"By the way, I didn't tell you this, but I like your music on your earphone player. What is it?"
"I don't know which playlist you were on, but it's mostly classic rock. I didn't think… Wait, when did you have my earphone player?"
"Running the marathon. I must have grabbed yours instead of mine. It was good music. Better than mine, even."
Hikaru shuffled through his drawer and found the other music player. "This one's yours, then?" Pavel nodded and reached for the device, but Hikaru pulled it away and stood up. He put the small speakers in his ears and played the music. "Oh, God! Disco? Why, Pavel, why?" He took to speakers from his ears and gave it back to him. "That's disgusting. Disco."
"I like it," Pavel said.
"Ugh, don't say that. Disco is gross," Hikaru said.
"I like your music, too," Pavel said. "It is very energetic." He half-laughed. "Back in the U.S.S.R. That's where I'm from. Except… It's not the United Soviet Socialist Republic anymore. It's just Russia."
"Yeah, I know. Some of my favorite things are Russian," Hikaru said, lying back on his bed. "You, your accent, your eyes, your lips, your voice…" Pavel blushed and covered his face. "Aww, you're precious. You still get all flustered whenever I talk about you." He motioned for Pavel to lie next to him. "Not too fond of vodka, though. I don't do that."
"I don't think I like it very much either, honestly," Pavel said. "It burns my throat. My father says it is a man's drink, but I am not much of a man to begin with."
"You're a bigger man than I am," Hikaru said. "You passed the Starfleet entrance exam on your first try at age fourteen. I was sixteen, and by the time I passed, I was seventeen. It took me three tries!"
"Not many pass on their first try," Pavel said. "You should be proud of yourself. Just for passing."
"But you, you're the wonderchild. You understand things no one else can. You, Pavel Andreievich Chekov, will do fantastic things for Starfleet.
"It's getting a bit late, Hikaru," Pavel said. "Perhaps we could-" Suddenly, his communicator beeped. "It is Casey. This will only be a moment. Hello?"
"Pavel? Hey… Um… I think I'm lost."
"Lost?"
"I… I don't really know. Some man asked me out for drinks, and… Now I feel strange…"
"Casey, are you drunk?"
"I think I might be," she said. "Can you come get me? I do not want to operate a vehicle like this… I don't know where I am, though. Big colorful bar."
"I know where you are, Casey," Pavel said. "I'll be right there." He tossed the communicator on his bed. "We've got to get her, she's drunk."
"Okay," Hikaru said. "She close by?"
"Yeah, really close," Pavel said. "She just doesn't know."
He and Hikaru walked over to the bar. The only bar any cadets ever went to, because it was conveniently close. Casey was sitting outside on a bench, waiting for them. Pavel couldn't even tell she was intoxicated. Until she tried to speak again.
"Pavel!" she said. "I didn't think you'd actually come here. Who's this?" She pointed to Hikaru.
"Casey, you have met Hikaru many times," Pavel said. "You do not remember him?"
"Oooh, now I remember," Casey said. "You're the sexy roommate. Except… I'm not allowed to call you that. Pavel thinks I might steal you away from him. But I won't so don't worry, Pasha. He's not my type."
"Okay," Hikaru said. "Let's go to Starfleet."
Hikaru carried Casey on his back, where she fell asleep. Hikaru didn't mind. She wasn't at all hard to carry. "Hikaru, I think we should take her to a doctor."
"Why? She's just had a bit too much to drink. How old is she, like, twenty-five?"
"Yes, but she is half Betazoid," Pavel said. "She matures slower than humans. She's really hardly any older than me."
"Alright," Hikaru said. "We'll take her to a doctor."
"You two? Again?"
"Yes. Well, not really. It's his friend. She's… She's had a bit too much, and she's quite young to be drinking. Pavel wants to make sure she'll be okay."
The doctor smiled a little at them. "Alright. This is Casey, yes? I see her around here a lot. Half Betazoid. Yeah, that'll make her mature slower. I'll keep her here for a while, then have a nurse take her back to her room. You boys can leave," McCoy said.
