Mike wants revenge. He knows it's stupid, but he just does. Yeah, sure, whatever, the time on Raw may have really been for Jericho, but AJ had had a point- The Authority should've specified it wasn't for him if it wasn't. Either way, it didn't mean Jericho should've disrespected him so callously by interrupting him just to Codebreak him when he was trying to talk. He had spent the last few days stewing over it, checking his nose and cheek bones- having AJ check them, though she would just smile indulgingly at him and lightly dust kisses against his skin whenever he worries over the situation.
Initially, yes, he had been kidding, trying to make people laugh but the more he had thought about it, the more he had realized just how truly bad things could get. He had already taken a pretty sound hit by Kofi barely a couple of years ago, and something now... Well, no one wants a scarred up mess for a protagonist to their latest blockbuster. He releases a soft breath, unable to think of Jake Carter or even Mikey Muscles covered in welts or with a deformed jaw line due to broken bones. So he broods over it before going to the ring to confront Jericho. He has his usual swagger, the sunglasses that had been a gift from AJ to celebrate his first match back scheduled for this Monday against, of course, Jericho. But he can't wait that long, he wants an apology, he wants... he's not sure what all he wants.
But he doesn't get it; barely steps into the ring when Jericho snags him and lines him up for another codebreaker, Mike's mouth barely opening before everything goes dark once more. When he comes to, his sunglasses are gone. A ref is nearby, urging him to consciousness to get him out of the ring so the next match can carry on as planned. He groans, shifts, follows the man's voice.
Makes it backstage on wobbling legs, unsurprised that AJ is nearby, hands his sunglasses back to him with a tender smile. "Jericho left them on a nearby trunk," she tells him gently, helping him put them back on to show that yes, they're ok. Her match against Eva Marie is next, but she ignores that fact, finding his hand and gripping it gently before she leads him to her locker room.
He's relieved that they have the privacy back once more, slipping inside to find it empty; Ricardo is probably off doing interviews, Del Rio lurking nearby watching, and Alex is on the panel again so he strokes AJ's back, kisses her shoulder and settles in on the couch before she rests on his chest, lightly kissing every inch of exposed skin. "This return isn't going so great," he confesses to her, stroking his fingers through her hair with a soft grunt.
"Things will turn around," she tells him softly. "I have every confidence in you." She sits up and kisses him, cupping his jaw gently. "And I agree with you... you do need to protect the moneymaker... because I like this face too much to see it injured..." She brushes her finger against the scar along his eyebrow, smiling at him. "But if I don't go out now, I'm going to miss my match against Eva Marie..."
"How terrible," he tells her drily, stroking his arms up and down her sides.
"I know, it'd be a travesty." She leans in and kisses him. "I'll make it up to you later. Promise." He watches her go, skipping happily out of the door, and sighs, glad that at least one of them is in a good place after everything they'd both endured. He turns towards the monitor, staring at it as Paige sits at ringside, witnessing this match... AJ competing against the garishly haired diva, quickly eaking out a victory against her. He tenses slightly, sits forward when Paige leaves her chair and enters the ring, the two of them staring at each other for a moment... before the British diva reaches out and shakes hands with her.
He breathes easier at that, smiling at his wife when she follows through with her promise, returning to him and not so subtly locking the door behind her as she settles the title belt on the table and slinks in between his legs, leaning down to kiss him as his fingers rest against her hips, pulling her closer. "Congratulations on the win," he tells her lowly.
"Thank you," she responds even quieter, trailing her fingers under his shirt as he presses his face in the crook of her neck and shoulder, clearly trying to block out the world and focus only on her. "I love you, Mike."
"I love you," he sighs, eyelashes fluttering and tickling her skin as she brushes his shirt off and presses soft kisses to his warm skin.
