If they only knew - love of a lifetime series.
Summary: Michael has not always been super confident, especially in his early 20s when it comes to Y/N and her previous relationships. But oh boy does that change in his 30sβ¦
Authors note: Iβm posting early and one of my fave stories in this series in honour of the Michael biopic breaking world records. Long live the King.
Also, with Y/Nβs exes I was just wanting the most polar/ popular opposites of Michael in the relevant time periods. Donβt want you thinking they are my type lol.
As ever, glad you are here and hope you enjoy.
The first time it happened, it nearly ruined Michael's night.
Nobody knew they were together, that was the problem.
The greatest secret in entertainment sat hidden behind polite smiles, coded phone calls and stolen evenings. To the world, Y/N was simply Y/N, an up and coming singing legend in her own right and Michael was Michael. Friends. Colleagues. Occasionally seen at the same events, nothing more.
The reality was that they had been married for nearly a year and nobody knew.
The party was packed wall to wall with celebrities, producers, executives and hangers-on desperate to be seen in the orbit of success. Michael hated those sorts of events, he only tolerated them because he had to.
He was halfway through pretending to listen to a record executive when he spotted Y/N across the room.
She looked radiant, dark blue slinky dress and sky high heels.
That effortless smile she seemed to wear without trying and standing entirely too close to her was John Travolta.
Michael immediately felt something unpleasant settle in his stomach.
When you married someone, you learned their history. Y/N had never hidden it, there had been other men before him.
Michael knew that, understood it, accepted itβ¦.at least in theory.
Actually seeing one of them leaning toward her was another matter entirely.
The sort of man who never looked nervous walking into a room.
Everything Michael wasn't.
He watched from across the ballroom as John smiled at her, then leaned closer.
Michael felt his jaw tighten.
His first instinct was ridiculous, walk over there and put an arm around her waist.
Tell everyone she was his wife and tell John to back off.
Instead he stood exactly where he was, because he couldn't.
Nobody could know, not yet and he hated it.
Across the room he watched Y/N subtly pull backward.
A small movement, almost invisible.
John moved closer again, said something in her ear and she shook her head.
Michael found himself drifting nearer, pretending to wander and bring himself close enough to hear.
"...I'm serious, Y/N" John was saying. "You disappeared on me."
She laughed softly, not flirtatiously⦠almost awkwardly.
"I'm serious, that was ages ago"
His smile faltered slightly.
Michael stopped breathing and then he heard her answer.
"I'm happy, very happy actually."
A tiny smile touched her lips.
"No, I wouldnβt think so."
Michael's heart squeezed.
"I'm not interested" she continued gently. "I haven't been for a very long time."
John looked disappointed, but eventually nodded.
"Well." He lifted his hands.
"Can't blame a guy for trying, baby"
Then he kissed her cheek and moved away.
The interaction had lasted less than two minutes, but Michael still felt miserable.
Because she'd had a life before him.
Because men looked at her and wanted her.
Because she'd chosen him somehow despite all of them and none of them knew she belonged to him.
The ride home was painfully quiet, city lights flashed across the limousine windows.
Michael sat beside her with his arms folded, staring straight ahead and brooding.
Y/N watched him for nearly ten minutes before speaking.
"I didnβt ask and you are absolutely not fine."
The sound only irritated him more.
"Are we going to talk about John speaking to me now?"
His shoulders slumped and suddenly he looked very young, very vulnerable.
Very much like the shy man she had fallen in love with.
"I know you've been with other people." The words came quietly, almost reluctantly.
She immediately softened, "Oh, baby."
"No, donβt feel bad for me, I know that itβs stupid."
"I know you had a life before me."
His eyes stayed fixed on the window, "I know there were men before me."
She reached for his hand.
His voice cracked slightly.
Her heart broke a little.
"I hate seeing somebody look at you like that."
His fingers tightened around hers.
"And they can just walk up and talk to you."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"They don't have to pretendβ, he finally looked at her, big dark eyes filled with insecurity.
"And they all seem so much more experienced than me."
The confession hung between them.
Crossing the space between them and taking his face in both hands.
"You want to know what I felt when I dated John?"
His expression tightened, his jaw clenched.
"I'm telling you anyway."
A reluctant smile tugged at his mouth.
She brushed her thumb across his cheek.
"I liked all of them, Michael."
His face worsened and she laughed.
"But do you know what I felt the first time you held my hand?"
A small laugh escaped her.
"You walked into my life and ruined every man I'd ever met or been with."
That finally earned a smile.
His shoulders relaxed slightly.
Resting her forehead against his.
"John never made me forget my own name."
"John never made me pray he'd call."
"John never made me cry because I loved him so much."
"And I certainly never wanted to marry him."
That made him laugh, a real laugh, deep and breathless.
She kissed him properly then.
Pouring every ounce of certainty she possessed into him.
When they finally separated she smiled against his mouth.
Then she whispered against his lips.
His breath caught, the words never failed to affect him.
And just like that, all the insecurity melted away.
HIStory Tour - Amsterdam, 1996
The difference between Michael today and the one in the limousine years ago was staggering.
