Nobis ✴︎ Pavel Chekov

Chapter Thirty Three - Old Habits Die Hard

"Irina's here. Should we go?"

Pavel looks up and sees her across the room and nods quietly. Kirk and Sulu stay but Pavel's just glad to not be leaving alone. They head to Rec Room Four and McCoy suggests a game of chess. Pavel isn't fond of the idea until McCoy finds a board of the traditional version, not the 3D game that he doesn't like as much. McCoy moves first and Pavel wonders if the doctor is any good at chess. Not long later Pavel realises that the doctor does play quite well and he pulls his head in to try and focus.

"What are we going to do about you and Irina? Are you just going to keep avoiding it or are you going to try and talk to her or do you want me to talk to her?"

"I started writing her a letter. I was going to give that to her but I'm having second thoughts about it..."

"She really messed you up, didn't she?"

Pavel looks up and his deep blue eyes bear into McCoy. He doesn't say anything, just nods a little and moves his chess piece. McCoy studies the board to avoid looking at Pavel again and the Russian just leans back and lets out a low sigh.

"I might get your help, if you don't mind... I'm not going to be the sort of person to write some sort of soppy letter and just wait until we awkwardly start talking again. I don't know what we should really do."

"Give me some time and I'll figure something out. Checkmate in four moves if you're not careful."

Pavel swears in Russian and McCoy smirks.

"What? What is it?"

"Irina does that when she's frustrated too. She has the exact same facial expression. Did she get it off you or did you get it off her."

"I had the face and she swore. We both picked up each other's habits.

"My ex-wife and I were like that. I still find myself doing things that she did. It's a couple's thing I think. When you spend so long with someone you kind of become a part of them, and they become a part of you."

"How long were you and your ex-wife together?" Pavel asks, studying the chess board and starting to map out the next steps in his head.

"Too long, if you ask me."

Pavel laughs and moves his piece. McCoy looks at the board and moves his, a triumphant smile appearing on Pavel's face. "Check mate."

"Wait how did you-?"

Pavel smiles.

"I don't know what your parents fed you when you were a kid but my God you scare the shit out of me sometimes."

Pavel manages to avoid both Karsen and Irina for a few days. He still doesn't know why Karsen is even on the ship considering he isn't actually in Starfleet. He wonders if the captain might know. He plans to ask him during their next shift sometime. He picks up his PADD and sighs, checking his messages from Emory again though receiving nothing as he expected. Sulu walks out from his room and see the message screen on Pavel's PADD and sighs.

"Still nothing?"

"Still nothing," Pavel confirms. "I don't want to have to wait until I go back to Earth to talk to her again but..."

"But?"

"I really don't think she's going to talk to me otherwise. I've never been this... this stupid before." He puts a lot of emphasis on the word stupid and Sulu sits down next to him.

"Pavel, everyone makes dumb decisions, no matter how smart they are. Yours was just particularly bad and ill timed. She might come around but it'll take time."

Pavel nods. "Should I try and call her...? Maybe if I voice call her rather than just sending messages she might respond."

"You could try," Sulu mutters. "She mightn't respond but you could always try."

(Author's Note)

Thanks for 1 thousand reads!!! Short filler chapter sorry but things heat up a little soon ~~
Hope you enjoy
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