”spam like = block” yeah ok buddy. when i wake up to tumblr notifs of someone spam liking my stuff i start giggling and kicking my feet

tannertan36
🪼
Today's Document
One Nice Bug Per Day
Lint Roller? I Barely Know Her
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KIROKAZE
d e v o n
"I'm Dorothy Gale from Kansas"
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Interview Vampire Daily
macklin celebrini has autism

ellievsbear
Cosimo Galluzzi

No title available
Color Me Curious
Game of Thrones Daily
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year
I'd rather be in outer space 🛸
Sweet Seals For You, Always
seen from Switzerland

seen from Russia
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seen from United States
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seen from Indonesia
seen from United Kingdom

seen from Bangladesh
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seen from Canada
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@comoquesoybambi
”spam like = block” yeah ok buddy. when i wake up to tumblr notifs of someone spam liking my stuff i start giggling and kicking my feet
positivity train!
if you see this or are tagged in it, tag a couple of your favorite mutuals/blogs and let them know you appreciate seeing them on your dash!
@h0neysugarfree @blueberrylovv @bequiteanddriveeeeeee @cherri-bomb-bomb @eg0mechan1c @fatrexicisback
Thxx, @gingermatchalatte 🫶💕💕
@bubblepeep @strawberrycherrycola @l0ngdog @wintersldier @coconutprincesspassion @xoxycodonex @kwatzaya @fawnzquee @ilegalyungjaws @pinkcottonberry @angeldel-rey
There are so many more moots to this list, just know I love ya all 😭🙏💕🫶
Thank you sm! @normanscupcake 💋💗
@popecodysgirl @sleepingbeautiiies @cuti3-81 @andrewpuppycody @jackabbotsarms @sabrinajamesluvbot @princessofphiladelphia @babystrwberry
There’s more to this list but these blogs come to mind!! 🪽💘
tysm for the tag @strawberrycherrycola ily mwah 😘🫶
@shoniebalognie @robinavitchslut @ceriseangels @mariasont @whatif-ialreadydid @lostalioth @mast3rbait3r @mahoganybimbo @romantic-insomniac @atlaslapis @mysatnin @lanadelreyylover @baransdollie @neverendingdreamers @tanely @80sfilmclub @lavenderchaise @iheartshawn @wistfulyears @in-ky
i'm probably missing some moots but i love you all so much!!! you're the best 🫶
thank you for the tag, baby <3 @popecodysgirl
my loves :3
@whitakersbabymama @in-ky @romantic-insomniac @nightpitt @yuyuch3rry @neverendingdreamers @m4mm4ls @theariespov @baransdollie @mariasont @di1fluvr @honimoon @froggyzworld @dirtygir1 @wistfulyears @grimgasm @groovyangelkisses @sunbonesss
thank you for the tag angel, mwah!💋 — @mast3rbait3r
a few cuties that i looveee seeing on my dash—
@romantic-insomniac @in-ky @nightpitt @mochapuppy @ceriseangels @j4ckr4bbits @lovaeir @moodyabbott @lipsliketangerines @dollsonlyhurt @cherrywineisawaltz @sugartalkingwrites @lostalioth @missmanlykink @misspossexxive 😽
awww thanks for the tag <33 — @groovyangelkisses
some of my fav writers and moots 💕 love u guyss:
@mayhemi @s4ngel @str4wbsstuff @deansdeer @j4ckr4bbits @ccandlehead @murdrdocs @hanasnx @midniqhtt @wistfulyears @pittsick @pinksplace @avashifts06 @kill3ill @kryptidfiles @kissophile @dirtygir1
aww ty aydellaa <3 smooches
I love seeing yall on my feed
@beausling @inbred-eater @slashedgutz @d3ad-aliv3 @filthgf @honeyroots @scariffs @basicasfusername @bleachedduck @yyvnille @bitemysin @bunnyyrot @bruisedfig
AHHH EHEHEHEHEHE THANK YOUUU SMM MY BELOVEDDDSS @deansdeer & @lostalioth for the tags🫂🫂
some more of my beloveds n fave ppl to see on my feed/in my notifs 😽💟
꩜ meow meows : @abbotsbunnygf @arkhamknightmares @badbish-suki @beecomingnothing @bleachedduck @bluestrd @bruisedfig @catmg @chevroletdean @cosmicbucky @cowboycastles @crystalcider @cryptic-doe @diner-girl @faiszt @floralscented @funkycoloured @g0thamgirl @honeyryewhiskey @honeyroots @inbred-eater @irisgrrl @jasvtsc @jackcody @kill3ill @mystic-writings @notaviolentdog @pittsick @plasticflowersinahistorycemetery @psychsworld @rh1nestcned @rockerbarnes @rottndeer @sacr1ficialang3l @soldiersgirl @thefourhorsies @thesevnthseal @tortureddarkstar @voidsuites @wildwestdean @xoabbot @6milesdeep
nearly maxed out tags cus i’m crazy and just have so much love in my heart i wanted to tag everyone but i had to condense so i’m sorry if i missed anyone also but just know i love you all so bad
also a lot of you i haven’t interacted with in a long time and i feel bad abt that🙁 and some ppl that i tagged haven’t even been active since last year or longer like omg pls come back soon i miss you guys 😣😣
OMG THANK YOU SM BABY I MISS INTERACTING WITH YOU TOO<\3
my most favourite people here🙂↕️: @cherryvvave @moviecritc @bloomcissa @cryptic-doe @rh1nestcned @lechelovestoyap @luviery @vianawaits @scissorhvnds @dreamersentity @kamislop @batwngs @sakunai @mystiquevoid @1nsignia @patientofarkhamasylum @arfemiz @froggibus @tinafication @bitemysin @torupng @brinawing @biovomit @evilmanhater @gr0und-zer00 (i'm sorry if i didn't tag someone, but know that you're very dear to me too<3)
i feel like i don't say it enough, but i love you all, and y'all are very very dear to me. here on tumblr i found the community i feel sort of belonging to and with who i have experienced peak girlhood♥️
GAH STOP THIS IS SO SWEET siri how do i tag all of my 150+ mutuals-
i'm going to tag some of my babygirls and if i miss some PLEASE DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY i love and cherish all my lovely mooties :( even if we don't interact much
mi babygirls: @jeanmarcosno1, @ie4ri, @tentypos, @gfsuki, @cupidkats, @riotsgrl, @tokkushin, @updownandbatty, @lonelyfooryouonly, @liahcharms, @lilithkleia, @6x-x9, @kireampie, @hangenism, @rengoatku, @fushihearts, @moviecritc, @mamashima, @indisuki, @dulcores, @miminist, @gyarujo, @valberryboos, @suganoms, @da1ntyli1ly, @sugurusplaything, @satorusdreamer, @torumaii, @toruii, @kenforty, @dynamite-roll, @freakynad, @blushryo, @talkingscaresme, @deathscheduled, @txmxkis, @ervvinz, @lxnarphase, @jiyuspassion, @foryuiwill
ah and I can't tag everyone, thanks so much cutie <3. I love everyone of you's
@tycrine @yummidumplingss @/cttelina @/kill4ill @/barbatoswh0r3 @/0celotmilk @liahcharms @mimimochis @rengoatku @astriiixx @jiyuspassion @/mainstarv @megumisrighttoe @satorusdollie @oropotheca @/yaliuxe @louistxq @/cateleya21 @fayelero @daflex @/yxo7 @/paperellina @/sadisticslut666 @/an9els @/da1ntyli1ly @ouist @/cupidstrace @oksukuna @hanawoof @foryuiwil @/splurtz @httpskrys @notsoslightlysexual @stqrgumi @satolune @honeyoftheisle @xchosos-wifex @caramelluxe @satorus-princess @jazzthatonewriterchick @kamoslover @gyalcapone @moviecritc @keistriction @/princess-rueee @/rambld @sugurusplaything @sugurusbeloved @/teaspecifically @/gyarujo @togesbabe @s-uwu-kuna @/casualnightmaretragedy @/himboelover @/megum1sstepm0m-blog @/booboobear-12 @yorikae @yoonsucks @hangenism @valberryboos @kireampie @paninsoup @revolvingsaturn @ryoride @/butterbeanandsparkleface @lilithkleia @/kamislop @macbethinchains @tokkushin @torumaii @toruii @bearlovestea @/noitoii @lostinsmut @serpenttine @/sextier @blu-goingdark @satomiu @/xoxonahyo @bloomflix @pillsatoru @alexynthia @tojidihcheese @shiruigami @sozila @tigerpetals @/madamechrissy @frostedpinkdoll @eraserbread @atelphobist @t0jisbunny @onyxiix @feyrinnn @sukunahs @satoriee @sky-lemonade @flvvffy
ahhhhh thank you all for tagging me<3333 i don't think there's any other mutual left to tag, STILL, i'm tagging some of my fav girls here<33
@liahcharms @ryoride @tokkushin @veiledbulletz @ackpplepie @brinawing @4theloveoflotus @hotties4gojo @swamelon @ie4ri @fancy-possum @suigenerisisadiva @wiinterz @shoyomegs @batwngs @froggibus
aww thank you so much for the tag, here are some of my lovieeess and to all the beautiful ones i haven’t tagged
@inbred-eater @lonerslug @requiemdesreves @doiliedaze @mwahbabe @torufanj @tinycas @grotesquevi @lotties-ashwagandha @lyfeofbilly @hotties4gojo @h3avenlyglory
Aww thank you tay 🥹.
my loviesssss
@mariquitaaa @mitchesmoon @ebvnydesires @inmyheadimobsessed @santhiquee @onyxstones-world
THANKS BB 🥹🫰🏾🫰🏾 ! !
I love y’all’s work sm! My talented babies 🤍
@faiology @moonlitjane @reverieglow @cinnamoncunt @kissmyglxck @prettyangeliczz @lullora @lil6uapa @angelcrescent @pvtypyt
🪽— aww ty mamaa🥹!!
My stinkies I luv yall 💋🤍
@blkkbratt @cherrishkissed @angelfacediary @dollfacegallery @neopolitandoll @siighrns @mikedotorg @kkgalerii @youluvyanni @yearlyjams @multifandomposts-blog
(I love all my mooties)
thanks to @kissmyglxck love you down
@plan3tch1ld @swavydadon @boredpretty @missharper33 @callmeoncette @melaninjoys @sugarysweetooth @strawberrykittymp3 @blkkbratt
Even if you didn't get tagged to all my moots, love y'all down frll
Awww thanks for the tag!!💕 yall all are amazing writers love all yall down🫶🏽
(some of my favorite writers)
@glxtterberrytree @wild-rotten @fullofmelaninsarcasmandepression @poetsprey @plumppies @brownsugarletters
Thank you for thinking of me & tagging me, I love y’all DOWNNNN. So talented, all my babies 🥹🫶🏾 @plan3tch1ld @ttangerinexo @1andonlytashae @pvtypyt @hiiioliviaxoxo @blkkbratt @sugarysweetooth @angelfacediary @szalipcombo @yungrapunzel @cherrishkissed @multifandomposts-blog
(I love all my moots though 😚)
AAAWWWW lil ol' meeee??? I got tagged in so many of these and it's genuinely warming my fragile heart 🥹🧡💕
thank you to my gorgeous and talented friend @brownsugarletters 💕
special shoutout to the talented and beautiful people I've had the pleasure of knowing on tumblr or simply follow to read their work. thank you all so much for all the love I have received despite my brief time returning back to tumblr! @ladygone @capevans3000 @theoldstorybook @domfikeluva @naturallykae @bawdylanguageee @bloodyellenlost @mal3volentr0se @izzyy8 @kalista-101 @amnesia-sc @majush @1andonlytashae @botdfaholic @miratate @liberiangirl7
sincerest apologies if I've forgotten anyone, I promise I love everyone! MWAH xoxo 🥰🧡🫶🏽
BRO AWWWW this is so sweet!!!! Thank you so much for tagging me lovelies , this is so cute!!! This just made my day! @ttangerinexo @miratate @michaeljacksonfanfictions
I have so many but here are some of my fav amazing writers and MJ fans that deserve lots of support!
@ttangerinexo | @miratate | @michaeljacksonfanfictions | @wispymeadow | @nnyeinu | @honeysmoonave | @phia-writes | @lil6uapa | @prettyangeliczz | @michaellvr | @r0manticd3lay | @king-mila | @cheremj | @comoquesoybambi | @gh0ulxxc | @alohaluz | @invincibledc | @ytrhbz | @gwenslibrary | @cupcakeprincezz | @iceemochaa | @tpwkyarely | @cawfeestain | @prettyapplehead | @mcubx | @glossiercheek | @imhandicapableofmath | @sweeterners | @tabloidangel | @feverrootlips | @etherealiti | @dear-mono | @bby-be-mine | @mikesfavfish | @y56n11 | @888latte | @thedailymichael | @carmaloves | @brookllynbxbyy | @my-fanfic-nook | @mssummerville | @alloveralloverallover | @amnesia-sc | @moonlitjane | @buckysgirlll | @sgecat | @michaeldiary
Oh my gosh aren’t you just the sweetest thing I’ve ever did see!! I appreciate the tag and love so very much and made my absolute day!!
There’s so many writers I adore on this platform but not entirely close enough to tag but I wanna thank all my readers and the people that ask to be on my taglist, all the likes, comments and repost are what drive me to continue writing!! Definitely a highlight of my summer!
| @silentonthedancefloor seeing you submit an idea in my inbox brings me so much joy! | @pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 | you especially! You show so much love to my works all the time!@xoxogossipgirl02 |@jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @mtcloudsworld @aizawaspersonalassistant @vigilantlysassypact @lov3lylxvender @nunusmoll @thrilleronvinyl @michcarrillo02-blog @chaotickaos03 @kayybaereads @mochii-00 @planetkook @nebulaglitxh @laaaraa @lovekaiaa
Haiiii idk if you write for jaafar but if you do, could you write a Jaafar Jackson x Makeup Artist reader where Jaafar secretly likes us, but gets super jealous when Jermajesty visits the set and starts chatting us up but forced to keep it a secret for obvious reasons thanks!
Feelings Between The Lines P1.
Jaafar!Jackson X 𝓕!Reader. Jaafar has been hiding his feelings for the longest, but watching his brother flirt with you is testing his last nerve. How much longer can he keep playing it professional?
Song envisioned. ‘Just For Me.’ - Kiss The Scientist
Jaafar and I actually share the same birthday! So obviously, I had to drop a Jaafar post today. Reader is in their early twenties (slightly younger than Jermajesty). This includes themes of infidelity and jealousy. It is purely a work of fiction, has no connection to real-life intentions, and is in no way directed against Maddie or anyone mentioned in this fic. I will be writing for jaafar and jermajesty in the future! If anyone wants to be on my tag list then let me know! And thank you guys for 650 followers!! Besos!
When you first landed the head makeup artist gig a month ago, you were a nervous wreck. Taking on a high profile client like Jaafar Jackson was massive for your career, and for the first few weeks, you barely breathed while applying his foundation. But fourteen-hour days and endless touch ups have a way of tearing down walls. Somewhere between the coffee runs and shared awkward moments that bloomed into chatty laughter in the trailer, the stiff professionalism dissolved into genuine friendship. You knew his coffee order by heart, he knew how to make you laugh when you were stressed, and a comfortable, unspoken bond had built up between you two, making the secret, underlying tension all the harder to ignore.
"Jaafar, I swear to G- please hold still for two seconds," you murmured, completely at ease as you stepped in close to fix an eyeliner smudge underneath his eye, fixing your hardest to not mess up his concealer that was already sealed with powder. Your thumb lightly rested against his cheekbone to steady your hand, completely oblivious to the way his breath hitched.
"I am holding still," Jaafar said softly, his dark eyes locked on yours.
"Barely," you teased with a smile, stepping back to check your work in the trailer lights. "Honestly, Jaafar, you’re like a five year old getting it’s first hair cut."
A soft, genuine smile tugged at his lips. "Am I still your favorite client." His casual expression hiding the fact he’s desperately seeking for your validation.
"Sure, and only because you actually laugh at my terrible jokes," you laughed, tossing a spoolie back into your kit.
Jaafar chuckled, resting his arms on the armrests of the chair as he looked up at you. "But um, I’m not too sure if I mentioned it to you but my younger brother plans on stopping by."
"Oh, really?" You grinned, setting the sponge down to reorganize a few brushes on the counter. "Should I be prepared for twice the chaos, or is he normal"
"Uhh you should be prepared absolutely," Jaafar said smoothly, a quiet spark of humor in his eyes. "No but he can be kinda shy, takes him awhile with new people at least."
Before he could reply, the heavy door of the trailer swung open, letting in a draft of warm air. "What's up, man?" Jermajesty said, stepping inside. He walked over to Jaafar and dabbed him up, the two of them locking hands in a quick, natural greeting. Jermajesty stepped back and took a look at Jaafar in full wardrobe, smirking a little. "Man, looking at you right now... you really look just like Uncle Mike. It’s crazy."
Jaafar laughed, shaking his head. "Appreciate it, man."
That’s when Jermajesty’s eyes drifted over to where you were standing by the counter. The playful grin on his face softened into a slightly shy smile. "Oh, hi," Jermajesty said smoothly, taking a step toward you. "You must be [ꨄ︎]. I’ve heard a lot about you, I’m Jermajesty."
"Good things I hope! It’s nice to meet you.” you said, reaching out to shake his hand.
When his hand wrapped around yours, he didn't pull away right away. The handshake lingered just a beat or two longer than normal, his gaze fixing on yours with a subtle, focused intent before he finally let go.
"Only good things, I mean I’m looking at your work right now." Jermajesty said softly, offering a quiet, charming smile.
Jaafar’s jaw clenched so hard his teeth throbbed. Sitting in the chair, watching Jermajesty stare at you with that quiet interest, a sharp, bitter wave of jealousy hit Jaafar straight in the chest. You know how Leo’s are, incredibly jealous and possessive no problem showing it, he wanted nothing more than to step between the two of you. But his thumb unconsciously rubbed against the metallic ring on his left hand. Maddie. The engagement ring was a physical reminder of the life he was committed to. He had no right to be jealous.
"Well that means a lot! Thank you! Well that's my cue for lunch," you said, breaking the quiet tension as you grabbed your bag. "I'll see you guys on set in a bit."
"Enjoy your lunch," Jermajesty said, his eyes tracking you all the way until the trailer door clicked shut, furrowing his brows as you leave fearing what he said was stupid.
Jaafar chuckled, raising an eyebrow at his brother. “Seriously? ‘Enjoy your lunch’?”
Jermajesty shoved his shoulder, rolling his eyes. “Shut up.”
-
-
After your lunch break, you stepped back onto the soundstage right as the crew was making final adjustments to the lights. But Jaafar didn't notice the crew; his attention was immediately pulled to the doorway where you had just walked in and right beside you was Jermajesty. He tried his best to ignore it but when filming began, In the corner of his eye he saw Jermajesty nudge your shoulder sparking all of your attention onto his brother instead. The two of you were talking side-by-side, giggling quietly over something, completely absorbed in your own conversation. Jermajesty leaned in closer to hear what you were saying, and you flashed him a bright, genuine smile. The smile he had spent the last month trying to earn.
A sharp, physical ache bloomed behind Jaafar’s ribs. His lungs burned as his breath caught in his throat. It was infuriatingly effortless. Over the past four weeks, Jaafar had carefully savored every shared laugh, every quiet joke in the makeup chair, convincing himself that the bond you built was unique to the two of them. But watching Jermajesty slip into your orbit so easily watching you welcome it sent a surge of bitter, suffocating jealousy straight through him.
He wanted to walk over. He wanted to pull you aside under the pretense of a makeup touch-up just to break up the moment. He wanted to remind his brother that you were his person on set.
Then his eyes looked over to his fiancé, sitting in a chair cluelessly on her phone. The weight of the engagement ring felt like an anchor dragging him back to reality. He had no right to feel this possessive. He had no right to demand your attention, to wish your smiles were reserved only for him, or to be furious that another man was making you laugh. He was taken. He was committed. Yet as he stood under the glaring studio lights, watching Jermajesty whisper something else that made your cheeks flush, Jaafar realized the hardest part wasn't hiding his feelings from you, it was trying to convince himself that he didn't care.
His chest tightened as he watched you walk together, looking so comfortable, so effortlessly close.
"...it’s for people all over the wo—" Jaafar stopped mid-sentence, his mind going entirely blank as his gaze locked onto the two of you. The line he had rehearsed a hundred times completely vanished.
"Cut!" the director called out from behind the monitors. "Jaafar, you okay? Let's take it from the top again please."
"Sorry everyone," Jaafar muttered, forcing his gaze away from you and Jermajesty. He swallowed hard, rubbing the back of his neck as he tried to regain his composure, his heart hammering violently against his ribs.
It wasn’t long before his mind went blank again. "Take five, everyone!" the director yelled through his megaphone. "Let’s reset light three and give Jaafar a second to compose himself."
The bustle of the set instantly resumed around him, but Jaafar barely heard any of it. He took a heavy breath, stepping away from the focal point of the camera. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw you immediately react to the director’s pause. You reached for your powder compact and a powder puff, stepping away from Jermajesty to walk toward the set.
Jermajesty gave you a playful, encouraging nod as you walked past him, a small smile lingering on his face as he watched you leave. Jaafar stood under the warm glow of the studio lights, trying to slow his erratic pulse. His chest felt tight, the anger and envy swirling inside him refusing to settle down.
"Hey," your soft voice broke through his racing thoughts.
He looked down to see you standing right in front of him, carrying your touch-up kit. You looked up at him with a gentle, slightly concerned expression.
"Are you okay?" you asked, opening the small compact and lightly dabbing a powder puff across his forehead to cut the shine. "You seem little flushed, do you want some water?”
Your proximity was intoxicating, but today, it hurt. The light scent of your perfume, the close proximity, the careful precision of your fingers, it felt like a silent torture when he knew that just moments ago, that same warmth and laughter were being directed at his brother. "I'm fine," Jaafar said, his voice coming out a little stiffer than he intended. He cleared his throat, trying to soften his tone so you wouldn't notice. "Just lost my train of thought."
You nod softly at his reasoning being seemingly secretive you let it go. “You know, jermajesty is really nice," you offered casually, oblivious to the knife you were twisting in his chest. You stepped a fraction closer to touch up near his jawline. "He was telling me about how much he supports you doing this film. You guys seem really close."
Jaafar’s jaw locked. He looked down at you, his dark eyes searching your face for any sign of hidden intent, but all he saw was pure, innocent sincerity. "Yeah," Jaafar managed to say, his voice low. "We're close."
You gesture him to close his mouth as you get a lip applicator to apply a slightly tinted lip balm onto his lips. He subtly glanced past your shoulder toward the edge of the set. Sitting in one of the director’s chairs near the monitors, Maddie was sitting with her legs crossed, staring idly at her phone, totally detached from the world around her.
Then he looked back at you. You were right here, so close he could see the slight flecks of gold in your eyes, entirely dedicated to taking care of him.
"There," you said with a warm smile, stepping back and snapping your compact shut. "Looking perfect again. I really am good, huh?”
Before you could turn away, Jaafar reached out without thinking. His fingers lightly caught the sleeve of your shirt, stopping you in your tracks. You paused, looking down at his hand on your arm, and then up at his eyes, a flicker of confusion and something softer passing over your face considering he always indulges into your banter.
"Jaafar?" you asked softly.
Jaafar froze, realizing what he was doing. His thumb brushed against the fabric of your sleeve before he quickly forced himself to let go, sliding his hand back into his pocket.
"Thanks," he said quietly, forcing a professional, distant smile onto his face. "For the touch-up."
"Yeah of course," you whispered, holding his gaze for a second longer than usual before turning to walk back toward the crew and back toward where Jermajesty was waiting for you.
I wanna start off with your writing is amazing. anytime I send a request, you always bring it to life better than I imagined 🥹
could you do a request where reader and Michael get into an argument and reader storms out saying “I’m going out” and comes home at like 3 after not answering the phone all night and Michael is obviously mad cause wtf and he KNOWS she was with her friends but he was still worried cause it was so late and like yea he’s worried but he don’t play that (strict Mike ☺️) and you can take it from there but obviously a good ending. some smut 👀
— ˙⋆.˚ And Where Have You Been?
Thrad!MJ. X 𝓕!Reader. leaving a heated argument to clear your head sounded like a good idea until you came home to your deeply worried and overprotective boyfriend. 𝑆𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑡 & 𝑃𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑀𝑖𝑘𝑒~.
Song envisioned. ‘𝑊𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟’ - Ritchie Valens.
Read note down below first!
𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ, 1986 8:30 pm. 𝐻𝑎𝑦𝑣𝑒𝑛ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑜.
Between Michael’s late-night studio sessions for his new album and your own demanding office job being an A&R administration coordinator at Epic Records having you handle the heavy paperwork behind the scenes for artists recording their albums like managing studio budgets, processing union paperwork for session musicians and so on. So finding a free night together had been nearly impossible, but you had both agreed that this Sunday at Encino was going to be your quiet night to just relax and catch up.
