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Here you go, a little bit of Tigerfic. I apologize for the lame title, which will probably be changed before this goes anywhere else, and also any typos, which will also be changed. I mentioned the tired part, right?
TITLE: "Out"
AUTHOR: Cathryn (catslash33@yahoo.com)
RATING: A light PG-13
PAIRING: Implied Pudge Rodriguez/Ugueth Urbina, a whiff of Pudge Rodriguez/Magglio Ordoñez
SUMMARY: Magglio isn't sure yet where he fits in.
NOTES: Takes place after Tuesday's game against the Indians.
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. I am not implying anything about anyone mentioned here, 'cos none of it happened. If you think otherwise, then there is really nothing I can do for you.
.
Magglio feels like the new guy and an old player all at once. He's not any newer than any of the other guys who came to the team this year, and he did play a little in the beginning of the season, and he's spent time in the dugout. But gone as long as he's been, he can't help feeling even newer than Placido.
So he's kind of quiet, responding when someone talks to him and making sure to smile so they don't think he's standoffish. That will change later, and he'll be in on all the little jokes and helping hassle rookies half to death and then buying them drinks all night, but right now he'd kind of prefer to keep to himself.
He feels good right now, first multihit game as a Tiger, complete with the two run shot that made the difference in the game, and he's gotten plenty of claps on the back (and a crack on the back of the head from Farnsworth, putting his own unique spin on friendly before going off to bitch to his locker about his lack of control in the eighth), and he might even go out with some of the guys tonight even though he can't really drink yet.
Then he sees Pudge, sitting slumped on a bench under the guise of touching up his cleats when really anyone could tell that he just doesn't have the energy to move.
There's probably a reason why the others are giving him a wide berth, and Magglio considers doing the same. After all, it's been a rough day all the way around for Pudge, with his divorce finally becoming public knowledge, and going 0-for-4 yet again, striking out with the bases loaded. He might want some breathing room.
But he looks small and lonely, so Magglio goes and sits next to him anyway.
He doesn't say anything, and Pudge doesn't look up. They sit in silence, and Magglio is just starting to wonder exactly what he thought he was doing, anyway, when Pudge sighs, drops his cleat, and rests his head on Magglio's shoulder.
Magglio's surprised as hell, but he thinks he recovers nicely, barely even blinking before he slides his arm back behind Pudge, wrapping it around his waist.
Then Pudge dishes up the second surprise in thirty seconds when he murmurs out of nowhere,
"I miss Ugueth."
Magglio blinks. Waits for further explanation. He doesn't have to wait long.
"I know he was a handful, but having him helped make this easier to take."
Which clears up the whole thing for Magglio. He knew, vaguely, about Pudge and Ugie, but never gave it much thought, being wrapped up worrying about his health. Clearly it had more weight than he realized. The trade must have been a rough blow for Pudge in the middle of everything else going on. He nods and gives Pudge a little squeeze.
They sit like that for a while as the clubhouse quiets down and guys leave. Magglio notices that he's been included in the little bubble they've put around Pudge - they weren't talking much to Pudge before, and now they're not really talking to him, either. He wonders about that as he feels Pudge shift a bit closer. Pudge is hardly lacking for friends on the team, and most of the younger players worship him; even as absent and distracted as he's been, Magglio knows for a fact that Jeremy, for one, would be more than happy to have Pudge curled up against his side. Magglio wonders if this is a nuance of the team that he's not seeing. Maybe this is what Tigers do when one of their own is hurting. Just leave him to take care of his own wounds, for reasons that make compassionate sense to the team and could never be explained to an outsider.
There's almost no one left when Pudge stirs, turns to lean into Magglio and place his chin lightly on Magglio's shoulder. Magglio twists his neck awkwardly, sort of arching it so he can look at Pudge without going crosseyed. There's a subtle difference in the way Pudge's body feels against his, but he doesn't realize it until Pudge speaks.
"Would you like to come back with me for drinks?"
Oh. Then again, maybe this is why. Because, craning his neck a little so he can really look into Pudge's eyes, Magglio can see what he feels now in Pudge's touch - craving, a desperate need for contact. Anything, so much it hurts. Under normal circumstances, if the divorce were in the past . . . but this is all wrong and Pudge is too vulnerable and Magglio can't do that.
If they were in Detroit, though, he might have said yes anyway. Pudge moved out of his house a little while ago, and the image of him returning along, in this state, to an empty apartment too new to be home would be too much for Magglio to deal with.
But they're in Cleveland, and a hotel room doesn't seem so stark somehow, so Magglio hesitates, looking for the gentlest way to say no.
Pudge reads his hesitation, though, and draws back, embarrassed.
"Maybe not," he says. "We're both too old to stay up so late." This doesn't even begin to make sense, but Magglio nods and gives him the out. Of course a night of booze was all Pudge had in mind.
Pudge stands and gathers up his cleats. "I should get back anyway. Get some rest. Then I might get a hit tomorrow. Good night, Magglio."
"Good night," Magglio says. Pudge goes to get the rest of his stuff while Magglio stares thoughtfully at the locker across from him.
"Pudge," he calls after a minute. Pudge stops at the door and looks back at him. "Maybe after a while I'll feel younger." He smiles. Pudge blinks, then smiles back before he leaves.
