Summary : Michael told you you’d be in the music video for “You rock my world” so why are they searching for actresses?
A/n : I love Chris Tucker yall bye. Requests open
The first time Michael brought up the You Rock My World video around you, he was lying across the couch in the studio lounge with a fedora tipped over his eyes while you flipped through a magazine beside him. The room smelled like coffee, expensive cologne, and the stale air-conditioning that never worked properly at Record Plant. He sounded casual when he said it. Too casual.
“They’re casting for the video next week.”
You looked up. “Oh? Finally.”
“Mhm.” He smiled lazily beneath the hat. “It’s gonna be cinematic. Real film energy. Chris is in it. Marlon’s in it. Real smooth.”
“It’s gotta feel believable though,” he continued. “Chemistry is important.”
You didn’t think much of it then. Michael talked about chemistry constantly when it came to performances. Chemistry with dancers. Chemistry with cameras. Chemistry with lighting. He obsessed over details nobody else even noticed.
So you nodded and turned the page.
Then he added, “They’re testing actresses.”
“Yeah.” He sat up slowly, removing the hat. “For the club scenes.”
You blinked at him. “I thought I was doing it.”
And suddenly he wouldn’t look at you anymore.
Instead he reached for a bottle of water, twisting the cap unnecessarily slowly. “Well… I just thought maybe it’d be easier with someone who does this professionally.”
A strange feeling settled in your stomach.
“You literally asked me three weeks ago if I wanted to do it.”
“I know, I know, but the director was talking about dynamics and—”
He sighed. “Her name’s Vanessa.”
The name hit immediately because you knew exactly who Vanessa was.
Vanessa was always around the studio, always giggling too loudly at Michael’s jokes, always touching his arm a second too long. She practically glowed whenever he entered a room. Even the assistants whispered about her crush.
“You’re joking,” you said quietly.
You laughed once in disbelief. “Michael.”
“She just fit the vibe they wanted.”
“The vibe of a girl who’s in love with you?”
His expression hardened slightly. “Don’t start.”
“Don’t start?” You stared at him. “You asked me to do it first.”
“Because I need chemistry on camera!”
The second the words left his mouth, the room went silent.
Your face changed instantly.
Michael noticed it too late.
“That’s not what I meant.”
“So I don’t have chemistry with you?”
“You’ve been with me for two years.”
“You know what I’m trying to say.”
He stood up, frustrated now, pacing the room. “You’re taking this personally.”
“Because it is personal.”
“Then why pick the one girl everybody knows wants you?”
“That has nothing to do with it!”
You stared at him for a long moment before grabbing your bag from the couch.
“Fine,” you said quietly. “Use her.”
“Use whoever has more chemistry with you.”
The day of the shoot was torture.
But one of the costume girls—Sandra—had begged you to come because she missed you and said the set would be boring without you.
Standing in the middle of a massive club set in downtown Los Angeles while fake smoke curled through flashing lights and everybody rushed around preparing cameras.
The second you walked in, heads turned.
Not because you were famous.
Not because you were dramatic.
But because you looked stunning without even trying.
Low-rise jeans, fitted black top, glossy lips, your hair falling perfectly over your shoulders. Effortlessly beautiful in a way that made people stare before they realized they were staring.
Chris Tucker noticed first.
“Oh HELL no,” he yelled across the set, making several people laugh. “Michael, you got THIS at home and hired somebody else?!”
You burst out laughing despite yourself.
Michael, standing near the monitors, froze.
Chris walked toward you dramatically, clutching his chest. “Girl, you are fine.”
“No, no, let me speak. This is injustice. This is a crime against music videos everywhere.”
A few staff members nearby laughed in agreement.
“I’m serious,” one makeup artist added. “She should’ve been cast from the beginning.”
Michael shot them all a look.
Chris immediately noticed.
“Ohhh, somebody mad already.” He grinned.
Chris turned back to you. “Come sit with me since apparently people on this set make poor decisions.”
And somehow that became the theme of the entire day.
Chris stayed beside you constantly.
During lighting setups, he sat next to you making jokes until your stomach hurt from laughing.
During breaks, he brought you snacks before anyone else could.
At one point he leaned over dramatically while Michael rehearsed and whispered, “If he don’t cast you after today, I will.”
You nearly choked laughing.
And unfortunately for Michael… so did you.
Because Chris made you feel noticed.
Meanwhile Michael spent half the day trying not to look at you and failing miserably.
Every time he glanced over, Chris was making you laugh again.
Every time he passed by, someone was complimenting you.
“You look incredible today.”