But things went wrong at the office. Right as you were getting ready to leave at five, a system crash which had you stuck manually cross-checking physical studio logs and budget spreadsheets. With the office phone lines completely busy and no way to quickly get a message to him, you had to stay late to help fix the files. By the time you finally walked through the front door at Hayvenhurst, you were three hours late, exhausted, and already on edge and Michael was waiting. Which is the explanation on how you got in this compelling situation.
"I had one day off, [ꨄ︎], One," Michael’s voice was dangerously quiet, but it cut right through the tense silence of the Encino living room. He stood by the fireplace, his arms crossed tightly over his chest, still wearing his studio jacket. "We agreed. We both work despicable hours all week, and we promised Sunday was ours. I got back from the studio hours ago expecting you to be here."
”I was manually checking financial statements and spreadsheets on a time crunch Michael! You of all people know what deadlines are like," you snapped back, tossing your car keys onto the entryway table with a loud clatter. Your feet were aching from your heels, and your head was pounding. "I didn't plan on the typewriter giving out on at five o'clock. I wanted to be here too!"
Michael's jaw clenched, the muscle twitching under his smooth brown skin. He didn't move from the fireplace; just stared at you with those big, dark eyes that could melt steel but right now felt like they were judging a lifetime of betrayal. "Financial statements?" he repeated slowly, voice laced with sarcasm and hurt. "So some numbers on paper mattered more than us having one night?"
He finally pushed off the mantle, stepping toward you in those sleek black loafers that always made him look both elegant and intimidating. "So instead of calling," he said slowly, stepping forward now with quiet intensity, "you just left me hanging? Three hours late and no warning? You know what I thought when six o’clock hit? Huh? You should’ve been home here with me! I was worried sick you know?” His voice dropped lower now, not yelling but simmering.
"Oh, please. I'm a grown woman, Michael! I don't need a curfew, and I don't need you monitoring my schedule like I'm a child." You pulled your coat tighter around yourself, your anger peaking. "You're acting insane right now."
That word hit him like a slap. For a split second, the room went dead silent. Even the hum of the refrigerator seemed too loud. He actually took a half-step back like you'd physically shoved him. "You think this is about control?" His voice was low now, almost trembling with something raw beneath it. "You think I sat here all night pacing because I enjoy feeling like my girlfriend forgot me?" Michael’s eyes narrowed, his protective instinct flaring into pure frustration. He abruptly turned away from you, walking toward the grand piano in the corner of the living room without another word. For a long second there was silence… until his fingers hit the keys, not playing any song yet but just pressing down hard on random notes like he wanted to crush them.
you rolled your eyes at his dramatic attempt to be cinematic at pressing the piano keys. “This is exactly the point I’m trying to argue! The fact you think I intentionally left you high and dry!” You threw up a hand, waving him off as if trying to physically dismiss the accusation altogether.
Michael’s fingers froze on the piano keys. The dissonant chords hung in the air like smoke. Slowly, he turned his head to look at you over his shoulder those big, soulful eyes just glaring. "Then why didn't you call?" he finally burst out, voice cracking just slightly before he clenched it back under control. "If it was an emergency! If machines broke! You could’ve sent someone or faxed it to me- i don’t care- but nothing? Seriously, [ꨄ︎] ?”
Your face immediately drops in utter disbelief, an exhausted scoff leaving your lips. "I can't do this right now. I’ve tried explaining it to you so many times and you’re still suffocating me,” you grab your keys back off the table before he could even process the movement. "I'm going out."
His mind short-circuited. Going out? Now? At nearly eight o’clock on a Sunday night? After three hours of silence and no call? Before he could even form a coherent thought, his body went stiff and only words can get in the way of you leaving. “[ꨄ︎], don’t you dare walk out that door-“ his sentence cut off by the loud slam ringing through the walls of your exit. The click of the front lock and a wave of fresh air entering the house was a shuttering feeling.
He stared at the door for a long minute, waiting for the sound of your car engine to turn over, hoping you’d think twice and walk back inside. But then came the rumble of the engine, the sweep of headlights across the windows, and the sound of tires retreating down the long driveway.
By 10:00 PM, his frustration had morphed into a restless, pacing anxiety. He tried sitting at the piano, but every chord he struck felt empty. He tried playing with bubbles in his room but nothing. None of the family was home either. He kept looking at the rotary phone on the kitchen counter, practically willing it to ring. He knew you were angry, and he knew you’d likely gone to a friend’s house to complain about him, but as the clock ticked past midnight, the silence in the house became suffocating.
While Michael is pacing his bedroom out of anxiety, the reality of your night is far less dramatic than his spiraling thoughts though not entirely without its own problems.
The moment you pull out of the gate, the frustration from the argument begins to fade, replaced by a heavy, throbbing headache and a wave of pure exhaustion. Absolutely needing a neutral space to breathe, you call a close friend from a payphone down the street and arrange to meet at a dimly lit local bar nearby. It isn't somewhere flashy, just a quiet local spot with a little nook in the back for small local artist to display their talents. When arriving at 9:40pm and sharing an enthusiastic hug with your best friend, you both take a seat at the bar where you immediately pour your heart out. You complain about the crushing weight of the office but most importantly Michael’s protective instincts, as genuine as they are, sometimes feel like an anchor dragging you down. Your friend listens patiently and attentively without interrupting as you sipped your drink: a vodka cranberry with too much ice. You talked fast at first, voice tight with residual anger before it softened into something more tired. More broken.
“He’s so possessive,” you sighed after explaining how Michael acted like three hours late was personal betrayal. “Sometimes it feels like he forgets I’m a grown woman, like I’m not helpless." you said, swirling the ice around in your glass. The dim neon light of the lounge bounced off the dark wood of the table. "Like I was working, It’s not like I was out partying."
Your friend took a sip of her drink, leaning back against the worn leather cushion. "Trust me, I get it. You were overwhelmed, and the last thing you needed after a shift was a lecture the second you walked through the door." She paused, giving you a gentle, knowing look. "But you know how he is. Michael doesn't operate like normal people….he’s different and you know that. He worries. Probably had himself convinced you were upside down in a ditch somewhere."
"He was being dramatic," you muttered, though the edge in your voice was already starting to soften into fatigue. "He was literally pressing down on the piano keys like he was in a music video."
"That’s Michael alright," she laughed softly. She studied your face, the subtle dark circles peaking through your concealer, and compared to your usual good posture, now slumped slightly over the bar stool. "Okay," she said gently after another sip, turning fully toward you now. "He was being manic. But also? You know his love language is presence and time together more than anything else right?" Her voice wasn’t judging your feeling just reminding. "To him? This night meant everything. And girl he was probably tryna get some.”
Her sudden remark ended up with you giggling tremendously while hitting her shoulder playfully. “Shut the fuck up, he was not!”
Your friend grinned, delighted she finally got a real laugh out of you even if it was at Michael’s expense. She nudged your shoulder playfully. “Ohhh, he absolutely was! You think that man waits all week between studio sessions and photoshoots just to cuddle and watch movies? Please.”
A small laugh escaped your lips as you looked down, swirling your glass and watching the ice clink in circles. "Michael really isn't like that... he can actually be quite sappy sometimes."
After discussing your crisis, your friend goes on to rant about her toxic household, failed dates and new college courses she’s been picking up, making the conversation turn into a few hours in, striking 1:16 am, while your friend steps away to the restroom, a guy at the end of the bar notices you sitting alone. He walks over with a casual smirk, leaning against the edge of the bar table. “Hey,” he said smoothly, voice low but friendly. “You’ve been sitting here alone for a while now.” He signaled the bartender without looking away from you. A second later, two shots of whiskey appeared in front of him. One slide toward your side of the bar as an offering.
Your eyebrow arches at the shot glass that carried whiskey, then finally taking a good look at the man, realizing hey he’s not bad looking, would it be bad for you to indulge in some fun tonight? A playful scoff left your mouth alongside “Stalker much?” Your body fully faces him now, tilting your head softly trying to gauge his next reaction.
The guy chuckled deep, unoffended and took the shot glass in his hand, swirling it once before taking a sip. “Call me observant,” he corrected with an easy grin, eyes flickering over your face. He pushed the other untouched shot toward you fully this time. “Drink? Or do I have to bribe you with more charm first?” His tone stayed playful but there was something smooth about him… like someone who knew how to flirt without being pushy.
Your friend returned just in time to see the guy sliding a drink toward you and flashing that charming smile. Her eyebrows shot up instantly oh hell no. she glanced between you two before plopping down, giving the man a quick evaluation: leather jacket, confident posture… yep. Definitely some random dude trying his luck. “am I interrupting something.” she said flatly.
The guy didn’t seem fazed by her cool tone at all. If anything, he found it amusing like a little challenge. He just smirked and held up both hands in mock surrender. “Nah, no interruption,” he said smoothly before turning his attention back to you like she wasn’t even there.
But the second she sat down? The energy shifted slightly, his flirtation now had an audience who clearly wasn't thrilled about it. She crossed her arms subtly over her chest and gave him the look the universal glare that indicated to back off. “She’s taken.“
The guy's smirk faltered for half a second, just enough to show he hadn’t expected that. His gaze flicked between you and your friend, reassessing the situation. He didn't look embarrassed though; more like mildly annoyed at being shut down so bluntly. “Oh,” he said simply, voice still calm but now with less playfulness in it. He took another sip of his whiskey before pushing your untouched shot back toward the bartender without a word. Clearly not interested in sticking around where he wasn’t wanted. Then, with a polite nod but zero eye contact, he turned and walked off to rejoin his friends at their table across the bar.
She exhaled sharply through her nose like she’d just dodged an incoming missile. You couldn't help but laugh at her overly protective expression. Shifting your body around to face her, you leaned your elbows on the sticky wood of the table, resting your chin in your hands with a dramatic, mock-offended gasp. "Gosh, was he really that ugly that you had to scare him off so fast?"
She snorted, rolling her eyes so hard it was a miracle they didn’t get stuck. “Girl, please. He wasn’t ugly,” she clarified with a laugh. “He was just… there. Like, who invited him?” She reached across the wood to snag the abandoned shot glass, downing the whiskey herself since you clearly weren't going to touch it.
“And,” she added after swallowing, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and pointing at you accusingly, “you are in a relationship! With Michael! Do you have any idea what he’d do if he found out another guy was buying you shots? He’d annihilate me for letting it happen!”
You rolled your eyes, a tired smirk playing on your lips. "He wouldn't annihilate you, he’d just hit you with his disappointed face which is somehow much worse." You knocked your knuckles gently against the table, sitting up straight. "Besides, speaking of my very very dramatic boyfriend... I should probably get going before he calls out a search party."
You leaned around the side of the table to glance up at the neon clock buzzing above the bar, squinting through the dim light. The moment the glowing red digits came into focus, your heart did a sharp, sudden drop.
1:16 AM.
"Oh, shit," you muttered, the playful mood evaporating instantly as you scrambled to grab your purse. "It’s past one. I am so dead."
You friend choked on the end of her shot, her eyes widening. "Wait, seriously? What the hell are you still doing here?"
—
—
After saying your goodbyes, the drive back home felt endless-every stoplight and familiar turn only dragging out the inevitable confrontation waiting for you at home. When you finally pulled up the long driveway, your stomach twisted into a knot. The house was mostly dark, except for a single window upstairs where a faint, warm glow peeked through the curtains.
He's awake.
Your hands gripped the steering wheel tighter before you finally killed the engine. The silence that settled over the car was deafening. No music echoing from the living room. No shadows moving through the halls. Just... dead quiet. You sat there for a full minute, staring up at that lit window as if it might reveal what kind of mood Michael was in, before finally forcing yourself out of the car to face him.
You took a deep breath, the crisp night air doing nothing to steady your nerves. With slow, hesitant steps, you walked up the front path, each crunch of gravel under your heels sounding way louder than it should in the dead silence.
The house key felt heavy in your palm as you slid it into the lock. The door clicked open quietly..too quiet. The air in the foyer felt strangely cold, like Michael hadn't even bothered adjusting the thermostat after pacing around earlier. There was no TV playing softly in the background like there usually was when he waited up for you.
Out of pure habit, you took off your heels at the front door, even though everything inside you was screaming don't make a sound. Creeping toward the staircase on tiptoe, you began the climb up. The wooden steps creaked ever so slightly under your weight, and with every tiny noise, your heart pounded harder against your ribs
By the time you reached the top of the stairs, your pulse was roaring in your ears like a heavy drum. The hallway felt endless, but a soft, warm line of light spilled out from the master bedroom. The door was slightly ajar, just a sliver, enough for you to peer through the crack before taking that final step.
Michael wasn’t asleep. He wasn’t even in bed under the covers. He was sitting upright on the edge of the mattress, still fully dressed in the clothes he’d worn to the studio earlier, his dark trousers and a simple sweater. One knee was drawn up toward his chest with his arm draped casually over it, but his knuckles were clenched white against his leg. The dim glow from the single lamp on his nightstand caught only half of his profile, casting sharp, rigid shadows across his face.
He was clearly exhausted. dark, faint smudges underlined his eyes but there was a tight, volatile tension radiating from him. The set of his jaw was stone-hard, his chest rising and falling in slow, controlled breaths that screamed he was fighting to keep his temper in check. He was furious, hurt, and completely drained all at once.
The second your bare foot pressed against the floorboard outside his room? His head snapped toward the doorway instantly. There was no hesitation. he’d been sitting there in the dark for hours, hyper-attuned to the quiet house, just waiting for the slightest sound of you coming home
Realizing there was no turning back now, you pushed the door fully open. You took a slow step inside, letting the door swing shut behind you with a quiet, heavy click. Michael didn't move. Didn't even blink. He just stared, his dark eyes locked onto yours as if trying to read your soul through sheer intensity alone. Just the two of you standing on opposite sides of the space, everything left unsaid stretching between you like a live wire ready to spark.
Then slowly he uncurled his leg and shifted on the edge of the mattress, turning to face you fully. His expression wasn't loud or explosive; it was worse. It was a sharp, cold disappointment mixed with something far more fragile underneath-the quiet devastation of being left in the dark for hours without a word.
"And where have you been.” he began, his voice dangerously low and steady the kind of quiet tone that meant he was fighting to hold back fury. “It’s 1 in the morning.”
You shifted your weight, the cool wood of the floor under your bare feet keeping you grounded as you tried to find your voice. "I went out for drinks."
He let out a dry, humorless breath through his nose, his shoulders tense under his sweater. His gaze didn't soften for a second; if anything, his dark eyes narrowed at the word drinks.
"You went out for drinks," he repeated quietly, letting the words sit in the air like an accusation. "So you walked out, slammed the door, and stayed out at some bar until past one in the morning without a single word?" Then his gaze dropped briefly to scan your face for any signs: smudged lipstick? Did someone kiss you? Did you flirt with someone? Was there alcohol on your breath?
"I was overwhelmed!" you said, your voice cutting through the quiet a little louder than you intended. You took a half-step forward, hands gesturing between the two of you. "The second I walked through that door after an impossible day at the office, you started in on me."
Michael stood up from the bed. He didn't rush toward you or raise his voice, but his height and the sheer presence he carried made the room feel instantly smaller. He crossed his arms over his chest, his jaw set in a hard, rigid line. “So instead of talking to me like an adult,” he bit out, his voice kept under strict, dangerous control, “you just stormed out? Leaving me here alone for another five hours on top of the three hours from earlier, doing God knows what?”
“I wasn't doing God knows what!" you snapped back, the defensive anger flaring up to shield the guilt creeping in. "I was at a bar with a friend she was just trying to comfort me that’s all!”
Michael let out a low, bitter laugh, shaking his head as he looked down at the floorboards before his dark eyes snapped back to yours.
"With a friend," he repeated, the word leaving his lips with a sharp, bitter edge. "So you were smart enough to get in touch with her, but you couldn't be bothered to reach out to me? Pay phones exist, you know."
He took another slow, deliberate step forward, his shadow looming over you in the soft lamplight as he crossed his arms, staring down at you with unwavering authority.
"You know exactly how dangerous this world is. You know the kind of thoughts that eat at me when hours pass and I have no idea where you are or who you're with. You don't just disappear without checking in, I was out of my mind with worry, and you know better than that!"
"I was angry, Michael!" you argued, your voice cracking slightly. "I needed space! Every time we argue, it feels like you pull me in so tight I can't even think, and tonight I just—I just couldn't take it."
"So you punish me?" Michael asked, his voice dropping from sharp anger into a quiet, raspy hum that cut right through you. He took one final step, closing the distance between you until he was standing right in front of you. Before you could pull back, his hand came up, his fingers wrapping firmly around the side of your neck not to hurt you, but to hold you right where you were, his thumb resting along your jawline. The touch was possessive, unyielding, and warm against your cool skin.
"You don't just get to walk away from me when you're mad," he breathed, leaning down so his dark eyes were locked completely onto yours, leaving zero space between you. "You belong here. With me. If you're angry, you scream at me, you yell at me, but you never leave this house and make me guess where you are for five hours."
His grip on your jaw tightened just enough to keep your focus entirely on him, his chest rising and falling heavily against yours. "I don't care how mad you are," he murmured, his voice laced with a dark, desperate intensity. "You are mine to worry about, and I don't share that with some bar, or your little girlfriend, or anyone else. You call me."
Your breath hitched as his thumb brushed along your jawline, a sudden spark of heat shooting straight through you. The heavy, dark intensity in his eyes sent a shiver down your spine and to your surprise, the anger you were holding onto completely evaporated, replaced by a subtle, dangerous thrum of excitement. Any defensive speech you’d prepared on the drive home completely vanished from your mind, feeling the sheer weight of how much he wanted you right here made a quiet shuddering breath escaped your lips. You tilted your chin slightly into his hand, resting your palm against his chest over his racing heart.
"Michael..." you whispered, your voice slightly breathless, eyes flickering down to his lips before meeting his dark gaze again. "You're insane, you know that?"
Michael’s chest rose and fell heavily under your palm, his heart hammering against his ribs in a quick, unsteady rhythm that betrayed just how deeply you got to him. His dark eyes softened just a fraction at your touch, though the tension in his shoulders didn't leave completely. He let out a low, breathless sigh, his thumb stroking gently over your cheekbone as the edge of his anger finally melted into sheer relief. "Maybe I am," he murmured, his voice dropping into a soft, velvety rasp. "But only about you."
Then, without warning; without giving you even a second to prepare, Michael closed the tiny distance between your lips and his. His kiss was not gentle, sweet or apologetic. It was desperate, hungry, a collision of pent-up emotion from hours of waiting, worrying, imagining the worst. His mouth crashed onto yours with raw need; one hand still gripping your jaw while the other slid around your waist to yank you flush against him so tightly there wasn’t an inch left between your bodies. You gasped into the kiss startled by how suddenly, how intense he took your mouth. your hands flew up instantly, one tangling in his soft curls at the nape of his neck while the other pressed flat against his chest before sliding around to grip the back of his sweater like an anchor. His lips moved over yours with fierce pressure, teeth grazing your bottom lip just enough to make you whimper before he deepened it further, a low sound rumbling from his throat when you responded without hesitation.
The kiss tasted like frustration and longing and something almost possessive as if he needed to reclaim every part of you that had been gone for five hours straight. Michael started backing toward the bed slowly but firmly guiding both bodies toward it step by step until eventually hitting mattress edge where you both naturally fell down together on top sheets. The back of your knees hit the edge of the mattress first then Michael’s hands, still gripping you like he couldn’t stand even a millimeter of separation, gently guided both of you down onto the soft sheets. One elbow propped him up while his free large hand roamed desperately: sliding under your low cut top, admiring the soft bare skin at your waist then higher, fingertips brushing just beneath fabric near ribs before moving upward toward curves.
The sudden absence of his lips made your mouth tingle still warm from the kiss, still chasing him for a second before you realized he’d actually pulled back. He hovered mere centimeters above your lips, his breath coming in short, uneven puffs that fanned across your mouth. His dark eyes were hazy with desire mixed with that same overwhelming need to feel close to you after hours apart.
"Don't do that to me again," he whispered, his hand sliding around to cradle the back of your neck. "Just tell me where you are next time…otherwise you won’t like what will happen.”
HDSOOSKAODE I freaking love you my bae, The requests you submit are always so fun for me to write, even if I take a while to finish them. It makes me so happy that you’re consistently satisfied with my work! I just wanted to clarify a few things!
Since I decided to set this in Michael’s Thrad Era which is in the 80s, they didn't have smartphones back then, and I try my absolute hardest to stay era-accurate with all my writing, and that’s why Reader couldn’t reach him at work, and why Michael was so upset that she didn’t bother to call the homeline from a payphone, communication in 1986 was pretty much just landlines, rotary phones, and public payphones. Portable cell phones like the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X existed, but they cost around $3,995, took 10 hours to charge, and only had 30 to 60 minutes of talk time, since Reader is dating Michael, a phone like that can definitely be affordable so feel free to imagine she had one in her purse, but the battery died! Hence why she should've found a payphone, another thing! saw another writer on here replacing "Y/N" with a heart symbol and I thought it was the absolute cutest idea especially since "Y/N" can feel a little clunky to read. If anyone knows their @, please let me know so I can properly credit them for the idea! Other than that! Enjoy this! Not proofread btw, besos!
@silentonthedancefloor
@pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 @xoxogossipgirl02 @jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @mtcloudsworld @aizawaspersonalassistant @vigilantlysassypact @lov3lylxvender @nunusmoll @thrilleronvinyl @michcarrillo02-blog @chaotickaos03 @kayybaereads @mochii-00 @planetkook @nebulaglitxh @laaaraa @lovekaiaa
Don’t you have a mind of your own? — mdni
— ˙⋆.˚ HIStory!Michael X F!PopstarReader. you thought you could handle the quiet secrecy of your relationship with Michael. But when his management scripts a wedding proposal to protect his image, the boundary between performance and reality shatters completely. (Request from.)
Song envisioned — ‘The Blackest Day’ - Lana Del Rey.
The music industry was a carefully orchestrated machine, built on publicity, perception, and perfectly timed narratives. It didn’t simply allow moments to happen naturally. it manufactured them, polished them until they gleamed, then sold them to the public as something authentic. Every smile was analyzed, every glance dissected, every appearance calculated weeks in advance. Behind every chart-topping record sat a room full of executives already planning what came next. And no one understood that better than a newly debuting artist.
Following the explosive, chart-dominating success of your debut album, your life had transformed almost overnight. Your songs were everywhere; playing through department store speakers, blasting from car radios, filling arenas before concerts had even begun. Critics praised your lyricism, your voice, your artistry. Fans adored you. Magazine covers wanted you. Talk shows begged for interviews, yet somehow, despite all of it, you remained just out of reach.
Soon enough, headlines began calling you the industry’s newest enigma. the strikingly beautiful singer with an old soul, a voice that could hush an entire room, and a quiet confidence that seemed almost foreign in Hollywood. There was an effortless security about you, one that couldn’t be replicated through media training or carefully crafted interviews. You weren’t cold, nor were you playing hard to get. You simply refused to perform a version of yourself for anyone’s comfort.
Ironically, that was exactly what had captivated Michael Jackson from the very beginning. Long before conversations, before lingering phone calls and hickeys hidden beneath clothing, there had simply been curiosity.
Then came the Grammys. One exchange beneath the blinding lights and endless applause had been enough to ignite weeks of speculation. The lingering eye contact. The warmth in your smiles. The way the room had seemed to disappear for a few fleeting seconds while cameras unknowingly immortalized every glance between the two of you. It hadn’t been rehearsed, staged, or approved by publicists.
It had simply… happened. To Michael, it was a moment he’d replayed more times than he’d ever admit, But the industry monsters didn't care about real feelings. It cared about timelines, target demographics, and monumental press spikes.
—
—
The heavy iron curtains did nothing to block out the sheer, suffocating noise of the headlines. Sitting in the luxurious suite of your hotel midway through the European leg of your stadium tour, your fingers trembled against the glossy paper of the morning press.
THE KING OF POP PROPOSES: Michael Jackson and Lisa Marie Presley to Wed.
The words blurred together. You weren't a model or a temporary face in his circle; you were an international pop star in your own right, filling stadiums across the globe. An instant, magnetic connection that both of your teams had agreed to keep completely private to protect your booming careers. But when the devastating allegations hit the media, his management panicked. They engineered a high-profile, calculated PR relationship to completely scrub his public image and because your own young star was rising too fast, his team deemed you "too complicated" for their narrative. They needed a legacy name. They chose Lisa.
You had tolerated the quiet dinners they shared for the cameras. You had suffered through the arguments over why he couldn't just tell the world the truth about you. It was the reoccurring arguments that sounded like:
“If it's just for the cameras, Michael, then why does it feel like I'm watching my own replacement?" your voice had broken the silence of his secluded studio weeks before the tour began, the sharp tension crackling between you. You had paced the length of the mixing console, refusing to look at him as you voiced the fear that had been keeping you awake for days. "You smile at her the exact same way you smile at me when we're alone. You look at her, and the whole world believes it. How am I supposed to know where the acting ends and where your real life begins when you're playing the part this perfectly?…lets be honest, your a musician, your not supposed to be a good actor either..”
