tushanshu_logs | i've seen a future that's not grim

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i've seen a future that's not grim

Who: Elizabeth Comstock, Pavel Chekov
What: Adorable checking-in-on-each-other. Maybe they'll play nurse?
When: March 1st!
Why: because reasons.

After the quick video-message, Elizabeth took very little time getting ready to visit her boyfriend. Boyfriend! That was still a very strange word to use, let alone use as an identifier when it came to Pavel Chekov. All the same, when he'd appeared, bruised and scraped up, something in her heart had tugged, and she knew that there was no place she'd rather be than with him.

Sure, after everything she and Booker had seen in the bottle, she was worse-for-ware mentally, but what was Elizabeth if not capable? Pushing her own problems aside in face of others? Pavel came before her, before the world she would never return to. Either she would remain here, or return with Pavel to his universe. There was no home for her left in Columbia, even less of one than had been there for her before she'd left.

After grabbing a few medical supplies she was sure that Pavel had, and a tin of tea, Elizabeth turned to the shimmering bit of air in her living room. Booker was working, leaving her alone. With a breath, she put her hands into the air, pushing both edges apart, opening a Tear to Pavel's doorstep. Without any hesitation now, she stepped through, closing the Tear behind her, and knocking on his door.

"Pavel! It's me, Elizabeth!"

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Chekov has already started boiling water for tea and he's dug out some food. She's clearly anxious about him, which makes him feel a bit bad. He's had way worse, not that he'll ever tell her that.

The moment he hears her voice, he smiles brightly. He pulls open the door.

"Come in! I have already started the kettle."

"How did you know I was bringing tea?" She asks him with a rogueish grin, hardly pausing before wrapping her arms around him to give him a gentle kiss.

He shouldn't feel bad. It's wonderful to have people to worry about, in a strange sort of way.

He kisses back gently.

"Intuition." Or maybe he just knows her drink of choice. He takes her hand and leads her into the kitchen so they can start working on that tea.

"So do I look that bad?" He sees those medical supplies.

Probably that. She placed the tin on the counter top the second they entered the kitchen.

"No, you look... rugged. But I'm still concerned. Was it- was it the dragon?"

Chekov shakes his head.

"I had some trouble getting to the dragon. The environment was very much opposed to my progress."

"The swamps," she says without a moment's hesitation. "I'm so sorry, Pavel. Are you sure you're alright?"

"Oh, perfectly fine. I have had worse."

He doesn't seem to realize that that'll make her worry more.

Yes, yes, yes it will, Pavel.

Sternly, Elizabeth moves to him, gently cupping his face and running a thumb gingerly across a bruise. "I don't care if you've had worse. I care that you're hurt."

He places his hand very gently on hers.

"I know."

He uses the moment to get a good look at her, checking for any marks on the parts of her skin he can see.

There aren't many visible scrapes or bruises on her. Just a small scrape on her cheek, a few swiftly-healing bruises.

"Is there anything that needs bandaging, or anything?" She just wants to take care of him.

His free hand brushes lightly against her cheek, stopping short of the scrape. If she's allowed to worry, so is he.

"No, I took care of it. They are all minor, cosmetic. I had more luck than the others."

She's unsure of what to say, but simply nods, leaning her cheek against his hand. They should have been together, in the bottle. But she'd been with Booker, as was customary for their various adventures. Booker needed someone to throw things at him, after all, and she was terribly good at it.

"I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm glad you're safe."

Chekov's glad she wasn't with him. The images he saw would probably put her off space travel for a lifetime.

Engineering falling apart, the sound of people screaming as they're spaced or the ship collapses around them. It's not a memory he'd want to give to anyone else.

"I am glad you are safe as well."

Even if he's concerned that she might've encountered the same things he did.

"Fighting ancient evil in a bottle-world is not as fun as it sounds."

"Y'know, and here I never thought it sounded too much fun to begin with." But she'd wanted to go exploring, and look where that got them.

She'd rather battle her ghost-mother again.

"I underestimated it, I suppose."

He hears the kettle whistle and returns to the kitchen, digging out tea cups so he could pour some tea.

"I think everyone did."

Elizabeth takes a seat on his couch as he heads to the kitchen. Better to get comfy.

Chekov returns about a minute and a half later, tea cups on a tray with some sugar and cream on the side. He also dug out a tin of cookies that he bought about a day ago.

He sets it down in front of her before sitting on the couch next to her.

"I think it has steeped for enough time, unless you want yours stronger."

When he returns, she sits up straighter, crossing her legs at the ankle elegantly under her skirt, before leaning against him.

"Oh, no! I'm sure it's perfect." And just for bringing tea with cookies, she gives him a kiss on the cheek.

He leans against her too, lightly.

"You do not need to spare my feelings, if it is not. It is the only way I can learn."

He wants to learn how to make Elizabeth's tea to her liking. Just little things that most people wouldn't be expected to remember.

"Then I won't, I promise." She pours them each a small cup, and delicately adds both cream and sugar to them.

"You really are doing okay? Battling ancient evil not giving you terrible nightmares or anything?"

That stops him short. He could lie, tell her that everything is perfectly fine. But he knows what it feels like to have people try to shield him from the truth because they think he couldn't handle it or that it would burden him. He didn't want to do that to Elizabeth.

"They are a little more frequent."

"Pasha..." she says softly, reaching a hand out to touch his knee. She'd always had terrible nightmares. But they'd become worse since her own time in the bottle. Booker would still come charging into her bedroom, gun drawn to try to calm her, to remind her that she was safe, and nowhere near Comstock. But Pavel didn't have anyone to do that for him.

"They're nightmares. They can't harm you." It seemed the right thing to say. But she knew it wouldn't make a lick of a difference.

He places his hand over hers and gives it a reassuring squeeze.

"I know." A slight smile. "If I can't go back to sleep, I will just visit you."

He's teasing. Whatever peaceful sleep Elizabeth gets is precious. Besides, he really doesn't want another stand-off with Booker.

He knew, after all, how difficult sleeping for her some nights could be. Nightmares was when the memories started to come back. Where she could recall being experimented on. Tortured. The subconscious was a real jerk.

"You know you're welcome to any time. I don't care what Booker says." She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I like sleeping with you."

He smiles and wraps an arm around her before resting his head on hers.

"I do too."

But she's not getting away without him worrying over her.

"And you? How are you?"

"Good- he's got, ah, another mission, coming up. An escort mission. It should take a week, if you wanted to come over... I think he's expecting you now, so we should be able to avoid... things like that."

Hopefully.

"I'm fine, Pavel. Nothing you need to worry over."

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i've seen a future that's not grim

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