Smile (a Michael Jackson Fanfiction)

(75)

Michael's POV

"Wow," I murmur, though I'm shocked. I can't believe Emma didn't even tell me about going into music. She never even mentioned a desire to be in the business.

Why? Why didn't she tell me?

"Oh yeah, Mike," Quincy nods as Emma stands nervously, "I think she would be great in the business. She's got the look, she can sing and apparently she can dance." he nods towards her.

"And when were you planning on telling me this?" I ask, pulling my arm from around her waist to fold my arms.

"I was going to tell you... I just couldn't find the right time," she shrugs, looking to the ground.

"Anytime would've been a good time," I say, feeling my temper start to rise, "You should've told me!" I say, raising my voice, and a few eyes are drawn.

"Michael, don't talk to me like that," Emma grits, taking a step towards me, keeping her voice low, "I understand that you're upset, and I know I should've told you, but it just never came up." I roll my eyes and Emma scoffs as Quincy shifts his eyes between us.

"Well," he sighs, rubbing the bridge of his nose, "I'll talk to you later. I guess you guys need to hash this out." he mumbles, nodding goodbye to both of us, without a word, and Emma shakes her head. I go to open my mouth and she holds up a hand.

"I'm not having this conversation here," he spits, starting to walk away.

"Where are you going?" I ask sternly, grabbing her wrist and she whips back around to look at me.

"Does it really matter?" she scoffs, ripping her wrist from my hold, "I just don't want to be here right now because I know you're going to cause a scene."

Emma quickly walks out of the ballroom, and I take a deep breath before going after her.

"Em, where are you going?" I ask in a sigh as I catch up to her.

"I'm just going to the room okay?" she mumbles, continuing forward, "I'm not arguing with you in the middle of a hundred people." she walks into the elevator and I follow. As the doors shuts I lean against the rail to look at her.

"Why didn't you tell me?!" I say loudly as she rubs the bridge of her nose."

"Did you not hear me?" she spits, narrowing her eyes at me, "I told you I didn't know when to bring it up! Not only that, I was preoccupied on this tour with you! It's not like I didn't want to tell you!" she says, her voice escalating as the elevators doors open with a ding. Emma huffs out, walking to the door, and opening it.

"Well, are you going to do it?!" I ask, holding my arms out to the side as she walks into the living room with a heavy sigh.

"I don't know, I haven't given Quincy and answer yet," she murmurs, leaning against the back of the couch with her arms folded, "I told him that I had to talk to you about it first, and I never did, so when he showed up tonight I have him the same answer; I needed to talk to you first."

"Do you want to do it?" I sigh, lowering my voice, as I start to feel a bit bad for getting angry when she hasn't even given Q a straight answer yet.

"I don't know," she murmurs, looking down at her hands, "It was always the plan when I was younger. I'd be happy to be known for something I'm good at. I have so many ideas... I don't know." I shift my eyes around the room before looking back to her after a few moments.

"I don't want you to do it," I sigh and her lowered eyes shoot daggers at me.

"Why?" she asks, eerily soft, and I shrug, folding my arms.

"You saw what I just went through," I get towards the door, "Two years of touring. Not only that, I'm going to have to do that with every other album that comes out. I just don't want you to go through all the crap I've been through."

"I get where you're coming from and I get that you don't want me to go what you go through, but realistically, I'll never be as big as you are," she sighs, shaking her head.

"What about when we have kids," I say, raising my brows, "We'll both be busy, they won't have parents around all the time with some random employer to take care of them. How will they feel about that?"

"I don't know," she sighs, rubbing the bridge of her nose, "We'll figure it out."

"What about us? Huh?" I ask, placing my hands on my hips, "What's going to happen when we're both busy, easily irritable, and stressed. We'll be mad at each other all the time."

"You don't know it will be like that."

"You know where all that anger leads? A break up. I don't ever want to break up with you but if you do this, it might just happens."

"Let me think about it," she sighs shakily, holding her head in her hands, "This is too much for one night. I'm done talking about this for now."

"I just want us to be okay. I don't want you to go what I go through on a daily basis. I know how it is. It's painful."

"I get it, okay?" she grits, looking up with red eyes, "I know what you are trying to say, I know you are looking out for me, but right now I just need to think about it," she sighs, closing her eyes and resting her head in her hands again, "I have your input, so let me think."

I watch as she stands from the wall and kicks her shoes off before walking past me without giving me even a sign of a look.

"Where are you going?" I ask softly.

"I'm taking a bath." she mumbles, walking into the washroom and shutting the door before I hear the water start to run. I walk over to the door, taking a moment to breathe, before deciding against going in. I lean my back against the wall beside it, and slide down to sit with my arms on my knees.

After twenty minutes of thinking and listening to her hum to herself, I decide to go in. Slowly, I rise to my feet and hesitantly turn the handle and walk in. She is sitting in the water with her knees hugged to her chest. Her head turns towards me and she sighs heavily.

I undress myself and she scoots forward as I climb in behind her. I wrap my arms around her as she leans back into me and I kiss her shoulder before playing with a few of her curls.

"I'm sorry," I sigh, kissing her shoulder, "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."

"I'm sorry too," she murmurs, intertwining her fingers with mine, "I should've told you.

"It's not your fault," I mumble against her skin before kissing it again, "You just forgot."

"I don't like fighting with you," she says softly, closing her eyes.

"I'll do anything to avoid an argument with you," I breathe, resting against the back of the tub, "That was awful, and I definitely don't want to get used to it." I say quietly as she hums in agreement, letting her body completely relax against mine.

"I love you." she sigh, squeezing my hand.

"I love you too."

"It's not your fault. You just forgot. I should've understood that form the beginning, and I'm sorry I kept asking you why you didn't tell me." I say softly.

"That's fine. I just don't want us to get into arguments. It's not very pleasant." She says, closing her eyes.

"I'll do anything to avoid an argument with you. I didn't like that, and I definitely do not want to get used to it." I say quietly. She hums in agreement, and she lets her body relax completely against mine.

"I love you." She says, turning her head to kiss my lips. And whisper against her lips,

"I love you."