Fic: Kitchen Consequential (16/18)
Jan. 26th, 2010 06:15 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
withthepilotTitle: Kitchen Consequential (16/18)
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 4,147
Pairings/Characters: Sulu/Chekov, Gaila, Marta
Disclaimer: Do not own or claim to own.
Warnings: AU set in New York City, 2009, with flashbacks to five years prior. Many references to the ST: XI canon.
Summary: All paths lead to the kitchen for the staff members of Enterprise, the newest critical darling on the New York restaurant scene. It's here that they come together as a team and find out just where they belong. Chapter 16: Though the future remains uncertain, Pavel's starting to believe that Hikaru is worth the risk.
For a comprehensive list of series pairings, links to prior chapters and author notes, please visit the master post.
Pavel throws his notebook and his iPod into his bag and slings it over his shoulder, rushing down the stairs. It's not yet noon and his mother's in the kitchen, already working on lunch for herself and Andrei. Whatever she's making smells delicious but Pavel has other plans for the afternoon; it's his day off and once again, Hikaru has the day off as well. Pavel's pretty sure he owes the happy coincidence to Mr. Spock's ongoing good mood since he and Chef Uhura agreed to move in with each other. In fact, most of the restaurant's couples and pseudo-couples seemed to have the same luck this week: Scotty and Gaila, Spock and Uhura, and even Kirk and McCoy, who rarely have the same day off, given the importance of their individual presences.
Mr. Spock, it turns out, is somewhat of a romantic at heart.
"Bye, Mama!" Pavel shouts as he reaches the foot of the stairs. Marta puts her stirring spoon down and calls back.
"Pavel, where are you running off to?"
"I'm seeing my friend Hikaru today."
"Hikaru again, hmm?" Marta walks out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands on her apron and giving him a knowing look. Pavel just squints and smiles, scratching his head. His mother knows him well enough to get the real picture, here. "You're seeing a lot of this new friend, Pasha."
"We have a lot in common," he answers. Marta quirks a brow and he sighs, kissing her cheek. "Okay. We might be dating. I think we are. It's still new, but...I like him."
"I'm sure he's a lovely boy," she says, kissing him back. "Are you sure he's good enough for my Pasha? That's the real question."
Pavel blushes faintly and curls his fingers around the strap of his messenger bag, shaking his head. "Probably not, in your eyes. But I do like him."
"Well, then. You go have fun," she says, drawing back. She wags a finger at him, turning toward the kitchen again. "But you're going to miss beef stew!"
He gapes after her, pouting. "Save some for me?"
"We'll see!"
Pavel pretends to look wounded as he leaves the house, but really, he's smiling. He knows his mother will save him a large portion, maybe even two.
After a quick trip to the local market for supplies, Pavel boards the subway and heads toward Hikaru's place. The train ride to Astoria is fairly short; he loves the fact that Hikaru lives in Queens, just like him, and though they're in fairly disparate areas, it beats going all the way to the west side of Manhattan, as he's required to do six days a week. Pavel inserts his ear buds and listens to his latest play list, which mainly consists of Jay-Z's latest and Rachmaninoff. He shuts his eyes and tries to focus on seeing Hikaru—what he'll be wearing, what he'll think of Pavel's plan for the day—but his thoughts end up drifting back to his mother and father; the fact that Marta now knows Pavel's seeing someone and what this could mean for the future, if and when he has to tell Andrei that, yes, he's gay and seeing a man. Not that he needs to think that far ahead; Pavel's barely been at Enterprise for a month and his "relationship" with Hikaru is barely even worthy of the title just yet.
But still, Pavel has a good feeling about Hikaru. Anyone who doesn't immediately throw someone out of bed for vomiting first thing in the morning is definitely boyfriend material. Pavel gets a little thrill when his train reaches Hikaru's station and he walks briskly down Broadway, in the direction of his building.
When Pavel knocks on Hikaru's door, Gaila answers. Somehow, he isn't surprised.
"Hi, Pavel!" She grins from ear to ear, her wild red curls pulled into a messy half-bun at the back of her head. "Karu would have answered the door but he overslept and he's still getting ready," she stage whispers. Pavel laughs in surprise, then hears Hikaru calling from inside the apartment.
"I didn't oversleep! My alarm didn't go off! I'm almost ready; I'm just putting on pants!"
"Can I watch?" Pavel calls. Gaila giggles in delight and kisses his cheek.
"Oh, I like you," she says, letting him inside.
Not a moment later, Hikaru emerges from his bedroom, looking slightly flushed in a T-shirt and rumpled, baggy jeans. His hair sways back and forth as he walks, clean and free of product, and he's barefoot, which Pavel finds intensely sexy, somehow. Also, he's blissfully unaware of the fact that his fly is down.
"Um, Karu," Gaila murmurs, motioning to Hikaru's crotch. He blinks and then cringes, turning away to pull up the zipper on his jeans.
"Jesus...okay. Um. Hi, Pavel." Hikaru laughs awkwardly and Pavel grins at him, putting his grocery bags down on the table.
"You overslept when you knew I was coming over? For shame, Hikaru."
"Honestly," Gaila says in a teasing voice, going to fetch her coat. "That is so rude."
"I had to close last night; I was tired!" Hikaru protests. Gaila just laughs and kisses his cheek, then Pavel's again. He can feel her lipstick smearing off on his cheek but he does nothing about it, just smiles to her.
