Alys was perched on the edge of the captain's chair, knuckles paled where her grip was the tightest. The tinny red alert blared in time with the explosions lighting up the screen and all at once all systems powered down.

Lights came up on the upper observation deck and that one proud Vulcan's voice came over the speakers. "Cadet Gwynn, you are dismissed. We thank you for participating in the Kobayashi Maru."

She gave a curt nod, a few wisps of taupe hair falling out of and back into place. Of course she wasn't gonna beat the test, nobody beat the test, but her little optimistic self had still hoped for something other than what felt like the worst destruction the instructors had seen.

The facility that housed the Kobayashi Maru was also home to a plethora of other offices and classrooms and winding hallways, making her trip out of the building a long one. She stopped by one of the bathrooms to pat a damp towel to her heated cheeks and convince her reflection she did the best she could.

There was a pep in her step when she reemerged, so bouncy in fact that it threw her into another body around the corner. Their sorry's and excuse me's overlapped until she'd straightened her shirt and actually got a good look at the man in front of her.

He looked familiar, and holy hell she hoped she'd met those blue eyes before.

"Alys, right? Asteroid species girl?" His head was cocked and a pleased smile twisted his lips. "I think we met at the med school house party awhile back?"

She was flattered and the little heart palpitation jumpstarted her memory. "Oh yeah! You're…John, right?" At his squint she corrected herself. "No it's Jim! Sorry, Jim, it's faces not names for me."

"I'm just glad we both remembered. There was a lot going on that night."

The hallway had emptied a bit but Jim stayed where his broad shoulder was rooted to the wall, and there was no way Alys was leaving either. She was an opportunist and this was too fortunate of a literal run-in to pass him by a second time.

"No kidding. I think we'd both lost our friends and ended up hovering by the chips. And we wouldn't talk about Academy stuff because –"

"Because we didn't want to dampen such a fun night, right," he finished and shifted weight to his other foot, the inch less of space between them warming delightfully.

Not trying to hide the smile growing on her lips, she said, "And even then you were kinda slow in responding to me."

He responded without missing a beat and a glint in his eye. "I was a little busy trying to ignore how cute you were that night."

This was definitely the same guy. Flirtatious then, flirtatious now. And she was just as into it this time as last.

"Meaning I was probably gazing into your eyes when I could focus through the vodka."

A gleaming grin spread his mouth and he nodded as if it had all been a bit of a test, and Alys could tell she aced this one. "Mind if I join you wherever you're headed?"

"If you're prepared to walk aimlessly."

Jim made a grand sweep with his arm toward the exit and together they walked out into the heavy California sun, no destination needed.

"Is it invasive for me to ask what your business was back there?" The return to normal conversation was sweet, but the way his crinkling eyes almost never left her gold ones kept the playfulness buzzing.

"Not at all. The Kobayashi Maru was kicking my ass."

He swiveled sharply on his heel and was now walking excitedly backwards on the pavement. "You took that test? So you wanna be a captain?"

"Yeah, Jim." A blush darkened her cheeks at his unwavering attention with a bit of embarrassment. "Though I'm not sure if I did so well."

"Ahh, it's a rigged test anyway. You should try it again, though, my second time –"

"Wait, you're the guy who's taken in multiple times?" Her hand shot out to grab his arm though they were both already rapt with attention. But it made sense to her, what with his shining self-confidence levels.

"Yeah, Alys," he mimicked her softer tone and bat his eyes, leaving her only able to slap his arm back away. "But really, you're command track?"

She nodded and let the tall grasses of the garden they passed brush against her legs. "I really hope to, it feels like something I'd be good at. And I'm sure the captain's chair feels good to you, too?"

"Yeah, I'm a big fan of leather." With a decadent wink he added, "Though I'd probably follow you most anywhere first."

A shadow was suddenly cast over both of their faces, drawing attention to the building now looming over them. They'd apparently talked enough to wander directly to the dormitories, but Alys couldn't say she was disappointed they'd ended up there.

"I could always give you tips on the Maru," Jim said pointedly as he opened the door for her, "if you wanna show me the notes you've already got."