The next day, thankfully is the 4th of July celebration, for once only a day delayed, John had even taken time away from his busy filming schedule, and none of them were out of the country for the first time since they'd started this little tradition. Sofia of course had cooked a ridiculous amount of food, and Alicia had been her loud, boisterous self, eager to convince when Mike and Alex cornered her and suggested she help them push Paige and Ricardo together, deciding now was the best time for them to concoct a plan. To Alicia's credit, it was all her impromptu idea, and it all worked perfectly, Mike grinning into AJ's hair as Paige lightly kisses Ricardo, the ring announcer slowly waking up enough to follow up with a kiss of his own, longer and slower this time around, and he's not sure if he hadn't wolf whistled at them, that they ever would've gotten up out of the sand.
After playing soccer until the sun had sunk enough for them to feel comfortable setting off their fireworks, the multicolored sparks still reflecting in their eyes, the group trudges back to Morrison's apartment, carrying empty coolers of food, the folded up soccer equipment, everything. They're tired, wet, happy and eager to go relax. Even if it's going to be a chore stuffing all nine of them into that small apartment. Mike considers suggesting they go to his house after all, but the very thought of driving makes his teeth hurt so he bites his tongue, sighing softly as he drops the empty cooler he's carrying on the kitchen floor, listening absently as the others release their cargo as well. "So, what's the sleeping situation gonna be anyway, Johnny?" he asks blearily, wiping a hand over his face before reaching out for AJ, who melds into his side perfectly, like she'd always been there. He kisses her forehead before turning to his best friend.
"Come with me," John says, leading the group of them into the guest room. "So I was thinking, if it's ok with you all, that Alex and Alicia could stay in here, and a third brave soul could take the second bed, if they wanted..."
Alicia huffs but before she can say or do anything, Sofia speaks up softly. "I could take it, if that's alright with everyone." They turn to look at the housekeeper, and all immediately agree, wanting her to feel comfortable and well-rested after all that she had done before they even arrived to make today work as well as it had. She smiles, resting her luggage quietly on the floor in front of the bed. "Gracias."
The six remaining leave the room, then, to determine the rest of their sleeping arrangements, and John reaches into his bedroom to flick a switch, flooding the room with soft, white light. "So I was thinking, Mike and AJ, you could have my room for the next couple of nights. Just... try not to break anything." Ignoring Mike's sarcastic laughter at this, John smirks. "I'm sure you'll be fine, though. After all, everything was somehow still in one piece even after you spent your wedding night here."
AJ rolls her eyes, gripping Mike's hand and dragging him inside. "Well, since you so kindly offered," she tells John, a glint in her eyes. "We'll take it. Thank you." And just like that, she closes the door with little to no warning.
John smirks a little, unoffended by his best friend's wife's actions- he kind of deserved it for teasing them, after all- and turns back to the rest of his guests. "Well, guys, I guess that leaves us in the living room. Del Rio, you up for some sleeping on the floor?" Alberto stares at him harshly as he leads them back down the hall, turning the lights on in here too to reveal that the couch had been moved up against the wall, the blank space filled with three air mattresses. "So, one of us can have the couch, if we want, and the rest of us can split up these mattresses. What do you guys think?"
Ricardo smirks a little, pressing his hands on Alberto's shoulders and pushing him towards the couch. Not that he protests much, already turned towards it anyway. "Go ahead, El Patron, the rest of us will be fine on the floor."
He at least pretends to hesitate then, glancing over his shoulder at the younger man even as he sits down on the soft cushions. "Are you sure, mi amigo?"
"Si, go ahead." As Alberto settles down on his bed for the evening, Ricardo brushes past John to settle in on the mattress in the corner under the window where the moon is pouring in through the thin drapes. He turns onto his side, swallowing when he realizes that Paige has taken the mattress next to his, turning to look at him with a soft smile. "Ah," he mumbles, flushing as she reaches out and takes his hand, squeezing it softly with a smile. "Good night, Paige."
"Good night, Ricardo." The entire apartment is quiet and dark soon, the sounds of their breathing soon meshing perfectly with the repetition of the waves outside.
Mike and AJ wake up early the next morning, the sun not even fully risen yet, to find his face buried in her neck, her heels digging into his legs, and it takes a few minutes of sleepy confusion to pull themselves apart, realize they're in John's bed, and slowly free themselves from the sheets as well. She giggles at the sleep-dazed look on his face as she leans over to kiss his lips, stroking the stubble covering his jaw. "I'm going to get dressed," she tells him, wanting a little bit of alone time with him after spending so much time getting back in the flow of things with the WWE and back here in California with everyone. She misses having her husband's undivided attention. "Let's go down onto the beach for awhile, since it sounds like everyone's still asleep."
