"Sounds like you have a couple of busy weeks ahead," Mike teases, quirking an eyebrow at Morrison. "Tell me you're not planning on doing a deathmatch in the future. Didn't Cardona's complaints prove to you that it's definitely something to avoid?"
"Yeah, but I'm pretty sure he also enjoyed the experience and wouldn't trade it for anything," Morrison points out. "It definitely opened some doors up for him after he left WWE."
"Yeah, but you don't need that," Mike says. "Everyone knows you, and you've got everything on lock down in Mexico. You shouldn't have to prove yourself like he did."
"It's not really proving myself to others," John says slowly. "I guess it's just maybe proving it to myself. Does that make sense?"
"I guess," Mike says. "If I was younger, I could see wanting to hit the ground running upon leaving WWE. Yeah."
John smirks. "You'd be interested in wrestling elsewhere if you'd left WWE?"
"Maybe," Mike says. "I mean, I like entertaining people, and I don't think I'm a horrible wrestler. I could've..." He exhales, thinking. "I could've tried elsewhere. I mean, even AJ has moved on to working with WOW right now. Yeah, just commentary, but you know. I never thought she'd work outside of WWE, but here we are. Never say never in wrestling, right?"
"Right," John says with a faint smile. "Honestly, Mike. You're so determined to be the best you can be at pretty much everything you do, I know you'd do the very best you can, no matter what company you ended up in. No one can ever take that away from you."
Mike stares at him, pressing his chin into his forearm, eyes gleaming with a rush of emotions. "Thanks, John," he murmurs. "I don't hear that a lot, when it comes to wrestling. That means a lot to me."
John pats his arm. "Any time, Mike. You should've been told that more often, you've been in WWE steadily for too long to be as overlooked as you have been."
"You're a good friend," Mike mumbles, nudging him. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
"Well, that's something you'll never have to worry about," John says breezily. "Can't get rid of me that easily, no matter what you do." He smirks.
Mike watches him for a few moments, then sighs. "Did I ever apologize for the wheelchair thing? I really didn't mean for it all to... just spiral out of control like it did, you know."
"Yeah, I know," John sighs. "I appreciate the apology, but I really did forgive you for that a long time ago. Like you said on social media, I'm just too forgiving."
"That is true," Mike chuckles. "You know, if I had known that you were... well, that WWE was going to release you that abruptly, I... I would've handled things differently. Maybe if I had... I don't know."
"It's not your responsibility," John says. "They wanted to get rid of me, they would've had no matter what you did or didn't do. It just seems ... fruitless to keep dwelling on what happened before, we're not even in the same company anymore, and it doesn't matter. I'm still your best friend, Mike, and I always will be."
"Thanks," Mike sighs, leaning in to nudge him again.
"Now," John says, standing up and almost sending Mike toppling into the sand. "Let's go, the ocean is looking too good to just sit around in the sand and talk."
Mike groans and buries his face in his hands. "God, why do I always let you drag me off to the beach? Swimming, surfing, dancing over pointy, dangerous rocks-"
"Dancing?" John laughs. "Come on, stop complaining, you always have a blast when we get out there." Without another word, John takes off at a quick speed towards the lapping blue of the ocean.
Mike groans, watching him go. "Yeah," he mumbles. "I do. Somehow." He stands up and shakes sand off of his hands before rushing to follow.