Chapter: 11: Loser of the Year

Author's Note: Getting rather close to the end here, folks! Unfortunately, I've had writer's block on the last chapter in the worst possible way, which is strange in itself because I know what's supposed to happen. It will get done, though! Even if it is a bit delayed. In the meantime, enjoy my longest chapter. =)

Alex thinks that Mike had better thank every God that's out there that he reacts as fast as he does, for the moment that Justin hits the floor, Alex is jumping to shield his ex, catching Heath by the shoulders as the redhead tries to rush him. He practically throws Heath back with a half glare, reminding him to check on Justin. Heath glares back at Alex for a moment before dropping to one knee, removing the high flyer's hand from his jaw so he can look at it. When Alex turns back to Mike, the older is cringing, backed up worriedly into Chris, the blonde's hands resting on his biceps. Alex's jaw tightens, his teeth clenching. When he steps forward and reaches for Mike's arm, Chris hands him over, pushing him into Alex's waiting grasp. Mike looks at his friend in shock, feeling suddenly betrayed, then nervously peers up into his ex's angry stare. He winces as Alex's hand tightens around his bicep, the younger dragging him closer.

"We need to have a fucking talk." Alex says through gritted teeth.

Mike finds himself nodding, trembling slightly. Alex turns to his friends.

"Heath! Get him to a trainer. Justin, I'm so sorry. We'll talk when I get back, alright?" he asks, his voice significantly softer.

Both of them nod as well. Then, Alex is telling Mike to "come on", and Mike allows himself to be tugged out of the locker room. Alex isn't even entirely sure where he's going, just drags Mike along behind him down a couple back hallways. The whole time, Mike doesn't even try to fight it, almost too scared of what his ex is going to do to him. Finally, Alex finds an empty room far enough away from the commotion to satisfy him, and he yanks the door open, throwing Mike in first. The older stumbles across the room, throwing out his arms to steady himself. He turns slowly, his breath catching at Alex's angry expression. The younger advances on him, a fire in his eyes Mike has never seen before. It rattles his very core. Then, Alex is speaking, yelling at him, and all bets are off.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

And if Alex had started with anything else, Mike thinks, he wouldn't have been quite so angry. As it is, though, he shoves his ex backwards, glaring back just as fiercely.

"What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you? Do you really think that lowly of yourself that you go turn into some, some slut the second that I leave you?"

Mike suddenly finds himself slammed into the wall, concrete biting at his already injured back. When he opens his eyes from his wince, Alex is right in his space.

"You need to watch your fucking mouth."

He knows he should be feeling like a total asshole for the way he's talking to the man he loves so terribly much, the things he says without thinking, the way he just reacts, but he's too focused on the hoarse growl of Alex's voice that he's just now really hearing. He hates that he hears the way his brain can't seem to keep up with his mouth.

"I thought you didn't like sucking cock."

Alex growls and shoves him into the wall again, backpedaling away from his ex and running a hand through his hair. He wrings his hands in frustration, looking at Mike with a mixture of hurt and anger.

"No, you don't, don't get to do that anymore! You don't get to make judgements about my sex life, Michael." he bites out, teeth clenched as he points an accusing finger at his ex. He crowds in close to Mike once again, emotion taking over. "You lost that right when you dumped me."

Mike scrubs his hands over his face, breathing deeply as he attempts to keep himself composed.

"Dammit, Alex," he says through his palms. When he meets the younger's own again, his are glazed with tears. "You're fucking killing me, here."

"Fucking...me?" Alex snaps in disbelief. Mike jumps when a fist collides with the wall next to his head. His eyes widen and lock with his ex's in worry. Alex's voice is desperate when he continues, and he slumps more and more with each word, bracing himself steadily on his forearms on either side of the smaller, as if it's taking everything in him to get a response out. It makes Mike nauseous. "Are you fucking with me? I'm killing you? Goddammit, Mike, I...I-I just...Do you even realize what you're doing to me?"

"I'm protecting you, you idiot!" the older finally snaps. Once it's out, he can't believe he's said it. He fights the urge to clap his hands over his mouth. Everything he's worked for, all the walls he's built up, gone, in an instant, all because of a sad-eyed brunette.

