AJ sighs and leans over Mike, slowly kissing him. "I refuse to let you leave," she tells him with a faint smirk, her hand trailing down his chest towards his abdomen, causing a shiver to trail down his spine. "You are my captive, and will remain right here, in this bed, for the rest of eternity."

He quirks an eyebrow at her and laughs. "Oh really, now? That sounds pretty amazing, actually." But then he grips her and reverses their positions, kissing her nose when she pouts up at him. "But now what? I think this means you are my captive." She's about to say something when a sudden brush of his fingers rids her of all thought, gasping out in awe. "Ah, that was too easy," he teases her, gaze shifting down to her glistening lips before claiming them in another, deeper, hungrier kiss. Diligently exploring her body with well-learned fingers, Mike closes his eyes and sinks into the sensations of being with his wife for the first time in what feels like forever, exhaling shakily when she whimpers into his kiss, arching up into him.

He braces her gently, pulling her close and feeling her shiver against him as he eases back from the devouring kisses, brushing shapes up her thighs. "Mi- Mike," she keens, staring into his eyes with desperation.

"Mm hmm," he breathes back, feeling her body trembling even harder against his. "I'm right here, sweetheart. It's ok."

She shivers and whimpers, wrapping her arms around his neck and pressing close to him. "Please-"

He chuckles into her hair and brushes his knuckles against her flushed skin, watching how her eyes flutter at even that subtle movement. "I love you," he tells her and she moans softly.

"Mike- I l- love you too-" Her words are punctuated by a gasp and Mike kisses her again, smiling as she buries her hands in his hair and presses her forehead to his, searching his face. "Mike I, I ne- need-" He waits, watching how her thoughts drift at the next slow brush of his fingers. "I... ohh..." She tosses her head back and grips his hand, lips parting in a quiet moan as she changes the angle and pressure of his touch little by little until a shudder rocks through her.

He chuckles and settles back against the pillows before drawing her in, guiding her over him until her knees are planted on either side of his hips. "Alright, I get it, sweetheart. You've been patient long enough." When she looks at him again, there's a frustrated hunger there, but he sees enough need and affection too that he doesn't secondguess teasing her for so long. They both know each other's needs and desires very well by now, and it's clear he's done all of the right things as she strokes her fingers through his hair and slowly eases down, Mike sighing out softly as the press of her cool skin contrasts against his always heated flesh nicely. "You're so beautiful," he tells her and she pauses, distracted momentarily from the slow unfolding pleasure between them.

She bites her lip, staring down at him, and he watches closely as many emotions cross her face- pleasure mixed in with surprise and a deep yearning. She leans down, hands trembling at the change of position, and kisses the side of his mouth. "I never used to believe that that was even possible, that no one could really ever see such beauty in me," she whispers. "But you have made me feel truly gorgeous every day since I was smart enough to fall in love with you." She kisses him, deeply, sighing as he trails his hands up and down her back before coming to a rest at her hips. She shivers and stares into his eyes, lips quirking up into a shaky smile. "Mike..."

He exhales slowly, feeling overwhelmed and shaky with the weight of her stare, how perfect she feels over him. "April," he breathes out and she groans, not used to him using her full name. "What do you need from me?"

She stares at him for a long, quiet moment, before exhaling shakily, allowing his hands to guide her when she falters. "Never leave me. That- that's all I've ever really needed from you."

He nods. "That was never even a possibility, sweetheart. Never, ever." He watches as her eyes soften and she smiles down at him, the faint light glowing over her hair and shoulders making her look almost etheral as she shifts, lips parting into a deep gasp as his hands ease away and allow her to take control once more.

She pouts a little at this sudden loss of touch but her expression changes entirely when one hand cradles her jaw, drawing her in for another, lingering kiss, and the other leaves her toes curling against his knees, hands grasping at his shoulders for stability. "Oh- oh-... M...Mike..."

He kisses her through the mutual aftershocks and she shivers and sighs into his mouth as all tension slowly fades from them both. After, she rests, pliant, against his chest, breathing in and out deeply. "So gorgeous," he whispers into her hair, smiling as he slowly drifts off to her gentle touch against his face.

"So are you."

-x

There's an odd calm about Smackdown that week. Adam Pearce is still running around, barking commands at people, but even he seems a little less on edge. John and Mike exchange glances as they travel deeper into the halls of the Amway Center. "This is oddly peaceful," John mentions and Mike nods.

"What do you think's going on?"

"Not sure," he says honestly, and they turn as Pearce chooses that moment to rush past. "Hey! Pearce." When he turns towards them, impatient and annoyed, John lifts his hands. "What's going on? It almost seems... normal around here."

Pearce rolls his eyes and approaches. "I'll show you really fast, and then I have to go, we are trying to run a show here." He thrusts a piece of paper at them and John and Mike quickly settle in to read it, Mike hovering over John's shoulder as always.

Big, block letters that look like someone cut up a magazine and pasted it all together fill the page. Pearce, Don't let this think you're out of our crosshairs just yet. But for now, Raw seems like the more interesting target. When you least expect it, we'll be back.

-Retribution

"Well, it was kind of them to inform us," Mike mutters.

John muses over the letter even as Pearce snatches it back and rushes off in whatever direction he came from. "Well," he says. "It may be, but also it helps us put our guard down so when they do return, we're not ready for it and they cause even more destruction and mayhem than previously."

Mike stares at him for a long, tense moment, and then claps him on the chest. "Never lose that positivity, John. It's truly overwhelming."

John frowns as Mike walks off towards their locker room, shaking his head before racing after him. "Hey, you try being part of The Temple for years and see how paranoid you become!"

Despite all of that, when Mike and John find themselves partnering with Sheamus later against Big E and Heavy Machinery, it's nice not to have to look over their shoulders every five seconds for someone with a chainsaw or any other number of weapons.