Chapter Text
It had been a week and a half since the fourth and final try at the turbine rundown test on Reactor 4, which had been a huge success for the day shift; after the previous tries, they finally managed to get it to work, earning Sitnikov and his team all kinds of praise, and allowing the rest of the plant workers to finally breathe after such a tense atmosphere.
Now they could all thankfully relax and feel at ease, yet everybody was still in high spirits (the May 1st celebrations also helped with that): a huge weight lifted from both the plant and the administrative staff’s shoulders. And this particular morning there was one more reason to celebrate after work; as soon as the night shift was over, the control room door opened: it was Yuvchenko, peeking through the door.
“Hey, everyone!” he exclaimed to the group. “Before you all leave, come to the canteen. Apparently, an important message is going to be announced!” Having finished his brief speech, he and several others quickly left the control room, leaving Akimov and Toptunov behind, still putting their stuff in order for the next shift.
“Do you have any idea what he was talking about, Leonid?” Sasha asked, quite confused by what had just happened.
“I think I might have an idea. But we’ll have to wait until we get there to be completely sure.” Leonid replied as he walked toward the corridor door with a small cheeky smile on his face that didn’t go unnoticed by his superior.
Just what is going on? It’s as if everybody is hiding something from me… even Leonid! There must be something going on that I’m missing, but what? –was all Akimov could think as he followed his mentee through the door and down the golden corridor, making their way to the plant’s cafeteria.
Still asking himself questions, he suddenly noticed that Toptunov wasn’t waiting for him; in fact, he already was way ahead of him, as if hurrying up, leaving him behind in the process.
That’s… unusual. He usually waits for me, and we talk without rushing… Maybe I did or said something wrong? –Akimov was really starting to get worried. Thinking like this was not good, besides there was that “sudden announcement” left, whatever it could be. Lost in thought, he entered the canteen, not focusing on the group that not only was waiting for him but also knew how to make themselves noticed.
“Surprise!” everyone exclaimed at once, as soon as Akimov laid his eyes on them.
“Ah! W-What’s happening?” he asked, a bit taken aback, looking all around.
“Sasha, come on. Surely, you can’t be that dedicated to working that you forgot that today is your birthday! Or can you?” questioned a bemused Stolyarchuk.
Of course, it was Tuesday morning. May 6th. His birthday. And he forgot about it. Maybe Boris was right after all: he was indeed way into his job.
“We only managed to get plain coffee, but it’ll work for now,” he whispered, looking at him over his glasses before exclaiming to the group. “Gather around, everyone! A toast! To our best supervisor and friend, Sasha!” he continued as everyone raised their cups for the toast.
“To Sasha!” and then they all at once said:
мы желаю вам:
Во всем быть первым;
всегда иметь вторую половинку;
никогда не быть третьим лишним;
иметь четыре своих уголка;
чтобы всё в жизни было на пять.
/We wish you:
to always be first in everything,
to always have your second half,
to never be the third extra,
to have your own four corners,
and for everything in life to be a five./
Once done, they all clinked their cups and drank their morning coffee.
“Thank you, everyone. You shouldn’t have,” said Sasha, as he received pats on the back and congratulations.
“So far you’ve got pretty much all of them covered, right?” asked Perevozchenko.
“Well… I’m only lacking one of those.”
“Which one?” asked Kirschenbaum.
“N-Number 2,” he answered hesitantly and embarrassed in a quiet voice, giving Leonid a quick unconscious glance.
“Just you wait and you’ll find yourself a lucky one, my friend,” remarked Stolyarchuk, placing a hand on his shoulder, giving him a friendly shake as he winked at him.
Sasha just answered with a small smile, trying to hide how at odds he felt with the general mood around him.
If only it were that easy. If only I wasn’t the way I am, maybe then I could...
Shaking his head, he tried to clear his mind of those gloomy thoughts and at least enjoy this group breakfast before everyone started to leave, a well-deserved rest awaiting them at each of their apartments.
“Tell us, Sasha: are you planning on celebrating later today?” asked Yuvchenko. “I can think of a place for all of us to go at night.”
“No, not really. I’m pretty sure my parents are going to visit,” he lied, though, knowing them, it could end up being true, so better play it safe for the moment.
