Everything has a beginning. It also has a middle and an end, but as for the cadets that stood, exhausted and jittery in the initiation hall of Star fleet achademy, this was an odd beginning indeed.

Amongst all the new faces that had been brought in from all over the world, stood two very familiar ones. James T. Kirk, next to Leonard H. McCoy, didn't look the least bit tired. McCoy had to admit, the kid had been the only thing that had kept his mind intact on the way down, but they were piratically strangers. It was odd that he had actually managed to make an acquaintance in his nervous state.

The large hall echoed with the chorus of voices hitting the arched ceilings until a large man in a black commander's outfit stepped up to a speak. The hall went dead silent, and McCoy could here Jim breathing noisily beside him.

"Welcome, ladies and Gentlemen, to Star Fleet Academy, please proceed down the hall to obtain your dorm numbers and anything else that might not yet be taken care of," the man's eyes feel to the handful of new cadets that were not even in their issued red uniforms, "when you have completed this, please follow the directions to the assembly room for the normal initiation procedures."

With that the large officer stepped down and everyone slowly formed into a long, long....long, line. McCoy almost groaned aloud. He was exhausted. No line sounded good to his aching feet.

"Maybe they will let us room together, I'm pretty sure we all have to share rooms...." Jim said next to him, then paused to wink at a girl that was walking by, "It would be cool..."

"I don't think that will happen. Besides, how do you know we won't wined up wanting to kill each other?" McCoy cocked an eyebrow at his new friend, "We only had the six hour flight, most of which I spent hyperventilating, to get to know each other..." McCoy really was to tired to be embarrassed by the whole ordeal aboard the rickety shuttle that had brought them there.

"...I think we'll be okay...." Jim grinned, perfectly sure of himself.

"Oh and aren't we mister confident..." McCoy snorted.

"No...I mean, there's a girl handing out assignments, let me do the talking." Jim smiled, nearly laughing as McCoy gave him an odd look.

Twenty minutes later, McCoy and Jim sat in the auditorium, new uniforms on their laps, and each holding the key to the room they now shared.

McCoy was staring at Jim like he had sprouted a third eye.

"Do you do that to all the women you meet?" He sputtered out. He only received a cocky smile.

Jim had neatly sweet talked the young woman officer that was assigning rooms into giving him and McCoy a room together. Not free of charge, no, He had promised her a trip out to dinner and had given her his cell number as well. It was a triple score in the young Kirk's book.

"I guess I would rather be in a room with someone I've met, than a random stranger..." McCoy sighed, leaning his head against his fist.

"Aw! C'mon, I'm not that bad!" Jim poked his arm.

"How would I know?! I don't even know what your favorite color is!" McCoy replied in exasperation.

"Its blue." Jim said without a waver.

"....blue huh..." McCoy blinked, "...Mines blue too."

the two gave each other a tiny smile, Jim burst out laughing, and McCoy could only help but think, that maybe things wouldn't turn out so bad after all.