When you were just a little child your mother has told you stories of princesses who found their princes and lived happily ever after. You'd loved these stories even though you'd known that they weren't real. But she also told you stories of real people who'd lived life better than any fairy tale. People who said they'd found their soulmates. When you were just a little child you'd believed in these stories even your father had laughed at you and told you on and on that the were just modern fairy tales people had started to tell because they had got tired of the old ones.
When you got older you had started to believe your father. You started to see that people fall in love and also fall out of love. No one said that they'd found their soulmate. Some spoke about their love of their lives but nothing more. You realized the story of finding your soulmate was just another fairy tale your mother told you as bedtime story.
It was when you where 22 years old and you got to accepted to the Starfleet Academy you completely forgot all the bedtime stories your mother been telling you. All that mattered from now on was your career. You wanted to make your father proud who used to be a lieutenant on the USS Kelvin for so many years until it got destroyed. After that your father was forced into a wheelchair unable to walk anymore. He's been telling you all the stories about his trips to other planets, all the fights with Klingons he had, all the lives he rescued during missions. And the great story of George Kirk and how he'd saved over 800 lives. He was a kind of hero for you. Both of them – Kirk and your father. And both of them were the reason why you always wanted to join Starfleet.
Your first year has been a constant up and down for you. Not only that it has been the first time that you have been away from your family all by your own, but you had had to learn how hard it was to become something in life. How to make a dream come true. But never have you been giving up. You may haven't been top of your class but you managed to be at least in the top 10 by the end of the year. You have giving your best but you knew that you could do more so you set yourself the goal that in your second year you would do more and be in the top 10 all the year and by the end of the year in the top 5.
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It was the first day of the new year. You were just ready to head out of your room which you shared again with your now best friend when she stormed out of the bathroom and looked at you in panic.
“(Y/N)! Damn it I totally forgot to tell you that you were supposed to be at the meeting with the newbies! Commander Wise asked me yesterday to inform you that you and Keith are supposed to introduce you personally as their guides and personal point of contact if they have any problems! But I totally forgot!” Her face turned red and she looked at the floor for a second. “You should meet him at 0800 in the auditorium! I'm sorry (Y/N), I shou-”
With a shake of your head you interrupted her. “Don't worry Hannah! I was with Keith yesterday when he was told to be there today....so I already know. That's why I'm up so early and on my way to go.” A relieving laugh came out of Hannah's throat.
“Of course you were with him...should have known. Also by you being already awake and ready. Well...” Another laugh from her and a smile on her lips.
“See you later in class!” You smiled back at her before turning around and leaving the room.
You were never much of a morning person and it was a really short night for you – mostly Keith was the reason why you came just back at one in the morning. Not that you two have been a thing. More like there been a thing between yourselves going on since last year. You were – how do people call it – friends with benefits. He was two years older than you and really handsome. A lot of girls fancied him including yourself. But he has never been someone for a relationship you found that out very quick. But why not at least enjoy the moments you had with him, you would never know if he maybe changes someday.
A quick glance on your timepiece told you that you're more than just in time. If you would walk right to the auditorium you would be early by 10 minutes. Enough time to get you a coffee on your way there. So you took a turn to your left and headed for the cafeteria. By this time there were barely any people. Since there build in some kitchen in the dorm rooms most cadets prefer to have there morning coffees in their rooms along with some quick breakfast than the overpriced cafeteria. Normally you would do it the same way but today was no normal day so you could make an exception. You took a quick sip from your coffee before you started walking straight to the auditorium again.
By the time you arrived you were still 5 minutes early. Enough time to drink the rest of your coffee and prepare yourself for what will come. Your eyes wandered around the room. There were still some seats empty for the new ones but also there were still some getting inside. Seeing their happy and exciting – but also afraid – faces made you thinking of your first day. It was just last year but it felt like you've been here for ages already.
“Do you remember our first day?” you heard a deep male voice asking right behind you.
“How could I forget? You were a pain in my ass right from the start!” you said and turned around to look into the brown eyes of your lover. On his face was a wide grin. Keith Rogers was a very handsome man. He was tall with big shoulders. His hair as brown as chocolate. His eyes just a little bit lighter with this special little yellow ring in the middle. And he was very charming and a gentleman. No wonder that so many girls fell for him. You included. But no girl is really his because he likes to be free and independent like he always says.
