Angels (Pavel Chekov)

45 - Gypsy Woman

They get back to the hotel and Pavel just lays down on the bed and sighs. Vienna takes her shoes off and joins him, staring at the ceiling. She asks if he's okay and he nods. She looks and notices tears starting to pool in his eyes. She turns over to face him and places her hand softly on her cheek.

"Hey," she says softly. "You made it. You got through today. You were so so strong Pavel."

"I don't feel strong," he says softly. "I feel weaker than ever."

She kisses his lips and he give her a faint smile. He cuddles up to her and for a long while they're quiet. Vienna almost falls asleep when Pavel's phone starts going off and she groans in response. He picks it up off the bedside table and frowns at it.

"It's Erik," Pavel mutters. "He wants to talk. That's weird, Erik doesn't usually..."

"Tell him to come over," Vienna encourages. "He's going through this too. He might need support as well. I know you don't get along with him super well but I think it's important you listen to what he has to say."

Pavel's a little surprised that she's encouraging the idea, but doesn't say anything, just messaging him the address and going back to cuddling Vienna. He mumbles some sleepy Russian to her and she swears she could never get sick of hearing it. She falls into a half sleep before Erik finally arrives and rubs her eyes when Pavel gets up to go open the door. She sits up and fixes her hair, noticing Erik looking a little more drained than he did earlier this morning.

He's talking with Pavel in Russian and she decides not to question it. Erik takes a seat on the couch and Pavel sits beside Vienna. She tries to watch their facial expressions to gage what's happening. Erik looks upset and Pavel looks a mix of frustrated and saddened.

Pavel stands up and walks off, Erik just sighs and leans back in his seat and sighs.

"I had to tell him. I knew he didn't want to hear it but I had to tell him. Papa told me to."

"What did he want you to tell Pavel?" Vienna asks softly.

"His last words... 'Tell Pasha I was wrong. Tell him I'm sorry.' That was the last thing on his mind before he passed. Pavel's not taking it well. I think he's conflicted. Jesus. I need a drink. I should have left this until another time maybe. I don't think I was ready to tell him either."

Erik gets up and finds a mini bottle of vodka in the hotel fridge. He opens it and takes the whole thing as a shot. Vienna doesn't stop him but frowns, watching him put the tiny bottle down and grimace.

"Are you okay?" She asks softly, standing up and sitting on the other side of the kitchen bench. Erik just shakes his head and suggests she checks on Pavel. She nods, finding him sitting against the bathtub with his head resting on his knees. She sits down beside him and wraps her arm around him. He sniffs and leans into her.

"I don't know how to process this," he whispers. "I always thought he hated me."

"I don't think he hated you Pavel."

"Maybe not," Pavel says softly. "Maybe not..."

After a while, they go back and join Erik. He's downed another mini bottle, gin this time and he sits on the couch. Vienna and Pavel join him. Pavel's had some of his spray, which isn't supposed to be mixed with alcohol. Erik has another mini bottle that he goes to drink but his hands are a little shaky and he manages to spill most of it on his shirt. He swears to himself and says something to Pavel. Pavel gets up and Erik also stands, getting up and pulling his shirt off.

"You have a tattoo?" Vienna asks, looking to Erik's shoulder.

Pavel throws him a shirt and Erik just nods. "It's a paper plane. It's the last thing my last girlfriend drew. You don't have a tattoo, do you? A moon maybe?" His tone sounds like a joke but Vienna blinks at him in surprise. Erik looks at her, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, not a tattoo exactly but..." Vienna pulls up her shirt a little and shows them her side. Just under her bra strap she has a moon on her side, a birthmark, a little misshaped but noticeably a moon.

Erik and Pavel look at each other, mouth widening a little. Erik says something to Pavel in Russian and he just shakes his head. They say something else to one another, Vienna asking what's going on.

"Have you always had that?" Pavel asks, sitting down and still looking completely shocked.

"Yeah," Vienna mutters. "It's how I knew I was supposed to join Starfleet. Space has always been a part of me."

"Sorry we're freaking out," Erik mutters. "A little while after my last girlfriend, Pavel and I were walking down this street in Russia. It was really quiet but this woman appeared. We think she was a gypsy. She spoke English, which was the first weird thing. She had no idea that we spoke English, we'd both been speaking Russian to ourselves when she grabbed my arm. She told me that Pavel and I would meet a girl with a moon on her side."

"You're kidding?" Vienna says softly. "What... What else did she say?"

"That can wait for another time," Pavel says coldly. "Today's been hard enough already without bringing back the damn gypsy story. It can wait. Erik, you need to stop drinking. That stuff is pretty strong."

"I'll drink what I please," Erik scoffs. "I've had a rough day."

Pavel and Erik glare at one another. Vienna just sighs and tells them both too calm down. She isn't bothered by Erik drinking, provided he doesn't keep annoying Pavel or try and flirt with her. She takes Pavel's hand in hers. She suggests they play some card games and Pavel just nods. Erik agrees softly and Vienna digs a deck of cards from her bag. She replicated one the night before and passes it to Pavel, letting his shuffle them. She watches in amazement and Pavel barely notices, lost in thought again.

By the time it gets late, Erik is a little more drunk and Pavel wins most of the card games. Vienna lets him win a few on the vague chance it improves his mood. He still seems distant and she wants to know more of their gypsy story. Erik stays quiet and asks if he can crash on the couch. Pavel gives a response in Russian, which Vienna assumes is a no.

"It doesn't bother me," she says gently. "He probably needs the company and he's about to fall asleep anyway."

Pavel sighs and sits back, muttering something in Russian. Erik replies back 'thank you' in Russian and Vienna understands, smiling to herself a little.

"He said 'thank you'," Vienna grins, Pavel smiles at her enthusiasm. He asks her if she remembers how to say goodnight and she thinks for a few seconds, shaking her head. Pavel repeats it to her and she copies, smiling as she grins at him.

Erik mutters something in Russian and Pavel snaps at him, frowning and putting a hand on Vienna's knee. Erik doesn't say anything else. His eyes are closed and he looks close to sleep. Pavel takes Vienna's hand and brings her over to the bed.

"I'm sorry about him," Pavel mutters, looking over to his brother passed out on the couch.

"What did he say? Just then when you got angry at him..."

"He made a comment about how cute it was hearing you speak Russian. I don't know if he's just drunk and not thinking about what he's saying or if he's trying to annoy me."

Vienna just rolls her eyes and yawns, getting under the covers and telling him to join her. He doesn't hesitate, emotionally drained and not hungry after his day. He knows Vienna has a lot of questions, many of which he won't answer yet. Vienna knows this too, she doesn't pester him. They fall asleep quickly, Vienna curled up in his arms.

(Author's Note)

Was inspired by the song Gypsy Woman by Anarbor. The gypsy thread gets picked up heaps later in the story but it gets mentioned next chapter (I think).

I've written so far ahead with this, I could literally update every day for a month before running out of things to post.

Hope y'all enjoy
♪ clover