by me
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: FAKE!
Pairing: Tim Hudson/Mark Mulder, Barry Zito/FC (for now...)
Summary: Barry solves the problem of Mark and Tim having to tell him...
Barry, meanwhile, pushed open the door to his apartment. His current girlfriend Mariel greeted him with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? The game ended hours ago!"
"Went out with Tim and Mark."
"You spend more time with those two than you do with me."
"They're my friends."
"I'm your girlfriend!"
"Look, Mar, if you don't think I should spend time with my friends, then-"
"But you work with them! You're with them all the time! Why is it too much to ask that you go out with me during homestands?"
Barry sighed. "I can't deal with this shit right now. I'm going to bed." He tossed his bag in the closet and pushed past her down the hall.
A few minutes later, she came in. Barry opened his eyes. "I'm sorry, Barry. I just want you to be around more."
"Ok," he muttered.
She sat on the bed and slid up to against him. "Forgive me?"
He sighed. He just wanted to sleep. "Yeah," he muttered.
She reached under the blanket and kissed him. Sick of resisting, Barry let her do what she wanted. But neither his heart nor his head was in it.
The next morning he suffered through breakfast with Mariel and made up an excuse to leave early, even though he wasn't pitching. "I don't know what's wrong with me," he muttered to himself as he sped down the freeway. "Mar's gonna think something's up."
Maybe there is, he thought. His mind helpfully supplied him with replays of yesterday's conversation with Mark and Tim about Maddux and Glavine. They seemed kinda weird about it. Maybe I'm gay, he thought.
"I can't be gay. I've never thought about guys that way." He pulled into the players' lot. There were a few cars there, and Barry saw Tim and Mark's among them.
He wandered into the locker room. And stopped short. "I'm going to close my eyes," he said. "And when I open them, you guys are going to not be doing that."
He opened his eyes. Tim was standing in his boxers, rubbing the back of his neck but looking at Barry. Mark was fully dressed, but staring at the ground and biting his lip. "Hey, Bar," Tim said nervously.
"I wasn't imagining that?"
Mark made a sound almost like a moan. Tim shook his head.
"Ok." Barry shifted his weight nervously. "Ok. I'm going to...to go...over here." He backed out of the entryway to the locker room. Mind racing, he went into the empty lounge. He'd just witnessed his best friends kissing. And the image wouldn't leave his head. Mark's arm curled around Tim's neck, his other hand resting easily on his exposed hip. Their mouths joined in a passionate kiss, both pairs of eyes gently shut. Their bodies pressed together, like it was familiar, and right.
He shook his head violently. "God damn it! This can't be happening," he muttered, covering his face with his hands. There was love there, even he saw it. Two of his best friends - and TEAMMATES - were fuckin' in love.
And why wouldn't that image leave his head?