Michael had rushed forward, his hands reaching out to gently catch your wrists, his large eyes wide with a desperate sincerity. "Because it's fake, [y/n], please look at me. it's just an act," he had pleaded, his voice dropping to a frantic, broken whisper. "I do what the publicists tell me to do because they tell me it’s the only way to save everything I've built..I need to keep what I’ve built for the children..baby you know that..after everything she goes her way and I come home to you. There are no real feelings there. There could never be. My heart doesn't know how to beat for anyone else."
But now those arguments don’t compare to what this is. This means war. Your eyes scanned the bold prompt of the newspaper, throwing it across the counter, you excuse your personal assistant for a bit and reaching out, you forcefully ripped the heavy, corded hotel telephone off its cradle. You dialed the international operator, your voice tight as you requested a secure patch through to his private, encrypted landline at neverland.
The line crackled with static, a hollow, long-distance hum echoing in your ear before the connection finally snapped open. He picked up on the very first ring, his voice frantic, breathless, and instantly panicked.
"My love? Oh thank God... please, I’ve been waiting by the phone for hours, I knew you'd see the papers—"
"Michael, you did not just do what I think you just did. What in gods name would possess you to even..do that?" Your voice freezing, lethal tone that cut straight through the transatlantic static.
"Listen to me, the managers..they cornered me in the main office day before yesterday," Michael stammered, his voice utterly cracking as he spoke into his receiver in California. You could hear the frantic friction of his cord spinning as he paced his bedroom floorboards, his breathing heavy and erratic. "They told me the press was turning again. They said if I don’t have a permanent public family image right now, everything will be turned against me. I had too! I had no choice they forced me baby you have to understand it was their idea-“
"And you don’t have a fucking mind of your own?," your enraged voice raising for once and for all said, the hot sting of tears finally breaking through your clinical, professional composure. "You let a boardroom plan a marriage. You gave away a promise that belonged to us because you were too cowardly to tell your managers no. You had a choice Michael so don’t sit there and tell me you didn’t, how do you actually lie without flinching?”
"No I’m not lying! Love please listen! it’s not real! I don't love her, you know that!" Michael cried out, his voice dropping into a desperate, broken sob that echoed sharply through the receiver. he stammered, a deep flush of shame creeping up his neck as his loafers tapped a restless, panicked rhythm against the floor “It's just a paper nothing more! It’s just a devilish strategy to protect my name! I’ll call them right now, I’ll tell them I'm calling it off—"
"You can't call off a global press release without destroying whatever is left of your image, and we both know you care too much to do that. I don't share my men, and I don't play a supporting role in someone else's publicity stunt.” you interrupted, your heart hardening into pure, unyielding stone. "You wanted to protect your name, Michael? Congratulations, you protected it. But you lost me."
“No!No!No! Don't hang up! I'm getting on a plane, I'm flying to Paris tonight—"
"Don't bother.” you whispered coldly.
You slammed the heavy plastic receiver back onto the cradle, the sharp clack echoing off the hotel walls, completely cutting off his frantic pleading.
Across the world in his locked bedroom, Michael dropped his telephone, the plastic handset cracking against the floorboards as the coiled cord tangled around his ankles. He fell to his knees against the edge of the mattress, burying his face deep into the fabric as his body shook violently with heavy, miserable tears. The crushing weight of his own compliance hit him all at once.
—
—
The heavy backstage doors of the arena rattled slightly as the muffled, roaring bass of the opening act vibrated through the concrete walls. You were standing in the quiet, secure alcove just off the main dressing room, adjusting the sleek headset microphone clipped to your hair. Your stage outfit was immaculate, your posture perfectly secure, but on the inside, you were a fortress of iron.
When a shadow suddenly blocked the dim hallway light, you didn't even look up at first, assuming it was a production assistant checking the countdown clock. But then the familiar, sharp scent of his cologne cut through the heavy smell of hairspray and stage fog.
You snapped your head up, your expression instantly turning to pure, freezing disbelief. There he stood, completely unraveled. His fedora was pulled low, his usual meticulous composure entirely replaced by deep, dark circles under his eyes, his black jacket wrinkled from an overnight transatlantic flight. He looked frantic, his nervous energy practically radiating off him.
"What the fu- how did you make it past security?" you demanded, your voice a sharp, clinical whisper as you stood your ground. "This is a closed venue, Michael. You’re not supposed to be back here."
“Dear, please listen to me…let me do all the talking" Michael pleaded, rushing forward and stepping directly into your path, his long hands moving through the air in a desperate attempt to hold your attention. "Our last phone call has been killing me. It’s not what you think. It's not real-“
"No," you cut him off, lifting a single, commanding hand to halt him right in his tracks. You didn't yell; your tone was a freezing, unyielding wall of absolute authority. "You don't get to do this. You don't get to come here and ruin my night, and ruin a performance I have spent months rehearsing for. I worked so hard to build this tour, to earn this stage, and you out of all people will not fuck it up for me."
"That’s not my intention, I don’t wanna ruin anything, I swear, I just couldn't stay home knowing you were hurting—" Michael's voice cracked, his large eyes welling up with instant, desperate tears as he took a fragile step toward you.
"Out of my way." you said, stepping past him with effortless, cold grace, completely refusing to let his breakdown shatter your focus.
You turned your back on him without a second glance, marching down the long, lit corridor toward the stage wings where your band was already waiting. Before you fully enter the stage, a sound engineer checks your mic, a makeup artist pats your T-Zone with a powder puff ensuring a flawlessly smooth base.
Left behind in the shadows, Michael could only watch you go, a heavy sob lodging tightly in his throat. Driven by a desperate need to just be near you, he quietly slipped into the darkness of the stage-left technical wings, entirely hidden from the roaring crowd of eighty thousand people.
Michael stood frozen in the dark, tears silently spilling over his eyelashes and tracking down his cheeks as he watched you command the entire arena. Any trace of the heartbreak from the hotel room was completely gone; you were a force of nature. Realizing he couldn't fix a year's worth of systemic compliance in a chaotic backstage hallway, He slipped out of the arena and into the back of his car, heading straight toward your luxury hotel suite.
He used his private connections to get a copy of your keycard from your management, slipping into the quiet, dark room. He sat down on the edge of the plush sofa, the silence of the suite a stark contrast to the booming stadium he had just left behind. And there, with his head in his hands and his heart completely exposed, waiting through the long hours for the concert to finish, desperate for one last chance to beg for the only woman he truly loved.
Outside, Paris hummed with late night life, cars zipping past the hotel entrance, a lone saxophone player serenading tourists under the streetlights. But inside your suite, everything was still. The air smelled faintly of vanilla from your perfume bottle left open on the dresser.
Michael hadn’t moved an inch since arriving hours ago. He sat exactly where he landed back straight but weary, hands clasped tightly between his knees like he was praying without words. His eyes kept darting to the door every few seconds whenever footsteps passed in the hallway outside.
—
—
The subtle sound of the keycard being accepted through the electronic lock echoed through the silent suite. You stepped inside, still in your stage outfit, curls starting to lose their volume, your makeup still flawlessly intact despite the long 2 hours onstage. The roar of eighty thousand people had faded into a dull hum in your ears. You kicked off one high-heeled boot without looking down.
Then you froze.
Michael sat there like a ghost who’d been waiting for judgment day. His eyes, wide, glassy with unshed tears that locked onto yours instantly. He didn’t speak. Didn’t move closer or reach out like he wanted to so badly it physically hurt him not to, he just… looked at you with a look that felt like seeing you was both salvation and damnation all at once. The exhaustion hit harder than any emotion could’ve prepared you for tonight’s fallout.
You let out a heavy sigh of defeat, kicking off the other heel while keeping your eyes anchored to his. Ruffling your hair in sheer frustration, you drew yourself up to stand straight and tall, crossing your arms firmly over your chest as your classic, unbothered composure shielded the exhaustion underneath.
"Why am I not surprised that you managed to sneak your way in here?" your voice cut through the quiet room, perfectly steady and cool. Michael flinched just slightly, like a child caught doing something wrong. He stayed seated on the edge of that couch, his hands now gripping his knees so tight his knuckles turned white under his pale skin.
“I called your management,” he admitted softly, his voice hushed and raw from hours of silence and crying. “I told them it was an emergency.” A beat passed before he added quietly.“They gave me a copy of your keycard.”
His eyes never left yours, big brown pools shimmering with regret and love in equal measure but they held no defense for himself either. No excuses forming behind those lashes this time. You took a slow, deliberate step closer into the suite, the soft press of your bare feet against the carpet doing nothing to diminish your commanding presence. Your arms remained tightly crossed over your chest as you looked down at him, your expression a mask of absolute, icy calm.
"So," you said, your voice dropping into a dangerously quiet murmur that seemed to fill every corner of the silent room. "It looks like I have some people to fire."
He finally lifted both hands not to reach for you but to press them flat against his chest like an offering. “No,” he whispered urgently. “Don’t fire anyone because of me.” Tears spilled over before he could stop them this time silent sobs rolling down his cheeks as they always did when Michael truly broke inside. And god… it hurt seeing that. Your face falters at the sight of him shedding tears right before your very eyes. For a split second, your guard lets loose and your shoulders loosen, the raw vulnerability of the man you loved threatening to pull you under.
But then, a sudden wave of memories crashes through your mind flashes of the last few months of your relationship, which had devolved into bitter, exhausting arguments about Lisa and the suffocating PR circus surrounding them. The stinging realization that he had actually gone through with a public proposal, giving away a promise that belonged to you, sparks a fresh surge of anger deep in your chest.
Your expression hardens once more. You look at him for one final, silent moment before turning on your heel. Walking past the living area, you make your way directly into the bedroom of the suite and open the closet, pulling out your nightwear, entirely unwilling to give him the conversation he is begging for. Michael’s heart stopped. The cold, deliberate dismissal as you moved past him like he was nothing, like his tears meant nothing. He scrambled to his feet so fast the couch screeched behind him. His long legs carried him forward in two panicked strides, but he didn’t touch you. Didn’t dare reach out and grab your arm like some desperate lover would in a movie scene.
Instead, he hovered just outside the bedroom doorway, his tall frame casting a shadow across the threshold but not stepping over it unless invited. “love…” His voice trembled with grief this time, not just sadness for himself losing you… but genuine remorse that he caused this pain.
You yanked the drawer open harder than necessary, pulling out your silk pajama set with sharp, jerky movements. The fabric slipped through your fingers cool and soft but it did nothing to soothe the storm inside you. Michael couldn’t take it anymore. The silence. The distance. The way you were shutting him out like he was a stranger in your life now and not the man who made love to you every night, not the one who wrote songs about your alluring presence, not like your lover.
Before his brain could catch up with what his heart demanded, he crossed the threshold and stepped into the bedroom like a man possessed by panic and love and sheer desperation. He stepped forward in one fluid motion, his long arms wrapping around your waist from behind just as the door clicked shut. He pulled you back against him not roughly, but with a desperate kind of urgency and buried his face into your neck like he was trying to breathe in every part of you before it slipped away forever.
His tears soaked through the thin fabric of your stage top. And for once? No words came out. Just silent sobs muffled against your skin, his embrace tight like he could physically keep this moment from ending if he held on hard enough
The sudden warmth of his body pressed against yours so familiar sent a jolt through your system. The scent of his cologne had something inside you waver dangerously. Your hands twitched at your sides before slowly rising… not to push him away…but to hover uncertainly in the air like they didn’t know whether to shove him back or cling on tighter. Your heartbeat thundered in your ears, this wasn't supposed to happen. You were angry and deeply hurt, you possessed every right not to comfort him after what he did...but why was this embrace causing you to think otherwise
“Please,” Michael choked out, his lips pressing desperate kisses against your neck messy, wet with tears between each broken word. “Please, I love you and adore you so so much.” His arms tighten against your waist, between each breath was a deep inhale of savoring your scent surrounding your neck “I know I messed up but I swear to God it means nothing. She’s nothing to me..” His voice cracked again as he turned his face into yours, searching for your eyes even though you refused to fully look at him yet. “You’re my true wife..in my heart you’re the one for me..that I vow to for the rest of my life.”
Your hands finally drop against his arms, not hugging him back, but gripping his wrists tightly as a tear finally slips past your guard. "Then why am I the one hiding while she gets the ring? I can't live on your secrets anymore, Mike. I can't survive on the words you only say when nobody else is looking..”
Michael’s entire body shudders at your words, the raw pain in your voice cutting deeper than any anger ever could. For a moment, his grip tightens instinctively, a desperate reaction to the physical reality of you pulling away from the secret life he built for the two of you. He sinks his weight back, his head dropping as a fresh wave of silent, heavy sobs catches in his chest. "I'll fix it," he chokes out, his voice a raw, breathless whisper as he looks up at you through tear-soaked lashes, completely exposed. "I don't care what they say anymore. I don't care about the press, or the managers, or the legacy. If it burns down, let it burn. Just please... don't leave me in the dark. Tell me what you need me to do to make you stay."
His confession catches you completely off guard. Your eyes softly widen and your lips part as his words echo in the quiet room. A whirlwind of thoughts circles your mind; Michael has never been this definitive or assertive when it came to the fractures in your relationship. So many possibilities rush through your head about how he could possibly fix this. But before any words can form on your lips, the sheer weight of his desperation pulls him down. He drops to his knees right there in front of you, his fingers still clinging to your wrists as if you are his only lifeline. He looks up at you through wet lashes and tear-streaked cheeks, his vitiligo standing out starkly under the soft, dim bedroom light, making him look completely stripped of his superstar armor and more fragile than you have ever seen him.
The sudden shift in momentum makes you gently stumble backward until you sit at the edge of the mattress, the exhaustion from the two-hour stage set finally pulling at your limbs. As soon as you sit, Michael moves with a quiet, desperate urgency, scooting forward until he is kneeling right between your legs. His long fingers shift from your wrists to grip your thighs, the heat of his palms grounding him as he looks up. His large brown eyes search yours with a frantic, breathless intensity, looking for any sign of forgiveness or softening behind your gaze.
"I mean it, ma," he whispered, his voice cracking as his thumbs rubbed small, anxious circles into the fabric over your knees. "Tell me what you want. Tell me how to fix this. I’ll do whatever it takes."
You looked down at him. Having him this close, completely stripped of his defenses and looking up at you from the floor, made the anger in your chest twist into a heavy knot in your stomach. Something about him looking at you so vulnerable and completely in your control, the silence between you stretched out into a burning desire. "I don't even know where we’ll start to fix this, Michael," you whispered, your voice barely audible over the quiet hum of the room. You looked down at his tear-stained face, your fingers lightly curling into the fabric of his jacket.
Michael swallowed hard, his Adam's apple bobbing as he searched your face for permission. His thumbs kept tracing those small circles on your thighs. "…well..let me start it off for us," he said quietly but firmly. Michael leaned forward slowly so, so carefully and pressed his lips to your knee..then another on the other knee, softly gradually kissing to the inside of your thighs. His hands slid up from your thighs to cradle either side of your face. His touch was tender, like you were something sacred he'd been granted a second chance with by sheer miracle. He rose to his knees for his lips to meet yours, softly at first, a tentative brush of warmth against your mouth like he was afraid you’d pull away. Then when you didn’t reject him, it deepened.
Michael kissed you with everything every ounce of love and regret and desperation he'd been carrying since the moment that press release broke. One hand slid into your hair, cradling the back of your head while the other stayed gently on your cheek to tilt it just right for him. It wasn't rushed or demanding; it was slow, pouring every unspoken apology into each movement. Your hands previously so tense on his shoulders slid up to tangle in his hair, gripping those soft curls you'd missed touching for weeks. The second you pulled him closer, Michael made a quiet sound against your lips a broken little sigh of relief and kissed you harder.
His body shifted forward instinctively, raising himself off the ground until he was halfway onto the bed with you, one knee braced beside your hips as he leaned into it. His jacket slipped off one shoulder. The second your lips parted from his, he kissed down your jaw. soft, wet pecks along the line of it before pressing a lingering kiss to the pulse point beneath your ear. His breath was warm against your skin as he worked his way lower. “Let me show you how sorry I am.” he faintly said against your skin, while leaving a slow trail of kisses down the column of your throat…over collarbones still damp with stage sweat.
His hands were everywhere now, tugging gently at straps, slipping under layers without hesitation like every second counted and you might disappear if he stopped touching you for even half a breath. Michael’s hands roamed under your stage outfit, his fingertips tracing the curve of your spine as he kissed you like a man starved. Every brush of lips was charged with weeks of pent-up longing the kind that came from sleeping in different cities, arguing through phones instead of holding each other.
When his palm finally slid up to cup your breast over fabric, a soft unexpected gasp had left your lips; a low sound so full of want it vibrated through both your bodies. You managed to let out “it’ll take you awhile to show just how sorry you are.” Michael smirked against your lips. “I don’t care if it takes hours baby." he murmured before capturing your mouth again in another searing kiss and rolled his hips forward against yours instinctively, pressing you deeper into the mattress as his hand squeezed gently over your breast before sliding up to unclasp whatever fastened it.
Oh, he was so sorry, and if you wanted him to show you exactly how much? He’d spend the entire night proving it.
To the person that requested, boy how sorry I am that this took so long! I’m so sorry! Genuinely I’m not too sure if I like this work or not but I really hope you do and it’s up to your standards especially with the ending! This is not proofread and strictly a work of fiction! I’m still taking in request so feel free to leave them in my inbox! Besos everyone
@pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 @xoxogossipgirl02 @jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @mtcloudsworld @aizawaspersonalassistant @vigilantlysassypact @lov3lylxvender @nunusmoll @thrilleronvinyl @michcarrillo02-blog @chaotickaos03 @kayybaereads @mochii-00 @planetkook @nebulaglitxh @laaaraa @lovekaiaa
I'm so in love with the way you make me feel, it's so well written it makes me giggle and kick my feet 😂 please let me know if you'll make a part three 💗
You Knock Me Off My Feet! Part Four!
— ˙⋆.˚ Bad!MichaelJacksonXRisingStar!Reader. Rehearsals begin for The Way You Make Me Feel, and somewhere between choreography, wardrobe changes, and endless takes, pretending becomes a little harder than either of them expected; who will give in first?
Song envisioned. ‘Take My Breath Away’ - Berlin.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 |
The studio mirrors at Westlake were mercilessly reflective, capturing every single time Michael lost his place in the choreography because you happened to walk into his line of sight.
During the first week of rehearsals, he had stood in front of those mirrors, meticulously adjusting his fedora, and firmly repeated his mental mantra. Professional. It’s work. Focus on the steps. By the second week, that defense mechanism had completely dissolved. He spent half the afternoon subtly tilting his head, entirely distracted because you had walked into the room smelling like that distinct, soft perfume again.
By the third rehearsal, his focus shifted from the music to the specific cadence of your voice. Why does she always say my name like that? he wondered, his heart doing a strange, irregular flip every time you called out to him across the room. By the fourth rehearsal, he wasn’t even pretending anymore.
You had a habit of casually invading his personal space without a second thought. It wasn't calculated or forced; after being introduced to the industry from the success of your new album you got pretty well and making yourself appear charming. you grew to be secure and comfortable around people. You would lean over his shoulder to look at the colorful song storyboards, the tips of your hair brushing against his jacket. You would casually rest your hand on the leather back of his chair while talking to Jerry, completely oblivious to how rigid and breathless Michael became the moment your fingers were inches from his shoulder.
Once, while walking across the breezy soundstage, you reached up and gently tucked a stray strand of curly hair that the wind kept blowing into his face. Michael froze, his eyes widening slightly as your warm fingertips brushed his temple.
Before he could process the touch, you playfully reached over and snatched the dark aviator sunglasses straight off his face, slipping them onto your own nose.
"…These look better on me," you announced, tilting your chin up with a grin.
Michael cleared his throat, his voice dropping to a soft, helpless murmur at the new feeling of being vulnerable and trying hard not to meet your enticing eye contact. "…No they don’t."
"They absolutely do," you insisted, looking at him over the rim of the lenses.
"…Yeah," Michael breathed, his gaze completely trapped by your smile.
You paused, letting out a light laugh. "…You’re not even gonna argue?"
Michael blinked, a sudden rush of warmth flooding his cheeks as he gave a tiny, sheepish giggle. "I don’t know what you’re were talking about."
—
What undid him completely was the realization that you had absolutely no idea the chaotic effect you were having on his brain chemistry. You simply existed with a quiet, secure confidence that commanded the entire room without ever asking for attention, greeting the lighting crew by name and effortlessly dropping to the concrete floor to help a panicked assistant gather a mountain of dropped paperwork. Michael watched these quiet acts of grace from the studio wings, completely transfixed by your kindness.
By the time the rehearsal days wrapped, he was entirely powerless against the crush, carrying a mind full of these small, unscripted memories back home to Hayvenhurst, desperate to finally pour the restless energy onto the blank pages of his notebook.
Nothing came. His creative mind, usually an unstoppable factory of melodies and rhythms, was completely stuck on a loop. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the way your dark dress caught the studio lights, the casual way you had stolen his sunglasses, and the agonizingly beautiful seconds where your lips had been inches from his.
He let out a soft groan, burying his face in his hands as a helpless smile broke across his features. He looked back down at the blank page, realizing that no metaphor or lyric could accurately capture the feeling of almost holding you.
The journal hadn't been an intentional choice. Michael had originally opened the leather-bound notebook to sketch out a few blocking diagrams and write down choreography notes for the backup dancers. Instead, the pages began to look entirely different.
Tuesday.
She laughs with her whole face.
Wednesday.
She hums while wardrobe pins her jacket.
Thursday.
She keeps stealing my sunglasses. I don't mind.
Michael stared at the black ink on the page, the reality of his own thoughts staring back at him.
He abruptly slammed the notebook shut, pressing his forehead against the cool leather cover with a soft groan. "..Lord," he whispered under his breath.
It was well past midnight. The entire house was completely asleep, but Michael was sprawled across the center of his bed, the lights dimmed low. He had his notebook open, a pen tapping rhythmically against his knuckles. He was supposed to be tweaking the lyrics for the bridge of the song, but nothing musical was coming to him.
Instead, his pen touched the paper and wrote:
She has this habit of looking people directly in the eyes when they talk. I’ll never understand that. I’ve never been good at direct eye contact, especially with the women I adore.
He stared at it, frowned, and aggressively drew a line through the words. He started again on the line below:
Her eyes makes you feel like you're the only person in the room, frankly in the entire world.
He crossed that out too, tossing the pen onto the mattress and burying his face in his pillow. " That's terrible," he muttered into the fabric. But it wasn't terrible. It was exactly how he felt.
Restless, he flipped to a completely fresh page and picked the pen back up, his looping handwriting filling the lines.
Today she laughed because I couldn't stop fixing my jacket. I wasn't nervous.
He stopped. He stared at the sentence for a long, quiet minute. With a heavy sigh, he added three more words to the end of the page: I was nervous.
—
The energy on the set of The Way You Make Me Feel was electric, a controlled chaos of roaring playback speakers, bustling camera rigs, and simulated steam rising from the damp asphalt of the studio's makeshift city street. To flesh out the world and make the neighborhood scene feel alive, a group of women had been cast to play your background friends; including Michael’s sister, LaToya, who brought a vibrant, teasing energy to the wardrobe trailer.
"He's been pacing all morning," LaToya whispered to you with a knowing laugh as a stylist touched up your hair. "I haven't seen him this meticulous about a video concept in years."
When the cameras finally rolled, the acting felt entirely redundant. The script called for you to walk down the dimly lit street with an air of effortless security while Michael pursued you, dancing across the pavement, snapping his fingers, and pouring his heart into the lyrics. Every time the director shouted “Action!” and Michael slid into your path, his eyes had a piercing, brilliant focus that made your chest tighten. When he sang the lines directly to you, his face inches from yours, the quiet confidence you usually carried felt challenged by the sheer intensity of his gaze. You didn't have to pretend to be drawn into his rhythm; his energy was magnetic.
Yet, to Michael's quiet disappointment, the official shot list didn't include an actual kiss. The choreography was designed to be a tantalizing chase, a game of tension that left the audience wanting more.
It happened late in the evening, during a pickup shot meant to capture a tight, intimate close-up for the final sequence. The ambient noise of the crew seemed to fade as the lighting technicians adjusted a single, warm spotlight that isolated the two of you against the brick backdrop.
"Alright, let's get the tracking shot," the director called out through a megaphone. "Michael, step in. Closer. Closer than that."
Michael stepped forward, his loafers clicking softly on the damp pavement until he was standing directly in your personal space. The scent of his cologne mingled with the cool air, sharp and grounding.
"Forget the camera," the director’s voice instructed softly from the shadows, echoing lightly over the quiet set. "Just look at each other."
