Mike kicks off the Wrestlemania media week with interviews early Tuesday, Mizdow by his side putting lemon in his water to maintain his voice for the hours of talking and autograph signings that will be ahead of both of them. AJ has no such responsibilities just yet, allowed to sleep in, so he leans in and kisses her goodbye before grabbing his sunglasses and snagging Mizdow by the collar, dragging him out to the car. When he interjects where he's not wanted, Miz orders him back out of the camera's sight, counting down warningly until he finally abides. It's a busy week, too much going on for Mike to allow Mizdow to run amok. There are the standard interviews, then Axxess, and he has a preview of Marine 4 with Summer Rae, then of course Mania itself where he'll walk into the battle royal awesome and leave it with the Andre the Giant statue to add to the wall of title belts and Slammys that he and AJ had won over the years.
For this reason, Smackdown is condensed... two matches and a bunch of footage of Axxess, recaps designed to get people hyped for Wrestlemania. AJ is pacing around the living room early Thursday, rewatching her and Paige's faux pas on Monday on Mike's big screen TV. "There's no way she doesn't realize, right? I really didn't mean to do it, I thought she was Nikki..."
Mike catches a bit of break from interviews and other media events, so he's home for a bit before Axxess begins to watch her freak out as Wrestlemania looms closer. He grimaces and approaches her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her close, kissing her neck and throat until she relaxes into him, her fingers scraping up his scalp. "Maybe you should try fixing it... get her in the ring tonight, and explain... As you said, it's clear it was just an accident but she's young and impulsive. You have the experience here, you need to take charge of this team..." His hand is warm against her ribs and she nods, staring deep into his eyes.
"You have a point," she sighs. "I do want to be a true tag team with Paige, but if she doesn't believe me, it's not going to work... for once, this isn't about my baby... this is about proving a point to those cheap Barbies... She's been avoiding me all week, this is the only way I'm going to get her attention, I guess. Thanks, husband."
He smiles down at her, brushing her hair out of her eyes. They had opened their home to Paige, Alex and Alicia, content to allow them to stay so they weren't all scattered in different hotels, even though it cuts into their private time. This being the first time they'd been alone since the WWE arrived in California, Mike's eager to take advantage of it, leading AJ over to the couch and settling down, holding her close. "Any time, sweetheart," he murmurs, kissing the top of her head as she snuggles against his chest. "Listen."
"Hmmm? What?"
"Silence," he whispers. "No Alicia running around, trying to figure out what to wear next, none of Paige's music, and none of Alex talking loudly on the phone."
AJ grins and kisses him. "They are pretty obnoxious when you put it that way." Giggling, she presses her forehead against his and stares into his eyes. "I have a couple of hours to kill before I go to Smackdown, I wonder what we can use this peace and quiet for..."
"I'm sure we'll think of something," he breathes, tilting her face and kissing her warmly.
That evening is AJ's busy time. She has a Q&A just before Smackdown and has to race from one venue to another, arriving in time to make an appearance at 8 PM. It's on a few monitors at Axxess so Mike's able to watch her address Paige, wondering if the other diva will have her back or if she'll be beating the Bellas on her own Sunday. When Paige comes out, Mike sits on edge, watching. It's clear Paige is far from thrilled, but it seems AJ is just starting to get through to her, convincing her that they won't be any good against the Bellas if they're at odds, when the Bellas come out. They try to fuel the dissension by insisting that AJ is only interested in this to become Divas champion again, but by the end of it, Paige is fully on AJ's side, agreeing that they want to be themselves, nothing like the Bellas, and this Sunday, they'll prove who's better.
Mike breathes a little easier knowing that AJ at least won't have to keep an eye on both the Bellas and Paige during the match, her neck issues still haunting him. When she returns to Axxess, she seems as relieved as he feels, rushing into his arms and kissing him. "Thank you for the encouragement," she murmurs against his lips, trailing her fingers down his jaw. "I love you, husband."
