Thriller Era
Requested by Superflysister22. Hope you enjoy!
"Y/N, it's late. We weren't expecting you,"
You set the picnic basket on your hip glancing at your best friend's mother's tired and perplexed expression. Even in her bed-clothes, Kathrine Jackson always seemed to look regal.
"I'm sorry," you force a grin. "I should have called but I was so busy baking I lost track of the time. Would you like some cookies? They're still a bit warm,"
A grin manages to sweep across her lips but you still notice a disapproving gleam in her eyes.
"No thank you, honey. Michael is upstairs,"
"Thanks, Ms. Kate,"
Kathrine opens the door further for you to walk in and gives you a knowing wink. For a moment, the worries that had fueled your erratic baking and your impromptu visit seemed to fade away and you felt right at home.
Hayvenhurst was like a second home to you and as long as you'd known the Jacksons, you always knew you were welcome.
You made your way upstairs and had no trouble finding Michael's room at all, having memorized the interior by heart from years of spending time in the mansion. Even if you hadn't, the sweeping, gentle melody of Debussy's Claire De Lune drifting outside his door would have been enough of a giveaway.
You tugged at the golden knob, not even bothering to knock.
"Randy! Can't you read the damn sign - "
Michael, who'd been lying on his bed, engrossed in a book shouted.
You plopped the picnic basket at the foot of his bed, watching your handsome best friend's expression change.
"Oh, Y/N, it's you. You never called and said you were coming over,"
The sound of your name passing through his lips suddenly makes your sullen mood return and you swallow the lump in your throat as you reach over to remove the needle off the classical record, ending the track prematurely.
"What'd you go and do that for, girl?" He groans. "That was the best part,"
You don't respond as you rummage through the basket and retrieve a homemade glazed doughnut wrapped and cellophane. You toss it at Michael.
"Eat up, blockhead,"
Michael glances at the doughnut with a grin that quickly turns into a worried expression.
"You baked?" His Bambi eyes grow wide. "That can't be good,"
To others, your bulk baking was just a labor of love and generosity but only Michael knew that you went on baking sprees when things went wrong and the world felt like it was ending.
Michael knew you better than almost anyone else in the world. The two of you had been friends for well over ten years now and had watched each other grow into the young adults you were today.
When the Jacksons had first moved to California, you'd lived just a block away from their family home. Your mother's had struck up a friendship and you and Michael had bonded over your bug collections.
As time passed on, you found yourselves having more in common than just bugs. You became thicker than thieves.
Whenever Michael wasn't working, the two of you were always together.
You'd grown out of your tomboy phase of bug collecting and Michael's fame had made him a household name but it'd never stopped the two of you from being the best of friends.
You plop down against the mattress, feeling the tears spill from your eyes.
"Phil broke up with me," you sigh.
Michael shifts against his headboard, letting out a sigh of his own as he gently squeezes your shoulder.
"Aww, Y/N. You didn't need him anyway,"
You'd been with your now ex-boyfriend Phillip for two years until he'd abruptly decided to end the relationship out of what he'd described as "boredom".
You couldn't really disagree. Your relationship with him had been built around convenience and the need to feel a void.
Since you were at least fifteen, you discovered that you'd developed a crush on Michael. Over the years, the teenage infatuation had developed into mature romantic feelings but you never had the courage to admit to them. You feared that revealing your crush would soil the strong, platonic foundation that you'd built and the timing never seemed to be right. You weren't the type of woman to be single for a long time and it didn't help that Michael had his own fixations with the likes of Diana Ross and Brooke Shields.
It was better kept a quiet secret. As long as you kept Michael in your life, you were satisfied, even if the two of you were only friends.
"He said he was bored of me," you scoff, settling against the mattress. "I mean can you believe it? Me boring?"
You fold your arms behind your head and stare at Michael's ceiling, blinking back your tears. Even if you weren't deeply into Phillip, being dumped always hurt.
"You're the most non-boring person I know, Y/N," Michael replies.
You roll your eyes.
"You're just saying that. Maybe I am boring. At least I'll look like I'm too boring for a boyfriend when I show up to Lola's wedding without a date,"
Your cousin Lola was set to be married the coming weekend. Being that you were an only child, Lola was the closest thing you had to a sibling and the two of you had spent years in competition with each other.