Alex falls slient, his arms falling away from the wall slowly.

"What?" the younger almost whispers. "What are you talking about?"

Mike sighs, looking up at the other with huge, sad eyes. Alex feels like he's going to get lost in them once again, nothing here to hold onto. Thankfully, he's momentarily distracted by his ex speaking once more.

"Alex, let me ask you something. What is your current position in WWE?" Mike begins. He may as well explain, he figures. Cat's already out of the bag and all that (And besides, he did just punch his ex's potential new bo...Justin Gabriel in the face. It's not as if he can really dig his hole too much deeper).

The question catches Alex off guard. He furrows his brow. What in the fuck does that have to do with the topic at hand? Mike reads his thoughts, like always, which is amazing and frustrating at the same time.

"I swear, it's relevant. Just answer the question." Mike continues, deadly serious.

Alex has to actually think about it for a moment before he answers.

"I...guess I'm a...face?" He feels like he's affirming it with his ex even as he says it.

"That's right. Now then, what was your position last month?" the ex champ asks, a note of near condescension in his voice.

"I was...a heel. And your personal assistant. In main events. And I still don't see what that has to do with anything right now." Alex objects, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Really, Alex? Really?" Mike seems flabbergasted. He rolls his eyes, looking at the younger with what appears to be near exhasperation. "Tell me then, what's the only thing that's changed between then and now?"

And suddenly, it dawns on Alex like a spring morning. Mike can almost see the sun rising on his ex's face.

"No way," he nearly breathes. "No way. I got a push...because we broke up?"

"And we have a winner!" Mike exclaims, throwing his hands in the air. He lets out a sigh before practically shoving past the taller, forlorn expression set on his features.

Then why do I feel like such a loser? Alex thinks, turning to watch Mike walk towards the door, scrubbing his hands over his face.

"I don't believe you." Alex hears himself whisper, watches Mike stop and whip back around to face him. He looks totally hurt.

"What's not to believe? Alex...why do you think they took the title from me? Why do you think you were a human punching bag? Why do you think they were even having me be mean to you? Why do you think I kept having to go to Vince, fight for you so hard when a push could come so easily? Someone knew, Alex. And if they weren't going to break us up, they were going to break you." Mike manages, edging closer seemingly subconsciously. His blue eyes look so incredibly broken. Alex hates it. It leaves a terrible taste in his mouth, especially when the older speaks, his voice gravelly. "I couldn't let them do that to you."

Alex falls silent, staring at his ex in shock. But Mike just keeps talking.

"You were so miserable, all the time. So sore, and tired, always sad...and you were never going to get a push. Every time I turned around, they had a new plan to try and get rid of you. Vince was so tired of seeing me in his office. But I wan't gonna let them just..." Mike breaks off with a sigh. "I couldn't let you get hurt like that. I'm hardly worth your dream career."

Suddenly, Mike's face is in Alex's hands, their foreheads brushing as the younger meets his mentor's eyes in sheer desperation. Mike's blue eyes widen as he realizes Alex's gleam with tears.

"Mike...you're an idiot." Alex mutters sadly. "How could you ever think that leaving me was going to help anything?"

The older looks as if he really has to process this statement for a moment, blinking silently up at his taller ex.

"But you got a push!" Mike tries, shooting Alex a look of almost bewilderment. "A face push at that!"

"At what cost?" he says softly, crowding in ever closer to the man who means so very much to him.

"But...you were so unhappy." the ex-champ objects, but even his protests are growing weak with Alex this close.

"Baby, I'm so much more unhappy now, without you here. Can you really not see that?" the younger questions, hurt swimming in his baby blues.

Mike knows he's going to be in a world of trouble if he doesn't get away from Alex, and fast. He can feel his resolve crumbling, every bit of resistance he's managed to build up against the other falling away before him the longer Alex is before him. It's driving him crazy, the mere scent of his ex making him want to grab Alex, pull him closer, kiss him until neither of them can breathe, make him come undone so hard he sees stars, make love to him until they're both senseless, unconscious. Whenever he closes his eyes to fight off the urge, however, he's overwhelmed with images of Justin Gabriel and the way he's been ever present lately, and the fact that he fucked Alex. He pushes his ex away with a half glare.

