A/N: Jerry Cantrell's Angel Eyes will always be the perfect Miz/AJ song for me.
Whatever good vibes Mike had at the start of the New Year quickly dies away barely a week later. He had vowed in a short video clip for that he was resolving to be the best person he could be this year, and he had intended on keeping that promise, but... things happen quickly, especially in the WWE. What seems innocuous can quickly snowball into something terrible and that's exactly what happens after he and AJ arrive at the arena for the first Main Event of the new year.
Mike, of course, has commentary, and AJ has her first match since her visit to the dentist. But they and Tamina aren't the only ones there, Mike noticing Alberto's name on the match board. He hums slightly, rubbing circles in AJ's back as she murmurs to Tamina about match strategy, when Kaitlyn, AJ's opponent for the night, approaches them. "Uh," she says, clearing her throat awkwardly. "AJ, can I... speak to you for a minute?" AJ is understandably hesitant, staring up at her former best friend suspiciously. "I'm not going to do anything, Tamina can come too if you want, just... let's step aside for a moment? Please?" She glances over at Mike for a moment, something lingering in her eyes that he's not sure he particularly likes, when AJ nods quietly and follows her down the hall for some privacy.
He watches them for a moment before hearing footsteps behind him, turning. He expects his new broadcast colleague, Tom Phillips, but instead... "Hey, Ricardo," he greets the former ring announcer. "Didn't expect to see you here, man."
Ricardo nods slightly, glancing over his shoulder at where Alberto is peering at the match board. "Ah, si, well, just getting here was such an annoyance, I didn't feel like fighting with flights all over again just to possibly fly out again for Smackdown, so I stayed. Decided to come watch Alberto's match." He pauses here and, somehow, the look in his eyes resembles the expression on Kaitlyn's face. "Come talk to you..."
Mike's frown grows. "Is something going on? You're acting weird, Kaitlyn is acting weird. What's up?"
Ricardo coughs, his gaze flickering over to the divas, and he releases a sigh. "Well, there's this rumor going around..."
Tamina stands nearby, arms crossed over her chest as she stares warningly at Kaitlyn, who is facing AJ with an uncertain look in her dark eyes. "Listen," she finally mutters. "This is... probably not going to go far, you probably won't believe me, since I know how you get about these things. But there's this rumor going around."
AJ hmms. "What kind of rumor?" she asks impassively, her eyes darkening as Kaitlyn continues to stall over whatever she wants to say. "Either tell me or just go get ready to get beat by me."
"I can't do that," Kaitlyn sighs tiredly. Before AJ can say anything else, Kaitlyn shakes her head. "I'm telling you this for two reasons. Because it's the right thing to do, and because... this is my final night in the WWE." This floors AJ, who suddenly looks like a lost 15 year old all over again as she peers up at the taller brunette who had been by her side through it all, try outs, and NXT, and the long romantic entanglements she'd had with so many men, the two of them only drifting apart completely after AJ had won the divas' title from Kaitlyn and everything had become so focused on the Total Divas that she had seemingly become lost in the shuffle. "I want to try something different. I want... I want to find other opportunities." She winces. "Wrestling's been my dream for so long, but I just think it's time to try other avenues. And while I'm doing that, I can't just leave you here unaware of what's going on around you, what's being said."
AJ swallows and fiddles with her title before releasing a soft breath of her own. "Then just tell me, Kaitlyn."
"There's a rumor going around the locker room that... that Mike's getting married." AJ blinks a time or two, then releases a crazed, little laugh in disbelief. "I know, it's kind of weird, we've all seen that he looks like he's wrapped around your little finger," Kaitlyn hastens to explain. "But he had a thing years ago, and... a lot of people doubt that it ever ended."
"What thing?" she wonders blankly, staring glassy-eyed over Kaitlyn's shoulder, with a look on her face similiar to the one she'd had when Kaitlyn had tried warning her off of Daniel Bryan so very long ago. To her, the memory is as fresh as if it just happened yesterday.
