"Aren't you a bit young t'be here, kiddo?"

"Boy, I think you took the wrong way, this ain't the Elementary school."

The very young-looking teenager, sauntering through the hallways of the Shatterdome, didn't even listen to the various comments thrown into his direction. Instead he simply continued on his way. He had a large, brown duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, and though it would seem like the weight wasn't exactly fit for someone of his age or statue, he didn't even slow down as he climbed down the metal stairs. His pale face was framed with a halo of golden curls and the delicate features displayed a determination that was surprising. The boy's pale lips were pressed together in a thin line of concentration. His greenish-blue eyes seemed to take in everything around him, from the signs on the narrow metal doors to the flickering lights over his head, but he didn't pay a lot of attention to the people surrounding him. Like this, he didn't even notice that almost everybody he passed turned to stare at him as he walked by. There wasn't much that could surprise these people, especially not in times when huge monsters emerged from an interdimensional rip in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, but even then, this boy was different.

Pavel Andrejevich Chekov tried not to look like he was in a hurry, but he should've arrived about an hour ago and now he was desperate to find the room he had been assigned and then get to the Marshall to announce his arrival as he had been told to. He had memorised the floor plan, had stared at it for hours during his flight and he still couldn't find his room. At least it was way more difficult than he had expected. The system the Americans used on their military bases and aircraft carriers was the most difficult one he had encountered so far. Instead of using simple numbers for decks and hallways, they used letters. And the comments of those people he had encountered so far weren't helping either. They only made him feel more alone and lost, unable to ask someone for directions because they all thought he didn't belong here, so he kept his expression as void of emotions as possible.

Glancing at his watch he uttered a curse in his native language, only to bump into someone as soon as he stopped paying attention to what was in front of him. The force of the impact made him lose his balance completely; he dropped his bag and had to hold onto the other person to keep himself from falling. The man had instinctively reached out and pulled the Russian closer, holding him steady with one arm until the younger one was standing on his own feet again. Pavel felt his cheeks heating up as he stopped clinging to the other and hastily stepped back to reach for his bag. "I am wery sorry, ser. I did not pay attention," he mumbled, his words tinted with a heavy Russian accent. But the other only grinned and patted his shoulder in a gesture of camaraderie. "Neither did I. Guess it's more my fault. I should know better than to run around here."

The guy had black, ruffled hair, and eyes that were almost as dark. And he had a bit of a tan, even in the artificial light of the corridor, where the Russian's pale skin seemed almost translucent in comparison. "Hikaru Sulu. You seem lost, maybe I can help you out there." He introduced himself, still smiling and Pavel answered with a nod and a small smile of his own. "Where do you have to go?"

Reaching into his pocket, the Russian pulled out a folded piece of paper. "I vas told to bring my zings to ze room and zen wisit Marshall to tell I am here." And then: "My name is Pavel. Pavel Chekov." Hikaru picked the paper out of his hands and frowned, losing the smile as quickly as it had appeared on his features. He looked up again, eying the teen for a little longer, before he nodded and handed the paper back to its owner. "We're almost there, Pavel. Down the corridor and to the left."

Pavel blinked. The sudden change in behaviour was definitely confusing. But he didn't have the time to think about how he could've upset this man in a matter of mere seconds, instead he muttered a 'Zank you' and threw the bag over his shoulders again. They walked down the corridor in complete silence, only the sound of their heavy boots echoed from the metal walls. Once they reached their destination, the young pilot breathed in relief. Just as he stepped inside the room, though, he was stopped by the other's words. "Two stories up and to the right. You'll find the Marshall's office there." And before he could even thank him again, he was already gone. Weird. Shaking his head, Pavel turned around and entered his room. It was only a tiny bit smaller than the one he had had in the Shatterdome in Vladivostok and he doubted he would've any difficulties adjusting to this one. That is, if he even got the time to adjust. If everything went as planned, he wasn't about to stay here for very long.

And he still had to hurry.

Dropping his bag on the floor, he searched for the rest of his papers and then left the room, throwing the door shut behind him.

