for the kiss meme: 3. bryzzo and 23. nolan arenado/troy tulowitzki ~ theloggedoutsaddestboner
hi @saddestboner
Oof, you know, I haven’t thought about Tulo in a Rockies context in ages, so this was fun and also heartwrenching. Both of these prompts are under the readmore and both are on ao3 also. (The Bryzzo one is super short and the other one is longer)
3. Drunk/sloppy kiss
Kris is pretty sure Anthony didn’t mean to get drunk, buthe is anyway. They’re sprawled on Kris’s couch after Kris had a few of theirteammates over for dinner and board games, and Anthony and a couple others broughtbeer (because they know Kris doesn’t keep any in his fridge), and everybodyforgot to cut Anthony off when they should have.
Kris doesn’t mind too much, though. A drunk Anthony Rizzois pretty much like any other Anthony Rizzo, only dialed up to eleven, and thenhe crashes and falls asleep, which is about where he’s at right now.
“M’sorry I got drunk,” Anthony says thickly. He’s on hisback on the couch, legs stretched out across Kris’s lap.
“It’s okay,” Kris says with a laugh. He grins at him andAnthony blinks sleepily.
“Hey,” Anthony says. “You got the most beautiful eyes,anybody ever tell you that?”
“Yeah, you,” Kris says. “Last time you had too much todrink.”
“Oh.”
Kris picks up the remote and switches on the TV. “Wannawatch something?”
“Anything but the Bachelor, Christ, Kris, you have terribletaste.”
Kris rolls his eyes and leaves the TV on a sci-fi movie hefinds. “Next time I get drunk, you pick the movie.”
“You don’t drink!” Anthony protests. “That’s bullshit!”
Kris smirks at him. “Brought it on yourself.”
Anthony shakes his head. “Stop being so fuckin’ pretty,Kris, you make it too damn hard to be mad at you.”
“Oh, right, I have control over that.”
Anthony sits up with minimal difficulty and throws an armaround Kris’s shoulders. “I love you,” he says, and presses his mouth againstKris’s shoulder. “You know that, right? I love you.”
Kris laughs. “I know.”
Anthony kisses him on the – well, it’s half his cheek andhalf on his mouth, and Kris laughs again and holds Anthony’s face still so hecan kiss him properly.
Anthony grins crookedly, and then buries his face in the crookof Kris’s neck. “Love you so much.”
Kris rubs his back, smiling. “I love you too.”
23. Last kiss
July27, 2015
They say you shouldn’t act in anger because it leads to rashdecisions, but in this instance Troy thinks he’s entitled to a little anger.
A little anger that bubbles up inside him and overflowsuntil he’s shouted himself hoarse at Walt Weiss (who doesn’t deserve it) andJeff Bridich (who does).
Leaving isn’t his decision, but damn, he can choose to burnevery bridge he built here and leave the place ablaze if he wants to.
After he’s done, his throat burning, he goes back to thehotel ahead of the rest of the team, because he doesn’t need to watch them getwalked off, and he doesn’t need to see any of them, but what he does need to dois pack and go home. Home, then leave the country, apparently, since he’sexpected in Toronto tomorrow.
He stares at the open suitcase on the hotel bed and triesto grapple with the fact that his entire world has just turned upside down, andnothing is ever going to be the same again.
There’s a knock at his door, quiet at first, then it getsmore insistent until Troy makes his feet move across the carpet and his handlift to open the door.
It’s Nolan, which he expected, and the second the doorshuts Nolan throws himself at him, engulfs Troy in a hug, tight enough that it’salmost like Nolan thinks if he holds onto him enough he won’t have to leave.
Troy’s numb – his hands hang useless at his sides before hefinally lifts them to stroke Nolan’s back gently. “You aren’t supposed to knowyet.”
“Whatever.” Nolan’s voice is muffled, his face buried againstTroy’s shoulder. “I don’t know where, though. Where are they sending you?”
Troy heaves a sigh. “Toronto.”
“Jesus.” His hair is prickly against Troy’s neck; he’s inone of those phases where he keeps his hair buzzed rather than letting it growout, and Troy shifts uncomfortably. Nolan finally lets go of him and scrubs apalm over his eyes. “You’ll probably make the postseason, Tulo! You’ll have totell me what that’s like.”
Troy doesn’t want to have to get traded to be a contender.He wants to be a contender right where he is and bring a championship back toDenver. Troy wanted to play there forever and retire a Rockies legend likeHelton, but he should have known better.
Nolan glances around the room and his eyes land on thesuitcase on Troy’s bed. “Are you leaving tonight?” He fixes his glance back onTroy and there are hints of uncertainty and betrayal in his eyes.
As if any of this is Troy’s fault. “What did you think wasgoing to happen?”
“Uh.” Nolan lets out a nervous laugh. “Not this.”
