seikilos

Title: It's a Grudge Match, Ben Sisko!
Fandom: Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Genre: Gen
Rating & Warnings: G
Words: 943
Disclaimer: I don't own Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.
Summary: When Dukat's baseball team beats Ben Sisko's at first recess, there's no way he's going to let it happen at lunch. There's just one problem....
Author's Notes: My brother Yosie and I created this 'verse during about 150 km of a road trip we took together last summer. We've had a lot of fun planning it, but this is the first thing I've actually written for it. Hopefully when we get a little more time, we'll be able to have other things to share, too.

"All right, team, listen up!" Ben set his hands on his hips. "Dukat's team might have beaten us last recess, but he won't this time. Right?"

He smiled around as his team called back with "Right!" and "Yeah!" . . . until he realised there was a big hole in his lineup.

"Where's Worf?"

Nerys stepped forward. "He's in detention. He told Lore in his class that he didn't have any honour in front of the teacher."

Ben grabbed at his close-cut hair. "But he knew we had this match! What are we going to do now?"

"We could get Garak," Jaddy suggested.

"He's not in detention, is he?"

"No, he's working on the front garden with Keiko," Julian reported.

"Right. Julian, you go get him."

"Okay, be right back!" Julian scampered off.

Jaddy watched him go, then turned to Ben with a grin. "Now I know why you're the captain."

Ben smiled back. "Strategy."

*

Julian went as fast as he could; it may have been big recess, but that didn't mean they had forever. He got stopped by a teacher once, since he wasn't actually supposed to be going to the front of the school, but luckily they let him go when he said he needed to talk to Elim.

His boyfriend was kneeling on the ground and weeding (probably) next to Keiko. Rather than wait until he got close, Julian yelled, "Eeeelim!"

He knew he wasn't going to get an answer—Elim didn't like shouting—but at least it gave Elim enough time to finish pulling up a weed.

Once he came to a stop, he gasped out, "Elim, could you come play baseball? Worf's got detention."

Elim sighed. "I guess I could. Unless you'd prefer to?" he asked Keiko.

"No thanks—I'd rather watch."

Both Elim and Keiko got to their feet. Elim brushed off his pants; Keiko didn't bother. Once his boyfriend seemed ready, Julian smiled and stuck out his hand. "Thanks, Elim."

"You're welcome."

His smile grew as Elim laced his brown fingers through his own. Some of the kids used to make fun of them for holding hands all the time, but then, all of a sudden, they'd stopped. Julian wasn't sure why they had, but he wasn't going to complain about it.

"Let's go!" Julian declared.

Elim smiled and the three of them started off. "Right."

*

Baseball wasn't really Elim's favourite thing to do. He was good at it, of course—he simply preferred spending recess gardening or using his fashion designer kit. But if playing meant making Julian happy and knocking the wind out of Dukat's sails, there wasn't a chance he could say no.

When he and Julian arrived at the baseball area of the playground, it was to find the captains practically nose to nose and their teams fanned out behind them. Ben had his arms crossed against his body and was looking stoic; Dukat, by contrast, was relaxed and obviously having a wonderful time rubbing in how badly Ben's team was going to lose.

Elim smiled again, and for now he set aside his dislike of raising his voice to shout over, "I'm here to join your team, Ben!"

Both captains turned and, at the sight of him and Julian arriving hand in hand, abruptly switched expressions.

New Ben was the one smiling as he called back, "Garak! Good to have you on the team!"

"It's good to be here," he replied as Julian broke away to join his friends and, behind him, he heard Keiko plunk down on the grass to watch.

"Garak," Dukat ground out. Elim noticed with pleasure that the mottled blue and white of his skin had, over the weekend, become yellow and white instead. Nerys really had done a thorough job on him in their last fight.

He smiled at Dukat. "It's a beautiful day for baseball, isn't it?"

"Let's get going already." Dukat stomped off to grab a bat. It was obvious he'd like to complain about Ben Sisko's Grade Three team recruiting a Grade Five-er, but considering he himself was in Grade Five (and Odo's cousin on his team was in Grade Six), there wasn't anything he could do. He couldn't even say Elim wasn't a regular, because they had been the ones to snap up Damar that recess. He was stuck and Elim loved every minute of it.

He shared a happy look with Ben. Today, they were in perfect agreement.

Then Ben flung his arms wide. "Play ball!"

*

By the time the bell rang, Ben's team was leading 3-1. If the teacher on duty had let Miles take one more turn, they probably would have even gotten Nerys home from third and made it 4-1.

"Good game, everyone!" he called to his team as they headed for the doors. He noticed Dukat didn't say anything to his team; why they kept playing with such a huge jerk was beyond him.

Jaddy caught up to him and slung an arm around his shoulders. "That's the way to put it to Dukat! Worf is gonna be kicking himself for missing such a 'glorious victory.'"

They both had a good giggle at that. Worf was a pretty cool guy, but he took everything way too seriously.

"Want to hang out after school?" he offered as they arrived at the line-up area.

"Sure, sounds great. I'll bring my bike."

"Awesome."

Ben slipped into place behind Jaddy, giving her ponytail a quick tug when the teacher wasn't looking. Only a couple more hours before he and Jaddy (and maybe some of the others) could celebrate their win. He couldn't wait.