In an instant, the performance dissolved. Neither of you was acting anymore. You looked up into his large, expressive eyes, seeing the genuine vulnerability hiding behind his superstar persona. Michael's breath hitched, his long fingers twitching slightly at his sides as he took in the calm, steady way you looked back at him.
"You're standing entirely too close, Michael," you murmured, keeping your voice low so the nearby microphones wouldn't catch it. Your tone was playful, maintaining that effortless composure that always threw him off.
A tiny, breathless giggle escaped him, his shoulders dropping just a fraction as the nervous tension left his frame. "Am I?" he whispered, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "The director told me to. I'm just... following instructions."
"Oh, really?" You tilted your head up, your gaze steady. "Is it part of the instructions to look at me like you're trying to read my mind?"
Michael's cheeks instantly warmed, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He looked down at his loafers for a split second before forcing himself to meet your eyes again, his gaze dropping briefly to your lips before returning to your face. "Maybe I am. But you're not making it very easy. You're always so... quiet. So calm."
"Someone has to be," you teased softly, the corners of your mouth lifting. "With all your spinning and finger-snapping, you're a lot to keep up with."
"I can slow down," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave, becoming incredibly gentle as he closed the remaining inch of distance between you. The playful banter seemed to evaporate, replaced by a sudden, heavy gravity. "If you want me to."
"Don't change a thing, Mike," you replied, your nonchalance gently giving way to the sheer sincerity of the moment. "The groove is perfect."
The world around the set went completely silent. Slowly, drawn by an unspoken magnetism that had been building since the very first day of rehearsals, Michael began to lean in. Your chin tilted up slightly, your gaze dropping to his lips as you met him halfway. Neither of you was thinking about the choreography or the blocking diagrams anymore. It was a mutual, irresistible pull—
"Hold it! Cut!" the director’s voice broke the spell like a shattering pane of glass. "We've got a shadow on the lens from the crane rig. Make up, go ahead and touch up their faces while we reset."
The sudden intrusion forced you both apart immediately. Michael cleared his throat, a deep crimson flush creeping rapidly up his neck as he looked down at his shoes, his hands flying to his collar to nervously adjust it.
"I—I'm sorry," he stammered quietly, offering a shy, flustered look as he stepped back. "I think I got a little carried away with the... the mood."
You stepped back as well, your heart hammering fiercely against your ribs, though you forced your expression to remain perfectly smooth. You offered a small, nonchalant smile to the makeup assistant who hurried over with a powder puff and a lip liner.
"Don't worry about it, Mike," you said, your voice remarkably steady despite the adrenaline rushing through you. "It's just showbiz, right?"
Michael looked at you, his large eyes searching your face for a lingering second, completely captivated by how unfazed you appeared on the outside. "Yeah," he murmured softly, a small, private smile returning to his face. "Just showbiz."
—
After the final wrap was called, the core production crew, the cast, and management headed to a quiet, upscale restaurant in Hollywood to celebrate the completion of the shoot. The atmosphere was loud and celebratory, filled with clinking glasses, shared laughter, and toasts to what everyone knew was going to be a massive success.
You sat across from Michael, enjoying the easy flow of conversation, occasionally laughing with LaToya about the long hours on set. Throughout the dinner, Michael remained uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes constantly drifting toward you over the rim of his glass. Underneath the table, his loafers tapped out a restless rhythm against the carpet.
Throughout the dinner, Michael remained uncharacteristically quiet, his eyes constantly drifting toward you over the rim of his glass. Underneath the table, his loafers tapped out a restless rhythm against the carpet.
Catching his eye, you offered him a warm, steady smile. "You're exceptionally quiet tonight, Mike. Did the director finally wear you out?"
Michael blinked, pulling himself out of his thoughts as a soft, shy smile touched his lips. "Oh, no," he said softly, a deep chuckle escaping him. "I'm just... taking it all in. Everyone worked so hard. You were wonderful today."
"We all were," you replied smoothly, keeping your tone relaxed. "Though I think you got a little too into character during that alleyway closeup."
LaToya looked between the two of you, an amused, knowing smirk crossing her face. "Oh? What happened during the closeup?"
Michael’s cheeks immediately flushed a deep pink, and he quickly took a sudden interest in rearranging the silverware next to his plate. "Shut up LaToya," he murmured quickly, his voice dropping an octave as he glanced up at you through his eyelashes. "It was just... good acting. Right?"
"Of course," you teased gently, enjoying how easily he got flustered. "Pure professionalism, I’m expecting an Oscar to be quite honest."
"Yeah," Michael whispered, his gaze lingering on yours for a second longer before he looked down, a private, helpless smile tucked into the corner of his mouth.
He was fiercely debating with himself, his mind spinning as he rehearsed the words to ask you out on a proper date, one away from cameras, choreographers, and producers. “Are you free this weekend?” he thought, his fingers tightening around his napkin. “I’d really love to take you out.”
But every time you looked up and met his gaze with that secure, effortless smile, his teenage shyness took over. The risk felt immense, and the words lodged themselves firmly in his throat. When the dinner finally ended and the cars arrived to take everyone home, he simply offered you a warm, lingering hug and a soft, along with a gentle peck on your cheek. "Thank you for everything." He watched your car drive away into the city lights, completely kicking himself for his lack of courage.
—
When the Bad album dropped alongside the premiere of The Way You Make Me Feel, the public reaction was instantaneous. The music video became an overnight sensation, rotating constantly on MTV. But the conversation wasn't just about Michael's choreography anymore; it was about the two of you.
The media and the public immediately picked up on the undeniable chemistry flashing across the screen. Because you had just taken the music industry by storm with your own debut album, the headlines were already obsessed with the soulful, utterly mysterious new vocalist who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere with no proper training. Seeing you share a frame with the King of Pop blew the internet's mind. Gossip columns speculated wildly about whether two of the most exciting voices in music had taken their romance off the set, and fans flooded music forums wondering how this dream collaboration had come together.
A whirlwind promotional tour followed. Sitting in your living room, you turned on the television to find Michael doing a high-profile interview with MTV.
"The chemistry in the video is incredible, Michael," the interviewer said, leaning forward with a smirk. "Everyone wants to know about your leading lady [y/n]. She’s currently topping the charts with her own debut album, and she had time to appear in your video. What made you pick her?"
On screen, Michael immediately straightened in his chair, a beautiful, genuine smile breaking across his face. He adjusted his sunglasses, his eyes lighting up in a way that couldn't be seen through the dark lenses.
"Oh, she’s just... she’s wonderful you know," Michael said, his voice dropping to that soft, reverent tone you recognized from the studio. "I saw her performing on television, and she just took my breath away. She has this tremendous grace that not a lot of women have. She..she really did bring this grounded energy to the whole set. She’s gorgeous…and phenomenal talent, a rising star, really."
Listening to his words, your heart skipped a beat. Hearing him praise your talent and character so freely to the entire world, without a shred of hesitation, sent a warm wave of realization through you. He wasn't just talking about a co-star; he was talking about you.
The interviewer smiled, leaning in further, sensing the crowd’s growing excitement. "So she caught the attention of the King of Pop just like that? What was it like actually filming on set with her?"
"Oh it was…" Michael murmured, nodding softly as his smile widened, a faint blush dusting his cheeks. "Just incredible. Filming together was just... it wasn't like work at all. She’s a professional through and through, but she has this effortless way of making everyone around her feel completely at ease."
He paused, shifting back in his chair as his enthusiasm took over, his hands gesturing lightly as he spoke. "And her music, oh, my goodness, her debut album is incredible. The melodies, the vocals... she’s doing something so unique and soulful right now. I listen to her record all the time in my car. She's a true visionary."
"The fans are already losing their minds over the music video," the interviewer noted, gesturing toward the cheering studio audience. "Is there any chance we might see the two of you share a stage, or maybe even a recording studio, in the future?"
Michael let out a soft, delighted giggle, his eyes crinkling behind his sunglasses. "I would absolutely love that. I really hope we can reconnect very soon and work together again, maybe on a proper music collaboration. I think our voices would blend beautifully on a track. I'm just waiting for her to say yes."
At the mention of a potential duet, the studio audience erupted into a frenzy, loud cheers and applause echoing through the broadcast as the interviewer laughed, thoroughly enjoying the exclusive scoop.
Listening to his words from your couch, your heart skipped a beat against your ribs. Hearing him praise your artistry, your character, and your music so freely to the entire world, without a single shred of hesitation, sent a warm wave of realization through you. He wasn't just doing promo or talking about a talented co-star; he was putting it out there for everyone to see, talking directly to you.
—
The television screen in the studio dressing room went static as Michael clicked the remote, shutting off a radio broadcast that had just replayed an excerpt of his interview.
He was completely alone in the quiet space, leaning back against the leather sofa with his eyes fixed on the ceiling. The public praise and the media buzz didn't mean anything to him compared to the realization that had been steadily building in his chest. You weren't just a captivating face on a screen anymore; you were a rising star whose debut album was taking the entire industry by storm, and your effortless, genuine charm had everyone talking.
The thought of letting the momentum pass, or watching the chaotic music business pull you away before he ever told you how he truly felt, sent a sudden wave of urgency straight through him. He couldn't afford to hide behind his notebook or let his usual shyness dictate what happened next. He wanted to look forward, not just replay the memories of rehearsals and almost-kisses on set.
"I need to say something," he muttered to the quiet room, a rare, firm determination settling into his voice.
He stood up, pacing the floorboards as his loafers clicked sharply against the tile. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he pulled out his personal telephone directory, flipping past the pages until his eyes landed on your number, written out in his neat, looping script.
His heart hammered a wild, erratic rhythm against his ribs, louder than any bassline he had ever mixed at Westlake. His fingers trembled slightly as he picked up the receiver and carefully dialed the numbers one by one. Holding the phone to his ear, he listened to the steady sound of the line ringing on the other end, a confident smile finally breaking across his face as he waited to hear the sound of your voice.
This took way too long!!Not Proofread at all, So sorry for that loves, I dealt with a last minute moving situation but we’re all good now!! If I didn’t tag you please let me know! So I can tag you in this series again or my other future Michael works! Speaking of this series, should another part he continued or should this be a final?
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okay but one where Michael is fake dating LMP and this has obviously caused a lot of arguments between y’all and he proposed to her (because management made him) and that sparks an even bigger argument cause wtf. And he has to grovel and basically beg for forgiveness cause he KNEW he fucked up when he even agreed to do it. Maybe some smut?
Now this request is posted!!
Ouuuuu okay okay. How about reader and Michael get into an argument over the phone while he’s away and the reader is like “I’m done” over the phone and hangs up so he thinks she’s breaking up with him but she’s just done arguing so he comes home early and thinks she left him cause some of her stuff is missing but she’s just sleeping in the guest room cause she’s mad and then she comes home from work to find him upset. (I know it’s long but I just wanted to give more details than last time lol)
“I’m so done with you Michael.”
| Bad!Michael X Fem!Reader. Two words were all it took to turn Michael’s world upside down. When an over the phone argument ends abruptly, he leaves work early to save his relationship only to find a lot of your belongings missing (he lwk obsessive).
| Song envisioned - ‘Onie’ — The Electric Prunes.
June, 1987. Studio bursting with the creative juices of making ‘Bad!’ flowing around the room. Tracks were laying down perfectly, but the only thing missing from the room was you. After an excellent take, Michael wiped a line of sweat from his forehead, a bright, eager smile lighting up his face as he grabbed the studio telephone. He needed his love. His muse. He wanted your ear on a new melody, but more than anything, he just wanted you sitting all pretty on the lounge couch where you belonged.
"Hey baby," sounding immediately brightened the second you answered. “I’ve been trying to get ahold of you!” his voice came through the line, genuinely cheery and beaming with such excitement. "When are you stopping by? I firmly believe we figured out that bridge I was telling you about."
On the other end of the line, your sigh was quiet, your mind you were already visualizing papers that’ll weigh down desk. Your job was demanding, a fast-paced environment where "last minute" was the standard and difficult to keep up a steady schedule. "Oh, Michael, I can’t stop by. I’m so sorry," you said, your tone soft, trying to cushion the blow. "I just got called in work just right now, and I actually just finished getting ready."
The silence on the line was instant, the cheerfulness evaporating. "You're not coming?" Michael’s voice dropped, the disappointment quickly turning into a defensive edge.
"Yeah, no I can’t, i have work," you explained, trying to keep your patience as you struggle to put on your high heel with the phone receiver tucked in your ear.
“Well…ain’t that great. You work too much, y’know?” he murmured annoyingly, not quite accusatory, more wounded than anything. “I hardly get any time with you.” He begins to anxiously twirl the phone cord in his fingers.
You closed your eyes, feeling a headache brewing. “Michael please don’t do this right now.” You switch the receiver to your other ear as you continue to put on your heel and adding any last makeup touches.
Michael sighs at your now apparent fed up voice. “what am I doing? I’m just saying I wish you didn’t have to…I don’t like sharing you with that office.”
You sighed, dropping your lipstick onto the vanity with a soft clatter. “Michael, I got called in. It’s not like I’m choosing work because it’s more fun. it’s work, everyone in the world has to go.”
“I didn’t say that, it’s just..I’ve offered..to take care of you in other ways aside from you just moving in.” he snapped back quickly, defensiveness creeping into his posture.
“And I respectfully declined that, and I didn’t think you’d throw that in my face. Seriously, your acting like I did something wrong.”
“I’m not acting like anything.”
“You are,” you insisted, your tone hardening as the pressure of the ticking clock started to get to you.
He let out a sharp, frustrated breath into the receiver. “See? Every time I tell you how I feel, it turns into this.”
Your fists clench in anger at his dramatic persistence.“Because every time I have to work, you make me feel guilty, like I feel like a bitch.”
His face falls at the word you used, he hated whenever you used foul language and the fact you were using it to describe yourself made guilt creep in. “I am not trying to make you feel any of those things.” His voice now drastically decreasing in volume and now soft.
“It certainly doesn’t feel that way.” Your voice now turned bitter.
The heavy words hung in the air between you, stretching across the miles of telephone wire. Michael went dead quiet for a long moment, the background hum of the studio the only indicator that he was still there.
“You know what?” he finally said, his voice dropping into a dangerously soft, quiet register. “Forget it.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Do what?”
“Shut down because I disagree with you.”
“I’m not shutting down,” he shot back, his voice finally sharpening into a rare flash of anger that made your chest tighten. “I’m trying not to say something that will further anger you.”
You stared at your reflection in the mirror, watching the frustration mar your features. Time was up, you were going to be late. “I have to go.”
“Fine.” The answer came entirely too quickly, clipped and cold.
You blinked, taken aback. “Fine?”
“What do you want me to say?” he asked, a bitter laugh bubbling up. “Go to work. Like you said ‘Everybody always does’.”
The petty re-quote of your previous statement hit a nerve. You rolled your eyes, licking your lips in sheer frustration as the exhaustion of the argument completely drained your remaining patience.
“Do whatever you want,” you said flatly, your voice devoid of any sweetness. “I’m so done with you, Michael.”
Before he could utter another syllable, you slammed the receiver back onto the cradle, the sharp click cutting off the connection instantly and leaving the bedroom entirely, suffocatingly quiet.
He stared at the receiver, the blood rushing out of his face so fast it made him dizzy. I'm done with you. The words echoed in his head, twisting into something permanent. Did she mean the argument? Or did she mean him?
"Hey, Smelly! We're burning daylight, let's get back in the booth!" Quincy’s voice cracked over the studio intercom, waving him back to the microphone.
Michael swallowed hard, forcing his trembling hands into his pockets. He went back into the booth and tried to power through the track, but his mind was a storm of absolute anxiety. His throat felt tight, his eyes burning on the verge of tears as the terrifying thought looped in his brain: Did my girl just leave me?
For the next hour, the session was a disaster. The brilliant, effortless takes he’d been delivering all afternoon completely vanished. Now, his vocals were noticeably off-key, his timing was dragging behind the beat, and that raw, passionate energy that usually beamed from his voice was entirely gone. He was hollow.
Through the studio glass, Quincy watched him with deep confusion before finally hitting the talkback button.
“Michael, what the hell is wrong with you?” Quincy asked, his brows furrowing in deep frustration as he rubbed his temples.
Michael pulled the headphones off, his head hanging low as his shoulders shook. “I’m sorry, Q... I can't," he choked out, his voice thick and dangerously close to breaking. "Let’s just... let's call it a day.”
“Michael, what?” Quincy countered through the intercom, his tone hardening. “I’m sorry, but you’re gonna be in there till I call it.”
Michael lifted his head, a rare flash of stubborn defensiveness cutting through his panic. “Q… who’s the star here? I’d like to think I call the shots.”
Quincy stared at him through the glass, the initial irritation on his face softening into genuine concern when he saw the pale, exhausted look in Michael's eyes. It wasn't like Michael to pull rank or walk away from a session, but it was clear his mind was completely miles away.
"Alright, Mike," Quincy sighed, flipping the talkback switch back on. "Go on home. Get some rest. We'll pick this up tomorrow."
Michael didn't waste a second. He mumbled a quick thank you, grabbed his jacket, and practically bolted out the studio doors into the cool evening air.
——————-
Meanwhile, back at the house you were in a whirlwind of annoyance. You weren't leaving him, but you absolutely refused to sleep in the same bed as him tonight.
In a rush to get ready for your sudden shift, you dragged your feet into your shared walk-in closet. Grabbing a handful of your favorite clothes, you marched them down the grand hallway to the downstairs guest room. You went back and forth, snatching up your specific skincare bottles, your makeup routines, your shower products, your jewelry box, and your favorite perfumes.
The shared closet door was flung wide open, leaving a glaring, empty gap where your daily clothes usually hung. Glass plate on your dresser the one that always held your everyday rings and necklaces was completely bare. Your vanity was stripped of your lotions, leaving behind little dust rings where the bottles used to sit. The bed sheets were completely unmade, tossed aside in your frustration.
You threw your essentials into the guest bathroom, locked the main house door, and left for work.
————————-
The moment Michael climbed into the back of the SUV, the heavy door hadn’t even fully latched before he leaned forward, his voice tight and trembling. "Bill, please. We gotta go. Drive back home, fast as you can. Please."
Bill caught his eye in the rearview mirror, noticing the sheer panic etched into Michael's face, and immediately pressed down on the gas.
The ride back to Neverland was a blur of agonizing silence and mounting terror. Michael couldn't sit still. His right leg bounced up and down violently, a frantic, rhythmic tapping against the floorboard that betrayed the chaos in his mind. He kept his eyes locked on the window, but he wasn't looking at the passing trees. He was trapped in his own head, replaying your voice over and over. I'm so done with you. A stray tear finally slipped down his cheek, followed by another, until he was silently crying, wiping at his eyes with the back of his hand as his breathing grew shallow. Every second felt like an hour. The knot in his chest was tightening, suffocating him with the terrifying belief that you were already gone.
The second the vehicle rounded the final bend and the grand house came into view, Michael couldn't even wait for a complete stop. As the SUV barely began pulling up into the driveway, his hands flew to his seatbelt, clicking it open. He shoved the door open while the car was still rolling to a halt, practically spilling out onto the pavement in his desperation.
He didn't care about his jacket, his bag, or anything else. He just ran.
When Michael’s car screeched to a final halt behind him, he practically burst through the front doors of the house.
"Baby?" he called out, his voice cracking with pure panic, echoing off the high ceilings of the foyer. "Y/n?"
Silence greeted him.
He took the stairs two at a time, his heart hammering violently against his ribs as he threw open the master bedroom door. The sight froze the breath in his lungs.
The bed sheets were tossed aside, completely unmade in a rush. Michael stumbled forward, his eyes darting toward the walk-in closet the door was flung wide open, and even in the dim light, he could see the glaring, empty hangers where your everyday clothes usually hung. Panic taking total control, he turned toward your vanity. The glass jewelry dish where you always left your rings was completely bare, and the usual bottles of perfume and lotions were gone, leaving behind faint outlines in the dust.
To his spiraling mind, this wasn't just an angry exit after a fight. It looked like a clean break.
The strength completely left his legs. Michael sank onto the edge of the unmade mattress, burying his face in his hands. The tears he had been fighting back since the studio finally spilled over, his shoulders shaking in the quiet room as the terrifying realization hit him: he thought he had lost you for good. He drove you away, his needy nature drove you insane and you really were done with him.
Downstairs, the heavy click of the front door unlocking cut through the silence of the house.
————————
When you had arrived at the office, you were met with a frustrating surprise.
"Oh, Y/N? Yeah, no, you aren't actually needed anymore tonight. You can go home," your boss said, completely dismissing you while turning his back to chat with another coworker. He slid a hundred-dollar bill across the desk toward you with a patronizing smirk checking you out. "Here, get a drink on me for your troubles."
Annoyed by the blatant mansplaining and the waste of your time, you took the money and walked straight back out to the parking lot. Getting back into your Mercedes, you briefly tempted the idea of stopping by the recording studio to surprise Michael and make up after the phone call. But the exhaustion of the day won, and you decided it was best to just head back to Neverland.
When you finally pulled up to the estate, you immediately noticed something was different. To your surprise, the heavy front doors were already unlocked and slightly ajar. Stepping into the foyer, you realized the lights were blazing, the AC was humming loudly, and the entire house felt lived-in. You knew none of the staff would leave the main house in this state without reason and you knew Michael doesn’t come home from work early like ever.
Suddenly, the sound of muffled muffled breathing and movement echoed from upstairs. Walking carefully up the grand staircase, your heart began to race as you approached the master bedroom. You stepped through the doorway, only to see Michael sitting on the edge of the unmade mattress, looking completely defeated.
Your heart dropped straight to your stomach at the sight. "Oh my lord, Michael! You scared the life out of me!"
At the sound of your voice, he whipped around, and your breath caught. His beautiful face was completely stained with fresh tears, his eyes red and wide with sheer shock as he stared at you like he was seeing a ghost.
Your face drops at the sudden sight of Michael. “Michael what’s wrong?“ you said ever so urgently, although before you could move, Michael stared at you, his chest heaving as he tried to process that you were actually standing there in the doorway. He scrambled up from the bed, his knees almost giving out beneath him as he crossed the room in two long strides, throwing his arms around you tightly.
"You're here," he choked out, burying his face into the crook of your neck. His hands gripped the fabric of your blazer as if he was terrified that if he let go, you would vanish. “yeah? I am, what’s wrong why are you crying?” Your voice hitches worried about the worst possible scenario, the sheer panic in his voice made your heart ache. You wrapped your arms around his torso, holding him close as his shoulders trembled against you.
"You're here. I thought you left me. I thought you packed your things and walked out."
“Hey, look at me," you murmured softly, gently pulling back just enough to cup his face in your hands. You used your thumbs to wipe away the fresh tears spilling down his cheeks. "I would never leave you why would you even- what made you think that?”
"The closet," he breathed, his voice cracking as he gestured wildly toward the bedroom behind him. "Your clothes are gone. Your jewelry, your perfumes... everything was empty. You said you were done with me on the phone, and I came home and thought..." He swallowed hard, unable to finish the sentence as a fresh wave of emotion hit him. “What was I supposed to think?”
You looked past him at the open closet door and the bare vanity, suddenly realizing how the scene looked to someone who didn't know the context. The anger from your earlier argument completely dissolved, replaced by overwhelming guilt.
"Oh, love... no," you sighed softly, leaning your forehead against his. "I was just mad. I took some things down the hall to the guest room because I was too annoyed to sleep in here tonight. I only meant I was done arguing on the phone...”
Michael let out a long, shuddering breath, the tension finally leaving his frame as the truth sank in. He closed his eyes, resting his weight against you as he wrapped his arms back around your waist.
"Don't do that to me again," he whispered against your skin, his voice small and completely vulnerable. "Don't ever say you're done like that. My heart completely stopped."
"I'm sorry," you whispered back, running your fingers through his curls that sat by his neck to soothe him. "I'm so sorry, Michael. I was frustrated, but I shouldn't have said it that way."
He pulled back slightly, looking down at you with raw sincerity in his eyes. "I'm sorry too. About what I said about your job. I know how hard you work, and I shouldn't have made you feel guilty just because I wanted you around. I just... I miss you when I'm in the studio all day."
A soft smile finally broke across your face, and you reached up to press a gentle kiss to his lips. "I know. I miss you too.
Michael managed a small, relieved smile of his own, his fingers locking securely with yours. "But..I thought you had work..what happened? ”
"I did," you explained with a heavy sigh rolling your eyes feeling the previous anger rise to your head. "But when I got there, this douche completely changed his mind and told me I wasn't needed at all. He actually gave me a hundred bucks for the trouble and dismissed me like I was a servant.”
He chuckled, your annoyed mood completely melting away the last of his tension. He always found it endearing whenever you complained about the office or vented about the people there, seeing you fired up over your independence was part of why he loved you.
His hands slid around your waist, pulling you firmly against him as he looked down at you. “This girl," he murmured, shaking his head with a soft smile. "Well, I’m glad he sent you back."
