Chapter Text
It wasn't often that Hermann had an uninterrupted stretch of time off, and he was rather making the most of it. He had exactly nothing to do between Friday midday and Tuesday morning and was, therefore, indulging in a little laziness. A nice evening with a book, sleep whenever he decided he desired it, and absolutely zero responsibility. It was blissful.
There was also the added benefit that Newton was completely occupied with his own endeavours for the weekend, and therefore not spreading hyperactive energy all over the place. Hermann wasn't entirely sure what the little rat was doing, but there had been some chatter about live music and excessive noise- not Hermann's cup of tea.
Newton did enjoy flashing lights and a thumping bassline, and was likely off experiencing the music, or however the little bugger described it. Hermann didn't begrudge him it, because once that particular little itch was well and truly scratched, Newton tended to be pleasantly mellow and quite tolerable to be around. His obsession with obnoxious noise in their workspace certainly cooled, after a night spent deafening himself in the city.
Half past one on a Saturday morning was probably a silly sort of time to go to bed, but Hermann was feeling indulgent. He didn't have anything to do in the morning, so could sleep for as long as he liked without having to worry about tiredness at work and equally unpleasant things.
It was really very nice, to be able to go to bed when he wanted to, rather than when he felt he should. Hermann's circadian rhythm didn't often fall within the standard curve, and if left to his own devices he favoured sleep in the early hours of the morning, and work after midday. Not tolerated in a regimented military environment, unfortunately, though the lack of others in their workspace had, perhaps, made Hermann a little less concerned about the hours he kept.
Newton didn't really have a sleep pattern, at least not one that Hermann's complex mathematics had been able to decipher. Certainly Newton very rarely slept at night, aside from when he was unwell or had abstained from sleep for several days. It made it less embarrassing, when Hermann arrived in the laboratory at midmorning, because there was often a very good chance that Newton was still in hibernation and therefore not present to notice.
Hermann must have fallen asleep at some point, because he was awoken unexpectedly with a start when someone rang his doorbell. He blinked at the clock, confused; twenty to four in the morning. What on earth…? There were no alarms blaring, so it clearly wasn't an emergency, but he couldn't for the life of him think who would want him at such a time.
How aggravating. He would have to get up and see who it was, because he'd never be able to sleep otherwise. Still, removing himself from his bed was something of a chore; it was rare that he allowed himself adequate pain relief, and he had been rather enjoying the holiday from his body’s typical bad behaviour.
Another buzz. Whoever it was out there clearly wanted his attention. Hermann shrugged a cardigan over his night clothes, and collected his cane. He probably wouldn't need it, but it was always prudent to be prepared. No matter what disaster was out there, he wasn't dealing with it half dressed and without a walking aid.
Hermann sighed to himself, as opened the door, quite ready to give whoever it was out there a piece of his mind. He then came face to chest with the most terrifyingly enormous man he had ever seen. The man was all dark hair, dark eyes and a fearsome build, with a ragged scar bisecting his left eyebrow. Uncommonly tall and built like a wrestler, he absolutely towered over Hermann, who edged instinctively backwards behind his door.
“Hello there.” A soft, kind voice was the last thing that Hermann was expecting from the giant that had come knocking. It took him rather by surprise. “I'm looking for Doctor Hermann, sir. Is that you?”
“Ah.” Hermann was struck dumb for a second. Thankfully, his visitor seemed willing to wait for him to find his words. “Yes, that's me.”
Normally, he would have complained about the use of his given name, but quite frankly the man could call Hermann what he liked, so long as he didn't hurt him.
“Oh good. I'm afraid I'm new here, Doctor Hermann sir, so I haven't learned any names just yet. I'll remember, though, so that I won't have to ask again.”
Hermann blinked, because he had been expecting ferocity, and instead the man was friendly. Also, once the initial flash of raw fear had faded, Hermann became aware that his visitor was wearing most of a Security uniform, sans jacket, and that his legs were encased in medical braces, ankle to thigh. Probably not actually dangerous then, at least not to Hermann.
“That's quite all right, Officer-?”
“Yevstigneyev, Paval sir. But just Pasha is fine, I prefer it.”
Hermann certainly wasn't going to argue with a man that looked big enough to pick him up like a child, even if the man in question seemed friendly. “Of course, Officer. How can I help you?”
