Canada Day. Filming for Marine: Homefront wraps up early so the cast and crew can go watch fireworks, spend some time with their families. As weird as it's going to be to miss Fourth of July, it's happened before to all of them at one time or another- due to WWE's travel schedules or a televised event happening on the same day as the holiday, but at least here Mike can see some fireworks from his hotel windows.
The year before, the 4th had fallen on a Monday and Morrison had been in China. He and Alex had surprised John with a post-celebration the following day but with filming stretching on for awhile longer, he's doubtful that they'll do anything similar this year. It's ok though. He's content watching the bright flashes along the night sky, opening his windows just enough to hear music playing from the nearby celebration honoring the holiday thrown by the city. He had considered going, just to see how the Canadians did it, but after such a long, toiling few weeks of filming- which had included him honestly getting cut up and bloodied- he's fine with hanging around the hotel room and watching from a distance.
His phone dings after awhile and he frowns, patting his pockets before pulling it from the right side of his jeans. Skype, is all the text that pops up says and he rolls his eyes at the thing. Even so he obliges, collecting his laptop from the desk inside. As he brings it over to the window, he finds the Skype invite and accepts it, looking away for a minute.
"Ok, judging by the lights against his face, I'm gonna guess he's either at a rave or he's watching fireworks already," Morrison's slow drawl surprises him, almost sending him off of the window sill.
"What the-?" he snaps, turning to glare at the computer monitor. John just smirks at him as he realizes Alex is there, too- their screens are split across his monitor, both men staring back at him. "Oh. Three way chatting."
"Yep!" Alex looks proud of himself with this little development. "You are in Canada, John's in Puerto Rico, and I'm in Texas so I figured why not. We haven't talked, all three together, in a really long time."
"I think he missed listening to us bicker, Mike," John interjects, grinning when Alex huffs. "Or maybe not getting a word in edgewise. I'm not sure."
"Well of course, who wouldn't miss me? I'm awesome," Mike responds, sticking his tongue out when the other two groan at him.
"I have not missed that catch phrase," John sighs.
"You're just jealous because you know it's true." He tilts the laptop so they can see out the window, poking a thumb over his shoulder. "Canada Day. You two hear the music they're playing in the park?"
"I was wondering why you were playing Katy Perry in your hotel room," Alex teases, looking away innocently as Mike glowers at him.
"How far we've fallen, that that would become the theme for all celebrations to do with fireworks?" John sighs.
"Did the Palace of Wisdom impart that little nugget to you?"
John shifts, the screen freezing a moment before catching back up, to show him shrugging. "Yeah yeah, you just wish you were still allowed inside."
"Oh please," Mike laughs. "Like you've ever been able to keep me out of somewhere I wanted to be."
"It's a process," he smirks. "May take awhile but..." He's interrupted by Alex tapping against the monitor, attracting both of their attention.
"Why did I set this up again?"
"Good question," Mike and John say together, adding to his annoyance. "But I'm glad you did," Mike admits softly, steeling himself for further teasing. It doesn't come.
"Me too," John says, adjusting his screen. "It's kind of weird, us of all being in different countries, huh?"
"Yeah." They fall silent, Mike checking the clock before reluctantly turning back to his screen. "Hey, guys, it's getting late. I have an early start tomorrow so I should go."
"Ah, yes, the glamorous life of a movie star," John says with a small smile. "Filming on Canada Day, huh? What is the world coming to?"
"Raw was held on the 4th last year," Alex points out before Mike can open his mouth to do the same. They all pause, remembering the year before, and Alex speaks up first. "Too bad we can't do the cove thing again."
"Yeah," Miz says wistfully.
"Maybe some other time," John says quietly. "If Miz can get his hands on those fireworks again... and make sure we don't get arrested."
Mike rolls his eyes, smirking. "Of course. Who do you think I am?" One more glance at the clock and he sighs. "For now though, I need to sleep. Talk later."
"Bye, Mike," the other two chorus before he shuts Skype off, smiling slightly. To his relief, sleep comes easily that night.
Monday, he wakes up to find the schedule for the day in his emails. "Running," he mumbles sleepily. "Running. Running... more running. What the hell!" He groans, wanting so badly to just roll over and fall asleep again, but alas, he has a responsibility and... the longer he holds up the movie means more time away from LA and the WWE. Groaning, he gets up slowly and prepares to go. He's not kidding when he tweets later that he basically ends up running for 12 hours straight. If anything, when he returns to action, his legs will look awesome. But he knows that tomorrow will be killer, everything on him already sore. He can't even stay up for Raw but he doubts highly that he's missing much. It still makes him ill to imagine Cena winning a briefcase that had once meant so much to him, but there's little he can do about it at the moment. He's asleep once more before his head hits the pillow.
Tuesday starts as he figured, with his whole body yelling at him for the overuse the day before, as he stares up at the ceiling. His legs feel like two heavy weights, as if should he move even an inch they would fall right off. He winces, trying to push himself upright, and just barely making it when his phone goes off with another alert for the day's schedule. It confirms few more hours of filming and he mumbles curses at it, hoping that his legs will hold up long enough so that it doesn't look like he's about to just fall apart right then and there.
Thankfully everything goes as smoothly as can be and he returns to the hotel room in time to collapse on his bed, put his feet up and catch the last half of Smackdown- including Alex's match against Dolph. He hopes against hope that his former NXT rookie will win and get another spot in Money in the Bank- no matter what that idiot Cole had thought or said, Alex had been right alongside Miz in last year's-, but unfortunately it's not to be. Dolph walks away with the win and Mike sighs, rubbing at his face. He wishes he could be in the Money in the Bank, too, remembering how reassuring the unflexible plastic had once been in his hands. "Some day," he mumbles to himself before drifting off to sleep.