He makes a faint groaning noise but nods as she skips into the bathroom, his eyes barely open as he finds his swimming trunks and pulls them on, sighing softly when she joins him and settles on his lap, her sleep warmed skin pressed tight against his. His hands trail up her legs to rest on the edge of her clothes, but he's never felt this particular fabric that he can remember. Before he can properly analyze it, however, she grips his hands and leads him outside after quietly peeking into the guest room and then the living room. All seven of them are still fast asleep, AJ giggling as she carefully pushes the door shut behind them.
By the time they make it to the beach, his eyes are opened mostly and he examines how there's no one around, the beach is dully lit by the slow rising sun, and it's so quiet and peaceful that he almost considers selling his house and moving out here, just to have constant easy access to this view. The thought is thrown from his mind, however, when he realizes where AJ is leading him, the former WWE champion digging his heels into the sand as he stops short. "No," he mumbles, staring ahead blankly at the place he'd avoided staunchly since last year, not wanting to remember. Even now, the thought of it leaves him frozen, numb.
She turns towards him, a subtly sad look in her eyes, but she continues to hold onto his hands, stroking his knuckles. "Mike, look at me." She knows it's not his favorite place, it hadn't been hers either for awhile, both of them taking care to make sure their wedding was out of sight of this spot, but in the end, this had been their beginning. Without it, they wouldn't have made it all this way, she wouldn't have known about the true depth of his feelings for her. So she guides him to the pier, to the pillar that they had stood under after he had told her for the first time he'd loved her. "This isn't a sad place anymore," she tells him gently. "This is... this is a place that contains great potential. It was here that I realized maybe things weren't as broken between us as I feared. That despite everything, you did love me... you did still want me."
"More than anything," he tells her on a sigh, brushing her hair out of her eyes as she beams up at him, tears filling her eyes. He rests his hand on the pillar, pressing her against the surf soaked wood, and breathes into her hair. "Are we going to finish what we started here all of those months ago? Before you slapped me?" As she nods, pressing a soft kiss to the spot where her palm had impacted, his fingers reach out for the zipper that holds her pastel green dress together in the front, his eyes darkening as he touches it, inching it down slowly as the anticipation heightens between them, his eyes devouring her body greedily. "You wore this on purpose." She smirks as he continues to unzip her, revealing the matching bathing suit underneath, his free hand slipping under the dress as it yawns open the rest of the way, her soft skin welcoming him as his fingers graze against the slick fabric of her suit. "You were so angry last August, so hurt. And it was all my fault."
She stares up at him, her hands resting on his chest, and she slowly shakes her head. "I blamed everything on you, but some of it was my fault as well. Considering my track record, I almost don't blame you for what you did in those months. Yes, using me to get John's job back was low, but you never out and out lied to me about how you felt about me. It just took you awhile to realize the feelings had outgrown your plan... Of course, by then, I stupidly thought I was in love with Dolph... But I'm glad to say I think I've finally... finally-" She gasps and licks her lips as he searches her face, enjoying how she arches up at his continued teasing, a deep flush overwhelming her tan. "Finally realized what real love is, ay Dios mio." She pants and leans into him as he chuckles, supporting her.
"I have as well," he murmurs, lightly removing his hand from the zipper once it's all the way down, the dress still trapped between them, and rests his fingers against the side of her face, waiting until she opens her eyes- their gazes lock and he smiles, stroking her cheek gently before he kisses her right as she gasps when his other hand shifts, taking advantage of the incredible timing to explore her mouth slowly while swallowing her soft whimpers and moans, each muffled sound making his heart beat a little faster, the blood rush through his ears a little louder until he can't hear her, can only feel her every reaction to him. "I love you," he breathes into her with every sigh, every touch.