"Love you too." He grins down at her.
The next day, Mike leaves the house early once more to go golfing for charity, AJ sleeping through his goodbye kiss. She is awakened, however, by loud knocking on the front door and sits up, brushing hair out of her face. "Mike?" Squinting at the clock, she grimaces and hops out of bed, heading to answer the door. She's mid-yawn when she pulls it open, not caring that she's only in one of Mike's merch shirts and some shorts. "Hello?" she asks, rubbing at her eyes for a moment before blinking them open, gaping at the person standing on her stoop. "Tamina?!" she squeaks, staring up at her enforcer. She squeals and runs forward, jumping up into Tamina's arms and laughing as the woman quickly adjusts her stance to grab AJ and keep her from hurting herself. "You're here! Why didn't you tell me you were flying in, I would've come pick you up!"
"I had some business to handle with the troops," she explains. "It was early and I didn't want to disturb you so I just grabbed a taxi... but since I'm here, I figured it was pointless to deal with a hotel. You have an extra room for me?"
"Yes! Of course! Come in, I have so much to tell you," AJ gasps, hopping out of her arms and pulling her into the house. Tamina rolls her eyes a little but settles in to listen anyway, relieved to drop her bag by the couch and just be for a minute, away from crowds and everything else. "Want something to drink? I think John stocked Mike's fridge full of coconut water again..."
"That's fine," Tamina agrees, stretching out on the couch and releasing a breath. "So what's been going on? I watch when I can between rehabbing... Mizdow and Miz aren't doing so well, huh?"
AJ pops back into the room with the waters and settles down across from Tamina, shaking her head. "Not so much, no. I try to help where I can, but Mike is really hating this arrangement right now. I'm not really sure how to help him... It might be better for everyone involved if he does fire Mizdow after this Sunday, but I don't know." She runs a finger against the rim of her water bottle, releasing a breath. "Things were so good at first, but now..."
"Yeah. I gathered as much." Tamina tilts her head at AJ and shrugs. "Well, things can't be too terrible. By what I know of Mike, when he really hates someone, he has no problem cutting ties with him professionally. Look at him and John. Things worked out there and with Alex, too."
"True. I'm not sure things here are as simple." She sighs and runs her fingers through her hair, suddenly remembering she's fresh out of bed. "Crap, sorry, I was just asleep, I didn't realize. I probably look terrible..."
Tamina waves a hand at her, laughing a little. "Oh please, you stayed with me while I was recovering, there's no question you've seen me much worse. The sleep rumpled look is cute on you, at least."
"Well, fine then," AJ says, making a face at her. "So what about you? Planning on returning soon?"
"Yeah, it's in the works," Tamina nods, taking a quick sip before delving into how her recovery is progressing. AJ listens, then explains her own recovery, beginning to explain the road back to hopefully becoming divas champion, when the door opens and Mike, Alex and Mizdow wander in, Mike and Alex bickering over...
"That was definitely a hole in one!" Mike grouses.
"A hole in one means the ball goes in the hole on your first shot, Mike. That most definitely did not. Right, Mizdow?"
"Oh, don't ask him, he doesn't understand golf," Mike snaps.
"Well I think he understands it better than you do!"
"Says the man who nearly ran screaming into the lake when a squirrel dared chatter in the tree you were standing next to. I thought you got over that ridiculousness?"
"Shut, up," Alex huffs through gritted teeth, AJ venturing into the front hall as they drop their golf clubs into the closet.
"Boys," she says, barely attracting their attention as they continue to argue. She stares at Mizdow, who looks on apologetically as she rolls her eyes. "BOYS!"
Mike jumps and hits his head on the hangers, quickly scrambling out of the closet. "H- hey, sweetheart, didn't hear you come in." He smiles weakly. "Did we wake you up?"
"No, but I want you all to say hello to our new guest," she says, crossing her arms over her chest as Tamina comes out of the living room.
