AU: ahhh! look at all this pure unadulterated fluff. this idea hit me earlier today and i couldn't stop writing, so here it is! while i'm not a huge fan of his character, i do love wacky mike mizanin. this is obviously all out of character, so all the names are real, etc. i don't own a single person mentioned in this piece, they all own themselves and anything else is most likely copyrighted by WWE. basically i'm just a big fan with too much time on her hands.
He had earned this. There wasn't a doubt in Barbie's mind. He had taken his lashings, found his niche, and proved that he belonged in this business. The blond was just pleased that the company had acknowledged all the work that he had put in and pushed him to success. She kept silent as he met a crowd of well wishers of all sorts: friends, coworkers, mentors. They all offered encouraging words, pats on the back. The praise was a stark contrast to the boos that were still spewing from the stunned and angry crowd at the arena that night. As hated as his character was on screen, Barbie had found the exact opposite upon working with him. Most of the time he bounced around like a kid in a candy shop with a wide smile on his face and a sharp comment on his tongue. He was a sweetheart, but had a drive brewing in him that was clearly a force to be reckoned with. All of it had paid off; Mike Mizanin held WWE championship gold.
Slowly, but surely the crowd began to disperse. Many were tired from the eventful RAW and just wanted to get through the sea of fans outside before heading for a comfy hotel bed. Barbara stayed where she was though, off to the side and planted on an electrical box that someone would come to move soon enough. With the prying eyes gone and only his friend and partner Kevin AKA Alex Riley remaining, Mike finally wiped at the joyful tears in his eyes. He clung to the championship belt as though it was going to vanish into the thin air the moment he blinked. At that mere sight alone, a proud smile bloomed on the girl's face.
"Jesus, man…" He seemed to be searching every inch of his brain for words as he stared at Kevin, but found not a single one. "Jesus…"
Kevin laughed good-heartedly at the shock and awe on his mentor's face and patted him on the shoulder. "You earned it, pal. Don't doubt that you did." A few swift claps on the arm and the rookie pulled back, "Listen, I gotta go get my stuff. I'll meet you at the hotel? We'll party it up this weekend once the chaos has settled down a bit."
Mike nodded and pulled the younger man in for a hug. This was a huge push for both of them and each knew that they couldn't have done it without the other. The teammates kept each other sane on the road and made sure that the other never doubted themselves for even a minute. While the crowd saw a team of sniveling cowards, the two were brothers through and through. Mike quietly thanked Kevin before bringing his attention back to the shining gold in his hands.
Barbie smiled at the young man as he passed by and gave a small wave. It was now just her and Mike alone in the hall, aside from the distant crewmen trying to break down and pack up. He was still oblivious to her presence, but she didn't mind. With all the things running through his head at that moment, she would be stunned if he noticed a train driving through the arena. Barbie hopped from her box silently and stepped toward him. She waited till a few feet remained between them before she started slowly clapping, a grin illuminating her face.
Mike's warm eyes shot up to her, clearly stunned that someone else was still around. Upon taking her in though, he smiled and attempted a nonchalant shrug. He didn't fool her though, she could still feel the excitement radiating off of him.
"Three years can do a hell of a lot…" she joked, referring to their time together in ECW. Extreme Expose seemed lifetimes ago for both of them. Back in 2007, Barbie would have never imagined getting a shot at the Diva's championship and while he strived for it, Mike probably thought his first title run was quite a ways off. But here they stood, both so much farther in their lives.
"All those miles on the road and here we are." He smiled that crooked grin and her own grew till it hurt her cheeks. She stepped forward and pulled him into a tight hug. Mike was always known around the girls for being the best hugger. They kept each other close in silence, just holding the other person. They each represented the beginning of the others career that had taken them so far in such a short time. Barbara almost didn't want to let him go; it was that same fear that he held with the title belt.
Whether he felt the same, Mike was a huge part in her life. They were on the road together for close to year and while he was friends with Layla and Brooke, those relationships didn't touch the friendship he and Kelly had. He had been there when all the online reports of her backstage relationships leaked out. He had been there when she had come close to quitting the company. Even after everyone went their separate ways after the 2008 draft, she had kept his number on speed dial and called him whenever she needed a friendly voice. In her eyes, Mike was the nice guy that had gotten away. She'd been so caught up in guys like Dave Bautista and Andrew that Mike was just that sweet inner voice that made her smile when she needed a pick-me-up. The thought only made her tight her hold on him.
She blushed at what it must have looked like to the various crew down the hall as they packed things up. After another minute, Barbie kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Congratulations, Mike…Looks like you won't need my poem." He laughed quietly at the thought. Years before, when they traveled together, Mike had had a bad night. The man kept saying that he would throw the towel in, that one more jab from Bradshaw was going to throw him over the edge. So Barbara, in her infinite wisdom, tore off a piece of scrap paper from one of those cheap hotel notepads and wrote him an encouraging poem all about how he would one day win the championship and that until then he'd always be her champion. Now her cheesy words seemed like an ant next to the actual meaning that the belt held.
Barbie began to pull away from him, but only moved so far before his hands firmly on her small waist stopped her like a wall. She looked up at him and attempted a small smile, but the serious, contemplating look on his face made it difficult. The quiet was deafening and she searched her brain for some witty comment to break the odd tension, but nothing came out. Instead she stood in silence as he reached a hand toward her and gentle cupped her cheek. He gave her no time to react as he leaned forward and met her lips. She stood still for a moment, stunned at this turn of events, but she quickly melted into his embrace and kissed him back with equal vigor. It was passionate and clinging and Barbara's head was swimming as he attempted to pull them closer.
When they finally broke away her lips were red and swollen, her breathing came out in heavy pants. With her eyes still closed she leaned into his touch as he gentle stroked her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I'll always need that poem, Barbie…just like I'll always need you." Shifting her face, she kissed the heel of his hand lightly and smiled.
"And I need you..." She leaned in with smile, resting her forehead against his own, before finishing, "my champion."
AU: so there it was, hope it wasn't too sappy. i just wanted a cute fluff piece. it would also mean a lot if you could leave a small review, even if you hated it! i just love feedback from you guys and it helps me understand what you like, what i need to work on, what you loved, etc. it could be two words for all i care, as long as it's something! i've also been in a creative mood so i'm taking requests for stories and videos. if you have an idea that you want me to try, feel free to drop it in my inbox or here on the comments!