“Aww, come on… On the weekend then? We have to properly celebrate; we couldn’t even spike this coffee!”
“Hahaha. Sure, sounds good. We could all arrange that some other day,” replied Akimov, thankful to leave that matter behind, or at least forgotten for a couple of days.
A few minutes after the toast, one by one they began to leave, stretching and yawning, and, once again, wishing him a nice day. All but one.
“Leonid, why are you still around? You should get some sleep as well.”
“I’m waiting for you. Sitting on the bus is boring without you.”
How could I not be smitten by him? So selfless, never thinking of himself, always ready to learn and help around…
Please, stop it.
“You better not fall asleep like last time then.”
“That’s why I’m waiting for you!” he replied jokingly before giving him a heartfelt laugh.
Stop it.
He no longer knew who he was referring to in his mind - himself or Leonid. Maybe both.
Anything but that smile, Lenya.
It always managed to leave him entirely disarmed, making him almost stare like an idiot. But how much he loves that laugh. His laugh. The smile it brings him is immediate and as genuine as Leonid’s.
After going to the dresser room and changing back into their everyday clothes, they went towards the exit, onto one of the buses waiting outside, luckily an empty one, making their way to their preferred seats.
Once more people had gotten on the bus, the ride back to Pripyat started. As always, it was mostly silent; everyone on it either feeling sleepy or already sleeping on the bus seats, both due to tiredness and being rocked by the bus movements. Outside, the day was windy and cloudy, threatening to pour at any second. All in all, an ideal day to do nothing but sleep soundly.
By his side, Toptunov was beginning to doze off; his head nodding from time to time as he tried to stay awake, but kept on failing until he rested his head on Akimov’s shoulder. That sight alone was enough to make him smile: that could have been the only gift he could have received all day and he'd have been grateful.
Already inside the city, a few groups started getting off the bus; only a few more stops and he would enjoy the rest of his day.
“Say, Sasha,” Leonid mumbled suddenly.
“Hm?”
“I know you said you weren’t planning on celebrating today but… do you mind if I come later to your apartment?” he asked, rubbing his eyes.
“W-Why? The weather isn’t looking like it’s going to get any better.”
“Just wanted to give you a small gift. I won’t take long, don’t worry,” he insisted, gathering his stuff as his stop was getting closer.
“I- Well… I guess if it doesn’t start raining you can come. Is it okay at 5 o’clock?”
“Yes! I’ll see you at 5 then. Later and rest well!” he said before stepping out at his stop, waving at him.
“Later!” Sasha exclaimed, watching him run along the street as he continued on to his own stop. “I wonder why he seems to be in a hurry all of a sudden.”
***
Enjoying a nice cup of tea on such a rainy evening felt nice, partly thanks to luck being on his side -or maybe just the bad weather-, since his parents didn’t come to his apartment unexpectedly; they did give him a call, promising to meet some other time. But at the same time, he wasn’t feeling very lucky: it was already half past 6 and there was no sign of Leonid anywhere.
He should have expected it; now it had started to rain, the strong wind made it even worse to be outside, let alone go somewhere unless it was an emergency. Leonid could at least have called him, but he probably was sleeping heavily, so Sasha couldn’t blame him.
That’s what he thought when a sudden knock on the door startled him. A neighbour maybe? Getting up, he thought that they never asked anything from him, so it must be important if they decided to knock on his door.
“Yes?”
“Sasha, it’s me! Open up!”
“Leo-,“ Sasha swung the door open and there he was: soaking wet, despite having an umbrella in one hand.
“Sorry I took so long, I-”
“I thought- why did you come after all? You’re wet and cold; come in! Let me get you a towel!” Sasha said while dragging him inside, before hurrying off to the bathroom.
Carefully placing the bag he was carrying on the nearby dining table, Leonid tried to calm him down. “Don’t worry, Sasha. The rain didn’t get to me that badly, so it won’t take long for my clothes to dry off.”
“Nonsense. I won’t let you catch a cold. Not on my watch,” he stated, placing a big plush towel in his hands. Letting out a sigh and shaking his head, Leonid conceded and wrapped himself in it, trembling a bit as he did. Still worried, Sasha went to a cabinet and got another teacup along with its plate, placing them on the table. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”
“Some tea would be nice, thanks,” Leonid replied, looking around the room as if searching for something.