"Thank you," Pavel said.
Hikaru gave the doctor a smile and a nod.
"She is going to get in trouble," Pavel said. "Betazoids cannot drink that young."
"Yeah, but she's also half-human," Hikaru said. "That's gotta count for something."
"No," Pavel said, shaking his head. "When it comes to alcohol, they round up. She's got to be twenty-seven to drink on Earth."
"Well, they can't punish her too bad, Pavel. She'll be okay, let's just be glad she didn't get hurt," Hikaru said. "So… She calls me your sexy roommate, huh? You didn't tell me that."
"Maybe because I didn't want you to know," Pavel said. "You are mine. She cannot have you. Right?"
"Right," Hikaru said. "Only my Pavel."
They got back to Hikaru's room, and Pavel ran and jumped on his bed. "What do we do, now? It is rather late, don't you think?"
Hikaru smiled and jumped with him. "I don't know. What do you want to do?"
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. "Who could that be?" Pavel asked.
Hikaru stopped jumping and ordered Pavel to do the same. "I don't know." The person knocked again. "Who would be looking for you this late?" Another knock. "They're pushy, whoever they are."
Pavel got up and answered the door. "Commander! Come in, please."
"Mister Sulu…" The commander said. "What are you doing in Mister Chekov's room?"
"Well, we have been… Romantically involved…"
"I must remind you, Cadet, that Mister Chekov is still not old enough for a sexual relationship," he said. "Engaging in sexual intercourse with him would result in-"
"Commander Spock, I wouldn't have sex with Pavel. He's… Way too young. Why would you think I would do that?" Hikaru asked.
"I heard the bed rocking," Spock said, raising an eyebrow. "And also, when I first knocked, it took you almost two minutes to answer. And both of you have untidy hair."
"Oh. Yeah. Those are some pretty clear signs," Hikaru said. "No, but we weren't. Really."'
"Very well," Spock said. "Chekov, your friend Casey will be suspended from her next mission on a starship for underage drinking."
"But, Commander, it really wasn't her fault. She's never done it before, and-"
"Cadet, the decision is final. Good night, gentlemen." The Vulcan walked away with his hands loosely clasped behind his back.
"That is unfortunate," Pavel said. "She will not be happy about that."
"I know," Hikaru said. "But she's too young for drinking. Just like you. Except you don't get caught, that's the difference."
"Anyway," Pavel said. "What are we going to do for our birthdays, next week? I'm very excited."
They both sat down on the bed. "I don't know." He smiled. "I thought we could go out to dinner, and then…" He pulled two slips of paper from his pocket. "Maybe we could go see a show?" He handed a ticket to Pavel, whose eyes brightened. "I knew it was your favorite play, so I bought the best tickets as soon as I saw them."
"We are going to see Pippin! It is my favorite musical! It is a musical, by the way, not just a play… And we have the best seats!" He jumped on Hikaru and showered him with kisses. "Thank you! Thank you so much!" Suddenly, he stopped. "Oh no…"
"What's wrong?" Hikaru took his hand.
Pavel ran his hand through his hair. "Oh… Oh no…"
"What's wrong, sweetie? Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm… Fine. It's just..." He sighed. "Now the present I got you seems… So small and plain."
"Pavel, you know you don't have to worry about it. I'll be happy as long as you're with me." He kissed Pavel on the forehead.
"Hikaru, you're so cheesy sometimes," Pavel said. "Do not ever change."
"I won't, as long as you don't," Hikaru said.
All of a sudden, the monitor made a loud beeping noise. Chekov skipped over to see who could possibly need him. "It is my father!" He answered the call and stood in front of the screen. "Hello, Father!" Pavel suddenly looked sad. "What is wrong?"
Hikaru looked at the screen. Andrei Chekov was… crying? He had met Pavel's father only once, but he doesn't seem like the kind of man to cry for no good reason. He heard the man say something in Russian.