"Something with Maryse, no one really knew a lot about it, most thought it ended long before she was released from the WWE, but now..."
"He's getting married?" she repeats, tilting her head curiously. "No, it's not possible. We're together all the time. He's not-" But she takes a breath and thinks- thinks about the long weeks he spent away, filming Marine: Homefront and Christmas Bounty, so very many media events he claims he has to leave for, all of the times they go their separate ways so she can go to Long Island and he can return to California, everything... Squeezing her eyes closed, she shudders and shakes her head. "No, no, it's not true. He wouldn't do that to me. Not after everything I've been through." But she looks vulnerable and when Kaitlyn reaches out for her, she allows only a ghost of a touch from her before she turns sharply on her heel and marches off, towards her boyfriend.
Ricardo hesitates, then leaves completely after a quick glance at her face, rejoining Alberto as Mike turns to look at AJ too, a frown quickly overwhelming the grin on his face. "Uh," he says. "What's wrong? What did Kaitlyn say, sweetheart?" He reaches out and cups her jaw, staring down into her eyes. "Are you ok?"
His touch, his voice, everything about him grounds her and she nods quickly, shaking off the affects Kaitlyn's words had on her. "It's nothing. Kaitlyn's leaving, this is her last match."
Mike's lips part slowly and he nods. "I see." He thinks he understands how AJ feels, being the one who gave Morrison his final match as well. At least he had had the chance to repair their relationship beforehand; the ChickBusters, however, would be going their separate ways off of all the prior animosity. He can't imagine how that must feel, no matter how much bitterness remains between the two of them. He tugs her closer and hugs her. "I'm sorry."
She doesn't say anything, clinging to him with all of the strength she has.
The show itself goes quickly, Mike and Tom still getting to know each other as they talk their way through various matches, Miz watching closely as Alberto wrestles and defeats Justin Gabriel, then spending a few minutes insulting a soon-to-return Batista and the unimpressed crowd, comparing both to dirty animals.
Heath Slater adds to the randomness when he takes the commentary desk during 3MB's match against The Brotherhood, Mike and he going back and forth over MizTV, the One Man Rockband even suggesting that his show get canceled and replaced with the Andy Griffith Show because it'd jumped the shark, Mike laughing it off with an eyeroll.
But things really go south when AJ's match begins and Tom begins talking about how she's the second longest divas champion of all time, Ricardo's warning about the rumors going around still echoing in Mike's head. He laughs as he goads Tom, "Who's the first longest then?" and when Tom says Maryse, the exaggeratedly spoken words slip out of his mouth before he even thinks it out thoroughly. "Who I'm going to be marrying soon." It sounds so odd, leaving his lips, especially as he stares up at his girlfriend in the ring, and not for the first time, he finds himself wondering how exactly WWE Superstars have so much free time on their hands to even start such rumors.
Either way, they move past that awkward moment quickly and Mike is watching as AJ and Kaitlyn wrestle to the end, AJ successfully slamming Kaitlyn's head against the mat hard enough to daze her into a roll up 3 count victory, the two of them facing off afterwards. AJ stares at her for a long moment before leaping into her arms, Kaitlyn catching her in confusion before AJ hugs her tight, honestly looking sincere for a moment as she smiles against her former best friend's neck. Mike thinks for a moment perhaps he's wrong, and the two women will walk out of this friends once more, but then AJ untangles herself from the now-former Diva and tilts her head as Kaitlyn turns- just to be superkicked to the mat by Tamina, AJ laughing and skipping over the downed body of her friend as she holds her title up. Mike releases a soft breath and shakes his head, smiling wanly.
