Let’s talk about the Baseball episode]]]
I’m not a big fan of this sport (a basketball person actually) BUT I liked this episode, it was so silly and sweet with a family vibe. Forward Niners!!!! No one knew how to play before this match, everyone practiced diligently, but as we know, they were far from pro (AND I LIKE THAT), but let's imagine that... GARAK CAN PLAY?!?!?! At least he has the reflexes to catch the ball and hit it with a bat and an eidetic memory to remember all rules. Got it? So that's the headcanon! (or an idea for fic idk XD) ->
-> Just another day of training in the holo-suite. Garak goes inside to give the team a fitting of the uniform Sisko ordered him, and to make any adjustments if needed. At one moment, a ball, batted by one of the teammates, goes completely in the wrong direction - right toward Garak. Everyone shouts for him to see the ball and move away. Garak, however, turns around and catches the unlucky ball with little effort. And, of course, shocks everyone, including Sisko.
“Mr. Garak, would you do me a small favour?” the captain asked, approaching him.
“I am completely at your disposal,” Garak answers, understanding nothing, with his usual polite smile.
Sisko leads him to the batter's box and hands him a bat.
“Please hit the ball that Jake is about to throw in your direction.”
“Um…” Garak looks around, seeking support from the others, but they only freeze in their positions with interest and look in his direction. “As you wish. Just hit?”
There were laughter and snorts from the field, and from behind Garak heard Nog's voice: “If only it were that simple.”
“Yes, nod when you're ready.”
Still smiling, Sisko stepped aside, keeping his eyes on him. Garak knew the captain's temper, so he simply decided to go along with it. He stood up, adopting what he thought was the best position for the hit, focused his gaze (a baseball cap wouldn't have hurt, it was very sunny) on Jake and nodded to the boy.
A few seconds and the ball is flying towards him. A swing and a hit. The ball was high in the sky. Garak hadn't been told where to hit it, so he simply sent the ball behind Jake, where Ezri and Bashir were standing confused (of course, no one caught the ball).
The captain approached Garak again, and the others, still shocked, followed him.
“Mr. Garak, how would you like to join the Niners?”
Of course, he refused. First of all, have you even seen this uniform design? (I like it, but something tells me Garak doesn't XD) Secondly, for him, a former Obsidian Order operative, to play this stupid human game with people who, in his humble opinion, don't even know how to play? Stars forbid! He saw how upset the others were, but he stood firm in his decision and offered to let everyone try on the uniforms so he could give his tailor’s opinion. The uniform fit everyone perfectly, so Garak decided not to linger in the holo-suite for too long, in case they started trying to persuade him (stars if Julian turned on his puppy eyes, he would be lost).
For the rest of the day, that stupid human game lives rent-free in Garak’s head. What was it called, baseball? All he'd done was catch the ball and hit it with the bat from Jake's pitch. AND THAT'S IT! Was that enough? Asking himself, Garak sat down to study the baseball rules, which Julian had kindly left in his quarter the previous evening after their dinner (he spent the entire evening telling Garak about it, but since it wasn't another Cardassian novel that they could flirt argue about, he ignored most of it and simply enjoyed the sight of the enthusiastic doctor).
The rules were… rather sophisticated, but he memorized them. Then he opened the recordings of ancient earth matches and began watching them. The night passed unnoticed.
The team only showed up for practice during lunch (what slightly upset Garak, as he spent lunch without Julian) and after shifts, so Garak, driven by some strange curiosity, snuck into the holo-suite in the morning, which broadcast the baseball program 24/7.
He ordered a bat and holograms of the earth players from the computer. So the week before the match passed with practice.
He wasn't going to play. HE WAS NOT. GOING TO! But despite this, he sewed his own personal uniform, embroidered his name and the number he chose on it. WHY? He was probably just lying to himself, saying he wasn't interested, that he thought it was silly. But in fact, he secretly craved this connection with the others. Even if it was in such a strange way.
Garak was late, but they should have seen Sisko's face when he entered the holo-suite in the Niners uniform. The game was already in full swing, and as Garak had learned from his crash training, the score was against them, which perfectly explained the reaction of the captain and the others on him.
It was Bashir's turn to hit, but in the blink of an eye he understood what the captain wanted to do and handed the bat to Garak…
(Well, I think you can imagine the rest :3)
After the match, Garak sat with everyone else at Quark's, watching the captains debate. And when the Vulcan captain remarked that Garak was the only one who handled the bat skillfully and was more serious than the others, the Cardassian didn't take long to react. While Julian's perfectly gentle arms hugged him from behind, he said something like, “I’m afraid I was just showing off for my boyfriend,” which provoked the Vulcan's discontent and a wave of loud and sincere laughter from his team (and a kiss from the doctor :3)
It was supposed to be a short headcanon post…sorry👉👈 If there are fics with the same idea please give me a link or if you have similar thoughts but are waiting for a sign - THIS IS IT! please write it for me.
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