Everything had fallen apart significantly for Mike after losing to The Fiend. He feels like he's spiraling and he's not sure how to stop it. Christmas had gone by in a blur, Mike absentmindedly opening gifts from Alicia and Ricardo, Taya and John, Heath and Maryse, and a stack of the comic books AJ had had a hand in writing to take on the road with him for when travel sucked and he needed something to entertain himself with.
He barely remembers helping the kids open their presents, gently teasing George with the toys he'd received from his aunts Tamina and Alicla. "Spoiling you already, aren't they?" he asks his son with an affectionate smile as the baby squirms and whines, unsure about the bright lights on the tree and everything else going on around him.
New Years isn't much better, though Mike tries to be present, kissing AJ when the clock strikes midnight to ring in 2020 officially. He holds her close and presses kisses along her jaw, down her throat, and she sighs, curling her fingers behind his neck, slowly swaying with him. "I'm sorry 2020 isn't starting off better for you," she tells him, smiling faintly when he spins her around a bit.
"It's not too bad," he lies. "The kids are sleeping peacefully, our friends had a pretty good time at the party tonight, and now I'm holding the most beautiful woman in the world in my arms. Could be a lot worse." He leans in and kisses her and she hums softly, smiling up at him.
"Charmer," she says, hooking her fingers in the line of his dress jacket and drawing him slowly towards the stairs. "C'mon, we can toast the new year just as easily in our bedroom than down here."
He smiles, obligingly trailing after her. "AJ?"
She stops and turns towards him, hovering by the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, Mike?"
"Thank you for never..." He exhales. Shrugs. "Never acting disappointed with me. I... I made all of these promises to Maryse, to you, to the kids, to defeat The Fiend, and I... I didn't even come close."
She steps back down onto the main floor and walks up to him, cradling his face in her hands. "You listen to me, Mike Mizanin. Those of us who really care about you don't care about what promises you may have made- we're just happy you're home, and healthy. Ok? Let Daniel Bryan deal with The Fiend, I'm much happier to have you here, dancing with me on New Years, than anything else."
He nods, leaning into her warmth, and softly kisses her palms. "Thank you. Thank you so much, sweetheart."
She kisses him, and then curls her fingers around his once more, returning to her original goal to lead him upstairs, to the quiet privacy of their bedroom.
Smackdown is rough this week. He's angry, he's tense, despite AJ's promises, because he still feels like a failure. He stares Daniel down, demanding of him what he himself could not accomplish, he picks a fight with New Day, tossing their disgusting pancakes around, and he... he loses to Kofi Kingston in the match that follows.
Gritting his teeth and subconsciously rubbing his finger over the scar remaining on his eyebrow from years and years ago, he storms towards his locker room and slams the door open, not acknowledging anything in his room. Until he turns to kick the table standing between him and the couch and lets out a startled yell when his leg impacts with something else. Something softer. Something human.
John Morrison. All he can do is gape at his best friend, shaking his head wildly. "Wha... wh... what!?"
John smirks at him, shrugging. "Hey, Mike, long time no see."
"Holy shit, I- I thought you were still filming that movie, what- what's going on?" he demands, a frantic buzzing in his ears as he continues to take John in. "You... you weren't home for the holidays."
"Yeah," John sighs. "I wanted to finish filming that movie, get home quickly as I could to be here for you with The Fiend stuff going on, but reshoots took forever." He stares at Mike with grim, dark eyes. "I'm sorry, man. Are you ok? Are the kids? AJ and Maryse and everyone? Taya told me some things, but I know she's been really busy with Impact and everything herself, so..."
"Yeah," Mike says, lips feeling numb. "Everyone's ok." He reaches out, gingerly, and touches John's shoulder, grazing his hands up his neck. "You- you're really here. Does that mean?"
"Yeah," John says with a smirk. "I'm officially back."
Mike exhales roughly, ducking his head. "I've really missed you," he confesses after a few moments of silence. John's fingers grip his jaw, guide his face up, and as soon as John sees the tears filling Mike's eyes, dripping down his face, he moves, throws his arms around Mike and hugs him tight.
"I've missed you too," John whispers into his ear and Mike exhales shudderingly. They're still standing there when there's a knock at the door and Mike sniffs, pulling away and shaking his head. John pushes him lightly back onto the couch. "Just relax, I'll take care of this."
And so John's firce appearance on Smackdown in over eight years was to say that Mike had nothing to say tonight, and to lightly close the door in an interviewer's face. Maybe a bit of a letdown, but Mike can't help but feel pleased at having his best friend back, someone to watch his back after so long of being alone.
He had tried with Sandow, and Shane, and so many other people over the years, but when it all came down to it, he only ever feels like The Miz when John is standing by his side, silently supporting and enhancing every part of him.