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Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek in any kind of way

Cordelia examined herself in the mirror. She felt a fluttering in her stomach that made her want to stay home and not go to this party at all. Despite that, she convinced herself she looked pretty and was going to have a good time.

She wasn't an absolute stunner like Uhura or Mina, or even the blonde beauty Christine. She was still pretty though, in a very classic way. She had Cupid's bow lips that were slightly plump, but not too dramatically like Mina's were. Her eyes were round and brown, which generally gave her a very innocent look. The figure she'd gotten from her mother wasn't too curvy, but just enough to make her feel womanly. At average height, Cordelia thought herself generally attractive.

For the night, she wore a silver flapper dress that made her copper hair look quite nice. That hair was pulled back and crimped in the old fashioned way. White and black feathers came from a headband that made her feel extremely fancy, as did the long white gloves and strands of pearls draped around her neck. The costume was honestly exhilarating to her; she didn't often do things out of her comfort zone, but this was definitely way out of that.

"You look gorgeous, Delia," Uhura beamed from where she touched up her make up. "I've never seen you so scantily clad."

"It's exciting," Cordelia giggled. "You look absolutely hot, by the way."

"Thanks," Uhura grinned. "I think I need more feathers though."

"Girls!" Ginger called from the bathroom. "Where is my hot pink lipstick?!"

Mina, who was draped lazily across the bed, groaned. "She and Christine are going to be at it all night because of that damned lipstick again."

Christine appeared in the doorway of Ginger's room. "Ready to go ladies?"

"Where's the lipstick?" Ginger popped out of the bathroom. She eyed Christine, the glare worthy of death. In turn, Christine immediately took on a defensive stance. "You can explain to me why you stole my effing lipstick on the train." Uhura, Mina, and Cordelia exchanged looks, all slightly terrified. This never ended well.

Sure enough, twenty minutes later, Cordelia was feeling her nerves grate at the sounds of their bickering. As the small group of girls arrived just outside the club, she just couldn't handle it anymore and snapped. "Would you two shut the hell up?!"

Her friends stared in shock.

"Wow," a voice laughed. "Didn't know you had it in you, Cordie."

"I'm sorry," Cordelia blushed at the sight of James Kirk, who appeared to be waiting for them with Leonard. "Tonight is supposed to be fun, is all. No fighting over silly stuff."

"Sounds wonderful," Mina smiled, taking Cordelia's hand. "Now, I hear music. You and me on the dance floor, girlie. I hope you know how to swing."

Cordelia rarely had as fun much as she did that night. She danced her feet off with the other girls and Leonard, but couldn't find it within herself to dance with James. Whenever he was near, her mind swirled and her heart raced. She knew of his reputation and knew to avoid it. Cordelia was a smart girl.

"Cordie," James said late into the night. He'd approached her at the bar with a flirty smile on his face. "You have been avoiding me! Don't make me chase after you, beautiful."

"I don't want to be chased," she said softly. "And I know what happens when you chase women."

"Oh come on..."

"I'm quiet," she looked up at him. "And I'm nice, but I don't like to be screwed with and I won't let that happen."

James opened his mouth to speak, then shut it abruptly. His piercing blue eyes that made her entirely too unfocused set themselves on her firmly. "I like you, Cordelia. What do you say you dance with me during this lovely slow song, get to know me, and be my friend. I think you and I can have a good time...as friends, of course."

"Well..."

"Don't think, Cordie," he winked. "Lighten up. Befriend someone who will make you insane."

She looked up at him through her eyelashes. "Well, I am friends with Ginger. I know plenty about insane friends already…so I guess I can handle you."

"Thatta girl!" James grinned, grabbing her hand. He set both of their drinks down on the bar and tugged her towards the dance floor. They chatted for a bit, making casual small talk fit for colleagues until James pouted.

"Seriously, woman," he groaned.