He leaned down, pressing a soft, lingering kiss to your forehead, the last remnants of his panic completely fading away. "Come on. Let's go grab your things from the guest room so we can put them back where they belong."
Note — hope you enjoyed Besos everyone! NO ONE UNDERSTANDS how much I love writing requests guys it just makes me so happy, keep giving me ideas! I got the creative juices flowing I need to get them out !!
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Female Archetypes.
— ˙⋆.˚ Bad!Michael X F!Reader. head-canons that explore how he might navigate love with different feminine archetypes, and how each would inspire a different side of him
song envisioned — ‘Surrender’ - Suicide.
⊹ ˚ Femme Fatal. Captivating, fiercely independent seductress who uses her intelligence, charm, and magnetic allure to manipulate men.
Despite the potential location you guys would’ve met at, the irresistible charm you had in your eyes immediately would’ve made him nervous to his core. Already having a timid nature to himself, he would’ve spent the entire night just admiring you, thinking of potential ways to strike up a conversation and asking God why did he have to make you look so beautiful. Then eventually needing to have a mutual friend introduce you two one another.
Throughout the first interaction he practically becomes obsessed with trying to figure you out, no matter what conclusion he comes to, he’s always proven wrong by your next unpredictable response. He keeps at a respectable distance with his hands behind his back, thanking for his sunglasses to prevent having such intimate eye contact with you.
After exchanging personal information, from there on essentially becomes a cat and mouse game. He’d spend hours trying to decide if your playing him or if you’re genuinely interested, either way he was falling deeper into your spell. Your relationship is built entirely on fascination. You quickly become his favorite mystery. The more he learns about you, the more questions he actually has. He will spend hours trying to untangle your thought process, something you notice immediately and find absolutely adorable.
You know exactly how to get a rise out of him, especially when they are out in public. You’ll lean in close, whisper something incredibly witty or teasing right into his ear, and then instantly step back to talk to a promoter with a perfectly innocent expression. Michael is left standing there, trying to regain his composure while you hide a triumphant smile behind your drink.
Long after the honeymoon phase, you still make him incredibly nervous. It isn’t because you are intimidating, but because you constantly keep him on his toes. He knows everything about you, yet somehow, he still feels like there is so much left to discover. Around you, he acts much more flirtatious than usual. He isn't that smooth but he tries his absolute best anyway. When you tease him endlessly, he pretends to hate it, but he secretly loves every single second of it.
the two of you become the couple everyone talks about. It’s not because you are loud, but because your chemistry is simply impossible to ignore. You aren’t impressed by his fame at all, which only makes him fall harder. When other people attempt to flirt with him, or old romances try to spark for example Diana, you don't get jealous. You just raise an eyebrow, smile, and let him handle it, it’s not like you couldn’t find the next guy that would worship the ground you’d walk on so that effortless confidence drives him insane.
His biggest weakness is how possessive he gets of your attention. That at times can be considered unhealthy, but the second you walk into a room, his eyes find you automatically. If you are laughing with someone else, he’s actively listening. If you are dressed up for an event, his concentration is completely gone. If you disappear for a few days, he calls you immediately, failing miserably at sounding casual.
Due to the mystery and sense of dangerous elements you possess, you immediately become his muse for more of his intense songs, the ones entirely about obsession, desire, fascination, and chasing something you can never quite catch. half of his notebook is just filled with random observations he has made about you rather than actual lyrics.
⊹ ˚ The Maiden.
An untamed emblem of freedom, navigating the world with a rebellious yet innocent heart, defined entirely by her own softness, sincere, and effortless harmony.
The friendship you displayed to his sister Janet, is really what drew him in. Hearing Janet talk about this random girl that comforted her in a moment of distress in an after-party bathroom, offering genuine help, advice, and even helping retouch her hair and makeup, showed such incredible character that it instantly made Michael deeply curious about who you were.
After a bit of Janet talking about her new friendship, a casual introduction was sparked and he immediately felt your warmth surrounding your beauty and essence. You weren’t nervous at all, you were comfortable, you were charming and had genuine energy. The words to describe your relationship was peace, home, and welcoming.
You are the woman who melts him completely. Around you, he becomes incredibly protective, never necessarily controlling, just fiercely protective of your well-being, he knows how cruel the world can be, and he just tries his best to definitely hide you from the sharks in the industry. Otherwise he absolutely loves hearing you talk about your dreams and future plans, finding your optimism deeply refreshing in a world that can often feel cynical.
You inspire him to write his sweetest, most heartfelt songs. He thrives on innocent affection with you, constantly looking for simple moments like holding hands, heart felt kisses, and long, meaningful conversations. He’s always longed to be liked, to be loved sincerely, and him being constantly surrounded by your true being really made him feel normal.
He finds a rare sense of peace whenever you are around; so when the overwhelming weight of fame gets to be too much for him, he simply just needs to feel your embrace around him to regulate again.
⊹ ˚ The Queen.
A powerful, self-assured, accomplished radiance of a woman. Walking with unshakeable confidence and grace, receiving respect everywhere she goes.
Michael attends a high-profile charity event, fully expecting the usual routine. Endless photos, flashing cameras, reporters, wealthy crowds, and predictable small talk. Then, he notices you. It isn’t just because you are the most beautiful woman in the room, although you absolutely are but because you are effortlessly commanding the entire space without being flashy and loud.
Politicians, executives, and celebrities all stop to listen when you speak, and the most captivating part is that you aren’t even trying. Your confidence is completely natural. Michael becomes instantly obsessed with learning who you are, gaining a profound respect and admiration for you right from the start. He deeply loves a woman who knows exactly what she wants.
The best part of your guys dynamic is you challenging him intellectually. Having deep conversations that last for hours. The two of you can talk about absolutely anything like business, art, politics, and philosophy. Because neither of you likes being told you're wrong, your arguments quickly turn into playful debates, and those debates inevitably turn into flirting.
Michael could have a room full of executives praising an idea and still seek your opinion afterward. When he asks what you thought, and you ask if he wants the truth, his answer is always the same. You aren’t afraid to tell him when something doesn’t work, and surprisingly, he loves it. While everyone else tells him what he wants to hear, you tell him what he needs to hear. Eventually, you become the very first person he calls after finishing a song, a music video concept, or a business deal.
He absolutely loves showing you off not in a possessive way, but in a genuinely proud way. Michael admires talented people, and you are someone he deeply respects. At events, interviews, dinners, or meetings, he’s constantly signing your praises by bringing attention to your accomplishments, stepping aside to let you take credit for your ideas that have been implemented in his projects. Meanwhile, you’re rolling your eyes because you know exactly what he’s doing, but secretly, you love that he sees your achievements as something worth celebrating unlike most men who are intimidated.
When he gets completely consumed by his projects, you are one of the only people capable of pulling him out of his own head. You don't do it by comforting him, but by directly telling him to go home. When he insists he can't because of work, you simply remind him that the work will still be there tomorrow. You remind him that even greatness has limits, and deep down, he truly appreciates that you keep him grounded.
⊹ ˚ The Mystic.
She values solitude and connection to something greater. Known for a creative, spiritual and intuition, she demystifies life through quiet observation rather than outward action.
You meet at a quiet, late-night gallery exhibit, standing in front of a piece that everyone else seems to walk right past. When he mutters a passing thought about the artwork, your response catches him completely off guard. It isn't just polite small talk, you immediately speak to the deeper meaning of the piece, cutting straight through the usual social pleasantries. In an instant, the noise of the crowded room fades away, and he realizes he is talking to someone who operates on an entirely different wavelength.
Your connection gets deep very fast, reaching intense levels of emotional intimacy almost immediately. Conversations that begin at midnight effortlessly stretch until sunrise. Together, you talk about the big things: dreams, destiny, God, art, and the universe.
You understand the intricate parts of him and strong beliefs that he wishes for the world to instill, further going into conversations about the power of the human mind like the subconscious,reprogramming the brain and manifestation. Things he usually struggles to put into words, you can see. Making him feel truly seen in a way that is incredibly rare for him. Because of this profound connection, he writes his most emotional and raw music whenever you are around. There is a quiet, unspoken understanding between you that doesn't require constant explanation.
The two of you share an intense fascination with the unexplainable. Your late night discussions wander through ghost stories, dream journals, ancient history, folklore, and spirituality. By 2 a.m, you are usually deep into wild conspiracy theories, having the exact kind of intense, niche conversations that cause everyone else in the room to slowly drift away because they have absolutely no idea what you two are talking about anymore.
The more time he spends around you, the more strange little coincidences start to happen. He will find himself thinking about you, and he’ll be receiving a phone call from you. He might casually mention an obscure song, only to hear it playing in a shop ten minutes later. He even starts dreaming about specific conversations, only to have them happen word-for-word days afterward, leaving him utterly convinced that the universe is trying to tell him something.
Because of this, he gets deeply protective of the time you spend together. It can be a slight edge of being possessive although it is just that time with you feels fundamentally different almost sacred. The rest of the world always wants something from him, but you never do. The second he gets a free day in his schedule, his first instinct is always to spend it entirely with you.
He secretly thinks you were meant to find him, though he would never admit it to you immediately. There are quiet moments of him watching you laugh, listening to you talk, or seeing you understand something about him that nobody else does. Where he catches himself wondering if some people are simply destined to meet. Every single time that thought crosses his mind, he tries his best to ignore it, but he fails completely.
⊹ ˚ The Mother.
the embodiment of emotional safety, warmth, and intuitive care. The kind of nurturing, grounding presence that can quiet a chaotic mind just by walking into the room.
He visits the hospital for one of his days where he spends time with children giving toys, guidance and love to everyone, but he doesn't expect to find someone who will completely change his own world. Amidst the movement of staff and families, he notices you helping one of the nervous children calm down right before a procedure.
The child immediately relaxes under your gentle care, and Michael notices. He stands there, completely unable to stop watching you, because to him, genuine kindness is one of the most attractive and beautiful things in the entire world.
Michael is notorious for throwing himself entirely into his work so essentially skipping meals, staying up all night, and completely forgetting to rest. You notice this immediately, addressing it not in a nagging way, but with genuine, gentle care. When you ask if he has eaten today and he tries to joke that he had gum and orange juice, you don't let him get away with it, ultimately having you end up cooking something very simple and hand feeding him.
Because you treat everyone with natural warmth, the Jackson family absolutely adores you. They love you for who you are, and what your character has provided Michael, and his mother especially starts considering you one of their own almost immediately. While Michael is always chasing the next goal, song, or performance, you are the person who pulls him back to earth, telling him to come outside just because the sunset is pretty. Somehow, those simple moments become his favorite memories
Your home life together is incredibly cozy, built entirely on comfort rather than a crazy schedule that can be unpredictable, you’ve told Michael to leave that out the door once he comes home. Your days are filled with movie nights, cooking together, listening to records, reading in the same room, and falling asleep on the couch.
You make him feel worth loving simply for who he is, not for his success, talent, or fame. For someone who constantly wonders if people only love him for what he can do for them, your love is incredibly powerful. Because your opinion matters so much to him, his greatest fear is disappointing you, so he constantly tries his hardest to protect your bond, purely out of love.
⊹ ˚ The Lover.
Driven by deep passion, mutual obsession , and an intense desire for emotional connection. She represents raw creative energy, vulnerability, and a heart ever so passionate.
As a singer, you are in the middle of a session when Michael hears you before he even sees you. He is walking through the studio hallways when your voice catches him. It isn't about being technically perfect or the most powerful, it is simply so full of genuine emotion that he stops immediately. Suddenly, he finds himself standing right outside the recording booth, completely transfixed and listening to you sing.
You make him feel intensely desired, understood, inspired, and alive. You are deeply expressive, affectionate, and passionate, with everything you feel written clearly across your face. As someone who has spent his entire life hiding behind a polished stage persona, Michael finds your raw, emotional honesty incredibly attractive and liberating.
This relationship completely consumes him in the best way possible. Everything you share becomes instant creative fuel. Almost every argument, every conversation, and every single look you give him turns into a new melody. His notebook pages are constantly full of thoughts about you, and every love song he hears suddenly sounds like it was written specifically with you in mind.
The two of you quickly become disgustingly romantic, to the point where everyone around you knows you are completely in love before either of you even admits it. Like that annoying clingy couple you see waiting in the amusement park line, he absolutely cannot keep his hands to himself. Either caressing your face, your hair, holding your hands or onto your waist. Your daily life is filled with spontaneous moments like slow dancing in the kitchen, phone calls that accidentally last until sunrise, and constantly pushing each other to new creative heights.
He becomes ridiculously romantic, absolutely thriving on grand gestures. He loves surprising you with flowers, thoughtful gifts, and handwritten love letters filled with constant admiration. Together, you build a passionate, deeply affectionate bond, truly becoming the kind of couple that people write songs about.
⊹ ˚ The Coquette.
defined by charm, playful teasing, and an elusive nature. She is a master of lighthearted wit and magnetic confidence, knowing exactly how to command attention.
You meet him at a busy industry after-party, where everyone is trying their hardest to impress him with serious conversations. Instead of joining the crowd, you catch his eye, offer a highly amusing, sarcastic comment about the elaborate ice sculpture in the room, and then immediately walk away to mingle elsewhere. Your refusal to linger or try to win him over instantly hooks his attention, leaving him completely captivated and eager to find you again in the crowd.
Once you are in his life, you absolutely ruin his concentration. You know exactly how to get a reaction out of him, and you enjoy it way too much. He will be sitting at a mixing desk or reviewing a script, trying his absolute best to look serious and get work done, but all it takes is a single, knowing smile from you across the room to make him completely forget what he was doing.
Your entire relationship is built on addictive, playful tension, filled with constant teasing and endless flirting. Everyone around you notices the shift in his energy the moment you walk into a room. Even though he tries his hardest to act completely unaffected and professional, nobody believes him for a second especially not Quincy, who catches him completely spaced out, smiling at the wall for ten minutes straight after a brief interaction with you.
Whenever you drop a teasing remark, he tries his absolute best to play it completely cool. He fails immediately, every single time. When you flash a knowing smile and ask, "Miss me?" he will instinctively look away, muttering a quick "No." But the second you laugh and call him a liar, his resolve completely crumbles, and he softy admits, "...i missed you too much."
When you both are alone, the high-energy teasing softens just a bit into an incredibly affectionate, charming closeness. You have the habit to pull his fedora down over his eyes just to make him laugh, or steal the cherry off his dessert plates when he isn't looking. Even when he tries to scold you, his voice drops into that soft, gentle tone he only uses for you, completely defeated by your charm.
note — I’d love to know what female archetypes you guys are ;) ! If I missed any let me know I’d love to make a part 2, should I do a NSFW version? Not proofread at all it’s literally 3:39 AM.
@pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 @xoxogossipgirl02 @jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @jisoonnieslover @mtcloudsworld @nebulaglitxh @planetkook @nunusmoll @kayybaereads
Can you please make one based off Break Up With Your Girlfriend by Ariana Grande??? 👀👀
Break Up With Your Girlfriend.
Dangerous/HIStory!Michael X PopStar!Reader. Between studio sessions and feelings neither of you should be entertaining, the line between artistic chemistry and something far more dangerous begins to blur. The only problem? He already belongs to someone else.
Note. I wasn’t given too much details so I hope you enjoy the plot I came up with! If any of yall like to be on my permanent taglist for future Michael/Jaafar works then let me know. Enjoy, Besos.
The backstage chaos of the Grammy Awards blurred together in restless flashes of gold light, rushing stagehands, camera crews, and voices layered over one another in overwhelming excitement. Yet somehow, the moment you and Michael crossed paths in the narrow corridor backstage, everything softened around the edges. Like the noise simply stopped mattering. You had both only just stepped off stage, adrenaline still lingering beneath your skin, performances fresh enough to still feel unreal.
He had stopped you first. Of course he did, because why wouldn’t he? You were the newest face for entertainment across America, he saw you and personally wanted a taste. Then the two of you encountered one another back stage, those dark eyes bright with that unmistakable enthusiasm he reserved for artistry, the kind so sincere it almost felt childlike.
“That arrangement you did…” he said, almost breathless. “God, that was beautiful. The harmonies? I mean. . . you can really feel it.”
And somehow, hearing praise from everyone didn’t mean anything although from him felt entirely different. He spoke about music like it was alive, like it breathed, like it had a soul.
You smiled, suddenly a little shy despite yourself. “Well. Honestly?” you admitted softly. “ ‘Thriller’ really changed the way I make my music. . . for me at least.”
Something shifted in his expression then.
His breath hitched, his eyes widening slightly as the words hung between you. It was a look of pure, unadulterated awe like a sudden strike of lightning had hit the room. The casual softness completely vanished, replaced by a sudden, intense focus that locked onto you. A faint, almost breathless smile tugged at his lips, his gaze tracking every detail of your face as if he were seeing you clearly for the very first time.
It was a total starstruck fixation. Deep down, a quiet but sharp spark of obsession flared up that thrilling, overwhelming realization of oh my gosh, you are the one.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
So it was only natural that both of you exchanged contact information, and a musical collaboration sparked almost immediately.
Weeks later, the two of you found yourselves tucked away in a secluded Los Angeles recording studio, entirely consumed by production. Hours blurred into nights, nights blurred into mornings. Michael, endlessly meticulous, mapped out harmonies with impossible precision, stopping recordings mid-sentence just to chase the exact feeling he heard in his head.
“No, no right there,” he’d say softly, tapping the console. “Just like that...”
He spoke in emotion more than instruction.
The air between you grew dense as he suddenly stepped in, his focus entirely consumed by the board. He leaned over your shoulder to adjust a dial, his chest nearly brushing your back. When he turned his head to check your reaction, his face was inches from yours close enough that the rest of the studio seemed to blur out entirely, leaving only the sharp intensity of his gaze locking onto your lips, then your eyes.
The sudden, heavy gravity of the moment seemed to startle him. He snapped away, pulling back into his own space, but his hand slid from the console to your shoulder. His fingers gripped the curve of your collarbone for a lingering, deliberate second. a silent, intense acknowledgment of the shift between you before he finally let go.
And somewhere between endless vocal takes, cold takeout dinners eaten far too late, and quiet conversations inside dim control rooms, something shifted.
Slowly.
Almost imperceptibly.
Conversations that started with music somehow drifted toward bigger concepts.
Like fear, sudden insecurity within the industry, including the strange type loneliness of being deeply seen by millions and somehow misunderstood all at once, philosophy, politics, essentially the versions of yourselves the world thought it knew.
It became rather personal, dangerously personal, and sometimes, without meaning to, moments lingered longer than they probably should have, eye contact held a second too long. A quiet laugh after midnight somehow feeling more intimate than intended.
You started noticing the little things, how his attention sharpened whenever you walked into the room, how he remembered tiny details from conversations you barely remembered mentioning, how sometimes late enough into the night when exhaustion softened both your guards, he looked at you like he forgot the rest of the world existed.
The kind of closeness neither of you ever really acknowledged, just… carried quietly which was growing to be unstoppable.
⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻⸻
The reality outside the studio, however, remained impossible to ignore. Michael was married to Lisa Marie Presley. Their relationship lived everywhere across magazine covers, television interviews, impossible headlines splashed across checkout aisles. Despite everything unspoken lingering beneath the surface, he never crossed a line.
Always respectful.
Always careful.
Professional to a fault.
Still sometimes, there was something unreadable in the way he looked at you. The kind of feeling hidden carefully behind those dark aviator sunglasses. Those lingering touches would make you think at home ‘this ain’t fair.’
And maybe you imagined it. Maybe not. But the day your newest photoshoot with another celebrity started making headlines
Your phone rang.
You stared at it from across the room, already knowing who it was before you reached for it. A ridiculous feeling settled in your stomach, it was something in your gut that you had been trying and failing to ignore for weeks.
You inhale the last drag of your cigarette before stubbing it out in the ashtray, crossing the room to finally answer the ringing phone. “Hello? “
For a moment, there was only the faint sound of breathing on the other end.
“…Hey.”
Then his voice, like you predicted, it was Michael.
Almost like he’d been rehearsing what he wanted to say and immediately forgotten all of it the second you picked up. It made you so annoyed the fact you couldn’t help but have a smile creep up on your face. “hi Michael.”
The full name made shivers crawl down his spine, he never got use to the way your voice sounded calling out to him. “Are you busy, perhaps?”
The question sounded a little too casual for your liking, it was like the way people spoke when they were trying to hide the real intention on why they called.
“Not necessarily, why? Something on your mind? “
A few seconds of silence passed before he spoke again. “No.” The one word answer made you feel rather uneasy, he never got this serious over the phone, you only felt obliged to lighten the mood.
“so that’s why you called? To see if I was busy nothing else.” You laughed quietly.
“No that’s not it, well. . .maybe you can say that.” The silence following after his confession felt oddly intimate that neither of you were quite willing to acknowledge it but no one hanging up either.
He quickly added. “how was the photo shoot?” Yep there it was, the real intention behind this late night phone call.
Your brows furrow at that unexpected mention “ photo shoot? “ he quickly shut down at your chance of interrogation. “I saw you in that magazine. . .with what’s his face. You looked really nice. “ He nearly murmured it to himself, his finger slowly following the curve of your face printed on the magazine in his lap
You snicker at remembrance of that day. “ ‘what’s his face’ is just beneath you Michael. “ he goes to come up with a rebuttal but he’s cut off with your laugh. “That evening was so tiring but him being funny made up for it I suppose.”
Michaels teeth at this point were practically grinding at the potential thought of you laughing at his jokes and playfully hitting his shoulder like you have done to him in the past. “Oh. Funny was he?”
His sudden change in tone had you in complete disbelief. You blinked and laughed. “ wow, attitude much?”
“ I don’t have an attitude. I’m just confirming.” His harsh tone now slowly calming down as he adjusts the phone against his ear.
“ Correction ‘I’m just jealous’ more like it.” You seriously couldn’t help but almost smile now at this new information.
He let out a low scoff, his voice dropping an octave. “do you have a problem with that?” The question held so much weight, a quiet admission wrapped in a challenge. The brief silence that followed told you everything you needed to know.
Your eyebrows instantly shot up as you simultaneously sat up on the bed, still clutching the phone receiver with all your might. “ excuse you?”
he replied, his tone teasingly smooth now. “ I said what I said girl.”
You were in disbelief. “ oh my god…”
“ please don’t start. “
“Michael you’re actually jealous?”
A groan escaped him as he covered his eyes with one hand. “You sound entirely too happy about this.”
“ I’m not happy at all, frankly I’m just curious…what do you expect me to do about it?”
A low, exasperated chuckle vibrated through the receiver. "Stop fishing," he murmured, though there was a definite softness to his voice now. "You know exactly what it does to me."
You bit your lip, unable to hide your grin. "I really don't Michael . Why don't you spell it out for me?"
He sighed, a sound that was half-defeat and half-amusement. “I’m upset. I expect you to stop talking to him like he’s the one you’re collaborating with.”
“oh so he’s a threat to you?” You teased.
“Nobody is a threat to me princess,” Michael replied smoothly, his usual confidence slipping right back into place. “But I like keeping your attention right where it belongs.”
That comment rather made you amused, you lean back on your bed headboard adjusting the phone. “Can I say the same for you though?”
His brows arched in curiosity. “What are you saying?”
You roll your eyes, slowly getting annoyed feeling like he’s purposely being stupid. “You seem to have a strict program for me but what about you? You still be going home to Lisa every night and I haven’t said anything.”
A sharp intake of breath caught in his throat. He clearly hadn't expected you to bring her up, and the sudden reality check seemed to stall him completely. “That’s different,” he said, his voice dropping into a quiet, defensive murmur. The teasing playful tone was entirely gone now. “You know that’s completely different.”
You swallowed hard, the sharp sting of reality settling in. "Right. It's always different," you said softly, your tone pulling back into something distant and formal. "Look, maybe we should just drop it. It's late anyway."
“Is that what you think this is? A subject I can drop so easily?” he asked quietly, the weight of his words pressing heavily through the receiver. “You think I go home and just... forget about this? Forget about you?”
The words hung heavily in the air, the silence that followed pressing against your chest with a suffocating weight. You gripped the phone receiver so tightly your knuckles turned white, your heart hammering against your ribs. The raw vulnerability in his voice was something you hadn't prepared for. It stripped away all the playful banter and the protective walls you had both carefully built up over the last few weeks.
You let out a bitter, breathy laugh, shaking your head against the pillow. "Then why do you stay, Michael? You know you ain't happy. . Just break up with your girlfriend already."
A soft, breathless laugh suddenly broke through his heavy silence. A sound of pure, exasperated disbelief. On the other end of the line, you could hear the faint rustle of fabric as he covered his face with his free hand, completely overwhelmed by the bluntness of it all. "Girlfriend?" he murmured, his voice muffled against his palm, a sharp trace of embarrassment bleeding into his tone. He let out another quiet, self-deprecating chuckle before clearing his throat, pulling his hand away as his voice dropped back into that same intense, heavy register.
"I mean, that's all she is to me," you added, a sudden, snarky edge cutting through your quiet tone, sharp and entirely unapologetic.
