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“Alright guys, so I’ll see you back here tomorrow morning, and we’ll finish up a couple of things and then take the tests. Go home and get some rest before the snow storm gets too bad,” Jonathan Archer said, waving off his class of six teenagers finishing up their lifeguard studies.
Jim Kirk groaned as he reached for the yellow backpack full of his swimsuits, goggles, and other assorted water-related crap.
“My hair’s gonna freeze,” he grumbled to the kid next to him, and Leo laughed as he picked up his own blue duffel bag, significantly lighter.
“Run to your car,” he advised with a laugh, and Jim groaned again.
“I’ve gotta drive all the way home in this too. Kill me, Leo. Just let me drown.”
“Nah, kid, can’t let you do that. Just one more day,” Leo said as he followed Jim out of Starfleet and into the swirling snow. “See you tomorrow!” he called, ducking his head and running in the opposite direction to his own, thankfully heated, car.
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Jim Kirk, Leo realized right off the bat, was nuts. He was smart and funny, and decent-looking, sure, but he was petulant and irritating and clingy as all fuck. He was also, however, good at his training and confident in his abilities as a lifeguard, despite his accidental drop of Leo while practicing a spinal roll.
And Leo hated him until they began actually talking, and realized that they both liked the same things. Sure, Leo wanted to be a doctor and Jim an engineer, but they still loved talking about science. They agreed that Marvel comics were better than DC, that Starfleet was a little pretentious, and that sci-fi shows were the best on TV. They became fast friends, and Leo loved it.
“So, Jim, I’ve already given Chris Pike over at Enterprise your contact information, I’d just send him an email letting him know that you did get your certificate today, and he’ll set you up with an interview,” Archer said as he finished signing the slip of paper before passing it to Jim. “Leo, have you decided where you’d like to work yet?”
Leo nodded and cleared his throat. “I think I’ll probably go to Enterprise as well, I don’t know how much I want to guard just by myself here, especially in the morning. No offense or anything,” he added hurriedly, and Archer chuckled.
“It’s fine, son. We do things a little backwards here, I agree. Set up an interview with Chris like Jim. I hope to see you boys over at Enterprise some day,” Archer said cordially, standing as the boys left the meeting room for the final time.
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Four days later, Jim and Leo met with Chris Pike for an interview, after which he had his second in command, Spock, email both of the boys to ask if they could attend a meeting with all of the lifeguards on Sunday before they officially began working as lifeguards.
Jim and Leo knew only each other at the meeting, and they naturally gravitated together. Everyone was super welcoming, and Jim found that he had great friends in everyone that he met, though he was still closest to the boy that he trained with.