“Oh, yes sir. Just one moment, sir.” Officer Yevstigneyev smiled, then turned around and limped off down the corridor.
Hermann watched, puzzled, as he vanished out of sight. Thankfully the man wasn't gone long, and when he returned the reason for his visit became quite clear. Newton, wearing Officer Yevstigneyev’s jacket like a blanket and looking incredibly woebegone indeed.
“Here we go, Doctor Newt, I've found Doctor Hermann for you.” Officer Yevstigneyev was a little too tall to put an arm around Newton, and instead put both big hands on Newton's shoulders as he shepherded him along.
“Oh for heaven's sake.” Hermann came out of his room, because Newton was white as a sheet and missing his glasses. Clearly, there was absolutely no chance that Hermann was going back to bed any time soon.
As he got closer, it became apparent that Newton had been crying; his face was damp and his eyes red rimmed. He also smelled like a distillery, which gave Hermann a fairly good impression of what the matter was.
“I see you've managed to get into all manner of trouble again.” Hermann kept his tone gentle, because it looked like Newton was on the verge of further tears. Even if whatever situation he'd landed himself in was Newton's own stupid fault, Hermann saw no reason to be cruel.
“He's not in trouble, sir.” Officer Yevstigneyev- formality seemed a little foolish when the man in question had scooped Hermann’s… his… whatever the hell Newton was up and brought him back like a lost infant. Pavel, then.
Pavel gently nudged Newton forward, until he came to stand at Hermann's side. “No trouble at all, just a little bit lost and confused.”
Newton was either still intoxicated, or so hungover he could barely function. His eyes were cast down, and he seemed uncommonly passive. Hermann was, perhaps, a little concerned. Newton tended towards loud and overly friendly, when he had been drinking, not tears. Those, mortifyingly enough, were more common from Hermann when he had overindulged.
“Newton.” Hermann ducked his head to try and meet Newton's gaze, but was unsuccessful. Newton heard him, though, if the way he shrank down into himself was any indication.
Hermann heaved a weary sigh, and tried not to be too worried. “Let's get you inside, at least. Then we can sort out whatever new disaster this is.”
Newton nodded, the very picture of misery, and shuffled off into Hermann's room. Hermann remained outside, at least for a moment.
“I’m sorry, Officer, for whatever trouble Newton caused this evening. Ah, I should probably go and fetch your jacket…”
Pavel watched carefully, as Newton disappeared into Hermann's room. When he spoke, his voice was very soft. “It's not a problem, sir. I have many others, and I think Doctor Newt needs it more, right now. He hasn't had a very nice night, not at all.”
“What happened?” The last Hermann knew, Newton had been on his way out with some friend or other.
Pavel sighed. “Well, sir, I was doing my sweep, you see. I'm supposed to check around, look for anything out of the ordinary. There were some of the techs, and they were laughing, so I went to investigate.”
Well that sounded less than ideal. “What were they laughing at, if you don't mind my asking?”
“They were laughing about Doctor Newt, sir.” Pavel shook his head, all disappointed disapproval. “They got him drunk, then they got him lost, and they thought that it was funny.”
Pavel clearly didn't find it funny at all. “I questioned them, because it's not right to treat someone that way. They told me that they had left Doctor Newt by the docking bays.”
That was about as far away from staff quarters as someone could reasonably get, and it was always freezing down there. Hermann scowled, incensed. “You took their names, I hope?”
“Oh yes, sir.” There was a thread of displeasure in Pavel's voice, which made Hermann very glad that the man was on their side. “I passed them over to one of my colleagues, sir, and went to find where Doctor Newt had gone to.”
Newton, who didn't have the best sense of direction when sober, had most likely worked himself up into a state in his attempt to get home. Hermann greatly disliked the mental image of Newton, intoxicated, lost and without his glasses, stumbling around in the cold.
“I found him in the bathroom, sir.” Pavel explained. “He was ever so upset, and he's had really quite a lot to drink, so I didn't want to leave him on his own.”
“Thank you, for going out of your way for him.” Pavel could have left Newton lost, or dropped him off at the Infirmary, rather than bringing him all the way to Hermann.
“It's no trouble, no trouble at all. He mentioned you, sir, when I asked who could keep him safe, so I asked my supervisor where your room was, and brought him over here.”
“You've been incredibly kind, regardless.” Hermann was beginning to get the impression that Pavel was a friendly sort of man, overall. He certainly felt less intimidated now, than when he had first opened the door.