He was almost two hours too late, as he finally knocked on the right door, only to be called inside after a few seconds. The Marshall wasn't at all what he expected and he wasn't alone in the large room. With him was the guy he had met earlier, Hikaru, and the expression on the dark haired man's face made Pavel feel like he had just interrupted a heated discussion of some sorts. But instead of paying too much attention to the other, he turned to face the Marshall. He saluted, but the older man just waved and motioned for him to stand comfortable. Feeling Hikaru's gaze on him, he shifted a bit as he waited to be addressed. He was used to the strict rules of his homeland's military- used to be only allowed to speak when he was told to, and it obviously wasn't what his now superior officer had been expected.

"Welcome to America, Mister Chekov. We were waiting for you." The Russian gave a short nod and handed over the papers. "Zank you, ser." He thought about apologising for his late arrival for a little moment but his former trainer had told him again and again that apologising is a sign of weakness and showing weakness was the last thing he wanted to do. "I take full responsebility for ze delay. I hope I am not too late for ze selektion."

None of the other recruits had believed him when he said he was the best and most of them ended up regretting it once they stepped up to challenge him in a fair fight. The teen didn't possess the strength, the height, or the weight his opponents had but he was fast. His movements were gracious and it seemed like he was planning every single step he took. And he was the best. Pavel felt sweat running down his forehead but he ignored it, taking a few steps back. He held the staff loosely; putting no real force behind his swings as he easily dodged the other's attack. It almost looked as if he was dancing. Actually, his father had forced him to take dancing lessons on top of the various fighting classes he had to pass in order to become a Jaeger pilot. And he was grateful. No matter how much he still despised his father, the old man had been right about a lot of things.

The Russian knew every single person in this room was watching him, including the Marshall and this Hikaru guy, and he felt some kind of smug confidence flood through him as he whirled around and sent his opponent to the ground, one foot firmly set on his chest. They still underestimated him and he wasn't stupid enough to go easy on them. It was their fault and he was using their weakness without hesitation like a true fighter should. And yet he never felt anything during the fight. From what they had been told, he was supposed to be in unison with his co-pilot. They were supposed to fit together, to have a natural chemistry. Even though he was obviously proving that he was good, he still felt like he was failing. The expression on the Marshall's face didn't even change as Hikaru picked up the staff and closed the distance between them.

Pavel wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve and stepped back, resting his weight on his left foot, as he waited for the other to attack. But Hikaru didn't. Instead he continued to circle him, calmly, almost relaxed and at the same time alert. The Russian felt as if his defences were stripped away under the other's gaze and a feeling of nervousness overcame him. Instead of waiting any longer he leapt forward, whirling his weapon around and aiming for the other's head. But instead he hit nothing but air, as the man ducked and landed a kick against his legs that almost sent him to the ground. Barely able to catch himself, Pavel stumbled backwards, parrying a series of blows. Before he could even regain his balance, he felt a huff of air against his cheek and saw the other's staff hovering inches above his skin. Eyes widened in surprise and shock he stared at the other man, as Hikaru stepped back, a smile playing around his lips. There was no way this guy was winning against him!

In a swift movement he took the staff in his left hand instead of the right one before he attacked again, this time more careful. He was fighting the feelings of nervousness and anger. He had to stay calm, rational, had to make sure his movements weren't getting sloppy. And this time he caught Hikaru off guard, getting behind him and gently touching his back with his staff to indicate that he would've landed a deadly blow.

From there on the match got even more difficult, it was as if they were matched, not only in speed and agility but also in thought. With most of the other cadets he had been able to predict their next moves but Hikaru surprised him again and again. The fight took longer than any before and in the end it was Pavel who stumbled and fell, the cool wood pressed against his throat, while his own staff was lying uselessly on the ground several meters away. They stayed like this for a moment, neither of them moving a muscle, before Hikaru slowly stepped back and offered him a hand. "I still do not know if I can trust you, kid. But it seems like you're better than I thought." The man grinned and helped him up. Pavel inwardly shook his head, still a bit shocked that he had actually lost. But then he returned the grin. Another moment passed and they still held each other's hand. Pleasant warmth spread from their touching hands through his whole body and Pavel didn't even let go, as the Marshall told them to be ready by 0700 hours the next day for their first drift together.

