girlah✨

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Michael couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it started but he knew ever since you started dating that absolute prick, things started to slowly change in your relationship for the worse. You were his closest friend but lately he felt like you were slipping away from his grasp and he felt powerless to stop it from happening. At first he thought it was something he did or said, he spent a bit of time trying to self-reflect on himself- did he hurt you? Or did he upset you? Have you grown tired of him? Was his lifestyle too much for you? Did you hate him? Michael would shudder whenever he thought of the last question as though he couldn’t even fathom a reality where his best girl hated him. Countless nights were spent not getting a wink of sleep. The anxiety was all-consuming as he dreaded the tether to your friendship being stretched too thin. He didn’t want to think about that invisible tether snapping. 

Giving away pieces of himself was his norm, everyone would just take and take and take. It felt like pouring from a cup about to be empty. You were the only one giving to him- pouring into his cup. Some days, you were the reason he kept pushing. Your mere presence was his salvation. Michael had been through a lot since his childhood, he had reached the pinnacle of success according to most peoples’ definition but life had yet to treat him kindly as he faced endless scrutiny, had his privacy invaded, worked himself to the bone all while he performed on the stage beyond just song and dance, and maintained a facade for not just the cameras but even his family. Until you came along. With you he didn’t have to pretend and around you he didn’t have to perform. And now something was threatening that fragile balance. Michael felt as though he was on the edge of a cliff, bracing himself for a gust of wind to tip him over. 

Something was seriously wrong but he had no idea what, his instincts were screaming with no direction. He tried to talk to you, but you weren’t communicative- refusing to elaborate on his enquiries, insisting everything was fine and tactfully evading certain topics pertaining to him. Michael never liked your boyfriend, something wasn’t quite right about him and he didn’t seem trustworthy. Michael knew he was jealous of your friendship and though he would never admit it out loud or outwardly gloat like he wanted to, a sick and smug part of him felt immense pride at having emasculated the prick. Needless to say, the two men did not like each other- Michael felt as though he did not deserve someone as kind and lovely as you, he felt threatened by your friendship with Michael- a fact he was well aware of. 

He was also increasingly aware of your change in behaviour. You were slowly pulling yourself away from him. Even though you thought you were doing a job at acting like everything was okay in front of Michael, unfortunately for you, Michael was incredibly perceptive but he held his tongue. He wouldn’t confront you for fear of scaring you away, he couldn’t afford to have your defenses go up. 

He noticed your smiles got dimmer and they didn’t quite reach your eyes. You weren’t laughing as much as you used to and if you did then they died down swiftly. You seemed to zone out easily as though you were in over your head, not even thinking deeply but just mentally checked out. The dissociation would have him worried because you didn’t do it this often before. You tried to take up less space, making yourself seem as small as possible by curling into yourself when your presence was once larger than life, your laughter once livened up the atmosphere like sunshine. Your confident struts had devolved into hesitant and quiet steps. You were slowly limiting your visits to Neverland, you rarely spoke to his siblings or his mother. They all wondered what was happening with you and they all voiced their concerns, especially Janet and La Toya. 

Your sense of style had also changed little by little until there was no more life left. Gone were the expressive jewellery pieces you’d wear on your ears, wrists and neck. You had swapped your colourful tops and dresses with fun patterns or silhouettes for plain and simple shirts. You swapped your skirts, shorts and embroidered bottoms for plain and loose jeans or trousers. You abandoned your pretty heels, your funky boots and your cool sneakers for basic and practical shoes or flats. You started covering up on certain days. It could be a hot day enough to melt a solid popsicle but you’d be clad in a full sleeve shirt. If he asked why you were fully covered, you’d respond by saying you felt cold when he could visibly see the sheen of sweat on your forehead or sweat beading on your upper lip. You no longer wanted to go down to the pool or sunbathe and read a book like you used to. Michael remembered the times when his vitiligo started spreading more rapidly, he also did similar things and that had him worried for you. 

Michael realised you wouldn’t hold eye contact with him. They say the eyes are the windows to the soul. You were the most expressive person he knew, besides himself. You were so animated, sometimes your body language was extensive. There were some feelings and expressions your face just couldn’t hide and he knew this. It was one of his favourite qualities about you, the lack of pretense. You could be your true self around him and he could do the same, without fear of judgment. Michael missed staring into your beautiful eyes- those eyes now seemed so vacant and dull. You would barely look at him because you were scared he would see too much, understand too much. Your pretty face would be downtrodden. You would smile timidly whenever you spoke with him, as if smiling was somehow too taxing for you or too loud. 

