"A six man," AJ suggests once he's home for the week, her hands guiding Sara Louisa as she babbles and crawls her way up her dad's body, settled on his abs and looking up at him as Mike lays flat on his back in the middle of their bed, plenty of padding on either side should she falter and slip off of him.

"Huh?" Mike asks, staring up at the ceiling and listening to his daughter's soft giggles as he breathes and sends her up and down with each inhale and exhale.

AJ leans over so she can look into his eyes and smiles. "Just force a six man. You, Spirit Squad against Ziggler, Heath and Rhyno. Should be simple enough, huh? Maybe just a little ego bruising will remind Heath who his real friends are."

Mike doubts that, remembering the look in Heath's eyes when Mike had ignored him during his desperate search for a tag partner. "Maybe," he says quietly, motioning to her until she leans in and kisses him, careful not to squish their daughter as she crawls up higher on her father's chest. Mike snags the baby as she fusses, hoisting her up and kissing her soft cheek. "You know what, Mommy and I haven't had a date night in awhile so I think it's time to see if Uncle Johnny and Aunt Taya are available to watch you."

"Aunt Taya, huh?" AJ asks, smoothing a hand down Sara's head. "Replaced Star already, huh?"

Mike shrugs. "Well, John has. I think Taya's good for him. That's the best I can ask for, you know?" He sits up, upending both of his girls, and settles Sara back in his lap before pulling AJ back into his side, kissing her. "Don't you want to go out, have some fun?" His hand is low on her back and she exhales, eyes fluttering as he rubs circles into her spine with his thumb.

"This is fun," she mumbles against his lips.

He smirks. "You know what I mean."

AJ swallows and dives for the phone, trading it for the baby and preparing her to go to John's while Mike confirms that his best friend is available for the night.

Taya and John are sitting outside, waiting for them when they arrive, and John briskly hugs his best friend before making grabby fingers for the baby, who easily go to him, wide eyes locked on his face as she grips at his hair. He chuckles and makes faces at her as he carefully detangles his hair from her chubby fists, Taya quickly swooping in and ponytailing John's hair for him, putting it up for a bun before leaning in to make kissy faces at the baby, who loses a little of her confidence as she blinks in confusion at Taya, still getting used to her. She fusses a little when John hands her over to the new woman in his life, but Sara quickly settles as Taya rocks her and hums comfortingly, a smile growing across her face as the baby accepts her.

"Well, I think you're good," Mike chuckles. "Thanks for this, guys. We'll be back in a couple of hours." He pats John hard on the chest before leaning in to kiss Sara, tapping his nose against hers as she swats at him, grinning as he pulls away. "Be good, Sara Lou. I'll see you soon."

AJ swoops in for a quick kiss of her own, murmuring to the baby before turning to follow Mike out. "It never gets easier, does it? Leaving her behind?" she wonders, glancing over her shoulder towards the closed apartment door and exhaling.

"No," Mike mumbles, draping an arm over his shoulder. "I'm unfortunately used to it by now though."

AJ flushes, realizing that he leaves the baby every week for his WWE responsibilities, and arches up on her tippy toes. "I'm sorry, husband, I forgot," she mumbles, draping her arms around his neck and kissing him.

"I forgive you," he says with a small smile, supporting her as he kisses her.

They get some cheeseburgers and milkshake and settle in at the park not far from John's house and lay side by side in the grass, eating and catching up with each other like they haven't had the chance to in a long time, between Mike's touring, AJ's book, and the baby. Once they're done eating, AJ rests her head on Mike's shoulder and presses a soft kiss to the warm skin there. "So, no Christmas movie this year? I'm disappointed we're not going to Vancouver..."

Mike tsks at her, leaning in to kiss her. "Maybe we'll work out a trip when I'm not filming a movie. I'd like to see Sara's response to it when she's a little older."

AJ's smile is bright, beautiful. "Yes, I'd like to see that too," she sighs, closing her eyes when Mike eases her down in the grass and hovers over her, kissing her deeply. Her fingers card through his hair and she exhales, groaning as the grass tickles her arms and the inch of skin showing as her shirt rides up a little, not enough to distract her from the warm tingling easing up her body from his attention. "I love you," she whispers.

"I love you too," Mike says, his eyes fixed on her when she looks up at him, expression overwhelmed with a flood of emotions. He lifts her up and carries her back to the car, AJ squealing and gripping him around the neck until he settles her in the passenger seat, leaning in for another kiss before he gets into the driver's seat so they can return home for some privacy until they have to go get their daughter in an hour.