"Well, now you can spend the whole day together! Spock is awesome when he's in a good mood. Scotty and I are actually going on a real date on Wednesday!" She buttons her coat and grabs her bag, going to the door. "Anyway, have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Goodbye, Gaila," Pavel says.
"Bye, G," Hikaru adds as she takes her leave. He glances at Pavel and smirks. "Luckily, there's just about nothing that she wouldn't do."
Pavel giggles and then laughs harder at the muted call of I heard that! coming from the hall outside the door. He unzips his jacket and looks up when he feels Hikaru touching his face, rubbing his thumb over his cheek.
"Lipstick," he explains. "She's always trying to mark her territory."
"I like her quite a bit."
"Yeah, she's great." Hikaru smiles and takes Pavel's jacket, hanging it up. He motions toward the bags on the table. "So, do the contents of these bags have something to do with our plans for the day?"
Pavel grins and nods. "Yes! I am making you famous Chekov family recipe pierogi."
"Oh, my god," Hikaru says, laughing. "What's with you chefs? You cook and you cook all night, every night, and you get a single day off each week and all you want to do is cook some more."
"It's in the blood." Pavel goes to pull out the contents of the bags, arranging them on the table. "It is a passion. I love to cook, especially for people I am close to." He glances at Hikaru, who smiles at him so widely that it's almost blinding. Pavel feels himself blush but he smiles back, motioning to the cabinets. "Is okay if I use Gaila's pots and things?"
"Sure, yeah." Hikaru takes a seat at the table and watches as Pavel starts arranging equipment that he'll need, then comes back to the table and prepares to make the dough. "You're making it from scratch?" he asks in surprise. Pavel gasps as though he's wounded by the question.
"Of course! There is no other way, Hikaru!"
"You and your passion," Hikaru teases, grinning as he leans in to watch him work. Pavel rolls up his sleeves and pours dry ingredients into one of Gaila's large mixing bowls, then cracks an egg into a smaller bowl, beating it with a fork.
"Passion is important. Isn't there something you are passionate about? Something you want to spend your free time doing when you are not needed at the restaurant?"
"Plants," Hikaru answers, leaning his cheek on his curled fingers. He shrugs. "I like studying and taking care of them."
"Oh, yes, you have said." Pavel lifts his head and looks into the opened doorway of Hikaru's room on the other end of the apartment, in which lots of vibrant, healthy-looking plants sit along the windowsill. He remembers them from the awkward morning he awoke hung over in Hikaru's bed. "So, why not plants?"
"I have a bachelor's in biology already. I just don't feel like spending another five years getting a doctorate. I love botany but...it's not useful. It's not proactive. It's not like making someone a five-star culinary masterpiece for dinner; it's just like...great, I can identify that tree as Ficus sycomorus." He twirls a finger in the air. "Awesome. Go me."
"Sycomorus?" Pavel repeats, blending the egg into the flour and salt.
"Sycamore Fig," Hikaru says with a small smile. Pavel brightens and nods.
"Figs are delicious."
Hikaru nods slowly. "I like a good fig."
Pavel adds sour cream to the mixture and starts to cut wedges of butter, softened after the trip on the subway over from Rego Park. "Well, do not worry, Hikaru. You won't be a server forever. You can always go back to school for botany."
"Yeah, my dad sure would love that," Hikaru mutters. "Maybe he'd actually start talking to me again."
Pavel blinks and darts another glance at him before going silent, concentrating on his dough. Hikaru has made reference to a rocky relationship with his father before, but he's never been quite so blunt. An ache swells in Pavel's chest at the idea of a younger version of Hikaru going to New York to search out a dream, and instead finding himself alone when he arrives, without help from back home. He likes to think that his own father would never be so callous, but then again, Pavel is still hiding a big secret from Andrei, isn't he? He licks his lips nervously and wonders if someone like Hikaru is worth the risk—if the moment he's avoided for so long will be upon him sooner than he thinks.
After a while, he finishes kneading and fetches saran wrap to seal up the dough, putting it in the fridge. "Don't think you're just going to sit here and watch me work," he finally says. "You're my sous chef for the day."
"Oh, am I now?" Hikaru says, smirking. "And what exactly does that entail?"
Pavel grins, pulling out potatoes and onions from another bag. "Peeling or chopping. You choose." Hikaru cringes and tilts his head.
"I'll take the peeling," he says, getting up to fetch the peeler from its drawer. Pavel nods firmly and looks for a large knife and a cutting board. Chopping onions doesn't make him cry as much as it once did, but he knows it's always the lesser option, even compared to potato peeling.
"A fine choice," he states.
Hikaru turns out to be an adept sous chef, listening to Pavel's directions and only occasionally distracting him with flirtatious touches and kisses. The water in the large pot almost boils over during a particularly long disruption, during which Hikaru has him pressed up against the counter, nipping teasingly at his mouth, but that remains the only near-incident. Then, Pavel merely has to focus on cooking through a litany of mental images from a few nights back, in the men's bathroom of their after-work haunt: the slicked part of Hikaru's dark hair the only thing he could see, as he sank to the floor of the stall and took Pavel into his mouth. And then, the swollen curve of Hikaru's mouth that Pavel longed to kiss right off his face and the heavy weight of his hard cock in his palm. He ends up asking Hikaru to put on some music to take his mind off it.
After a while, Pavel serves up two heaping plates of potato and cheese pierogi and Hikaru opens a bottle of wine that's been chilling in the fridge.
"Just one glass this time," he says with a smirk. Pavel rolls his eyes.
