They'd been given the week off of Smackdown. Flying back to California had felt like being released from a leash tied tight around their necks. John smiles at Mike once they reach the parking lot and offers him a quick wave before grabbing his phone and slipping into his car, stabbing his key into the ignition. Mike exhales as he turns towards his own car, fingers fluttering over his phone too for a moment before he decides he needs to see his wife and kids in person, not just hear their voices.
Maneuvering through LA traffic doesn't take as long as he's used to, something that's shocked him a lot the last few months, but he's thankful for it because it gets him home sooner than he expects. He sits for a minute in the car and stares up at the house, breathing in and out. Trying to relax. It's not easy, there's so much uncertainty, even now, but he slowly slips out of the car and walks up the steps to the front door, resting his hand over the wood. He breathes in and out a few more times before unlocking it and slipping inside.
It's dark, and quiet, and he thinks maybe he'll just slink upstairs, crawl into one of the many guest bedrooms, and get some badly needed sleep. Except before he can even take a step, there's a clicking sound and soft light fills the living room, startling him as he turns to look at AJ. She's got her phone in hand, glasses slipping off of her nose in a cute fashion, and she's staring incredulously at him. "Mike?"
He closes his eyes for a moment before shrugging. "I thought you were upstairs asleep," he finally admits, listening as she gets up from the couch and walks towards him. "I, uh- I wanted to surprise you. In the morning."
She tilts her head, analyzing him, and finally shakes her head. "You look exhausted, husband." Her voice is tender, her touch is careful and soft as she reaches out and takes his hand. "C'mon, let's go curl up close together in bed and you can tell me all about it."
He exhales, wanting to not disrupt her own need of rest, but he eventually gives in and follows her anyway. She helps him out of his clothes and shoes, easing him into his usual sleepwear of shorts and a tanktop before pushing him onto the bed. He watches quietly as she straddles him, cradles his face and kisses him slow until the surrounding warmth fills him from the tips of his fingers to the very ends of his toes. "AJ," he breathes out and she hums into his mouth, taking advantage of his parted lips to taste him properly, her hands tracing the lines of his clothing, slipping up over his abs. "Uh- I..."
The more she explores, fingers and tongue leaving him shivering as his breathing turns raspy and keening. "Yeah, Mike?" she whispers into his ear before gliding away and resuming kissing every inch of him she can reach from this angle.
"Everything's so wrong," he murmurs. "In wrestling, in the real world. But then I come home to you, and Sara, and George, and for a few hours, I can forget that. Thank you."
She leans back and smiles down at him. "Happy to help, Mike." She presses her forehead to his and sighs. "You always do so much for others, I'm glad I can do something in return for you."
He's tempted to shrug it off, maybe show some modesty, but her kisses and touches have resumed and it's all he can do to lean back and just breathe through it. "AJ," he exhales, a slow, yearning tremble traveling up his body. "Please..."
She hums. Presses kisses to his jaw, down his throat. "Yeah, Mike. I'm here," she murmurs. "Everything's going to be ok. Maybe not tomorrow, or any time soon, but some day. It will be better."
He trails his hands up and down her back, pulling her flush against him, and sighs slowly, hoping with everything inside of him that she's right.