AJ is breathless and trying not to show just how sad she truly is about Kaitlyn- the one true constant she'd had in this business- leaving, walking side by side with Tamina as they head backstage, the show over and AJ wanting nothing more than to leave this arena and its apparent rumors behind, when she hears something on a nearby monitor and freezes, turning back to the gorilla position to watch. Production people are painstakingly going through camera angles at the start of her match to figure out which to use for the televised broadcast and replays, Mike's voice sharp and clear through her heart like a dagger. Tamina stares at her as she heaves out each breath, shaking her head wildly. "No, no, no," she breathes, each word growing louder until she turns and storms off to her personal locker room, slamming the door behind her and screaming ferally, slumping to the floor with her hair tangled in between her fingers. "Why- what-?" She slams her hands against the floor and sobs. "Kaitlyn was right- but... but... how?!"
Mike knows as soon as he leaves the broadcast table that something's wrong- Ricardo is once more waiting for him, and Del Rio is lurking a few feet away, watching them. "What is it?"
"AJ-" Ricardo mutters, shuffling awkwardly. "She, uh. She heard what you said on commentary- about marrying Maryse... and... Mike, she left."
Time stops. He thinks for a moment that his heart stops. "What?" But there's no denying, he can tell by the look on the younger man's face. "No, no- it was a joke- I was mocking the damn rumormill-"
Ricardo's hand on his arm stops his distressed rambling. "Come on, we'll take you back to the hotel, you can straighten this out with her there. Alright?" When he nods, Ricardo guides him through the building to collect his things out of the abandoned, darkened locker room before leading him out to Del Rio's rental car. He sits quietly through the drive, breathing heavily as he stares out of the window and tries to think- find logic in any of what's just happened.
My stupid mouth strikes again, he thinks, feeling even lower than he had when he'd nearly ruined his and Ricardo's friendship with his callousness on commentary the summer prior. AJ, I'm so sorry... He doesn't even wait until Alberto's stopped the car, immediately pushing the door open and making a mad dash for the hotel, ignoring the bitter cold as it bites at his flesh. The surroundings flash by him until he arrives at the elevator, quickly losing patience with it too and finding the stairs, dashing up them all the way to floor 4. Their room is near the front, thankfully, and he almost slams into the door, shifting from one foot to the other as he fights to free his keycard from his slacks pocket. Once done he stabs it into the slot and curses it out when it flashes red twice before he finally forces himself to breathe and try again, calmer this time. It works as it flickers green and allows him to twist the knob, pulling the door open.
He's only just entered when something zings past his head, shattering against the wall behind him and he cringes. "AJ-" A scream is his response and he only manages to shut the door when something else slams against the wood, Mike looking down to find it's the bracelet he'd given her for Christmas. He gingerly leans down to pick it up, holding it in his hand, when he finally gets a good look at her. She's clearly been sobbing her heart out for the last half an hour or more, her skin ruddy and tear soaked, hair tangled messily and her clothes torn in places that wouldn't make it past the censors for a PG show. He swallows and approaches her warily, reaching out for her. "AJ..."
"Don't touch me," she hisses out. "Don't look at me. Don't even say my name. How could you?!" He almost says something but she quickly cuts him off. "You- you were going to be different than the others- you were going to actually stay, you were going to love me no matter what, but what? It was all a lie? This whole time, you strung me along while having someone else in California to love and- and make promises to? To marry?" She laughs through her tears, pointing at him. "You're the worst man I've ever met. Why I ever thought I could trust you after how you used me to try to get John his job back, oh my God, I'm such an idiot," she wails, sounding like she's close to being sick at the very thought of everything they'd gone through together, every memory now tainted by lies.
He has no words. He can only watch as she falls apart in front of him, the metal of her charm bracelet digging into the soft flesh of his palm all over again. "AJ-" he walks the rest of the way over to her, ignoring her rapid head-shakes, kneeling down in front of her. "Sweetheart-"
"SHUT UP!" she screams right into his face. "I hate you, I hate you so much! You're no better than Daniel, or Punk, or Cena, or Dolph- I think you're worse! At least they never lied to me, when they were done with me, they had the courtesy to let me know. They didn't hide a fiancee!" Before he can say anything else, she lunges forward and claws at him, trying to push him out of the room. "Get out! Get out! I never want to see you again!"