"She's my wife," he corrected softly, the weight of that single word hanging like an anchor between you. "Which makes this a whole lot more complicated than just... breaking up. But it doesn't change a single thing I just told you."
You didn't answer, the heavy silence settling back over the line as you stared up at the ceiling. The truth was out there now, stripped of all the playful banter and studio distractions, leaving nothing but the reality of what was building between you.
It’s only gonna get more complicated.
@pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 @xoxogossipgirl02 @jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @jisoonnieslover @mtcloudsworld
𝑆𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛. — mdni
Mature!Michael X YoungerGirlfriend. A glimpse into the private world of the protective way he holds you in crowded spaces to the effortless satisfaction he gets from completely spoiling his younger girl especially when he demands a private runway show in your penthouse suite. (+18)
Note. Listened to ‘Champagne Coast’ - Blood Orange & ‘Tattoo’ - Sade while writing and I indeed took awhile to post part three of ‘You Knock Me Off My Feet’ series so I want to post head-canons and drabbles in between chapters to keep you guys fed. Also attached a visual to the fit, enjoy! Besos!
Mature!Michael. when you were working as a specialist at a high-end antique gallery when he came in for a private, after hours viewing. Seeing someone with such a youthful face carry themselves with such effortless sophistication was a total, refreshing shock to his system. As you stepped up to a group of wealthy clients, listing complex historical facts and art provenances like a flawlessly programmed, brilliant machine, his forty year old self suddenly felt an unexpected rush of youth and pure intrigue.
Mature!Michael whom spent the next hour wandering the exhibits, deliberately pretending to be utterly clueless about the antiques just to keep you by his side. Every time you stepped close to point out a detail on a vintage piece, he’d lean in slightly, quietly inhaling the sweet, comforting scent of vanilla bakery notes that followed you around. It instantly put his usually guarded mind at total ease, and he absolutely refused to leave the store until your personal phone number was safely tucked away in his pocket.
Mature!Michael who took you out to an intimate, completely private spot for your first date, and he was honestly taken aback by just how incredible of a conversationalist you were especially at your very young age. There was absolutely no awkwardness; you two bonded instantly over a shared, deep passion for music, philosophy and life ambitions, talking for hours until the rest of the room completely faded away.
Mature!Michael. Once your relationship became fully established, he made sure you never felt a single ounce of insecurity about his world. He would look you dead in the eye with a serious, deeply grounded look, holding your hands as he promised you that everything he owned was completely yours the luxury, the security, the comfort as long as your loyalty was fully pledged to him (and body but we can keep that on the low.)
Mature!Michael being older and completely grounded in exactly who he is, his presence carries an incredibly heavy, comforting weight. Whenever you are navigating a bustling hotel corridor, a crowded venue with trampling fans, or stepping past security at parties, his large hand is almost always resting gently against the small of your back caressing you feeling the outline of your body through the tight clothing, guiding you forward with an effortless, calm reassurance that makes you feel completely safe.
Mature!Michael whose possessive side flares up just a bit when he thinks about the wealthy, older businessmen who might try to hit on you while you're working at the gallery. He gets a tiny bit jealous, which means the second you get home, you have to show him exactly how much he completely owns your heart in whichever way he sees fit. Nonstop cuddles and kisses or your lips fully wrapped around his dick as his bucks his hips forward further pushing himself in your mouth. Whose large veiny hands find their way to the crown of your hand gently grabbing handfuls of your hair muttering sweet praises under his breath expressing his gratitude to you of reassuring him that he is the only man who could ever hold your attention, and that your all his.
Mature!Michael that values the stillness you bring to his life more than anything. He loves carefully choosing a classic vinyl record, setting the needle down with absolute precision, and pulling you into his chest to slow dance around the dimly lit room, his chin resting gently on top of your head as his hands travel to delicately holding your waist.
Mature!Michael showcasing his affection in ways that are rooted in deep admiration. Your makeout sessions aren't just rushed or chaotic, they are incredibly slow, passionate, and filled with a pure, overwhelming love that makes you feel utterly cherished. “You have lips of an angel y’know that gorgeous?”
Mature!Michael No matter how rough or gentle the sex was, he’ll always wrap you completely in his arms, pulling you into his chest while his fingers trace gentle, random shapes against your bare back then caressing the soft skin of your birthing hips. his dark eyes looking intensely into yours just to remind you how much he adores you. His hand cupping the side of your face, gliding the pad of this thumbs back and forth softly, his eyes just admiring each part about your face. Especially those eyes and lips. “You’ll always be my pretty baby right?”
Mature!Michael when the moment you finally grew completely comfortable around him, luxury shopping sprees became a regular routine. Going shopping with Michael is exactly like shopping with a best friend, but with an unlimited budget. He gives the absolute best feedback, breaking down structural details, fabrics, and fits with a sharp, artistic eye, completely delighting in your excitement as he buys you whatever your heart desires although he absolutely demands a haul, his personal runway show if you will.
The heavy door of the hotel penthouse clicked shut, instantly sealing out the distant roar of the city traffic and the faint, persistent flashes of paparazzi cameras down on the street. Inside, the suite was a sanctuary of soft lighting, deep velvet furnishings, and the comforting quiet that Michael always sought out the moment he was off the clock.
You practically floated into the center of the living area, unable to contain the absolute thrill bouncing around in your chest. Turning around to face him. “Eeee! I’m so excited! I feel like I got some things i actually like!” you let out an excited laugh, clapping your hands together as you looked at the sheer volume of high-end boutique bags the hotel staff had just carefully brought up behind you.
Michael stood near the entryway for a moment, just watching you. At forty, he carried himself with a deeply grounded, calm presence, his signature structured crimson jacket unbuttoned just enough to show the relaxed drape of his shirt underneath. Seeing the pure, unforced joy across your face brought an immediate, brilliant smile to his lips. Your youthful energy was completely infectious, a refreshing contrast to the rigid formality he usually dealt with.
"You are so cute baby," he murmured, his voice dropping into that naturally deep, warm register he only used when the two of you were completely alone. “I’m glad you found things this time-“
He stepped closer, the heavy soles of his loafers silent against the plush carpeting. His eyes glazing over your figure that turned around emptying out some bags already. Reaching out, his large hand gently gave you a smack of the ass, finding amusement at the recoil, and the sound you made at the unexpected gesture. “Michael!”
"Cmon no whining. Now go on," he urged, a playful, knowing glint in his dark eyes as he gestured toward the bedroom where the garment racks had been rolled out. "Don't just keep them in the bags. Let me see a full try-on haul. I want to see everything."
“Fine fine! No peeking though.” While you disappeared into the adjoining room to unzip the first designer garment bag, Michael made his way over to the wet bar. He poured himself a tall glass of orange juice, the ice clinking softly against the glass, before walking back over to the sprawling sofa. He sank into the heavy cushions, completely stretching out his long legs as he finally let the remaining tension of the day leave his shoulders.
On the mahogany coffee table sat a small stack of classic CDs you both had picked out during a quick stop at a music shop earlier. Smiling to himself, Michael picked up one of the jewel cases, his long fingers absentmindedly turning it over, examining the tracklist and tapping a slow, rhythmic beat against the plastic as he waited patiently.
"Michael? Okay, don't look yet," your voice called out from the doorway, a hint of nervous excitement tracing your words.
"I'm waiting," he called back, setting the CD down and resting his chin in his hand, his undivided attention completely locked onto the bedroom door.
When you finally stepped out into the warm light of the sitting room, his breath caught entirely.
You stepped into the warm glow of the suite wearing a crisp, structured white button-up blouse with intricate side-lacing that perfectly defined your silhouette. Draped effortlessly over your shoulders was a heavy, oversized black leather jacket, paired with a black mini skirt held together by a thick, statement leather belt adorned with oversized silver grommets and a bold metal buckle.
Michael’s dark eyes widened, a sudden, bright flash of recognition lighting up his features. A soft, nostalgic laugh escaped his lips as he sat up slightly on the plush sofa, taking in every single detail. The hardware, the leather, the sharp contrast of the white collar against the dark jacket it was a flawless, high fashion echo of his own signature style from a decade prior during the Bad era.
"Now, wait a minute," he murmured, his deep voice carrying a beautifully warm, amused tone. The calm, mature reserve he usually carried completely melted into pure, delighted fascination. "This looks... incredibly familiar. You're throwing it back on me, aren't you?"
Your smile brightens, your hands brush over the buckle and texture of the leather. “Mayyybe, what do you think!”
You smiled, doing a slow turn in the center of the room so he could see the way the heavy leather jacket draped perfectly over the sharp silhouette of the blouse. "It’s definitely got that classic look don’t you think?" you teased, looking back over your shoulder at him with a grin.
It didn't just look amazing on you, it brought a sudden rush of fond memories from his own history, making him feel a unique, deeply personal connection to the piece. "Oh honey…the hardware, the leather... you look absolutely incredible," he said, a soft, incredibly proud chuckle shaking his shoulders as he shook his head in sheer admiration. "You really know how to make a statement, don't you? Come here, let me get a closer look of that fabric.”
You walk over to him with a soft grin as he feels the texture of the leather then his fingertips grazing over the buckle. The soft clink of the heavy silver belt buckle filled the quiet space of the penthouse, matching the rhythm of his low, satisfied chuckle. "I thought you might appreciate the hardware."
"Appreciate it?" Michael shook his head, a brilliant smile completely lighting up his face as he leaned back against the plush sofa cushions. He took a slow sip of his orange juice, his dark eyes tracking the sharp contrast of the crisp white collar against the dark leather. "You're completely pulling it off. It’s got that tough, rebellious edge, but on you, it just looks incredibly elegant. Sophisticated."
He set his glass down on the mahogany table, his attention entirely locked onto you as you adjusted the cuffs of the blouse. The nostalgic warmth in his expression was undeniable. it was clear the outfit had brought back a rush of good memories, bridging the gap between his legendary past and the quiet, secure present he now shared with you.
Michael’s deep, velvety chuckle rumbled through the quiet room as he patted his thigh soft, insistent. “C’mere girl.” The look in his eyes was warm honey and stardust: pure affection wrapped in that rare softness only you ever got to see. You bit your lip playfully, pretending to hesitate for a dramatic second before finally stepping forward. The heavy leather jacket made a low creak with each movement, the silver hardware catching the golden light from the floor lamps.
you stepped forward and let yourself straddle his lap with the graceful ease of someone who’d done this a thousand times before. His strong arms instantly encircled your waist in a loose but possessive embrace. “So you like the first outfit love?”
The leather jacket creaked softly under the movement as Michael adjusted slightly beneath you. One large hand rose to gently trace the bold buckle again a quiet gesture of admiration.
“Mmm,” he hummed low in approval against your shoulder before pressing a soft kiss just below your ear. His lips lingered there for a heartbeat or two before he pulled back enough to study how flawlessly you wore what had once been his signature look from an era defined by fame and fire.
"You're gonna make me feel old," he teased quietly with playful sarcasm laced through every word but there wasn’t an ounce of jealousy or regret in it at all. just pure adoration watching history live on so beautifully…on you.
You bite your bottom lip trying to prevent a laugh, you look up at him with your batting lashes. “How so?”
Michael’s dark eyes dropped to yours, catching the flutter of your lashes like he was hypnotized by the motion. That little lip bite, so innocent, so teasing always undid him.
A slow smirk tugged at his lips as he leaned in closer, his breath warm against your face. One hand rose to gently tuck a strand of hair behind your ear before cupping your jaw with surprising tenderness for someone built like a statue.
"Because," he started slowly, voice dropping even lower than before "back then... i wore this look, it was my armor." A nostalgic chuckle escaped him as his gaze swept over you again. "And now here you are… stealing it from me just looking so good." His thumb traced the curve of your bottom lip where you’d just bitten it seconds ago. "Wearing it better than I ever did…just got me feeling old.”
You let out a soft laugh, resting your hands flat against the lapels of his crimson jacket. "Oh, please. You aren't old, Michael," you countered, a knowing smile playing on your lips as you looked down at him. "You just have a lot of history, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who should be intimidated right now, considering I'm sitting with the blueprint…..but for the record? You still wear it better than anyone else ever could."
Michael’s expression softened at your words honest, sincere, and utterly disarming. The way you said it, so effortlessly respectful yet full of affection… it touched something deep inside him.
His hands slid from your face down to the back of your neck where his fingers gently tangled in the soft strands of your hair. He didn’t kiss you not yet but pulled you closer until his forehead rested against yours.
“You’re sweet,” he murmured, lips almost brushing as he spoke. “Too sweet.” There was that faint smile again. the one only ever reserved for quiet moments like these when no cameras were flashing or crowds screaming.
“Are you gonna show me how sweet I am?”
Michael’s breath hitched just slightly at your bold words before his lips crashed into yours.
The kiss wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t slow or teasing. It was hungry, it was pent up affection and admiration, and that quiet fire he’d been holding back all day while watching you try on outfits.
His large hands slid down to your waist, gripping firmly as he deepened the kiss, tilting his head to angle it just right. The leather jacket creaked softly between you as he pulled you even closer against him on the sofa.
Michael’s fingers moved with quiet urgency, sliding the heavy leather jacket off your shoulders. The rich material slipped away easily, revealing more of the crisp white blouse beneath each button perfectly aligned down your torso. His left hand cupping the side of your face and his other going to unbutton the white blouse revealing the black bra you had underneath.
As he pushed the open jacket and now unbuttoned blouse gently back from your shoulders, letting it pool slightly around you on his lap, his dark eyes traced every new inch exposed.
that graceful slope of a shoulder
That soft dip at your collarbone
how your breast were being perfectly held by that bra
How perfectly structured you were beneath all those layers…
A low hum vibrated in his chest not quite a word as he leaned forward again. This time instead of kissing your lips immediately he pressed one slow kiss right over where fabric met skin above your heart. His lips trailed upward slowly, from your collarbone… along the delicate line of your throat… pausing just below your ear whispering. “Let’s take this to the bed yeah?”
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𝑇ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑦 𝑇𝑎𝑔𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑓𝑖𝑔𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡! 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦! 𝐹𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑟𝑜𝑝 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑜𝑥! 𝐵𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒. 🩵
𝓦𝓱𝓲𝓽𝓮 𝓛𝓪𝓬𝓮 /𝓟𝓮𝓪𝓻𝓵 𝓓𝓲𝓿𝓲𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓼 - 𝓟𝓪𝓻𝓽 1 🤍
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𝑌𝑂𝑈 𝐾𝑁𝑂𝐶𝐾 𝑀𝐸 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝑀𝑌 𝐹𝐸𝐸𝑇 𝑃𝐴𝑅𝑇 𝑇𝐻𝑅𝐸𝐸.
‧₊ ♪˚ Summary — June, 1987. After months of quiet fascination and replayed memories he can’t seem to shake, Michael meets you for the very first time. After some meetings, what was supposed to be a professional camera test quickly turns into something far more difficult to ignore. ↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ ⩇⩇:⩇⩇
‧₊ ♪˚ Pairing —PreBadMichaelJacksonXNewRisingVocalist!reader
‧₊ ♪˚ Parts and Taglist —
Part1 | part2 |
@pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @fanficreader33 @sugacor3 @7viiseven @shimmeringsunshinestars @ovohanna24 @mochii-00 @xoxogossipgirl02 @jotarohat @mjssluttyfish @lafleurlapetit @outoftheseine @michcarrillo02-blog @dirtymartinisz @lokishortnsweet @luvhaeli @whyxo @midnightsunkissssed @underated345-blog @xmaykeca @jisoonnieslover @mtcloudsworld
‧₊ ♪˚ note — Sincere apologies for how long this took!! This chapter was heavily inspired by @sm0l-potato’s comment on the last part and I absolutely loved the idea, so thank you for the inspiration. For those who weren’t tagged, Tumblr wouldn’t let me tag some of you soI promise I didn’t forget! If your settings won’t allow tags, I’ll just reply to your comment with the link to the new part instead. I seriously love you guys so much and hope you enjoy this chapter!! As always, if you have any requests or ideas for this series (or others ideas.)please send them in, I genuinely take so much inspiration from you all. Besos
𝐽𝑢𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛
The bedroom at Hayvenhurst had never felt so suffocating. Michael stood frozen in front of the mirror, his chest rising and falling with a soft, frustrated exhale as he adjusted the collar of his shirt for what had to be the seventh time. Four different outfits already sat discarded on the bed behind him wrinkled cotton and silk that, just awhile ago, had looked completely fine, but now felt completely wrong.
Which was ridiculous.
Because this was a meeting.
A professional meeting.
Nothing more.
Nothing less
buttttttt the black button-up was way too serious, making him look like he was heading to a courtroom rather than a creative meeting. The red one? Absolutely not. It was too bold, too memorable, practically screaming that he wanted to be noticed. He became aware of the fact your incredibly observant, so the sheer thought of you being able to see right through him made a knot tighten in his stomach.
He leaned in closer to the glass, his fingers hovering anxiously near his face. The curls. Should he tuck them neatly behind his ear to look polished and professional, or leave them free? If he tucked them, it might look too deliberate, like he’d spent hours posing in front of this very mirror. But leaving them loose felt messy, unkempt. God, why was this suddenly so stressful? He had met with legendary directors, boundary pushing artists, and actual royalty without losing his cool. Yet the simple anticipation of sitting across a table from you had his mind spinning out of control.
His eyes shifted to the row of accessories on the dresser. Sunglasses were his usual shield, his comfort zone but today, they felt like a mistake. If he wore them, he might seem too distant, too cold, or worse, rude. But if he left them off, what happens when his eye contact became too intense? What if he stared too long and accidentally exposed the truth?
If he wasn't careful, he might slip up and reveal that he’d basically studied you. that he knew the exact cadence of your laugh from interviews, or the precise moment your voice softened during a bridge. He couldn't let on that he was already entirely consumed by your artistry. He had to be cool. He had to seem completely casual.
Reaching out, his hand hovered over a heavy crystal bottle of cologne. He hesitated, the sprayer poised over his wrist. Smelling good wasn't just a preference, it was crucial. It was part of the impression. But if the scent was too heavy, it would look desperate, like he was actively trying to romance you across a pile of storyboard folders. He wanted the fragrance to be faint, a subtle trace in the air only if you happened to lean in close.
Suddenly, his fingers stopped their nervous tapping against the wood of the dresser. A new, terrifying thought invaded his mind, heavy and irrationally disappointing. What if you walked into that Epic Records conference room, greeted the executives with a warm, easy hug, and then turned to him with nothing but a polite, rigid handshake? The mere phantom image of that professional distance made his chest ache. He frowned deeply at his own reflection, horrified by his own thoughts.
It shouldn't matter. It shouldn't bother him at all. This was a business meeting. A standard pitch for a music video. He just needed to step back, breathe, and act like the professional he was supposed to be.
Epic Sony Offices, Los Angeles.
Phones rang in relentless, overlapping rhythms. Executives rushed past heavy glass doors with practiced urgency, assistants hurried between offices carrying thick stacks of paperwork like the entire music industry might collapse if anyone slowed down for even a second.
Inside the conference room, the atmosphere was thick with corporate expectation.
Michael, however, was entirely detached from it.
He sat quietly at the long table, a folder open in front of him, pretending to review creative notes for the upcoming video. In reality, his mind had been stuck in the same loop for the past ten minutes. He had reread the exact same sentence six times.
The words barely registered anymore, blurring together into meaningless ink beneath tired concentration. Underneath the table, his knee bounced subtly.
He was not helping himself. Not even a little. He had adjusted his sleeves three times. Checked the reflection in the glass twice. Moved his sunglasses from the table to his lap and back again for absolutely no reason.
To further dig himself into a hole, every possible outcome had already played out in his head. What if he sounded awkward? What if the conversation felt forced in person? Worse. What if all the effortless chemistry he had imagined simply… wasn’t there? He hated how much that possibility bothered him.
Well it didn’t matter anymore when that conference room door opened. Conversation softened instantly. Not fully. Just enough. Enough for attention to shift. Enough for Michael to look up before he could stop himself.
And suddenly, the television had done absolutely nothing for you. Nothing. Because somehow, standing there in person felt entirely different from grainy late night broadcasts, magazine spreads, cassette speakers, or performances replayed through VHS until the tape nearly wore thin. You were real. And embarrassingly enough, that thought alone nearly made him forget every coherent thing he planned on saying.
Your manager stepped in first, already greeting a few executives. Then you followed. Easy smile. Composed. Effortless in that way Michael had already become far too familiar with. Even the way you entered a room somehow felt graceful.
Michael straightened slightly in his chair without realizing it. Then stood, maybe a little too quickly that jerry noticed immediately, of course he did.
A small grin pulled at the corner of his mouth. “Well,” Jerry muttered quietly, “there he goes.”
Michael ignored him, or tried to. Your eyes landed on him almost instantly, flicker of recognition, then warmth. “Michael.” The sound of his name in your voice genuinely did something to him.
Michael moved around the table extending his hand his hand politely. “Y/n.” He said softly, “ I’m so happy you can make it, thank you.”
But instead of taking his hand, you stepped closer then your arms looped around his neck effortlessly. “No thank you, it’s so nice to finally meet you.” the gesture so natural it completely shattered whatever composure he had spent all morning trying to maintain. His arms found their way to gently holding onto your waist, gently tightening his grasp just to feel your frame against his.
And then came your perfume.
Soft.
Innocent.
Charming.
Sweet in a way that somehow lingered immediately.
He had to entirely resist the urge to just hide his face into the crook of your neck. Your scent just completely overpowering the careful amount of cologne he had debated for forty minutes before leaving the house. Then a soft kiss landed against his cheek.
Quick.
Warm.
Real.
Heat rushed to his face so fast it almost felt embarrassing. Michael became painfully aware of the fact that he had absolutely not prepared for this scenario.
“Oh-!” A tiny laugh of yours escaping, gently pulling back just to look at him. “ Sorry, left a little somethin’ there.”
Before he could even process the sentence, your thumb brushed lightly across his cheekbone, wiping away the faint lipstick mark you had accidentally left behind.
Casual.
Like it was nothing.
Like you hadn't just altered his entire emotional stability for the day.
"There," you smiled softly.
The contact lasted maybe a second, maybe less, but somehow it still lingered. He blinked once.
Then, quieter than intended “ ..You didn't have to wipe it off." The sentence slipped out before he could stop it, Immediate regret. Jerry looked down instantly, already trying not to laugh.
You smiled once more easy, reassuring before casually taking your seat at the table like greeting him that way had been the most natural thing in the world.
Michael finally sat back down. Quietly. Attempting dignity. He failed, unfortunately.
Because for the next ten minutes, his internal processor completely stopped working, and he heard approximately forty percent of the actual meeting. High level talk of schedules, contracts, promotional timing, and something about July availability drifted over his head. Someone mentioned press optics, and Michael nodded at things when strictly necessary, even managing to say “yeah” twice maybe three times to keep up appearances.
But truthfully? His mind kept drifting back to the crushing weight of his own yearning. He wasn’t hearing anything anymore, the surrounding boardroom noise became a muffled, distant hum of business he could no longer focus on. Jerry’s loud voice breaking down production schedules and the folders sliding across the polished wood under the bright fluorescent lights all blurred into the background.
Every single ounce of his attention had narrowed into a deep, desperate focus on the lingering, tingling warmth still sitting against his cheek. He found himself desperately wanting that brief closeness to happen again, his thoughts entirely captured by the casual ease of your touch. It left him sitting in silence, overwhelmed by a quiet, aching text of gravity that pulled every single one of his thoughts right back to you, with the sinking, terrifying realization that this meeting no longer felt professional at all.
A light tap against the table finally pulled him back into the room.
“Michael?” Jerry’s voice.
He blinked once. “…Yeah?” The room had shifted without him realizing it.
Storyboards now covered the center of the table. Fabric swatches, location photos, rough concept sketches spread beneath fluorescent light. “We’re talkin’ visuals,” Jerry said, gesturing toward the papers. “Wardrobe, chemistry test, location ideas.”
Someone from production slid a folder toward you. “We’re thinking street-style,” an executive added. “Nothing overly polished. We want it to feel alive.”
Jerry nodded. “The whole point is movement,” he explained. “Energy. Personality. We’re not trying to make this look stiff.” A pause. “That means we’ll probably do a camera test next week,” someone else added. “Just to see how everything translates on film.”
You glanced up. “A chemistry test, what would that consist of??”
“Basically,” Jerry said with a shrug. “Nothing scary. Wardrobe, lighting, movement. Seeing how you guys work together on camera, Just seeing what works.”
Then his eyes flicked across the table. “ sounds good?”
And suddenly, for reasons he didn’t entirely understand, Michael sat up straighter.
Too straight.
Like posture alone might somehow disguise the fact that his entire emotional stability had already been compromised within the first five minutes of seeing you in person.
“…of course.” he answered quickly.
Very smooth.
Across the table, Jerry’s expression shifted ever so slightly. “Good,” Jerry said, scribbling something down. “Shouldn’t take long. Small crew. Just enough to test translates on camera.”