"Da, I promise to pace myself, thank you."
Hikaru laughs as he sits down to eat, though the amusement quickly ends when he samples his first pierogi and emits a low, satisfied sound. "Oh, my god. I can see why these are famous."
Pavel grins at him, so elated by Hikaru's reaction that he can hardly stand it. "Somehow, you've managed to stay thin while living with Gaila. But now that I am here as well, we're going to fatten you up, I think."
"Will you still like me when I'm fat?" Hikaru asks with a fake pout, cutting himself another bite with the edge of his fork.
"I think so," Pavel says quietly. "So far, I like everything about you, except maybe the fact that you are so hard on yourself."
"Yeah, well..." Hikaru goes quiet as he continues to eat. Pavel mirrors him; he's sipping from his wine when he finally speaks again. "I guess I have a tough time figuring out why you'd want to hang out with a waiter."
Pavel furrows his brow. "You're much more than that."
"Don't be clichéd," Hikaru sighs, looking down at his plate so he can't see Pavel frowning at him. "You barely know me. We've only been seeing each other for a few weeks... And besides, I'm not some kind of Jim Kirk superstar, just waiting to be discovered and introduced to the big time. I'm not like you."
Pavel chews his food and keeps frowning. He wonders where Hikaru got this terrible self-esteem from; if it's from his father, Pavel thinks he'll need to take a trip to San Francisco one day to have words with him. "I think there is something special inside you that you cannot see," he says. "You are extremely good at your job. The other servers look up to you...and Mr. Pike treats you like a protégé."
"He treats everyone that way: Kirk, Spock, you..."
"Yes, but don't you see? Mr. Pike only hires the best of the best. That is why I am so gratified to have this job—because I know I am working with very talented people, even those on the management side." He pauses and lifts his brow when a stray thought hits him. "Have you ever thought to pursue restaurant management?"
"Um...kinda," Hikaru answers, shrugging. "Pike's brought it up to me once or twice...something about the program over at Starfleet. But I'm so tired of school, and—"
"You should do it! If Pike says you can...he could help you gain entrance! It will be very different from your old school and you will do so well; I am sure of that!"
Hikaru laughs, smiling shyly. "Jeez, you're like my own personal cheerleader."
"Well, I believe in you," Pavel replies, smiling genuinely. Hikaru just laughs again and shakes his head.
"Eat your pierogi."
"I am!" Pavel reaches for his fork but it slips out of his hand, falling to the floor with a clatter. He cringes at the noise and Hikaru gets up to retrieve it.
"No more wine for you, Pavel."
"I'm not drunk! Here, let me."
"No, I got it, it's—"
They both crouch to the floor at the same time and reach for the fork; when their fingers touch, Pavel startles and wonders if Hikaru just felt the same jolt he did. Hikaru grins at him, then—that lopsided, slightly unsure grin that Pavel's grown so fond of over the past few weeks, and he can't help but lean in and kiss him; lick into his open mouth and taste the sautéed onions and flavors of home mingled with something that is purely Hikaru. He makes a soft sound in the back of his throat, like he's surprised that Pavel wants him so much, and Pavel yearns to teach him the truth: that this is what he wants, all he wants.
Pavel pushes him down to the floor, not so hard that Hikaru hits his head, and he rucks up his T-shirt, moving away from his mouth to press kisses all over his neck, chest and torso. Hikaru moans, still sounding surprised but more so aroused; he keens deliciously when Pavel swirls his tongue around his nipple and runs his hands down his sides. Pavel shifts back when Hikaru tries to reach for him and he gets Hikaru's jeans open faster than he can blink.
"Jesus, Pavel—Pavel," Hikaru groans, and Pavel hopes that he doesn't want him to stop because there's no way he can. It's now his mission to make Hikaru feel good, to show him exactly what Pavel thinks of him, this beautiful boy with so much potential.
Pavel licks along his cock with broad swipes of his tongue, shivering as he feels it harden in response. He curves his hands around the strong muscles of Hikaru's thighs and feels them quiver, straining to remain still. When he feels careful fingers slip amongst his curls, he finally lowers his mouth over Hikaru's length and sucks, humming lowly so he can feel the vibrations. The gasp that leaves Hikaru's mouth as Pavel bobs his head sounds both relieved and tortured at once. Pavel knows he's being clichéd again, but he can't help but think that Hikaru has a perfect cock, just thick enough and long enough that it feels completely natural in his mouth. He wonders how it might feel inside him and moans at the very thought, which makes Hikaru's hips jump in reflex, the head of his cock jutting against the back of Pavel's throat.
"Ah, god, st-stop...hold on," Hikaru pleads. Pavel backs off and licks his lips, feeling how flushed his skin is when the breeze from the open kitchen window hits his cheeks. Hikaru exhales and sits up, taking Pavel's hand in his own. "Come on, I have a bed," he says and Pavel laughs, getting to his feet. Weirdly, he'd forgotten all about a bed.
Hikaru closes his bedroom door behind them, as if someone will barge in, and immediately goes to work on stripping Pavel of his clothes. Pavel does his best to get Hikaru undressed as well, feeling a little breathless at the golden sight of him. Whatever issues he may have concerning his personality, smarts or skills (and Pavel is willing to bet that it's all for naught and that Hikaru is a scientific genius), Hikaru never has to worry about his looks; he's gorgeous. Pavel tells him so as he presses their bare chests together and kisses him deeply again, leading them both to the bed and the soft, dark blue comforter stretched over it. Hikaru always makes his bed; Pavel noticed that the last time he was here.
