Mike misses Raw. It's not a huge loss, gives him a week to remain healthy while Ryback and Big Show tear into each other, but he does hear that he's been granted a triple threat match against the other two for the Intercontinental title at Battleground. Most would think he's afraid of the two larger men and what they could do to his priceless moneymaker, but he knows how to play it: smart. Focusing on his speed and craftiness over their plodding strength and reckless attacks.
It'd always gotten him through in the past, so he's fairly confident to at least walk out champion at Battleground. They spend a few extra days in Florida, catching up with Ricardo, Paige and Sofia, Alicia returning from Raw and joining them all for dinner. With Ricardo leaving on Friday for a fan fest, AJ and Mike decide to return home Thursday, so they only see Alberto briefly after he returns from London, which is fine. Mike has enough drama between Alex and AJ, Alicia and Paige, he doesn't want to add Morrison and Alberto to the list of people he's trapped between.
The flight from Florida to California is tiring and AJ falls asleep in the car while they're stuck in traffic waiting to get back to the house. Mike smiles fondly over at her, turning the radio down for the duration of the trip. When they arrive, he pulls into the driveway and gets out quietly, shutting the door gently behind him before walking over to her side. Opening her door, he reaches inside and scoops her up, carrying her inside and laying her on their bed before going to get their luggage. Stacking the suitcases up next to the bathroom door, he turns around and kicks his shoes off before joining her, wrapping his arms around her. She snuggles against him, murmuring sleepily, before sinking back into sleep.
He sighs quietly and kisses the top of her head before closing his eyes, joining her in sleep easily enough. He's not sure how much time has passed when he wakes up, just that it's dark and quiet around him. He yawns and fumbles around, his phone blinding him as he squints at it. It reads 5:23 and he frowns in confusion before realizing it means AM, not PM. Getting out of bed, he ventures through the house, careful to avoid all of the usual things he's tripped over or stubbed his toes on in the past. "AJ?" he whispers.
He can just see her in the slow growing daybreak, sitting in the living room with her knees hugged to her chest, staring out of the window quietly. She turns towards him quietly and whispers back, "Mike?"
"Yeah, sweetheart." He joins her, wrapping his arms around her. "Whatcha doing? Can't sleep?"
"Overslept, I think." She nuzzles back into him and sighs. "Guess I needed it though. So did you." She rubs her hands up and down his arms, causing him to smile. She rests her head against his shoulder and sighs softly, watching as the sky slowly turns pink and red. "It's beautiful," she murmurs.
"Yes it is," he agrees quietly, drawing her over to a chair and sitting her in his lap so they can watch the sunrise more comfortably. She takes his hands in hers and squeezes softly, lifting them to her lips in a slow, soft kiss. By the time the sun finishes setting an hour later, Mike's mind's turned towards breakfast so he lifts her up and walks into the kitchen, AJ giggling as he settles her in a chair before heading over to the fridge. He snags some eggs and milk, bringing it all over to a bowl where he starts to mix omelettes.
She watches for a bit before unfolding herself from the chair and joining him, brewing some coffee and starting to fry sausage while he flips the omelettes. They smile at each other, relieved to fall back into a normal rhythm after being so busy the past few weeks. It lasts the rest of the day, and well into Sunday, before Mike has to turn his focus to the week ahead, his obligations to WWE. Raw and then Tough Talk, Smackdown, and whatever else may come media wise.
After he's confirmed his flight out to Raw the next day, AJ settles back in his arms and grimaces. "Maybe I won't let you go," she murmurs, burying her face against his neck as he strokes her back. "Make you stay here with me."
"I'd be ok with that," he tells her, kissing her forehead. "But I can't just let this Intercontinental shot go, sweetheart. I promise I'll be home on Wednesday, after Tough Talk."
She pouts but ultimately nods, reluctant with her understanding. "I'll hold you to that," she mumbles. He strokes the hair out of her eyes before leaning in and kissing her softly.
