It was a bad day. Everything had gone wrong from the moment Jim woke up late and realized he’d missed his first class. One he’d been scheduled to have a test in. He’d messaged his instructor and been told there was no makeup and his missing it was considered a fail.

Jim had been considering dropping the course anyway, so he guessed now he would for sure.

Then his bike had a flat tire and he’d had to take the bus where a girl wearing combat boots kept touching him with her feet.

At lunch he got in a fight with his best friend, Bones.

Then after studying at the Academy’s library for hours, he missed the last bus home. He was going to have to walk several long blocks to his apartment in the rain.

Without a coat.

“Life sucks and then you die,” he muttered sulkily as he passed a tea shop.

“Cadet Kirk.”

Jim stopped in his tracks and turned toward the voice. He should have known by the shiver that went up his spine.

“Professor Spock.”

Spock, a Vulcan and incredibly sexy at that, glanced past him to the rainy street. “Would you care to join me for tea?”

“I’m…not much of a tea sort.”

“They do have a limited selection of other beverages that might be to your liking.” Spock paused. “And then, perhaps, you would like a ride home?”

As Jim stood there looking at Spock, he figured it out. Jim knew interest when he saw it. Even from a Vulcan.

He smiled. “Yeah. I’d love to join you. And I’d love to accept a ride.”

As he followed Spock inside, Jim realized that maybe this day wasn’t all that bad after all.

“What made you ask me for tea?” Jim asked.

“I wanted you to realize life doesn’t have to suck.”