“You knew before you came in here I was gone, what did youthink was going to happen?” Troy turns his back on him and goes back to hissuitcase. Everything he brought is already in it (he packed for Chicago, not Toronto)but he starts refolding socks so he doesn’t have to look at Nolan.
He hears Nolan pacing behind him. “What, you were going toleave without saying goodbye?”
Troy knows what they mean they say “blood boiling” inreference to anger now. The fire in his veins isn’t going to go out anytimesoon. And yes, if he could have gotten out of here without saying goodbye hewould have. Make it an easy break. He didn’t want this, but if it has to happen,maybe he can pretend Toronto is a do-over. He can go there and hit restart onhis life and his career.
He turns around to face Nolan again, whose shoulders areslumped and his dark eyes are all worried, but he’s looking at Troy like Troy’sgoing to say something to make it okay. Like, fix it, Tulo, please.
It makes him mad. Nolan can’t expect Troy to make thisbetter.
“I didn’t expect to see any of you before I left tonight. Theyhaven’t made the announcement yet,” Troy says sharply, and he wishes – he wishesNolan had just stayed away and let him hurt on his own tonight, because he’sgoing to say something he’ll regret.
“So you were just going to leave?” Nolan’s voice rises in pitch. “You were gonna, what – text metomorrow when you were already gone?”
Maybe not even tomorrow. Maybe a few days after he’s had achance to cool down.
Nolan shakes his head, looking at him in disbelief. “Notcool, man, I wouldn’t do that to you.”
Nolan’s not going to get traded. It’ll probably be CarGonext if the Rockies are planning to rebuild, maybe DJ after him if DJ’s lucky.Nolan’s somebody the Rockies will want to build around. Then again, Troy hadthought he might be that guy, so maybeNolan will get out of here before he has to go through a rebuild. Troy doesn’twant that for him, whatever else he feels.
Nolan’s still pacing. “You were really gonna – you don’tget to decide that! That’s not fair, Tulo, what the fuck – “
“Don’t even fucking start on fair with me right now,” Troysnaps. “Unfair is getting lied to byyour own organization after nine fuckingyears – “
“I didn’t do that!” Nolan shoots back. “If you’re mad, youget to be mad, but you don’t have to take it out on me!”
Troy turns back to his suitcase, throws the lid down andzips it shut. “Go back to your room, Nolan.”
“Troy.” His voice is softer now, and he grabs at Troy’shand from behind, trying to get him to turn around. “Come on. We’re okay,right, we’re gonna be okay.”
Troy laughs hollowly. “How do you think we’re gonna beokay?” He lets Nolan pull him back to face him, lets Nolan hold his hand. “I’mgoing to the AL. I’m moving across the continent. When am I going to see you?”
“We got phones.” Nolan’s hand is a vice on Troy’s. “We gotthe offseason.”
“And you’re going to spend the offseason traveling to seeme instead of with your family? You know you don’t want that.” Troy tries toenvision Nolan giving up backyard baseball with his brothers and homecookedmeals from his mom in favor of visiting Troy. Nolan would do it, sure. Troydoesn’t want him to have to.
Nolan shrugs. “I like spending the offseason with people Ilove.”
“Don’t do that.” Troy wrenches his hand free.
“Don’t do what?”Nolan asks hotly.
“Don’t make it harder,” Troy says. “I’m gone, I don’t know whatelse you want.”
Nolan glares at him. “So what, you and me – you trying tosay it was just convenient?”
Nolan’s getting angry. Good, get angry. Nolan’s going to hurteither way, either now or months down the road when he realizes they can’t makethis work, and Troy’s looking for a clean break. Hurt Nolan now and they’llboth hurt less later.
“Don’t bullshit me, Troy,” Nolan says harshly when Troy doesn’tsay anything. “I don’t deserve this.”
“Yeah? Neither do I.” Troy heaves his suitcase off the bed.“I really have to get on a plane.”
“Come on, man, don’t do this!” He’s almost pleading, not quite, but close. “You don’t get to decide forboth of us!” He practically stamps his foot, like a child throwing a tantrum.
“I don’t get when people say that,” Troy says. “Isn’t thathow breakups work?”
Nolan shoves him then, puts his hand on his chest andpushes him back. “Fuck you.” He’s scowling and trying to hide the fact that hiseyes are welling up.
Troy shouldn’t be making decisions in the heat of themoment, but he’s doing it anyway. “I have to go.”
“Fine.” Nolan drags his hand down his face. “Go, then.”
Troy goes to the door, Nolan trailing behind him with hisface downcast. Just before he opens the door, Troy turns back and tugs Nolanclose impulsively, then kisses him. In spite of himself, Nolan slides his armsaround Troy’s waist and kisses back, pushing Troy back against the door, kisseshim like he thinks maybe it’ll make Troy stay.
It’s out of both of their hands, though. Troy can’t stay. Hepulls away from Nolan and untangles himself from his arms. “Bye, Nolan.”