They tussle with each other on the bed for dominance, limbs tangling and mouths smearing messy kisses. Eventually, Pavel lets Hikaru roll him onto his back and pin him there, laughing happily until his thoughts are absorbed by the blissful feeling of their cocks sliding together; Hikaru's length is still slightly wet with Pavel's saliva and that makes it feel even better, makes the whole entire thing about a hundred times hotter.
"I—I have condoms," Hikaru whispers, mouthing over Pavel's jaw, his hands everywhere at once. "If you want to."
"Yes, god, yes," Pavel agrees readily, rolling his hips now for more friction. Hikaru nods and shudders, crawling to the edge of the bed to fetch supplies from the drawer. When he gets what he needs, he returns to Pavel's side and looks somewhat unsure, as if he's just realized there's a teenager in his bed. Pavel rolls his eyes at the sudden hesitance, dropping his legs open. "I am no blushing virgin, okay? Go on, Hikaru."
"Buh—yes. No, you're—okay. I mean...right."
Hikaru rolls the opened condom onto his cock and then slicks up his fingers. He slides one slowly into Pavel and he shuts his eyes with a faint moan at the sensation, which starts as a tingling burn and eases into a pleasant, welcome warmth. Pavel's only had sex with two other men before, but he's certainly not going to tell Hikaru that, since he looks like the slightest noise of discomfort might make him stop. But then, as Pavel relaxes around his second finger and starts to rock back against him, the tension leaves Hikaru's features and he seems torn on whether to watch his gliding, penetrating fingers or the look on Pavel's face.
He whimpers when he can't take it anymore, pulling his legs back and gasping. "Please, I'm ready..."
"Okay," Hikaru says, spreading more lube onto his length and moving between Pavel's legs. He looks a little daunted when he's in position and Pavel gives him a questioning look, which earns him one of the dopiest but prettiest smiles from Hikaru that he's ever seen. "It's crazy that you're here," he says, his voice a little raspy. "I never really thought..." Pavel laughs and cups his face, pulling him down for a kiss.
"Don't be clichéd," he chides, biting at his bottom lip.
Hikaru laughs and gets on with it, sinking slowly into him. Pavel holds his breath and shudders as he's stretched around his cock, shutting his eyes as his body adjusts; he opens them again to Hikaru pressing gentle kisses up and down his jaw and along the slope of his neck, and it's enough to distract him from the slight burn. Hikaru holds still, his shoulders trembling with the effort, until Pavel murmurs, "Okay, yes," and then he starts to move and god, it feels good. Pavel keeps his thumbs on Hikaru's temples, gently rubbing the thin skin there as he rolls his hips in time with the languorous thrusts; Hikaru exhales a broken moan and Pavel licks at his mouth, as if to soothe him.
He keeps his ankles crossed tightly behind Hikaru's back as their rocking gradually intensifies in speed and angles his hips so he can be fucked deeper, better. He whispers to Hikaru that he's good, feels so good, and Hikaru just moans his name and keeps going, swiveling his hips with a finesse that Pavel didn't exactly expect—not that he would complain. Pavel kisses him between gasps for breath and eventually moves one arm to wrap around Hikaru's shoulders, reaching down with his free hand to close his fist around his aching cock, which keeps brushing maddeningly against Hikaru's firm stomach. When he dares to look up at him, Hikaru's face is set in determination, his hair flipped up in random spots and his forehead glowing with light perspiration.
"Pavel," he groans when their eyes meet. Hikaru bends for a kiss, his mouth catching at the corner of Pavel's; he flicks his tongue out to taste the crease of Hikaru's lips. "F-fuck, you're so...you just..."
Pavel kisses him to make him quiet because he knows, he knows, and he honestly feels the same way. Hikaru is right—they haven't known each other for very long, but it must mean something that they were brought together, not once but twice. Pavel twists tongues with the strikingly beautiful man from the street, touching himself exactly as he did the night they were formally introduced as colleagues. Hikaru kisses back desperately and folds his hand over Pavel's fingers on his cock; they work together to bring Pavel closer to the edge, and the last thing he focuses on before he comes is a single bead of sweat sliding from behind Hikaru's ear, down the delicate curve of his neck.
"H-Hikaru," he pants, shaking as he gives into his bliss and spurts heavily against their stomachs. He grabs at Hikaru's bicep and squeezes, vaguely aware of a loud gasp above him; then Pavel feels his cock jerking inside him as Hikaru reaches his own climax, exhaling a hot huff of breath against the crook of his neck. When the thrusting stops and Hikaru's body goes lax, Pavel sighs and concentrates on breathing, running his fingertips over the bristly, manicured hairs along the back of Hikaru's neck.
"Tickles," he whispers, making Pavel grin. Hikaru pulls out with care and rests along his side, giving him a sated smile. "Amazing food and amazing sex. Date me forever."
"Be careful; you might get what you wish for, you know."
"Well, it worked the first time."
Pavel thinks he knows what Hikaru means and that's good enough, so he doesn't ask questions—just lies back and keeps stroking gently until his maybe-boyfriend drifts off to sleep. He thinks of his father and silently makes another wish for the courage he'll need to tell him about Hikaru. He considers wishing for Andrei's utter understanding as well, but he doesn't want to be greedy; it's enough to hope for the best, considering how lucky he's gotten already.
No question, it's been the best month of Pavel's life—and his life is only now beginning.