It's then that he realizes Tamina's been lurking in the background this whole time, her arms still crossed over her chest, and he swallows shakily. She approaches them, a menacing look about her, and he has no choice. Getting to his feet, he tries once more. "AJ-"
"GET OUT!" she cries once more, this all the encouragement Tamina needs as she steps warningly towards Mike, the Most Must See Superstar quickly backtracking and leaving the room. As he shuts the door behind him, breathing heavily, something else shatters inside and he closes his eyes, leaning against the door.
He's still standing there a few minutes later when his phone beeps and he lifts it from his pocket to find Ricardo has texted. He doesn't even read it, merely sending back a text. What room are you two in?
Alberto doesn't look thrilled when he arrives at their room, but he allows him inside, saying nary a word as Mike walks past him and sits down on the couch, burying his face in his hands. Ricardo hesitates, glancing at his former employer, before sitting next to him and resting a hand on the back of his neck, immediately thrown by how hard he's shaking. "Mike-"
"It's over," he mutters. "She broke up with me."
The ring announcer hisses out a breath before leaning closer and resting his cheek on top of Mike's head, hugging him around his shoulders. "I'm sorry, Mike." They sit there for awhile before Mike slowly pulls away, his eyes glassy and dull. "You should get some sleep." Ricardo watches as Miz stares ahead blankly, unaware that he's even speaking, much less anything else going on around him. "Here, the bed's big enough, we can share," he urges him, drawing him to his feet and leading him to the second bed. Remembering when things had been reversed, and Mike had helped him through the immediate aftermath of Alberto's seeming betrayal, he patiently does the same- helps Mike out of his shoes and his suit, which he folds carefully and places next to Mike's things, which had been left in Alberto's car when Mike had bolted to find AJ, and pulls the sheets and blankets up around him. "Everything's going to be ok," he tells him quietly.
Miz looks up at him, clearly disbelieving what he's saying. "Thanks," he mutters anyway, rolling over and burying himself even further under the pile of bedding as he tries valiantly to ignore just how cold the bed- how cold life feels with the sudden loss of AJ's warmth next to him. He clutches her bracelet even closer, amazed that he still has it after everything, and closes his eyes against the horrible reality facing him once more.
Mike doesn't ask. He doesn't talk about it. He just sits silently and listens as Ricardo and Alberto move around the hotel room, talking lowly in Spanish to each other- most of which is nonsensible to Mike with his four years of high school Spanish, but it doesn't matter either way. All he can do is stare at AJ's bracelet and fight the impulse to scream as he replays the stupid moment and the thoughtlessness that had been behind his ill-thought comment.
He knows AJ isn't in town anymore, can somehow just sense that she's not in the hotel, or in the state, or anywhere near where he's at right now. Deduces she's probably back in New Jersey, licking her physical and emotional wounds after everything the week's cost her. He wants to go home too, crawl into his own bed, try not to think or remember how they'd spent so much of Christmas week in that room, happy just to be in each other's company, talking and holding each other, watching the sun set and rise before going out to make sure none of the many people in his house had killed each other yet. It kills him, but he has Smackdown responsibilities and so he stays where he's at, obliging Ricardo's random attempts at conversation as much as he can and choking down whatever food or drink is brought his way, though it all tastes like lukewarm ash.
Del Rio's dark gaze on the back of his neck, both men remembering how he had taken out his anger on Ricardo in the past when he'd had issues with AJ, makes him speak very carefully, not wanting to hurt the former ring announcer on top of every other misdeed his voice had caused this week alone. And so Thursday passes by terribly quietly, until finally Friday brings with it Smackdown and Mike leaves for MizTV, Ricardo and Del Rio accompanying him, in a strange chain of support- Ricardo for Mike, and Alberto for Ricardo. He's not surprised that AJ isn't there, but the instant he steps foot into the main locker room, the whispers begin and the stares and... He grits his teeth, closes his eyes and tries not to completely lose it as he realizes that it's because of that damn rumor about him and Maryse- a rumor that he had probably also only made all the worse with his Main Event commentary.