"Yes? What is it? What happened?" Pavel asked. Apparently his father knew English, but preferred not to speak it, because he replied in Russian every time. "Mother? What… Oh God… Is she alright? Is she… Dead?"
Hikaru saw Andrei shake his head and try to pull himself together to explain his situation to his young son. It took a few minutes for him to fully explain it to Pavel, but as soon as he got his point across, Pavel was crying too, and he heard him mutter something that must have been a swear, because Pavel's father shouted at him for it, in English, this time.
"Hey! Your mother would not appreciate that language, Pavel. We do not speak like that, whether you're here or in America! Do you understand?"
Pavel shook his head. "What is the point, Father? How long has she been missing?"
"A few days," Andrei said. "I thought she had maybe gone out with her sisters… But I called them and they have no idea."
"When was the last time you saw her?"
"She would always make my coffee before I go to work, remember? Three days ago, I went downstairs and… She wasn't there. There was a cup of coffee on the table, but… It was cold. She made the coffee, but for some reason she didn't wake me up…"
"Oh no…"
"Pavel… I have to talk to some of the detectives. Call me later, alright?"
"Yes, Father."
Hikaru had no idea what the hell was going on. "What… What happened?"
Pavel had the most depressing look on his face, and he put his hand over his stomach. "I… Think I may be sick." He ran past Hikaru and locked himself in the bathroom.
"Okay," Hikaru said. He was really talking to himself. He waited on Pavel's bed. "I don't even know what happened. Poor baby." He walked up to the bathroom door after a long time and knocked softly. "Pasha?" There wasn't an answer. "Pasha, let me in, sweetie. You know I'll override the lock and come in anyway, so just answer me, please?" Nope. "Alright, fine."
Hikaru easily busted the lock. He really didn't know how to override anything. Why bother when you can just break it? He pushed the door open and sat on the floor next to Pavel.
"You gonna talk to me, Pavel?" Hikaru asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to." He pulled Pavel towards him and kissed the side of his face. "But I'd like to know what's going on so I can make you feel better, okay?"
Pavel shook his head. "I just wanna go to sleep."
"Okay," Hikaru said, pushing his hair back. He picked up the cadet and carried him to his bed. Pavel had obviously showed after being sick. He didn't know he reacted this badly to bad news. "Goodnight, Pasha."
"Where are you going?"
"My room. Want me to stay here?"
Pavel was visibly trembling in his bed. "Y-Yes please."
Hikaru laid next to him, and Pavel wouldn't leave his side. He was clinging to him as though his life depended on it. "Pavel, please tell me what happened?"
"I can't. I still feel sick. I… I'll tell you tomorrow morning, I promise," he said. Hikaru nodded and held Pavel close to him. He knew the ensign needed it. Pavel was very close with his parents. He couldn't imagine how upset he was now that something happened to his dear mother, who he talked about like she was a goddess. He'd met her, too. Over a video message. She was quite young. She was in her late thirties, Pavel told her. His parents had married very young. Of course, Andrei looked older than he was. But Pavel looked just like his mother.
She had the same curly hair, the same eyes, and the same smile. She called him her little Pasha, and that's when Sulu picked up the pet name. What could have possibly happened to her?
After Pavel fell asleep, Sulu could tell he was having a nightmare. He gently shook him, trying to wake him up, but Pavel started to panic. He was screaming and he scratched Hikaru's face so hard he actually drew blood.
"Pavel, wake up! It's me!" He held Pavel firmly against his chest, and Pavel eventually snapped out of it and began to cry. "I know. It's okay. No one's going to hurt you."
Pavel looked at Hikaru's bleeding cheek. "Did I scratch you?"
"A little. It's fine, though," Hikaru said. "Go to sleep, sweetie."
"Hikaru…"
"Yes?"
"I think… I think I will go to Russia for a few days. Just to see my family. It would be wrong not to."
"Okay," Hikaru said. "Whatever you think is best." He realized that this might mean not being able to spend his birthday with Pavel, but none of that mattered if Pavel was unhappy.
