Warnings: A bit of cussing, nothing graphic, it gets pretty fluffy at the end...

Pairings: Hikaru Sulu/Pavel Chekov, tiniest hint of Kirk/Spock

AN: They really are eight years apart in TOS, I can prove it. www. startrek. com/startrek/view/series/TOS/character/1112505. html This is Pavel's biography page. Search Sulu's and then you can see their birthdays. They're eight years apart. And this is my first Star Trek fanfic, though I've been writing others, I just haven't finished them.

The first time Pavel Chekov felt homesick was when he enlisted in Starfleet when he was fourteen and a half. He had to move to Saint Petersburg, and to make it worse, none of the cadets were allowed to visit home except on holidays. Pavel often found himself missing his home and his mama and papa and all the cousins that were always visiting. He missed getting up early to run along the edge of the forest outside his home, he missed his mama scolding him when he got home because he got his pants muddy. He missed his cousins constantly fighting, and he missed his papa smoking an elaborately carved pipe (that Pavel had gotten him for his birthday) in the evenings. But it was all worth it to be one of the youngest students at the Academy. It was worth the separation and the long sleepless nights of cramming to be a genius. But sometimes Pavel just wanted to collapse into his mama's arms and sleep forever, with her smoothing his curls and singing Russian lullabies.

The first time Pavel Chekov was kissed was at the Academy. He was at a party one of his friends had dragged him to before leaving with some girl. Pavel was confused and felt like his senses were being assaulted from every turn. There was loud music, thrumming so loud and low he could feel it throughout his skeleton, there were screaming teenagers, all at least a year older than him. The scent of alcohol was thick in the air, not just cool, clear Vodka that he was accustomed to, but horrible American liquors too, with a sweet, heavy, sticky scent. And there was a girl who had been watching him all night. She was taller than him, with creamy pale skin and long dark brown curls. She smiled very prettily at him as she drank whatever she had grabbed from the table. Pavel felt like he shouldn't be noticing this girl, much less the other way around. What was she doing, trying to get him killed? He wasn't stupid, he knew exactly who she was and who she was dating. And Russians don't take kindly to people trying to steal their girlfriends. But she had kept watching him, all night, drink after drink, song after song until it was well after three in the morning. Pavel had been sitting in a chair in a corner by the door, inside enough to stay away from the snow outside, but just barely. The girl walked over to him and sat next to him.

"You're that genius kid, right? Chekov," she slurred in a mix of Russian, a bit of what Pavel thought might be Ukrainian and a word of English. Pavel nodded slightly.

"Da." She lurched forwards and pressed their lips together firmly. Pavel almost fell out of his chair in surprise. She straddled his lap, effectively pinning him down. Licking at his closed lips, she tried to get him to reciprocate.

"Do you not like me?" Pavel looked at her, and realized she really wasn't all that pretty anymore. Her cheeks were flushed splochily, her hair was a bit knotted and she was frowning, making little wrinkles appear in her forehead. He realized that honesty was the best policy, so he told her the truth.

"Nyet." She looked shocked and fell off his lap as he stood and walked out the door.

The first time Pavel Chekov was truly proud of himself was when he had to beam up Kirk and Sulu. He had run breakneck speed through the halls to get to the Transporter Room. He knew time was of the essence, because if he was a fraction of a second late… That was what had happened when he was beaming aboard the Vulcan elders and Spock. He was a fraction of a second late and Spock lost his mother. But he had been so afraid for Sulu. And Kirk. Sulu was his friend, he was nice and Pavel didn't think he could bear to lose him. Sulu was the only one who spoke to him like he was an equal, not some cute little kid they wanted to wrap up in a blanket and coo at. And in that instant he realized that Sulu was falling he panicked. He was listening intently to the helmet coms, and when he heard even more rushing air and screaming in the background, he realized Sulu had fallen, and that Kirk had thrown himself off after him. He called down to the Transporter Room tensely, asking about the status of Sulu and Kirk. What he heard horrified him, people shouting, a woman saying that she couldn't lock onto their signal. And in an instant, all Pavel's training came back at once, and he realized that there was a way to lock onto their signal, if he could move fast enough, if he could get down there and if his fingers were agile enough. So he tore down the halls, screaming that he could do it, because he could, and he had never felt more alive. The feeling intensified a thousand times when Sulu looked up and realized that he had saved him. That he, Pavel Andreievich Chekov had saved him. Not some regular idiot from engineering, that only he had been able to catch them before they died. And Lieutenant Sulu was thinking the same thing.