Pavel smiled, and ever so gently put a hand on Hermann's shoulder. “Kindness doesn't cost anything, Doctor Hermann sir, and I think Doctor Newt needed some kindness tonight.”
“Yes, I agree with you. He's not hurt, physically I mean?”
“No, sir. He's just had an awful lot to drink, then got all cold and upset.” Pavel's face twisted into a displeased frown. “They were saying some very cruel things about him, sir.”
Hermann could imagine. The animosity towards Newton from certain sectors was hardly a secret. The exact topic of their insults was up for debate, however; Hermann had heard everything from disparaging comments about Newton’s mental health to the disgusting assumption that he was sexually attracted to the kaiju. Unfortunately, these things were often said to Newton's face, rather than just when he was out of earshot.
“What were they saying?” Hermann didn't want to know, but he had the feeling that he needed to.
“Mostly unkind things about how Doctor Newt talks, and how he acts, sir. But… They didn't like his tattoos very much, either.”
Hermann, who had seen Newton's body art progress from nothing but a myriad of self-inflicted scars to the veritable rainbow of snarling monsters he currently wore, felt… conflicted about Newton's choice of decoration. On one hand, he was pleased that Newton was now able to repress the desire to harm himself, but the topic of those designs was harmful in a different sort of way.
Hermann rubbed at the headache that was beginning to form between his eyes. “I'm afraid a lot of people come to the wrong conclusion when they see the way in which Newton chooses to decorate himself.”
His father, for one, had been absolutely scandalised, both by the tattoos and the scars that came before them. Hermann had, perhaps, made a point of showing Lars only the most provocative pictures of Newton over the years. Newton seemed to derive an obscene amount of glee from the situation, and had been absolutely, obnoxiously incorrigible when he finally encountered Hermann's father face to face.
“It shouldn't be any of their business, how Doctor Newt chooses to… well. I'll show you, sir.” Pavel carefully untucked his shirt, then lifted it up and turned around.
Hermann was a little taken aback, until he realised what, exactly Pavel had chosen to show him. His back was horrendously scarred, and those scars had been painted over with the blood red, snarling face of a kaiju. It was strangely captivating to see.
“They're a part of all of us, aren't they?” Pavel turned around, and put his clothes to rights. “It shouldn't be anyone's business how a man chooses to cover up his hurt.”
Hermann, who masked his own pain with bad-temperedness and spite, was not unfamiliar with the concept. It was reassuring, however, that Newton had been found by the best possible person, aside from Hermann himself.
“I- thank you. Thank you for finding him, but also for understanding.” There were so few people who even tried, where Newton was concerned.
Pavel smiled, all gentle kindness. “I like to help, Doctor Hermann sir, especially when there's a wrong I can put right. I don't like people to be frightened, you see?”
It was very easy to be scared, when faced with someone as massive and fierce looking as Pavel. Hermann had been absolutely terrified, at least at first. Now, he had a hard time seeing the man as anything but an ally. He also said what he meant, and his body language was open and easy to read; Hermann appreciated such things.
“Newton… he must have been very frightened indeed, especially without his glasses. You don't happen to know what became of them?”
Pavel shook his head with an unhappy grimace. “I'm afraid not, sir, but I can ask around. If I find them, I can bring them to you.”
Hermann had a spare set, for the times that Newton tossed his glasses in a temper and damaged them. The missing set was more an insult than anything else; very likely the horrible individuals that Newton had run afoul of had stolen them. “Thank you, that would be very kind. He has another pair, but I would rather things didn't go missing. I'm sure you understand.”
“Oh absolutely, sir. Things do have an awful habit of going missing, when someone isn't feeling very nice and gets it in their head to be unkind.” Pavel frowned a bit, which pulled his heavy features down in a way that Hermann probably should have found threatening. It was really quite hard to be threatened, now that the friendly giant had actually introduced himself.
“Newton's things especially.” Newton could be rather pedantic about things that had gone missing, and was very likely to drive himself mad trying to locate them. “He absolutely leaves things in unusual places, but there have been a few occasions where his belongings have had assistance in getting themselves lost.”
Pavel huffed out a mildly angry sounding breath; the man had lungs like bloody bellows, and for some odd reason the image of a large, lumbering dragon came to Hermann's mind. Ridiculous, because Hermann had less than no time for fairy stories, but he had been woken by the most enormous man he had ever seen in his life. It was something of a ridiculous night.
