The Cadet

Bad Ideas

SPOCK POV

I regretted everything I had said the moment it came out of my mouth.

Had it been the truth? Maybe, but it was an admittedly human part of me that I hated about myself and always have. So to act so rashly on these feelings and confess something so earth-shattering made me realize I had made a mistake.

Evelyn stood frozen in front of me, her bright green eyes trapping me in my place as we both stared at each other.

"Spock, I-"

I knew what was coming next, and to prevent both of us from being fools, I did the most logical thing I could think of.

"I think it's time for you to go, Cadet." I interrupted, not bothering to look up at her as I threw the shorts she had been wearing in her direction and heading to my bedroom.

"What?!" She shouted, her tiny feet stomping behind me as I hastily made my way across the living room. "You're just going to tell me to leave after you admit that to me?! With out any explanation?"

I stopped in the threshold of the bedroom and looked over my shoulder, not meeting her face. "Please, leave. I wasn't thinking-"

"Weren't thinking?! I think that was you thinking, you're just too proud to admit it." She said fiercely, coming to stand directly behind me.

I turned to look down at her, nearly dragging her into the bedroom with me instead as she looked so good in my clothes. "I am not prideful, I-"

"Not prideful? Spock, if you truly feel like this then you-"

"Let me finish, damnit!" I shouted, nearly shaking her out of her skin. I added scaring her to the list of things I was feeling guilty for. "You sound desperate for attention. Leave, cadet. That's an order." I said. And with that, I shut my bedroom door in her face.

I sunk to the floor my face pressed against the cool metal as I listened to her reaction through the door. She seemed to be in a state of shock, not really understanding what had just occurred. I felt guilty treating her this way, but in order to save both of our reputations, it was better this way. I finally heard the door slam, and I let out the breath I didn't know I had been holding. I knew what I had done was better for the both of us, but for some reason I had the worst feeling settling in my stomach, like something worse was going to come out of this.

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EVELYN POV

Three months passed quickly, and I had gotten much better. The bruises had long since faded and I was able to get fully functional in the way of physical activities, although I was still not cleared to box again. I hadn't told My'ya anything about me being in Spock's apartment, or anything he had said. All she knew is that I was tired of men.

Which leads me here, sitting in a booth in some bar next to some guy I've never met who was leaving a Pollock painting all over my neck.

"Girl, I'm worried about you." My'ya said from across the table, watching with disgust as the man licked up my neck.

"I'm fine, I just need to get get back on the horse- cowgirl style." I said pushing the man off of me and shooing him away. "I'm tired of you, leave." I said, grabbing the shot in front of me and taking it as the poor guy ran with his tail between his legs.

"Honey, you don't sleep around and party all night. That's my job." She said, sliding over to be be closer to me in the booth. "You're the dependable one. The careful one." She said brightly, as if that was supposed to make me feel better. I rolled my eyes and took another shot, but followed this one up with a sip of water.

"I'm just as crazy as you, My'ya. Just because I don't fuck everyone with a pair of legs doesn't mean I'm a prude. Let me have my fun." I said, looking down at my nails which had chipped paint at the beds of them.

"Fuck you." She said angrily, getting up and leaving me in the booth.

Normally, I'd get up and go after her, apologize and make sure she knew that I wasn't being hateful. But I honestly had stopped caring about so much, and I knew My'ya would eventually forgive me.

"A woman as gorgeous as yourself should never be drinking alone." A voice said above me. I looked up to see James Kirk giving me a devilish grin with a beer in one hand. "May I?"

I patted the booth next to me, but didn't make an effort to move over. He sat down, his thigh rubbing against my bare one. I was barely wearing anything, my dress hung loosely from my neck and the sides had deep slits up the metal fabric that showed my hip dips. I looked good and I knew it.

"Why are you drinking alone, Evie?" He said, wiggling his arm behind me in the booth smoothly.

"I'm not alone anymore." I said, winking at him as I sipped on some more water. Jim grins at me, his perfect white teeth nearly blinding despite the low lighting. "Question is: what do you want?"

Jim laughed and snuggled in closer, his face inches from mine as his breath tickled my neck. Admittedly, I was excited to be so close to Jim. We had become friendly over the past couple of months, occasionally meeting for coffee or lunch. Sure he was attractive, but he was also a playboy. But with the mood I've been in, a little bit of trouble sounded good to me.

"Well, I wanted to pick your brain." He said, his blue eyes giving me their full, undivided attention. Had I been any other girl, Jim would have had me at "hello". "What do you think about that captain test that Vulcan made, the Hiroshima somethin' or other?"

"The Kobayashi Maru?" I corrected, taking his beer and finishing it off. His eyes flickered down to my tongue as it wetted my lips. "It's designed to be unbeatable. No one as ever passed."

"I want to beat it." He said confidently.

I laughed, snorting a little which earned some weird glances my way. "No offense, Jim, but literally no one has passed it. What makes you think that you can?" I asked, giving him a look.

"Because I have a secret weapon." He replied, grinning from ear to ear.

"And what is that?" I asked.

"You!" He said, poking my nose as I gave him a confused look.

"Me? I'm a med student? I've never even thought about the Kobayashi Maru." I said, taking another shot before looking back at Jim for an explanation.

"But you know math. And that Vulcan. I bet you could crack his little code." He said, speaking quietly into my ear. "I've got some things already figured out. I just need a math expert."

It was a bad idea, I could get in lots of trouble if I helped Jim cheat on the most prestigious exam all Starfleet captains must go through. I could lose everything. But I knew Spock was the one who designed it, and I knew his math well enough now that I could probably crack the code. And I would love to see the look on his face when he realized some farmer boy from Kentucky or wherever beat his impossible test.

I rested a hand on Jim's thigh, letting my thumb do little circles on the inside of it. "I'd be risking a lot, I might need some," I shifted my hand upwards slightly to tease him, "compensation."

Jim gave me a devilish grin that made me a little too excited.

"I think I can work something out."