"Holy hell, hey, Tamina, how's it going?" Mike asks, kicking his clubs in and slamming the door shut, standing in front of it to keep everything in the closet from cascading back out. "Long time no see."
"Oh, it's going," she says drily, eyeing the closet door as it keeps trying to pop back open.
AJ rolls her eyes and grabs Alex and Mizdow by the sleeves, staring pointedly at her husband. "Fix the closet, Mike. I'll have a coconut water waiting for you once you're done." The four of them enter the living room, leaving Mike behind to curse violently as he tries to organize everything that he'd knocked over.
Mizdow stands awkwardly for a few minutes, looking around with clueless eyes, as Alex sits in a chair and loses himself in his phone once more, uploading more pictures to Instagram. Tamina and AJ reclaim their seats and before long she sighs, looking up at Mizdow. "Make yourself at home, Mizdow," she says simply, motioning around. "We have plenty of seats, you don't have to stand."
He swallows hard, murmuring a vague thank you, before sheepishly wandering over and sitting down next to Tamina. She smirks over at him, a dangerous look in her dark eyes. "I won't bite." He releases a breath and stares down at his hands, clearly feeling awkward. They hadn't seen each other since New Years, a fact that clearly bothers him more than her. "I like you better when you're not mimicking Miz," she tells him before turning her attention back to AJ, not reacting to the flush that covers his face as he gapes at her.
When Mike rejoins them, he looks frazzled and annoyed, quietly settling in next to AJ on her chair. "Why couldn't Mizdow do that?" he grumbles to her, just to fall quiet when he realizes that Mizdow and Tamina are sitting next to each other, remembering the last time he'd seen them in the same room together. "Oh. Yeah. Sure." AJ smiles up at him, her hand finding his and squeezing softly.
Alicia arrives back from her own media event at some point, kicking her long legs back and forth as she sits sideways in Alex's lap, kissing him on the side of the face loudly. He finally puts his phone down and pays her attention, Mike rolling his eyes as both of his associates- past and present- pay him no mind, trapped in the women next to them. Not that it matters, really, as AJ cups his face and turns his attention back onto her. "Another Wrestlemania weekend is upon us," she murmurs to him.
"Yep..."
"You're not planning on dashing off to Vancouver to film another movie, are you?"
He laughs and shakes his head. "Nope, you're stuck with me." She clicks her tongue before he kisses her hungrily. "Besides, such a trip would be no fun unless I could drag you along with me..."
"True."
They all trickle in and out for the next few hours, until Mike has to go for a Marine 4 screening. It's a success, the crowd seems to enjoy it, and Summer isn't even all that annoying. He leaves the auditorium, happy, and heads home. The house is quiet, dark, most of them still at Axxess, and he sighs, content to have a few minutes to himself after running so nonstop the last few days. It's temporary, however, as Mizdow arrives and sits down next to him, staring up at the stars in the sky. Mike thinks he should say something but he's just too tired to form words so they sit in silence, taking in the simplicity surrounding them. By the time AJ, Alicia and Alex return, the silence between them is almost comfortable, genial.
He doubts it'll last, however.
-x
The Hall of Fame is a rare time of year where the goals and the feuds, bitterness and hatred disappears. The men and women come together as people in love with the business, set to honor the greats that came before and paved the way for them. For this reason, Miz gives Mizdow the night off before moving aside to hug his parents, glad that they could be here for another Wrestlemania. They seem to enjoy it, getting along well with his friends- Alex and Zack Ryder especially enjoy hanging out with his dad, the three of them having intense discussions over who has the best hair. He laughs and leans over to hug AJ as she talks with Tamina, all of them quickly moving to their seats when the lights dim.
It's a night of retrospection, rejuvenation... to listen to others as in love with what they do as they are, prepare for the craziness that will happen the following night. Made even better that Miz doesn't see Mizdow for the few hours that they spend there, or during the afterparty.
