Disclaimer: Star Trek VoyagerTM and its characters are the intellectual properties of Paramount Pictures. No commercial use is intended by this story. Just having a bit of fun.
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Kathryn Janeway sprawled across the gray sofa in the living area of her quarters. She reached up and pushed away a lock of hair that was plastered against her sweaty forehead, wincing slightly as she did so.
"Damn," she muttered then subsided into silence.
Beside her, and also sprawled across the couch, her First Officer and sometimes hoverball doubles partner grunted in sympathy.
"Damn," Janeway repeated. "I *hate* losing." And then warming to subject she continued, "And I especially hate losing to *those* two.... And in the first round too." She shifted slightly so she could look accusingly at her erstwhile partner. "I thought you said that this match was going to be easy. Eight quick points and out."
Chakotay leaned his head back over the top of the sofa's back, closed his eyes and sighed loud and long. " It should have been. I wasn't expecting him to be so good, or…Never mind"
"Or what?" she asked suspiciously.
"I said, 'Never mind.'" Chakotay repeated the words stubbornly, hoping to close the subject.
"But you were going to say something. Go ahead and say it." Janeway's voice took on a harder edge.
Chakotay allowed himself another sigh and lifted his head from the sofa. He turned and met Janeway's intense blue gaze. "OK, but remember you asked.....It would have helped, Kathryn, if you hadn't insisted on playing backcourt. He kept cramming your left-handed returns down your throat. It's really tough to come back from that kind of deficit."
Janeway bristled, stiffening her posture defensively, then grimacing at the pain the movement caused. "Well, you weren't doing such a great job snuffing his volleys either. I can't play the whole court--if you're going to let those kinds of shots get through..." Her complaint was cut off suddenly when she lifted her arm to gesture and thought better of the movement.
"I was doing just fine," Chakotay returned somewhat heatedly, " Until you twisted your ankle trying to save that backwall carom--what kind of macho-shit move was that anyway? No one gets those." He snorted in disgust. "Kathryn, you don't have to prove that you have more testosterone than everyone else in the room …".
"I * thought* I could get it," she answered sulkily, crossing her arms across her chest.
"Well, it was a dumb move---and twisting your ankle like that slowed you up for the rest of the game."
" And I supposed that belly flop of yours on the floor was an example of graceful and outstanding play? Don't make faces at me--I know you pulled your hamstring when you went down.. Don't deny it--I saw the way you were limping afterward."
"Um… yeah, I did, " Chakotay admitted sheepishly, his hand involuntarily going rub at the back of his thigh.
Suddenly they both were grinning."Guess we're getting too old for this, huh?" he suggested, amusement still tugging at his lips.
"Well, maybe…." Janeway allowed judiciously. She nodded toward her partner's leg. "Hurt still?"
"Yeah," Chakotay admitted, as he lifted his hand to massage his left shoulder, "Though not as bad my shoulder. I thought I might have broken my collarbone there for a minute. How about you? Ankle still bothering you?"
"Definitely. I suppose I ought to let the Doctor have a look at it. Though explaining how I got the bruised ribs from my *partner's* elbow might be a bit awkward…" Janeway began to laugh, then wrapped her arm protectively around her midsection as the movement made her sore ribs ache.
"Sorry, I really didn't mean to get you, you know."
"I know. Ready to go to Sickbay?"
" I suppose…Are you sure you wouldn't rather…um…just kiss it and make it better?"
Kathryn burst out into laughter, guffawing despite the pain it caused. "I suppose I wouldn't mind kissing your elbow or your bruised shin, but I absolutely draw the line at the groin pull…"
Chakotay pulled her to her feet and delicately slipped his arm around her waist, trying not to jostle her sore ribs or brush against the hip pointer he knew she had acquired when she missed returning the final serve. " To Sickbay, then, " he announced.
Then, as they exited the door into the hallway, Chakotay's voice floated into the air, "I hear that Katz down in Life Science is trying to organize a two-on-two volleyball tourney.…"