Previous: Chapter 15 || Next: Chapter 17
Rating: NC-17
Word count: 4,147
Pairings/Characters: Sulu/Chekov, Gaila, Marta
Disclaimer: Do not own or claim to own.
Warnings: AU set in New York City, 2009, with flashbacks to five years prior. Many references to the ST: XI canon.
Summary: All paths lead to the kitchen for the staff members of Enterprise, the newest critical darling on the New York restaurant scene. It's here that they come together as a team and find out just where they belong. Chapter 16: Though the future remains uncertain, Pavel's starting to believe that Hikaru is worth the risk.
For a comprehensive list of series pairings, links to prior chapters and author notes, please visit the master post.
Pavel throws his notebook and his iPod into his bag and slings it over his shoulder, rushing down the stairs. It's not yet noon and his mother's in the kitchen, already working on lunch for herself and Andrei. Whatever she's making smells delicious but Pavel has other plans for the afternoon; it's his day off and once again, Hikaru has the day off as well. Pavel's pretty sure he owes the happy coincidence to Mr. Spock's ongoing good mood since he and Chef Uhura agreed to move in with each other. In fact, most of the restaurant's couples and pseudo-couples seemed to have the same luck this week: Scotty and Gaila, Spock and Uhura, and even Kirk and McCoy, who rarely have the same day off, given the importance of their individual presences.
Mr. Spock, it turns out, is somewhat of a romantic at heart.
"Bye, Mama!" Pavel shouts as he reaches the foot of the stairs. Marta puts her stirring spoon down and calls back.
"Pavel, where are you running off to?"
"I'm seeing my friend Hikaru today."
"Hikaru again, hmm?" Marta walks out of the kitchen, cleaning her hands on her apron and giving him a knowing look. Pavel just squints and smiles, scratching his head. His mother knows him well enough to get the real picture, here. "You're seeing a lot of this new friend, Pasha."
"We have a lot in common," he answers. Marta quirks a brow and he sighs, kissing her cheek. "Okay. We might be dating. I think we are. It's still new, but...I like him."
"I'm sure he's a lovely boy," she says, kissing him back. "Are you sure he's good enough for my Pasha? That's the real question."
Pavel blushes faintly and curls his fingers around the strap of his messenger bag, shaking his head. "Probably not, in your eyes. But I do like him."
"Well, then. You go have fun," she says, drawing back. She wags a finger at him, turning toward the kitchen again. "But you're going to miss beef stew!"
He gapes after her, pouting. "Save some for me?"
"We'll see!"
Pavel pretends to look wounded as he leaves the house, but really, he's smiling. He knows his mother will save him a large portion, maybe even two.
After a quick trip to the local market for supplies, Pavel boards the subway and heads toward Hikaru's place. The train ride to Astoria is fairly short; he loves the fact that Hikaru lives in Queens, just like him, and though they're in fairly disparate areas, it beats going all the way to the west side of Manhattan, as he's required to do six days a week. Pavel inserts his ear buds and listens to his latest play list, which mainly consists of Jay-Z's latest and Rachmaninoff. He shuts his eyes and tries to focus on seeing Hikaru—what he'll be wearing, what he'll think of Pavel's plan for the day—but his thoughts end up drifting back to his mother and father; the fact that Marta now knows Pavel's seeing someone and what this could mean for the future, if and when he has to tell Andrei that, yes, he's gay and seeing a man. Not that he needs to think that far ahead; Pavel's barely been at Enterprise for a month and his "relationship" with Hikaru is barely even worthy of the title just yet.
But still, Pavel has a good feeling about Hikaru. Anyone who doesn't immediately throw someone out of bed for vomiting first thing in the morning is definitely boyfriend material. Pavel gets a little thrill when his train reaches Hikaru's station and he walks briskly down Broadway, in the direction of his building.
When Pavel knocks on Hikaru's door, Gaila answers. Somehow, he isn't surprised.
"Hi, Pavel!" She grins from ear to ear, her wild red curls pulled into a messy half-bun at the back of her head. "Karu would have answered the door but he overslept and he's still getting ready," she stage whispers. Pavel laughs in surprise, then hears Hikaru calling from inside the apartment.
"I didn't oversleep! My alarm didn't go off! I'm almost ready; I'm just putting on pants!"
"Can I watch?" Pavel calls. Gaila giggles in delight and kisses his cheek.
"Oh, I like you," she says, letting him inside.
Not a moment later, Hikaru emerges from his bedroom, looking slightly flushed in a T-shirt and rumpled, baggy jeans. His hair sways back and forth as he walks, clean and free of product, and he's barefoot, which Pavel finds intensely sexy, somehow. Also, he's blissfully unaware of the fact that his fly is down.
"Um, Karu," Gaila murmurs, motioning to Hikaru's crotch. He blinks and then cringes, turning away to pull up the zipper on his jeans.
"Jesus...okay. Um. Hi, Pavel." Hikaru laughs awkwardly and Pavel grins at him, putting his grocery bags down on the table.
"You overslept when you knew I was coming over? For shame, Hikaru."
"Honestly," Gaila says in a teasing voice, going to fetch her coat. "That is so rude."
"I had to close last night; I was tired!" Hikaru protests. Gaila just laughs and kisses his cheek, then Pavel's again. He can feel her lipstick smearing off on his cheek but he does nothing about it, just smiles to her.