"I'm trying," Cordelia informed him. "I'm not used to having guy friends like you. Leonard and Professor Spock are a lot different than you. Even Sulu isn't as outgoing and...strange."

"Good thing or bad thing?"

"Good thing."

"So...friends, oh Shy One?"

Cordelia gave in with a roll of her eyes. "Friends."

)-(

Cordelia was in the middle of doing her yoga when someone burst into her room. Thinking it was either Ginger or her other roommate, Tanga, she ignored them.

"Cordie!"

Definitely not Tanga or Ginger. She should've remembered that by now, James had no boundaries.

"Yes?" she spoke, not moving from her position.

"I was coming back from Mara's room when I real—" his speech cut off abruptly, and Cordelia imagined that he realized her position. Currently, she had her left leg curled back, held by her right hand, with her left hand extended towards the ceiling, head turned up. "You have incredible balance."

"Thank you," she blushed, finally opening her eyes. Cordelia uncurled herself and faced James to find him in a t-shirt and jeans. Despite being friends for a year, she never failed to be surprised by his handsome features and casual sex appeal. "What's up?"

"We haven't hung out, just the two of us, in like three weeks," he said.

"Well, I'm busy with my new job and you've got a test to prepare for," she shrugged.

"The Kobayashi Maru? Nah, I've got that in the bag," he waved it off. "What's important is that we try this new sushi place I found."

"James."

"It's got the absolute best lobster roll in San Francisco, you really need to try it."

"James."

"Also, they're saki is liquid love, I mean—

"James."

He looked offended that his very important discussion was being cut off. "What?"

"You've done something to the test, haven't you?" she asked with a shake of her head.

"Well, not exactly to the test..."

"Did Mina help?"

"Oh no," James leaned back into the couch with a proud grin. "I remember everything she taught me. I did it by myself."

"You can't win that test, Jamie," Cordelia sighed. She collapsed onto the couch next to him, not commenting when he moved his head to her lap. She just tangled her fingers in his hair. "It's designed so that you fail, and experience—

"You sound like Bones," he said in exasperation. "It's stupid that it's designed to do that."

Cordelia didn't respond. She learned that you couldn't make James do anything, no matter how hard you tried. He was entirely too stubborn. She saw when people thought they could change him, make him become someone he wasn't. Honestly, all you had to do was sit back and watch. James would figure it out for himself, even if he had to fall on his face first.

And his butt, and his back, and his leg, and every other body part. He always got it in the end.

"How does it feel to be a nurse?" he changed subject. "Are you excited to be put on a crew soon?"

"I am," she said. "I'm excited to move out of StarFleet headquarters and get my own apartment, I'm excited to be part of a team and go on missions...I'm excited for life to begin."

"I hope we get assigned the same ship," James said thoughtfully. "I can't go a day without bothering the crap out of you. My life would be so boring."

"But you'll probably get paired with Bones and you love pushing his buttons almost as much as mine," she told him affectionately. Her eyes turned serious. "And even if our little group gets separated, it'll be alright. We won't always be gone, and there's always plenty of training to be done."

"Don't be so serious, Cordie," James shook his head. "Just for a second, imagine all of us, raising hell on the Enterprise."

"That's Pike's new ship," Cordelia pointed out calmly.

"He'll get over it," he replied. "Pike gets me. I graduated in three years with all of you, I'll get my own ship in another few..."

"But—

"Let me dream, baby, let me dream."

She kept her mouth shut and continued to play with his hair as he rambled on about his day. James always came to her when he was wound up about something and needed to relax. Sometimes he told her, sometimes he didn't. Whatever it was, she didn't press. She just continued to run her fingers through his hair and listen to rambling nonsense.

"Look at life as an adventure," he said with a grin. "Something that you can look forward to, you can control. Then the future isn't so scary, you know?"

"Why, James," she said. "That was very wise."

"Yes, but..."

"Hmm?"

"Do you have to call me James?"