SWEETHEART • MJ [ORIGINAL]

Fifteen.

IT WASN'T LONG before Ariah became a legal adult. This had been something she looked forward to as an adolescent and as a teenager, but she wasn't sure about technically being a grown up. She wasn't sure if she was ready.

Still staying over at Michael's, it had only been about three days since the entertainer found the young girl hiding in an alley. The few nights spent over at the penthouse with Michael where the best nights of Ariah's life. She didn't want to leave, especially since her birthday was occurring within days. She really wanted to spend her eighteenth birthday with him.

"So," Michael began, moving his checked piece to a safe spot on the board. "What are your birthday plans?"

"If I'm being honest here," Ariah began to smile. "I'd like to spend the day and night with you."

"All 24 hours? With me?"

"Do you have plans already?"

"Not at all." Michael lied, trying to assure the girl that he would be there. He was a superstar and he wasn't exactly sitting around everyday without plans. His schedule was full.

Always full.

"In fact, why don't we stop this game, since I'm winning and that way," Michael simply smirked. "We can plan out the day?"

"Okay, but I still could've won that." Ariah cleared the board herself with her whole arm, watching the checker pieces fall onto the table. Some fell onto the floor and she crouched down to pick them up. When she stood up in front of Michael, he gently grabbed her by the waist and set her on top of his lap.

"Oh yeah?" Michael whispered in her ear, causing Ariah to shiver.

"Mhm.." Ariah bit down on her bottom lip, feeling nervous about sitting on top of Michael all of a sudden. She put the game pieces onto the table that was in front of them. "Why do you always put me on your lap? My dad wouldn't approve."

"I thought you liked sitting here." He kissed her temple lightly. "Besides, I feel comfortable, so if you're worrying about hurting me, don't. I'm okay."

"I think I'm as light as a feather anyway."

"No, no. Never that." Michael lightly chuckled. "Although, you're slender and tall like your parents," He whispered in her ear. "You've got a little something here.."

"A little something?" Ariah asked, knowing that Michael wasn't talking about what she thought he was talking about. His mind couldn't be there, she thought.

Then, she gasped, feeling Michael's hand come in contact with her thigh. "That's right.." He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh slowly and at this point, Ariah could barely breathe.

"Well," The girl cleared her threat and felt herself turning red. "I'm sure Brooke had a little something, too.." Ariah blurted out, causing Michael to become confused.

"Brooke? We're talking about you now, sweetheart."

"Well, if I haven't said it already, I'm sorry about Brooke." Ariah offered phony condolences, but Michael seemed to think the girl was sincere. "You must be sad." Ariah stood up and Michael didn't stop her. She wanted to give him eye contact anyway, so she sat on the table directly in front of him.

"I mean, I'm okay. She left a lot of her things here in the house, so I'm reminded of how we used to be." Michael shrugged, kind of smiling at Ariah. "I don't know, I didn't feel heartbroken. I didn't feel terrible either. I didn't feel anything really. The funny thing is, I don't miss her at all." Michael told her, being careful with his word choice. He didn't want to reveal that he was falling for Ariah himself.

"Ah, I see." The girl nodded slowly. "Well, I'm very happy that you're okay. I'd be worried if you weren't."

"You're so sweet." Michael told Ariah, causing her to instantly smile. She poked the entertainer, which made him smile as well.

"It's almost midnight, don't you want to wait by the grandfather clock?"

"Sure, we can do that." He winked at her. "I'll put on some music if you'd like. Since it's basically your birthday, you get to choose what I play."

"Well, you gotta play Elvis Presley!" Ariah told Michael. "For me!"

"Alright." He winked at me and he went over to his record player, grabbed a random record from his collection and put it on for Ariah. "It's Now Or Never.. Is that song okay?"

"Anything by Presley is perfect, thank you." She sat on the floor, with her back firmly against the wall. Michael came over to sit next to her.

"So, are you going to get a boyfriend soon since you're practically eighteen?"

"I'm one of the most awkward people on earth, so no." Ariah shook her head. "I don't think so."

"I don't think you're awkward, Ariah."

"Well," Ariah just chuckled. "I think I'm awkward and inexperienced. I've never touched a guy before. I've never kissed a guy before. I would never succeed in a relationship."

"Don't say stuff like that."

"It's true."

"Well, I bet you would succeed in a relationship if you were in a relationship with someone like me."

"I don't know." She giggled, wondering if Michael was trying to imply something. "Maybe."

"It's 11:59." Michael pointed out and Ariah was excited. She'd be an adult and it was so crazy because it was all really sinking in. She wasn't going to be a child anymore. She was growing up. She was becoming a young woman.

"Oh my God, I turn 18 in less than a minute!"

"That you do, sweetheart! So, listen.." Michael placed his hand on Ariah's thigh again, making her blush instantly. "I was wondering.. If I kissed you at when the clock strikes midnight, what would you do?"

"Um," Ariah spoke so casually up until this point, but she was literally going insane on the inside. "Kiss you back, I guess?"

"Good." Michael at her and now, her excitement turned into anxiety. "I'm sure you've been prepping for this moment for awhile."

"No, not really.." Ariah nervously grinned, worried about what would happen within the next minute or so between the two of them. "I never thought it would happen."

"That's cute." Michael moved closer and the Elvis song continued to play. He inched even closer to Ariah while starting to sing the last tad bit of the song to the girl. "Be mine tonight, tomorrow will be too late. It's now or never. My love won't wait.."

Michael smiled at Ariah and he hoped that she actually wanted this as much as he did. His grandfather clock rang loudly at the top of the hour, which meant it was midnight.

Ariah's birthday had arrived and alas, she was finally eighteen.

Michael softly placed his lips onto Ariah's lips, kissing her gently. When the entertainer pulled away, the impact of his lips was still lingering on Ariah's lips. She couldn't believe her first kiss was with Michael Jackson. She couldn't believe it actually happened on her eighteenth birthday.

"Happy Birthday, sweetheart.."