An easy way in doubling as an easy way out if she wanted it. He was good at the craft and she appreciated it, but the warm wind blowing her forward simply confirmed the steps she already wanted to take toward him.

"Yeah, I'd like that."

Thankfully her room was on the first floor, allowing them to slip in with little surveillance. Once inside, Jim became fascinated by all of the lights strung up across the ceiling and around the beds, contrasting the more muted navies and jades of the fabrics.

The bulbs reflected strikingly in his eyes as he said, "Pretty setup you've got here."

"My roommate got us both really into decorating," Alys offered easily, "and she's out with her girlfriend until late tonight."

He faced her again with a smirk and raised brows, the small room closing captivatingly smaller with each of his steps toward her. "Which would matter because…"

"She won't disturb us studying."

"Alys." There was a curious warning to his tone and the anticipation blossomed every hair on her neck to its tip.

"I know, I know, I was just giving you a hard time." She plunged her fingers into that thick blonde hair and he met her halfway, pressing a bruising kiss into her lips.

Her first full breath of him smelled strictly of fresh rain but then his tongue was against hers and god he tasted good, pure chocolate and charm. His mouth was rolling against hers eagerly, repeatedly, the only divided attention being given to a beautiful smirk that she felt every inch of.

His hands had started their roaming long ago, lingering on her cheeks before brushing down her shoulders and then finally resting firmly on her back. A sweet giggle that dropped into a moan was drawn from her throat when he held a long kiss in place as their feet scrambled to bring them as much closer as possible.

"Why," he managed between pecks, "didn't we do this before?"

With a brief respite in the lip action, Alys let her hands and Jim's slide her shirt up and away before reconnecting again. "You had to find your friend and…mm, mine was starting fights."

"Two counts of stupid."

Either he'd found some way to get his uniform shirt ridiculously soft or her skin was just particularly sensitive to sweet warmth because as soon as her bare arms rested along his she was grasping for more, kissing him riotously into his while tugging at his clothes. The rest of the cadet reds were soon whirled away, leaving Jim in a pair of briefs that had to be made for that ass and junk of his.

Jim was also mystified by her underthings, a lacy black set that contrasted exquisitely against her lavender skin. "All that under your regular uniform?"

"Look good, feel good." One hand on her hip helped her be as close to a model as she was gonna get.

"Looks better on your floor?" he offered hopefully.

Alys's head lolled, tilting her mischievous grin. "If you think I'm gonna fall for that one, you'll just have to catch me first."

A few quick steps brought her around the other side of the bed where she got an even better head-to-toe view of Jim with his beefy shoulders and the devilish spark in his eye. His stealth mode crept him a few paces closer, each of which she matched backwards.

"You're not very good at spatial awareness if you think you're getting away."

"Oh, are we actually studying now?" She was looking for the final straw to pull and apparently she'd full-force dragged it away because he came bounding toward her.

A squeak pealed from her lips as she dodged his tantalizing fingers back and forth, and she'd almost made it into the bathroom when his hand closed around her wrist and spun her back into him.

The first quick victory kiss was followed by a longer, slower one, one that enraptured every fiber of hers back toward him. When it broke she blinked up at his inquisitive expression and slipped off her bra, watching in awe as lightning struck his mouth back to a wicked grin. Whisking her up into his arms, he dropped her on the bed and crawled predatorily up toward her.

He stopped halfway, hooking a finger in the band of her panties and waiting for her nod before lazily dragging them away. The strings of lights all around cast a beautiful glow on his skin, stars shining on the sun, but there were definitely devil horns contrasting his angelic face when he settled between her legs.

"Jim?" she questioned, not expecting this detour yet anticipation tingled at her core.

"Shhhh," he coaxed and the vibrations made her weak.

He made sure to catch her eyes, sparkling blue against fervent gold, to guide her along with him to balance on a tightrope before promptly throwing her off into the abyss with a single lick. Her head fell back as he planted grazing kisses around her heat and into the bend of her thigh and all at once he delved in, taking up all her ready wetness.