The first time Pavel Chekov got so drunk he couldn't walk to his quarters on his own and would not remember anything in the morning was at the Captains 30th private birthday party. Private because only the senior officers were there, toasting over and over, drinking themselves into a stupor. Halfway through the evening, Pavel and Scotty had gotten into an argument about who could drink more, Pavel citing his Russian heritage and experience with hard liquor, like Vodka, and Scotty citing his Scottish heritage and his having more than a few years on the boy. McCoy had gotten into it too, and the Captain had declared a drink off, himself judging, of course. He sat at one end of the table and set up Pavel and McCoy and Scotty around him.

"The rules are simple. The last man standing is the winner, provided he doesn't barf. If he does, then Spock wins."

"Captain, I do not see how all three men either passing out or vomiting makes me victorious," Spock said to the tipsy Captain.

"Ahh Spockie. You're just too cute, you know that? Cute little Vulcan ears… Anyway. Gentlemen. Are you ready?" Pavel nodded first, he having had the least to drink so far. Bones and Scotty soon followed. "Very well. BEGIN!!!" All three men grabbed the bottles in front of them and began to pour their drinks. They were all using the same liquor, to make it more fair. Pavel didn't particularly like this idea, because it was synthesized American whiskey, and it tasted nasty. Nothing like the strong burn of Vodka. Oh well. Bones poured his first into a glass, as did Scotty. They both drank swiftly and started on another. Pavel grinned and shook his head. Amateurs. He grabbed his bottle by the neck and drank straight from that. Once Bones and Scotty noticed, they followed his lead, drinking straight from the bottle. Pavel was finished first, because he had a head start, and looked to the Captain.

"Do ve get anozer bottle?" he slurred in a thicker accent. Kirk replicated three more bottles of whiskey, giving the first bottle to Chekov, and the second to Scotty. Bones got the last because he finished last. In the end, it was decided that Bones could not hold his liquor, and while Scotty gave Pavel a run for his money, you really could not argue drinking with a Russian. So Pavel won, but he could barely stand to move away from the table. Deciding it would be better for his health if he stayed put, he collapsed in a chair again. Pavel vaguely thought he saw someone sit down next to him, someone with black hair and a yellow shirt.

"Pavel? Are you okay?" the person asked. Pavel nodded, smiling hugely.

"Da! I won! Did Hikaru see me vin? Did eweryone else see me vin? Do ze know now zat I can drink?" The person beside him laughed.

"Yes, Pavel. They know you can drink. And Hikaru saw you win." Pavel hiccupped and giggled.

"Hikaru is my friend. He does not talk to me like I am baby. Hikaru is weeery good friend." Pavel grinned at the person sitting next to him. "Who are you?" The person coughed.

"I'm going to take you back to your room now. Come on." The person pulled back Pavel's chair and half lifted him by his armpits. Pavel gasped and almost vomited all over his helper when he stood. The room sun dizzyingly fast, everything going out of focus and sharply in focus and then back out again. The edges of his vision when black and misty and then righted themselves. Pavel clung to the person with all his might to stay upright. As they were stumbling out the door Pavel heard a loud whistle followed by someone shouting. The person helping him (he could tell it was a man now) stopped to listen to the shouting.

"Thank you very much, I know that! I'm taking him back to his room so he can sleep!" the man shouted back. Pavel giggled.

"What?" the man asked as they slowly walked to a turbolift.

"Vell, de vas dis book vhen I vas leetle boy, it had zis monkey und a man in a vello hat. You are a man in a vello shirt!" Pavel grinned, proud of his analogy. The man in the yellow shirt laughed a bit too. Once they reached the turbolift, he leaned Pavel against the wall. Pavel slid down so he was sitting. "Vas Hikaru mad I left?" The man in the yellow shirt stayed silent. "Hikaru doesn't lie to me, or ignore me! You shouldn't eizer!" The man in the yellow shirt sighed.

"No, he wasn't mad you left." Pavel smiled.

"It voud be funny to see Hikaru drunk. Vhat kind of drunk is he?" Pavel asked the man in the yellow shirt.

"He's a loud and flirty drunk," the man in the yellow shirt said finally. Pavel laughed.

"Hikaru is vlirty? I cannot see heem like zat!" The doors to the turbolift opened and the man in the yellow shirt lifted Pavel again. This time he slung an arm over his shoulders and used his arm to grab around Pavel's back. The slowly made it to Pavel's quarters, having to stop every ten steps to readjust Pavel's arm that kept slipping off the shoulders of the man in the yellow shirt. Finally they reached Pavel's quarters. The man tried entering a password to open the doors, but they stayed firmly shut.

"Uh, Pavel? What is your password?"

"Can't tell. Secret. Zat is vat Hikaru said. He said it vas secret, zat I couldn't tell." The man sighed, then snapped his fingers.

"I got it! You share a bathroom with Hikaru, right?" Pavel looked around, thinking then nodded.

"Da! I vatched Hikaru take a shower once. He still doesn't know. You keep secret, da?" The man coughed and shifted.

"Yeah, I won't tell him. Do you lock your bathroom door?"

