After a few days in California, discussing wedding plans and helping Morrison with some of the reception plans, AJ and Mike return to Smackdown. Miz has no scheduled match but he does have a short segment for the app, before ducking back into her locker room to watch as she and Tamina compete against Natalya and Eva Marie. Unfortunately, figuring out how to defeat Natalya yet again evades the diva's champion and she taps to the sharpshooter for the second time in a week.
Mike meets her once more at the door and helps her in the rest of the way, Tamina looking as displeased as the other two. "It's ok," he mutters to his upset fiance, stroking her hair gently. "Come on." Settling her on the couch, he pulls her closer and kisses the top of her head. "It's gonna be fine." She clings to his shirt as he murmurs to her, softly pushing the engagement ring back where it belongs on her finger.
"This can't keep happening," she groans. "Not this close to Wrestlemania... God, my back hurts." She buries her face in his shoulder as he lightly massages her lower back, trying to make her feel better, take the pain out of her voice and eyes. "Mike... What do I do if I lose the title... It's so important to me, I've dedicated my entire career to gaining it, and now that I have it, the mere thought of losing it... makes me feel so empty..."
He pulls back and cups her face, smiling down at her. "Don't worry about it right now. You're fine, you're still champion... If, somehow, someone does take it from you, then that means you have a goal... to win it back, make them pay. You're too strong to lose hope just because of one defeat, right?"
"Two defeats," she pouts, though her eyes do look a little clearer as he leans in closer.
"Fine, two defeats," he whispers back. "Do you trust me?"
"Always," she nods, his touch making her eyes flutter as she hovers over his lips. "I suppose you're right..." Her lips twitch up into a smile of her own before she claims his lips in a subtle, but intense kiss, his hands warm and steady on her back, keeping her in place. "I love you. And I can't wait to be married to you. No matter what happens on the road to Wrestlemania, that will keep me going through it all."
He chuckles warmly and holds her against him as she tangles her legs around his midsection, not wanting to move away from his steady presence. "I can't wait to be married to you either, it's going to be a perfect day." He grins into her hair, kissing her temple. "I love you so much."
After a busy weekend once more spent at house shows, AJ and Mike meet up at her locker room that Monday, his hand searching hers out instinctively, squeezing her fingers gently when she meets him half way. "Hi," he greets with her with a soft smile.
"Hi." She grins up at him and glances to the left. "Mike... it's nine days away now." He looks too, finding a calendar on the wall, clearly property of the arena, but she had circled the 19th anyway, writing their initials dantily on the blank space. "This month has gone by so fast." She sounds awed and he curls his fingers around her face, drawing her eyes to his before he leans in and kisses her. "I can't believe we managed to get it all put together in time..."
He laughs softly and shakes his head. "I can believe it. We can do absolutely anything we want to, and when we're together, watch out, world..." She closes her eyes as he kisses her again, sighing into his mouth and digging her nails lightly into his jaw to keep him in place. "How are your vows coming?"
She purses her lips thoughtfully and smiles. "I think you'll like them... How are yours?"
"I think they'll shock and awe." He presses a finger to her lips, eyes gleaming as he searches hers as if her stare will provide all of the answers about what she's got to say about him.
"Should I be scared?" she whispers, raising an eyebrow and kissing the tip of his finger.
"Not of me, sweetheart," he responds sincerely, pressing his forehead to hers. "Never of me." She flushes softly as he kisses her much gentler than the last, trailing his fingers up her back, to cup the back of her head. They watch the first half of Raw curled around each other on the couch, her head resting on his chest, and Mike feels badly for her when she finally has to regroup and leave with Tamina for a tag match against the Bellas. Despite all that's going right for them, she still seems a little uncertain after her recent losses against Natalya and he watches with no lack of trepidation as the match draws on, Natalya's voice on commentary grating at him as he tries to focus on his girlfriend competing while listening to what Natalya is saying about her.
He's just gritted his teeth at the commentary team mocking various things AJ has gone through or done through the last year when... Nikki slams AJ against her shoulders and pins her. From there, AJ is all but forgotten as Nikki holds up the diva's title and taunts Natalya with it, the real Divas champion laying limply at their feet. "Dammit," he snaps, eyes blazing as he makes it to his feet and glowers at the TV screen.
Tamina carries the girl back to her room and says nothing as Mike takes her, easing her to the couch as she presses her face into his neck. "That was horrible," she whispers into his hair, shaking her head. "I can't keep losing, it- it..." She trembles harder, his grip tightening on her in response. "I'm not going to be champion for much longer at this rate..." He feels tears soaking through his shirt collar and his heart breaks for her.
"Yes you will," he murmurs, eyes widening when the announcement that AJ would be competing against Natalya on Main Event this week, her title on the line, is re-played for those who had missed it earlier and she groans into his ear, nearly having forgotten that little detail in the midst of her loss to the Bellas. "No, no, don't- it's going to be fine," he tells her, kissing the side of her face. "I'll be there for you Wednesday, alright? I have no doubt you'll be walking out champion. If you can't believe in yourself, then believe in that." He pulls back from her and searches her face, his fingers tracing the subtle tattoo on her neck that is forever now burnt into his memory, the date of her greatest achievement career-wise marking her as thoroughly as his ring on her finger. "Can you do that? Hmm?"
She sniffs and nods slowly, biting her lip. "I, I think so, yeah. I'll try." He strokes her face and kisses her, relieved when she relaxes against him. "Everything will be alright."
"Damn straight," he tells her softly. "You won't let those total divas upstage you. They haven't been able to yet, they have absolutely no chance to do so now."
"Right," she gulps. "Right. Of course. Why am I letting this weigh me down... I have something those tramps will never have." She smiles, resting her hand on the divas title belt, her lips trembling for a slight moment before she lays her other hand on his chest, shifting to sit in his lap, knees pressing against his hips. "They'll never have the amazing, incredible husband that I do." He grins as she kisses him, pushing him into the cushions for more leverage. "Thank you," she breathes against his flesh. "For always having my back, and keeping me from losing it..." One of his hands tangle in her hair, the other trailing down her arm to her back, and she sighs, forgetting all of her troubles, for at least this moment, as she focuses on her soon-to-be husband.