10DAYS // M.C. [coming soon]

(one) mistake

Michael kisses me when I greet him at the door, deepening the kiss as he closes the door behind him and walks me backward into the living room. He turns me around and sits on the couch, pulling me along and making me straddle him, with my legs on either side of his thighs. With his lips still on mine, he slips his hands under my shirt, unclasping my bra in one swift motion and rubbing my back where the band of my bra has been pressing on tightly all day.

He brings his hand to my front, massaging my breasts as he places wet kisses on my neck, sucking on my skin softly. He makes me feel good, he always makes me feel so damn good, but I can't do this anymore. I push his shoulders back gently, taking him by surprise.

"Stella? Are you okay? Am I hurting you?" Michael asks, concerned. Of course he is concerned. All he is concerned about lately is one thing.

Sex.

"I'm okay, Michael. I'm okay." I mutter as I get off him, determined to talk to Michael about the state of our marriage today. I've been procrastinating this for so long, I'm afraid it might ruin our marriage. Or has it already?

"What's the matter, babe? You're not usually like this..." Michael trails off, astonishingly oblivious to everything that our marriage has been lately.

"Michael, do you really not see it? Or are you just pretending not to see it?"

"See what, Stella? Is there a ghost in here?" Michael looks around the room. How can anyone be so unmindful of such a thing?

"Michael," I sit down next to him and take his hands in mine, "all we've been doing lately is sex. The sex is great, it really is, but that is all, Michael. Just sex. And nothing more. We barely talk, unless it's to ask what you'd like for dinner, or if the kids have eaten. What is happening, Michael?"

"Nothing? Look, I'm sorry, I know this past week has been busy. But you knew when you said yes that this is what it would be like to marry me, Stella. You knew, that I'm a package, that I come with the band and the hectic schedule, or nothing at all."

"You really don't see it, do you?" I let go of his hands and walk towards the floor to ceiling glass wall that overlooks the city. The view of the city below us at night is breathtakingly beautiful. "It's not just the past week, Michael, this has been going on for almost two months. At first, I thought it was just a phase that every married couple go through. But I'm afraid it's not just a phase anymore. We live in the same house and sleep on the same bed and yet, I miss you. I don't want to fall out of love with you, but I'm afraid that if this goes on, I will."

What he says next almost knocks the wind out of me.

"Maybe getting married young was a mistake, huh? Maybe we should have waited, until we were older. Because maybe then, we would have known how to be better at this whole marriage thing..." His words make me feel like...like he's giving up.

I don't even know if he's actually being serious. Michael has never been one to give up on anything so easily, let alone something as huge as his marriage.

"No, Michael, that's not what I mean. It was never a mistake. If you think it is, just give me 10 days, and I'll show you, that this marriage was never a mistake."

"Ten days? That's a lot of time, Stella... And there's a lot of things to be done at the studio, I don't know if I can..." Michael hesitates. This is his problem: putting nothing above his fucking job.

"Michael, it's been five fucking years since we got married and in all these years, your job has always came first to you. But right now, you need to put your family first. For once, just once." I ask, short of begging.

"Okay, okay, ten days. I'll take ten days off work. Because I love you. And I love our kids."

A/N: ok so here you go! I've been really excited to write this and it's finally up woo! I hope yall enjoy it! If you do, please vote and comment, I would love to know what you think!

And picture of Michael on the side bc hot damn papi