A/N: Happy New Year to all, and a quick thank you to all of you who have continued to read BtB/EuM and all of my other fics in 2013. It has meant a lot to me and your support and reviews are the bright spots of many of my days!
After Ricardo and Alberto leave for the holiday tour loop starting at Madison Square Garden, Mike and John see Sofia, Memo and Alex off as they return to Florida. Mike smiles at the housekeeper, who looks a little sheepish after the various discussions they'd had over her taking over his kitchen almost the whole time she'd been staying at his house. "It was good to see you, Sofia. Maybe next time I'll have a couple of recipes for you to try out while you're here," he says to show there's no hard feelings.
Her lips part for a moment before she nods, smiling slightly. "That sounds fine, Senor Mizanin. Gracias for everything." After Memo murmurs his own words of gratitude, the two of them walk towards the TSA line to give the three men a minute.
"This has been fun," Alex tells them, smiling as he hoists his suitcase up. "We should do it all again sometime soon."
"Yes, we should," John agrees, grinning at him.
Mike nods and holds his arms out, staring at the other two until they finally step forward and hug him, none of them quite able to believe that Christmas had gone by this quickly. Yes, there's still New Years to look forward to but considering half of them will be busy with the holiday tours, he's sure none of them will want to go through all of the traveling and everything else involved to get all of them in one place again, not this soon anyway. So Alex squeezes them a few moments longer before backing away reluctantly and smiling at them. "I'm gonna miss my flight."
"Sure, kid. See you soon," Mike tells him with a small smile.
"Yep, see you." He grins and waves over his shoulder after exchanging byes with Morrison, joining Sofia and Memo in the barely moving line.
Ordinarily Mike would hang around and watch until they're out of sight, but his own flight to the other half of the holiday loop starting in Chicago is nearly on the other side of the airport so Morrison keeps up with him as he all but races there, skidding to a stop outside of the gate when he catches sight of AJ and Tamina, the enforcer listening to AJ talking as the lettering on the necklace that AJ had given her for Christmas sparkles in the overhead lights, which also reflects off of the bracelet Mike had gifted his girlfriend. He ignores the amused look on John's face as his carry-on shifts and the small gingerbread ornament, in her likeness, that AJ had given him for Christmas clicks against the steel clasp of the handles that he had tied it securely to earlier.
So you'll always have me with you, she had whispered into his ear afterwards, when they were alone, and he smiles at the echo of her voice. Shaking himself back into the present, he turns to his best friend and smirks. "So, you're not going to get yourself killed with that skydiving thing I set you up for, are you?"
John's teeth are sharp and almost painfully white against his California tan as he grins at the former WWE champion. "Nah, it looks like a piece of cake! Maybe I'll Skype you during it." Mike starts to look a little annoyed and Morrison laughs, quickly giving up all pretenses. "Honestly, it was perfect, Mike. Thanks. I can't wait to do it."
"Hmph," he mutters. "Yeah, well, enjoy it, alright? And don't crash to the ground. I haven't finished those life insurance forms yet."
John coughs before nudging Mike. "You finish the forms before you set up the life endangering passtime, idiot."
"Now you tell me!" Miz grins up at him, eyes gleaming when John shakes his head, laughing too. It's still raw, sometimes, how much Mike misses traveling with John, spending holidays like these with him only making the wound all the fresher, but John seems happy enough with his movies and OOYM fitness, and all of the other numerous side projects he has going. "We'll talk before the New Years, yeah?"
"Sure we will." John smiles at him, as if he can sense what Mike's dwelling on, and he hugs him quickly. "I think you should go now though, your girlfriend's looking like she might try to get Tamina to come drag you over by your ear."
"I'd like to see her try-" he's starting to say before he glances closer at her as she crosses her arms over her chest, as if she can hear him over the bustle and crackling of the airport's intercom. "On second thought, I think you're right." He squeezes his best friend once more in a rushed hug. "See you soon, John!"
"See you," his best friend's voice echoes after him as he races over to the women, smiling down at AJ.
She tilts her head at him and glances over his shoulder where John's still standing, watching them. Sighing, she leans up and rests a hand on the side of Mike's face, leaning up to kiss him gently. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more to help him- you- when I was GM," she admits against his lips. "I know you don't like to talk about it... but I did the best I could to try to convince the board..."
He quiets her with another kiss, smiling faintly. "I know, I know. Don't worry about it, AJ. I have no doubt you tried your best, it was just one of those things. Besides, if you had, he wouldn't have had the opportunity to do all of the things he's so busy doing right now, and I look at him and... it's clear he's happy with what he is doing. I wouldn't want to take that away from him just because I'm selfish and wanted my best friend back by my side." She beams up at him and he kisses her again.
AJ doesn't accompany Mike to Raw that week. She's looking shy and sweet as she kisses him goodbye on her way to New Jersey, eyes gleaming. "I'll see you soon," she tells him softly, lashes fluttering as he holds her close, kissing her back more thoroughly.
"Damn straight you will," he whispers to her, squeezing her sides. "New Years in New Jersey, what could be better?" She makes a face at him and he laughs. "We'll make the best of it."
"Don't we always," she winks at him before turning and skipping away, turning at the corner of the hallway to wave at him once last time before disappearing from sight.
"Yeah," he mutters to himself, kneeling down to continue packing for Raw. It's the final show of 2013, and he's not sure if he'll have anything to do, but he wants to be there, just in case. His worst fears are confirmed when he arrives at the arena and sees something somehow even worse than nothing for him on the board- his name is listed as an option on the WWE app poll match. He stares at it for long moments, not wanting to relive the results the last few times where the WWE Universe seemed determined to pick anyone but him.