It didn't help that she was walking down the aisle before you and now, here you were showing up to her extravagant wedding boyfriend-less.
Michael sits up on his elbows and you mirror his movements.
"Lola's getting married?" He questions, quirking an arched brow. " Too bad. She was always really cute,"
You roll your eyes.
"My boyfriend just broke up with me and now you want to mention my 'cute' cousin? She's getting married and I'm showing up to her wedding single,"
There's a short beat of silence between you two before Michael speaks.
"What if I went with you?"
Your heart quickens at his words and you feel your cheeks heating up. You were sure it was a friendly gesture so that you wouldn't feel like a loser in front of your cousin but you couldn't help but feel giddy at the idea of going out on a date with Michael.
"Really?" You ask, your tone brightening. "I mean, you don't think it'd cause a big scene?"
As much as you'd love to have Michael as your date, you didn't want to cause a fuss. While he was Michael to you he was the Michael Jackson to everyone else.
"Nah," he grins. "Your family already knows me. It could be fun. You and me could get into some trouble,"
The corner of your lips pull into the biggest grin.
"Oh thank you, Michael! You're the best friend a girl could have,"
You roll over, enveloping him into your embrace. You must have rolled over too far as you ended up stretched on top of his long lanky body. You stare into his gorgeous brown eyes, studying his handsome face in a moment of awkward yet sweet silence.
Michael parts his lips to speak before the door of his bedroom bursts open. Startled, both of your heads snap in the direction of his younger brother Randy who's rather amused at your compromising position.
"Randy!" Michael shouts. "Can't you read the sign on the door?"
You feel your best friend prodding against your thigh, indicating that you've surpassed your appropriate time window in the position but are too embarrassed to move.
Randy smirks.
"Yeah I did and I completely understand now. I'll leave y'all to it. Don't be too loud. Mother will hear,"
With that the youngest Jackson brother waltzes out of the room leaving you two to resume your implied carnal activities.
You roll off of Michael, stifling a laugh.
"It's not funny, girl. You squished my doughnut,"
You giggle.
"You wanted privacy, you got it,"
***
You inspected your reflection in the foyer mirror, smoothing your clammy hands over the soft chiffon of your lavender dress.
You glance at the clock and pat your foot impatiently against the hardwood floor. Lola's wedding would be starting in an hour. With the bad LA traffic, you should have left thirty minutes prior, but Michael had decided to take his time getting dressed.
You were anxious about being late but not nearly as anxious about showing up to the wedding on Michael's arm.
"What is this boy doing," you fuss to yourself.
Suddenly Janet waltzes into the foyer, apple in hand.
"You look nice, Y/N," she compliments. "Where are you and Michael going again?"
You grin.
"It's just my cousin's wedding. Nothing too serious,"
She nibbles at her apple with a knowing grin.
"Oh, it doesn't matter where you go, as long as you're happy in each other's company,"
You furrow your brows in confusion at her cryptic words.
"What? It's just a friend doing a favor for a friend," You respond.
"Suuure," Janet rolls her eyes. "Randy tells me the two of you were exchanging favors last night up in Michael's room. I always knew the two of you would end up together. It's Kismet,"
You scoff feeling your cheeks burn a healthy shade of red. So you had feelings for Michael but you'd never tell a soul, especially Michael's sibling who had a history of instigating.
"Randy's exaggerating"
"Ready to go?" Michael's soft voice interrupts, ending your uncomfortable conversation with his kid sister.
You spin around to face him, eyeing his appearance. He looks handsome and dashing in a shirt and tie with a simple navy blazer. His curls had been combed into place just perfectly and his cologne smelled amazing.
He never looked better.
"He's here, my mystery date," you quip, stuffing your clutch under your arm.
You feel his brown eyes scan your form.
"Woah, Y/N. You look amazing,"
You feel your breath hitch in your throat, stunned by both his appearance and compliment.
Janet clears her throat snapping you back into reality.
"If the two of you are finished staring at each other, I think you better get going before you're late,"
"Oh yeah, right. Let's go, Y/N,"
He grabs your hand, gently leading you to the door.
"Have fun! But not too much," she calls behind you.
After arguing over who would drive and a thirty-minute drive to the city, you and Michael had successfully arrived at Lola's wedding.