"Well, now you can spend the whole day together! Spock is awesome when he's in a good mood. Scotty and I are actually going on a real date on Wednesday!" She buttons her coat and grabs her bag, going to the door. "Anyway, have fun, you two. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."
"Goodbye, Gaila," Pavel says.
"Bye, G," Hikaru adds as she takes her leave. He glances at Pavel and smirks. "Luckily, there's just about nothing that she wouldn't do."
Pavel giggles and then laughs harder at the muted call of I heard that! coming from the hall outside the door. He unzips his jacket and looks up when he feels Hikaru touching his face, rubbing his thumb over his cheek.
"Lipstick," he explains. "She's always trying to mark her territory."
"I like her quite a bit."
"Yeah, she's great." Hikaru smiles and takes Pavel's jacket, hanging it up. He motions toward the bags on the table. "So, do the contents of these bags have something to do with our plans for the day?"
Pavel grins and nods. "Yes! I am making you famous Chekov family recipe pierogi."
"Oh, my god," Hikaru says, laughing. "What's with you chefs? You cook and you cook all night, every night, and you get a single day off each week and all you want to do is cook some more."
"It's in the blood." Pavel goes to pull out the contents of the bags, arranging them on the table. "It is a passion. I love to cook, especially for people I am close to." He glances at Hikaru, who smiles at him so widely that it's almost blinding. Pavel feels himself blush but he smiles back, motioning to the cabinets. "Is okay if I use Gaila's pots and things?"
"Sure, yeah." Hikaru takes a seat at the table and watches as Pavel starts arranging equipment that he'll need, then comes back to the table and prepares to make the dough. "You're making it from scratch?" he asks in surprise. Pavel gasps as though he's wounded by the question.
"Of course! There is no other way, Hikaru!"
"You and your passion," Hikaru teases, grinning as he leans in to watch him work. Pavel rolls up his sleeves and pours dry ingredients into one of Gaila's large mixing bowls, then cracks an egg into a smaller bowl, beating it with a fork.
"Passion is important. Isn't there something you are passionate about? Something you want to spend your free time doing when you are not needed at the restaurant?"
"Plants," Hikaru answers, leaning his cheek on his curled fingers. He shrugs. "I like studying and taking care of them."
"Oh, yes, you have said." Pavel lifts his head and looks into the opened doorway of Hikaru's room on the other end of the apartment, in which lots of vibrant, healthy-looking plants sit along the windowsill. He remembers them from the awkward morning he awoke hung over in Hikaru's bed. "So, why not plants?"
"I have a bachelor's in biology already. I just don't feel like spending another five years getting a doctorate. I love botany but...it's not useful. It's not proactive. It's not like making someone a five-star culinary masterpiece for dinner; it's just like...great, I can identify that tree as Ficus sycomorus." He twirls a finger in the air. "Awesome. Go me."
"Sycomorus?" Pavel repeats, blending the egg into the flour and salt.
"Sycamore Fig," Hikaru says with a small smile. Pavel brightens and nods.
"Figs are delicious."
Hikaru nods slowly. "I like a good fig."
Pavel adds sour cream to the mixture and starts to cut wedges of butter, softened after the trip on the subway over from Rego Park. "Well, do not worry, Hikaru. You won't be a server forever. You can always go back to school for botany."
"Yeah, my dad sure would love that," Hikaru mutters. "Maybe he'd actually start talking to me again."
Pavel blinks and darts another glance at him before going silent, concentrating on his dough. Hikaru has made reference to a rocky relationship with his father before, but he's never been quite so blunt. An ache swells in Pavel's chest at the idea of a younger version of Hikaru going to New York to search out a dream, and instead finding himself alone when he arrives, without help from back home. He likes to think that his own father would never be so callous, but then again, Pavel is still hiding a big secret from Andrei, isn't he? He licks his lips nervously and wonders if someone like Hikaru is worth the risk—if the moment he's avoided for so long will be upon him sooner than he thinks.
After a while, he finishes kneading and fetches saran wrap to seal up the dough, putting it in the fridge. "Don't think you're just going to sit here and watch me work," he finally says. "You're my sous chef for the day."
"Oh, am I now?" Hikaru says, smirking. "And what exactly does that entail?"
Pavel grins, pulling out potatoes and onions from another bag. "Peeling or chopping. You choose." Hikaru cringes and tilts his head.
"I'll take the peeling," he says, getting up to fetch the peeler from its drawer. Pavel nods firmly and looks for a large knife and a cutting board. Chopping onions doesn't make him cry as much as it once did, but he knows it's always the lesser option, even compared to potato peeling.
"A fine choice," he states.
Hikaru turns out to be an adept sous chef, listening to Pavel's directions and only occasionally distracting him with flirtatious touches and kisses. The water in the large pot almost boils over during a particularly long disruption, during which Hikaru has him pressed up against the counter, nipping teasingly at his mouth, but that remains the only near-incident. Then, Pavel merely has to focus on cooking through a litany of mental images from a few nights back, in the men's bathroom of their after-work haunt: the slicked part of Hikaru's dark hair the only thing he could see, as he sank to the floor of the stall and took Pavel into his mouth. And then, the swollen curve of Hikaru's mouth that Pavel longed to kiss right off his face and the heavy weight of his hard cock in his palm. He ends up asking Hikaru to put on some music to take his mind off it.
After a while, Pavel serves up two heaping plates of potato and cheese pierogi and Hikaru opens a bottle of wine that's been chilling in the fridge.
"Just one glass this time," he says with a smirk. Pavel rolls his eyes.