You had trouble with work. You were taking sick leaves and they weren’t happy with you for it. Eventually you quit. You told Michael the workplace environment wasn’t the best fit for you and you were going to look for a different job. This made no sense to him because you weren’t the type of person to quit your job without having another one lined up. You were meticulous and level-headed, you didn’t make hasty decisions and you thought of backup plans. 

The other extremely alarming aspect was when you dissociated so much. He went to the bathroom, on his way back, he couldn’t get your attention despite calling out your name a few times. He decided to tap your shoulder. Such a small action yet you had such a visceral reaction that you flinched so hard, you nearly jumped out of your own skin. “Hey woah! Angel, it’s just me.” Michael snatched his arm in a surrendering motion and his own eyes were slightly widened but he tried to remain calm for you, as though he was approaching a wounded animal. You looked panicked, eyes frantically darting around before you gradually calmed as they landed on his face. 

Michael had never seen your face look this stricken before. You had never flinched at his presence. You both had play fights and goofed around so much physically that he didn’t even think it was possible for you to be frightened… by him? “What were you thinking about, beautiful?” he coaxed. “Nothing much. Sorry, you were talking about the recording? Tell me more.” you said with a small smile. Michael quickly schooled his expression of dismay. He knew you were changing the topic but he knew deep down, something was incredibly wrong. But he didn’t know what to do.

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

He noticed you were taking painkillers more than usual. Most of the time, even on some of the worst days on your cycle or when you had migraines, you wouldn’t take any painkillers. “I can handle it, I’m a big girl.” you would say and instead opted for a hot or cold compress or natural remedies. What could you possibly take painkillers for, and to this extent? The girl who would ‘thug it out’ now popped two advils like candy. Michael would be there to comfort you when you were going through those days when he would be available but instead of reaching for him, you took your comfort in meds. 

“How come you’re taking painkillers? You usually never take them.” he questioned, trying to make the question seem as innocent as possible when in reality he was prodding and gouging your reaction. “Oh, the cramps have been getting pretty bad lately. Y’know… lady stuff. Don’t wanna bore you.” you said, not looking at him as you shook the bottle. Michael stared at you for a beat, “You know you could never bore me, angel. You sure you don’t wanna go to the doctor? I can find a good one for you, just say the word.” he asked, his voice held an undercurrent of hope. You shook your head before you smiled at him, a smile once again that didn't touch your eyes, “I’m a big girl, I can handle it.” Those words were said so softly yet they didn’t sound convincing, even to your ears. “You know you can talk to me if something’s bothering you, right [reader]?” he said, his voice was so tender, your heart felt like it was cracking. You said nothing because you were scared your voice would croak, so you nodded without looking at him. Michael repressed a deep sigh of frustration and despair, not at you, never at you but because he felt helpless. 

“Come here, angel.” he said as he opened his arms wide. You stared at his body, his arms looked so inviting and so safe that you just wanted to burrow yourself in them forever and never come out. You hesitated for a few moments, Michael’s arms faltered a bit and he was puzzled because you never refused cuddles or hugs. In fact, you initiated them most of the time. “My arms are hurting now.” he said in a joking tone, hiding his concern. You snapped out of your trance and gave into your longing, you scooted across the couch and practically dove into his open arms, hugging around his waist while his arms spanned across your shoulders and back. You couldn’t help but take a deep sniff of his shirt, the unique blend of his cologne and the unmistakable scent of him made you release a deep sigh of relief as the tension in your body melted away. 

Michael leaned back with you in his hold as he gently caressed your back in repetitive soothing motions and he laid his cheek over your head, fully cocooning you in his warmth. At some point, you had fallen asleep. Michael looked down at your face, your face was relaxed and you looked calm. He couldn’t remember the last time you looked so peaceful and the thought made him frown as he hugged you a bit tighter. He too had fallen asleep at some point with you cuddled close to him. 

You felt like you were running, always running. You ran so fast you were out of breath, your throat closed up, your vision was spotting and your lungs burned. You couldn’t see anything, it was pitch black around you- like the darkness was caving in on you. You heard a voice, so sinister, it called out your name in anger and disgust. “You can’t run from me.” the voice made you turn to your left. “Your precious Michael won’t save you.” your head whipped to the right. “Please, leave him out of this.” you pleaded, with tears dripping down your cheeks. The next word sent the worst case of chills down your spine, “Run.” And so you ran again as you shouted desperately, crying for Michael. “Please. Please stop.” “Somebody help me!” “Michael!”