"Kinda hard to when you're getting fucked by Gabriel." he snaps, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Excuse me? Look, don't even go there, Mike." Alex replies, his own glare set firmly in place. He trails off into a murmur. "Like you have any room to talk."

Mike feels his stomach drop. Still, he's stern in his reply, "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What do you think it means? I know about you and Chris." the younger says. Mike can hear the ache in his tone.

"H-How...?" he manages, guilt flashing across his features.

"Does it matter? I know, Mike. And yet you still come in there and, and punch Justin? How could you?" Alex asks, sadness taking over his voice.

"I was jealous! Dammit, Alex, is that what you want to hear? That I looked at him, and saw his hands on you, and knew that I couldn't have you, and it made me so mad that I couldn't even stop myself? I hit Justin because I was fucking jealous, okay? Fuck!" Mike exclaims.

Alex's eyes snap open wide in shock. Mike sighs, dropping his gaze. He hates this, despises what this company he used to love with his entire life has reduced him to. He swipes his hands over his hair, lets out a careful breath before turning wide, crushed eyes on his ex-lover.

"Alex, I'm an idiot. I think we can both agree on that by now. And I've made a lot of mistakes, trust me, I know. It's just...you were hurting so much, and it was only going to get worse, and I just didn't know any other way to handle it! My pull with Vince was about to run out, and then I had no idea what they would do. I just knew it wasn't going to be good. So I did the only thing I could think of, because I was scared. I pushed you away, and I let them break us up, and you got your push and kicked my ass and the whole fucking time I felt like I was going to die." Mike explains, voice full of raw emotion. The way his lips betray his every feeling is exactly why he'd spent all this time avoiding his ex, unable to ever hide anything from the younger.

"You think I didn't? You think I didn't wake up every single morning and go to sleep every single night in the worst pain I'd ever been in?" Alex questions, voice cracking.

Mike snaps up to meet his eyes.

"I know! Of course, I know, and that's why you went to Justin and I get that. He was just an innocent by-stander in the whole thing. I shouldn't have hit him, especially when he'e been so good to you, and for that, I'm sorry." the older says sincerely.

Alex feels his jaw drop open. He can't believe it, completely in shock. Mike rarely apologizes for anything, much less something as major as this.

"Are you serious?" the younger asks quietly.

"What, do you want it fucking engraved? I apologized! Isn't that enough?" Mike practically snarls, crossing his arms over his chest once more and turning away, his face red.

And Alex has to smile at this, and how typical Mike it is. He swipes at his face, hopes his ex misses the way the tears are gathering ever faster in his eyes. He misses Mike, can't help it. Nothing gets by Mike, however, and the older turns to him with a look of concern. Alex dodges it, coughs out a laugh.

"Shouldn't you be apologizing to Justin?"

Mike rolls his eyes. "Yea, yea. I will."

Alex laughs lightly once again, then falls quiet. The silence that settles over them is thick, full of words they're not saying. Neither one wants to cave, afraid of finding out where they go from here. It's a few long minutes of carefully avoiding each other's gaze later that Alex finally clears his throat.

"We're uhm. We're not...together." he whispers, looking at Mike once again.

This makes the older perk up, confused.

"What?" he breathes.

"Justin and I. We're not dating. It was just sex. Stress relief."

Alex isn't sure why he feels the need to clarify. Mike dumped HIM, after all. The look on Mike's face, however, tells him he did the right thing. Blue eyes light up just enough, the hint of a smile beginning to show for the first time in weeks.

"Really?"

"Really, really." the younger replies with a grin.

Mike edges closer, dropping his arms almost in surrender. Alex, though, turns out to be the one to close the gap, taking Mike's face in his hands and meeting his eyes with a newfound seriousness.