"And Hikaru," Pavel said. "I want you to come with me." Hikaru was a little shocked. "I promise we'll be back by the time your birthday comes around. Just for a few days. I haven't seen them in so long…"
"Have you told your father about us?"
"No…" Pavel said. "But he'll like you a lot, don't worry about it. You do not have to be afraid of my family."
"I don't know, your dad alone looks like he could kill me pretty easily," Hikaru said.
"Oh, no. He's great. He'll like you," Pavel said, drumming his fingers on Hikaru's chest. "He likes almost everyone I like. My cousins will like you, too. They're your age. A little older, perhaps."
"Almost everyone? Cousins? Pavel, what else do you not tell me about your family?"
"My cousins are wonderful. When I was a kid, they'd scare the kids who were mean to me so they wouldn't bother me anymore. They lived with us after their parents died."
"What happened?"
"Shuttlecraft explosion," Pavel said. "They worked off-planet, so my cousins stayed with us a lot anyway. I was only six when it happened. Viktor was ten, and Anton was thirteen."
"That's terrible," Hikaru said. "Don't think about the bad stuff, think of good stuff that'll make you have good dreams. Like Pippin."
"I like that show. It is a bit dark, but funny, too. And every time I see it, I always know the words to the songs so I'm singing them the whole time after. You'll be singing them too, this time."
"I bet I will. I looked up some of the songs, very catchy," Hikaru said. "Rivers belong where they can ramble… Eagles belong where they can fly…"
"You know the words already?"
"Yeah!" Hikaru jumped up on the bed. "I've got to be where my spirit can run free! Gotta find my corner… Of the sky!"
Pavel clapped. "You're a very good singer. You're my Pippin."
Hikaru took a bow and sat back down on the bed. "And you're my Catherine."
Pavel giggled and kissed his cheek. "Always." He let himself be pulled by Hikaru so his entire body was on top of him. "Are you really okay with coming to Russia for a few days?"
"Of course," Hikaru said. "I could use a vacation."
"Eh… It's pretty cold this time of year…" Pavel said. "Like, very cold. Do you have a snow coat?"
"What? Of course I don't! We're in San Francisco, it gets cold but not snow in early October cold!" Hikaru said. "You know, I'll be fine. As long as you're happy and with your family, I'll be happy."
"Maybe one day we could be a family," Pavel said. "I mean, I'm not trying to rush things, it's just… It's something I like to think about."
"Really? Tell me more, then," Hikaru said.
"I can picture us in, like, five years… We would get married, and adopt little babies. A boy and a girl, because you wanted a boy to teach fencing to, and I wanted a girl to dress up. And they would be smart and beautiful and they'd be just like us…"
Hikaru listened to Pavel's fantasy. It could very well happen. He had to admit, it did sound lovely. Him and Pavel and two little babies. That would be cute. Maybe instead of adopting, they could get a surrogate mother. It would be nice to have a kid that was actually a part of him. Plus, if Pavel had a kid, it would probably be the most adorable thing since… Well… Pavel. Just imagining a tiny little Pavel was making him blush.
"…And they'd speak Russian."
"What?"
"Our children, they would speak Russian. For sure."
Hikaru sat up and smiled. "Now, that's not fair. Only one of us will understand them! They'll learn English first, then you can teach them whatever they want. If they speak English, they'll be able to talk to both of us."
"Well, what if you learned Russian?" Pavel suggested.
"Woah, woah, I can barely keep up with English," Hikaru said. "I know a few things in Russian, anyway. They're dirty, but they're still Russian. Plus, like you said, we're not… Russian things." He laughed at his own joke. "Get it? Because Russian sounds like rushin'?"
"I get it. And I know some dirty English things, too," Pavel said, crossing his arms.
"Oh, yeah? Like what?"
Pavel closed his eyes. "I'm underage. You'll have to wait a year."
"Ah, why do you have to be so young?! You need to grow up faster," Hikaru said. "It's getting really late now, so go to sleep. I've got to get up early and buy snow clothes."