Michael woke up as though his heart got lit on fire. You were crying in your sleep and you called out his name. The nightmare had such a nasty grasp on you. Your eyes were wrenched tightly shut as you squirmed in his hold. Michael felt incredibly panicked. He started gently rubbing his hands down your back and arms as he called out your name. “Angel. Baby, wake up.” he croaked, willing his own eyes not to well up with tears. “It’s okay, you’re okay.” “Come back to me.” You slowly stopped wiggling but you were still trapped in the dream as you whined and cried. Michael stared at you as he suddenly thought of something. He started singing as he rubbed your back and arms harder, as though coaxing you out of sleep. 

You heard singing. You knew that voice anywhere. It was your favourite sound in the entire world. “Mikey?” you called out. The evil voice stopped taunting you. Michael’s voice was drowning out everything. And you ran again for a completely different reason- to his voice.

“Angel, wake up.” he called out again as he patted your head, smoothing his fingers through scalp. Your eyes slowly opened and winced as you sat up abruptly, tear tracks stained your cheeks and you had an ear-splitting headache. That dream had felt so real. Your breaths were harsh as though your lungs weren’t filling up with enough oxygen, nausea gripped you and your eyes darted around the room. You were having a panic attack. 

“Hey hey. It’s okay. You’re okay. Listen to me, pretty girl. Follow me, okay? Breathe for me.” he motioned for you to follow his breathing patterns, he took your hand in his and pressed your palm flat on his heart- breathing deeply, holding it and then releasing slowly. You nodded frantically as you tried to follow his patterns, your lungs burned but you slowly followed his movement. Eventually, you had calmed down and you felt as though you could breathe again.

Michael went to speak but he quickly shut up when you suddenly reached out to bury your face in his chest and just sob uncontrollably. Your tears soaked through his shirt as you fiercely grabbed onto his shirt into your fists. Michael simply held you tight as he gently swayed you in his arms, one of his hands gently smoothed down the back of your head and your back. “Shhh. It’s okay. I’m right here. Nothing’s going to hurt you, angel.” You cried so hard you had exhausted all your tears and only hiccups remained. Michael reached for the water bottle on the coffee table, unscrewed the cap and held it to your lips, “Drink.” You obeyed, taking large gulps and some of the water dripped down your chin. 

You suddenly looked at him, your eyes were frightened again, “What time is it?” you asked, voice rising in panic. “Almost 9 pm, why?” he asked, now alarmed again. You gasped as you sprung out of his hold. “I need to get home. He’s gonna be worried.” you said, trying to force the calm into your voice even though you felt anything but. “Why do you sound so panicked at him worrying?” he asked, voice soft but it still hit the nail on the coffin. You froze for a second as though the very mention of him shook you to your core before you quickly recovered. “I just…” you took a pregnant pause as you tried to wrack your frazzled brain to find the right words to not alarm Michael more than he already was. “I don’t want him to worry. It’s not considerate and I shouldn’t be here so late.” you said finally, without looking at him and as you gathered your belongings. 

Michael’s eyes trailed over your face before they rested on your wrist. His brows furrowed deeply as he stared at what looked like blue and purple splotches. You didn’t realise your sleeve had rolled up a bit in your panic and you quickly flipped it down. “What happened there? On your wrist?” he asked, his eyes glued to your face.  In your panic, you didn’t realise your sleeve flipped up a bit, revealing the blue and purple splotches on your wrist. You quickly pulled your sleeve down and nervously fidgeted with your things before you licked your dry lips, “I just burned myself with a curler. I’m really clumsy.” 

Michael stared at you hard before he said, “They don’t look like burn marks to me.” You stared at the ground. For a few moments there was nothing being said. “Did he do this to you?” he asked, voice sounded wrecked with tension. The silence was deafening. “Don’t be ridiculous. I told you I burned myself. You’re asking too many questions. You’re not my dad!” you snapped at him. Michael said nothing, simply stared at you as he clenched his fists. You were defensive and Michael concluded you weren’t going to ask him for help, so he was going to take matters into his own hands. 