“Seriously, camera would love her.”
“She and Michael naturally match better.”
And Vanessa heard it too.
Which only made her clingier.
During one take she kept touching Michael’s chest between scenes, smiling up at him while makeup fixed his collar.
And then Chris leaned close beside you and muttered loud enough for Michael to hear:
Michael’s jaw tightened instantly.
The breaking point came about two hours later.
Chris had his arm around the back of your chair while telling some ridiculous story involving Eddie Murphy and a fake monkey when Michael stormed over.
You looked up calmly. “About?”
Chris raised both brows dramatically. “Ohhhhhh.”
“Chris,” Michael snapped.
Michael looked at you again. “Come here.”
You followed him only because you didn’t want a scene.
The second you stepped into the empty hallway outside the set, he turned around.
You folded your arms. “What is what?”
You stared at him in disbelief. “Are you serious?”
You laughed sharply. “That sounds familiar.”
“You know exactly what I mean.”
“No, Michael. Explain it to me.”
“He keeps flirting with you.”
“And Vanessa’s what? Part of the lighting department?”
“And she keeps touching you.”
“You literally said you needed chemistry.”
“And she conveniently already likes you.”
“That has nothing to do with anything!”
“Really?” You stepped closer. “Because everybody on set can see it except you apparently.”
Michael rubbed a hand over his face in frustration. “You think I want her?”
“I think you like being wanted.”
“You love attention,” you continued quietly. “You love girls staring at you. You love people wanting you. And maybe you didn’t think about how humiliating this would feel for me because you’re so used to everybody competing for your attention.”
“You picked a girl who openly flirts with you over your own girlfriend.”
The silence afterward felt heavy.
Michael looked away first.
And suddenly the anger drained out of him, replaced by something worse.
Watching Chris flirt with you all day had made him insane.
Watching other men stare at you had made him furious.
And that was with someone you weren’t interested in.
Vanessa wanted him openly.
And he had dismissed your feelings like they were irrational jealousy.
“…Damn,” he muttered softly.
You crossed your arms tighter. “Yeah.”
Michael leaned back against the wall, finally quiet.
Then after a moment he sighed.
You looked at him skeptically.
“No, really.” His voice softened completely. “I get it now.”
“I thought you were overreacting.”
“I wanted to punch Chris in the throat.”
You accidentally laughed.
Michael pointed immediately. “Don’t laugh. I’m serious.”
Michael groaned dramatically. “See?! That’s exactly what I mean.”
The tension finally cracked slightly between you.
He stepped closer carefully.
“I wasn’t trying to hurt you.”
He looked genuinely miserable now.
“You should’ve been my first choice,” he admitted quietly. “You were. I just… got nervous.”
Your expression softened slightly.
He continued, “With you it’s not acting. And that scared me a little because cameras catch everything.”
You shook your head. “So you picked a girl obsessed with you instead.”
“When you say it out loud it sounds terrible.”
“Because it is terrible.”
He sighed again. “I know.”
“I want you in the video.”
You looked away immediately. “No.”
“No. Now it feels like pity.”
“You’re only saying this because we fought.”
“I’m saying it because I was stupid.”
Michael stepped even closer, voice lowering.
“When you walked onto that set today… I couldn’t stop looking at you.”
“Everybody else noticed too.”
“I know.” His eyes softened. “The point is I hurt you when I should’ve chosen you from the beginning.”
You looked at him finally.
“And I swear to God it wasn’t because she likes me.”
“But you liked the attention.”
“At least you’re honest.”
Another long silence stretched between you.
Then Michael reached carefully for your hand.
“You belong with me in that video.”
Your chest tightened slightly.
“You already filmed scenes.”
You searched his face for even a hint that he was only doing damage control.
“You’d really redo everything?”
Your voice softened despite yourself. “Even the dance scenes?”
“…Chris is gonna clown you.”
Michael immediately brightened when he saw it.
You rolled your eyes but he could see you weakening.
“I don’t want to feel second place.”
His expression changed instantly.
Michael shook his head immediately. “No. Today I acted like an idiot.”
You stared at him for a moment before finally sighing.
“You really wanna redo the video?”
“I’ll start over tonight.”
He grinned suddenly, relief washing over his face.
Then, before you could react, he wrapped his arms around you tightly.
“And Chris was enjoying it way too much.”
Michael groaned into your shoulder. “Please don’t mention his name right now.”
You laughed softly for the first time all day.
And somewhere back on set, Chris Tucker’s voice echoed through the hallway:
“MIKE?! YOU DONE APOLOGIZING YET?!”
