zombie! michael jackson x fem! reader
summary: after the apocalypse, you find your missing boyfriend, but he’s no longer human… at least, not completely
warnings: GORE, tiny bit of angst but happy ending, not proofread!!
you shouldn’t have come back to the cemetery.
everyone knew it was where they gathered after sunset. survivors whispered about seeing them wandering between the crooked headstones whenever the moon was full, swaying almost like they were dancing before disappearing into the fog.
you only came because you had no choice.
your backpack was nearly empty, and an emergency supply cache had supposedly been hidden inside the abandoned chapel years before the outbreak.
you climbed over the rusted cemetery gate just as the last streaks of sunlight disappeared,the silence felt wrong.
your flashlight swept across cracked angels, broken crosses, and graves that had long since been disturbed.
then, faint music. it sounded warped, as though an old cassette player had been left out in the rain, but you recognized the melody instantly.
| thriller, thriller night
| girl i can thrill you more than any ghoul would ever dare try!
he’d been rehearsing it for weeks before everything fell apart.“michael…?” you whisper, stopping dead in your tracks.
the music stopped, something shifted behind a mausoleum, you turned too slowly. a figure stood between the graves. still. watching.
the moon caught the outline of a familiar red jacket, your breath caught in your throat. he looked almost exactly the way he had the last night you’d seen him.
until he stepped forward.
his skin had faded into an unnatural faded green. dark veins traced beneath it. part of his collar had been torn away, exposing the old bite on his shoulder. dried blood stained the front of his shirt, and his cloudy eyes reflected the moonlight without blinking.
he tilted his head. “mmfh.” he groaned. the sound was low, curious, and almost questioning.
you couldn’t move as his gaze stayed fixed on you. he took one slow step, then another. his movements weren’t clumsy like the other infected.
they were smooth, deliberate. almost… graceful. the way he’d glide across a stage.
your pulse hammered. “michael…” you mumbled, tears welding up in your eyes.
his shoulders twitched. then another quiet huff escaped him. “mhmmgh.” recognition flickered across his face for the briefest second.
then it vanished. a branch snapped somewhere behind you, another infected stumbled from the trees with a raspy shriek. then another.
their cries echoed through the cemetery. every head turned toward you, your body finally listened to your instincts. you ran.
your boots slipped across wet grass as dozens of shadows emerged between the graves. snarls erupted all around you. cold fingers brushed the back of your jacket.
before they could grab you… a deep, guttural snarl cut through the night.
one of the infected was thrown sideways into a headstone with enough force to shatter the stone in half.
you looked back. michael stood between you and the horde, his posture had changed completely. his shoulders were squared as his head hung low. another warning growl rumbled from his chest.
the other infected hesitated, one lunged anyway. michael met it headon, sending it crashing into an iron fence. another reached him from behind, only to be shoved hard enough to tumble into an open grave.
the rest slowly backed away. they weren’t afraid of you, they were afraid of him. the cemetery fell silent again. michael remained facing the others until the last shadow disappeared into the fog.
only then did he turn toward you. his breathing came in slow, uneven hums. “mmgh.” signaling you to come over. you took a cautious step closer. he didn’t retreat, didn’t advance. he only watched.
you reached into your pocket and pulled out the silver chain he’d given you on your birthday years ago. you’d worn it every day since.
the moonlight caught the pendant, his eyes locked onto it instantly. his head tilted again. another tiny sound escaped him, soft. almost wounded.
he reached toward the necklace with trembling fingers. his touch was unbelievably gentle. his thumb brushed across the pendant before he looked back at you, something in his expression shifted.
your eyes filled with tears. “you remember… don’t you?” his lips parted, but no words came. instead, he let out the quietest whimper. “mm…” you stepped close enough that only inches separated you. every instinct told you this was dangerous.
but your heart remembered the man beneath the monster. slowly, you lifted your hand and rested it against his cheek. his eyes fluttered shut. he leaned into your palm with another soft hum, as though the warmth of your touch was something he’d been searching for without knowing it.
you smiled through your tears. “i’ve missed you.” his forehead slowly came to rest against yours. his nose brushed yours ever so slightly. he stayed perfectly still, listening to your breathing.
you hesitated only a moment before closing the distance, pressing a gentle kiss against his cold lips. for one terrifying second, nothing happened. then he answered in the only way he could. a quiet, contented hum vibrated against your lips.
his gloved hand carefully gathered a small handful of your jacket, not pulling you closer, only making sure you were real. around you, the wind stirred through the cemetery.
far in the distance, the other infected began to howl. but none of them came near.
their king had already chosen someone to protect.