You nodded thoughtfully, flipping through one of the folders in front of you. “And when would that be?”
“Next Thursday,” someone from production answered. “Studio lot in downtown L.A.”
Michael tried, really tried, to focus. Failed, unfortunately, Because every now and then, your voice would cut through the room and pull his attention right back.
God.
Even the way you spoke during meetings somehow felt graceful.
Downtown Los Angeles - Camera Test Day
Traffic humming below in restless waves, sunlight bouncing off tall glass windows while delivery trucks crowded alleyways like the city itself hadn’t fully decided what version of itself it wanted to be yet. Inside the studio lot, however everything already felt alive.
Crew members moved quickly between lighting rigs and equipment cases. Somebody adjusted a camera track near the center of the warehouse-like soundstage while assistants clipped wardrobe notes onto garment racks lined with carefully planned outfits.
He was making himself nervous, His fingers adjusted the cuff of his shirt for maybe the sixth time that night.
Across the room, Jerry looked up from the monitor taking a sip of his coffee. “Michael what’s on your mind?”
“. . . Nothing Jerry.”
A lie. Jerry gave him a look. “You changed outfits?”
“…Twice.”
“Try five,” someone muttered nearby. He ignored them immediately, because honestly? Nothing felt right. He had spent the entire week waiting for this, thinking about it, overthinking it, and replaying last Thursday’s conversation far more than any sane person probably should. Yet now that the moment had actually arrived, something unsettled sat heavy in his stomach. How stupid. He had met women before, plenty of them. Women screamed, cried, fainted. God, he knew how to be charming when he wanted to be. But somehow, this felt entirely different.
Different in a way he deeply disliked because he couldn’t seem to control it. He barely even knew you, yet still found himself caring far too much, wanting everything to feel perfect and wanting himself to be perfect. Like somehow the wrong outfit, the wrong sentence, the wrong first five minutes could ruin whatever strange ease had settled between the two of you last week.
Worst of all, his stomach had twisted itself into humiliating knots that felt dangerously close to anticipation, like this wasn’t a camera test at all, but something embarrassingly closer to a first date.
What if today felt awkward? What if the easy conversation from last week disappeared the second cameras got involved? Worse, what if someone else on set caught your attention first? Some actor, stylist, assistant, hell, anybody making you laugh before he even got the chance to say hello. What if you canceled last minute? What if there wasn’t actually any chemistry at all? The thought sat heavily in his chest, unwelcome and impossible to ignore.
Overhearing someone’s conversation, he heard you’d be here soon. He adjusted his sleeves and took some deep breaths and repeated some soft affirmations under his breath which quickly came to an end when the studio doors opened, and your footsteps were present.
Crew members moved around lighting rigs, someone adjusted a camera near center frame, wardrobe racks lined one side of the room, although somehow, none of it mattered. Because he got to see your face.
Easy smile, that was entirely effortless and already looking around like you somehow belonged there.
Your eyes landed on him almost instantly, and you smiled. a smile that said you were genuinely happy to see him. "Hey!"
He smiled back before even realizing what he was doing, that ridiculously warm, immediate feeling flaring to life in his stomach. For a fleeting second, his gaze dipped instinctively to your lips, tracing the line of your smile before snapping back to your eyes, his heart doing a sudden, nervous flip.
"Hey," he said softly, closing the distance between you. "You made it." He’d spent the entire week waiting for this exact moment and hated how obvious that suddenly felt.
"Course I made it," you said, flashing a gentle grin that completely disarmed him. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."
And somehow, that alone relaxed something in his chest instantly. There was no awkwardness, no weird, hesitant tension between you two, just a familiar warmth that felt strangely unfair considering how little time had actually passed.
When you stepped into a hug, the greeting happened completely naturally. As his arms wrapped around you, the sheer warmth you shared seemed to block out the rest of the room. It wasn't a casual, fleeting embrace it was close and deliberate, his hands resting firmly against your back while you buried your face slightly into his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent of him.
They stayed like that for a long, quiet moment, talking softly without even breaking the embrace.
"You look incredible, by the way," he murmured into your hair, his voice low and a little breathless, his arms tightening around you just a fraction more as if he never wanted to let go.
"Really? You think so?" a beautiful flush creeping up your cheeks as you rested your hands against his chest, feeling the fast, steady thud of his heart racing against your palms.
Neither of you seemed ready to pull away. When you finally began to step back, it was agonizingly slow. His hands trailed reluctantly down your arms, his fingers brushing tenderly against your wrists, leaving a tingling trail of goosebumps in their wake as he lingered in your space, utterly captivated.
He leaned in just a fraction closer, a soft, genuine smile replacing his smirk as his voice dropped to a quiet, breathless murmur.
"Yeah," he said, looking at you like you were the only person in the crowded room. "Honestly, I've been trying to think of what to say to you all week, but you walk in looking like this and I completely forget my own train of thought."
His eyes drifted down to your smile for a quick, heart-stopping second before snapping back to meet your gaze, completely bright and focused entirely on you.
Across the room, Jerry looked up from behind the monitor and immediately leaned back.
A grin spreading slowly.
Oh yeah.
This was gonna work.
You couldn’t fake that kind of ease.
Couldn’t manufacture chemistry like that.
And they hadn’t even gotten in front of the camera yet. “Okay,” Jerry muttered to himself, amused already. “…Yeah. This gon’ be good.”
Before you can even respond to Michael’s heartfelt response, jerry finally walked over. “Y/n, your here! How lovely to see you,” he said warmly, pulling you into a quick hug. “Glad to finally have you here.”
Then, glancing between the two of you attached with a knowing smile. “Y’all makin’ my job real easy already. Let’s get moving yeah?”
The sound of the production soundstage was a chaotic symphony of pre-production energy. Crew members bustled across the polished concrete floor, heavy rolling clothing racks clattered in the background, and the sharp clack of lighting technicians securing barn doors on massive overhead rigs echoed through the rafters.
Amidst the blur of activity, Michael stood near the edge of the constructed set. He looked effortlessly classic, wearing crisp black slacks, his signature loafers with white socks, and a simple white t-shirt layered under a loose, unbuttoned blue flannel. His hands were tucked loosely into his pockets as he tried to maintain his usual composed demeanor, but his eyes kept tracking the movement around the room. He was hyper-aware of your presence beside him, dressed in a perfectly tailored, sharp black blazer over a casual white tee with layered gold chains.
As a wardrobe assistant stepped away after a final check, you noticed the collar of his open flannel had crumpled slightly out of place near his shoulder. Without overthinking it, you reached out, your fingers brushing gently against his collarbone as you casually straightened the fabric.
Michael caught his breath, his shoulders freezing instantly under your touch. A soft flush crept up his neck.
To break the sudden, heavy silence, you kept your hands busy flattening the lapel of his flannel. "So, jerry mentioned we're aiming for a very specific mood today. Are you always this hands-on with the visual concepts, or am I just lucky?"
Michael let out a soft, breathy chuckle feeling at ease at the gentle flirtatious tone of yours. his eyes flicking down to his loafers for a second before meeting yours. "Always. The visuals have to dance just as much as the feet do. If the frame doesn't match the heartbeat of the track, the magic gets lost."
He paused, hesitated for a fraction of a second, his fingers tapping a nervous rhythm against his thigh before he found the courage to continue. "To be completely honest... I’ve been listening to your tracks quite a bit lately. And something about your sound, the rhythm, the attitude of it, it immediately made me envision this gritty, romantic street look. It actually inspired me so much that I ended up incorporating that exact atmosphere into the concept for 'The Way You Make Me Feel.' I wanted to use that energy here."
You smiled, stepping back slightly your eyes widening in complete surprise. A sudden rush of warmth flooded your cheeks, leaving you incredibly flattered. ""Wait... you're serious? “
Michael watched your reaction, his chest swelling with a mixture of relief and a deep, quiet affection. As you smiled up at him, your eyes bright and your nose crinkling just a bit with your laughter, he felt a sudden tug in his heart and starts to fidget with his hands. “ yeah!. . . I hope you don’t think that’s weird-“
Your hands go up in protest and quickly reassure him “ oh no not at all, I just can’t believe you got some artistic visions from my music, honestly one of the biggest compliments I can ever receive and I can say the set definitely feels alive, but I have to admit, standing under these massive rigs makes the whole project feel incredibly real all of a sudden."
God, she is so cute, he thought to himself, completely captivated by the animated expression on your face. You looked so endearing in that moment, almost like a sweet, excited bunny, and it took everything in him not to reach out and touch your cheek. He just stood there, hopelessly charmed, completely forgetting about the bustling crew around them.
Jerry, standing a few feet away with a clipboard cradled under his arm, had been watching the interaction with a keen, amused eye. A slow, knowing smirk spread across his face as he stepped into their space.
"Y'all this comfortable already?" Jerry joked, raising an eyebrow at the seamless back-and-forth between you two. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you two have been rehearsing your cue timing before today. The chemistry is practically doing the directing for me."
Michael cleared his throat quickly, his eyes darting away as his hand immediately went to adjust his cuffs, completely flustered. "We're just... aligning our creative visions, Jerry."
"Right, creative visions," Jerry chuckled, waving his hand to gather the rest of the crew. "Well, let's see if that alignment translates to the lens. Come on, let's get you two under the lights."
Stepping under the intense, blinding heat of the studio lights felt entirely different. Suddenly, the casual atmosphere vanished, replaced by the weight of multiple cameras, rolling dollies, and dozens of crew members staring intently from the shadows. The sudden scrutiny brought a wave of heavy formality back into the space. When you and Michael took your positions, you naturally stood a conservative distance apart nearly four feet of safe, professional boundary between you.
The director (jerry) stared at the monitor, frowning slightly. "A little closer," he called out over the PA system.
You both took a small, tentative step inward.
"No, closer than that," the director corrected, gesturing with his hands. "Bring it in. Eliminate the dead space."
With a quiet breath, you moved firmly into his space, stopping just a foot away. The proximity was sudden and overwhelming. Michael’s gaze flicked up, and for a fraction of a second, your eyes met under the harsh spotlight. The sheer intensity of the eye contact, combined with the silence of the waiting crew, suddenly felt so absurdly serious that a small, involuntary laugh escaped your lips.
Seeing your smile break the tension, Michael let out a soft, breathy chuckle of his own, the rigid posture of his shoulders instantly melting away. He leaned in just an inch, his voice dropping to a private, comforting register meant only for you. "Do you feel comfortable?”
"Yeah," you whispered, looking up through your lashes. "Are you?"
"More than comfortable." he murmured, his eyes softening completely.
"No, no! Don’t pose! Don't look away," Jerry’s voice boomed from the darkness near the monitors, instantly halting any further words. "Just keep looking at each other, as if you guys are gonna kiss. Exactly like that."
The entire soundstage went dead silent. The cameras began to pan slowly on their tracks, capturing the raw, unscripted shift in the atmosphere. Michael didn't have to act anymore; the genuine warmth in his expression, the quiet focus in his eyes, and the way his body naturally aligned toward yours bypassed every single script note. The effortless sync between your movements created an undeniable, heavy gravity on the screen.
Over at the video village, Jerry transitioned from a smirk to pure professional awe as he watched the playback filter through the dramatic backlighting. The silhouette created by your sharp black dress and Michael's casual blue flannel.
"...Nobody move," Jerry said quietly, his voice carrying a sudden weight that made the remaining crew freeze in their tracks. He watched the screen for a few more seconds as the camera caught the exact, lingering gaze between you two.
A slow, satisfied grin finally broke across Jerry’s face as he sat back in his chair, tapping his pen against the clipboard.
"Okay," Jerry said slowly, looking up from the monitor toward the stage. "...Yeah. I think we just found the frame.”
𝐴𝐻𝐻, 𝐼𝑇'𝑆 𝐷𝑂𝑁𝐸!! 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 𝑠𝑜 𝑒𝑥𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝟺! 𝐼 𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑑𝑟𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑀𝑖𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑒𝑙 × 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑘! 𝑃𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠—| 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚! 𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑑, 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑢𝑝𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠. 𝐼𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑔 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑙'𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑙𝑦 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑠𝑠 𝑎 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔! 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑙𝑒 𝑝𝑖𝑒𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠. 𝑙'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑜𝑛 𝑠𝑜 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐼 𝑤𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑚𝑖𝑡𝑠. 𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑡𝑒𝑟! 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑢𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑆𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑛 𝑇𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑟. 𝐵𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒
𝑌𝑂𝑈 𝐾𝑁𝑂𝐶𝐾 𝑀𝐸 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝑀𝑌 𝐹𝐸𝐸𝑇 𝑃𝐴𝑅𝑇 𝑇𝑊𝑂.
‧₊ ♪˚ Summary — Months later, Michael Jackson is deep in the making of promotion for ‘Bad!’ and the visuals for “The Way You Make Me Feel,” but the inspiration behind it never fades. When her name comes up again in a casting discussion, he makes a choice that changes everything.
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ ⩇⩇:⩇⩇
‧₊ ♪˚ Pairing - PreBadMichaelJacksonXNewRisingVocalist!reader
‧₊ ♪˚ Parts And Taglist -
Part1 | Part2 | Part3 @fotini-sh @pxrpleha1o @msapplehead @lotuspetalss @veraberaxx @sulkygyu @auraluvsyou @ctsiekat @misaccc @hotnmysterious7 @westcoastvelvet @pynkasket @scrumptiousblizzardbeard-blog @ellaaa47 @pimplucious @fanficreader33
‧₊ ♪˚ Note — I didn’t expect so much love on my last post, genuinely made me so happy and I wasn’t even thinking about making a part two at all, so I’m really surprised people wanted one! I’m so glad so many of you want to be tagged, and if anyone new wants to be added, just leave a comment! Also, if you have ideas for part three, feel free to drop them in the comments or my request box. I read everything and really appreciate all your suggestions, I always take them into consideration.
𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐸𝑝𝑖𝑐 𝑅𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑟𝑜𝑜𝑚.
May, 1987. Five months should’ve been enough time for fascination to fade right? No, in fact it had only grown roots.
The Bad album was finally finished or at least as finished as Michael Jackson would ever allow it to be. Now came promotion, interviews, wardrobe fittings, and music videos.
Long meetings with executives who talked too much and creatives who somehow never talked enough, although somewhere between the pressure of proving himself after Thriller and the endless perfectionism swallowing his schedule whole, one thing remained embarrassingly unchanged.
You.
Michael still told himself it was inspiration. Nothing more. Professional admiration, respect, inspiration, and creative curiosity yet frankly that explanation sounded much better than the truth, because truthfully? You had somehow became his mental routine.
He claimed he wasn't crushing hard, but the VHS tapes stacked next to his bedroom TV begged to differ. They were perfectly aligned. Live shows, interviews, basically anything you were on he was determined to have. He even had reruns he 'just caught on cable' and didn’t mean to record on purpose. Sure. At least, that’s what he told himself, although when confronted by others about it, he likes to claim the Lord just dropped those tapes in his lap.
Your physical merchandise was an even worse situation. Your Vinyl that he’d unbox so happily like a kid on Christmas admiring the visuals included inside. One CD somehow stayed in the car. One near the stereo at Hayvenhurst that always seemed to find its way back into rotation late at night. Those same nights he’d lay in bed opening your CD and gently sliding out the small booklet in the case. The gentle lick on the tip of his fingers for every turn of page he made. His dark brown eyes caught every detail, completely fixated on the solo shots of you. He dissected the wordplay of your lyrics like they were some kind of gateway poetry, using your mind as an excuse to feel close to you as if your songs were the key into your mind. It was poetry he never wanted to stop exploring.
Your voice had become familiar now. Dangerously familiar. The kind of familiar that sneaks up on someone before they realize they’ve memorized details they never intended to remember. You fully entered his subconscious. Favorite harmonies, the way your voice softened during quieter verses, the small tilt of your head before certain notes, and how your fingers would curl tightly on the mic whenever an intimate verse was coming.
It was ridiculous. Completely ridiculous and frankly stupid. It was all just a bunch of BS. Michael knew this.
And yet
“Michael.” Jerry Kramer music video director, whose voice snapped through his thoughts instantly.
Michael blinked and his head snapped towards Jerry. The Epic Records conference room came back into focus. Storyboards covered the long table, executives talking over one another while stacks of creative notes sat scattered between coffee cups and half-finished ideas.
Written boldly across the top of one folder sat: THE WAY YOU MAKE ME FEEL
Michael’s fingers tapped absentmindedly against the armrest. That same rhythm again, the one that somehow always led back to you.
“We need chemistry,” one producer was saying. “Movement. Somebody who has a presence for the lead girl.” another added. Jerry flipping through endless books of casting photos of models from weeks prior auditions. “ these girls are just basic…like I can’t find a memorable face.“
Michael looked up, his eyes traveling across the room and quietly began to speak up. “I already know who I want.“
The room immediately gone quiet, everyone’s eyes quickly met Michael’s face, Jerry being the first one to cut the silence.
“Michael you haven’t seen the casting photos- man what are you talking about.“
Michael shifted slightly in his seat not liking the fed up tone Jerry had. “I know who I want, Jerry.“ he cleared his throat once. “And I can tell you, the girl….she’s got presence.”
An Executive raised a brow resting his forearms against the table. “And who would that be?”
Michael glanced down briefly at the notes in front of him. Then quietly. “…Y/n.”
The reaction was immediate. One executive blinked “Wait what? The singer?” Another exchanged looks across the table.
Jerry leans forward “okay Johnny, don’t jump the gun it doesn’t sound too bad.” the same insisting executive Johnny kept putting up a rebuttal. “okay yeah she’s pretty like really really pretty but she isn’t fit for this like there’s countless amounts of wom-“
Michaels jaw never clenched so tightly before along with his fists, he takes off his sunglasses and cuts him off. “…enough please…do you mind leaving this discussion? “
The executives eyebrows furrowed with an open jaw almost wanting to say something out of protest but nothing came out. Quickly Jerry threw his hand up towards him “ Well Go on, get! “ he quickly grabs his folder and leaves the room.
“Well…..now that that’s…handled?….um Mike she is getting a lot of attention right now,” someone added, flipping through paperwork absentmindedly. “Rising audience, strong image…I think it would be really good publicity for you. “
“And she’s incredibly photogenic,” another voice said. “People love mystery…including you sir.”
Michael stayed quiet, too quiet. Like he was trying very hard not to seem invested, but desperately failed.
Jerry tapped his pen against the storyboard thoughtfully. “I like the idea man but….” he sighs. “That whole video depends on the On-Screen tension you guys have with one another like you guys will actually have to get along, and she can be rude for all you know.”
Michael looked up quickly. “We’re gonna get along just fine Jerry.” The words came out a little too fast. A little too certain.
Jerry noticed. So did everyone else. A slow grin spread across one executive’s face. “You really thought about this, huh?”
Michael immediately leaned back. “No,” he said quickly. “I just, she fits the song.”
Fits the song. Understatement of the century.
Michael paused. Then, quieter now. “She’s authentic.” The room settled. Michael’s voice shifted slightly whenever he talked about artistry. More thoughtful. More precise. “She doesn’t try too hard,” he continued. “There’s somethin’ natural about her. She doesn’t ask for attention…” A pause. “…people just give it to her.”
Silence.
Then someone near the coffee machine muttered quietly “…Damn, Mike.” A few amused smiles spread around the room.
Michaels brows furrowed with a small nervous chuckle. “…What?” Jerry hid a laugh behind his hand. “Man,” he said, shaking his head slightly, “you sound like you’re pitching the love of your life.”
Michael didn’t even try to hide the shift in his energy anymore, Michael gestured once toward the table. “I’m not pitching my love life,” he added quickly. “Just tell me you’ll get me her contact information, Quincy wasn’t capable of doing so.” That got a reaction. One of the executives coughed a laugh into their hand. Jerry leaned back, amused now in a different way. “You’re serious.”
Michael nodded once. “Jerry you know me..” Then Jerry shook his head slightly, still smiling. “…your right, I do..” he said finally, “we can make that happen, but if she isn’t available then get ready to look through these.” He gestures to the casting photos.
Hayvenhurst, Encino California — His Bedroom.
It took awhile. Which put Michael in a sour mood, it was like a child that was refused to candy, and everyone knows when it comes to Michael Jackson, things should be done quickly. By the time the call reached him later that night around 7:30, he was already pacing his room again restless, waiting like he hadn’t just finished an entire album cycle.
Then eventually sat on the floor next to his shelves going to organize his records for the 4th time this week but
The phone rang.
Once.
Twice.
Michael instantly pushed himself off from the floor and walked towards his nightstand picking up the phone and sitting down.
“Mike.” Jerry’s voice was heard through the speaker, and Michael immediately straightened up.
“I got it.”
Michael froze slightly. “…You got it?”
“Her manager’s contact,” Jerry confirmed. “Don’t make it weird.”
Michaels face started to produce the biggest smile on his face, his left hand clutching the phone tightly like he was going to pop like a ballon.
“…I won’t Jerry, please…let me just write it down” he said no doubtlessly cheery.
Jerry made a sound that clearly didn’t believe him. “Uh-huh….” Then repeated the number to Michael for him to write down.
Afterwards Michael hung up and stood there for a second, staring at the phone like it had just changed his entire day. Her contact information, actually in his possession. For reasons he couldn’t entirely explain, the slip of paper suddenly making him feel nauseous by sitting between his fingers. He had worked with countless people before. Called hundreds. Actors. Models. Dancers. Producers.
So why did this feel different?
Michael exhaled quietly, running a hand over the back of his neck before beginning to pace the studio floor, loafers clicking softly against the ground.
Okay.
Think.
Professional.
This was professional.
He just needed to call and pitch the idea.
Simple.
Easy.
Normal.
Yet somehow, every version of the conversation in his head sounded wrong. What if you thought it was strange?
What if you said no?
Maybe calling immediately felt too sudden. Too intimidating.
His eyes drifted toward the nightstand.
Flowers.
Professional flowers.
Respectful flowers.
Not romantic.
Definitely not romantic.
His fingers tapped lightly against the desk as he thought.
Lilies?
Too serious.
Roses?
Absolutely not. Too obvious. Too… much.
Orchids?
Elegant. Interesting. No too formal.
Michael sighed quietly, rubbing at his temple. Why was this suddenly stressful? He liked details, in his eyes details mattered and were incredibly noticeable but for some reason, getting this right mattered more than it probably should.
His gaze landed back on the phone. Then the paper. Then the phone again. “…Don’t mess this up,” he murmured softly to himself.
“…God, she’s beautiful.” The thought slipped out before he could stop it. He shut his eyes briefly.
Flowers first.
Then the call.
The Next Morning - Los Angeles Private Offices
The building was all glass and clean lines. A bursting bold bright full of movement morning. Your manager Julian had been talking for most of the morning about schedules, meetings, rising attention the fact your name was being passed around in rooms you hadn’t even walked into yet.
Fame was beginning to feel less like a possibility and more like something already happening considering your single was already at #5 on the charts.
“There’s something else,” your manager said suddenly, glancing toward the office door.
Considering the fact he waited next to the door instead of opening it made you extremely suspicious. “I don’t really like the fact iiiiii have to open the door.”
He smiled slightly “girl relax, surprise came for you earlier.”
You roll your eyes playfully and snicker “does that mean I should still tread lightly-“ you said unison to opening the door knob and that’s when you saw it.
A large bouquet.
(I attached a visual to the flowers.)
Beautiful.
Expensive.
Carefully arranged in a way that didn’t feel casual at all.
You covered your mouth when seeing the flowers, just utterly taken aback from how grand of a gesture this was, you walk up to the bouquet and instantly begin to delicately touch the petals.
“my gosh, these are beautiful…who sent them?” you begin to look around the bouquet for a card.
“…Michael Jackson sent those.”
You would’ve laughed but the fact his tone was so serious made you stop. The room felt quieter after that, like the air had shifted slightly. You stare at the flowers for a moment longer than expected. “Julian why are you lying.”
“ y/n love i promise im not lying.“ Then he began to walk up to you and grabbed the card from his suit pocket and hand it to you.
You practically snatch it out of his hand gripping the small card with all your might and reading out the words that were written. “Hope these flowers are to your liking. — Michael.”
You look up and your eye met with Julian’s whose smile is beaming over the moon. “His number is on the back, if you don’t call him I’m gonna call him for you.”
At Night - Your House Los Angeles.
The walls of your house were too quiet. The point that the silence was screaming. The flowers still sat on the table, genuinely impossible to ignore every time your eyes drifted towards them. You hate to admit it but you had reread the card 10 times this past hour.
It looked simple and professional but it didn’t entirely feel that way. You were probably overthinking it, but gosh what if you did call him and sounded like a total idiot, but what if you don’t and then Julian does it for you and it just makes things incredibly awkward. Damned if you do damned if you don’t.
This was ridiculous what c-
Ring.
Ring.
The sudden phone ringing made you jump instantly making you curse under your breath “Holy Shit.”
Before the thoughts can settle, you think it’s Julian and go to answer. “ Hello? “
Silence, for a brief moment almost hesitant.