"Da, I promise to pace myself, thank you."
Hikaru laughs as he sits down to eat, though the amusement quickly ends when he samples his first pierogi and emits a low, satisfied sound. "Oh, my god. I can see why these are famous."
Pavel grins at him, so elated by Hikaru's reaction that he can hardly stand it. "Somehow, you've managed to stay thin while living with Gaila. But now that I am here as well, we're going to fatten you up, I think."
"Will you still like me when I'm fat?" Hikaru asks with a fake pout, cutting himself another bite with the edge of his fork.
"I think so," Pavel says quietly. "So far, I like everything about you, except maybe the fact that you are so hard on yourself."
"Yeah, well..." Hikaru goes quiet as he continues to eat. Pavel mirrors him; he's sipping from his wine when he finally speaks again. "I guess I have a tough time figuring out why you'd want to hang out with a waiter."
Pavel furrows his brow. "You're much more than that."
"Don't be clichéd," Hikaru sighs, looking down at his plate so he can't see Pavel frowning at him. "You barely know me. We've only been seeing each other for a few weeks... And besides, I'm not some kind of Jim Kirk superstar, just waiting to be discovered and introduced to the big time. I'm not like you."
Pavel chews his food and keeps frowning. He wonders where Hikaru got this terrible self-esteem from; if it's from his father, Pavel thinks he'll need to take a trip to San Francisco one day to have words with him. "I think there is something special inside you that you cannot see," he says. "You are extremely good at your job. The other servers look up to you...and Mr. Pike treats you like a protégé."
"He treats everyone that way: Kirk, Spock, you..."
"Yes, but don't you see? Mr. Pike only hires the best of the best. That is why I am so gratified to have this job—because I know I am working with very talented people, even those on the management side." He pauses and lifts his brow when a stray thought hits him. "Have you ever thought to pursue restaurant management?"
"Um...kinda," Hikaru answers, shrugging. "Pike's brought it up to me once or twice...something about the program over at Starfleet. But I'm so tired of school, and—"
"You should do it! If Pike says you can...he could help you gain entrance! It will be very different from your old school and you will do so well; I am sure of that!"
Hikaru laughs, smiling shyly. "Jeez, you're like my own personal cheerleader."
"Well, I believe in you," Pavel replies, smiling genuinely. Hikaru just laughs again and shakes his head.
"Eat your pierogi."
"I am!" Pavel reaches for his fork but it slips out of his hand, falling to the floor with a clatter. He cringes at the noise and Hikaru gets up to retrieve it.
"No more wine for you, Pavel."
"I'm not drunk! Here, let me."
"No, I got it, it's—"
They both crouch to the floor at the same time and reach for the fork; when their fingers touch, Pavel startles and wonders if Hikaru just felt the same jolt he did. Hikaru grins at him, then—that lopsided, slightly unsure grin that Pavel's grown so fond of over the past few weeks, and he can't help but lean in and kiss him; lick into his open mouth and taste the sautéed onions and flavors of home mingled with something that is purely Hikaru. He makes a soft sound in the back of his throat, like he's surprised that Pavel wants him so much, and Pavel yearns to teach him the truth: that this is what he wants, all he wants.
Pavel pushes him down to the floor, not so hard that Hikaru hits his head, and he rucks up his T-shirt, moving away from his mouth to press kisses all over his neck, chest and torso. Hikaru moans, still sounding surprised but more so aroused; he keens deliciously when Pavel swirls his tongue around his nipple and runs his hands down his sides. Pavel shifts back when Hikaru tries to reach for him and he gets Hikaru's jeans open faster than he can blink.
"Jesus, Pavel—Pavel," Hikaru groans, and Pavel hopes that he doesn't want him to stop because there's no way he can. It's now his mission to make Hikaru feel good, to show him exactly what Pavel thinks of him, this beautiful boy with so much potential.
Pavel licks along his cock with broad swipes of his tongue, shivering as he feels it harden in response. He curves his hands around the strong muscles of Hikaru's thighs and feels them quiver, straining to remain still. When he feels careful fingers slip amongst his curls, he finally lowers his mouth over Hikaru's length and sucks, humming lowly so he can feel the vibrations. The gasp that leaves Hikaru's mouth as Pavel bobs his head sounds both relieved and tortured at once. Pavel knows he's being clichéd again, but he can't help but think that Hikaru has a perfect cock, just thick enough and long enough that it feels completely natural in his mouth. He wonders how it might feel inside him and moans at the very thought, which makes Hikaru's hips jump in reflex, the head of his cock jutting against the back of Pavel's throat.
"Ah, god, st-stop...hold on," Hikaru pleads. Pavel backs off and licks his lips, feeling how flushed his skin is when the breeze from the open kitchen window hits his cheeks. Hikaru exhales and sits up, taking Pavel's hand in his own. "Come on, I have a bed," he says and Pavel laughs, getting to his feet. Weirdly, he'd forgotten all about a bed.
Hikaru closes his bedroom door behind them, as if someone will barge in, and immediately goes to work on stripping Pavel of his clothes. Pavel does his best to get Hikaru undressed as well, feeling a little breathless at the golden sight of him. Whatever issues he may have concerning his personality, smarts or skills (and Pavel is willing to bet that it's all for naught and that Hikaru is a scientific genius), Hikaru never has to worry about his looks; he's gorgeous. Pavel tells him so as he presses their bare chests together and kisses him deeply again, leading them both to the bed and the soft, dark blue comforter stretched over it. Hikaru always makes his bed; Pavel noticed that the last time he was here.
