Mike has been part of a lot of different tag teams and alliances over the years. Alex Riley, Damian Sandow, Shane McMahon, the Miztourage, on and on, and on, and on... But despite there being so many of them, he's never really felt so secure and steady in one until Morrison had returned and immediately came to him to help him out of his funk after losing, again, to The Fiend.
Yeah, they're probably too old for such silliness, but it's relaxing to just sit around and do dumb things with his best friend again, thinking up raps and doing music videos, making up voices, MizTV finding something of a new life with Morrison and his equally as silly ideas along with some of what Miz would ordinarily bring to the table as well. So he doesn't even blink when people mock him for the segment with what was supposed to be Mandy's hair, done up with googley eyes and both he and John taking turns with the voice. It amused them, and it got under Heavy Machinery's skin and that's the important thing.
They're thrown into a tag match with Otis and Tucker, because of course they are, and Sonya accompanies them because he guesses it's just as well to have an extra pair of eyes at ringside in case Mandy comes down to get revenge for... whatever offense they may have caused her with their silly joke. But she hasn't been seen since the week before, when Sonya had cut her hair, so Miz isn't sure. Maybe she's still holed up in a dark room somewhere, crying about the few inches of extensions she'd lost or whatever. He tries not to think about it, focusing on the match at hand. Heavy Machinery are tough, tougher than Mike expected, and they come close to losing what feels like a dozen times... then he hears the people behind the plastic start to react to something and by the time he realizes what it is, Sonya and Mandy have brawled into the ring and the bell's rung, signaling the end of the match.
Otis and Tucker quickly move into the ring, Miz and Morrison following after a brief moment of confusion, and the four of them try to keep the women apart, although Mandy or Sonya or both are so angry that they keep finding their way back to each other, even after everyone makes their way backstage. Eventually, things quiet down, Otis carefully guides Mandy away, and Sonya stands there, hands curling into fists as she breathes heavily. "You alright?" John asks her and Mike turns to look at her as well.
"Fine," she says tensely, and it's clear she doesn't like them, she doesn't like the situation, she doesn't like much of anything right now as she brushes past them and storms down the hallway, disappearing somewhere to the left.
John shrugs and rotates his neck slightly, before quirking an eyebrow at Mike. "Hey. Mike."
"Yeah?" Mike wonders, frowning back at him.
"What are the odds this becomes a Hair vs Hair match type feud?" he asks, grinning so brightly that Mike freezes.
"Oh shit," he laughs. "It really could, couldn't it?"
John slings an arm around his shoulders as they walk side by side back to their locker room. "I think so!"
California is something of a relief after another lengthy flight cross-country. Home, once he arrives, is even better. He breathes in deeply and slowly pushes the door open after unlocking it, peeking inside. It's quiet and dimly lit inside and he smiles, resting his bag on the floor before toeing his shoes off and venturing around to where the bedrooms are. He visits George first, smiling down at the sleeping baby, resting a hand on his foot briefly, before checking the neighboring bedroom, eyes brightening when Sara looks up immediately and holds her arms out.
"Daddy!" she chirps and he scoops her out of bed, hugging her tightly.
"Morning, Sara Lou," he greets her and she grins up at him.
"Momma's still asleep, and George," she says with a little pout, and he laughs, tapping her nose.
"Well, let's go see what we can do about that." He carries her down the hall, Sara content to press her face into his shoulder and wait as he pushes the main bedroom's door open and peeks inside. AJ is sleeping so deeply that she doesn't even stir when Mike crawls into bed next to her and presses a slow, gentle kiss to her slightly parted lips. "Have you and George been keeping Mom busy, Sara?" Mike asks, plopping the little girl on the bed between them.
"Um... I guess?" she asks, blinking her wide blue eyes up at him.
He smirks and shakes his head slowly, poking her nose again before leaning closer to AJ. "Wakey wakey, sweetheart. I didn't fly all of this way just for you to sleep away my return."
Her eyes flutter a little and she murmurs, "Mike?"
"Yeah. It's ok," he whispers. "Just wanted you to know I'm home. I'll get breakfast together, you can eat it whenever." He kisses her forehead and chooses to let her rest, hoisting Sara up once more and venturing out of the room, careful to be quiet in respect to those sleeping.
He settles Sara in her high chair and ruffles her hair as he digs around the kitchen for something worthwhile to eat. "Pancakes?" he asks her, grinning brightly as she claps her little hands together. "And... blueberries or chocolate?"
"Both?" she asks after a few moments of serious thought.
"Ooh, we have an innovator on our hands, I like it," he says, conceding because it's Saturday morning, and he'd gotten an early enough flight to enjoy breakfast with his kids and wife, and John's prediction of a hair vs hair match had made his entire month so he's in a really good mood. He lets Sara help whip up the batter and she only gets a little in her hair, so that feels like a win too, and as the pancakes begin to stack up, he hums under his breath and turns to smile at Sara, not surprised to hear rustling back towards the bedrooms, and AJ's soft voice murmuring to George.
He's just gotten out the butter and syrup when AJ joins him, George pressed sleepily into her shoulder, and she leans up and kisses Mike. "Welcome home," she murmurs against his lips as he grins and wraps an arm around her, hugging her as tightly as he can considering the baby.
"Good to be home," he whispers back and she smiles at him before handing George over and going to see what he's been working on.
"... Blueberry and chocolate pancakes?" she wonders, quirking an eyebrow at him.
"What can I say, our daughter has an impressive imagination just like her daddy."
AJ chuckles, shaking her head. "You and John are ridiculous," she informs him in a way that lets him know she'd seen last night.
He beams at her, stroking George's back while he fusses against Mike's shoulder. "Sure, would you have me any other way?"
AJ picks off a piece of the topmost pancake and chews it thoughtfully before slowly shaking her head, eyes softening as she watches him with their son. "Nah," she says after a moment. "You're actually pretty perfect, just the way you are."
So many years into their marriage, and she can still make him blush like it's day one.