Nobis ✴︎ Pavel Chekov

Chapter Twenty Seven - Russian Around

Pavel starts moving away before anyone near the shuttle can see him. Scotty notices and starts following him.

"I'm sorry lad but we needed a few more crew members after that Tellarite Flu outbreak happened."

"Irina? Of all people in the galaxy and it has to be her?"

"I hate to say it but she's pretty intelligent. We could use someone with her brains on the ship."

"You have me," Pavel mutters glumly, heading towards the mess hall. He says goodbye to Scotty and sighs to himself. The quick glance he got was the first time he's seen her since they broke up. He wants to know why she cheated and considers trying to talk to her. It would take him a while to build up the courage to have a conversation with her but he thinks it might be a good idea. He finds a space to eat at the back of the mess and pulls out his PADD. He normally eats with Sulu but he's been busy in the botany lab recently. He has a fascination with plants just like Pavel does with engineering. He gets distracted enough to not notice the person taking a seat opposite him.

"Long time no see," Irina mutters in Russian, a subtle smile on her lips and Pavel's eyes widen a little in disbelief.

"Irina? What are you-" He hasn't spoken Russian in seemingly forever and he feels a little out of practise. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat and wishes he had more time to think about what she'd say to him.

"I got transferred. I was pretty surprised when it was to the Enterprise."

Pavel nods, a little unsure of what to say. "So you're here permanently or?"

"I've been here like thirty seconds and you're already trying to get rid of me," she laughs. She isn't condescending like she sounded over the phone. She sounds a lot more like when he knew her before everything happened.

"No, I'm just curious. We're not exactly close to anywhere, just surprised me that we were getting more transfers."

"Hey, I don't make the commands, I just follow them like everyone else here." There's a silence as they eat for a few minutes, Irina finally breaking it with "So, how have you been?"

Pavel scoffs in a very uncharacteristic way, trying his hardest not to be rude. "Really?" He tries not to add a condescending laugh to the end of the statement, stuffing more food in his mouth to avoid snapping at her. "Really Irina?"

"I'm just trying to keep the conversation going," she says flatly, digging her own fork into her lunch. Pavel doesn't recognise what she's eating but doesn't ask either, just sighing and trying to think of some kind of civil response.

"Fine," he says quietly. "I've been fine."

"We both know that's bullshit," she says gently. Pavel forgets that she knows how to read him.

"Pretty shit. You messed me up a lot. I made some really dumb decisions, found an amazing girl and then fucked everything up with her as well."

There's a pause before Irina answers, giving a response he doesn't entirely expect. "You... You want to ask something, what is it?"

"I... Why did you do it? Was I not good enough? Did I not make you happy? Were you just bored?"

"The grass is always greener, Pavel. It was wrong, what I did to you, not that it's any consolation. I gave up a good thing, it took me too long to get that."

"Is that it though? I don't get what you mean."

"I thought I'd found better but you can't get better than someone who knows all your flaws and loves you anyway. Sex isn't worth it, that was another thing I should have picked up on earlier too."

"Was I really that bad?" Pavel says with a subtle laugh.

Irina starts laughing and a faint smile tugs at Pavel's lips.

"No, not at all." Her smile fades a little. "I just wanted to apologise though. Clear my conscience a little I guess. I don't expect anything back from you, I'd just feel better knowing that you understand that I was wrong and that I regret what I did."

"Thank you," he says softly. "It feels a lot better knowing that."

She gives him a smile and starts packing up her lunch. "I have to go to an induction but you'll have to tell me about your girl one time." He waves her goodbye and doesn't say anything more, surprised about how everything played out. He has a lot to tell Sulu when he gets back to his dorm.