Hikaru gets tired of being beating by small children and one particularly skilled Russian on video games and joins his sister in the kitchen.
"Mariko, when did I get so bad at video games? I used to be so good at them and now I'm getting beaten by kids."
"The Russian isn't that young," she mutters, placing strawberries carefully on top of a cake.
"I didn't mean him. He's not that young."
"If he was normal he'd be in his final year of high school, he wouldn't have even graduated yet."
"Yeah but he's not normal. Not that anyone comments excessively on it. I get it, he a few years younger than me. It doesn't make a huge difference really."
Mariko raises an eyebrow. She was always a lot more critical than Aiko was. She's a year and a half younger than Hikaru but acts like she's twice he's age.
"Maybe you can't see it because you're too blinded by your own self-absorption but he's just a kid. Just because he's a genius doesn't change anything. You need to be looking after him by not trying to get in his pants."
"Self-absorption? Get in his pants? This is big talk coming from someone who had dated half the school before she left."
"I did not," Mariko replies stubbornly. "I dated less than ten guys, but at least none of them were in fucking primary school."
Hikaru bites his lip in frustration as Mariko leaves the kitchen, giving him a death stare. He wants to throw something against the wall but with his family in close proximity he decides against it. His younger cousins gang up on Pavel and try and cover his eyes and climb on him as he tries to continue with the video game.
They end up beating him by unfair advantage and Hikaru smiles at them from the other side of the room. The kids love Pavel and he gets along with them really well despite the language barrier.
Hikaru teaches Pavel 'Jan Ken Pon,' the Japanese version of scissors paper rock and they play against the kids and even Hikaru's grandmother and grandfather join in. Pavel helps with dinner again and has honestly never felt more like part of a family in his life. Hikaru spends a lot of time just observing his friend, enjoying seeing the happier, more Pavel-like side of him. He feels that this what Pavel is really like, what he is in his truest form.
Pavel cuddles up to Hikaru at the end of the day again and for once there is no protesting. The sleepy Russian is surprised by this and accepts it without question. Hikaru is warm and Pavel has never felt so content with his life than the few moment he's in Hikaru's arms.
In the morning Hikaru plans to talk to Pavel about how they shouldn't be cuddling but seeing how happy the Russian is in the morning when he wakes up, he puts it off until after they've both showered.
"Hey, can we talk?" Hikaru's voice is reasonably quiet and Pavel nods as he finishes brushing his teeth.
"What about?" he asks, looking at his reflection in the mirror. His beard is starting to grow back and he might have to shave it soon.
"Just at night time. We probably shouldn't be cuddling. I know it's nice and we both really like it but we're not meant to and it's going to make waiting until February harder."
Pavel rolls his eyes and turns the lights off in the bathroom. "It's nothing that bad Hikaru and no one knows. We're safe in here okay?"
"We can't be too careful though. We're probably going to be tempted enough as it is before February…"
Pavel nods in agreement. "I get what you mean but I don't really want to stop."
"Nor do I."
"We won't then."
The next few days pass by in a blur of train rides, tourist spots and ridiculous amounts of food. More of Sulu's extended family arrive and in the few days to Christmas Pavel realises he should probably do some Christmas shopping. He drags Hikaru back into the streets of Tokyo and gets some advice on what he can get for Sulu's family. He's gotten the kids a copy of a game he used to play in Russia as a child. It may be a little old fashioned but he thinks they'll like it. He hasn't figured out something to get Hikaru yet, but he wants it to be wonderful.
After going through all of Tokyo station twice, the two of them finally return home with more shopping than they possibly could have imagined. Pavel finally has an idea of what to get Hikaru but he needs a little help from Aiko to do so. Hikaru falls asleep on the lounge after dinner and the two of them go back out into the streets together.
There's a plant shop near one of the restaurants they ate at and Pavel finds an incredibly pretty alien plant with exotic red and white leaves. It has purple flowers that only come out at night and Aiko promises to keep it safe in her room until Christmas. He doesn't know whether Hikaru will be a big plant person, but he feels it may suit his personality.
Pavel is listening to music and working on his seven by seven cube when there's a knock at the door. Before he has a chance to call out it opens and Mariko walks in.
Pavel starts taking his headphones off and is about to say hi but Mariko cuts him off again.
"What do you want with my brother?"
"Pardon?" he stammers, a little in shock. He hasn't talked to Mariko much because he's had a vibe that she didn't really like him but with the look she's giving him, he can pretty much confirm it.
"What do you want with my brother? Are you trying to get him in trouble or something?"
"No, not at all," he says sitting up and putting the cube down. I really like your brother, he's my closest friend and-"
"But that's not all obviously. Don't think I'm stupid Chekov."
"I don't, and at this point in time we are just friends."
Mariko narrows her eyes a little and sits on the edge of the bed. "Look, I don't know why you're going after him frankly. He's like twice your age. You could date a twelve year old and there would be less of an age gap."
"Does age really matter?" Pavel says quietly, he knows it's going to make things worse but he's getting irritated quickly.
"Does age matter?" Mariko scoffs.
"I don't know about you," Pavel begins, "but what's important to me is who the person is that I'm interested in. I don't care about age or race or species or anything."
Mariko is silent for a few seconds. "I think you're just trying to find reasons to justify the fact that you-"
"Mariko!" Hikaru is standing in the doorway and glaring daggers at his sister. He continues in Japanese and Mariko makes some kind of hurtful remark to him. Hikaru waits till she leaves and closes the door, sighing heavily as it closes.
"What did she say to you?" He asks gently, coming and sitting next to the Russian.
Pavel's eyes start to get cloudy and he doesn't want to talk. He thinks it's an anxiety thing but he's not sure and he suddenly doesn't feel very welcome in this house. He feels cold and alone and Hikaru looks at him expectantly for an answer.
"She's not happy that I'm so much younger than you," he mutters, lying back down and looking at the ceiling. There's a few glow in the dark stars from when Hikaru was a kid and they remind him of simpler times.
"I'm really sorry about her. She thinks she's protecting me but she's just being pushy. I'm sorry she upset you."
Pavel tries to blink the tears forming in his eyes away.
"I know she's probably not making you feel very welcome here, but no one else objects to us. I've talked to everyone, and they approve. I hope that gives you some kind of peace of mind. We really love having you around here."
"I love being here," Pavel mutters quietly. "A lot. I've felt more at home here than I have anywhere else."
"Even the Enterprise?"
'"Even the Enterprise."
Hikaru lies down beside Pavel and tries to give him a hug. "We'll be alright okay? I have faith in us."
"So do I," Pavel says honestly.
Mariko apologies to Pavel but he can tell she still has a strong disrespect for him. He tries to see past it for Hikaru's sake. It's Christmas Eve and Pavel's helping put the Christmas tree up. He lifts Hikaru's youngest cousin onto his shoulders and helps her put the star on the tree. Hikaru grins at the two and Mariko scowls from across the room. She starts drinking some sake in hopes that she'll be able to loosen up a little.
Pavel cuddles up to Sulu extra tightly on Christmas Eve. Pavel is the small spoon and Hikaru wraps his arms around him gently.
"Merry Christmas, Hikaru."
"Merry Christmas Pavel," he mutters sleepily, placing a soft kiss against his neck. Pavel breaks out into a grin and gently brushes over the skin on his neck.