It's painfully late when they all get back to the house, AJ tripping over her flats as she struggles to get out of her dress and Mike laughs, reaching over to help her with the zipper, softly kissing her neck as he does so. She melts back into his arms and sighs. "That was a nice ceremony." He hums against her skin as she kicks her shoes off and falls back into bed, holding her arms out to him. "I'm so wiped out."
He nods, quickly shrugging out of his suit before joining her. "I know. Me too. And we still have the actual Mania and then Raw to get through..."
She strokes his face and lightly kisses him. "You take care of yourself out there, husband. Thirty guys in one ring... it's kind of scary..."
"I will. And you do the same." He gently kneads her neck under his fingers. "You feeling good? Your neck ok?"
She smiles lovingly down at him. "It's great, yeah."
"Good." As she settles back against his chest, he continues to massage her until she falls asleep, her breath steady and warm against his flesh. "Good night, sweetheart," he murmurs, slowly dozing off as well.
-x
The next day, Miz stares out over the arena, trying to syke himself up for what's to come. Alex, AJ and Paige are in a line next to him, also observing, and Mizdow is lurking somewhere behind them, staying where he belongs for once. Mike sighs and turns, clapping Alex on the chest. "Every man for himself, but no hard feelings, alright?" They smirk at each other, looking forward to being in the same ring for the first time in way too long.
"Yeah, sure, don't be too bitter when I eliminate you, Mike," Alex tells him, eyes flashing with the pleasure of being used as a wrestler again.
"Whatever, kid." Mike grins at his wife before turning to head backstage. When he passes Mizdow, he pauses and stares over at him, his amusement immediately fading away. "You remember your role out there. And remember what I said a few weeks ago. You help me to win, you keep your job and everything else I've given you. Don't, and you're done. Understand me?" Mizdow doesn't say anything, his silence speaking volumes, and Mike rolls his eyes, storming off to finish preparing.
The thirty of them all enter at once, no one having a specialized entrance, which Mike thinks is just as well, wanting to get into the thick of it as quickly as possible. Before too long, he realizes that Alex is talking with Mizdow, right there, in the middle of the match and he rolls his eyes, only able to imagine what Alex is playing to the crowd with this time, after their tweets back and forth not that long ago. So he interrupts and he gets in Alex's face, the two of them facing off while Mizdow watches. Miz sneers and turns to him. "Eliminate him!" Mizdow seems to hesitate for only a second before doing as he'd commanded, successfully throwing Alex over the top rope.
They seem to be working together well, Mizdow keeping his overinflated self-importance in check for once, when they're down to three. Them and Big Show. Miz is aware that the only way the match will end in their favor would be for Big Show to be eliminated so he slaps Mizdow on the chest. "Get over here and help me to eliminate him," he orders him, turning to face Big Show, expecting his assistant to see reason and be behind him... but no, gravity fails him and he falls over the top rope, hitting the ground hard and gaping up in shock as Mizdow glares down at him, the meaning of it finally registering with him. "I QUIT!" Mizdow yells down at him.
He has no choice but to go backstage and stand numbly, watching Mizdow try and fail to eliminate Big Show. For a minute, Miz almost thinks that his former assistant has it, Mizdow coming so close, but Big Show regains control and eliminates him easily and Miz sneers, rolling his eyes. "That's what he deserves," he mumbles. "I told him again and again... but he has to start listening to Alex and the crowd, and everyone else, and now look at him... Just another failure like everyone else..." But underneath all of his anger, he can't help but feel sad. Before everything started to go wrong, Mizdow had been a fine assistant, and an even better stunt double. So used to constantly having that shadow, even when his presence pissed him off more often than not, he's not sure what to do now that he's alone again.
But he is reminded that he's wrong quickly when familiar arms wrap around his chest and waist, hugging him closely. He sighs and rests his hands on AJ's arms, turning in her arms to stare down at her. "You ok?" she asks him, a sad smile on her face as she strokes his back.