He's still staring at it when an arm rests against his shoulder, Mike blinking a time or two before he looks over, lips parting in surprise. "Happy New Years, man," Alex Riley greets him, smirking slightly.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" Mike asks him, his surprise overwhelmed by his lingering displeasure at things mentioned on the board that the other man is currently examining.
"Well, I knew that Ricardo wouldn't be here, so... when you told me AJ was going home a little early, I figured I could come and keep you company. If that's alright."
Mike stares at him for awhile longer, shaking his head. "If that's alright?" He chuckles and drapes an arm around Alex's shoulders. "Better than alright, man. Thanks for coming. I wasn't sure if I'd have anything to do tonight, especially with... well." His gaze flickers towards the board once more but he shakes it off. "At least I'll have you to bother tonight while I wait to see."
Alex sneers at him but drags him off to catering anyway, stacking up cookies with blue and white icing scrawled in 2014 on plates for he and Mike, joining him at the table that his pro had selected for them. "So you're going to spend New Years with AJ, huh? Good ol' warm Jersey."
"Oh yes, I love Jersey weather so much," Mike nods, fingers snug against the warmth of the mug of hot cocoa that he'd poured, A-Ri dipping his cookie in his own. "That sweater you gave me for Christmas will more than likely be coming in handy."
Alex grins at him mid-bite and swallows as quickly as he can. "Maybe while you're there, you can work on figuring out how to do a real New Jersey accent for Christmas Bounty II: Mikey Muscles' Revenge."
Miz freezes, staring at him. "You- I don't even want to know how you think up some of this stuff..."
Alex beams. "What can I say... It's a gift!"
"I'd get a refund," he snarks, shaking his head in amusement as Alex pouts at him, trying to steal back the cookies he'd brought over for him. Only Mike's quick reflexes keep the plate out of reach. They're still sitting there, exchanging teasing barbs and laughing over their cocoa when the monitor just in sight announces that the poll results will be announced next. Mike swallows and sits up, watching tensely as the commercials air.
Alex watches him worriedly, not liking how twitchy he's getting as the ads draw on and on. When the show comes back and they announce Khali as the winner of the poll, it's like all hope is drained from the room, Mike's face turning so pale that he almost looks green. He stares at him in discomfort, not sure what to do or say. Miz's jaw muscles twitch and jerk as he stares blankly at the monitor as Khali wrestles to a loss against Sandow, his fingers shaking against his cell phone as he tweets quickly. When Alex's phone beeps an alert for it, he doesn't move for a long moment, reluctant to take his eyes away from his friend. "I'm so sorry, Mike," he breathes out, leaning back when Mike turns to look at him, eyes dull and icy.
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault," he whispers, slamming the phone down on the table. "Maybe I just need to accept that I'm the problem, and it's time for a change." He stands up, the chair squeeching against the tile as it skids backwards. "I'm going to try to get a redeye to New Jersey now." He looks up and locks eyes with Alex, his frenzied emotions only eased a little when he sees the worry there. "I'm going to be ok, I just can't stay here right now. Happy New Year, alright?"
Alex swallows drily and nods. "Su- sure man, travel safe. Have a Happy New Year, too..." He watches blankly as Mike nods briskly and leaves catering, the former NXT rookie releasing a faint breath as soon as he's out of sight and his eyes shift sadly to the abandoned mug and cookies laying haphazardly on the table. "Dammit..."
After a long, quiet flight where all he can do is think, Mike arrives in New York and, after renting a car as quickly as possible, drives the rest of the way to AJ's apartment, nonplussed by the weather, or how early in the morning it is, or anything else. All he needs is to see her, so when he finds her building and parks next to her car, he pulls himself out of the vehicle and slams the door, not even bothering to get his bags. He runs up the steps to 2-4, staring at it for a moment in a brief second of indecision as he realizes for the first time that she's probably still asleep. He's still standing there when the door is pulled open roughly, AJ standing next to the screen door, looking mussed and worried as she reaches out for him. "I'm sorry, I woke you up-" he's just muttered when she shakes her head, drawing him inside.
"No, you didn't," she mutters. "No, I've been awake most of the night." She pulls away and cups his face. "Alex called me a few hours ago, telling me you were trying to get a red eye out here."
"He shouldn't have done that," he says lowly, leaning over until they're eye to eye.
"I probably would've knocked him upside the head with my title belt if he hadn't," she tells him quietly. "I had to know you were going to be ok. If I had been asleep while you were trying to get to me, and something had happened, I never would've forgiven myself."
"By now, I think I'm pretty good at traveling from point A to point B," he responds, a little bit of bitterness seeping into his voice as he brushes past her into the apartment. She lets his anger go, shutting the door behind them before she turns to join him in the living room.
"Not when you're angry," she tells him quietly. "Not when you're distracted with how to... how to gain the WWE Universe's attention. Trust me, I know how that feels." He looks up at her and she releases a soft breath, pained by the dead, exhausted look in his eyes. "I'm just glad you're ok."
This breaks through. He stares at her for a long moment, shaking his head as his shoulders slump. "I'm sorry," he mutters. "I just, I don't know. I'm frustrated and I'm tired and... I get a few days here and there where I think things are going to be ok, but then it all goes bad again. I don't even know what to do anymore."
She approaches him and wraps her arms around him, rocking him back and forth. "I know what you need to do right now." He glances down at her and she smiles faintly. "Come with me to bed, hold me and close your eyes, and get some sleep. You'll feel better in a few hours, I promise. And if we go now, we'll both be awake long before we have to watch the ball drop at midnight."
He breathes against her hair before nodding, allowing her to draw him back through her apartment for just that purpose.