-x

That Tuesday, Mike avoids Heath. He knows Maryse sees him and she returns with a pinched look about her face, shaking her head. "He likes to be a role model," she exhales. "And Rhyno hates male cheerleaders, so..."

"It's fine," Mike tells her. "I think I have an idea. Or, well, AJ had an idea and it sounded so good, I think I'm going to try it."

She doesn't look reassured by this, but she stays by him as he goes to the ring, Mikey and Kenny following them. He's solemn, playing the grieving former champion to the hilt, and she ducks her head and waits. As soon as Ziggler, Heath and Rhyno come out for the match, she leaves the ring, although her dark eyes are locked on Heath the entire time. It's cheating, and she feels bad for Heath when Mikey and Kenny double team him and cost him the match, but it's clear by Mike's expression that this is how he wanted it to go.

"So what was the plan?" she inquires, accent thick as she kicks her shoes off and curls up on the couch, hugging her legs close while she watches Mike tear off his wrist tape.

"Humiliate Heath, he'll remember who his friends really are, and stop getting involved in my business with Ziggler," Mike says, pausing and looking up at her. "You know him better than I do, think it'll work?"

She shrugs listlessly, nearly one hundred percent certain that Heath will not fall for that, riding a wave of new confidence and happiness since winning the tag belts and receiving his new contract. She murmurs softly in French and waits as Mike ducks into the shower, cleaning off the shower.

She's still sitting there when Heath storms in, yelling at Mike, just to stop short when he realizes it's just her. His hands tense at his sides and she slowly gets up, walking over to him and standing so they're eye to eye. When she has no shoes on, he's a fair bit taller than she is and she quirks an eyebrow, smirking at him. "Mike is in the shower," she explains, trailing a hand down his pecs, realizing by the moist warmth of his skin that he'd just come from the same place. She feels strangely warm herself at the thought of it but when she looks up at him, it's clear mutual attraction is the furthest thing from his mind.

"Why's he doin' this? Why's he cheatin' against Ziggler, and now takin' it out on me?" Heath wonders. "I thought we were ok."

"You chose Ziggler over him," Maryse says simply. "You don't know the history they have, but it's not good. He is... eh, justified."

"What'd Ziggler do to him?" Heath wonders despite himself, dark eyes following Maryse as she returns to the couch.

"Not my place to say," she says quietly. "Not my story to tell."

Heath hovers for a moment before locking eyes with her and moving to sit next to her, as if a magnet attracted to its mate. His fingers graze her ankle and she swallows, closing her eyes. "Mike likes long showers, right?"

"Mm, oui," she breathes out.

He nods, thoughts running through his head at a breakneck speed, and he leans over, his lips brushing against hers. She exhales and groans, having missed him the last week. "Maryse," he mumbles against her lips, breath hissing out of him as she grips his hair and tugs, pulling him in and deepening the kiss. "Gawd, I've missed you."

"I've missed you too," she admits, rubbing her nose against his as she nibbles at his lower lip, echoing his soft moan with one of her own. "Wait for me, I'll meet you in your hotel room later. But we can't do this here, Mike could-"

Heath nods, his hand resting high on her leg now and short-cirquiting both of their thought processes. "I- I, yeah. I'll figure somethin' out with Rhyno, maybe he can stay with Ziggler and Zack for the night- or, or somethin'..."

"That works," Maryse agrees, not caring one way or another, just needing some time alone with Heath without the worry of Mike coming out early and destroying Heath right in front of her. "One hour after Smackdown," she promises, tapping his nose and giggling when he goes cross-eyed.

Another kiss exchanged at the door and then Heath's gone, barely a minute passing before the shower turns off. Maryse exhales, trying to cool down as she slumps back on the couch and hugs her legs to her chest once more. When Mike returns to the main room, still towel drying his hair, he looks at her. "Are you ok? You look kind of flushed." She struggles to find something to say and he continues, "You're not coming down with something, are you? I mean we are around a ton of people on a daily basis, so-"

"No, no, I'm healthy as ever," she says. "Perhaps just the humidity from your shower..."

It's a weak excuse but Mike shrugs, letting it go. Just like he lets it go that Maryse decides once they arrive at the hotel to go downstairs to get a nightcap by herself. Heath's room, thankfully, is on the first floor, so she doesn't feel bad as she goes to the elevator and guides it down. One drink later and she's at Heath's door, barely getting to knock before he pulls the door open and smiles down at her, eyes sparkling in the hallway light.

