"Psst... Starbuck, wake up."

"Hunh?" Starbuck groaned and rolled over, trying to escape the insistent whisper.

Apollo didn't give up. He reached out and shook his friend, then jumped back when a wild-eyed Starbuck shot straight up in the bed. "Easy- it's just me."

"Don't ever do that!" Starbuck blinked in the dim light. He clutched the rumpled blankets and tried to calm down the adrenaline rush brought on by Apollo's touch. "You almost got hit!"

"Sorry, man- how was I to know you'd be so jumpy?" Apollo sat on the foot of the bed, ignoring Starbuck's disgusted look.

"Think about it, dipwad- I live on the streets. People try to beat me up every day. How the hell else you think I'm going to wake up if someone touches me?"

"Er... well, never thought about it, actually." Apollo shifted impatiently. "Whatever, you need to get up now, remember?"

"Huh?"

"To use the computer?" Apollo prompted.

"Computer? Apollo, it's three am!" Starbuck groaned and laid back down.

"Yes, and you're going to take a test. Now get your lazy ass out of bed and on the computer."

"Oh frack. I forgot all about that... Okay, I'll get up. Are you sure this will work?"

"Positive." Apollo grinned. "You kick ass at all the stuff they test you on. You get a good score on the exam, we show Dad, he sponsors you- and you're in!"

"If you're wrong..." Starbuck left the threat unspoken, although his look promised dire things. He scrambled out of the bed. Apollo ran out to the computer room and had the machine humming cheerfully when Starbuck arrived.

"I'm in the Academy, got your application ready for you to fill out. Go for it!"

"Shit. Now I'm kind of worried." He sat in front of the computer.

"Here we go again," Apollo said, with a long-suffering sigh. "Just do it, would ya?"

"Okay, okay, I'll do it. Now go away."

Apollo went to the door of the computer room and sat down to keep watch. Theoretically, there would be at least three hours before there were any signs of life in the house. But who knew when someone would have a hard time sleeping and decide to get a drink or something?

He could hear Starbuck muttering to himself as he filled out the application. They'd worked it all out over the last few days, exactly what he should put in the spaces that asked for personal info- somehow, neither one of them thought "I don't know" would do well as an answer.

Poor Starbuck, Apollo thought. All alone, doesn't even know when his real birthday is, or who his parents were- just the orphanage, and then the foster-family. That would really suck.

Apollo leaned back against the wall, his thoughts whirling from one subject to the next without pause. Gradually, as the sounds of typing and occasional swearing continued, the thoughts slowed to a crawl, then finally stopped altogether.

 


Starbuck made his final entry, then clicked "Send." The completed application and entrance exam were whisked away electronically. He stretched tired arms and burning back, eyes closed. He hoped he'd done okay- it was his only chance to ever follow his dream and become a pilot. Unbelievable, really- that he would even get a chance to transmit his application to the Academy. Him- orphan and street-brat, a little nobody who up until a few weeks ago could barely find enough food to survive... and it was all made possible by Apollo.

"Pol?" he called softly, then rose to leave. "I'm done, time to go back to bed..." Then he saw Apollo's sleeping form against the doorjamb. He smiled with far more affection than he'd ever dream of showing, were his friend awake. "Pol! Wake up!"

"'m awake," came the sleepy response.

"And that's a load of felgercarb. Come on, let's get back to bed before someone finds us."

"Ohhh, my ass," Apollo groaned, then tried to stand up. Starbuck snickered, but lent a hand.

"Serves you right, for falling asleep against the door like that. Come on." He offered a shoulder to lean on, which Apollo gratefully accepted. Together they made their way back to Apollo's room.

"How'd you do, anyway?" Apollo sank onto the blessedly soft bed with relief. His numb backside had begun to tingle in a most apalling manner.

"Dunno." A huge yawn interrupted Starbuck. "Did my best, though."

"'sall anyone can ask." Apollo yawned as well. "Get your ass to bed, man, or we'll get nailed sure for being up all night talking."

"Up all night, yes—talking, though..." Starbuck shook his head and left, with a tired smile.

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