A/N: I really need to learn to be nicer to Mizzy. Anyway, for my Lo, as always.
Disclaimer: Don't own him. Don't own her. Don't own Michael Bolton either. Thankfully.
I'd like to own DH Smith though. How do I make that happen?
He must have heard it wrong. That had to be it. What the hell did Tyson Kidd know about anything anyway? Stupid Canadian.
"Hey." He was interrupting Tyson's conversation with DH Smith, but he didn't really care. They both looked at him with various levels of annoyance and expectation. "Where did you hear about it?"
"Huh?" Tyson gave Mike a blank look, and he clenched his hands into fists so he wouldn't pop him upside the head.
"Lauren. Leaving. Where did you hear about it?"
"Oh. Uh. Nattie mentioned it I guess?" He looked to Smith for confirmation. "Yeah, I guess it's pretty serious. Kinda fast if you ask me, but .." He shrugged. "'Sposed to put in her two weeks today."
"Why Miz, you afraid someone else isn't going to get that faux hawk just right?" Smithy grinned at him with those round chipmunk cheeks and again, Mike had to fight off the urge to deck him.
"Thanks," he mumbled to neither one in particular as he turned away, his heart racing. He followed the printed signs with arrows marked "Makeup", turning the corner and almost running directly into the person he'd been looking for.
Lauren put her hands against his chest to stop them from colliding, frowning when some foundation from her hands left a mark on his black tshirt.
"Hey Mike. Sorry 'bout that, lemme just .." she started to try and rub it away, and he grabbed her hand before he could really think about it.
"Are you leaving?"
Lauren was still distracted with trying to remove the powder to see the look in his eyes. "I just got here, why would I be .." She looked up, meeting his dark blue eyes. "Oh. You heard."
"Yeah."
Lauren grinned at him, her eyes dancing and her face positively glowing. "I know it's silly, and it seems fast, but .. it just feels right, you know?"
"..Yeah." He noticed he was still holding her hand, and quickly let go of it, running it through his hair nervously.
"You don't think I'm making the wrong decision do you?" Lauren's smile immediately fell, and Mike's heart broke. The last thing he wanted was to make her unhappy, ever .. even if it was killing him to pretend to be happy for her.
"No no!" He quickly pasted a smile on his face. "I mean. If you feel like it's what you should do, and you think it's right ..you know .. fate or whatever .." He was rambling, stumbling for the words to say to make her smile again.
"Exactly! Fate!" Lauren grinned again, squeezing his arm. "I knew you'd get it! I'm so glad I can talk to you about this, really."
He smiled back at her, his heart crushing under the words he wanted to say.
"You can talk to me about anything," Mike said instead.
I could hardly believe it when I heard the news today
I had to come and get it straight from you
They said you were leaving
Someone swept your heart away
From that look upon your face, I see it's true
So tell me all about it
Tell me 'bout the plans you're making
Oh, tell me one thing more before I go
This was just plain ridiculous. He was the chick magnet. The mizard of lust. And whatever the hell else he spouted off in over the top promos every Monday night. He was not sitting backstage feeling sorry for himself and like he wanted to crawl into a hole and possibly never come out just because some girl that did a bunch of wrestlers hair and makeup every week was leaving.
Except Lauren wasn't just some girl. She never had been. She had been there when he came in, and was the first person, the ONLY person that had actually been nice to him and not razzed on him because he was some "no talent hack reality tv castoff who hadn't paid his dues." For the first few months the only time he felt like he could let his guard down was when he was sitting in the makeup chair, getting his hair bleached and spiked to ridiculous heights and his cheeks spray tanned. Lauren had never judged him, instead treating him like every other person that sat down in her chair, talking and laughing and joking.
But it was clear their friendship was different. At least he'd thought so. They'd have drinks together at the hotel bar, or dance together at the clubs, or chat on the phone or text on the road. They'd eat together at catering sometimes, and sometimes even drive together from one show to another, wedged amongst Evan and Kofi and Hornswoggle. And once they had even kissed .. granted it had been after a few too many drinks at one of the Summerslam parties, but he had been sober enough to know that it was more than just an "oops."
Or at least he thought it had been more. And he thought that eventually, things would just fall into place, and they'd be together. Dream come true and all that.
So much for dreaming.
Didn't come for cryin', didn't come here to break down
It's just a dream of mine is coming to an end
And how can I blame you?
When I built my world around the hope that one day
We'd be so much more than friends
Now I don't wanna know the price
I'm gonna pay for dreaming
Oh, even now it's more than I can take
"Hey."
Lauren turned, smiling at Mike as she finished laying out her makeup brushes, hunched over the small lit vanity. "Hey you! Haven't seen you much lately."
"Yeah. Been busy, sorry." Mike kept his answers painfully short, afraid that if he started to speak he wouldn't be able to stop.
"I understand, Mr. Money in the Bank," Lauren teased, winking at him.
"Last day?"
"Last day." She stood up, wiping her hands on her jeans. "Hard to believe it's all coming to an end." He nodded, swallowing hard. "Well, you ready for our last session superstar?"
Mike sat down in the chair, exhaling deeply and resting his hands on his jeans as Lauren turned around to grab the container of hair product. As she turned back around, Mike grabbed her face between his hands and kissed her softly on the lips.
"Sorry," he apologized, putting his head down as she pulled away. "I don't know .. I just .." He looked up at the confused expression on Lauren's face. "I didn't want to let you go without having done that one last time."
"Mike, I'm .. I .."
"I know. I know."
Lauren gave him a slight smile. "Maybe in a different life or something. I think we could have been awesome together." She winked at him.
"Yeah," he said, snickering as he tried to return her smile.
"Leave it to you to always keep things interesting Mizanin." She started applying the product to his hair. "How am I 'sposed to live without ya," she asked ruefully, chuckling to herself.
"My thoughts exactly," Mike whispered.
Tell me how am I supposed to live without you?
Now that I've been loving you so long?
How am I supposed to live without you?
And how am I supposed to carry on?
When all that I've been living for is gone
3 cheers for 80's power ballads!