Age had changed him, success had strengthened him and impending fatherhood was changing him even now.
Most importantly, loving Y/N openly had changed him.
He wasn't hiding anymore and apparently neither was his possessiveness.
Y/N had managed to carve out three days between her own tour dates to join Michael in Europe.
Three days wasn't nearly enough, it never was.
But after years of competing schedules, separate rehearsals, different countries and endless commitments, they had become experts at stealing time together wherever they could find it.
So she had flown into Amsterdam the night before and immediately made herself at home backstage.
Or rather, in Michael's orbit.
The distinction was increasingly difficult to separate.
From her seat near the edge of the production area, she watched him move through the organised chaos of the HIStory Tour.
Crew members hurried around him.
Dancers stretching and touching up make up.
Managers attempted to keep everything running on schedule.
And somehow Michael remained at the centre of it all.
The transformation still caught her off guard sometimes.
Not because he wasn't recognisably the man she'd fallen in love with.
The same ridiculous sense of humour that appeared when nobody else was looking.
But age had settled him, experience had strengthened him.
The uncertainty that occasionally haunted the young man she'd known during the Off the Wall and Thriller years had gradually given way to something steadier.
Not arrogance, never that.
The certainty of a man who knew exactly who he was and what he wanted.
There was no point pretending otherwise.
The military jacket fitted broad shoulders that had filled out considerably since his twenties.
His posture carried an ease that only came with experience and years of dance.
Even standing still, he somehow commanded a room.
When he laughed, people gravitated toward him.
When he spoke, they listened.
When he walked through the arena, entire groups unconsciously shifted to make space.
It was fascinating to watch and completely unfair, because somehow he remained devastatingly handsome too.
As though global fame wasn't enough.
The real giveaway, however, was how often his attention drifted back to her.
A glance across the room.
A small smile whenever he found her exactly where he'd left her.
This morning alone he had interrupted rehearsals twice to ask if she'd eaten breakfast.
Asked a production assistant whether she'd been given water.
Asked another if she needed anything.
Asked security to make sure she had somewhere comfortable to sit.
Then, when that apparently wasn't sufficient, he'd abandoned all subtlety and sent somebody to fetch additional cushions.
Y/N had never felt more loved or more managed.
She was still considering whether she should be offended when Michael looked across the room again.
Their eyes met instantly, his face softened and that smile appeared.
There it is, she thought.
The one that belonged only to her.
She smiled back, the one that only belonged to him.
As though confirming she was still there had solved a problem only he could see.
A few moments later he returned to greeting guests, while Y/N settled deeper into the oversized HIStory tour jacket draped around her shoulders.
Technically it belonged to Michael, however she had stolen it sometime during breakfast⦠like most of his clothing.
The sleeves were too long, shoulders far too broad and black fabric swallowed her whole.
Partly because it smelled faintly of his cologne.
Mostly because she knew it drove him secretly crazy seeing her wear his things.
The engagement ring glittering on her hand caught the light as she adjusted the sleeve.
Several nearby crew members smiled knowingly.
But everyone had noticed the same thing.
The world's biggest star could be preparing to perform for eighty thousand people and he was still more concerned about whether his wife had remembered to drink enough water.
As Y/N stood up preparing to head out to the wings to watch the concert, she saw a very familiar face in the meet and greet room.
Y/N's face brightened with surprise.
The actor turned and laughed immediately.
"Well, look at you, a sight for sore eyes"
She stepped forward and hugged him briefly.
"A very long time, sweetheart "
Before either could continue, Michael appeared at her side.
Not intentionally possessive, just instinctive.
His hand settled lightly against the small of her back.
The familiar touch made her smile.
The words escaped him before he could stop them.
The way Michael looked at her.
The way Y/Nβs entire attention shifted toward him.
Michael extended his hand politely.
"Sylvester, nice to meet you, I loved Rocky."
"You too and thanks. Big fan, man."
They shook hands while Sly glanced between them, a grin appearing.
"You know, Y/N and I used to date back in the day."
"It wasn't that long really or serious" Sly continued.
"It was absolutely not serious" Y/N confirmed.
Michael looked between them, then shrugged.
"Worked out pretty well for me."
The answer was so immediate that both of them laughed, startled.
Michael's smile widened slightly.
His eyes flickered briefly toward Y/N, then back.
βIβm the one who got to marry her and all."
For a split second there was silence.
Not because nobody knew, everybody suspected, everybody had suspected it for years, but hearing Michael say it so casually felt different.
As though there had never been any question.
Beside him, Y/N felt her heart do an embarrassing little flip.
Even after all these years and hear hearing him call her his wife a thousand times.
Then offered his hand again.
"It was nice meeting you."
The sentence was delivered with such cheerful confidence that even Sly laughed again.
Michael nodded toward the arena.
"I hope you enjoy the show."
Then he turned toward Sly's date.
Who looked moments away from fainting.
The woman immediately covered her mouth.
The woman pointed between them.
Her eyes grew even wider.
Now she was looking at Y/N.
Y/N burst out laughing, "I'm afraid so."
