rivers_bend

Title: Table for Two
Pairing: Sulu/Chekov
Words: ~1200
Rating: PG
Summary: Sulu is doing that thing again where he runs a fingertip over the controls, and Chekov finds it extremely distracting.



Hikaru—Lieutenant Sulu. Probably best for Pavel to think of him as Lieutenant Sulu while he's on the bridge—Lieutenant Sulu is doing that thing again that Pavel wishes he would not do. That thing where he runs a fingertip over the controls, checking everything is in the right place. He only does it when he's tired, when he's less likely to catch Pavel watching him, and this knowledge makes it almost impossible for Pavel not to stare.

The trouble is, even if Lieutenant Sulu himself doesn't catch him staring, Pavel does not trust that Captain Kirk or Commander Spock will remain as oblivious. The commander would never say anything, but Pavel failed to save his mother and does not wish Mr. Spock to think Pavel's inappropriate thoughts about Hikaru—Lieutenant Sulu—had anything to do with that, since they did not.

The captain on the other hand is likely to point out Pavel's staring, or make an inappropriate comment—a sexual comment—which would be even worse than the lieutenant noticing on his own. And worse could be very bad indeed.

Hikaru has started seeking Pavel out at dinner time, and twice now has invited Pavel back to his quarters to play Go. Pavel would venture to say they are becoming friends, and he has no desire to upset his friend with the knowledge that Pavel would very much like Hikaru to touch him the way he touches the ship's controls when he is tired. This is why Pavel wishes Hi— Lieutenant Sulu to stop.

On the station in front of him, Pavel opens the engine design he has been discussing with Mr. Scott, in the hopes that working on it will provide sufficient distraction to keep him from staring at his friend for the rest of his shift. It does keep him from staring, but it does not keep him from thinking.

Instead of the problem on his screen, Pavel sees the corner of Hikaru's mouth and the way it curves up slightly when he asks Pavel if he may sit with him for dinner, the way it looks very much like somewhere Pavel would like to lick, just quickly, with the tip of his tongue. He sees Hikaru's fingers, sturdy and strong and capable, but he doesn't see them on the control panel as he would if he turned his head; Pavel sees them on his own skin, sliding across his too-pale stomach, or up his thighs towards—

"Ensign Chekov?" the captain interrupts Pavel's thoughts. "Mr. Scott would like to see you in engineering. No need to return when he's done with you; you may head directly to your evening meal."

"Thank you, sir," Pavel answers, standing, turning to nod at the captain, hoping that he is not blushing, that his thoughts about Hikaru's hands are not written all over his face.

"I'll be at our table," Lieutenant Sulu whispers as Pavel walks past.

The words do not register at first, and Pavel inclines his head and gives his friend a smile. It's only when the turbolift doors shut behind him that Pavel thinks, Our table. He said, "Our table."

Pavel makes his very best effort not to read too much into the words, but his heart is pounding, sending adrenalin and endorphins racing around his body so that by the time he reaches the engine room he's murmuring, "ours" over and over, and practically jumping out of his skin.

Fortunately, Mr. Scott has called him down to talk about possible colors for the casing of their hypothetical engine, and not something that requires thought or that actually matters, because much to Pavel's shame, he is pretty much totally useless at the moment, unable to concentrate.

They have been almost three months now all together on the Enterprise, and Pavel Chekov has been a good and productive member of the crew. Even though he is young and does not always follow right away some of the Captain and Commander Spock's debates, they listen to his ideas and give him responsibilities. He wants very much to live up to their trust. But it is getting much more difficult to keep his thoughts about Lieutenant Sulu to his off-duty hours now that he and the other man are spending more of those hours together.

When all Pavel had at his imagination's disposal were memories of Hikaru being competent at the ship's controls, the occasional conversation when things were quiet, and the way Hikaru smiled when they worked together to push the ship a little harder than her design specs intended, it was not so difficult to confine his mulling-over time to his bunk. But now when he sees Hikaru smile, Pavel remembers a story he told at dinner the night before that made them both laugh; when he sees Hikaru's fingers fly over the screen at his station, Pavel remembers the way they slowly caress his glass or his fork or his game pieces when they are off duty. It's most distracting.

About fifteen minutes after his shift would have ended, Pavel gets to the mess, where his eyes immediately go to the table in the corner where he and Hikaru usually eat. His friend is watching the door and breaks into one of his beautiful smiles when Pavel waves at him. It seems to take forever for Pavel to collect his meal tray, though it is only a few moments.

As he makes his way across the room with his food, Pavel keeps his eyes down, hoping it looks only as though he's trying to avoid spilling, in fear that if he looks at Hikaru he will give too many of his thoughts away.

"Is everything alright?" Hikaru asks when Pavel joins him.

"Yes, yes, it is fine. Do I look not fine?" Perhaps Hikaru could see anyway.

"No, you look great." Hikaru—is he blushing?—says. "With Mr. Scott. Is there a problem with your project?"

"Oh!" Pavel is relieved. "No. He just wanted to talk about colors. I think he is bored. We have been only flying for days. No black holes or enemy ships to escape."

Hikaru huffs a laugh. Not merely a polite laugh, but warm and intimate like they are sharing a private joke. It makes Pavel shiver and long to reach across the table to touch the hand resting next to Hikaru's plate.

"It's nice to have things boring for a few days," Hikaru says. "Gives us time to relax. Get to know each other better."

"There are so many people on this ship," Pavel agrees. It will take a long time to get to know the shipmates he doesn't work with regularly.

"I was thinking—" Hikaru starts, then looks at his plate, around the room, then intently at his fork before glancing up at Pavel. "I was referring to getting to know you better," he finally finishes.

Thinking of the way Hikaru said "our table," and the way he was almost definitely blushing when he said that Pavel looked great, Pavel gives in to his urge to touch his friend's hand. Hikaru looks up from his plate, holding Pavel's gaze.

"I would like to get to know you better, too," Pavel says. "Very much better, I think."

Hikaru turns his hand so he can lace his fingers through Pavel's. "My quarters are closer," he says.

"Closer is good."

~fin~