"Now," he nods. They're still standing there when Mizdow comes through the curtain, still dazed from losing despite everything he'd done. He approaches them and Miz immediately holds his hand up to him. "No. You made your position quite clear, Sandow. You've quit, so get out of my sight. I don't want to hear whatever you have to say. Go enjoy being a loser by yourself. I'm done, you're done, so go. Now." His anger is slow-burning, his voice reflecting it, and he's always scarier when he speaks slow, his eyes blazing with intensity, and even AJ is a little worried as Damien steps back, gapes at him for a minute, then turns and walks away.
She reaches up and cups his face, drawing him back down to her level, staring deeply into his eyes. "It's going to be ok, husband. It will." She kisses him until he relaxes, murmuring soothingly as he nods and stands up straighter, their hands tangling together while she leads him back to the locker room where she leaves him, needing to find Paige and prepare for their tag match.
Her and Paige winning against the Bellas bring him some comfort, but he's still very quiet, lost in thought for the rest of the night. Even when they go home a few hours after Wrestlemania ends with Seth Rollins champion and the locker room abuzz, and AJ leads him into their bedroom, gently freeing him from his clothes and shoes before guiding him into bed, stroking his hair and holding him close, he's still distant. She sighs, aching for him, unable to count how many friends and/or tag partners he's lost in this business over the years, but aware that each of them had pushed him to become the insecure man with badly hidden trust issues that she'd married, easy to anger and become jealous, only able to show trust or true friendship towards those who'd been in his life awhile, like John, Alex or Ricardo.
How exactly he'd worked through it all enough to open his heart up to her, especially after what she'd put him through while together with Dolph, she's not sure, but she's excessively thankful for the fact that he had managed it, and that she had been able to find the strength to repay him in kind, considering her own past with relationships.
She falls asleep haunted by the fear that this is the last straw for him, that he'd forever be distant and broken, unwilling to trust again, but when morning dawns, Wrestlemania a blurry memory of getting knocked off of the apron repeatedly just to regroup enough to succeed against the Bellas, she stirs to his hand warm and comforting on her back, his eyes dark but focused on her as a small smile flits across his face. "Hi, sweetheart."
Her heart lightens at the sound of his voice, the almost normal expression on his face, and she sits up, cupping his jaw and kissing him long and hard. "Are you ok?" He nods and she immediately kisses him again, sighing into his mouth as he shifts their positions, laying her down in the pillows and sheets before hovering over her, searching her face. "Mike..."
"Did I scare you?" he asks quietly, running a finger over her lips, parting them. "I'm sorry. I just needed some time to think... Thank you for staying with me." She nods, about to respond, when he kisses her, his warmth comforting her until she almost feels like crying, gripping him desperately, to keep him with her, like that, forever more. Not the shell of a man he'd been the night before, lost in loss. Pulling away, he rubs her nose with his, smiling down at her. "I love you."
"I love you too," she murmurs, blinking sheepishly as he wipes a couple of tears from her eyes. "You know I'm always going to be here for you, Mike. No matter what."
He nods, eyes fixed on her. "And I same for you," he whispers, voice husky and low as he settles against her, kissing down her jaw.
Going to the arena, only him, AJ, Alex and Alicia in the car, is weird. Yet another thing he'll need to get used to, but he's sure he will. It's when he's in the arena, turning to bark something at Mizdow, that it hits him over and over again, and he's sure people are starting to think that he's lost it. It doesn't help much when he sees that he has no match on the board, but Damien is scheduled to face Stardust later, so he doesn't even have that kind of distraction.
AJ has a six divas match later on, but she seems unconcerned about it after the night before, so she stays with him as he watches Damien. For whatever reason, the man comes out to Miz's music. He wins the match with Miz's finisher. By the end of it, Miz is numb and angry, gritting his teeth so hard that his jaw aches. He doesn't remember letting go of AJ's hand, he doesn't remember slamming through the hallway until he makes it to the ring, but reality catches up with him when he's inside the ropes, tangling Damien up in the Skull Crushing Finale, slamming him into the mat. He then proceeds to scream at the man, at the crowd, everyone responsible for what Damien has caused them to become. "I gave you EVERYTHING!" he yells at Damien, not understanding any of this. "I MADE YOU!"
