Mike watches his friend as he picks at the white sweatshirt he's selected for Tribute to the Troops, not wanting to put it on too soon and risk staining it before TV. "Turtleneck Tough Guys making a reappearance for one night only, huh?" he asks with a smirk, John looking up at him.
"Hell yeah, tis the season," he laughs, finally leaving the thing alone and walking over to him. "So gameplan?"
"Try not to get stabbed with his friggin sword," Mike sighs, scraping his hand down his face. "Otherwise, just... do the best I can in there. If anything, it's a good opportunity to try to figure out a way to fight him to be successful when I cash in."
"Ooh, yeah, that's true," John says. "Well, I'll be there to help so there's that at least!"
Mike smiles. "Yeah, there's that."
Well, they try. They really do, but in the end, Mike is left laying and John's worse for wear on the outside as well, and... he doesn't feel any closer to being confident in cashing in.
Things do get briefly better on Monday, because now apparently it's not just himself and John against the world, AJ Styles and AJ Styles' huge associate is now on their side, mostly because AJ has a title opportunity at TLC and, although Mike doesn't fully trust him, he does laugh at his and John's impressions, so he can't be all bad, right? The three of them even defeat Sheamus and Drew later on in the evening, and begin an all out brawl between the two men backstage, but they end up laughing it off and leaving together as close as ever, but Mike sees now how easy it is to stoke that particular flame and it's just another piece in the puzzle of his goals, so he returns home somewhat content that week.
AJ greets him with a soft smile and hands him George as she collects Sara from where she's playing, the four of them reconnecting in front of the Christmas tree, Mike helping to decorate it here and there but mostly just holding one of the kids up to gingerly press ornaments onto the branches until the tree doesn't look as bare. "So who gets the honor of putting the star up?" he asks, tickling first George, then Sara. "Hmm?"
Sara begs, but George is staring in awe at the tree, deep brown eyes fixed on the flashing lights, and Mike taps his daughter's nose. "Next year, sweetie. Let's let your brother do it this year." She pouts and crosses her arms over her chest, but says nothing as Mike scoops the baby up and waits until AJ's secured the star in his fists. "Now George, put it up there!" Mike urges him, swinging him up and listening with a grin as George giggles and writhes in his hold, always enjoying flying, as it were. Mike watches carefully as AJ leans up to steady George, allowing Mike to free a hand enough to help George hold the star out and drop it into place on the top of the tree. "That-a-boy, George!" he cheers and the baby coos and squirms, giggling even harder as Mike swings him back down and hugs him tight. "I knew you could do it!"
AJ beams at him, hugging Sara close while they turn the lights on. Standing there side by side, they examine the tree happily, their hands reach out almost at the same time, fingers lacing together warmly. "I love you," AJ whispers to him.
Mike grins, feeling as bright as those lights gleaming before him. "I love you too."