“I’ll get Bill to drop you off. You shouldn’t be out this late, and no I’m not budging.” he said finally. You said nothing and nodded, deciding you needed the car to get back to your apartment quicker. “[reader]?” he called out and your face turned to him, this time you looked at him. Maybe it was the guilt clawing at your chest for snapping at him but you felt as though you had to look at him and memorise his face. He looked so achingly beautiful in the dim light, his hair was in messy waves with some curls but his eyes were so sad. Michael did the same, he really looked at you and took in all your features, your eyes were dim. “This isn’t over.” he said and that was your cue to leave. 

In the end, Bill did drop you off but not in front of the apartment. In fact, you insisted he dropped you off a couple blocks away from your apartment and you had walked the rest of the way. Bill stayed behind, keeping a close watch until you walked through the building entrance. He told Michael immediately. “Something isn’t right with that girl, Mike.” Bill notified him. 

~~~ DESCRIPTIONS OF PHYSICAL ABUSE STARTS HERE ~~~

You quietly opened the front door, doing your best to hide the turn of the keys and the doorknob as your heart thundered in your chest. You quietly took off your shoes, careful not to let them thud and you tiptoed your way inside. It was dark in the hallway as you felt your way around to the bedroom. “Where were you?” the voice called out from the dark living room and you jumped out of your skin. “I was just in town, with the girls. They wanted to hang out as they were shopping.” you said, voice meek as you felt around for the light switch then flicked it on. A ragged gasp caught in your throat at how much closer he was to you then you thought. “You were with him. Weren’t you?” he spat, the voice containing barely restrained anger. You couldn’t speak, fear taking hold of you as you shook your head vehemently. 

The next thing you knew you couldn’t breathe as he gripped your throat with one hand and pinned you against the wall violently, “You lying bitch.” His fingers painfully dug into your skin as he leaned close to your face to stare at your tear-filled eyes. “I can smell him all over you.” he concluded before he squeezed your neck tighter. You shook your head as you grasped at his hand with both of yours to try and get him to loosen his hold but he held you tight. “P-please! You’re.. hurting….. me.” you choked out as tears trickled down. 

He released a sharp breath through his nose and let go but not before he suddenly slapped you hard across the cheek. Your head whipped to the side, crumpling to the floor as you cried out in excruciating pain. The pain was so overwhelming, it momentarily blinded you as you saw spots dotting your vision and your ears were ringing. “Take a shower and get rid of his stench, whore.” he said with a sniff, voice coated in immense hatred. He then walked out the front door, slamming it shut. 

~~~ END ~~~

You laid on the floor for a while, not knowing how long had passed and the tears had eventually dried up. “Why?” you asked yourself bitterly, voice hoarse. But you didn’t know. You didn’t know where you went wrong to end up like this. All you ever wanted to do was try to get over your feelings. Those very real and strong feelings you had for another man who happened to be your best friend and not the man you had the misfortune of meeting. In your haste to get rid of your feelings, you had latched onto the first man who showed you interest. But as it turned out, he wasn’t a man but a monster. You were living in your own self-made hell. 

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

You hadn’t visited Neverland in a week and you wouldn’t answer Michael’s calls. He was sick with worry and grief. He missed you terribly. He tried to give you space but his heart could not agree with the fact that you basically disappeared and didn’t want to be contacted. He needed you, needed to know you were okay. Something was wrong. So he took desperate measures. Michael had contacted a private investigator after the last time you met him when he saw what he concluded were bruises, he paid the PI a pretty penny to be faster with his investigation to learn about your whereabouts. The alarm bells in his head were ringing so loud, he couldn’t sit still but he needed evidence. When he found out everything you were going through silently, it felt like the floor caved from under his feet and he had trouble breathing. 

Everything he suspected but didn’t want to admit turned out to be true. “Oh. My angel. God, I should’ve known.” he cried and his hands trembled as he read through the papers providing information on your abusive relationship, some of the tears dripped onto the papers and the ink bled. He saw snippets of your bruises- the same bruises you hid with thick layers of concealer and layers. A photo of the wind blowing your scarf from your neck revealed dark blue and purple bruises and he sat there for several minutes with his ears ringing. The PI provided eyewitness accounts of crying, shouting and door slamming coming from your apartment. 

Michael wiped his ears and sniffed, he took a deep breath as buried his head in his hands and gripped his curls. He blamed himself, he should’ve seen the signs sooner. All the things he noticed especially in combination made sense now that he thought a bit deeper. He had enough- enough tiptoeing around you to not scare you off. He knew everything and now he wasn’t going to let you slip away or worse. The woman he loved with the very fiber of his being was in danger and he was gonna be damned if he continued to let it happen. 

