Miz is having a good week so far. Yes, he had lost at Tribute to the Troops, yes, his recent cash in attempts had been less than stellar, but he, Morrison and AJ Styles had defeated Drew and Sheamus on Raw earlier, and that's always enough to put a smile on anyone's face.
Now he's sitting on the window ledge of their hotel room, peering out over the Florida skyline, mulling over every good and bad thing this year had brought him, the weight of the briefcase a nice constant against his hip as he stares up at what few stars are visible past the city lights.
The microwave beeps behind him and he barely stirs as John shuffles over to him, handing him a mug of hot cocoa. "Thanks, John," he murmurs, his best friend mirroring his position as he settles in across from Mike to gaze upon the city as well.
"You're welcome," he says, taking a sip from his mug. "Whatcha thinking about, Mike?" he wonders, nudging him with his foot when he doesn't respond after a few moments. "Everything good?"
Mike smiles, a little. "Yeah, everything's fine," he says. "Just... reflecting, I guess. On where I was last year about this time."
John's return to WWE had just been announced, giving Mike something to hold onto while Bray- Fiend- whatever tormented his family, targetted his daughter. His gaze shifts to rest on John's face, relaxed and happy as he stares up at the night sky overhead as well, and he thinks about how lucky he really is, to have this ridiculous man back by his side after so many years. To get to celebrate every win and bitch about every loss with the only person who has fully faced everything that Mike is- every obnoxious, self-serving, loud aspect of his character- and never, ever took away his loyalty.
"Hey, John," he says, nudging him back with his foot. When their eyes meet, he smiles, soft and sincere. "Thanks a lot for everything, this past year. I don't think I'd have made it without you."
John looks pleasantly surprised and half waves it off even as his eyes gleam with pleasure. "Don't mention it, man. What're best friends for, after all?"
They grin at each other, content and relaxed as they turn their focus back to the world beyond their window, slowly finishing their hot cocoa in quiet peace.