Wrestlemania week is a mess, as always. Fun mess, but a mess nonetheless. Axxess meet'n'greets, media, golf games, charity stuff. Hall of Fame Friday. Marine 5 screener on Saturday night. Then of course Wrestlemania itself, followed by a day off for the Smackdown team, before Smackdown itself. AJ opts to stay at the hotel with Sara through most of it, eating room service and just generally being there when he returns, collapses onto the bed and doesn't move again until morning light.
Well, the crux of it is they lose. And Cena proposes. Maryse makes these hilarious little gag-faces when they're forced to watch it back later on, the recaps of it making it seem even more ludicrous. "My ring isn't even legit and it's more classy than hers," Maryse huffs, wriggling her finger around. Mike watches as Heath's eyes track the movement but he doesn't say anything; their relationship has yet to be hindered by this act Mike and Maryse have going on, but he knows some day the group of them will have to have a sincere discussion about the future, where Heath and Maryse are headed, how Mike and Maryse's professional aspects will be affected. But tonight is not that night.
They all quietly watch as Undertaker declares his retirement, stripping away the wrestler to return to the man he is beneath, Mike and Heath both feeling a distinct piece of their childhoods being taken away with each article of wrestling gear. "Well, that's sad," Heath mumbles as Maryse runs her fingers through his hair in a soothing manner.
"Yeah, it is," Mike exhales. They move slowly, grabbing their things, getting ready to leave. None of them had won their matches, but all in all, they have no huge complaints. Rhyno follows them out to the car and they all fit inside, quietly staring out at the Orlando sprawl on the way to the hotel. It's beautiful, but Mike misses LA. Mike and AJ normally would've stayed with Ricardo and Alicia but with the move to California imminent, they opt to leave those two to their own devices and hang out with Heath, Rhyno and Maryse at the hotel bar.
Sara is fast asleep in her little carrier when AJ joins him in the booth a few feet from the bar, Mike watching as Maryse and Heath sip from wine and beer respectfully, Rhyno working his way through bowls of peanuts and pretzels. "Hello," he greets her with a quick kiss, reaching in to sooth a hand over Sara's blanket. "How are my two favorite girls?"
"Hanging in there," AJ says. "I'm sorry you lost."
He shrugs, leaning in to press a quiet kiss to the baby's cheek before looking back up at AJ. "It's alright. I think we proved our point. Cena only proposed because we hit too close to home with our videos. That's the moral victory here." He smirks and presses a kiss to AJ's lips, sighing softly. "You really have to leave for New York in the morning?"
"Sorry, husband, but yes, I do," she says quietly. "Book tour waits for no girl."
He hums. Stands up and scoops his daughter's carrier up. "Hey, guys, sorry to run like this, but I need some alone time with my wife. I'll see you guys later." He grips AJ's hand and tugs her gently to the elevator, listening as she giggles and calls out a rushed bye to the group behind them. The doors are barely closed when he's laying the carrier down and kissing her, brushing her hair out of the way as he presses her against the wall.
"Someone's eager tonight," she breathes out, her nails digging into his shoulders.
He nods and closes his eyes as his fingers brush up her stomach, hesitating when the doors ding open. "Bed," he mumbles, collecting Sara once more and leading the way to their room. Once she's settled in the temporary crib the hotel had provided them, he's back at AJ's side, brushing her shirt up the rest of the way and pressing warm kisses to her skin. "I'm going to miss you." Yes, he hadn't gotten to see a lot of her the last few days, but it had been nice to come home to her night after night.
"I'm going to miss you too," she hums, running her fingers through his hair before dragging him up so they're face to face. "So much." She hops up and he catches her, holding her against him as he lays her down onto the bed, the two of them fitting together as perfectly as ever. They're getting good at having alone time like this without waking the baby up, and AJ giggles softly as he stares at her, intense longing in his eyes. "Come on, husband," she murmurs, her fingers brushing down his skin and leaving him shuddering.
He hums and lightly tugs at her shorts, putting just enough space between them for her to ease his pants off as well. They're warm and gentle as they touch and move in time with each other, Mike's eyes fixed on hers, careful to kiss her enough to muffle the moans and soft pleas she's making, his toes digging into the sheets as her sounds vibrate through his skin. "I love you, I love you," he starts whispering against her jaw, hissing when finally she melts under him and he quickly follows suit, all of the tension from Wrestlemania and everything else drifting away in that one abrupt action.
"I love you too," she mouths against his skin as he lays there and tucks her against his side, lost in thought. She doesn't say anything for a long moment before rolling towards him, cupping his face. "Hey, are you still with me?"
He nods slowly, kisses her palm. "Yeah. Just thinking. Did you hear what Cena said?"
"About you and Maryse having kids?" She wrinkles her nose up in a disgusted kind of chuckle and he nods. "What an idiot he still is."
Mike brushes that off in an agreeing sort of way. "Do you ever think about... giving Sara a brother or sister though?" he wonders after a moment of struggling on how to broach this subject.
AJ stares at him quietly. "Are you saying you want more kids, Mike?"
He swallows. "Maybe?"
She smiles a little. Leans in and kisses him. "Look, we're both all over the place right now... let's talk more about it once I'm done with my book tour, ok?"
He nods. Exhales roughly. Then nods again.
She hadn't said no.
-x
Tuesday is interesting. The rumors have begun already, with Nikki confirming it on Twitter. She's taking time off, just like Mike and Maryse have predicted. Which means Cena's gone too. They laugh for awhile before donning their Total Bellas gear once more. Doing the entrance live is weird, Mike feels itchy for trying to act like Cena, but he pulls it off. Maryse as Nikki is a success too, considering, and they announce taking time off, and making as much fun of the two as they possibly can. The fact that they'd lost to them is meaningless, in the end they receive the victory twice over because A: John had proposed, and B: they'd both left. Everything that Mike and Maryse had said would happen.
He's smug, pleased with everything around him, when a strange sound assaults his ears. Mike looks up the ramp at the lone man playing a violin, and frowns. Not understanding what's happening. They get out of the ring as the lights turn off, and then Shinsuke Nakamura arrives. His theme, his jerky yet fluid movements as he makes his way to the ring. All of it annoys Mike, takes away his moment. He pushes Maryse in front of him, urges her to go, and they walk past the violinist, glowering at him on the way by. Turning at the curtain, Mike glares once more at Nakamura before storming into his locker room and pulling Cena's stupid hat and shirt off, already stripping down to change into his own clothes. "What the hell was thatI?" he demands, turning as she ducks into the shower room to change as well, aware that he's pissed and will want to leave asap. "What was that?"
He has no answer but the more he tries to figure it out, the angier he gets. "Nakamura will pay for wrecking this evening for us," he mumbles, tying his shoes viciously and storming out of the room, Maryse behind him. They could go to Shane McMahon and demand answers, but he's almost as useless as Daniel Bryan, so instead Mike opts to go to the hotel. Take a night, get his thoughts straight, then go to AJ's book signing tour for a couple of days. Get his answers on Tuesday, face to face with the man himself.
It's the only thing that makes sense right now.