Now I'll get to bed and probably won't fall asleep for an hour and a half.
TITLE: "Out"
AUTHOR: Cathryn (catslash33@yahoo.com)
RATING: A light PG-13
PAIRING: Implied Pudge Rodriguez/Ugueth Urbina, a whiff of Pudge Rodriguez/Magglio Ordoñez
SUMMARY: Magglio isn't sure yet where he fits in.
NOTES: Takes place after Tuesday's game against the Indians.
DISCLAIMER: This is a work of fiction. I am not implying anything about anyone mentioned here, 'cos none of it happened. If you think otherwise, then there is really nothing I can do for you.
.
Magglio feels like the new guy and an old player all at once. He's not any newer than any of the other guys who came to the team this year, and he did play a little in the beginning of the season, and he's spent time in the dugout. But gone as long as he's been, he can't help feeling even newer than Placido.
So he's kind of quiet, responding when someone talks to him and making sure to smile so they don't think he's standoffish. That will change later, and he'll be in on all the little jokes and helping hassle rookies half to death and then buying them drinks all night, but right now he'd kind of prefer to keep to himself.
He feels good right now, first multihit game as a Tiger, complete with the two run shot that made the difference in the game, and he's gotten plenty of claps on the back (and a crack on the back of the head from Farnsworth, putting his own unique spin on friendly before going off to bitch to his locker about his lack of control in the eighth), and he might even go out with some of the guys tonight even though he can't really drink yet.
Then he sees Pudge, sitting slumped on a bench under the guise of touching up his cleats when really anyone could tell that he just doesn't have the energy to move.
There's probably a reason why the others are giving him a wide berth, and Magglio considers doing the same. After all, it's been a rough day all the way around for Pudge, with his divorce finally becoming public knowledge, and going 0-for-4 yet again, striking out with the bases loaded. He might want some breathing room.
But he looks small and lonely, so Magglio goes and sits next to him anyway.
He doesn't say anything, and Pudge doesn't look up. They sit in silence, and Magglio is just starting to wonder exactly what he thought he was doing, anyway, when Pudge sighs, drops his cleat, and rests his head on Magglio's shoulder.
Magglio's surprised as hell, but he thinks he recovers nicely, barely even blinking before he slides his arm back behind Pudge, wrapping it around his waist.
Then Pudge dishes up the second surprise in thirty seconds when he murmurs out of nowhere,
"I miss Ugueth."
Magglio blinks. Waits for further explanation. He doesn't have to wait long.
"I know he was a handful, but having him helped make this easier to take."
Which clears up the whole thing for Magglio. He knew, vaguely, about Pudge and Ugie, but never gave it much thought, being wrapped up worrying about his health. Clearly it had more weight than he realized. The trade must have been a rough blow for Pudge in the middle of everything else going on. He nods and gives Pudge a little squeeze.
They sit like that for a while as the clubhouse quiets down and guys leave. Magglio notices that he's been included in the little bubble they've put around Pudge - they weren't talking much to Pudge before, and now they're not really talking to him, either. He wonders about that as he feels Pudge shift a bit closer. Pudge is hardly lacking for friends on the team, and most of the younger players worship him; even as absent and distracted as he's been, Magglio knows for a fact that Jeremy, for one, would be more than happy to have Pudge curled up against his side. Magglio wonders if this is a nuance of the team that he's not seeing. Maybe this is what Tigers do when one of their own is hurting. Just leave him to take care of his own wounds, for reasons that make compassionate sense to the team and could never be explained to an outsider.
There's almost no one left when Pudge stirs, turns to lean into Magglio and place his chin lightly on Magglio's shoulder. Magglio twists his neck awkwardly, sort of arching it so he can look at Pudge without going crosseyed. There's a subtle difference in the way Pudge's body feels against his, but he doesn't realize it until Pudge speaks.
"Would you like to come back with me for drinks?"
Oh. Then again, maybe this is why. Because, craning his neck a little so he can really look into Pudge's eyes, Magglio can see what he feels now in Pudge's touch - craving, a desperate need for contact. Anything, so much it hurts. Under normal circumstances, if the divorce were in the past . . . but this is all wrong and Pudge is too vulnerable and Magglio can't do that.
If they were in Detroit, though, he might have said yes anyway. Pudge moved out of his house a little while ago, and the image of him returning along, in this state, to an empty apartment too new to be home would be too much for Magglio to deal with.
But they're in Cleveland, and a hotel room doesn't seem so stark somehow, so Magglio hesitates, looking for the gentlest way to say no.
Pudge reads his hesitation, though, and draws back, embarrassed.
"Maybe not," he says. "We're both too old to stay up so late." This doesn't even begin to make sense, but Magglio nods and gives him the out. Of course a night of booze was all Pudge had in mind.
Pudge stands and gathers up his cleats. "I should get back anyway. Get some rest. Then I might get a hit tomorrow. Good night, Magglio."
"Good night," Magglio says. Pudge goes to get the rest of his stuff while Magglio stares thoughtfully at the locker across from him.
"Pudge," he calls after a minute. Pudge stops at the door and looks back at him. "Maybe after a while I'll feel younger." He smiles. Pudge blinks, then smiles back before he leaves.
Now I'll get to bed and probably won't fall asleep for an hour and a half.
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