Bill was in the room with him when he met with the PI. “Round up the guys and maybe call an ambulance.” he said, voice eerily calm. Bill was puzzled, “What the hell do you need an ambulance for?” Michael stared into the distance before he looked at Bill, his usually pretty and kind eyes were now filled with a sudden fire for vengeance, “Not me but for the bastard hurting my girl.” Bill smiled, “Well it’s about time. I thought you’d never realise.” Michael stared at him, mouth agape, “You knew?” to which Bill stared at him, bewildered. Was he dumb? Bill shrugged before replying, “Is the grass green?”

A sudden, shrill phone call broke through the conversation. Michael answered the phone, “Hello?” Your terrified and small voice cried out frantically, and the line was staticy, “Mikey? I need your help! Please come get me. I’m in the bathroom. He’s outside. I didn’t know what to do. He’s gonna kill me! Please!” In the middle of that conversation, Michael had recorded it and gave Bill the signal to speed up the process. “Angel, listen to me. Stay there. I’m coming right n-” he spoke but he was cut off by violent shouting on your end. “OPEN THE DOOR!” and he heard your whimpers. “I’m coming, baby. It’s okay. Don’t cry. Stay there, don’t open the door. See if you can bar the door with anything.” he comforted you as he kept the panic out of his own voice.

True to his word, he made his driver break countless traffic laws on the way to your apartment. What was likely a 15 minute drive had felt like an eternity for him as he tried to keep his wits about him in the car. He had four of his bodyguards, Bill and himself barging through your apartment after breaking down your door. His eyes widened seeing the worthless scum standing over the bathroom door that was also broken down and hanging off the inches. His bodyguards walked through to detain the prick as he squirmed and shouted, “Get your hands off me!” The relief he felt seeing you curled on the bathroom floor, tears streaking down your face messily as your arms tried to bracket your head was imminent. “Mikey?” you sobbed out, hope bled into your croaking voice. “Angel?” he breathed out in relief. 

~~~DESCRIPTIONS OF ONE-SIDED PHYSICAL ALTERCATION AND CUSSING~~~

“This is between me and her. Leave your nose out of this, Jackson.” the scumbag spat out, his family name sounded out with more heat. “Keep my name out of your mouth.” Michael said, voice hard and he sounded eerily calm. “I knew she’s always going out to see you. The second I take my eyes off her, she starts whoring herself o-” he just kept going yet unmoving since Michael’s security personnel held him back- all bark no bite when someone actually fights back. Michael had heard and seen enough, he was tired of this prick. “You sick son of a bitch!” he growled as he practically leapt across to grab the prick by his collar and landed a hard sucker punch to his jaw and the sharp resounding cry made his blood roar. “I’ve been waiting a long time f’this.” he breathed before he landed another hard blow. “How dare you touch her with your filthy hands?!” he gripped him by the tufts of hair on his head. Bill went to him, “Michael! Calm down! This won’t look good if word gets out!” Michael was uncaring while he gripped his throat with the other hand as he socked him another time, he heard a satisfying and resounding crack. But it wasn’t his. 

Lord knows, he would’ve kept going. He looked down at the pathetic clump, his face was completely mangled as blood spurted from his busted mouth and nose. Michael felt himself going down the deep end, because he felt no remorse and he felt like he could keep going as his fingers gripped his throat harder. His security personnel remained unmoving pillars as they held the borderline-corpse up. 

Then he felt a trembling, very light weight on his back, followed by soft choking sobs getting louder in his ears from behind, “Please. Please, stop. I’m okay.” Michael sighed before he landed another punch to the other side of the prick’s face and let him go, the pathetic loser crumpled to the floor in a heap of flesh and bones. Michael kicked him in the stomach and heard a groan. He sniffed as crouched down, then he slapped his disfigured and bloody face slightly to get his attention, “You’re extremely lucky she stopped me.” “You’re going behind bars, you bastard. You’re not seeing the light of day for a long time. You hear me?” He got up, kicked the lump one last time and flexed his knuckles. Bill quietly handed him a napkin from his person as he rolled his eyes from behind, “Damn, I hope word of this doesn’t get out.” 

