"How's Heath?" Mike asks softly, staring up at the ceiling as he holds his phone with one hand and cards the other through AJ's hair softly. She's laying quietly against his side, head resting on his chest, listening to his end of the conversation, and Mike can't help but smile at the look on her face as she pretends to sleep against him.
"Oh, he's ok. Starting Physical Therapy soon, which we're all relieved by." Maryse sighs softly. "It's gonna be a long road, but I know he'll do just fine. Now that I know he's not gonna kill himself in the gym." She pauses for a long, long moment, and then breathes out, "Mike, thank you so much for understanding why I couldn't keep coming along with you on Raw."
He does smile at this. "It's fine, Maryse. I definitely understand about professional wants and personal needs tearing you in different directions. Especially when it comes to something as serious as this." He shifts and presses a kiss to the side of AJ's face, grinning as she hums and pats his chest. "Just keeping doing what you're doing, and I'll see you when we need to film again. No worries."
She sighs. "You're a good man, Mike Mizanin," she informs him gravely and he laughs faintly.
"Well, you're one of the few ho truly believe that," he tells her softly. "Thank you."
As soon as he hangs up, AJ is sitting up, cradling his jaw and searching his eyes. "She and I agree on that, you know," she informs him softly. "You are a very good man. In fact, I think you're one of the best."
Before Mike can respond, AJ leans in, kisses him hot and deep, Mike's fingers twitching against her hips as she shifts to straddle him. She swallows his surprised moan and scrapes her teeth against his lip, pulling back to quirk an eyebrow at him. "You always do your best to find time for anyone who needs you, and you sit there and actually look interested in the ridiculous things Morrison has been saying lately. You are nearly almost a saint."
Mike watches her for a long, quiet moment, before using his grip on her hips to reverse their positions, kissing her so hungrily that he ends up pressing her deep into the pillows, letting his hands explore until she's gasping and arching up desperately. "A saint, huh?" He laughs, his eyes gleaming as she digs her fingers into the back of his neck and brings him back in to continue exploring his mouth.
-x
John grins at Mike the entire time they're entering the arena. It gets kind of creepy, but Mike smothers his thoughts, his demands to know what's going on. Stares back whenever their eyes meet but mostly just focuses on the path ahead, the way to the locker room. But then John stops him with a warm hand on his elbow. "Wait, we have one stop first," he says, eyes gleaming in a way Mike's not sure is a good thing or not. "C'mon."
They continue walking, Mike still biting back his curious demand to know, and John doesn't offer the information until they're outside of the trainer's room. "Alright, doc," John says once the trainer staff spots him. "Lemme have it."
At their indication, he settles on a free table nearby and the examination begins. They're ridiculously thorough- his knee, his neck, everything in between that Mike can remember has ever been a problem for him. Eventually, the man excuses himself and wanders over to whisper with the other members of the staff. It feels like it takes forever but finally he returns and grins at John. "Everything looks good, in fact you're officially cleared to compete tonight. Just... try to take it easy."
John's grin is smug, and a little too quick to spread across his face.
Oh god, Mike thinks. They have no idea who they're talking to. But he thinks he's wrong, because despite the words, there's a trepidation on the trainer's face and he catches Mike's eye on the way out of the room. Mike bristles. I'll take care of him, he thinks. Don't you worry about that.
John gets a match against Damien Priest. It's fine, he loses, but it could've gone a lot worse. He gets tossed around a lot and it feels like too much for his first match back following another injury, but there's only so much Mike can do outside of hovering, so that's what he does. Careful not to cost John the match, he stays back, yells encouragement to him from afar, and tries to check on him when he's down for a few seconds too long.
When the match ends, he's back by John's side immediately, concerned, but calm because it's over and John's fine, he thinks. The trainer will need to confirm it to comfort Mike fully, but still. Everything's going to be just fine.