“Sure, just let me check if I can still use the water I had boiled not long ago,” Akimov said as he went to the kitchen. “Meanwhile, tell me, what happened?”
“Oh, I had to go get something, ended up waiting longer than I expected, and well, then the rain caught me,” he explained, making sure his mentor wasn’t looking in his direction, so as to take a medium-sized paper box from inside his bag onto the table.
“You had me so worried. But then I thought maybe you fell asleep and were still resting.”
“Sorry, I should have told you I was awake,” he added, feeling a bit guilty, while hurrying up to take the cake out of its box, and decorate it with a few candles. Before lighting them up, he closed the curtains and checked that everything was in order.
Here’s hoping Sasha doesn’t consider this a bit childish. It’s showtime.
Turning off the lights, he let out a fake surprised gasp. “Sasha! The lights!” he cried while trying not to giggle.
Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Akimov was left puzzled as he flicked the light on and off; they worked just fine.
How weird. Maybe the light bulb needs to be replaced.
Gathering the refilled teapot, he exited the kitchen and went to the living room. Once he appeared, just before he got to try if the lights worked or not, Leonid started singing:
Пусть бегут неуклюже
Пешеходы по лужам ,
А вода по асфальту рекой .
И не ясно прохожим
В этот день непогожий
Почему я весёлый такой .
/Let the pedestrians run clumsily through the puddles
And the water run on the pavement like a river.
It is unclear to the passers-by
On this wet and dull day
Why I’m so happy./
Ах я играю на гармошке
У прохожих на виду ,
К сожалению , день рожденья
Только раз в году .
/Oh I’m playing the accordion
For everyone to see.
It is unfortunate, but birthdays
Only come once a year./
Прилетит вдруг волшебник
В голубом вертолёте
И бесплатно покажет кино .
С днём рожденья поздравит
И , наверно , оставит
Мне в подарок пятьсот эскимо .
/And suddenly a wizard
Would fly in, in a sky blue helicopter,
And show a movie for free.
He would wish me a happy birthday
And probably leave as a present for me
500 chocolate ice cream popsicles./
Ах я играю на гармошке
У прохожих на виду ,
К сожалению , день рожденья
Только раз в году .
/Oh I’m playing the accordion
For everyone to see.
It is unfortunate, but birthdays
Only come once a year./
К сожалению , день рожденья
Только раз в году .
/It is unfortunate, but birthdays
Only come once a year./
Having finished the song to his astonished mentor, he proceeded to clap, a huge smile appearing on his face. “Happy birthday, Sasha!”
“Leonid, I…” he sighed, fondly looking at him. “Thanks a lot. You really didn’t have to bother.”
“Nonsense, it’s the least I could do. Hope you like it.”
“I do. I just- I didn’t know you could sing.”
“Oh, yeah, maybe just a bit. It was for a short while, but I used to be part of the MePHI male choir. Guess I did learn something there after all. But enough about me, make a wish!”
Right, the candles. Before they get to be consumed any further, Sasha tried to quickly think of something, but was distracted by the image of Leonid expectantly looking at him. After closing his eyes, he made a simple wish and blew them out, his mentee cheering as he did so.
“So this is why you took your time arriving here,” Akimov commented while cutting a couple of slices, serving them along with some tea.
“Kinda. I asked the bakery in advance to prepare it for today, but there were a lot of people in line before me.”
They ended up spending quite some time together, talking about work and personal stuff. Now this was a way to enjoy a birthday evening: a rainy day outside, appreciating the relaxing sound it made on the inside, a cup of tea in hand along with a nice piece of cake, in the company of your… your friend.
He is JUST your friend, remember that.
How dare you think of your mentee as more than that? He’s just your coworker at most, nothing else linked you to him. Stop imagining things that won’t even happen.
“Sasha, is everything alright? You seem preoccupied.”
“Huh? Yeah, I- I was just thinking about all the trouble you went through for me.”