~~~END~~~

He turned around to face you, he made sure his body was covering your line of sight to the big lump on the ground and he went to reach out for you before he realised his hands were still bloody and he forgot to wipe them. “Are you hurt, baby?” he asked softly, careful not to startle you as he wiped his fingers clean as best he could, the sticky residue persisted. One of the cleaner hands reached up, so incredibly gentle as he cupped your cheek to inspect your face, turning it side to side. You shook your head, your voice was wobbly as your hands reached up to hold his wrists, “I’m okay. You got here just when he broke the door open.” 

Michael saw the slight bruises around your jaw, neck and wrists in plain sight, they were fading but they were still such a heartbreaking sight. His own eyes welled with tears when he brought you into his chest, hugging you so tenderly but you only held him tightly and rested your head on his shoulder as he rested his cheek on your head, “I should’ve known. I should’ve been there sooner. I’m so sorry, angel. I’m so so sorry.” You shook your head as you cried for the nth time the whole month. “You’re here now. It’s not your fault. Never your fault. Don’t blame yourself. I should’ve confided in you sooner. I just didn’t want to burden you or make you worry. I’m sorry.” you said with a surprisingly firm but still hoarse voice. He vehemently shook his head as he pressed his lips gently to your forehead. How could you blame yourself? “Silly girl.” he tutted. “It’s nobody’s fault other than this prick’s. I should’ve never let him touch you.” he said with barely concealed rage. “It doesn’t matter now.” you said, staring into his eyes. “You’re finally looking at me, angel.” Michael said softly, the relief he felt was so palpable, it showed in his whole being. His thumb softly reached out to wipe away the tear tracks, he was in awe, as though he were waiting to simply look into his eyes for the longest time. For the first time in a very long time, he saw the spark return to your beautiful eyes.

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

Michael had called a private female doctor to help treat you, luckily, your wounds weren’t severe and she gave you some meds and creams to take care of the pain and bruises while recommending lots of rest. He was over the moon to have you back in Neverland as he insisted you stayed with him to recover for a week. You denied but he wouldn’t take no for an answer, claiming he had the space and resources to make sure his best girl was healing. It didn’t feel like home in that massive estate without your presence filling it and he didn’t realise the full extent of his utter misery when you weren’t there. You were the magic in Neverland so when you were suffering, the magic dwindled. Michael never wanted to relive the last couple months ever again. 

He constantly hovered over you while you were recuperating. It felt as though he was checking up on you every ten minutes, asking if you needed anything, he offered to help you with everything and he basically watched you like a hawk. You got better in the next almost two weeks, your bruises were almost faded, your smiles were brighter, your laughter was louder and you were taking up more space in the house instead of fighting to make yourself invisible. Michael had also arranged for a therapist to help you process your thoughts once a week with your permission, no doubt the entire situation took an equal toll on you mentally. He was glad his best friend and the love of his life was finally back in his arms. Nobody was going to hurt you anymore under his watch. 

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹♡

“No peeking!” he said in between a fit of giggles, you had a scarf covering your eyes while he held your waist with both large and warm hands to guide you. “This feels dangerous!” you exclaimed as you walked in your platform wedges and yellow floral sundress. “We’re almost there. Honestly! Don't you trust me, woman?” he teased, he was wearing a white button up, black slacks and his black fedora. “Not right now, no.” you tutted and he raised one hand up to flick you on the forehead, making you yelp in response. It was a beautiful and sunny day outside, balmy weather with the occasional fluffy white cloud dusting the otherwise clear blue skies. 

“Y’know… I was wondering, now that you’re better.” he said, he seemed hesitant and almost shy. “What is it, Mikey?” you said as your steps halted. You couldn’t see him but you felt his presence, you lifted the cloth over one eye to peek at him. “I was thinking… would you wanna come with me? On tour?” he asked. Your mouth parted in shock as the question caught you off guard, “You mean… the HIStory tour? But isn’t it gonna take a whole year or something?” Michael held both your hands while his thumb gently rubbed over your knuckles. “I know. We’re still deciding on the dates and other logistics but I want you to be there. With me. And you can leave whenever you want.” his voice quietened at the last part. There was a pregnant pause and he said, “Just think about it, angel. You don’t have to say anything right now.” You nodded and sighed dejectedly before giving out a cheeky smile, “Guess I’m gonna have to find a job next year.” Michael whipped his head at you in shock before surprised giggles burst out and he quickly reached for you to pull you into an embrace and you couldn’t help but laugh too as he swayed you in his hold.