"Nyet." The man nodded and led him to the door next to Pavel's room.

"Vat are we doing here?" Pavel asked. "Zis is Hikaru's room." The man didn't reply, but he entered a password and this time the doors opened with a soft "woosh". They stumbled through the room crowded with vegetation and exotic flora and entered the bathroom. They moved through that and finally into Pavel's room. It was neat and had little in it. The man in the yellow shirt set Pavel down on his bed and took his boots off.

"Go to sleep, Pavel." Pavel nodded, already halfway dreaming.

"Da. Tell Hikaru goodnight. I alvays tell him goodnight, but I can't. So tell him goodnight for me."

"I will."

The first time Pavel Chekov initiated a kiss he was wasn't really thinking. He had been awkward and jumpy all week, because he had suddenly and inexplicably fallen in love with Hikaru Sulu, who happened to be his best friend and coworker. He had no idea what had caused his sudden longing for the Asian pilot, but he could barely concentrate at work. Even Kirk was starting to notice, and he was the last one to see. The only one who seemed completely oblivious was Hikaru himself. Pavel did his best to keep up appearances, and apparently he was a better actor than he had previously imagined. Hikaru just kept going like nothing had changed, like he didn't notice Pavel spending more time than usual watching him out of the corner of his eye, or he didn't notice how Pavel seemed unable to pay complete attention when Hikaru was drumming his fingers on the console.

"Chekov? Pavel?" he heard from his left. He snapped his head over and almost head-butted Hikaru.

"Da?"

"You were zoned out. What's wrong? Are you feeling okay? You looked really spacey." They both smirked at Hikaru's word choice.

"I am feeling fine. I vas just tinking." Hikaru grinned cheekily.

"Were you thinking about how amazingly sexy I am?" Hikaru teased, brushing Pavel's hand with his own. Pavel pulled his hand back as if burned. He and Hikaru joked about that before, but now it was different.

"N-nyet!" Pavel defended, holding his hand to his chest. Sulu looked sorry.

"Sorry, did I overstep a boundary?" Pavel shook his head.

"Nyet," he repeated, softer this time. "I vas just surprised." He grinned weakly. "I vas really tinking about how ze Keeptain and Doctor McCoy haff been spending zeir free time. I tink ze vould be beautiful togezer, no?" Hikaru almost choked on his own spit.

"Really?" Pavel laughed.

"Nyet. I vas tinking about space." Hikaru nodded. This was a good answer. A safe answer. They spent the rest of the day in easy conversation until their shift was over. McKenna, Pavel's relief came first.

"Save me as seat in the mess. Oh! And get me a piece of chocolate cake!" Hikaru yelled after him as he was entering the turbolift. Pavel waved a hand outside the closing doors to signify that he had heard. When Hikaru reached the mess hall he scanned the hall quickly to find Chekov. When he saw the boy, he was sitting at the end of a table with an unfamiliar man in a red shirt. Hikaru went through the food line quickly and went to join them both. As he approached, he saw that he did know the other boy, his name was Davis. Hikaru set his tray down next to Pavel and had the decency to look guilty for interrupting their conversation.

"Hello Sulu!" Pavel grinned brightly. Davis nodded in acknowledgment at him. Hikaru smiled back, but internally he frowned. Pavel hadn't called him by his last name in a while. He had thought they were getting along better. Pavel pushed a plate at him. Hikaru looked up in surprise at the sudden gesture. "You vanted chocolate cake, so I got you some," he explained. Hikaru smiled widely.

"Thanks, Chekov!" Hikaru thought he saw Pavel blink right after being addressed by his last name, but he brushed it off. Davis turned back to Pavel and they resumed their conversation about…something. Whatever it was, it was way over Hikaru's head. He at in silence and finished before both of them. Glancing over at Pavel, he noticed that the young Ensign had barely finished half his meal, and would probably not be finished anytime soon. He sighed softly and took his tray back up to the automated washers. As he was walking out the door, he felt someone touch his shoulder. He glanced around, expecting to see someone who mistook him for someone else. Pavel grinned his thousand-watt smile and Hikaru felt that he couldn't be angry at him anymore.

"Did you just leave Davis there?" Hikaru asked as they walked down the hall towards their quarters.

"Nyet. I told him you vere probably mad at me for ignoring you during dinner, so he let me come talk to you."

"He let you? What is he your keeper, Pavel?" Hikaru asked, easily slipping back into using his first name. They were stopped outside Pavel's room, which was right next door to Hikaru's room, seeing as they shared a bathroom. Pavel grinned mischievously.

"Are you jealous, Hikaru?" Pavel purred, stepping closer. Hikaru swallowed nervously when Pavel's grin first appeared.

"Not at all," Hikaru stuttered. Pavel placed a hand on Hikaru's chest and leaned against him softly.