Her eyes flutter as she digs her nails into his shoulders, trying to keep herself grounded enough to answer even as he does everything to overwhelm her senses. "I love you too," she groans, pressing forward slightly and regaining some control as she kisses him back, her hand resting on the side of his face in a mirror image of his own.
When they return, most of the others are awake- although Del Rio is still sprawled out lazily upon John's couch- and Sofia is cooking breakfast. John smirks knowingly at Mike, clearly about to say something when a DVD lands unceremoniously in his lap and he looks down at it, startled. "Say nothing," his former tag partner warns him, "or I'll pull rank and make us rewatch Marine 3 instead of what our plans really are for later on today." John frowns when Ricardo reaches over and picks up the copy of Hercules Reborn, Mike chuckling as his best friend's face immediately lights up. "Did you think we wouldn't want to watch your DVD since you so conveniently had a copy of it waiting here for us? C'mon, man. I can share the spotlight, you know."
Alberto coughs from where he hasn't moved and Mike immediately turns to look at him, his eyebrows lifting into his hairline. Del Rio merely sneers, returning to pick at the beds of his fingernails, until Mike walks over and throws his still damp, sandy beach towel from the night before on his head, leaving the Mexican aristocrat sputtering and flailing around. "Get up," he tells him coolly. "Or we'll eat all of the breakfast." The others quickly leave the room, settling around John's kitchen counters for some of Sofia's scramble and hash browns, no one looking Alberto in the eye as he enters, angry and spitting. One look at Sofia and Ricardo's faces, however, and he forces himself to calm down, snarling to himself now and again as they eat.
The afternoon is quiet, most of them lounging around on the air mattresses and checking the Internet, watching sports, doing whatever, while Mike and AJ enjoy the rare tranquility, especially when all nine of them are in such a small space. But Alex is keeping Alicia busy with two-person games on their phone, and Ricardo is distracting Alberto with debates in Spanish over the World Cup, so when the sun slowly starts to set, Mike blinks in surprise to find that the day is mostly gone. He sighs, realizing that this means soon they will all have to leave John, return to the world of the WWE. "Ok guys," he says, clapping his hands. "Most of us have to leave for Canada tomorrow, soooo let's get some popcorn and watch the best non-Miz movie of 2014, huh?"
"I didn't think there was going to be a Miz movie this year," John smirks at him.
"Hey, that Scoobie Doo movie counts," he volleys back.
"Um, I was in that too," AJ argues, kissing him on the mouth.
"As was I," Del Rio huffs, still grumpy from earlier.
"Ah, fine, whatever, so John's is the best non-animated film of 2014. Happy now?"
"I guess," he shrugs, moving to find his box of popcorn to pop it for the others. It's no surprise to anyone when Sofia goes to help him, the two of them finishing it up in record time and returning to pass out the four bowls the kernels are in. Mike and AJ, Alex and Alicia, Ricardo and Paige, Alberto and Sofia all split them while John passes on having any, contenting himself with coconut water, and once this is decided, the group of them turn towards his TV to watch the action. Since he knows the movie like the back of his hand, he spends most of the time instead watching his friends, their reactions. Anxious to see if they like it, he's relieved when it seems to keep their attention pretty well, the men rapt during the fight scenes, and the women gasping here and there. Mike notices him watching a few times and catches his eye, nodding with a small smirk on his face, the pride in his eyes warming John little by little, glad for his former tag partner's appreciation for the work he'd put into the film.
By the time the end credits are rolling, Alicia is murmuring excitedly to Alex about various scenes she liked in the movie, her movements animated and gleeful until he kisses her, Paige's head resting on Ricardo's shoulder while they hold hands quietly. Sofia is wandering around the room, collecting empty drinks and the bowls of popcorn, when Mike drops down next to him on the floor, nudging him. "Congrats, man. You're officially one of us now. An action film hero," he smirks. "That was a really good movie, especially for your first go at directing and everything." He pauses, staring down at the DVD, tapping it against his knuckle. "I couldn't imagine acting and directing... I'm proud of you."