The woman looked ready to cry, "I love your first album, it got me through my break up."
Michael immediately pointed, "See? I told you."
The woman looked from one to the other, completely overwhelmed.
"I can't believe I'm meeting both of you."
The woman made a strangled noise.
Sly was laughing so hard by now he had given up contributing, it was just such a random turn of events.
A tour coordinator appeared nearby, Michael still had dozens of people waiting and reluctantly he began moving down the line again.
Only this time Y/N came with him, not that she had a choice, he simply didnβt let go of her hand and nobody dared question it.
She easily slipped into step beside him.
Y/N chatting easily with them.
The reactions became increasingly entertaining.
One person arrived expecting to meet Michael Jackson and suddenly found themselves face to face with Y/N too.
Another completely forgot what they intended to say.
A radio contest winner cried.
A television presenter lost the ability to form coherent sentences.
Michael found the whole thing hilarious.
Especially whenever someone recognised Y/N a second later and reacted all over again.
By the fifth time, Michael was openly laughing.
Tugging her a little closer beside him.
She gave him a look. βIβm aware you dork.β
The look only made him grin wider.
For the next twenty minutes they worked the line together.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, people stopped trying to figure out whether they were together.
Because nobody looked at each other that way unless they were in love.
By the time the final guest had been greeted, the atmosphere backstage had changed.
Crew members moved with greater urgency.
Somewhere beyond the walls of the arena, eighty thousand people were beginning to roar.
Michael felt it immediately.
The familiar electricity.
No matter how many years he performed, no matter how many records he broke, that feeling never entirely disappeared.
Still wanted every show to be perfect.
Still wanted to give people something magical.
A stage manager appeared beside him.
Then immediately turned toward Y/N.
His wife was already smiling, she knew that look. The one that appeared right before every show.
Part excitement, part nerves.
The words were quiet, private.
She slipped her hand into his without hesitation and ogether they disappeared down a quieter corridor backstage, away from the crowds and cameras and endless demands.
The noise softened behind them.
Until it was just the two of them, finally.
Michael let out a slow breath.
"Iβm so glad you are here."
"You keep finding me anywhere backstage and making people get me things."
His smile appeared instantly.
"I need to know where you are, always."
The answer made her heart ache a little.
He still looked relieved every time he saw her.
Michael's hands settled gently at her waist.
The oversized tour jacket she had stolen from him hung around her shoulders.
His favourite sight in the world.
For a moment he simply looked at her.
The future they were building together.
Then, quietly, he bowed his head.
But Y/N recognised it immediately.
Michael squeezed her hand.
His voice was barely above a whisper.
The words came naturally.
"Thank You for getting us here safely."
"Thank You for the people in this building."
"Thank You for letting me do what I love."
His fingers tightened gently around hers.
Y/N felt her chest tighten.
Still speaking from the heart.
"And thank You for our baby."
The words hung in the quiet corridor.
The secret they were carrying together.
His voice grew softer still.
"Please help me give the people a good show tonight."
A small laugh escaped him.
"And help me not slip or trip over anything."
That made Y/N smile immediately.
He closed his eyes again.
"Thank You for everything."
When he opened his eyes again, they were shining.
With that endless wonder he never seemed to lose, the wonder that she had somehow chosen him.
He looked at her for a long moment, then tilted his head slightly.
His grin appeared, the mischievous one, the one she knew far too well.
"Aren't I supposed to get a good luck kiss?"
Michael looked scandalised.
She laughed, stepping closer.
Close enough to feel the warmth of him and his hands immediately circled her waist again.
"I suppose you've earned one."
"You haven't even gone on stage yet."
"I've been charming people all afternoon."
Then disappeared entirely when she lifted a hand to his face.
Her thumb brushing softly across his cheek.
The affection in her eyes made him melt every single time.
"You are going to be incredible tonight."
"I know you still worry."
"But you're going to walk out there and make eighty thousand people believe in magic."
His eyes never left hers.
"And when you're done..."
Michael's eyebrows lifted.
"The we can go back to our room and have a nice⦠long⦠hot shower."
His grin immediately returned.
"Mmhmm and maybe some ice cream after."
She stepped a little closer.
Close enough that his breath caught.
"...if you're very good..." she winks.
His hands tightened gently against her waist, holding her just a little closer, as though he could take the feeling with him onto the stage.
When they finally parted, neither moved very far.
The distant roar of the crowd growing louder.
"They're waiting for you my angel.β Y/N whispered.
Michael sighed dramatically.
The words came immediately.
The smile that still made his heart race after all these years.
"Go on, Mr Jackson. Good luck!"
"Shower and ice cream, Mrs Jackson?"
Michael stole one final kiss, then reluctantly stepped away.
Walking backward for several feet because he couldn't quite stop looking at her.
The sound followed him all the way toward the stage.
And somehow, as the roar of eighty thousand people swelled around him, Michael found himself smiling.
Because no matter how incredible the show would be...
He already knew the best part of his night was waiting for him afterwards.
A/N: *sigh* I just love them.
Let me know what you thought? Or fave scene from the biopic?