The pleasure skyrocketing back and forth left her only able to grasp and pant avidly, one hand on her neglected breast and the other in Jim's hair, providing unnecessary guidance for what he was clearly very good at. His tongue was sinfully hot on her slick folds as it swirled around before finding the bullseye at the top, flicking it a few times before bringing the tip of his finger to massage the bundle.

Each of his ministrations brought another distorted plea to her lips and Alys felt a flush saturating her skin noes to toes, desire winding tightly in every sinew. After a particularly strong squirm against his face, Jim pulled away and let his breath fan over her core.

"I've said you're gorgeous today, right?"

A whimper escaped her pouting lips but she glanced down at him all the same, nearly keening at the devious twist of his mouth. "Something like that."

Her gaze did the trick in calling him up to her, his dexterous fingers leading the way. He worked his way up, pit stops at her waist and ribs and breasts and neck to nibble and rub soothing circles into the heated flesh, and her sanity was being rubbed away with it. His briefs also carried a straining tent that dragged along her thigh and it took only the breath of a plea for him to yank them off.

Hovering above didn't last long before his collapse onto her was deliciously overwhelming, his satisfied sigh in her ear a song she'd replay a thousand times. With his boyish countenance inches from hers he'd never looked more wily and inviting, even compared to the tipsy night weeks before. Heat simmered everywhere visible and finally Alys greedily kissed him while her hips grinded of their own accord, vying for the friction they both needed so badly.

A grunt, a swivel of legs, and a few nuzzles later, Jim rocked his hips forward and she imprinted little half-moons on his shoulders as he filled her to the brim. A smile broke on her face through an incredulous gasp and sheer bliss brought more stars than she could ever hope were in the galaxy to burst behind her closed eyes.

"Oh god," her moans were muffled in his delectable skin.

With his mouth meandering up and down her neck in time with the sweet, sensual thrusts, he murmured, "Not quite my name, but I'll take it."

He was a little shit but she'd let him keep being that little shit for as long as their bodies could roll together like that, and she cursed herself for missing out on this kind of rough-and-tumble for so long.

The sheen of sweat on their burning skin eased her thighs where they wrapped around his, and just as her breathing quickened he angled slightly to brush a spot inside her that made every sensation lurch to a peak. She gripped him tighter, blindly kissing at the upturned curve of his mouth before his own pleasured groan sang with hers.

Again and again each thrust dragged another obscenity out into the open air and she clutched him suffocatingly close, lucidity fogging up and Alys didn't dare wipe it clean. Searing coils in her lower belly wound tighter and tighter until all at once she was snapped in two.

Tidal waves of euphoria washed over every nerve as each muscle contraction brought with it a new summit, and her clenching around him brought his own ecstasy shuddering through his every limb. She cried his name, then whispered it, then crooned it into his neck again as she sunk farther into her sheets, spent and satisfied.

He rolled off of her but left a leg to tangle with hers, pink lips still resting in an O as he wavered down from the high. She basked in his glorious afterglow, a hand on his chest over his thundering heartbeat.

"Damn." His laugh was glorious, too, and it rang out charmingly as the air vents struggled to cool the room.

"And we could've done this so much sooner."

"As future captains, Alys," he tweaked her side and received a retaliatory shove, "we've gotta do better at making decisions like that."

A buzz from her comm on her bedside table reluctantly drew her attention away from his inviting warmth, and even as she rolled over to reach it he kept a palm on her hip. A proud smile broke on her lips as she read the message and she flipped back over to him in record time.

"So turns out my roommate won't be back until tomorrow," she trailed a finger up his arm and watched as goosebumps trailed in its wake. "Did you have plans for the rest of the day?"

He cocked a brow to think long and hard, teasing her by pondering much harder and longer than was necessary so she leaned over and pressed him a strong kiss, making sure to drag at his bottom lip.

Shaking himself free from the daze, he quipped, "I'll stay if you don't put pants on."

"And I won't put pants on if you'll make food for us. My pantry's pretty stocked."

His winning smile made her heart flutter again. "I do love a girl who can bribe well."