Angels (Pavel Chekov)

18 - Name Calling

After class, Vienna and Pavel walk to find something to eat. They have two hours before their next class and they plan to try and get some study done. They have a few exams left before their break and they're in the middle of a discussion when they get distracted.

"Wow, took like what? More than a month? Or did you finally go the easier route?"

Damien stands a few meters ahead with his friends and Vienna and Pavel look at each other.

"What are you going on about?" Vienna asks, rolling her eyes.

"I'm talking about you emerging from his room this morning. I didn't think you'd be that easy Vienna. Or I think there might be another explanation. How much did one night cost you, Pavel?"

Pavel balls his fists and Vienna puts her hand on his shoulder. She whispers that they need to walk away but one part of Pavel doesn't want to. He starts walking away, Vienna by his side.

"Your brother was the same. Must run in the family. He'd have any whore that came his way as well."

Pavel stops then, closing his eyes and trying not shake with anger. There are a few laughs from the others in the group. Vienna's eyes tell Pavel not to do anything stupid but he's too angry at this point. He turns back around, staring intensely at Damien.

"Leave us alone. We never did anything to you. We don't need your name calling and vague insults towards my brother and my family."

Damien laughs. "It's really about time you catch up with that brother of yours. I'm sure he'll have a lot to tell you. I have a little vendetta against him. He knows why."

"That's still no reason to involve us. Seems like you have a lack of things to do with your time."

Damien smirks again. "At least, Chekov, I'm not paying someone for my time."

Pavel goes to walk away when Damien calls out one more name. 'Dirty whore.'  Vienna grabs his arm as Pavel turns to go back towards him. She knows there's close to no chance of Pavel winning in a physical fight. Pavel bites his lips and Vienna tugs him towards the library. He walks in silence, trying to keep himself together for a few more minutes.

"I need a minute," he mutters, disappearing into the library bathroom. Vienna sits down on one of the seats and thinks about their whole conversation. She's glad Pavel didn't try and fight him. It would have ended pretty horrifically for him.

Pavel comes back, Vienna notices his eyes and how they lack the same dark blue vibrancy that she's used to. They're a pale grey and she wonders if he's been getting teary.

"I want to go back to my room. I want to call my brother. I need answers, Vienna."

She just nods, taking his hand and walking back with him in silence. It's still raining a little and they just ignore the bad weather as they go back to his room. Pavel waits anxiously for his brother to answer his call and Vienna starts with her study, knowing she won't understand any of their conversation. He finally gets through and starts speaking in fast Russian, Vienna takes a few minutes to just listen.

Pavel talks to his brother for a long time before he finally hangs up. Vienna has a lot of questions and Pavel needs a few seconds to think before he can answer any of them.

"He knows Damien. They were in high school together. They never liked each other but there was this girl... They both had a thing for her and she never really took any interest in Damien. My brother started dating her, but Damien still tried to flirt with her and it caused all these fights between them. I think Damien was in love with her or something. My brother thinks that the same thing is probably happening with you. I don't know, this information doesn't clear everything up I thought it would."

"What's your brother's name?"

"Erik Andreievich Chekov."

"You two have the same middle name?"

He looks at her, confused. "Well, yes, we're brothers. We have the same father - Andrei is my father's name..."

"So Russian middle names come from their father's first name?"

He nods. "It changes a little depending on whether the child is male or female but yes, we get our father's name as a middle name. I'm guessing you don't know about diminutives either?"

"Diminutives?"

"It's like a shortened form of a name, only not always shorter. Mine is that same amount of letters but you use it with close friends and family. You sort of have them in English, but they go by nicknames. Like 'Alex' from Alexander. In Russian someone called Aleksandr might get Sasha."

"I see," she mutters. "What's your diminutive then?"

"Pasha. Erik gets Erya."

"Do you like being called Pasha?"

"I don't mind. It's a little comforting in one way or another. Why? Are you going to start using it?"

"Maybe," she laughs. "I probably will. I like the idea."

Pavel takes a seat on the bed and watches what she's doing on the desk. She has a lot of notes projected onto the desk and he studies her messy handwriting.

"It's good weather to stay in bed," he mutters, yawning. He pulls his shoes off and lies down burying his face in the pillow.

She looks over and gives him a soft smile. "When do you want me to wake you?"

"Wake me? I want you to join me."

(Author's Note)

The plotline is a little different to the original but I'm still strong in my belief that this version is a substantial improvement.