“I will look into it, sir. He didn't have a phone with him, either, now that I think about it. Do you think that might have gotten itself lost as well?”
Oh almost bloody certainly. Newton would be incredibly upset to lose his phone, given how attached to the damn thing he was. “ That had better reappear by the time morning rolls around. Glasses are one thing, and he breaks them often enough to have spares, but his phone is hardly a small thing to go ‘missing’.”
Pavel nodded. “Not a very easy thing to steal, at least not here, sir. Nobody they could give it to, because I can't imagine Doctor Newt's phone was… not decorated? He seems like the sort of person to decorate.”
“Ah, yes, I suppose his sense of style is fairly unique. Even out of its case, Newton's phone is embellished in a similar manner to his person.”
Newton favoured the most obnoxiously childish phone cases, and had an entire repertoire of the bloody things that he switched between at random. Underneath, though, his phone had been customised to match his ridiculous tattoos. Newton had spent hours gassing them both with his revolting permanent markers to complete his design.
“Definitely not something to actually steal then, sir. I can have a little ask about, see if anyone was silly enough to try and pass it on, but I imagine it's just been left somewhere hard to find.” Pavel's face darkened into a fierce sort of scowl. “Hard to get someone properly lost when he can phone up his friend to come fetch him.”
Newton absolutely would have called for help, even completely pickled and wandering around in circles. Hermann, or Mr Choi; either of them would have been able to track him down in short order. The fact that his phone had managed to disappear right at the time when Newton found himself lost… well. Hermann was really quite angry about what that all meant.
“I am incredibly grateful that you found him, and brought him to me.” Newton was a strange contradictory sort of creature; quite able to take care of both himself and Hermann, but also prone to complete and utter disaster under the right circumstances. Add to that Newton's terrible impulse control and propensity to say the worst possible thing at any given moment… well.
“It's my job.” Pavel grinned, all peace and contentment with steel underneath. Hermann couldn't help but think how very… unfortunate… it would be to get on the wrong side of him. “Not just my job, though.”
The big man seemed to mull over what he wanted to say for a moment. “I suppose… I suppose I know how it feels, sir, to have people look at me… the way that those unkind people looked at Doctor Newt. Not so obviously, at least not very often, because quite a lot of people are a little bit afraid of me.”
“Ah, yes. I imagine it's something of a deterrent, when the subject of your scorn is nearly twice your size.” Hermann could not imagine very many people had the bottle to pick a fight with such a hulking monster of a man, even if said man was demonstrably friendly.
Pavel laughed a bit, which made him look softer, somehow. “True! There aren't very many people that are bigger than I am! My legs are not so good though, and I'm not a smart man; people tend to think my ears don't work, if you get my meaning.”
Yes, people did tend to make incorrect assumptions rather often, in regards to that sort of thing. Hermann was quite used to that nonsense, and for the most part was able to ignore it. Newton… well. Newton tended to take things a little more to heart, and he rarely failed to notice the way people treated him.
“A good man.” Not many people would have gone so very far out of their way, to rescue a miserable, intoxicated stranger. “And certainly a damn sight more intelligent than the sort of people who think something as commonplace as a walking aid influences anything but your ability to walk.”
Pavel's scarred face creased into an amused sort of grin. Hermann found the expression suited him quite well; certainly better than the terrifying glower. “You're kind to say it, sir, and I suppose you know how it feels, yourself. Silly of them, in your case at least, because you're clearly such a smart man. You don't need to walk so well, for your brain to be clever.”
Hermann was a little surprised how flattering that actually was; it was rare that someone so very genuine actually chose to compliment him. “I've never understood the assumption that physical disability should in some way equal mental ineptitude. Or that the lack of educational prowess makes someone an idiot.”
Pavel was, like as not, a little behind the curve in certain areas, but clearly such nonsense made little to no difference to his value. Hermann understood intelligence better than the complex swamp of social communication, but he had met more obnoxiously horrible people in the upper echelons of academia than kind ones. Add to that the fact that the single most brilliant mind Hermann had ever encountered belonged to a certifiable moron, well.
Pavel nodded, and ever so carefully placed his enormous hand on Hermann's shoulder again. He was incredibly gentle, despite having hands bigger than a bloody dinner plate. “It's like those people, who chose to be unkind tonight. Smart people, I'm sure, but also very foolish.”