“It was no trouble at all, although I wish I could have made it myself,” Toptunov admitted with a sheepish smile, pointing to the cake. “What I did manage to get you is this,” he added as he placed what seemed to be two tickets into his hand. Upon looking closely, Akimov realized that they were for the new Sherlock Holmes’ movie, “The Twentieth Century Approaches”. “Just like the song, right? You get to see it for free.”
“Thanks, but why two tickets if it’s only me?”
“So you can go with whoever you’d like! I doubted you wanted to go alone, so I got another one just in case.”
“Are you also going to get me five hundred Eskimos?” Sasha asked him playfully.
“Hahaha, not at once, I won’t! But sure: just gotta keep track of them,” he chuckled when, unexpectedly, the storm outside took a turn for the worse: a deafening thunderclap struck nearby, causing a power cut that took them both by surprise. “Sasha! The lights!” Leonid repeated, this time actually scared both at the loud noise and the sudden darkness, grabbing Sasha by the arm.
“Well, now they actually went off,” Sasha said nonchalantly as he took out his lighter, dimly lighting the room.
“It’s not funny,” Leonid whimpered, holding on tightly as he shook his mentor’s arm a bit to emphasize he’s serious. “I should leave, otherwise I’ll end up swimming back home.”
“You’re not going anywhere, stay here,” he blurted out since it made sense: outside, the sky had darkened and was pouring heavily. But soon, he realized the slight connotation of what he just said, so quickly tried to fix it. “F-For the night I meant! I- I mean, it’s dangerous you know, and you might get sick and, and… ”
“… You don’t mind?” Leonid asked timidly, as he gave him a questioning look. “I feel like I’m invading your place enough as it is.”
“You’re not. And of course I don’t mind. Besides, you’re my responsibility,” Sasha said, again without having the slightest filter. Realizing his words, with his face burning and being thankful that the lights are gone, he once again tried to smooth things over. “I mean, you know, i-it’s the responsible thing to do.”
“You’re an expert at that, so I think I will stay. Thanks a lot,” he stated, displaying such a bright smile, it made Akimov question if suddenly either the lights were back, or if the Sun decided to come out, in his apartment of all places.
“N-No problem. What should we do now? It doesn’t seem to be coming back any time soon,” Sasha responded while looking out of the window, checking the surrounding apartments, hearing the muffled complaints of nearby neighbours in the surrounding buildings, along with more thunder and heavy rain.
“Well, I couldn’t really sleep that much today, so…”
“Here, follow me then. My room is this way.”
“Y-Your room? Oh no, I couldn’t… I’ll just sleep on the sofa. It’s fine.”
“I won’t let you sleep there after everything you went through earlier.”
“… If you insist; just one more thing. Would you… mind sleeping beside me, please?” upon seeing the look on the supervisor’s face under the dim light of his lighter, he added. “I-I’m kinda scared of thunder since I moved here! Living on the last floor doesn’t help on nights like this one.”
“O-Oh! Of course then… it just took me by surprise.”
“Also, I know you won’t, but please don’t tell anyone. I’m having enough with their jokes as it is.”
“I won’t, don’t worry,” Sasha said as he led the way to his bedroom, nervousness getting to him with each closer step he took. He tried to calm down by searching in his closet. “What I’ll do is have a talk with them about how to treat your fellow co-workers.”
“You shouldn’t… but it’d be nice,” Leonid thanked him, sitting on one side of the bed as he took off his shoes in order to lie down.
“Here,” he said, handing him a pair of pajamas. “They might be a bit big on you, but at least you get to sleep more comfortably.”
After thanking him, they both silently changed their clothing in the dark, getting into bed as soon as they were done. The two fidgeted for a short while, not only due to awkwardness, but also to find a nice sleeping position. Sasha turned his back on Leonid, in a futile attempt at ignoring him and his own thoughts.
Look at you. Enjoy it while it lasts, as this is the closest you’ll ever get to him. I can’t believe you get to be where you are right now. Disgusting. That’s what you-
“Thank you once again, Sasha. Sorry in advance if I push you or hit you,” Toptunov chuckled, placing a hand on his back, making Akimov shiver.
“N-No problem. I hope you sleep well. Good night, Leonid,” he replied, smiling sadly as he closed his eyes.
“Good night, Sasha,” he said back, snuggling down with the bed cover.