He storms backstage and paces around until Damien is helped up the ramp, the referees quickly scattering when Miz grabs him, staring him in the eye. Damien being a little taller has never mattered, and it bothers Mike even less now as he glowers up at him, his pure intensity leaving an already staggering Damien clinging to him for support. "That theme music is MINE! That finisher is MINE! You are not allowed to take anything else from me!" He shakes him hard, hating himself for feeling so damn raw over all of this, for allowing himself to get attached enough. "I have dealt with EVERYONE picking you over me and you purposely HUMILIATING ME over and over again, and now you do this?! Quitting and then using my theme and my finisher?!" Pushing him down hard, Miz stands over him as he hits the floor, breathing heavily with his fists clenched and tears filling his angry blue eyes. "If this is how you treat your friends, I can see why Cody Rhodes found it so easy to leave you behind! You deserve to be alone, floundering and hopeless in your career!"
Shoulders shaking, he turns and storms off, leaving a downed Sandow to stare after him as various superstars, divas, referees and techs whisper around him. Mike ends up in Brock Lesnar's abandoned locker room and he trashes it, everything that's probably on the man's rider quickly getting demolished. Water splashes in an oddly satisfying arc as he throws the bottles against the wall with all of the anger he's been holding onto since Mizdow had eliminated him the night before, there are plates of fruit and sandwiches that he squishes in his hands before they follow the path of the water bottles, splattering against the wall and leaving stains behind before falling to the floor, where they meld into the tile in sickening streaks of color that aren't helped at all when he begins pacing. He pauses for a minute when he hears AJ's music but he can't bring himself to watch, not able to accept the tension of her being in the ring with those he holds responsible for her neck injury.
Growling, remembering the weeks she hadn't told him, had let him think that she'd just needed a break because of a relatively minor eye injury, he turns and tips the table, throwing it against the wall too. It crashes with a loud thud and he slowly follows it, hitting the ground and digging his fingers through the mess of water and food, trailing more of it around the ugly brown tiles. He's still on the floor when AJ finds him, staring in at the room in shock for a few moments before walking over to him and kneeling down on her knees next to him. "Oh baby," she whispers, wrapping her arms around him as he buries himself into her, trying to block out the world. "It's ok. It's ok. I'm here now." She kisses the back of his head and allows him to fall apart in her arms, trusting in him to rebuild himself in the safety of her. Rocking him back and forth, she's careful to not take his mutters and almost painful grip personal, aware that he's been under a lot of pressure for weeks- no, months- by now, and he needs a place to let it out or completely melt down.
It feels like it takes a lifetime for him to finally start to collect himself and when he comes up for air, his face is flushed and pale all at once, eyes red-rimmed and itchy looking. "I'm sorry," he croaks out, reaching up and stroking her face. "I'm sorry."
"It's fine," she whispers to him. "How many times have I lost it on you? I think you were long overdo." She wipes his face off and looks around at the destroyed locker room. She doesn't care about any of it, however, only wanting to make sure that the trembling man kneeling down next to her will be alright. "Come on, husband. Let's get out of here." Her fingers warm against his face, she smiles softly at him. "Someone needs a long, hot shower, I think. Or maybe a bath, huh?" He nods miserably and she leans in, kissing him. "Then let's go do that, alright?"
As she pulls him up to his feet, he stares up at her, adoration breaking through his exhaustion and sadness. "I don't know what I'd do without you," he tells her faintly. "I'm the luckiest man in the world."
"Yes you are," she tells him, guiding him out to the hall, his balance off while feeling returns to his legs after so long of being on the floor. "And I'm a lucky woman because you would do, and have done, the same for me, many times over."
His responding smile makes her feel a little less panicked, a little more like things will be alright, given time.