Hermann hoped, perhaps a little maliciously, that the people in question had come face to face with Pavel for the very first time tonight. The sheer size of the man was shocking, and Hermann could easily imagine how absolutely horrifying it would be, to meet him angry in the dark. Some people deserved a little karmic retribution for their sins, alongside the punishment meted out by the proper channels.
“Newton probably won't want to make a fuss, unfortunately. He rarely does, in this sort of situation.” Hermann would absolutely raise hell on his behalf, but only with Newton's permission, which he was unlikely to receive. Frustrating, because Newton could be absolutely fierce in his defence of others, but rarely stood up for himself.
Pavel seemed to understand, which probably meant he'd taken some time to actually talk to Newton. Unsurprising, given what Hermann had learned so far of his nature; the man was strangely easy to speak to. “That's alright, sir. I don't need him to do anything, to stir up all sorts of trouble for those unkind people. There are rules, see? I caught them breaking quite a few of them.”
“Good. I, for one, have absolutely no desire to share space with people capable of such cruelty.” Hermann had had quite enough of bloody playground politics to last a lifetime, and was severely unimpressed that such things had arisen in his adult life yet again.
“Security will see that they're dealt with, sir, don't you worry. One of my jobs is to keep an eye on Mr Pentecost, you see, so if the rules don't work I can mention the bad behaviour to him. I won't mention Doctor Newt specifically, of course; I don't think he'd like that, sir.”
Newton had rather mixed feelings towards the Marshal, that was for sure. “I imagine the little band of miscreants Newton ran afoul of tonight hoped to embarrass him.”
“Hmm, I'd say so, yes.” Pavel shook his head with a frown. “I don't understand it, sir, how people can be so cruel.”
Cruelty was, unfortunately, something Hermann understood quite well. It never made it any easier, though, when that cruelty was directed towards people Hermann cared about. “I think the world would be a better place, if there were more people who didn't understand such wickedness.”
Pavel's expression was pensive, maybe a little sad. Hermann got the impression that the gentle giant of a man was also fairly used to cruelty aimed in his direction. “I agree, Doctor Hermann sir; kindness doesn't cost a thing, but not so many people choose to be kind.”
“ You chose to be, and I am incredibly grateful for it.” It was cold in the hallway; Hermann shivered a bit, and tried not to imagine how terrible it must have been for Newton, lost in the dark.
“Yourself and Doctor Newt are quite welcome! I'm always happy to help.” Pavel's soulful dark eyes were… intense, when the entirety of his focus found its way to Hermann. “Always happy, you hear? If somebody ever gives you problems, you let me know, okay?”
Pavel, on face value at least, was the absolute last sort of man that Hermann would choose to associate with. In reality, however, the idea of an ally was incredibly tempting. “If there's ever a situation where you can help, I will be sure to let you know. At the very least, I imagine Newton will want to compare body art…”
“He has quite a lot of tattoos, for certain! I will have to ask him who he goes to; I have a few designs that need to be finished, you see.”
Hermann had the strangest mental image of Newton, deep in conversation about body art with a man the size of a damned mountain. “I should probably warn you that once he starts talking, it's incredibly difficult to get him to stop. He will absolutely talk your ear off.”
Pavel laughed, all good natured delight. “I don't mind at all! Will you tell him, sir, to come and find me once he's feeling better?”
“I will.” Newton had probably been given more than enough time to hide away by now; Hermann should probably go see to him in a moment. “I should probably check on him.”
An understanding nod from Pavel. “Yes, sir, that would probably be a good idea. It's also really very early, and I've taken up quite a bit of your time.”
“Nonsense; you have done us a service, and gone very far out of your way tonight. Thank you, for retrieving him and bringing him to me.” Hermann was uncomfortably aware that he wouldn't have noticed the situation Newton had landed himself in, without outside help. He probably wouldn't have sought Newton out until the evening at the earliest.
“You're very welcome.” Pavel smiled, all gentle understanding. “Now you go see to Doctor Newt, sir, and I'll be on my way. I have some people to have a bit of a chat to, about what is and isn't right, to do to a person.”
That sounded very much like the people who had seen fit to torment Newton were about to experience a little retribution. Hermann allowed his own smile to creep across his face in response.
“You know, Officer, I think that's a wonderful idea.”