Angels (Pavel Chekov)

98 - The Sky Above Us

Pavel lays the picnic rug out and pulls out another blanket that's wrapped up with it. He wraps it around their shoulders and he feels happier than he has in a lifetime. He kisses her and in the silence, they watch the night sky above them. They see a shooting star and they both wish that their feelings of contentment and love for one another would last until the end of time.

"You're as beautiful as the sky above us," Pavel whispers, though he could shout the same thing and no one would hear.

"I love you to the moon and back," she whispers, leaning against him.

He could tell her exactly how far that is off the top of his head but he decides not to. He kisses her cheek. His gaze still rests on the sky above them. He tells her he's never felt so happy in his life and she turns to him, bringing their lips together.

For a few minutes, they forget about the night sky. They forget about camping and exams and everything in between. They forget about space and loss and the fear they both share of what lies ahead. She runs her fingers along his jawline.

"Pasha," she whispers. "Maybe tonight... Maybe tonight we can..."

"Under the stars," he returns, not needing the second half of the sentence. "I want to make love..."

Vienna puts her hand tenderly on his chin and brings their lips together. He smiles into their kiss and he lays her down, kissing her gently. She's smiling stupidly at him. He shares the same grin and he tells her over and over again that he loves her. They're not sure what they're doing or what to expect but they can't bring themselves to care all that much. They play around a little first. It's only then that Pavel thinks to ask what they're supposed to do in terms of contraception. After her scare with Selwyn, Vienna decided to take something for peace of mind. She isn't interested in children for the next five years at least. She's set until then.

Pavel's tenderness turns into hesitation and Vienna tries to calm him down with reassuring kisses. She reminds him they're both in the same boat and he nods. They're half naked and happy to keep it that way, the blanket not quite an adequate match for the chilly evening. Pavel kisses along her neck and tells himself to calm down. She knows he's nervous and she kisses his nose, telling him she loves him.

It turns out that Erik's words of wisdom tend to be quite accurate. They struggle a lot more than they expected to. Pavel can't seem to find the right place and his cheeks heat up. He apologise over and over. Vienna helps him and they eventually manage to find the right spot. Pavel pushes slowly but Vienna still winces and shuffles back, muttering about the pain that she didn't anticipate. They try again and Vienna just asks him to stop for a second. She sighs and he tells her they don't have to continue. She wants to, she just needs a little time to adjust. They stay there awkwardly, still connected but unsure how to proceed.

"Just... Just try again... I'll be fine."

He nods and slowly pushes further, frowning as she winces. He didn't think she'd be in so much pain, considering he's very average in terms of size. He apologises, for at least the thousandth time. She tells him to keep trying.

It takes a fair amount of time but Vienna's pain eventually gets down to a tolerable level. It doesn't get any easier from there. They can't seem to work a rhythm and though it feels good, there's an underlying awkwardness. They try and make it work and at some point, they figure something out. Pavel moans softly and Vienna does the same, letting her body relax a little. Pavel moans her name and doesn't last long.

"You know," Pavel says softly, "Erik told me a long time ago that the first was always supposed to be shit..."

"I mean, it was pretty bad but it was still perfect. I'm sure we can get a little more practise and get better."

Pavel smirks at the thought and pulls her close. He tells her he loves her and they lay together staring up at the stars. She's laying on his chest and he points to some of the constellations and tells her about them. She swears she's never felt so in love in her whole life.

"You mean the world to me Enya," he says. "I'm so happy right now. I feel like I could fly."

"Your head is already up in the clouds, love," she laughs. "At least keep one part of you down here with me."

He smiles, pulling her just a little closer. He whispers to her in Russian and they stay in the middle of nowhere for another long while before heading back to camp. They worry their stupid smiles will give them away. Erik comments that they've been gone for ages and they try not to look at one another. They sit down and Pavel has another drink. He'll drink but he won't get drunk, not tonight anyway.

Vienna goes and checks on Selwyn and finds him stirring. She wants to wake him up but she remembers what he told her last time, that they aren't supposed to be woken up from a deep sleep. Saxon waits there with Vienna and she decides to leave him be. He's stayed with him in the day time, just keeping an eye on him and making sure he was okay. She thanks him, a little worried about her friend.

"You're good friends with Selwyn, right?" Saxon asks softly. Vienna nods. "Do you know if he's single...?"

"As far as I'm aware, he's single. Why exactly do you ask? I saw you looking at him the other night... I feel like I'm not imagining things."

"He's nice," Saxon says simply. "I like him a little, sure, but I've spent a lot of time looking into Kelzenone culture and I think I'm just too young for him."

"You never know," she mutters.

Selwyn stirs. Vienna says his name softly as he shakes a little.

"That's not convulsing, is it?" Saxon asks, looking to Selwyn and back to Vienna.

Selwyn shakes again and Vienna leans down next to him, cooing his name softly. He jolts awake and rubs his eyes. He mutters something in what sounds like his native language and yawns. He asks if he's been asleep long and Vienna nods. He apologises, telling her he never wants to touch another edible again. He excuses himself for a few minutes and heads into the bushes and Saxon quietly asks that Vienna doesn't say anything to him about their earlier conversation. She nods, giving him a faint smile.

That night is peaceful. They roast marshmallows and Vienna accidentally drops one onto Pavel's shoe. He doesn't care all that much, taking the opportunity to feed her and grin stupidly. They head to bed when everyone else does, kissing in their tent and cuddling close to one another before falling asleep.