"Here's to you both," Mike says, holding up a glass of bubbly towards John and Taya both. "Finally both champions! Well deserved." The Knockouts championship, and John's Impact World Heavyweight title, are side by side on the deck railing, gleaming in the setting sun while the two couples enjoy a quiet meal outside, Sara Louisa playing contentedly under the table with a toy dog that Morrison had brought her that resembled Princely.
"By what I hear, congratulations are in order for you too, Mike," John says with a vague smirk on his face. "Finally hooked your man and everything."
AJ snorts, then shrugs when her husband looks over at her. "I think I should be offended but I'm not even sure why," she says lightly, pressing her soft socked toes into the fur of the dog toy her daughter has and listening to her muffled laughter as AJ lifts the toy up and bumps it around a few times before dropping it back into the toddler's waiting arms.
"Shane is not my man," Mike huffs. "He's just a good friend and an even better tag partner."
"If I remember correctly," John says, "you two have partnered together once... and lost to a couple of nobodies."
"Shane was injured!" Mike exclaims, throwing his arms up. "I was reckless and dumb, and I'm lucky he gave me a second chance."
"Well, if anyone would know how that goes," John muses, letting his words fade away as Mike stares at him.
"You really are jealous, aren't you?" he asks, almost laughing. "Damn, John, you've been my best friend for the better part of 11 years. There's nothing for you to feel uncertain about. Shane's just... a good guy, I'm not replacing you."
John nods, still looking a little tense. As if he doesn't believe what Mike is saying. "Yeah, man, sure."
Taya and AJ watch them, incredulous looks on their faces, and Taya shakes her head while AJ hums. "It's always so sad," she says, and Taya turns to look at her.
"What is?"
"When men can't just be straightforward and talk to each other."
"Like when one wishes they were enough to make the other's dad proud back when they partnered?"
"Something like that- or when the other one knows it's kind of silly since it's been so long but can't stop feeling bad for injuring him in his final match with WWE?" AJ and Taya turn expectant eyes over to their husbands, not surprised to find frustrated expressions on both of their faces. Giggling a little, AJ reaches under the table and scoops Sara up before nodding to Taya. "I think we should give these two a minute," she teases before heading inside, Taya on her heels.
Mike rolls his eyes skyward as John turns to him, an unreadable look on his face. "You seriously can't still feel bad about my twisting my ankle, man," he says, shaking his head. "It's been seven years, I don't even think about it anymore."
"I remember you were the goof going rock climbing the next day," Mike mumbles, pressing his hands together.
"Yeah, see, I was fine! There's nothing for you to feel bad about regarding that. I told you at the time, it was my final match and I was glad you were my final opponent in WWE." He nods at the Impact title. "I'd say everything worked out ok for me, between Lucha Underground, Impact, and every other company I've competed and won champions from. Besides, I probably wouldn't have met and fell in love with Taya if I'd stayed in WWE."
"I guess," Mike sighs. "But seriously, man, you know you have nothing to feel bad about regarding my dad. Nothing else I've done since has impressed him- not even being world champion, so I'm not even sure this Shane thing will impress him either. He'll probably just continue to only have eyes for Shane and completely ignore my own contributions to the team."
John reaches over and rubs his shoulder briskly. "Your dad is a pretty difficult to reach guy," he says quietly, watching as Mike nods. "It's ok, though. I will always know that I impressed Zack Ryder's dad at least."
This makes Mike bark out a laugh. "Oh please! That man was purely infatuated with you! I think he honestly hated me after our match, he barely talked to me for the better part of two years!"
John grins and squeezes his shoulder tighter before leaning back into his seat, just glad to see Mike looking a little calmer. "What I can say, Jomosexual wasn't just some term I thought up back in the day to be amusing or whatever. Who wouldn't want a piece of this?" He smirks while Mike rolls his eyes at him. Just to nearly topple out of his chair in a yelp when an ice cube from the alcohol bucket lands squarely right between his pecs, sliding across his skin and somehow making it all worse when he moves, adding to his chill. "Mike!"
Mike just laughs and watches his torment, a wide grin on his face.
-x
That Tuesday, Shane is busy again and Mike starts to suspect that he's just finding excuses now to not partner together. It eats at him, because he's so close to having the tag team he's wanted since they win the Best in the World trophy, so he tries one more time. And Shane really does seem into the idea of them working together... until Mike brings up the gear, then doubt flashes across Shane's face and Mike rolls his eyes a little at the thought of two world class athletes like them having to train. He knows how to be a good tag team partner, thank you!
So he paces around by gorilla, watching The Bar defeat The Usos, and heads for the ring to confront the champions. He challenges them, running his mouth to try to force their hand, and eats a brogue kick for his trouble. He's sitting outside of the trainer's office, miserable and ice on his jaw, when Shane comes up, looking frustrated but concerned too. "Are you ok?" segues into his lecturing Mike for acting when Shane had wanted to take things slow, but dammit, Shane doesn't seem to realize that Royal Rumble is only a couple weeks away, and Mike's used to getting thrown into partnerships with little room to prepare or work together to gel, had even won the tag titles with John in a very similar fashion back in 2007.
He's pleasantly surprised when Shane gives, just a little, upon Mike confessing that he knows they can do this, they can win. Some of the annoyance eases from Shane's face and he grins, nudging Mike. Mike's grin doesn't fade even as pain stabs up his body again. "Easy," he says, even though he doesn't want Shane to take it easy on him, he wants everything- the goofy, lighthearted silliness from the elder McMahon child that tells Mike he really does care as much as he himself does, the concern when Mike does something stupid and gets himself hurt, the frustation when Mike oversteps. Because Shane can just ask John, that one happens pretty often, even when Mike isn't trying.
"So what exactly did the trainer say?" Shane asks, walking patiently by Mike's side as he carefully walks down the hall, grazing a hand over the nearby wall to keep himself upright.
"Oh, you know," Mike says, then clarifies, "Ice it, rest, should be fine in the morning, but it may be sore for awhile."
Shane nods. "Good, I'm glad." He smiles when Mike looks over at him, his own face relaxing into a smile as the pain disappears under the flood of happiness that overwhelms him.
"So about our gear-" he starts excitedly, not that surprised when Shane holds a hand up, shaking his head with a laugh.
"Hang on with that, Mike, I'm still getting my head around the fact that I have a tag title match at the Rumble," Shane says. "Much less what I'm going to wear for it."
Mike thinks about overstepping this time, forcing the issue and push Shane into making a decision, but decides he's pushed his luck enough for one night. "Whatever you say, partner," he says, grinning when Shane glances over at him out of the corner of his eye.
All of his plans are finally falling into place and he hasn't felt this pleased in a long time.