"I tink you are. You are jealous, Hikaru," Pavel whispered. Before Hikaru could move away or deny it anymore, Pavel lurched up and kissed him softly. It was a over almost before it started, not long enough for Hikaru to really respond. Before Hikaru could say anything, Pavel had disappeared into his room. Hikaru leaned his forehead against Pavel's closed door.

"Good night, Pavel," he whispered to the door.

The first time Pavel Chekov had sex he had to beg for it. Not in a slutty way, but Hikaru was very stubborn. Pavel felt like he was old enough to make his own decisions, he was Navigator on the fucking best Starship in the Fleet, but Hikaru kept insisting that he was still a kid, that he was only 17, that it was still illegal, that he really had to think about it, because Hikaru was not going to take that away from him lightly. Pavel had made the mistake one day of mentioning to Hikaru that he was a virgin, and since then, Hikaru had been especially careful with him, like he might break if handled indelicately. Most nights found them both in Hikaru's room, kissing or just sitting and enjoying each other's company. One such night Pavel was being even more stubborn than usual.

"I don't see how I vill be any different in two months!" Pavel protested, sitting cross-legged on Hikaru's bed, watching him water his plants.

"You won't be that different in two months, it's just that it's illegal, Pavel!" Hikaru retorted coldly. "Trust me, if you were two months older, we wouldn't be having this conversation." Pavel grinned and walked over to his boyfriend.

"So you vill sleep with me in two months?" he asked, leaning on Hikaru's shoulder. The man in question sighed.

"If that is what you want in two months, then yes, a thousand times, yes," he said strongly, pushing Pavel lightly off him.

"Zen why not now? Nothing vill change in two months! Ve vill still be dating, and I vill still want you! Hikaru, please." Hikaru knew better, but he turned to look at the teenager. His shoulders slumped and he put down the watering cup.

"Oh god, Pasha, don't do that," he moaned. "Not now, please don't." He looked back up to see Pavel was still looking at him like he was a kicked puppy, hazel eyes full of confusion. "Pavel I can't! You're- you're too young, and pure and I can't do that to you! I am eight years older than you, Pavel!" Pavel looked sadly at him.

"Do you really tink you are going to break me? Zat I vant to stay young and innocent forever? Please, Hikaru. Please?" Hikaru sighed and grabbed Pavel by the shoulders. He kissed him deeply, trying to convey his helplessness through that kiss. On one hand, he could continue to hold out for two more months, but he couldn't be sure that Pavel wouldn't try with someone else. And he couldn't bear to think of Pavel ruined by someone else, god forbid, by the Captain. On the other hand, he could sleep with Pavel, make them both happy, and risk a court martial and alienation from all of the senior crew members. But Pavel was looking at him like that, just the way Pavel knew Hikaru couldn't resist, and Hikaru found that he had come to a decision. He brought his hand up to the nape of Pavel's neck, effectively playing with his curls and deepening the kiss. His other hand he wrapped around the teenager's waist, slowly walking him back to the bed.

The first time Pavel Chekov told Hikaru he loved him, he thought Hikaru was asleep. Pavel had turned eighteen five months ago, and Hikaru was much more willing to give into Pavel's demands now that Pavel was an official adult of the Federation. Pavel had only succeeded in talking Hikaru into bed once before his eighteenth birthday, the first time, and it had been amazing. And after Pavel had a tasted he had wanted more. More and more and more, more that Hikaru would not give him, could not give him because he was a kid, he was just a kid, Jailbait, Kirk had called him. And he was, in every sense of the word, Pavel Chekov was jailbait If he wasn't the sexiest seventeen-year-old boy Hikaru had ever seen then Kirk was a Klingon and Spock was emotional.

Pavel's eighteenth birthday had been a fun day. It was custom for an officer with a birthday to get that day off, and Hikaru called in sick so that neither of them would have to leave their quarters that whole day. Pavel had miniature, limited replicator in his room to provide them both food (and other things) during their birthday celebrations. But that was five months ago. Now they spent almost every night together, not necessarily having sex, but just cuddling and basking in each other's presence and the fact that they were both alive. That's not to say they didn't have sex.

Pavel curled up happily next to Hikaru after their almost-rough lovemaking. Hikaru lazily threw his arm over Pavel's shoulders and pulled him closer. Pavel laid on his side and tucked his head under Hikaru's chin, humming happily as his lover alternated between kissing his head and playing with his curls. They had the sheet pulled over them to keep them warm because they were in Pavel's room, which was always colder than Hikaru's. Pavel sighed happily as he heard Hikaru's breathing start to even out.

"I luff you, Hikaru," he whispered. "I vill always luff you." Hikaru smiled over Pavel's head and pressed another kiss to his boyfriend's curls.

"I love you too, Pavel." Pavel was too happy to say anything.