Mike hums under his breath, stretching out as far as he can go once they depart the plane, once more back in Florida. "Man," he mumbles, tilting his head back to feel the sun pouring through the airport windows warm his skin. "What a grind, huh?"
"Yeah," John says, leaning over to pluck his luggage from the carousel. He also grabs Mike's as it goes by, his friend still lost in shaking off the post-flight fugue. "Ready?"
"Always," Mike agrees, coming back to reality and following John outside to find their rental. He's tired and stiff, the flight this morning way too early considering how late he'd stayed up last night, not eager to leave AJ or the kids alone again. He sighs and drops his head back against the seat, turning slowly to watch John drive. "Ya know, I dunno if I could do this without you," he mumbles.
John smiles a bit, his eyes still on the road. "What are you talking about? You did it without me for like ten years. You'd be fine, Mike."
"Not during a pandemic," he says. "Not constantly having to fly from California to Florida. Not leaving my wife and kids behind every time, and worrying about what I might expose them to when I return."
John glances over at him before turning his focus back onto the road before them. "Well," he hedges slowly, "it is rough, and I'm really glad we're navigating this together too, yeah." He eases on the brake and sits at a redlight, turning to look more searchingly at Mike. "You know I'll always have your back though, right? It doesn't matter the company, or what's going on in our lives. Always."
Mike exhales and stares at him, a strange look crossing his face. "Even if I lose my mind through all of this and repeat my stupid mistakes from the past and do something to hurt you? Like after the draft?"
John exhales, and turns his focus back on the road, silence filling the air for a few minutes as he weighs Mike's question. He stops in front of another intersection and once more turns to Mike, squeezing his shoulder. "Listen, we were both different people back then. Do I think it's possible, some day, that one of us does something to destroy our partnership? Eh, probably, this is WWE, what partnership lasts forever, after all? Do I think, long-term, that it will destroy our friendship? Absolutely not." He sounds so certain about it, so calm, that Mike can only blink repeatedly at him. "We're best friends. We've been best friends since 2008. How many friends have you had nonstop for that long of a period of time? Not many, right?"
Mike swallows. "But-"
"But nothing," John says, forced to turn his attention once more to the road. "Yes, we've had our periods where we've argued and been on the outs, but we always come around and forgive each other. Nothing will change that. If something happens at some point to our partnership, one of us will eventually forgive the other and we'll move on, like we always do." He casts a quick glance at Mike, smirking. "You're stuck with me, Mike. Stop trying to talk yourself out of that fate. It ain't ever going to happen. We're going to be making dumb music videos and mortifying our wives and kids until we're well into old age."
Mike laughs, ignoring how desperate and wet it sounds, his eyes welling with unshed tears. "God, I hope so," he mutters, patting John's arm before sitting forward and watching the road. "Thanks, John."
"Any time, man," John says warmly. "I'm always here whenever you need kicked in the ass to set things right, you know that."
Mike's laugh this time is louder, less emotional. "Oh, I definitely do know that."
Later, after MizTV, after he loses to Jeff Hardy, Mike looks up as John helps him up from the floor and clings to him, dropping his head forward on John's shoulder for a second to catch his breath, keep the world from spinning quite so badly. I really would be lost without him, he thinks, feeling John's fingers creep up his neck, lightly massaging his scalp.
"You good?" he asks lowly, guiding Mike towards the ramp, away from Jeff Hardy's creepy stare.
"Yeah," he mumbles. "I'm good." He realizes he actually means it, feeling steadier than he has in a long time with John at his side, their conversation still fresh in Mike's mind.