Mike arrives at the arena early the next day to find he's scheduled for a match against Ryback. Something he's not looking forward to the moment he sees the words scrawled on the board, but he takes a breath. Taps his forehead, reminding himself. Smarts... best way to survive... He's just turned around to head to the main locker room when he bumps into someone, stumbling back. "Hey-" he's about to snap at them before stopping short. "Oh. Hey, Paige."
She stares at him, rubbing her arm awkwardly. "Hey." Florida had been easy enough, they'd been surrounded by people, but things had been weird since the week prior with Alicia. He stares at her until she clears her throat. "Ricardo enjoyed spending time with you guys this past week, and it was great seeing AJ again. I'm glad you're still making her happy."
"It's all I want to do," he admits quietly as they adjust and walk side by side down the hall. "How are things going with you and Ricardo?"
"Fine," she says simply. "Great, actually. I mean, that could change once Total Divas starts up again, but for now... outside of bloody missing him so much because we both are so busy, but yeah, I guess it'd be worse if we were apart and I didn't, right?"
He smiles bittersweetly and lifts a shoulder. "Right. At least when you guys see each other again, it makes the time you have together that much better, right?"
She nods. "Yeah. I suppose it's the same for you and AJ?"
Mike releases a breath. "Yep. But we always have each other's back, and she's still recovering from the various nagging stuff she had while wrestling regularly, and finishing up her book so at least she's always at home when I get some time off." He immediately stops and looks at Paige, grimacing. "I'm sorry. I know that's not always the case with you and Ricardo, I shouldn't have-"
"It's fine," she shrugs. "Besides, one plus with Tough Enough is I'm always in Florida on Tuesdays now so I can drop in, surprise him while he's training at the dojo. It's just that little bit more of time together that we didn't have before, you know? It's nice."
He smiles and drapes an arm around her in a loose hug. "Yeah, I definitely know. And I get to see him a little more now too. Which is good." He pulls away after a moment, realizing that they're hanging around outside of the locker room, everyone staring at them as they pass by. "I should go in, get ready for Raw. See you later."
"Alright, bye, Mike," she says, realizing just how much attention they're garnering by the nosier superstars and divas wandering back and forth. Ignoring the whispers, they go their separate ways.
Mike doesn't win against Ryback, but he avoids the man from the first bell ring, and annoys him, escaping entirely and laughing even as he gets counted out. He'd avoided serious injury and that was the important thing, realizing half way there that he's all but skipping towards the locker room, stopping himself with a weak chuckle. "Dammit, AJ." He's unlacing his boots, preparing to leave, while Paige wrestles Alicia with the Bellas lingering around at ringside.
It's a brutal match, his eyes are locked on the monitor even as he fumbles with his laces. When someone blocks his view, he makes a muffled annoyed noise until he looks up to find Sheamus sneering down at him, his briefcase held loosely in hand. "Watchin' your new girlfriend, Mikey?" He laughs roughly before walking off, Mike staring at him in confusion before turning back to the monitor, realizing why people were whispering and watching them so closely earlier. Oh shit.
He hates himself for doing it but he collects his things and leaves the arena early, hoping that Renee or someone will take sympathy on Paige and give her a ride back to the hotel. If rumors are already swirling about them, he won't risk making them worse before he can get home to AJ and warn her before the others get ahold of her and ruin everything.
He's sitting at the bottom of his bed, staring down at the ugly brown and green carpeting before the door opens roughly, Paige stumbling in with a hurt, angry look on her face. She takes one look at him, though, and grows worried, kicking the door shut behind her. "What happened? Is AJ ok?"
"She's fine," he says in a dull monotone. "But she won't be if things continue on this way." He looks up at her, his blue eyes blazing with an icy kind of pain. "We need to talk... there are rumors going around..." The more he explains, the more Paige's face falls until she looks as battered as he feels.
"Son of a bloody bitch," she releases in one breath.
If it wasn't so serious, he'd laugh. "What the hell are we going to do now?" he asks instead. It's clear by the look on her face that she's as clueless as he is.