the next step oneshots

confessions | michemily

(set in season 6)

☆

Emily has never been one for drinking. If you asked her, she would simply say that she doesn't like the taste. This partially holds true, Emily truthfully has never really enjoyed the taste of alcohol, the only thing she really drinks is wine, and even then that is mostly something she does socially.

Honestly, Emily doesn't like drinking because with drinking comes the loss of control, and with the loss of control comes the spilling of secrets she does not need to be spilled. The last time she drank, she ended up coming out to half of the former members of A-Troupe at their annual Christmas reunion. Of course she was met with boundless support and congratulations but upon waking up in the morning, she was confronted with the fact that she had told people before she was one hundred percent ready.

Despite that incident, she still clearly hadn't learned her lesson. Currently, she and Michelle were out at a bar with James and Riley catching up and celebrating that the couple were finally (properly) engaged. Two glasses of white wine deep, and making good work on her third, Emily couldn't help but feel down. Riley seemed to have it all figured out, she's halfway through her business degree, she and James are living together and are engaged for Christ sake. All at the age of 21. Emily felt like she had fallen so far behind her younger sister.

The group sat at the bar table making light conversation but Emily wasn't paying much attention. She felt like a failure. She hadn't held a steady relationship since her relationship with Hunter back when she was in A-Troupe and even then she doesn't know if she could even really call that a steady relationship given how short lived it was. She swallows the last mouthful of wine from her glass and sighs when she feels a hand on her leg. She turns to see Michelle's brown eyes pouring into her, silently questioning if she was alright.

God those eyes.

Emily felt like she could get lost in those eyes if she let herself, swimming in a never ending pool of deep, golden, brown. She knows she's always kind of had a thing for Michelle, her rampant jealousy merely acting as a mask for the attraction she had to the other girl from the first day she waltzed into the studio. She hates the way she treated her in the beginning and often questions how they ended up where they have, now inseparable. Emily thanks the higher powers every day for keeping Michelle in her life. She honestly doesn't know what she would do without the other girl to balance her out.

Emily responds to Michelle's concerned look by simply placing her hand over where hers rested on her leg and squeezing gently before turning her attention to the table.

"Next round is on me guys, what are you having?" Emily speaks up.

"Em, are you sure another drink is a good idea? you've already had three. I don't want you to be hungover in the morning, I know you don't usually drink much." Michelle replies.

"Oh shush, it's fine, Michelle, we're celebrating!" The words come out sloppier than Emily intended. She was a lightweight when it came to drinking but she didn't think she was this much of a lightweight. "To the young, happy, couple."

Michelle eyes her carefully and Emily squirms slightly under her gaze. James and Riley both put in their drink requests and Emily rises from her seat, announcing that she will be back with more drinks. Michelle also gets up, claiming Emily can't carry 4 drinks by herself and Emily doesn't fight her on it, instead she just shrugs and makes her way over to the bar.

"Em, are you sure you're okay?" Michelle says softly once the two of them are out of earshot of the table.

"What do you mean? Of course I'm fine, why wouldn't I be?" Emily lies.