Finally, you both reached the designated spot, not without more bickering. “Okay ready?” he said, the giddiness was bleeding into his voice and you nodded excitedly. He lifted his hand to gingerly untie the cloth from your head and your eyes had to adjust a bit to the brightness. You gasped in wonder at the sight before you. He had brought you to the beautiful pond on his estate grounds but he had set up the most adorable picnic with the blanket, basket that seemed stuffed to the brim, your eyes trailed to the bouquet of your favourite flowers arranged in a crystal vase and a box of what seemed like your favourite brand of chocolates next to it. “Like it?” he asked, you didn’t know he held his breath in anticipation for your answer. You looked at him with wide eyes and a smile so wide your cheeks were sore as you cheered, “Like it? I LOVE it! This is so cute!” 

The two of you sat down to enjoy the various snacks, fruits, sandwiches, drinks packed. You smelled the flowers. Michael had taken a smaller one from the vase and gently tucked it behind your ear with a beaming yet loving smile. At some point you both started cloudgazing. “Hey, what’s that?” Michael asked innocently as he gently bumped his shoulder to yours. You were confused when you looked up. There was a plane flying, after squinting some more you saw a banner unfurling from the end of the plane and you made out the words that read “WILL U BE MINE?” This bewildered you so much your jaw popped open in shock and then your head whipped to him, he was smiling at you softly but noticed one of his hands fiddling with the picnic blanket under his hand. 

“Are you kidding me? YES! A million times yes!” you exclaimed with glee as you reached over to hug him. Michael nearly fell over before he hugged you back just as tightly and he buried his face in your neck to deeply inhale your scent. He pulled back to stare deep into your eyes as his hands shifted to hold your waist and he said, “I love you.” “I love you.” you said it back, voice full of adoration and certainty as you reached out to kiss him, your hands cupped his jaw and cheeks. He responded immediately as your lips slotted over his perfectly. You tilted your face to push your lips deeper as he sucked your bottom lip into his mouth before letting go, making you moan and you bit his lip in return which made him groan throatily. The kiss became feverish as he slipped his tongue into your mouth to tangle with yours, and you felt goosebumps erupt all over your skin. 

You pulled away first to catch your breath, you felt your ears and cheeks go warm, your lips were tingling from the kiss, your vision suddenly felt brighter. Michael wasn’t in a better off condition than you, a subtle flush dusted his cheeks and ears while he breathed deep but the smile you two shared was equally happy. “Look up, angel.” he said as he pointed back to the sky. You laughed again as you watched a heart being streaked by the plane before he slowly flew off. “I didn’t realise you could be this cheesy.” you clutched your stomach trying to reign in the giggles. “Only for you, mama.” he said, still smiling, fully content in spoiling you and showing you the true extent of his feelings. The two of you had denied your feelings for each other for far too long and wasted enough time. Michael was done hiding how he felt. You reached out to smooch him all over his face wherever you could reach on his forehead, cheeks, chin, nose and he let out uncontrollable giggles, “That tickles!” 

You two had finished eating most of the food, you were settled against the tree with Michael’s fedora on your head, as he laid his head on your lap while you absentmindedly trailed your fingers through his hair. Your fingers traced over his pretty features, gently grazing over his eyebrows, his eyelids, sloping down his nose, caressing his cheeks and jawline, your thumb brushed his lips and you stifled a giggle when he pursed his lips to press a small kiss to your thumb. You reached for another chocolate truffle from the box and bit into it, the liquid center slightly dripped down the corner of your mouth. Michael reached out his hand to rub at the residual chocolate before he pulled the finger into his mouth to lick it off with a small moan. He pouted as he opened his mouth and you giggled before you popped the other half in, his tongue slightly grazed your finger tip as he closed his lips. You felt a shudder and his eyes flashed with an undercurrent of lust and mischief. 

“Is this what paradise feels like?” he said as he stared up at you in awe, his pretty eyes were slightly dazed. You smiled down as your fingers threaded through his curls, “Maybe.” He gently grasped your hand and rested his cheek on your palm, as he stared at you with so much love in his eyes, “Must be. You are an angel afterall.” You both basked in each others’ comforting presence as you showered one another with loving touches and praise. You felt incredibly blessed and Michael was imagining his whole future as he laid there. He needed you, just as much as you needed him. 

“You know… I’ve loved you since basically the day we met.” 

“You’re joking. I’VE loved you since we met!”

“You WHAT?”

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