John's teeth flash as he grins at his best friend. "Thanks, man." They quickly hug, Mike patting him on the back, before they separate and Miz turns to find his wife trying to block a yawn with her hand. "Uh oh, looks like someone needs to go to bed."
"Yeah, we were up kinda early," he admits, not regretting a minute of the morning's memories as he wanders over and scoops AJ up from where she's sitting on one of the air mattresses, adjusting his grip on her until she's secure in his arms, sleepily pressing her face to his neck. "C'mon, sweetheart. I think it's bedtime." But he can tell that may not happen immediately as she scrapes her teeth against his pulse point, Mike only just swallowing down a gasp as he heads for the hallway. "Goodnight, guys. See you in the morning."
"Night," the others chorus as he leads her back to John's bedroom and settles her in, nuzzling close to her.
She curls around him, lightly kissing his lips, and he rests his hand on her stomach, feeling as she breathes in and out, but exhaustion overwhelms them both and they fall asleep within minutes, less than a breath away from each other the entire night.
Leaving John always sucks, Mike unable to stop hoping that, once he finishes Boone the Bounty Hunter, some miracle will happen and WWE will hire him back, make contact... something, anything. He misses his best friend, having no doubt that that's all he needs to make his life complete right now. He sighs and presses a kiss to AJ's head, smiling down at her as she meets him halfway for the next, the two of them pausing against each other as she trails her hand under his shirt, clearly returning the favor for that dress thing that day before. He swallows and feels as she shifts, untucks his shirt from the pants and brushes her fingers lower down his abdomen as his eyes slip closed. "AJ?" he mumbles, fingers twitching against her back as she watches him.
"Mm hmm?"
"Don't forget to pack that dress, huh?" he breathes out, groaning when she nods against him, pressing soft, simple kisses against his jaw and chin. "You're gorgeous in everything, but you're damn radiant in... in that..." His words drift as her lips part into a grin against his flesh and it's all he can do to focus when her affections grow more heated, tongue and teeth and slow, leaving him trembling. "AJ..."
"I won't go anywhere without it ever again," she promises breathily, making sure to pack it in front of him once they return to that particular chore awhile later. He smiles at her, his hands already sneaking towards her, but she grips his hands and gently squeezes. "We need to leave now though, especially if you want revenge against Chris Jericho for last week."
Right. Right. He had forgotten for a brief moment. The general disrespect, his sunglasses almost getting broken, everything else. "You're right, as always," he sighs. "Let's go, sweetheart."
Sofia is returning to Florida later on, and the rest of them are going on to Canada for Raw. Alicia hops around Alex in a circle until he catches her and kisses her shoulder, causing her to lean back into the warm circle of his arms, and Ricardo is hovering near Alberto while sneaking glances at Paige, the two of them smiling shyly at each other whenever their eyes meet.
John hugs him, Ricardo, Alex, even wraps his arms around AJ for a split second before pulling away to nod at them with a smile. Shakes Del Rio's hand after a moment, and clasps Paige's hands. "Nice to meet you," he tells her. "Take good care of him, yeah?"
They glance over at the blushing Ricardo and she nods. "I'll do my best," she promises quietly, smiling over at him.
John's barely moved when Alicia's on him, throwing her arms around him in an enthusiast hug that looks scarily similar to the one she'd snagged Goldust in a couple of weeks ago on the JBL & Cole Show, drawing the oxygen violently out of him until Alex pulls her away. "We're going to miss our flight!" he tells her, shooting an apologetic look towards John. "Come on, Foxy."
"You ok?" Mike asks, trying and failing to not laugh as his tag partner rolls his eyes at him. "I'll take that as a yes." Quickly hugging him once more, he turns and leads AJ to the gate while Ricardo and Alberto exchange farewells with Sofia, promising to see her in Florida soon.
It's a busy night on Raw, considering. Mike spends awhile preparing for his match against Jericho, hoping that his ring rust won't be too terrible- but one plus is Jericho's been away for long enough that his should be equally as terrible, so maybe... perhaps... Miz won't be at that much of a disadvantage. He gets an interview segment and starts to change for that, just for his hand to curl around something crinkly. Paper. He frowns and pulls it out, wondering why AJ would be leaving him a note when she's just across the room, all of them once more using her personal locker room as a base, but it's clearly not AJ's handwriting and he chokes with laughter as he realizes what it is.
