Warning: The scenes in this story are not in linear order. Just however they've come to me and I've written them.
Disclaimer: Star Trek does not nor will ever belong to me. I only own Sonja Laxely.
A/N: Thank you prettytightkid for your suggestions, I'll hopefully be able to work on them soon. If anyone has any other suggestions or requests, please don't be shy in letting me know! Until then, I hope you'll enjoy this new update. :)

The First Time

She Kept Him Company

The door slid open revealing a tensed form and a mean scowl. She took in the black sweat pants, rumpled gray t-shirt, disheveled hair, and dark stormy eyes. Accustomed to the sunny if not arrogant façade he put on for everyone on a daily basis, Sonja was momentarily at a loss for words.

"What do you want, Laxely?" His grumpy voice matched his appearance. He made no move to allow her inside his room as he had a few other occasions. Then again, those had been planned occasions.

"I'd like my movie back if you're through watching it." She replied distractedly, her eyes still surveying him.

Noticing this, Kirk rolled his eyes and turned from the door to head back into his room. Stepping in before the door could slide closed between them, Sonja waited as her fellow cadet searched the contents of his desk for the movie she'd lent him the previous week.

"Where's McCoy?" She asked, purely out of curiosity.

"It's a Tuesday night; he's probably out drinking, wishing it was Friday."

"I know the feeling."

"Don't we all."

Sliding the disc case out from between several different manuals, Kirk turned and handed her the movie. Once her fingers grasped the plastic casing, he dropped his hand to his side, pinched the bridge of his nose with the other hand and turned away.

"So what did you think?" Sonja questioned, her voice slightly higher than normal. She automatically clenched her jaw, hoping he hadn't noticed.

He had, but chose to ignore it as he sighed and dropped onto the side of his bed. "It was unrealistic, the story was terrible, and the characters all together stupid." The question of why he'd bothered watching it in the first place hung in the air unspoken.

Refusing to take his comments on one of her favorite movies of all time to heart, Sonja breathed deeply before responding; her voice tight with restraint.

"Is that really what you think or are you being an ass to get rid of me?"

Without missing a beat, he responded dryly: "Which one will get rid of you?"

Unamused, Sonja crossed her arms. "The first one."

"Then I choose the second."

"Why?"

"Obviously you were lying." He leaned back and sprawled on his bed, a deep sigh leaving his body. Unconsciously matching his sigh, Sonja dropped her hands to her hips and drew her eyes to the side of the room away from him. She shouldn't bother. His foul mood had nothing to do with her and he obviously wanted to be alone.

"Get dressed Kirk."

He looked up at her through half lidded eyes. "Why?"

"Because you owe me a drink for being an ass. And obviously because I wasn't lying."

He almost smirked. Almost.

The rueful humor never reached his azure eyes.

She didn't ask what his problem was. She didn't pry or assume to know anything about him. He was unsure if he was thankful or disappointed; which only served to darken his mood.

He bought her a drink at one of the crowded clubs on sixth. She hadn't even finished half of it before deciding they should leave. Getting lost in a crowd wasn't what either of them wanted that night.

They walked the streets of San Fran, making small talk every now and again when one of them felt the silence between them to be too overbearing. Eventually Laxely started talking about the movie he'd claimed to be terrible; prodding him about what he didn't like and explaining how those parts, while less than brilliant, added a certain character and plot to the story.

"Why can't we just leave it at I didn't like it and you do?" Kirk finally questioned as they rounded another city block corner.

"Because this is fun." She replied simply.

"Is it?" Kirk threw back, more than a little irritated.

Rolling her eyes, Laxely refrained from bumping his arm with her own. "I'm not trying to change your mind about the movie."

"Could have fooled me."

Ignoring his bitter tone, she continued: "I just miss conversations like this."

Brought up short by the surprisingly honest admission, Kirk turned his gaze on her, really looking at her for the first time that evening.

"We don't have conversations like this." He spoke, inviting her to elaborate.

"Not conversations with you," she explained, unintentionally stressing the word 'you'. "Just conversations about miscellaneous things that have nothing to do with missions, protocols, or future career paths. It's nice." Her mouth eased into a small contented smile as she spoke.

Then, Kirk realized everything about her as she walked beside him was relaxed. For the life of him, he couldn't (and wouldn't) discern why this served to put him further on edge. Breathing in, he lifted his gaze up to the office building they were passing.

"If those aren't things you enjoy, then why are you with Starfleet?"

The small smile diminished into a firm line. If he'd used a different tone, one more curious than accusing, he probably could have gotten a real response.

"Never mind, Kirk."

They walked back to the Academy, this time neither bothered to try to break the silence.

Several times Kirk played with the idea of making up an excuse to let her go on so he could escape into the city for a few more hours; after all, he had spot a few possibilities for a fun night. But, there was a gentleman somewhere inside that forced him to stick the walk out.

For some reason Laxely had taken it upon herself to try to make him feel better; he wasn't a complete idiot, he'd been able to deduce that much. And, while he'd done everything to be rude, sarcastic, and intolerable, he still found himself walking back with her at his side.

She was almost as patient as Bones…in her own way. That was why, just as they stepped through the Academy gates, Kirk felt the need to come clean.

"It's my birthday."

She stopped walking, tilted her head slightly to the side and considered his words. He took two steps, paused, then turned back to her.

Many people in association with Starfleet would know what that meant; what the day signified.

"No wonder you're in such a bitchy mood, you old man."

Uninterested in the facetious remark, Kirk instead sought out her gaze. Her eyes had softened considerably, the only fault in her mask of wry humor. Figuring what he was looking at to be nothing more than sympathy; Kirk tore his gaze from hers and continued the walk to housing.

He heard her sigh behind him before she quickened her pace to catch up. He managed to tamp down the slight satisfaction he felt once she was matching his stride once again. He'd had a tradition of being disappointed on his birthday and didn't see why things should change this one year.

That is, until she said the words even he'd stopped saying to himself years ago.

"Happy birthday, Jim."