STUCK IN THE ELEVATOR | MICHAEL JACKSON
— genre(s) : romance, fluff, angst
— pairing : michael x reader
— tags : any era! michael, you and michael have been broken up for a couple months now and safe to say both are you are miserable without each other, so what happens when you run into him in an elevator and that same elevator just so happens to get stuck
— disclaimer : not proof read
it had been 2 months on the dot since you and michael had broken up, it had been over something small and stupid, but you had let your pride get in the way of fixing things, and michael was just as stubborn.
so you packed your things, making sure to get in the last word before slamming the front door in his face and getting bill to drive you to a hotel.
michael felt his heart cave in when he realised you had actually left, and everything in him wanted to chase after you. but he was a stubborn man, and instead drowned himself in work to distract himself from this inevitable heartbreak.
of course everyone knew something was wrong, quincy had noticed something was wrong when all of michael's new lyrics had suddenly become about heartbreak and anger and missing someone you love.
"mike, whats all this about?" he asked, before carefully asking the question, "did something happen between you and y/n?"
michael didn't speak for a moment after hearing your name. "its nothin' quince. probably for the best anyways." he went straight back into the booth and continued with his sad boy lyrics.
quince sighed, realising if he wanted the old michael back, he would have to somehow find a way to get you back as well. besides, everyone thought you guys fit well together, you were soulmates.
when you got the phone call while at work from quincy, telling you to come to the studio for something urgent, your mind raced with the possibilities of what it was for. did something happen to mikey?
you made your way over in the late afternoon, after work, tired and exhausted, the bags under your eyes from crying and getting little to no sleep was evident. but you had tried your best to look good, as their was a chance you would see michael, and you didn't want him to see how affected you were by the breakup.
you hated how michael still had this effect on you. the studio halls were quieter than usual when you stepped inside, the buzz of music and voices muffled behind closed doors. you adjusted the strap of your bag on your shoulder, your heart beating harder the further you walked in.
you pressed the button on the elevator to head up, after a few moments the elevator dinged open, and there he was.
michael looked just as exhausted as you felt. curls messy beneath his hat, dark circles under his eyes, oversized hoodie hanging off him like he'd lost weight. he froze when he saw you standing there and for a second neither of you moved.
"y/n…" his voice came out quieter than you remembered.
you swallowed your nerves down, before muttering a "hi." the tension was almost unbearable. but beneath it all, the look in both of your eyes still held so much love and adoration for the other.
michael stepped aside awkwardly. "you comin' or what?" his hand held out against the elevator door so it wouldn't close on you.
you hesitated before stepping into the elevator beside him. the second the doors shut, silence wrapped around both of you again. the smell of his familiar cologne filled your senses.
michael kept his eyes glued to the glowing floor numbers above the door while you stood on the opposite side of the elevator, arms folded tightly over your chest.
"did q call you in?" he asked softly, the moment he saw your pretty figure standing outside the elevator, his heart dropped, both in a good and bad way, he knew quincy had planned something.
you nodded, your eyes lifting to meet his, who was already watching you so intently. "yeah, he said it was important, you can't exactly say no to quince." you spoke with a soft laugh at the end.
michael smiled at that, it had been 2 months since he'd heard your gorgeous laugh.
silence filled again, except lighter this time. when suddenly the elevator jolted violently. you stumbled forward from the unexpected movement and michael reached out to grab your waist and steady you before the elevator came to a complete stop.
michael's hands didn't leave your waist, instead he pulled you closer, your back pressed against his front as he moved forward, reaching out to repeatedly press the emergency button on the wall. yet, nothing happened.
"you have got to be kidding me." you said in disbelief, of all the times to get stuck in an elevator, it just had to be now.
michael pressed the emergency button a few times. nothing. "great," he sighed, "just great."
you let out a frustrated breath, gently pulling away from michael's hold despite how badly your body wanted to stay there, and slid down against the elevator wall with your head falling back against the metal behind you. "this is literally my worst nightmare."
michael rubbed a hand over his face tiredly before leaning against the opposite wall, watching you carefully, "what? being stuck in here with me?" his lips twitched despite himself.
"don't flatter yourself mike." the nickname left your mouth out of pure instinct. but neither of you dared to acknowledge it.
michael smiled faintly at the sound of your voice filling the silence again, but it faded quickly when he really looked at you. your tired eyes, the way your fingers kept fidgeting with the sleeve of your jacket, the way you looked smaller somehow. sadder. his chest ached, because he knew the feeling all to well.
"you look tired," he said quietly before he could stop himself.
you glanced up at him with a small sarcastic smile. "wow, thank you michael. you sure know how to compliment a girl."
he huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking his head. "that's not what i meant." his expression softened almost immediately after. "you just… you don't look like you've been sleepin' much."
your eyes dropped away from his because the worst part was he still knew you too well. "neither do you."
michael didn't deny it. instead he slowly slid down the wall opposite you until he was sitting on the floor too, knees bent slightly as he rested his arms across them. despite the small distance between you both, it still felt painfully intimate being trapped together like this, with nowhere to run and no distractions left between you.
for awhile neither of you spoke, the low hum of the dead elevator filling the silence while your thoughts raced uncontrollably. you hated how natural this still felt. sitting with michael, talking with michael, breathing the same air as michael. it should've felt awkward after everything that happened, but instead it just felt familiar.
michael broke the silence first. "i kept thinkin' about callin' you."
your heart clenched painfully at the confession and you looked over at him slowly. his eyes were already on you, soft and exhausted and full of emotions he was terrible at hiding.