“But still you're sleeping with me...so you like this pain in the ass.” His grin got even wider and all you could do is laughing and shaking your head. This guy really got you. Before you could say anything you saw Commander Wise turning around the corner and coming to you.
“Good morning, Commander Wise!” you greeted him and saluted. Keith did immediately the same.
“Good morning Cadets! Exciting day today!” He looked around like you did some minutes ago. “This years we have some excellent new cadets who will join us.” His eyes wandered through the rows of seats like they were searching for something specific. “I will welcome them. Tell them about their upcoming years here. Showing them everything you got last year. Then I will introduce you two to them. You will give them a little tour across our facility afterwards. Answering as many of their questions as you can. Then you will lead them back to here and leave for your classes.” He turned around to watch both of you closely. “You understand?”
“Yes sir!” both of you said simultaneously. He nodded at you and turned around again to step forward and started to speaking. You listened keenly to his words while you tried to keep you eyes on him. But you couldn't help to watch the newbies listening. Well at least most of them. There was a certain blond guy you seemed t be more interested in the girl in his front than anything that Commander Wise was saying. You couldn't help but wondered why he looked so familiar to you. It seemed like you'd known this guy before but you couldn't remember where from. There wasn't more time to thing about it as you heard the Commander saying Keith's and your names and asking you to step forward. You felt so many eyes on you that you started to feel a little bit embarrassed. It was always difficult for you to be the center of anything and at the moment he spots were all on you.
After the Commander said another few words he send you off to the little campus tour. You split into two groups to make it easier to show them around and went in the opposite directions. You tried to keep every face in your group in mind so you wouldn't lose anyone. One person caught immediately your eyes. It was this pretty guy who wasn't paying much attention on Commander Wise but who's eyes were staring curiously in your direction. He wasn't checking you out like he did previously with the girl but he looked like he tried to remember you. Did you'd met before? You couldn't recall his face completely neither his name. But you had a tour to guide so you but this thought by side.
“Okay guys. I'm (Y/N)(Y/L/N)! Like Commander Wise already told you I just started my second year. Last year I was in the same position as you're now. Don't want to scare you already...but I want to be honest to you....your first year will be more than just a hard ride. Believe me social life will be something you will forget. If you want to get the best results at least. But okay...come on I'll show you around!” You turned around and started your little tour. And as the Commander had wished you answered as many questions as possible and as much as you knew.
It was nearly the end of the tour when you got together again with Keith and his group and another person caught your eye. He was smaller than anybody else and seemed also so much younger.
“Keith? Who is that boy there in the back? He is just a kid....” Keith turned around to look at him too before he looked back to you.
“Dunno his name....but he seems like he is a kinda genius...the kid knows a lot....guess he is like...12 or so. Don't care!” With a shrug of his shoulders he kept walking back to the auditorium. Of course he didn't care. But you were very curious about this kid. It was not often that the academy accepted young boys like him. He must have been someone really genius – or his parents were like super rich and gave Starfleet so much money so they would take him in for at least a basic training and an easy job in the end. Maybe you could find out more over the time about him. And also about this other guy who was flirting again with an Orion girl. Seemed like he was more interested in girls than anything other that has to do with the Starfleet. Maybe you wouldn't have to find out anything about him because he would leave faster than one of these Ardanian gerbils could even run.
Commander Wise and a woman you haven't seen before were already waiting for you. They took the group gladly over and thanked you for your work before sending you back to your classes.
“It was fun showing them around. Way better than we had! And damn some of the girls are really hot!” laughed Keith while you were walking to the classrooms. Even though you got already used to it it still hurt a little hear him talking about other girls. But you wouldn't show it.
“It was really fun. And I think some of them could really become someone big.” The rest of the way you walked in silence before you needed to part. “See you later at the gym lesson I guess.”
He nodded. “Unless you want to spend the little breaks between the lessons with something better than talking to others.” There it was again. His wide and bright grin. But he made you laugh and hit his chest.
“Not today tiger...gotta catch up with everyone....see ya!” So you turned around an walked down the hallway to your class.