“Hello, is this y/n?”
Hearing that it’s someone else, you become confused and hold the receiver closer to your ear.“ yes, who’s speaking? “
Meanwhile at hayvenhurst, Michael immediately regretted every decision that led him up to this exact moment. Your soft warm voice being heard through HIS phone made him feel so hot and nervous even his leg was bouncing up and down out of anxiety.
“It’s me, Michael….Michael Jackson. “ he adjusted the phone against his ear unnecessarily. “ I hope this isn’t weird- “ his voice a lot softer now. “ or that I’m intruding, I know it’s late…” his fingers tapped nervously against his knee. “ I was just hoping you got the flowers I sent.”
You sat up straighter instantly, michael Jackson was calling you personally, at night after sending flowers, definitely normal. “…No, no it’s okay you’re not intruding.” you said quickly, still processing. A small pause and you added “ I did get the flowers, they are absolutely beautiful I’m literally looking at them right now, thank you so much for em’ “
Michael smiled immediately, an unhealthy amount. He laid on his stomach on the bed trying so hard not to start kicking his feet in joy. “ I’m really glad” his calm demeanor seeping through the phone. “I didn’t want to just have called you out randomly, but uh I really admire your work.”
The truth. The embarrassingly big truth.
“ which is why I called, “ his voice shifted slightly “ I’m in the process of working on a music video for one of my records and I was really hoping if you’d consider being the main girl.”
His stomach dropped, his mind over piling with thoughts of was it too direct? Too weird? Too much?
“ you’re serious? “
Hearing your suprised yet enthusiastic tone made Michaels mind calm down a little and start smiling again
“ yeah,” he said softly. “I’m serious…”
Now almost a mutter “I think you’d be perfect for it.”
And he meant it. More than he probably should’ve
You found yourself lightly twisting a strand of hair between your fingers, trying to stay composed even though the news had clearly caught you off guard. A small, breathy laugh followed, more disbelief than anything. “I really wasn’t expecting that…” You glanced down, then back up as if he could see it through the phone. “…But yeah. I’d love to. I’d like to hear more about what you’re thinking.”
Michael released a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, it came out soft, almost relieved, and before he could stop it, a grin settled across his face small at first, then unmistakably real. “That’s perfect,” he said, voice lighter now. “That makes me really happy to hear that, l’ll call up a meeting so we can talk through everything properly,” he continued. “In detail.”
His tone shifted just slightly back into something more composed, more in control. “You won’t have to worry about a thing.” But even then, there was something warmer underneath it.
Something that didn’t quite sound like business anymore.
𝐿𝑜𝑟𝑑𝑑𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝑖𝑡 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑’𝑣𝑒 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼’𝑚 𝑠𝑜 𝑔𝑙𝑎𝑑 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑜𝑢𝑡. 𝐼’𝑚 ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑔𝑜𝑡! 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑡. 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢’𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑡𝑎𝑔𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑥𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠, 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡, 𝐴𝑛𝑦 𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑟 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑖𝑛! 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑢𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑆𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑛 𝑇𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑟. 𝐵𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 🩵
𝑌𝑂𝑈 𝐾𝑁𝑂𝐶𝐾 𝑀𝐸 𝑂𝐹𝐹 𝑀𝑌 𝐹𝐸𝐸𝑇.
PreBadMichaelJacksonXNewRisingVocalist!Reader. 1986, during midnight recording sessions for “Bad,” Michael Jackson encounters a mysterious performer on TV and finds himself drawn to her in a way he can’t explain. What begins as a passing moment slowly turns into creative obsession.
Part1 | Part2 | Part3
𝑁𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑒𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑦 𝑠𝑖𝑥, 𝐻𝑎𝑦𝑣𝑒𝑛ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑡 𝐶𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑎.
The studio was never fully quiet at this hour. 8:30 pm. Day off. Even when the microphones were off and the room had gone still, there was always something lingering soft equipment hum, distant footsteps, the echo of unfinished sound. Michael’s compulsive mind never stopped running, it was like unstoppable wheels turning in his head that the factory refused to shut down.
His loafers tapped softly against the studio floor, each step a quiet, deliberate click that echoed faintly through the empty room, swallowed quickly by the stillness. Hypocritical considering his steps so gentle yet his frustration so intense and aggressive. He continuously started snapping lightly, testing rhythms under his breath, seeing which was smooth, more sensual or heavy backbone, he stopped instantly realizing it was becoming repetitive, he needed a track that was a little more playful, cheery and upbeat.
This time, the click of his loafers being less soft and controlled as he made his way to the brown leather sofa, subconsciously biting the inside of his lip. His arms laying on the armrest, fingers starting to tap, producing a beat against the sofa. Underneath a soft beatbox formed in his breath, layered and instinctive, that soon gets put to an end.
Michael mutters “…hm…better.”
He tilted his head back, eyes catching the warm glow of the studio light overhead. Frustration started to build in quiet waves, settling behind his expression as he drew in a slow breath and let it out in a tired sigh. Reaching across the coffee table, he took a sip of orange juice, the brief moment of stillness grounding him. Then, for a rare pause, his slender fingers found the remote. He shifted toward the left side of the room where the television sat, the quiet break in his focus finally pulling him toward distraction as he turned it on.
The television hummed to life with a low electric buzz, the screen shrinking briefly into a bright line before blooming into grainy color. Michael sank back slightly, thumb pressing against the thick plastic buttons of the remote. Each channel changed with a soft click, the picture lagging for half a second before settling bursts of static, distorted commercials, late-night hosts in oversized suits, reruns washed in warm studio lighting.
Click.
Soap opera, dramatic music and constant betrayals? Typical. Next!
Click.
Rerun of this mornings news, I’m yawning. Next!
Click.
The familiar Tonight Show Johnny Carson band intro playing softly. Now I’m intrigued.
The signal crackled faintly between channels, quick flashes of static interrupting the screen before another image settled into place. Michael’s thumb paused against the remote. The host’s voice drifted through the speakers, half-listened to, introducing a guest performer whose name he only barely caught over the quiet hum of the studio.
“And now, making her television debut…” Johnny’s voice carried through the studio speakers, easy and familiar, “a very special guest…”
Then came the music. The camera panned toward the stage light washing over it in a soft haze before finally settling on you.
Michaels breath hitched.
There you stood behind the mic stand, framed by warm lighting that softened everything around you. Midnight-black satin caught the glow in quiet flashes, the elegant slip dress simple but impossibly striking cream lace tracing delicate details, jewelry understated enough to glimmer only when you moved. Nothing flashy. Nothing demanding. The cameraman brought you into focus, catching the seamless way you adjusted the mic stand, cool without trying, like the movement had never once been rehearsed. strands of hair framed your face effortlessly, falling just enough to soften your features without hiding them, Michaels eyes were just stuck on yours, sensing the innocence your eyes captured. His lips on the verge of quivering at the sight of you, it’s like he saw an angelic white glow surrounding you. His long fingers, once tapping restless rhythms against the sofa, had gone still and instead subconsciously gripping the armrest of the couch, deep in his mind wishing it was your waist he was gripping if one day he were to ever hold you.
The band behind you sat beneath pale lighting, instruments glowing softly under the stage lamps while the camera occasionally drifted toward them before always finding its way back. Michales personal philosophy is performances were supposed to be spectacle. Entertainment. Movement, theatrics, something to hold an audience by force if needed. Music videos, stages people wanted to feel like they were watching a show. He knew that better than anyone.
But this?
You barely moved from behind the microphone. And somehow, it worked, for him at least. Then your voice arrived. Low at first. Velvet soft. Smoky around the edges, aching in places that felt unintentional as if the song had lived somewhere inside you long before tonight. There was something dreamlike in the way you sang, melancholic but warm, harmonies drifting behind your voice like a memory refusing to leave. Michael felt his jaw loosen slightly. It was like his body was entering a state of bliss, not a single part of the song made him feel overwhelmed, overstimulated or heard a sound that clashed with another element within the music. The room had gone still. At some point, he had stopped hearing the hum of studio equipment altogether.
Then the camera shifted. A side angle this time. And for half a second, just half your eyes met the lens. Something in his chest tightened unexpectedly, he felt a rush to his cheeks, a sense of shyness like a teenage boy encountering his first crush, the sudden butterflies that manifested in his stomach made him feel the need to look away although you weren’t looking at him. His thumb hovered uselessly over the remote. He should’ve changed the channel by now. Should’ve gone back to work. Instead, he found himself distracted breaking down details he had no reason to notice the way your delicate fingers curled around the mic stand, the way you licked your delicious lips between lyrics absentmindedly, the moles on your face, the occasional hair toss and the softness in your expression between verses.
Like if he looked long enough, maybe he’d understand why he suddenly couldn’t look away.
“…she’s a product of loveliness..” he murmured quietly, almost frustrated by you.
And for the first time all night, the unfinished music waiting for him across the room didn’t seem nearly as important. Then came another line from your performance.
“This feeling you’re giving me, knocks me off my feet babe, it’s my favorite part.”
Something in the way you sang it warm, longing, effortless, made him pause, registering the potential your lyrics had. His fingers started moving again.
Tap. Tap-Tap.
Against the leather armrest.
Without realizing it, a rhythm began forming in his head. Brighter. More alive. Something with movement. The complete opposite of the slow haze drifting through the television speakers. Upbeat. Playful. Restless in the way fascination often was.
Michael straightened suddenly.
“…wait.”
His fingers tapped faster now, testing the rhythm before softly beatboxing beneath his breath, piecing together sounds only he could hear.
He stood quickly, crossing the room in hurried steps toward the studio notebook left carelessly beside stacks of cassettes. Pages flipped. A pen clicked. Ideas spilled faster than he could organize them fragments of feeling, unfinished phrases, emotions arriving before structure.
The Next Morning. — His Room.
Sleep had never really happened, not properly, well it hadn’t really happened since his accident at least. Only brief moments of closing his eyes before melodies interrupted, before thoughts rearranged themselves into rhythms that refused to stay quiet.
By morning, the fascination hadn’t faded. Michael sat on the edge of his bed for a long moment, still in yesterday’s clothes, hands loosely clasped as if he wasn’t sure what to do with them anymore. But his mind wasn’t still at all, his mind never stopped working even in his sleep, It kept going back. To you, your voice.
The way it didn’t try to impress anyone and still held him completely still. He exhaled softly.
“…Why am I thinking about her like this?” he thought, almost frustrated.
He didn’t even know you. You were just a face on a screen. A performance. Yet his mind was treating you like you were his everything, your face was like a melody that refused to resolve. He lay back slowly, one arm covering his eyes. And in the silence behind his thoughts, the rhythm from yesterday began again cleaner now, more certain.
Restless. Alive.
The same feeling you carried without trying.
“…You knock me off my feet, babe,” he murmured again, softer this time.
There was a small stillness. Because somewhere between sleep and thought, something clicked into place that he didn’t fully want to name yet. The song wasn’t just a feeling anymore. It had a direction and the direction was pointing to you.
The Afternoon — Westlake Studios
The studio reflected it.
Music sheets sprawled messily across the console, notebook pages ripped out and abandoned on the floor, discarded after being rewritten, revised, rewritten again. Half-finished phrases crowded the margins in hurried handwriting, crossed out only to be circled moments later. Michael paced the room, loafers clicking quicker this time, restless energy following each step.
“It’s gotta feel…” he muttered, hands moving instinctively as if trying to shape the sound in the air itself. “Like…like excitement, y’know? But not obvious. Not too heavy, if just falling in love was in one distinctive sound. “
He snapped suddenly. “Fun. But still… infatuated.”
Quincy watched from behind the mixing console, one brow slowly raising as Michael launched into another explanation something about rhythm, movement, wanting people to feel the energy instantly, Quincy unexpectedly develops a grin on his face, mentally snickering at Michael’s expense. “right right, I see your direction..”
Michael side eyes Quincy while softly bobbing his head. “Good, Good…I’d hope so…” Michael continued quickly “It needs bounce, I’m thinking like a snare…bass line maybe?” fingers tapping an invisible beat against his thigh. “ it’s like somebody got in your head and suddenly you can’t stop thinkin’ about ’em like…”
He stopped feeling entirely frustrated. “…I know what I wanna say, I just—” he exhaled sharply, running a hand through his curls. “…it’s never been difficult to hash out a concept. “
Quincy leaned back in his chair, quiet for a second, arms crossed, entirely too amused. He had grown accustomed to Michael’s control freak nature when it came to his music. No doubt about it, Michael always approached his craft with hard work, repetition, self-discipline, and an almost obsessive need to perfect every detail until it matched exactly what he heard in his head. It had always been second nature to him. But Quincy had also noticed something else over time.
Whenever Michael got stuck on a certain concept, especially one with romantic undertones, he didn’t just hit a creative block he fixated. Like there was a muse somewhere behind it that he wasn’t exactly willing to talk about, And this album mattered too much for distractions.
Bad was more than just a project. It was a statement. Proof that Michael Jackson could stand completely on his own after Thriller and still deliver hit after hit without being seen as a one-time phenomenon. Quincy needed to understand what was going on in his head creatively. And if there really was a muse behind this shift in his sound, then he needed to know.
Q, leaning back in his arm, arms crossed nonchalantly as he watched Michael’s expressive concerns with quiet amusement. “Mike.”
Michael almost instantly feeling kinda embarrassed finally takes a seat from pacing anxiously for so long. “Yeah Q? Sorry about the tangent-“
“who is she.” Quincy’s words shifting the entire room’s atmosphere in something so unexpected, Michael not being able to hide his expression on his face, it was a dead giveaway.
His nervous repetitive blinks. “who’s who?” His mind races nonstop just repeating in his head, how does he know.
“C’mon, Mike… I ain’t stupid.” Quincy gestured toward the chaos of papers scattered across the studio. “I left you a voicemail around 8:45. I know your ass wasn’t sleepin’… and I know you weren’t with your family, so—”His small grin grew as he leaned back slightly. “So what’s up?”
Michael glanced down at the scattered pages again as if they might defend him on his behalf. “…No,” he said finally, but it came out weaker than intended. “It’s not like that.”
Quincy didn’t even look convinced.
Michael turned away, walking back toward the console, but his focus wasn’t really on the equipment anymore. It kept slipping back to rhythm, back to feeling, back to a voice he’d only heard once but couldn’t seem to forget. That voice, soft, warm, and effortless like it didn’t need permission to stay in his head. He hated how easily it returned. He hated how that night he fantasized how your voice would sound producing small gasps of air, whimpers, quivering from his touch. The thought made him feel dirty yet excited. It just felt right. As if something inside him had already accepted it without asking.
He exhaled under his breath. “It’s just inspiration,” he muttered, more to himself than Quincy, but even that didn’t sound true. Quincy kinda rolled his eyes and instantly thought Michael was full of shit.
“ nonthless a women right? “
Michael spins in his chair, looking up at the celling counting the light bulb. “I suppose..”
Quincy scoffs playfully and gives him a playful look “ you can be inspired by a lil ass, it’s not a crime..” he shrugged
Michael immediately straightened, a wave of embarrassment creeping in as he covered part of his face with his hand, letting out a small, nervous giggle. “ Q! You don’t say those things!….” He lets out one more amused sigh “…it’s not like that…I saw her perform on the tonight show last night…and just..she’s breathtaking..”
His ears perked up. “Oh… you mean Y/n? I did not expect that..” Quincy nodded, tone shifting slightly more serious. “Yeah. She’s been uhhhh getting a lot of attention lately. People at Sony been talking about bringing her in.”
Michael paused at Quincy’s words. Then, before he could stop himself, something in his expression shifted subtle, but there. Interest. Not the kind he wanted to admit to.
“…She’s being talked about…seems like she’s gonna be big huh? ” he asked, trying to sound casual, but the edge of curiosity slipped through anyway. Quincy caught it immediately. He leaned forward slightly, a small grin returning. “Look at you,” he said. “Now you’re askin’ questions.”
Michael straightened quickly, as if that alone was suspicious. “I’m not asking questions,” he said. “I’m just… clarifying.”
Quincy let out a short laugh. “Man, don’t start that.” He gestured toward Michael like he was presenting evidence in a case. “You saw her once and now you got half a studio floor covered in torn pages, you pacing like you lost your mind, and you can’t even sit still for five minutes.”
Michael opened his mouth, then closed it again “ it isn’t a big crush…” he said more quietly, always feeling nervous in stating women he found attractive
Quincy raised a brow. “A ‘not big crush’ got you rewriting your whole rhythm pattern?” Michael scoffed softly, but it didn’t land. Quincy stood now, walking a little closer to the console.
“Mike,” he said more seriously, “I’m not even teasing you right now. Just look at the way she makes you feel.” Michael hesitated. That line lingered.
He looked down at his fingers. Still tapping. Still chasing that same beat. The same energy he couldn’t name.
“…The way she makes me feel,” he repeated under his breath, almost absent.
Quincy snapped his fingers once naively thinking Michael is going to admit it. “You’re starting to understand what I’m seeing? “
Michael blinked and It hit. Like something snapping into place behind his eyes. He stood up so fast the chair rolled slightly back.
“…That’s it.”
Quincy paused. “ You good Mike? “
“No no, that’s it,” Michael said again, faster now, excitement replacing confusion. “ ‘That feeling…the way you make me feel’…” He grabbed the pen. Words started coming immediately.
“…you really turn me on…knock me off my feet..” he murmured, half-writing, half-speaking it into existence.
Quincy watched him for a moment longer, then shook his head softly. “…Yeah,” he muttered. “You’re done for.”
Michael proved Quincy’s point further, looks up and asks “You think you can get her number for me?”
𝐻𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑔𝑢𝑦𝑠 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑! 𝐼𝑓 𝐼 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑜𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑏𝑜𝑥. 𝐵𝑎𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑆𝑢𝑢𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑆𝑜𝑛𝑖𝑐 𝑜𝑛 𝑡𝑢𝑚𝑏𝑙𝑟. 𝐵𝑒𝑠𝑜𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒.
music themed ゚ ๑ . ♫ lace dividers
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hello!! i love ur writing, and was wanting to give a request!! I would love a rocky balboa x reader, with a reader that is very shy. just a soft little moment between them. super fluffy!! maybe reader sees some flowers she loves so he gets a bouquet for reader? tysm and of course u don't have to do this if u don't want!!
— JUST FOR YOU
꒰ ⊹ ˚ Summary — All Rocky does is try to win your heart, but your shyness makes it 10 times harder, he decides he’ll show you his love by observing your likes and dislikes
Pairing — Rocky!Balboa X Fem!Reader
Contains of — Fluff, mentions of self-doubt, Boxing Matches, holding hands, unintentionally watching reader in secret,
Babettes note — AA ANON I LOVE THIS SM AND YOU ARE THE SWEETEST!! I love this idea and I hope I was able to fulfill your desires with this scenario!! I didn’t know the flowers you liked so I picked some random ones I hope that’s okay!! If there is anything you don’t like you can tell me and I’ll be happy to fix it, don’t be afraid to request more things! Not proofread so sorry for any mistakes
You’ve always been a shy character, it was something you couldn’t help, you had friends growing up but you just liked your own company so you avoided social interaction during your years of transitioning to a teenager to an adult
It didn’t take you long to realize that it bit you in the ass, you became even more shy than you were as a child, and social interaction was more scarier then ever.
you only had one friend from childhood, Fiona, she certainly was a snarky character but she helped you move to Pennsylvania, she got you a job at the pet shop but she didn’t mention that you’d have a dog following you around everywhere
That dog was a Local Fighter Rocky Balboa, yeah he was attractive ( like extremely attractive ) but you never received male attention ever, it was a shock to you that someone so extroverted, loud and energetic liked your type of personality
You didn’t mind the attention he gave you it’s just you didn’t know how to respond, and what’s crazy is that he never stopped his chances with talking to you, or asking you to come to one of his fights
You felt like you were in a point of your life was to keep working and getting out of the poor side of Philadelphia, you thought you weren’t able to get a partner in this stage ( it’s your shyness stop the cap ) but on the other hand rocky was in awe of you
He likes the drastic differences in your guys personalities he definitely believes in “ opposites attract “ and not to mention the fact he found you insanely pretty, he just had to have a chance with you, but it seems like no matter what he does you always brush him off
He knows you don’t do it purposely but it still sorta bugged him, but he only viewed it as a sign to keep proving to you until you guys went on a date together so that’s exactly what he did on your Saturday off work
But it was unintentional, none of you guys knew you both liked to go to the fancy rich downtown side of Philadelphia, you liked the stores, the lights, the way the sun shined down it and the atmosphere, meanwhile rocky just walked around to clear his mind, two different reasons but it works!
While rocky walked down the sidewalk of the fancy town bouncing the blue toy ball he looks up at this flower shop, he noticed a lady staring at a certain bouquet of flowers, a mesmerizing combination of white lilacs and red dahlias. He couldn't quite explain why he was fixated on this seemingly random lady, but an inexplicable familiarity drew him in. So, he patiently waited for this lady to turn around.
When “ this lady “ was you and you did turn around, Rocky's face lit up with joy, and a warm smile graced his features. He intended to approach you, but just as he was about to, you turned on your heel and walked away. A frown crept onto his face, but he decided to visit the flower shop's window instead. There, he inquired about the price of the lilac and dahlia bouquet.
Back in Rocky's apartment, he grabbed a couple of ice cubes from the freezer and placed them on his forehead. His love for you drove him to want to provide everything you needed and deserved, but he faced financial constraints, struggling even to take care of himself. Determined, he knew he had to find his next fight to secure the money for that special bouquet.
Night fell, and Rocky continued his routine of stopping by at the pet shop. Each morning and evening, he'd pop in to check on the animals and share his daily joke with you. However, this time, he didn't show up. Worried that he might have given up on you, you asked Fiona about his whereabouts, trying not to arouse suspicion.
"Hey Fiona! Do you happen…to know where Rocky is?..by any means?.." You nervously inquired.
Fiona glanced up from her magazine, still somewhat engrossed in it. "Hmm, no, hun, I don't. I think Paulie mentioned something about a fight earlier at the bar," she replied casually.
You oddly forget that he fights for a living, It was one thing to enjoy watching others in the ring, but the thought of him enduring punches and blows for a paycheck weighed heavily on your mind more than it should if your being honest
Sweating and panting, Rocky waited in the locker room with an ice pack on his forehead, eagerly anticipating his earnings as the victorious fighter. The sum was $200, but after deductions for showers and towels, he was left with $100.
“ hey rocky, here’s your share for tonight ah, so 200 dollars but with shower, towel, etc fee that’s a hundred dollars less, but with you being the winner I’m living you with 100 “
Either way His excitement soared, not because he was thinking of paying his rent, but because he finally had enough to buy you the bouquet you deserved.
The next day, he returned to the flower shop, joyfully paid for the flowers, although the cashier might’ve thought he was too excited because after she said the price he slammed a 20 dollar bill on the counter with an eager smile
( AUTHORS NOTE!!! 20 dollars might not seem ALOT but I tried doing some research of prices back then and now, and the economy has changed alot, so back than 20 dollars would have the modern value of 120 dollars so it was extremely expensive back then )
and brought them back to his apartment, placing them in a vase. He patiently waited until your shift ended, timing his arrival perfectly. As you locked up the store and waved goodbye to the puppies in the window, he hid the bouquet behind his back.
"Yo, Y/n!" he called out, surprising you with his presence at this hour.
Startled yet delighted at his voice, you turned around to see Rocky's beaming face and noticed his concealed hands. "Oh, hi, Rocky. Um, what are you doing out here so late?" You asked hesitantly, eager to engage in conversation for the first time.
Rocky chuckled warmly and replied, "You think I can't protect myself? Well, I got you something. I hope you like them; I think they're really special."
In an instant, you was presented with a dazzling bouquet of lilacs and dahlias, exactly the one you had admired in the downtown shop. Your smile radiated happiness as you gratefully accepted the flowers. This thoughtful gesture made you see Rocky in a whole new light.
"Wow! These are absolutely beautiful. Thank you so much!" You exclaimed, overflowing with joy. You hugged him tightly, prompting him to shift the bouquet to his opposite hand, laughter bubbling up at your unexpected reaction.
Unable to contain your gratitude, you continued, "I can't possibly thank you enough. You didn't have to, and how did you even know I loved these?"
Rocky, slightly bashful, replied, "Well, you see, I can be very focused on things, and I thought you'd like 'em you know and uh they are just for you. " He offered to walk you home, and you accepted. As you guys strolled down the sidewalk, you subtly inched your pinky closer to his hand, a silent invitation from your shy nature. He smiled and, taking the hint, gently held your hand.
"You tryna hold my hand now, babe?" he teased. You chuckled and warned, "I can stomp on these, you know." He bent down to leave a kiss on top of your head, and together, you guys continued walking, talking about his fight the previous night and forging a deeper connec
Thank you so much for reading this!!! I really hope it gives you rocky vibes and fills your scenario desires!! Sorry if this took longer than you expect I was focusing on my YouTube channel for awhile!! I appreciate the love and the support and feel free to request anything any time you want<3 bye guys ❤️‼️