"why didn't you?" your voice came out quieter than intended.
he looked down at his hands with a bitter smile. "same reason you didn't call me i guess."
you swallowed hard and looked away again because he was right. there had been so many nights where your thumb hovered over his number while tears streamed down your face, wanting nothing more than to hear his voice again, but your pride always stopped you at the last second.
"quincy told me you've been writing breakup songs," you said softly, attempting to lighten the heaviness sitting between you both.
michael groaned quietly, letting his head fall back against the elevator wall. "quincy talks too much."
a tiny laugh escaped you before you could stop it and michael's eyes instantly flicked back toward you at the sound, his expression softening so visibly it almost hurt to look at him.
"they're really that bad?" you teased gently.
"they're pathetic," he admitted dramatically. "whole album sounds like somebody kicked a puppy."
you laughed again, this time fuller, and michael couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face in response. it was instinctive, automatic, like his happiness had always been tied to yours without either of you realising it.
but then the laughter faded and reality settled back in. the breakup. the months spent missing each other too much to function properly.
michael stared at you quietly for a moment before speaking again, his voice softer this time. "did you mean it?"
your brows furrowed slightly. "mean what?"
"when you left." he swallowed thickly before continuing. "all that stuff you said to me."
guilt instantly twisted in your stomach because you remembered every horrible thing said during that fight. how angry you both were. how neither of you actually meant half of it but said it anyway because hurting each other felt easier than admitting you were scared.
your eyes softened. "no."
michael looked down immediately, almost like he physically felt relief crash through him.
"i didn't mean any of it," you admitted quietly. "i was angry and upset and... i don't know. i thought if i left first then maybe it wouldn't hurt as bad."
then michael looked at you again, really looked at you, and his expression cracked completely. "i miss you so bad, baby." your breath caught instantly at the nickname.
he used to say it so naturally, ,and hearing it again after two months apart nearly shattered whatever composure you had left.
michael's eyes were glossy now, his voice rough with emotion as he continued speaking before he could lose the courage to do so. "i miss wakin' up next to you and hearin' you complain when i steal the blankets, i miss you yellin' at me for leavin' records everywhere, i miss hearin' your voice in the house." he laughed shakily, looking embarrassed by how emotional he sounded. "damn, i even miss us arguin'."
your eyes burned with tears, because you missed it too. all of it. every stupid little thing. you shook your head slightly, trying to stop yourself from crying. "mikey.."
"nah, let me say it." he moved closer slowly, carefully, like he was scared you'd pull away from him. "these past two months have been the worst months of my life, y/n. and i don't care how dramatic that sounds."
you looked down, tears finally slipping free despite your efforts. "i hate that i still love you this much."
michael's expression completely broke at your words. without hesitation he moved in front of you, crouching down slightly as his hands gently held your face like something precious he'd been terrified of losing forever.
"don't say that like it's a bad thing." his voice cracked softly. "please don't say that."
you stared at him through blurry eyes, your hands instinctively grabbing onto the sleeves of his hoodie. the same hoodie you'd stolen a hundred times before.
"i tried so hard to get over you," you whispered brokenly. michael rested his forehead against yours instantly, his eyes closing at finally being close to you again. "me too."
before either of you could say another word, michael's hands tightened gently against your face and suddenly he was kissing you.
you melted into him instantly with a shaky breath, your hands sliding up into his curls beneath his hat while michael pulled you impossibly closer against him like he was scared you'd disappear if he let go.
the familiar way your lips fit against his, the little sigh you always let out when he kissed you softly. michael swore his chest physically hurt from how relieved he felt finally holding you again after spending every night miserable without you.
his thumb brushed carefully beneath your eye, wiping away the tears that had fallen during your conversation while he kissed you again slower this time, sweeter, full of everything he hadn't been able to say properly before.
"i'm sorry," he whispered against your lips. "for all of it."
you shook your head immediately, your forehead still pressed against his. "i'm sorry too."
michael smiled softly then, the real michael smile that you hadn't seen in months, all warm eyes and dimples and affection. "so we're really doin' this again?" he asked quietly, almost nervous.
you laughed through your tears, your hand resting against his cheek. "you say that like we were ever actually over."
his smile widened instantly before he leaned down to kiss you one more time, gentler now, like he was savouring the moment.
then suddenly, the elevator lurched back to life before the doors slowly slid open.you and michael pulled apart just enough to look over and immediately saw quincy standing there with his arms folded across his chest and the most smug expression imaginable on his face.
behind him, a couple studio staff members looked between the two of you with poorly hidden amusement. quincy grinned knowingly. "well damn. look at that."
you immediately hid your face against michael's chest in embarrassment while michael let out the softest laugh he'd had in weeks, his arms wrapping around your waist protectively.
"you planned this?" michael asked, though he already knew the answer.
quincy placed a hand against his chest dramatically. "planned is a strong word. i simply gave fate a little push."
michael shook his head with a quiet laugh while looking down at you affectionately. "man, your sneaky quince."
"and yet you're welcome," quincy replied proudly.
you finally looked up at michael again and the second your eyes met, both of you smiled without even trying to stop it. the heaviness that had followed you around for the past two months suddenly felt lighter now, like maybe things could finally go back to how they were supposed to be.
michael pressed one last kiss against your forehead before intertwining his fingers with yours tightly.
and this time, neither of you let go.