"Mike...baby," he begins softly, and the older's face goes slack, suddenly focused on every word with the use of a single name, "The push, the belt, hell, the damn job...all of it means nothing without you in my life. Can you even-GodMike-can you even understand that? I'm talented. I know I am. Pushes will come, and they'll go. I'll win that stupid belt, and I'll lose it again."

Alex grits his teeth, almost shaking with emotion. It's taking all he has to keep from breaking down. He has to take a moment and just breathe, steady himself, before he can finish.

"Dammit, I can get another job, Mikey. I can't get another you."

Mike can't even breathe, he's so taken aback by the blatant honesty in his ex-lover's voice. It has a waver to it, like Alex is struggling to even get the words out. And suddenly, it clicks. Everything his friends have been saying to him, trying to get him to realize, it all slides into place with a single glance at Alex's face. He doesn't even try to stop himself when, with an utterance of the younger's name, he leans up, taking Alex's lips with his own. He feels Alex almost sob in relief and wraps his arms around his waist, tugging him closer. As he slides his tongue into the younger's mouth, claims it as his own once again, he knows it's over. He can't keep the facade up any longer; he needs Alex, and Alex needs him just as much. He's blown away by the sheer intensity by which Alex kisses him, can't believe his ex still cars this much, after everything. It takes them a while to pull back, pressing soft kisses to each other's lips even as they retreat, Mike's face still in Alex's hands. As they catch their breath, Alex attempts a smile.

"So...does this mean...you agree? You'll...you'll take me back?" he tries boldly, hopefully.

Mike is taken aback at how brave the younger is being, how honest.

"Is...is that what you want it to mean? Really? I mean, what if they-"

But Alex isn't having it, cutting the older off with another firm press of lips. He only retreats enough to speak when he finally does manage to pull away.

"I don't care! Are you not listening to me at all anymore? I don't give a fuck what some asshole company wants to do to me! The only thing that even matters to me anymore is YOU, Mike!" Alex exclaims, thumbs rubbing carefully over Mike's cheeks. Then, quieter, "I love you."

The words hit the ex-champ much harder than he ever thought they would, leaving him utterly breathless. He grabs onto the large upper arms in front of him, feeling as if not only does he need something to keep him grounded, but he also needs to actually take hold of something to ensure the moment is real. He feels Alex tremble under his hands and looks up, directly into blue eyes so familiar, it makes his very heart beat faster. He's suddenly completely overwhelmed with emotion, and can't even help it as he almost whimpers a response.

"I love you, too."

Then, he's pulling Alex to him once more, claiming his lips in a terribly heartfelt kiss. He tries to pour every last drop of feeling that he's kept hidden for the last few wees into it, really make it count for the first time in a while. Alex seems to get the message loud and clear, allowing Mike to back him up to the wall this time, pressing him firmly against it with a perfectly sculpted body, one that Alex can't stop himself from running his hands all over, as if re-memorizing the features. The thought makes Mike press against him that much harder, exploring the very depths of the younger's mouth once again. He lets out a sigh of relief that borders on a sob as they separate, foreheads brushing. Alex pants, eyes wet, but happy for the first time in ages. Mike reaches down, taking Alex's hand in his own and bringing it up to eye level before threading their fingers together with a light smile of his own. He brings the hand to his lips, kissing the younger's knuckles lightly before lowering them between their bodies.

"So...?" Alex asks quietly, almost nervous once more.

"So...when do I need to come help you get your things?" Mike returns, smiling encouragingly.

Alex almost beams.

"Really?" he feels the need to reaffirm the decision before he gets his hopes up too much.

"Really, really." Mike replies, grin widening as even he begins to get more and more excited about the sudden turn of events.

"In that case..." Alex starts, spinning them around so Mike is facing the door, Alex pulling him towards it as he walks backwards, but never releasing their hands, "You can help with all of that right after you apologize to Justin."

Mike lets out a groan, but allows himself to be led from the room with minimal struggle. He's really not looking forward to this conversation. But, as Alex tosses an almost exhubriant smile at him over his shoulder, gives his hand a light squeeze, he figures it's a small price to pay to have the younger back in his life once again.