To his relief, he only has to do the bare minimum with MizTV, only just introducing Big Show and asking a couple of things before he's able just to stand back and watch as Show takes over, issuing a challenge to Brock Lesnar, which Heyman answers and accepts for the Royal Rumble. His show quickly ending after that, he leaves the ring and returns to the locker room where Del Rio and Ricardo are waiting, the younger man resting a hand on his arm as he sits down on the bench and breathes in deeply. "I'm ok," he finally mutters, though they all know it's far from the truth.
"Of course," Ricardo whispers. "And soon you'll be back in California and it'll be nice and warm, and you'll... you'll be able to think about things, clear your mind a little. Catch up with Morrison." Mike nods faintly and Ricardo smiles sadly, wishing that he could do something more to help the other man through all of this, make the unbalanced diva listen to what Mike has to say.
He sits there quietly through the rest of the show, only vaguely listening to Ricardo as he and Alberto once more talk softly, until it's time to leave, Mike relieved to do just that. A few more hours and he'll be back in Los Angeles, away from traveling and competing- or the lack thereof-, able to once more try to think of a way out of the latest minefield his mouth had gotten him into. He stares down at his phone in the shadows of Alberto's vehicle, once more trying to type up a text to AJ, just to lose his nerve midway through it, closing his eyes as he cancels it, lips twisted ugly. "I'm so sorry," he mutters yet again, Alberto and Ricardo exchanging a glance in the front of the car.
Mike had thought about Ricardo's suggestions on how to spend his weekend and, although part of him does want to see Morrison, he's not that disappointed when he learns his best friend has responsibilities out of the state. The WWE lifestyle is busy and loud and time to be alone, decompress, is rare enough as it is. So Mike flies in to California probably at the same time that John flies out to New Mexico for a fan convention, almost relieved to have no one waiting for him as he looks up at the bright blue sky overhead and breathes in the ocean air.
He doesn't bother returning to his house right away, instead driving around to Morrison's apartment complex, where he parks his car and, leaving his luggage behind, ambles over to the beach. Closing his eyes against the myraid of memories here, he swallows and kicks his shoes off, hooking his fingers in them as he walks through the sand over to the wooden pier beckoning him over. Finding the exact spot that's still so fresh in his memories, he sits down in the sand and listens to people walking over his head, talking and laughing and generally enjoying their day. When he had last been here, he had professed his love for AJ, sending them on the next level of this insane roller coaster they'd been on since she had become General Manager of Raw.
He hates himself now for not bringing her here over the few days they spent in California for Christmas, but things had been so busy and he hadn't wanted to leave Ricardo alone just in case things with Alberto became too difficult for him to handle. But he hates himself for a lot of things now so really, what's one more? The rest of the afternoon goes by in a flash as he continues to stare blankly up at the bits of sky he can see between the planks, lost in morose thoughts and bittersweet memories. It's only when the sun begins to set and he grows a little chilly that he reluctantly gets up, returns to his car. Drives home, where every inch of the house makes him think of her, their first- and maybe last- Christmas together only a couple of weeks earlier.
His blue eyes flash in disgust and he throws the bag full of his clothes against the nearest wall, swallowing when he hears something thud against the panels. "No, no," he mutters, a sharp fear coursing down his spine as he remembers, dashing over to the bag to check. Somehow, the small gingerbread-style ornament that AJ had given him of herself for Christmas hadn't shattered despite his rough treatment of it and he gently unties it from the handle, looking at it closer to ensure that there aren't hidden nicks or scratches. Upon confirming that it's fine, and in one piece, he sighs tiredly and rests the small decoration on the bedside table, where her bracelet is already laying. Shrugging out of his sand-encrusted shirt, he reaches into his closet and swallows heavily when he pulls out the shirt AJ had given him for his birthday, the one made for cancer awareness month, and he closes his eyes, pressing it to his face for a moment as he remembers the look on her face as she'd explained the reasoning behind the words on it. "Love life," he murmurs aloud before pulling it on and venturing over to his bed.
