Sometimes, you think things can't touch you. You think you're the only one capable of certain levels of greatness, that no one will ever be able to replicate what you did. Everyone else will fall short of trying to attain what you worked so hard for. And then sometimes somebody comes along, path eased by money or fame, and makes it all look so easy when you remember how hard it truly is like a toothache that's never really fully gone away.
This is where Mike finds himself on Saturday, April 10th, 2021, competing at his first Wrestlemania in two years. He'd been sick the year prior, all of the responsibility fell on John, and this year it had almost fell on Mike, but John had gotten cleared just in time, and now they're here, surrounded by people hopping around in rabbit suits. Mike exhales and waves them off once it's time for Bad Bunny and Damien Priest to make their entrances, the costumed people slowly making their way out of sight.
Finally, the match begins, and yeah, well, of course Bad Bunny's name and his presence had made others flock to him. Who wouldn't want to hang out with a world famous hiphop star? So he'd gotten trained by someone. Good for him, but seriously, the kid flies through the match, takes a beating from both him and John, and keeps coming back for more. It's the moment when he spikes John on the outside that Mike truly, absolutely begins to doubt their chances. He'd thought maybe they'd have to contend with Priest mostly, Bunny only showing up in the match now and again to dive or other minor offense like that, but no. The guy is good, his moves are crisp, he thinks fast on his feet, and there's very little John or he can do as the match slips through their fingers.
When Bunny officially wins, all Mike can do is gape on in shock and horror. It wasn't supposed to be this way! They weren't supposed to lose, they were supposed to show Bad Bunny wrestling wasn't a joke, nowhere near so easy as allowing for some random celebrity to come off the street and just upend everything... but that's exactly what happened. They'd failed. He cannot fathom it, John looking just as shocked as he feels when he rolls back into the ring to lean against him, eyes wide. "What happened!?" he demands over the crowd, over Bad Bunny's loud theme music.
All Mike can do, really, is shrug listlessly, too dazed to even try to formulate a proper response for his best friend.
-x
Monday feels unending and brutal. Everyone backstage looks this side of smug when they walk past him and John, and he wonders how many people were behind Bad Bunny's training, to respond in this way to it all. Then his phone rings and his stomach twists even further upon seeing Maryse's number on his phone. "Hello?" he asks, worry widening his eyes as John looks back at him, confused at his sudden change in temperament. Old fears about their secret slam into him and he swallows hard, hoping nothing bad- worse- has happened.
"Hey, Mike," she says, sounding almost cheerful, and it relaxes him just a little. "Sorry to call when I know you're at Raw, but I have a bit of a surprise for you."
"Oh? What? I hope it's something good."
"I think it is," she says with a faint laugh. "Are you near to the parking deck? Can you come out for a minute?"
He's growing more confused by the moment, but he follows her instructions, stopping short as soon as he sees it. "Oh," he whispers, hanging up the phone as she gets out of a vehicle parked a few feet away. "You... you're here?"
She walks up to him with a smile and nods. "Yes, I was thinking with Miz and Mrs' new season starting tonight, maybe perhaps we can do something to promote it? If you have nothing else planned."
He hadn't. Was still pondering ideas for the Dirt Sheet or maybe MizTV with John. "This is perfect," he exhales, watching as her grin grows.
So that's how it happens. They have Maryse on MizTV- John looks so confused when he first sees her, and Mike is reminded that this is really the first time he's seen their act in person at a WWE event. Yes, he'd been on Miz and Mrs. before, had seen it from that perspective, but everything's so staged and over-dramatized for reality TV. This is as close to their real life as one can get, and he almost feels bad for his best friend, but for now, there's another matter at hand.
He texts AJ before leaving for the ring to give her a little advanced notice, having no time for a proper explanation over the phone, and she sends back a quick thumbs up emoji, which helps him to breathe a little easier as he heads to the ring, Maryse and Morrison by his side. John, bless him, tries to break the tension by making jokes, but they fall flat, and Mike continues trying just to get through the segment- talks about Miz and Mrs, insults Bad Bunny, starts in on Damien Priest, and... the man's music kicks in a moment later.
How what was supposed to be a quick promotional tactic for Miz and Mrs. turns into a handicapped match with he and John against Damien Priest, he's not fully sure, but that's where he finds himself as he tries to meet the man move for move, somewhat overwhelmed the longer this goes on. He's fighting in priceless slacks, for god's sake, and a dress shirt, his jacket thankfully folded and set aside at the timekeeper's desk. But it all goes sideways again anyway when he lands hard and feels a sharp twisting, tearing motion. My pants! he thinks, despairing over the very expensive suit that he'd bought for post Mania, what he thought would be a celebration. Now there's nothing to celebrate, and his pants are tearing at the thighs, running the risk of tripping him up, so it's a relief when they win with a little help from Maryse, Priest unable to do anything but stare at them in frustration in the middle of the ring as they stagger and trip up the ramp, Mike trying desperately to kick his pants off, maintain some dignity behind Maryse as John sits on the ramp and lifts his arm in victory.
Mike grits his teeth, feeling silly as he walks through the halls in his underwear. It's ridiculous to feel this way when he always wrestles in something just as revealing, but it's so soon after the match against Bad Bunny, and everything just feels so much worse. He only feels like he can function again once he has a shower, changed into some more durable clothes, and finds his phone. Dials home, holding his breath until it clicks and AJ's sweet, beautiful voice echoes back into his ears. "Hello?"
He smiles and rests his head against the wall. "Hey, sweetheart," he says, already feeling so much better at just hearing the warmth in her voice.
"Are you ok?" she asks after a pause, the two of them enjoying sitting and listening to each other breathe.
"I am now," he says honestly and she laughs gently.
"Charmer," she teases him.
"What can I say?" he asks with a laugh of his own. "You bring it out in me."
They talk, for what feels like minutes but closer to hours, about Mania, and Maryse, Taya's debut on NXT the next night, everything and anything they can think of after over a week apart. It's the longest conversation Mike's had in a long time. As he finally hangs up to get some sleep before his flight home in the morning, all he can do is settle back and stare up at the ceiling. "I'm the luckiest son of a bitch alive," he declares to the empty room before him.