The others left and they were still standing there, hand in hand, gazing into each other's eyes until Hikaru cleared his throat and let go, only to touch his shoulder instead. "Now why don't we get something to eat? I wouldn't want my new co-pilot to starve to death before we even get the chance to hunt Kaiju together."

-2 Years later-

Pavel didn't really expect anybody to remember his birthday. The only real friends he had were Nyota and Scotty, a couple of Jaeger pilots and the best ones he had ever personally met and they were on their way to China to fight against an unknown and unnamed Kaiju. But he was more than a little sad that his own co-pilot and boyfriend Hikaru hadn't even said a word. They hadn't even seen each other the whole day; Pavel had been down in the labs, listening to Mister Gottlieb's newest theory about the frequency of the Kaiju attacks, and Hikaru had been somewhere doing whatever he was doing.

He sighed. Why was he even sad about the whole thing? He should be used to it already. His father had forgotten about his birthdays ever since his mother had died back in 2009. And the last two years had been an exception. His lips curled into a smile, as he remembered the birthday party his friends had thrown for him last year, surprising him completely not only with a huge cake, but also with a whole bunch of presents - mostly books and more books. Hikaru had actually bought him an IPod with all his favourite music so he wouldn't have to complain about the man talking to his plants every evening while Pavel was trying to study. But the best present had been the kiss Hikaru had given him after the other two had returned to their rooms: a soft, gentle, and completely platonic kiss, but it was still a kiss. They had gotten together only a few months later, after fighting a Kaiju that had almost destroyed Hawaii. And it was the best time in Pavel's life. They would cuddle, they would kiss, and they would fight. They were heroes and lovers. They had never had sex though because Hikaru kept telling him that he was too young and that he couldn't do it with someone who wasn't even legal.

Opening the door to his room, he almost dropped the book he held in his hands, quirking his eyebrows in surprise as he saw Hikaru sitting on the edge of his bed, dressed in the most elegant outfit he had ever seen him in. "Happy Birthday Pasha." The man grinned, obviously amused by his boyfriend's surprise and stood up. "You should hurry up and get dressed if you don't want to go like this." There was nothing wrong with the clothes he was wearing, he wanted to say, but the words got caught in his throat as the other took his hand and pulled him in for a long, passionate kiss. Pavel melted against his lover, wrapping his arms around the other's neck and kissing him back with the same hunger. Their lips moved in the same rhythm as their bodies rubed against each other, as Hikaru's hands slowly slid from his waist to his back and under the dark shirt, caressing the bare skin with his fingertips. Sharp teeth nipped at his bottom lip, and a daring tongue used the moment of surprise to slide between his slightly parted lips and into his mouth, teasing his own tongue into a passionate dance.

"Vhat... vhat is zis?" Pavel murmured huskily, as they broke apart for air and he could feel the smirk forming on the other's lips. "Birthday present?" Hikaru's eyes were ven darker than usually, lust and arousal clouding the orbs, as he leant down to lick over Pavel's exposed neck. "I actually wanted to take you out for dinner... but now I think we could stay here." And with that he grabbed his back and lifted him. With a startled yelp, he wrapped his legs around his boyfriend, as the man simply carried him over to the back, throwing him onto the mattress. "You haff to close ze door..." The grin on the Russian's lips was wide enough to almost reach his ears as he watched the other jump to his feet and rush over to close the door. And he had thought the other had forgotten all about his birthday...

Hikaru approached him, slowly this time, taking his time to savour the sight before he joined him on the bed and crawled on top of him. His fingers were running over his chest, brushing over the still-clothed nipples, as he pressed another kiss to his Pasha's lips. They both wanted it. There was nothing to hold them back now, nothing to make them stop this, nothing but... The noise of the sirens cut through the silence filled with heavy breathing and startled the two pilots. Following Hikaru's example he hastily sat up, fingers still trembling, as he practically rolled out of the bed. "Fuck it." The young Russian could hear the disappointment in the other's voice, as he leant down to press a quick kiss to his lips. "We'll continue this after we're back, kay?" Pavel only nodded, his face red like a tomato, as he glanced down at the visible bulge in his pants. Wonderful. He tried to will his erection down, as they both changed into their skin tight dark clothes without exchanging another word. No matter how bad the timing was, if there was something coming through the breach, there was not a second to waste.

