Chapter Thirteen:

It was finally Friday night. Uhura called Pavel up a few days prior: "Hey, since I was such a bad friend for making you go home with Scotty, can I make it up by spending the night over there?" She had heard about the way Scotty was treating her best friend, but she wanted to discuss the man's punishment with Pavel before she went into action.

"No need. I'll get over it," Pavel replied stoically.

"Okay… but I think you'll need a little bit of Nyota-style TLC to do it," Nyota had replied.

So that Friday, Uhura had gone home with Pavel, and they had just finished up eating pizza and watching reruns of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. They had now retired to Pavel's attic room permanently to talk and laugh about their weeks at school and at work.

Pavel still seemed a bit flustering when discussing the goings-on at rehearsals. Uhura saw this and stopped his story about rehearsal that day: "Pasha, honey, what's on your mind right now? You seem detached and flustery…"

Pavel blushed a little, "Uhm… well… Kirk told me that Scotty… liked me."

Uhura's hands flashed to cover her mouth. "Oooh!" she shouted, then began to sing, "Scotty and Pasha, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Pavel shushed her by coming up behind her and putting his hand over her mouth, but she was giggling to hard to continue singing or even to childish lick his hand.

"You're really excited about this, aren't you?" Pavel hissed, but there was a distinct smile on his face.

He took his hand off Uhura's face and allowed her a few moments of giggling before her answer, "I want you to be happy, my darling son. I'm a good mother, I would never deny you happiness. Plus I have a bet with Gaila about who's going to kiss the other first. I said Scotty would be the one, but she told me you have more balls that him."

Pavel shook his head, "Bandslash fanfiction and now random bets with schoolmates. What next, Nyota?"

Nyota grinned, "Making you audition for the community theater? They're putting on RENT," she said, grinning.

"Rehearsals would coincide with work," Pavel replied.

"Night rehearsal, love," Nyota pointed out,

"No," Pavel replied. "You'd buy tickets fro the band and I'd be flustery and stuttery with Scotty watching me onstage. Who would I be? The drug addict or the video maker?"

"Neither. I'd make Scotty try out and he would be wonderful as the homeless guy. Making you Angel."

"That would me I die of AIDS you idiot," Pavel replied.

"So?" she asked, her voice lowered a little as she sang, "But sweet kisses I've got to spare, I'll be there and I'll cover you!"

Pavel pushed her to make her stop and she broke out into giggles. But Pavel was once more a bit morose. Nyota stopped laughing, "What's up?"

"Scotty is avoiding me, and yet Kirk says he likes me… has feelings for me… whatever."

Nyota rubbed her friend's back. "Honey… you've got to express yourself more. The band needs one more song for the album, right?" she asked.

Pavel looked up her, then at his keyboard and music sitting on the desk. He got up from their place on the pillow-covered floor and went to the keyboard, turning it on. He looked at the clock and put in ear phones. Nyota got hers and plugged them in to the other jack. "Here, speak what's on you mind and we'll get it into song mode…" she said.

Pasha looked at the piano, "How… How can I be nothing to you, when you miss me and I miss you?"

Nyota nodded her head, "Amen, brother," she replied.

He glared at her and she put a finger to her lips to shush herself.

Pasha continued, "I'm always there even if you can't see me. I'm always around to watch you fly…"

Nyota snapped her fingers a bit to the invisible rhythm, "One day I'll spread these wings—"

"—To join you in flight!" Pasha replied, smiling a bit. Then his smile faded, "But only if I wasn't invisible to you…"

TBC