Title: UNTIL MORNING
Pairing: Mike "The Miz" Mizanin & Alex Riley
Rating: PG

Summary: Mike breaks up with Alex.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the story.

Mike looks down at his lover, runs his fingers through his soft hair. Massages his scalp, his neck, his shoulder. Slides his hand across his back. He knows how relaxed this always makes Alex feel and he's happy to be the one who shares moments like this with him. Mike tries to keep his feet out of the way so his boyfriend can see the tv but it never seems to bother the guy - even when his feet accidentally move in his line of sight. He's so easy-going and patient and that's what makes what Mike's about to do so damn hard.

Mike's always on the go but Alex manages to calm him down and provide him with an escape from his busy life - a kind of stability he's always sought after. Alex has the ability to make Mike content with just being. No one's ever been able to make him feel so complete and appreciated, so loved before and thinking about all this makes Mike stall just a bit longer. He smiles when Alex laughs, takes in every microsecond and stores them all away because he knows he's going to need the memories when he no longer has the real thing to hold onto.

Mike's heart starts to beat a bit faster and his palms start to sweat with each second that passes. At any moment Alex will know that something's wrong so Mike decides to speak before his body gives him away.

"This isn't working," Mike confesses regretfully, his voice is cloudy so he clears his throat and swallows hard in anticipation of what will be the most difficult confrontation of his life.

"I can move if you're uncomfortable," Alex offers naively.

This is Mike's chance to just forget the whole thing but he ignores it, forsaking the opportunity. "No, I mean this." Mike takes shallow breaths, his stomach rising and falling quickly under Alex's cheek but Alex remains quiet and still despite all the movement around him. "I mean us," Mike clarifies, driving the knife deeper and of course he doesn't want to hurt Alex, he just doesn't know how else to say it.

Alex turns his head into Mike slightly, drying the corner of his eye. He still doesn't say anything. At first, Mike wonders if Alex even heard him over the tv but he soon feels his shirt dampen right through to his skin and he doesn't wonder anymore.

"Alex?" Mike asks gently, subconsciously making soothing circles to Alex's temple.

"I don't understand," Alex finally utters, clutching onto Mike, holding him tight. "Why are you doing this?" Alex questions softly, desperate for a reason.

Mike grabs the remote and turns the tv off, uses this time to think for a second. He hadn't planned exactly what he was going to say even though he's been thinking about this for a couple weeks. All he knows is that he doesn't want to end things in a screaming match and it would kill him if Alex ended up hating him.

Mike shrugs his shoulders. "We're stuck," he answers sadly. "And you deserve so much more than this."

"Don't do that," Alex sighs. "All I want is to be with you. Don't act all noble like you're doing this for my benefit. What did I do that was so wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong. We just...deluded ourselves into thinking this could actually work and we grew dependent on each other. That's all this is. We just got swept up in-"

Alex suddenly sits up, turns to face Mike. "Is that really what you think this is?" he questions as he wipes his eyes with the back of his hand.

Mike is taken aback as if he didn't even realize what he had been saying. "No," he admits shaking his head. He's so ashamed at this point, he can't even bring himself to look Alex in the eye.

"Then you're scared of something." Alex leans in taking hold of Mike's hand. "Tell me what's scaring you and we can deal with it."

Mike stares down at their hands, feels the warmth radiating between the two. He never wants anyone else to touch him like this and the truth is that part of him is scared – scared of not being with Alex, scared of being with Alex and always keeping him back from living an actual life and having a family and as much as it hurts, letting Alex go is the only solution Mike can think of. "I'm not scared," Mike lies. "I'm just trying to be realistic. We never get to do anything together. We're always hiding because this damn company has us on lockdown."

"I'd rather do nothing with you than everything with anyone else." Alex waits for Mike to acknowledge the truth in what he's just said but Mike doesn't look up, just keeps staring at their hands.

Alex can feel Mike slipping away and still doesn't understand why. "I love you. Please don't throw everything we have away."

With this, Mike darts his eyes up to Alex. "What do we really have? A few nights a week in a hotel room?"

Alex's eyes grow wide with anger, with unbelievable pain. He can't believe Mike would say something like that to him, not after everything they've been through together. He rolls off the bed, starts to walk away and then turns back around to Mike. His eyes welling up with tears and he forces himself not to blink in an effort to keep them from streaming down his face but it doesn't matter. They come like a wave anyway. Alex brings his shoulder up to dry his cheeks with his sleeve, can't believe what Mike's reduced him to.

The sight guts Mike and he has to look away. His stomach churns violently as his last words keep replaying in his head. He bites the inside of his lip willing his own tears back.

"I know you don't mean that. Why are you pushing me away?" Alex waits for Mike to respond, to look at him, to do anything but the man sits there steadfast. "Why are you doing this now?" Alex yells. "Why couldn't you wait until we got in a fight or something?" Alex brings his palm up and presses it against his eye but he can't seem to stop himself from crying.

Mike sniffs, still looking down to the bed. "We don't get into fights," he murmurs so low as if he doesn't want Alex to hear. But Alex does hear and even if he didn't, he would still know what Mike had said.

"I know," Alex agrees sitting down on the bed with his back to Mike. "There's nothing I can say that would change your mind, is there?" Alex lowers his face into his hands waiting for a response, hoping he'll hear something that will take the pain away but instead he only feels Mike moving towards him on the bed.

Mike wraps his arms around Alex and just holds him for a time. He feels Alex start to tremble against him so he holds him even tighter and moves in close to Alex's ear.

"I'm so sorry," Mike whispers. Alex brings his hands up to hold onto Mike's hands and soon feels himself being rocked gently. "If I had it my way, I'd be with you every day and every night for the rest of our lives but it just doesn't work like that, my love." Mike lowers his head and kisses Alex's neck causing the guy to whimper. "I love you," Mike echoes repeatedly for the next several seconds and when he feels Alex start to relax, he pulls him back onto the bed.

Mike reaches over to turn off the light and when he turns back to Alex, they settle so perfectly in each other's arms. Their legs intertwine and Mike brings Alex to his chest, presses a kiss to his forehead and nuzzles his cheek against his soft hair.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Mike tries to reassure Alex but he's not even sure if he really believes himself in this moment.

Alex listens to Mike's heartbeat as they lay in the darkness. He struggles to keep his eyes open so the morning never comes but the steady, calming beat and the warmth of Mike's embrace tricks him into thinking he could stay like this forever and he closes his eyes.