As they ran to the Drivesuit room, Pavel had successfully pushed aside most of the thoughts about what exactly Hikaru and he had been up to only a few minutes ago. And he was grateful that the whole haste wasn't exactly a turn-on. At least it saved him a lot of embarrassment. The technicians who helped him into his Drivesuit seemed to notice something anyway, but they were all trained professionals so he didn't get anything but a friendly wink.

So much had changed during the last two years. The women and men respected him now: nobody was calling him a baby or too young anymore, and Hikaru and he were famous for their good work. They had even been called the best Jaeger pilots ever, together with Spock and James T. Kirk - the pair that operated the famous Mark-4 Jaeger T'hy'la. And yet he still felt the same nervousness and anticipation creep up his spine as he entered the Conn-Pod. He had never been afraid of a mission, only respectful and aware that it could be his last one. But this time it was different. Something was different, and he felt a cold wave of fear rush through his body as he was connected to the operating system. He tried to push the feeling aside. He needed to have his head clear of everything if he wanted the drift to be successful and fast. They never had anything to say to each other before the drift, since there just weren't any words that described what followed. They entered each other's heads, each other's thoughts; they became one, truly and fully.

Closing his eyes, he leant back and waited for the usual dizziness, the rush of the adrenaline through his veins, and the feeling of being Pavel and not being Pavel at the same time. There were no more memories they could exchange, everything their minds showed each other was already known, had already been seen, and then quickly returned to being conscious. The Jaeger's head was dropped and Pavel immediately felt the change, it was merely an itch. What followed was the usual drill. Raising one leg, raising the other leg, opening both hands and then smashing the fists together in a gesture that displayed their eagerness to fight whatever got in their way. Or the other way around.

Their Jaeger was dropped about five hundred metres away from the shore and the moment they touched the ground, they began to walk. It was straining, his muscles were complaining about the strength the mere act of moving the giant colossus demanded, but it was something he had learnt to tune out very easily. "It's a Category III Kaiju. Name is Tentalus. Lucky Nightshade, get it away from the coast. We can't risk losing the city!" They answered in unison, uttering a 'Yes Sir!' before they continued on their way. The deeper the water got, the harder it was to move the Jaeger, but both of them were too focused on their screens to even notice it.

"Monsters like zat are reeson vhy I do not sleep at night..." Pavel muttered, as the sensors indicated something right in front of them. It moved right under the surface of the water and it was rapidly getting closer. They were about a kilometre from the coast away now and their Jaeger was almost completely underwater, with only the shoulders and the head still above the waves. Moving their feet ever so slightly, they stabilised their stance and not a second too early, as something burst out of the water right in front of them. A long slender body, adorned with the usual armour and a long row of spikes and it ended in a set of long tentacles. Pavel hated things with tentacles. As a kid he had always been afraid of octopods, a fear his father had luckily never found out about or he would've probably forced him to swim with one, only to get rid of it. But now was neither the time nor the place for fears or memories, not while they had to focus on killing that beast and while Hikaru was forced to live through every thought of his as well.

The Kaiju uttered a roar that resonated through the metal of their Jaeger and before they were even able to throw the first punch, the beast wrapped its tentacles around their arms, tightening, until they could barely move. They shared a short glance before the smile returned to Hikaru's face. They had trained this, not with something like that but what was the difference between claws and tentacles? They twisted the right arm, far enough to grab the tentacle, and pulled as forceful as possible. The long silver blade slid out of the place right above the Jaeger's wrist. Another set of tentacles were wrapped around their chest and their head, but it was too late. The blade cut almost easily through the Kaiju's flesh, freeing their right arm. Now it was only a matter of... They were pushed backwards, the tentacles all retreating for a moment, as the Kaiju screamed its pain into the world. It was a shrill, high-pitched sound that left them deaf for a little moment, ringing in their ears.

