall silently as he listens, lifting his other hand occasionally to wipe them away. "Stakar?" he repeats softly, when the other man's done. "Is that his name, who saved you?"
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He's known something was wrong about his relationship with Valdana for a long time, but all of the people and systems that should have alerted on his abuse... hadn't. The safety nets that should have saved him failed, time and again, and left him floundering in a sea of gaslighting and second guesses. And the longer it went on, the deeper she was able to drag him, until the part of him that knew what was happening was wrong had been walled away inside of him and all that was left was her obedient little "submissive".
Yondu's observation validates not only that his position under her had been untenable, but that he couldn't have gotten away from her alone.
Tears fall silently as he listens, lifting his other hand occasionally to wipe them away. "Stakar?" he repeats softly, when the other man's done. "Is that his name, who saved you?"