It's early for him to go to bed but, as he leans against his pillows for a moment, he can almost smell her still on the fabric, the soft vanilla of her shampoo and just that scent that's her through and through, even though it's been well over two weeks since either of them had been here. He sighs and snuggles in closer, closing his eyes as the feel of her shirt against his flesh helps to comfort him even further. He's asleep within minutes.
There are quite a few things going on during Raw that Monday, but for Mike, it's a quiet, somber thing. Ricardo and Alberto are there, he sees them watching him in the main locker room, but he says very little to them. He's not sure if AJ is there or not, had only found the strength to approach her locker room for a couple of minutes before the silence had overwhelmed him, her bracelet once more biting into his flesh as he clings tightly to it. His hands have injuries varying from small scratches to deep gouges in them from the various charms, but he doesn't flinch once, only paying enough mind to it all to keep his blood from caking onto the jewelry. It's the least that he feels he deserves after causing the pain in AJ's eyes that still haunts his every waking moment, and echoes in his nightmares.
He has no match this evening, which he's relieved for, only just bluffing his way through a WWE app segment to announce his participation in the Royal Rumble, before a divas match begins and he watches, mouth suddenly dry, as AJ and Tamina come out, the very sight of his girlfriend- the first he's seeing of her in five days- makes his heart equally soar and crack apart even more. "AJ," he breathes. He watches as they compete as a tag team against Naomi and Cameron, the win eventually going to his girlfriend. He bites his lip as commentary mentions that AJ is merely days away from being the longest reigning divas champion, closing his eyes as his thoughtless words once more taunt him.
Tamina isn't done, however, beating down Cameron until Naomi regroups from the outside and attacks her and Tamina, rescuing her partner and sending them both out of the ring. The Mexicans look up, neither surprised as Mike gets up and heads out to the hallway, watching as the two women make their way back towards the divas champion's personal locker room. As he walks up to them, drawn to AJ like a magnet, Tamina turns sharply and blocks his path to the girl, her dark eyes locked menacingly on his pale face. "Move," he says lowly, voice cracking as her lips twist in a sneer.
AJ freezes at his voice and Tamina shakes her head. "Get out of here now."
"I need to talk to her," he ignores her. "Let me-"
"I said go away," the enforcer snaps at him, planting her palm on his chest and bodily pushing him away. It clearly takes everything in him not to react instinctively to someone laying their hands on him, his eyes locked on her as AJ squares her shoulders and walks the rest of the way to her locker room, shutting the door decisively behind her. "She doesn't want to see you."
Mike releases a shuddering breath as the tall woman turns on her heel and enters the locker room herself, the door locking shut behind her. He closes his eyes and approaches the door, resting his hand on it. This feels worse than all of the times before, when she had been with Dolph and after, when she had appeared to hate him and all he could do was watch and hate himself for what he had done to her. This time, he had had her, things had been good, and he had ruined it all. "I'm sorry," he mutters yet again into the solid wood, wishing that those words were enough to fix all of this, before twisting around and walking outside. It's cold in Rhode Island, but he doesn't care, pacing back and forth as he dwells on everything that's happened since Main Event last week.
Overwhelmed at the unceasing thoughts, he turns back to the building and stares at it blankly before releasing a faint snarl and, fingers once more tight against the unbending materials comprising the bracelet he'd spent so much time picking the charms out for, he kicks out, his foot impacting with the brick wall next to the exit, tears of pain immediately beading in his eyes. He leans against the rough surface, scraping his forehead against the rough, uneven surface as he shakes his head back and forth desperately. "God, I'm so stupid," he moans wearily, exhausted by all of this. He's still standing there when the door opens next to him and he tenses as there's a faint gasp, arms immediately wrapping around him, soft murmurs not quite reaching him.
