It gets harder and harder to leave California to go to Smackdown every week. Taya stays with the kids this week, allowing AJ to drive Mike and John to the airport, she doesn't go in with them, but she stands by the car and she wraps her arms around Mike, squeezing as tightly as she can. "Be safe," she mumbles into his shoulder. "Come home to us soon." She pulls back and runs her fingers lightly over his lips, tilting her head and smiling shakily up at him. "I miss you already."
He exhales slowly and cradles her face in his palms, leaning in to kiss her, and she sighs as he reluctantly eases away. "I miss you too, sweetheart," he tells her, resting his forehead against hers.
She smiles shakily and leans against the car as Mike kisses her forehead, her nose, before backing away slowly and nudging John. "I love you, AJ," he calls back to her, and she sniffs.
"Love you too, husband!" she responds, lifting a hand in a shaky little wave. She waits there by the car until he's disappeared into the airport before reluctantly sinking back into the car and reversing slowly to merge back into traffic on the way home to cuddle her children close, maybe have an early lunch with Taya before she tries to take her mind off of everything going on right now.
-x
"Again?" Mike grouses, already tired of dealing with Heavy Machinery. It had been enough when Sonya was still here, and they could have some fun needling the large men over Mandy, but now it's just repetitive and a little exhausting.
"Appears so," John says, squinting at the sheet breaking down each match and planned interview or promo that's for whatever reason hung up in the most shadowy part of the arena. "Well, might as well get it over with."
They change into their gear, they do a few stretches- John's always a bit more intense and flexible than Mike's attempts- and then John gets a ornery look in his eye. Mike notices but doesn't say anything, their music about to hit and too much going on noise wise for him to even try to communicate seriously with his best friend. It's not until they're in the match, trying to hold their own against Tucker and Otis, that Mike thinks he's figured it out- John's gaze keeps resting on the briefcases at ringside- the normal sized Money in the Bank, and the small lunchbox one that the men had been touting around for the last couple of weeks. "Oh no," Mike mumbles, just to turn around to meet Otis head on, blinking slowly from his new position sprawled out over the mat as Otis begins the Caterpillar, eventually elbowing Mike right in the chest for the win.
Otis quickly moves away from him, however, and Mike spots it out of the corner of his eye- a flash of brown, and then green, and... yep, John has the briefcase. Mike groans and rolls over with a faint, exasperated laugh, escaping the ring before either man could target him.
It's easy to find John, squirreled away in their locker room, holding the briefcase close, and looking twitchy and ready to run until he realizes it's just Mike. "Hey, you alright?" he asks, standing up to properly greet Miz as he storms up to him.
"I'd be just fine if my partners hadn't decided it was more amusing to steal a useless briefcase than, oh I don't know, help his best friend out?" But Mike isn't angry, not really. He's held the MITB briefcase and fought for it more times than he can bother to count, he understands more than most the allure of the contract within. "Have you looked at it yet?"
"Nah," John admits. Sends a hopeful smirk Mike's way. "I was waiting for you, actually."
Mike rolls his eyes. "Of course you were," he mutters, before motioning with his hand to get on with it already.
John's grin grows and he slowly unlatches the case, his smile slipping into a vague frown as he begins pushing things aside within- odd trinkets and other miscellaneous things within, and... no contract. "Huh," he mumbles, holding onto a sandwich.
Mike rolls his eyes, not surprised both by there being no contract, and ultimately how unbothered John is by the prospect. He watches incredulously as John shrugs and moves to take a bite out of the sandwich- filled with who knows what kind of unhealthy slop- lifting his hand just in time to stop the man. "Don't," he says with a grim shake of his head, and John blinks at him before dropping the sandwich back into the briefcase and snapping it shut with a sigh.
They stand in silence for a few moments and then Mike barks out a shaky laugh. "Shit, that was such a dad move, wasn't it?" he mumbles, scrubbing at his face.
John grins at him, eyes bright with mirth and fondness. "Yeah, man, I'd say so. Look at you, protecting me from Otis' big bad sandwich." He elbows Mike lightly and Mike scoffs.
"Sure, you joke now, but that thing probably had the thickest, fattiest cut of ham possible inside, and maybe some SPAM and... and, I don't know, a thick spread of mayonnaise or something. I was just thinking about your fitness! What would the crowd say if you started enjoying those atrocities to food, and lost your abs as a result?"
John wrinkles his nose. "I would not be welcomed back into the Palace of Wisdom if I turned into the third Heavy Machinery member."
"Exactly!" Mike exclaims, and by now they're both laughing loudly, feeling silly and lighthearted for a few, happy moments.
When they head out a little bit later, eager for some decent food and sleep, John gladly leaves the briefcase behind in the hallway, neither man caring enough to return it directly to Otis. "He'll find it, who cares," Mike says with a dismissive wave of his hand, and John nods with another of his wide grins, catching back up with Mike as he walks towards the exit, glad to have another night of work behind them.