You sat in the very back pew as not to make a commotion. The church was beautifully decorated and Lola looked like a princess.
If you were with Phil, you'd feel insecure and significant, wondering why it was taking you so long to become married. But with Michael by your side, all those arbitrary things didn't matter.
You felt beautiful and important in his presence.
When the reception started, people began to notice you and your date. Your parents didn't seem at all surprised to see you with Michael but your extended family had question after question. No one was nearly as thrilled or perplexed as the bride of course,
"Y/N," Lola speaks delicately holding her cup of punch. "You really brought Michael Jackson to my wedding. How did you manage that?"
You fought the urge to roll your eyes at your snotty cousin.
"You never believed me when I said we were close. But you have the proof now, I guess,"
Michael shifts uncomfortably in his seat eyeing the two of you as he sips his own punch.
She kinks a perfectly arched eyebrow.
"Are the two of you together or is this just a cover-up for whatever happened to Patrick?"
You could feel your blood boil. Even on what was supposed to be one of the happiest days of her life, Lola still had to find a way to bother you.
"It's Phillip"
"And they broke up a while ago," Michael interjects. "Y/N and I have been going steady for a few months. It's been wonderful,"
He places his hand on top of yours, brushing his thumb across your knuckles and sending shivers down your spine.
You grin.
"Yeah, you heard him," you retort.
Lola blinks in surprise, unable to find a response.
"Well," she huffs, forcing a grin that looks cold and mechanical. "How nice for the both of you,"
Lola stomps off, her puffy dress swooshing behind her. You lean your head into Michael's shoulder, giggling.
"You really pissed off the princess. Why'd you do that?"
Michael shrugs.
"She had it comin'. Being a jerk gets you nowhere. Besides, there's some truth to it. At least my family seems to think so,"
You pull away suddenly directing your attention to the half-eaten meal on your plate.
"I don't know why. Nothing about us seems romantic,"
He shrugs again.
"It's expected. Two people of the opposite sex growing up in close proximity to each other. It's a default romance,"
"Janet called it Kismet," you whisper.
Your eyes meet for a split moment until you feel you have to look away.
"It's better this way. Maybe,"
Michael doesn't respond but rather stands from his chair and offers his hand to you.
"Wanna dance? It'll kill me if I have to sit still all night,"
You grin taking his hand as he guides you to the dance floor. The band plays a soft jazzy rendition of "They Can't Take That Away From Me" and you fall into step perfectly.
Michael hums the tune in your ear, sending more shivers up your spine. You couldn't recall a moment you'd been this close.
"Would you believe me if I said I was falling in love with you?" He suddenly whispers.
The words send your heart racing and you pull away to get a glimpse at his face, unsure if he's been serious.
"No. I'd say someone spiked your punch or you're just kidding around,"
He spins you around effortlessly and you quickly coil back into his embrace. You fit perfectly in his arms.
"I'm serious, Y/N," Michael responds. "Maybe the feeling's strengthened tonight but the truth is, I've always felt this way,"
You almost forget to move your feet, shocked at his confession. All those years you'd hidden your feelings in fear of rejection and Michael had felt the same way.
"Really?" You question.
He nods, flashing his gorgeous smile.
"I've always known. Since we were eighteen at least. But you were always paired up with some dude who never seemed right for you. I thought I'd never have this moment to say this, Y/N but maybe our chance is now,"
You reach up, toying with the curls at the nape of his neck.
"If I told you I felt the same way, would you believe me?"
No sooner than the words had left your mouth, he'd leaned down, capturing your lips in a gentle kiss. It felt as if a jolt of electricity had been shot through your body like fireworks on the fourth of July and a bottle of champagne on New Year's Eve.
It felt like no other kiss had before.
You pull away, grinning as he rests his forehead against yours.
"It's always been you," you whisper.
You kiss him again and the room seems to sweetly dissolve like cotton candy left in the rain, leaving just the two of you on the dance floor.
"Let's get out of here," Michael grins, squeezing your waist
"Not to Hayvenhurst I hope, everybody's figured us out over there. We're the last ones to find out,"
He bites down on his bottom lip.
"I've got a hideaway,"
The two of you escape into the night, starry-eyed in your new-found love. Everything you could ever hope for in a man had been right in front of you this entire time.
You could regret spending years on pointless relationships but you'd never regret saving the best for last.
✨