Finally he's pulled away from the building and into the soft light of the hallway, familiar hands chuffing his arms as warmth is slowly reintroduced to his flesh, words slowly seeping into the fog that's settled into his brain. "Come on, we'll get you warm, get you cleaned up... everything'll be ok." It's Ricardo, of course, and he wishes he had something more to offer the younger man than broken silence, but he doesn't even have anything to offer himself, unsure how exactly he's going to focus throughout the Rumble in less than two weeks if things are still horrible by then.
Ricardo sits him down on a bench and immediately digs into his bag, looking up into Mike's face as he instinctively searches out the first aid kit he had begun keeping on hand when he worked for Alberto, a habit he had never quite gotten out of. "Alberto is wrestling Rey Mysterio," he rambles, clearly nervous at Mike's dull gaze and lack of speech, pulling out gauze and ointment before reaching for Mike's hands. He gently pries his fingers apart, staring at the bloodied bracelet held in his palm, cuts reopened and deepened by all of the abuse Miz had put himself through since being kept from seeing AJ. He grimaces and pulls the jewelry away, carefully resting it on a towel before turning his attention back to Mike. "This may sting," he whispers, rubbing a cloth soaked in alcohol over the wounds. His discomfort grows when Mike doesn't react, quickly cleaning the rest of the blood away and disinfecting the wounds as best as he can.
As he wraps the gauze around his palm, the bell rings to announce Del Rio's victory against Mysterio, his thickly accented voice echoing through the locker room afterwards as Ricardo rests Mike's hand in his lap, immediately turning his attention to his foot. He murmurs softly under his breath as he unlaces the thick wrestling boot that Miz thankfully had had on, hoping that it was enough security to keep his toes from serious injury after that kick. He smiles warily, remembering all of the times he had had to patch Alberto up in similar fashions, though thankfully never over a diva. Mike's toes, thankfully, all seem in one piece, none bruised or bent. "Can you wiggle your toes?" he asks quietly, sighing in relief when this is done. "How does that feel? Any pain?" A short, vague shake of Mike's head is the only response Ricardo gets and he frowns, not believing him fully. "Let's get you..." He wraps a hand under Mike's arm and pulls him up, urging him to take a couple of awkward steps. When he accomplishes it without wincing or showing any other sign of major physical distress, only then is the former ring announcer's worries appeased. He settles Mike back down and scoops up the bracelet, noticing immediately as blue eyes lock on the glinting item. "I'm going to hold onto this for awhile," he tells him, not wanting him to make his hand any worse. "I'll take good care of it, I promise."
Bustling into the bathroom, he gingerly runs cool water over the pink-tinted metal, drying it as thoroughly as he can to ensure that it won't rust, wrapping it securely in the towel before returning to the main room, where he pokes it into a small pocket in the side of his bag. He's just turned back to Mike when Alberto finally returns, his eyes roaming from Miz to Ricardo. "Is everything alright in here?" he wonders, frowning at the tired, fretful look on Ricardo's pale face.
"No," the ring announcer admits, tossing the bloodied towel into the first aid kit with the rest of the things he had used in the last ten minutes. Not that he's sure it matters, but he keeps his voice low as he explains what he knows about what had happened to Alberto, the two of them standing side by side as they keep an eye on Mike, the Most Must See Superstar not moving an inch as he stares impassively at the gauze snug around his fingers, wiggling his fingers in time with the toes of his bare foot.
Del Rio hears the younger man out before grimacing, moving to collect his own things so he can change, aware that Ricardo will want to leave as soon as possible, something that seems wise, considering how Miz is acting. "He looks even more pathetic than that perro, Zack Ryder."
Ricardo says nothing, watching as he ducks into the bathroom. Sits down next to Mike and ruffles his hair, wishing he could do something, anything, to truly help him fix things with AJ...