Sometimes Mike remembers. How it felt before, when things with John were spiraling, when their friendship wasn't enough. It's only been a couple of months, but he feels that frustration starting to build again. He lost, he keeps losing, John's the one winning, the one holding their team together while Mike's heart is in California with his family, hoping for everything to return to normal, for this entire mess to disappear as quickly as it'd appeared all of those months ago. It's a struggle to take a breath, and sometimes he freaks out over his inability to breathe deeply, but it's a panic attack of sorts, he knows the signs now, he forces himself to mimic John's inhales and exhales whenever he feels another coming. Before too long, he relaxes, but the tension remains, some underlining fear that everything is slowly beginning to slip away from him like it had all of those years ago.
After Smackdown that week, he's sitting on his hotel bed, head tilted as he relives their loss to Otis and Braun. It had been dumb, it shouldn't have happened- Otis and Braun have never teamed before, they barely know each other, and the Money in the Bank briefcase continues to hover between them, taunting with its opportunities and a slim chance that Otis won't screw it all up in the end.
"Hey, man, ya alright?" John asks, clapping him on the back as he comes back out, fresh from a shower.
"Not really," he admits grimly and John sighs, sitting across from him on his own bed.
"I know, the loss sucks, but it's ok. We've survived worse." He smiles faintly when Mike looks up at him, quirking an eyebrow when his tag partner exhales in aggravation. "What?"
"How can you always do that? Be so assured, confident that we won't just... fail again, and again, and again...?"
John shrugs. "Look at it this way, I left the company nine years ago. When I finally decided it was time to come back, we were able to partner together again. We won tag titles. I competed in the weirdest Wrestlemania ever. I really have nothing to complain about. I'm just happy to be where I'm at right now. My life's actually pretty damn sweet." He hesitates and examines Mike. "Don't you think yours is too?"
Mike doesn't say anything for a long moment. "I miss my wife and kids," he finally says, and John's face softens.
"I'm sorry. Of course you do, that was kind of a dumb tangent to go down. But things are gonna work out, Mike. You'll see." He shifts, moves over to sit on Mike's bed, starts massaging his shoulders. "It'll be alright."
"I hope so," Mike sighs. "I really, really hope so."
John smiles at him, nudging him until he loosens up some, and leans back to rest against John's side. "See, not so bad, right?"
"Right," he mumbles, drifting slowly as John shifts, settles him down on the bed. "John..."
"Sssssshhhh," he murmurs, dragging the sheets over him and tucking him in. "It'll all seem better in the morning. G'night, Mike."
Mike wakes up to a video call from AJ and the babies that John had clearly set up as soon as he woke up, and he laughs a little, eyes brightening as John's prediction comes true, unable to look away from three of the most important people in his life. He finally does, however, glancing up at John. "Thank you," he mouths to him and John grins back, waving at him before taking his leave to let Mike have some peace and quiet while they all catch up.