"Now!" Pavel wasn't quite sure whether it was him or Hikaru who had yelled but they leapt forward, one hand grabbing the beast's throat and the other raised to slay it with their trusted sword. The Kaiju was more agile then they thought. It easily twisted its head in their grip, biting down on their arm and tearing at the metal. Pain shot through their system. Pavel let out a scream, Hikaru bit his teeth together. They tried to free their arm, by letting go of the beast and at the same time cutting off another tentacle. The arm was damaged, too damaged to move it. Now they had only the right hand left to fight. They jumped the Kaiju. Their Jaeger's weight pressed it underwater and the amounts of sand in the water around them made it impossible to see what they were aiming for, but they continued to swing the arm with the blade.

And then suddenly: Water. They both screamed in unison, as something pierced the metal of the Jaeger's head. They brought the arm forth, trying to protect themselves and they hit something. The blade was stuck, probably between the ribs or unable to cut through the spine. The Kaiju's struggling sent vibration after vibration through their Jaeger. But they had not yet won. The beast's teeth were still continuing on their fatal way to the Conn-Pod. "Lucky Nightshade! You have to get away! Retreat!" But that was easier said than done. The Kaiju seemed to hold onto the Jaeger with all his might, trying to take them with it into its death. Fear. Fear and panic flooded their systems, both of them struck at the same time, as the Jaeger's shell was ripped open. Suddenly they were surrounded by water. Nothing but water. The lights turned red, and there was a shrill sound of sirens and warnings in their ear. They struggled with all their might, trying to retract the blade and get away from the dying beast.

But then it happened. The tip of one of the thinner tentacles slid through the crack in the Jaeger's head, feeling for whatever living beings might be inside. Pavel screamed in panic and pain as the thing reached Hikaru, wrapping around his body and tearing him away from the controls. They were still connected. He could feel the pain with the same intensity as Hikaru did. Save yourself Pasha. He could hear it in his thoughts, he could see it in Hikaru's eyes and in the way he gestured for him to get to the escape hatch and get away. But he couldn't move. It was as if he was frozen in his place enduring the same pain, the panic, the knowledge that he would die right now.

And then his body finally obeyed his commands. With trembling fingers, he shut off the connection. His mind was still clouded with pain but he could think now, he could think of a way to save his beloved and himself. His suit wasn't exactly designed for swimming but he made it to the split. Pavel grabbed one of the loose splinters, about the length of his arm and turned around. He felt tears sting in his eyes as he saw that Hikaru's were closed, his chest no longer moving. No. NO. He couldn't be dead! He was just unconscious, only unconscious! He mobilised his last reserves, swimming against the force of the whirling waters, not even realising that he was running short of oxygen.

Hikaru! The tentacle was no longer moving. Maybe, maybe he was lucky enough and the Kaiju was finally dead! He reached his co-pilot, grabbed his arm, and shoved the splinter into the lifeless tentacle, trying to cut through whatever kind of texture it was.

His arms hurt.

He felt dizzy.

Every breath was a torture.

His lungs were burning.

Pavel could feel his hands were no longer able to hold the splinter...

And then he was through!

With his last strength he grabbed Hikaru's arm and swam, through the hole in the Jaeger's head and up to where he was sure had to be the surface. He couldn't see a thing for the water was stained with Kaiju blood. But he saw that it was getting brighter. He saw that he was getting closer...

His head burst through the water's surface and he immediately pulled off the helmet, filling his lungs with air. But there was no relief. He held Hikaru's body close to his own, taking off his helmet and kissing his lips in an attempt to feel if he was still there... They were cold.

No.

He felt hot tears run down his cheeks, as he continued to cling to the other's body, trying his best to keep moving his legs so he wouldn't sink and drown after all, but it was useless. The last bit of strength was leaving his body.

The last thing he heard was the sound of helicopters above him, as the darkness pulled him under its wing again.

Hikaru...