His relief's arrival brings him back to the present day. They should be home now, but the Enterprise was so badly damaged the Engineering Crews have worked day and night to get her in any condition to fly.
His relief ruffles his hair and tells him to go get some food and sleep, calling him 'kid.'
For once, he doesn't react. He's too tired to.
He walks into the Mess Hall. She's sitting on a bench at a table, food untouched in front of her.
'Your sheeft ended hours ago. Vy aren't you asleep?'
'I couldn't sleep Pavel. I can't. I always see it. I think it'll always haunt me.'
It hits him like a ton of bricks. The Narada, Vulcan, the rest of the fleet. All the other crews, most of the other Cadets, their friends, are gone.
He notices the tears falling from her eyes and feels them welling in his own.
'Nyet. Eet can't be.'
'It's happened, there's nothing we can do about it.'
He crosses the room and sits beside her.
'It could have been us. It could have been anyone. If Hikaru hadn't... then we'd all be gone. Earth would be gone.'
He can do nothing but nod in reply.
'George, Laura, most of the Swordsmanship Club. They're all gone. Everyone we knew is gone.'
'I'm still here, Hikaru's still here.'
She's still here. He's glad she's here. He's going to tell her now, because something could happen any day.
'Pavel, from today, I'm not going to hesitate anymore. There's something I have to tell you, and I'm not letting it wait. In case we're gone tomorrow-'
He cuts her off by pressing his lips to hers. Shocked, she returns the kiss hesitantly.
How long...?
The question hangs silently in the air and they can both hear it.
He's wanted to do that for a very long time, but he doesn't know exactly when he decided he wanted to. She doesn't know either. What they both know is that it doesn't matter anymore, because this is now and the 'since when' doesn't matter anymore.
'I think I love you.'
It's said at the same time, with the same conviction.
AN: This chapter heavily inspired by the song 'Forever Young', which I do not own or claim to own.