Much longer than 3 sentences because I have no self control in the face of the Era being the Era.
***
Leaving NXT is both easier and harder than he ever thought it would be.
That's what happens when... well, this happens. All the assorted bullshit, the 2.0 revamp, Roddy falling hook, line and sinker for a story that'll never come, the mass firings, Adam walking out, Johnny walking out, and now.
Now Kyle has a decision to make.
Adam blows up his phone the entire week before War Games, sends him half-baked plans of a dozen different ways he could join AEW. He makes a token effort to pretend he hasn't already talked Tony's ear off about Kyle - "when's your last show? some people are asking..." - to the point where even Britt sends Kyle a "please please tell the boyfriend you'll join so he can stop fantasy booking" text with three heart emojis.
There are other people, the Bucks being... not terrible, just casually asking about his availability, a few ironic little messages from Johnny, a single message from Trent Barretta that's either a threat or a come-on, Stu and Uno trading old jokes from the road, and of course, Sami and Kevin mother-henning once a day ("you should weigh all your options" "make sure you get any contract triple-checked" "don't let your partners decide what you want to do with your career, Kyle").
Bobby says nothing, just lets Kyle work his way through it, and when Kyle crawls into bed after signing his contract - debut in 24 hours, good thing he'd kept Winter is Coming open - Bobby just kisses his forehead.
"Tag or singles?" is what he asks, letting Kyle settle down and steal half the blankets.
Kyle thinks about the feel of Finn Balor's hand helping him up, and he thinks about a chain wrapped around his leg and looking down at Adam, and he thinks about the smarm on Vince McMahon's face when he declared Kyle "a decent hand, maybe we'll get you in the 24/7 scene".
"You have to ask?" Kyle answers, slinging an arm across Bobby's chest. The pads of his fingers touch a heartbeat he knows better than his own.
"It's still your choice."
"Tag, you dope. You went and got our music and everything."
Wrestling, Kyle O'Reilly/Bobby Fish (/Adam Cole)
***
Leaving NXT is both easier and harder than he ever thought it would be.
That's what happens when... well, this happens. All the assorted bullshit, the 2.0 revamp, Roddy falling hook, line and sinker for a story that'll never come, the mass firings, Adam walking out, Johnny walking out, and now.
Now Kyle has a decision to make.
Adam blows up his phone the entire week before War Games, sends him half-baked plans of a dozen different ways he could join AEW. He makes a token effort to pretend he hasn't already talked Tony's ear off about Kyle - "when's your last show? some people are asking..." - to the point where even Britt sends Kyle a "please please tell the boyfriend you'll join so he can stop fantasy booking" text with three heart emojis.
There are other people, the Bucks being... not terrible, just casually asking about his availability, a few ironic little messages from Johnny, a single message from Trent Barretta that's either a threat or a come-on, Stu and Uno trading old jokes from the road, and of course, Sami and Kevin mother-henning once a day ("you should weigh all your options" "make sure you get any contract triple-checked" "don't let your partners decide what you want to do with your career, Kyle").
Bobby says nothing, just lets Kyle work his way through it, and when Kyle crawls into bed after signing his contract - debut in 24 hours, good thing he'd kept Winter is Coming open - Bobby just kisses his forehead.
"Tag or singles?" is what he asks, letting Kyle settle down and steal half the blankets.
Kyle thinks about the feel of Finn Balor's hand helping him up, and he thinks about a chain wrapped around his leg and looking down at Adam, and he thinks about the smarm on Vince McMahon's face when he declared Kyle "a decent hand, maybe we'll get you in the 24/7 scene".
"You have to ask?" Kyle answers, slinging an arm across Bobby's chest. The pads of his fingers touch a heartbeat he knows better than his own.
"It's still your choice."
"Tag, you dope. You went and got our music and everything."