"You taste like alcohol," he tells her as soon as he's drawn her inside and shut the door, allowing them to pick up where they left off back at the arena. "'n' you didn't bring me any?" He tsks playfully at her before settling down in the huge chair by the window and watching through hooded eyes as she sits in his lap, nuzzling in and kissing his neck. "I know you don't like me goin' against Mike, but... there's just somethin' about it, helpin' Ziggler, it feels right." His hand smoothes against her skirt and she exhales, enjoying the rasp of the expensive fabric under his calloused fingers. "You ever do somethin' just because it feels right?"

"I'm here, aren't I?" she responds cheekily, shifting to kiss his throat. He exhales harshly and she laughs into his warm flesh, moving until they're face to face, straddling him. "You've felt right since I started talking to you up in Vancouver," she says, fueled by alcohol and longing. "We've lived such different lives, and come from such different places... but when we talk, it's like you understand me better than most other people I've ever met, even Mike." Her fingers are stroking through his hair, lightly scratching down his scalp, leaving him dazed as his lips part, harsh, shaky breaths punctuating her words. "I know that no matter what I'm going to say, you're going to listen, and you're going to accept me anyway." She presses her lips to his, tasting him as she continues massaging his scalp, causing him to shiver against her.

"When I picked up filmin' Marine 5," Heath struggles to say once he has some of his faculties back under control, "the- the last thing I expected was meetin' someone... someone like you... I mean, you... you accept me for everythin' I am too. Me at my most hyper, my most ridiculous... even when I was losin', and close to bein' unemployed, you didn't care. You... you stayed with me, you made it all better."

His hands are bracing her, pressed against the back of her legs and keeping her from falling backwards out of the chair, and his warmth against her skin is doing interesting things to her and she whimpers, a needy sound that she hasn't made in so long, she can't remember the last time someone had drawn her to such a thing. Her head is spinning, too much for just one drink to have caused, and she thinks she's drunk on his presence, on his words, on how steadily he's taking care of her right now. She hasn't had this for a long time, someone to care about her, to want to talk to her at all hours of the day. "Heath?"

"Mm hmm?"

"I... I think..." She swallows hard and pulls back, looking him in the eye, finding support and encouragement there. She cups his jaw and kisses him again, groaning when he draws her closer, fingers rubbing just above her knee. The words sound awful in English, containing none of the emotion she needs them to have, and so she defaults to her first language. "Je tombe amoureux de toi..."

He purses his lips, confused. "Mind translating, darlin'? I'm a bit rusty on my French."

She laughs, kissing him again, and contents herself with at least having said it her way once. She leans back and rests her hands on his shoulders, staring down at him as his hands shift with her new position, her eyes closing for a moment at the new sensations this sends up her spine. "Ah," she groans. Their eyes are locked and she wonders if perhaps, maybe, he would reciprocate, if perhaps... perhaps... He licks his lips, brows starting to furrow, and she smiles at him, exhaling. "I think I'm falling in love with you." Her accent makes the words sound clunky and uncomfortable, and she hates it, vowing to teach him some French as soon as possible. "I-"

She loses track of what she's saying as he gapes up at her, face lit in awe and amazement. "You, you what?" Having to say it again makes her hate her limited ability with the English language even more, but as soon as the words leave her lips again, his entire face transforms. His teeth flash in a grin and his eyes are liquid pools of dark happiness, almost looking like he's close to crying as he hugs her tightly, kissing and nipping at her shoulders. She exhales and clings to him, her knees digging into his sides as his hands shift from her legs and leave her hanging just a little more precariously.

This stops mattering anyway when he stands up and his hands brace her back as she instinctively laces her legs around his waist, Heath ducking in and kissing her as best as he can while walking them away from the chair, the blankets and sheets cocooning her as he lays her down gently onto the bed. He's sprawled out on top of her and she makes that weak whimper noise again, eyes fluttering when he brushes hair out of her eyes and then hovers just inches from her lips. "I think I'm falling in love with you too," he tells her lowly, hands still doing things that makes her entire body trembling and thrum.

"I think I heard you wrong," she says, sharp laugh turning into a quiet moan when he catches her lips in another, all-encompassing kiss.

"I'm falling in love with you too," he mouths against her shoulders as she keens and arches up, her fingers digging into his hair once more before she shifts him up and claims his lips in a desperate kiss.

For now, in this shadowy hotel room, Mike, the intercontinental title, the evolving tension between their two groups, all of it drifts away, leaves them with nothing to focus or care about but each other.