Mike's always on the run. Between WWE, Miz and Mrs., his attempts to get into movies more, and just everything in general he does to keep busy. Dancing with the Stars comes and goes and he finds himself suddenly just wanting time. Time to himself, time to spend with AJ and the kids. So after Dancing is done, and he's through with the Good Morning America responsibilities and finds himself back home, he's relieved to find his schedule is cleared after a quick business meeting with Maryse regarding Miz and Mrs. They only talk a little about professional things, then Maryse starts going on about Heath and Rhyno's long lasting friendship, a look of relief on her face as she recalls the moment Rhyno had chose Heath over EY's little gang.
"I bet the girls are happy to have Uncle Rhyno back," Mike offers and Maryse laughs.
"You have no idea," she tells him, holding her phone out and showing him pictures of Madison and Monroe crawling all over the man.
"That's adorable," he murmurs, leaning his head back and thinking about Sara and George, and all that he's missed in the weeks where he had to put on more of a persona than usual. He sighs, eager to get back home and make up for some of the time lost as best as he can. DWTS had been an interesting experience, but boy, he'll be glad to have more time to spend with his kids again, and eventually, when he decides to, return to Raw and face everything he'd left behind. Like John.
When they arrives back at the house, AJ and the kids are outside playing in the grass and Mike barely gets out of the car and walks towards them when Sara lunges forward and races straight towards him. "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!" she exclaims and he kneels down, scoops her up, and spins her around joyfully.
"Sara! Sara! Sara!" he exclaims back, making her giggle.
"I've missed you," she pouts, leaning her head against his shoulder, and the petulant tone of her voice makes his chest tighten with affection.
"I've missed you too," he tells her softly. He looks up and finds AJ carrying a squirming George over to him and before long, he has both arms full of his babies, hugging them tightly, whispering to them about how much he loves and missed them. They're wide eyed and happy, and he takes the momentary distraction to lean in and kiss AJ. "I've missed you too," he tells her with a soft smile that promises more, later, and she nods, sending him a similar look before resting her hand on George's back to keep him from squirming right out of Mike's hold.
"Come on, babies, lets go inside and we can all cuddle Daddy a lot easier, alright?" she finally says, waving awkwardly at the neighbors jogging by on their daily run.
"Oop, yeah, mommy's right, come on, guys." Mike adjusts his grip on the kids and makes a big show out of marching towards the house, making them giggle harder as they cling to his shoulders.
It's a late night, both kids excited and eager to play past their bedtimes just to have a little more time with Mike, and it's nearly 10PM before they get them to calm down enough to sleep. Mike sighs, sitting down on the side of the bed next to AJ, and lets his hand wander down her back. "Well, now that we have a minute to breathe," he exhales, making her laugh a little bit. "How have you been, sweetheart? Happy to have me home?"
"Ecstatic," she says honestly, guiding her fingers down his jaw. "It's been a long few weeks, and I'm sorry it ended up like that for you, but it was fun seeing that side of you."
"It was fun to explore it," he admits. "Learn something new, meet new people. I never realized how intricate ballroom dancing could be."
AJ nods, her eyes downcast even as she smiles at her hands. He watches her for a few moments, waiting, patient, until she looks back up at him. "It all looked so glamorous," she shrugs. "Not my scene in the slightest. So I'm a little lost in what I should say or do right now."
He leans in and kisses her. "You're doing all the right things," he promises her. "As always." She still looks uncertain so he gets an idea and stands, holding his hand out to her. "May I have this dance?"
"Oh," she hesitates, biting her lip and looking at him curiously. "I... I don't know-"
"Please?" he requests. She quietly agrees, resting her hand in his, and he smiles, guiding her to her feet. "Just let me show you," he says softly, spinning her around their bedroom, careful not to knock into the furniture or get too close to the walls. It's nothing too outrageous, just simple shuffle steps with a few slow spins and a couple of lifts to make her heart speed up a little, the light in her eyes brightening as she stares down at him, safe in his arms.
They're chest to chest, his arms bracing her as he holds her in the air, and she breathes out. "I love you, Mike. So much."
It still feels like they're dancing when he eases her into bed, lacing their fingers together, and kisses her, breathing her in for the first time in months. "God, I've missed you," he murmurs into her skin, touching her, trailing his teeth down her ribs, leaving her arching up into him with a faint moan. He goes as slow as he can, fighting his own impatience every step of the way, tasting and touching for as long as he can, enjoying the soft noises she makes in response, how her fingers tremble against his scalp, toying through his hair, gripping his neck whenever the sensations begin to overwhelm her.
"Mike," she breathes out and he eases back up to kiss her, feeling her shiver under him. "Mike..."
"I've got you," he whispers back. "You're alright." He brushes his nose down her cheek and murmurs in her ear, "I love you, AJ."
She falls asleep with a smile on her face that night, and he lays there and watches her for awhile until his own exhaustion catches up with him and he's out like a light.
He's only been home a couple of days when they see the news. In a flood of releases announced by WWE late Thursday afternoon, Taya is among them. Mike stares incredulously at his phone, aware John is in the UK right now. That John can't do anything to comfort her.
AJ taps his side and gets up from where they're curled up together on the couch. "I'm gonna go check on her," she says softly. "You wanna come with? We can bring the kids to cheer her up."
"I don't think she'll want to see me," he says honestly. She frowns at him and he shrugs, making no move to join her.
"Mike, come on," she says, staring down at him. "This isn't really the time to let petty drama between you and John affect other things, right? She just lost her job, and no one's better at getting people's minds off of their trouble than you. Come with me. Please."
He stares up at her, then sighs, slowly getting to his feet. "Fine," he tells her. "But if she, like, hits me, or knocks me around with her shoe or something, I'm telling her it was your idea."
"Fine," AJ shrugs. "You do that, husband."
The four of them hesitate outside of Taya's and John's apartment and they barely knock when the door is thrown open and Taya gasps, looking surprisingly clear-eyed and smiling as she takes George from AJ and motions them inside. "Well, look at you!" she coos over the little boy. "Hello, Sara," she says, kneeling down to hug her as well. "This is a surprise." Cool grey eyes rest on Mike for a moment before she turns her focus back to AJ. "I suppose you've heard."
"We have," AJ says. "I'm so sorry, Taya. We knew John was in the UK, so we thought... maybe you could use some company."
"Ah, thank you," she sighs. "Yes, well, I was quite... shocked when I received the phone call earlier. But with the way the company has been changing lately, I suppose I shouldn't have been. Not terribly, anyway." She kisses George's nose and laughs when he squirms away from the affection, staring down at him fondly. "This is the very thing I needed though! Please, have a seat. May I get you something to drink? Juice, tea..." Her eyes return to Mike for a moment. "Coconut water?"
AJ bites back a laugh next to him and Mike rolls his eyes. "Taya, do you have something to say to me?" he wonders.
"Nothing that can be said in front of the children," she says sweetly and he groans.
"Fair."
"Johnny can handle his own business," she shrugs. "I just think it's interesting how one goes from beating down their best friend one week to running away to compete in a dancing contest the next."
Mike fights down his response to this, determined not to get into an argument with her in front of the kids. Especially after her getting fired. "Guess you'll have to tune in to Raw to get my answer on that in the upcoming weeks, huh?"
"Hm." She seems unimpressed, staring through him for a few more moments, before turning her focus back onto the kids, trying to get her attention to play with them.
He catches AJ's eye and she smiles weakly, shrugging at him. He gets the sense this time around, feuding with John won't be quite so easy, but... well, he's gotten himself into this mess, he'll have to figure out a way to get out of it. One way or the other. Like always.