His wife slinks up to him and wraps an arm around his chest, reading as well. "Little Johnny Russo?" she asks with a frown, glancing at him.
"It's Morrison," he gasps out, wiping at his face. "Dammit, John, warn a guy next time." He smirks evilly, knowing exactly what he's going to do with this fanletter, and kisses AJ before going out for his interview. He reads the letter out, emphasizing the best parts, and fighting his hardest not to break down with laughter, ruin the best thing Morrison could've possibly done for him. Makes it seem like a legit fanletter, insisting on his determination not to break Little Johnny Russo's soul, definitely win tonight.
But he doesn't. Jericho is the better man, breaking free of the Figure Four and defeating him with the Walls of Jericho. When the lights go off, heralding the Wyatts, he eagerly leaves once more, clutching his face and sneaking up the side of the ramp, only just able to see the exit thanks to the thousands of cell phones lit up around the arena. AJ is waiting, an anxious look on her face, and she cups his jaw, trying to sooth him with soft touches. He clings to her, shaking his head. "Is my face ok? Is it?" The old Miz would've found this ridiculous, yeah, but he had learned over the last couple of years that he wasn't seen as anything special to The Authority, and if he wants to keep himself fluid financially, he has to protect his movie career no matter what.
She searches him from hairline to jaw, nodding slowly. "You look fine," she promises him, lightly kissing his lips. "But let's get you to the trainer so he can reassure you further."
"Thank you," he breathes, holding her close for a moment. "What would I do without you?"
She kisses him again, shaking her head. "You never ever have to worry about that, Mike. You're stuck with me." She smiles wryly.
"Good," he whispers, allowing her to lead him back to the trainer's office. "That's all I've ever wanted." She gasps out a giggle as he tickles her, his face feeling a little better when he presses it into her cool hair. "I love you."
"I love you too."
He's still sitting in the trainer's office when the divas tag match starts, AJ and Paige set to compete against Naomi and Cameron. Ricardo is sitting nearby, Alberto a few seats away, waiting to get checked out after his match with Ziggler, and everything hits a standstill when Paige stops Justin Roberts, declaring that she wants to introduce AJ. Mike shifts and looks at Ricardo, grinning at the sharp red tint to his face as he watches the diva announce the champion out. "Someone's been giving Paige some pointers, I see," Mike teases him as Alberto peers over at them, a little curious smirk on his face.
Ricardo groans and buries his face in his hands, ignoring his best friend and Mike as he peeks out between his fingers to watch the match. They both reap the rewards, however, off of the one-two punch of successes when Paige and AJ win, and Naomi and Cameron slowly disintegrate, squeeches audible all the way backstage long after they'd left the ring. Both seem pleased with this, AJ rushing into Mike's arms while Paige sits down next to Ricardo, smiling at him, her eyes shining. "Thank you for the help, Ricardo. I appreciated it."
"Ha, I knew it!" Mike's exclamation breaks through Ricardo's sheepish response, resting his face against AJ's as she peeks over at them. "Ricardo here helped Paige announce you."
Paige smiles slightly when Ricardo groans, mortified by his friends' constant teasing. He can only imagine what Alex will say about it all... but her hand is resting on his arm, and she looks so calm and soothing that he doesn't want to hide from their mocking, decides to face it alongside her, so he sits up straighter and uncertainly rests an arm around her shoulders. "You did great, Paige. Congratulations on that, and winning the match, both of you," he adds, trying to be courteous as he glances towards AJ.
"Thank you, Ricardo," the British diva murmurs, leaning in and lightly kissing him on the cheek, his heated flesh under her lips making her smile. When she pulls away, he's smiling too, and she rests her hand atop his, squeezing gently. For this brief amount of time, both of them forget that they have an audience, and the teasing that will be sure to follow, the only thing mattering to them right now being each other, the warmth of their skin pressed together, how each moment together since the 4th of July party makes them both eager to see where all of this could go.