They tussle with each other on the bed for dominance, limbs tangling and mouths smearing messy kisses. Eventually, Pavel lets Hikaru roll him onto his back and pin him there, laughing happily until his thoughts are absorbed by the blissful feeling of their cocks sliding together; Hikaru's length is still slightly wet with Pavel's saliva and that makes it feel even better, makes the whole entire thing about a hundred times hotter.
"I—I have condoms," Hikaru whispers, mouthing over Pavel's jaw, his hands everywhere at once. "If you want to."
"Yes, god, yes," Pavel agrees readily, rolling his hips now for more friction. Hikaru nods and shudders, crawling to the edge of the bed to fetch supplies from the drawer. When he gets what he needs, he returns to Pavel's side and looks somewhat unsure, as if he's just realized there's a teenager in his bed. Pavel rolls his eyes at the sudden hesitance, dropping his legs open. "I am no blushing virgin, okay? Go on, Hikaru."
"Buh—yes. No, you're—okay. I mean...right."
Hikaru rolls the opened condom onto his cock and then slicks up his fingers. He slides one slowly into Pavel and he shuts his eyes with a faint moan at the sensation, which starts as a tingling burn and eases into a pleasant, welcome warmth. Pavel's only had sex with two other men before, but he's certainly not going to tell Hikaru that, since he looks like the slightest noise of discomfort might make him stop. But then, as Pavel relaxes around his second finger and starts to rock back against him, the tension leaves Hikaru's features and he seems torn on whether to watch his gliding, penetrating fingers or the look on Pavel's face.
He whimpers when he can't take it anymore, pulling his legs back and gasping. "Please, I'm ready..."
"Okay," Hikaru says, spreading more lube onto his length and moving between Pavel's legs. He looks a little daunted when he's in position and Pavel gives him a questioning look, which earns him one of the dopiest but prettiest smiles from Hikaru that he's ever seen. "It's crazy that you're here," he says, his voice a little raspy. "I never really thought..." Pavel laughs and cups his face, pulling him down for a kiss.
"Don't be clichéd," he chides, biting at his bottom lip.
Hikaru laughs and gets on with it, sinking slowly into him. Pavel holds his breath and shudders as he's stretched around his cock, shutting his eyes as his body adjusts; he opens them again to Hikaru pressing gentle kisses up and down his jaw and along the slope of his neck, and it's enough to distract him from the slight burn. Hikaru holds still, his shoulders trembling with the effort, until Pavel murmurs, "Okay, yes," and then he starts to move and god, it feels good. Pavel keeps his thumbs on Hikaru's temples, gently rubbing the thin skin there as he rolls his hips in time with the languorous thrusts; Hikaru exhales a broken moan and Pavel licks at his mouth, as if to soothe him.
He keeps his ankles crossed tightly behind Hikaru's back as their rocking gradually intensifies in speed and angles his hips so he can be fucked deeper, better. He whispers to Hikaru that he's good, feels so good, and Hikaru just moans his name and keeps going, swiveling his hips with a finesse that Pavel didn't exactly expect—not that he would complain. Pavel kisses him between gasps for breath and eventually moves one arm to wrap around Hikaru's shoulders, reaching down with his free hand to close his fist around his aching cock, which keeps brushing maddeningly against Hikaru's firm stomach. When he dares to look up at him, Hikaru's face is set in determination, his hair flipped up in random spots and his forehead glowing with light perspiration.
"Pavel," he groans when their eyes meet. Hikaru bends for a kiss, his mouth catching at the corner of Pavel's; he flicks his tongue out to taste the crease of Hikaru's lips. "F-fuck, you're so...you just..."
Pavel kisses him to make him quiet because he knows, he knows, and he honestly feels the same way. Hikaru is right—they haven't known each other for very long, but it must mean something that they were brought together, not once but twice. Pavel twists tongues with the strikingly beautiful man from the street, touching himself exactly as he did the night they were formally introduced as colleagues. Hikaru kisses back desperately and folds his hand over Pavel's fingers on his cock; they work together to bring Pavel closer to the edge, and the last thing he focuses on before he comes is a single bead of sweat sliding from behind Hikaru's ear, down the delicate curve of his neck.
"H-Hikaru," he pants, shaking as he gives into his bliss and spurts heavily against their stomachs. He grabs at Hikaru's bicep and squeezes, vaguely aware of a loud gasp above him; then Pavel feels his cock jerking inside him as Hikaru reaches his own climax, exhaling a hot huff of breath against the crook of his neck. When the thrusting stops and Hikaru's body goes lax, Pavel sighs and concentrates on breathing, running his fingertips over the bristly, manicured hairs along the back of Hikaru's neck.
"Tickles," he whispers, making Pavel grin. Hikaru pulls out with care and rests along his side, giving him a sated smile. "Amazing food and amazing sex. Date me forever."
"Be careful; you might get what you wish for, you know."
"Well, it worked the first time."
Pavel thinks he knows what Hikaru means and that's good enough, so he doesn't ask questions—just lies back and keeps stroking gently until his maybe-boyfriend drifts off to sleep. He thinks of his father and silently makes another wish for the courage he'll need to tell him about Hikaru. He considers wishing for Andrei's utter understanding as well, but he doesn't want to be greedy; it's enough to hope for the best, considering how lucky he's gotten already.
No question, it's been the best month of Pavel's life—and his life is only now beginning.
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