Bug

Pairing- Michael Jackson(thriller era) x Fem reader (name Alice)

Summary- moving into Jackson’s house with parents due to your house burning down. Marlon tries to rekindle something between you two. You don’t want to because your heart belongs to someone else.

Tags- situation-ship, friends into lovers, yearning, no smut

Warning- no smut! Slight kissing, fighting, language

Wc-2.8k

1982, my house had just burnt down. Luckily my parents were friends with the Jacksons. Yes the jacksons, as in the jackson 5 family. I used to go to school and have play dates with michael and janet a lot. She hasnt seen any of the jacksons since end of highschool school.

“Oh hi dear come in come in please” Katherine jackson said to my parents and me

“Thank you katherine for letting us stay we dont wanna be a bar-“ she cut my mother iff saying its no problem. They had 2 extra rooms. Katherine calls janet downstairs and my face lights up, she looked the same as she did when she was younger. I run to her and give her a hug.

“Oh my god! How long has it been?!” Janet squeeled and smiled “awhile i think” i said before smiling back at her. Thats when i saw him, michael

he looked different, older, wiser. Yet he still had his childish demeanor. I havent seen him in at least 8 years. I smile at him and he smiled back

“Sorry about your house” he said in his soft voice

“Thank you” i said and looked at him, we were just staring at eachother. Thats not weird right?…

Joe jackson walked in and called his boys down to help with the remaining bags my family could save from our house, michael helped leaving me and janet alone.

LATER THAT NIGHT “so are we not going to talk about you and M?” janet said painting her toe nails in her big room with me “what do you mean?” I said back leaning on janets bedframe sitting on her bed, janet looked up at her and gave her that look and said “alice are you kidding me?” She giggled and kept painting her nails “no what is it?” janet laughed and then michael walked in her room, i look up fast. He told us dinner was ready i smile and say okay. He smiles back. He left and janet looked at me and laughed “girl” janet says “what!” i say back, but we all knew. She knew especially

Dinner was amazing. It felt nice sitting with the jacksons seeing all of them again, they havent changed and i loved that. Michael stayed quiet mostly but laughed at whatever joke my father was sayijg woth joe. Marlon kept talking to me i didnt answer back mostly. If he thinks i forgot what happened in 11th grade bes crazy. I wont ever forget that night.

11th grade night. May 23rd 1975

“Marlon i said get away from me im not talking about this anymore!” I yelled at him walking away from his car in the in the drive in theater. I walked away crying my eyes out.i kept telling marlon nothing was going on with me and michael but he didnt believe me. Me and michael sure had some chemistry but it was nothing else. I was sure of it. As i walked away i turned the corner to go to get more popcorn i ran into him. Michael. With his afro and beautiful brown eyes looking down at him. His smile nearly faded immediately when he say my tearful eues looking up at him

“Hey whats wrong?” His soft voice spoke to me as he grabbed ny shoulder. “Nothing just marlon being a asshole” i said and he nodded. He could tell i didnt want to be there anymore tonight. “Hey do you wanna get out of here? Theres this river right down that hill you can see the stars amazing there. Me and my brothers always used to go down there when mother and joesph came to see movies here” he looked at me and smiled softly. I nodded and walked with him down this steep hill just a little farther down from the drive in. I grabbed his hand. I never liked the dark it was pretty dark down here except the stars and moon which lit up the little river. “Wow michael this is beautiful down here” i say looking up at the stars you can see every single star in the sky. “Yeah its really pretty here” he says but hes not looking at the stars. Hes staring at me, i didnt notice but i wish i did. I look at him and smile “what is it?” I smiled and looked at him. He turned a little red i could tell by the way he turned away and messed with his thumbs as he looked down. “What?” I ask again and he turned to me “nothing…its nothin. You are just…really beautiful tonight.” He said so softly i could barley here him. I smiled softly “well thank you michael” i say and he smiled and nodded. I look at him and grabbed his hand and made him turn to me. “Thank you for bringing me down here” i say and he smiled “thank you for letting me bring you down here.” He said and cupped my face with one hand. Right there i felt everything. He leaned down and his soft lips grazed mine. My heart nearly stopped. Everything felt right, Michaels lips moving with mine under the moonlight and the soft noise of us kissing and people just up the hill. I cup the back of his neck pulling him in more as our lips moved together “michael” i let out and his arm snaked around my waist pulling me closer. If i let go michael right then and there i wohld be scared i would have flew away of how over the moon i was for him. “Hey!” I heard and me and michael pulled away. Shit. Marlon. I saw him storming down here looking pissed as ever. “Marlon dont it wasn-““ marlon pushed michael and michael looked at him. “Marlon i swe-“ Marlon punched michael and michael pushed him. I let out a little yell and went to stop them “marlon! Stop! Michael!” Their arms and limbs tangled in fighting. I finally got a hold of marlon when his elbow came flying back to gear up another punch for michael. His elbow hitting me dead center in the face. I fell back and screamed my nose gushing and pouring blood. Fuck. Marlon turned to me and michael they looked at me and thats when we all saw flashlights and men yelling. Cops. Great just what we need. The cops took me home and my father was furious not to mention joesph was ever more mad at michael and marlon. Michael for kissing me and mad at marlon for causing me pain. I knew marlon didnt mean it but it still took a toll on me. After that day my father told me these boys were no good for me and i needed to focus on school and whats good for me. My mother didnt agree with him at all but what could she do? After that night my father moved us away from cailfrona all the way back to some small town in indiana. Great. I didnt see the jacksons for years after that until my dad got a job back in California so we all moved. I tried to get in touch with the jacksons but my father told me it was for the best to leave them alone. They became the big pop stars they always were and wanted to be.

BACK AT DINNER 1983

After dinner with the jacksons i talked to janet telling her the story of my house burning down. My mother left her crimper on causing the house to catch on fire. It was a long story i didnt want to get into. I was sitting in janets room laughign about some old story she had told me when someone knocked on the door. Marlon. “Hey guys can i steal you brittany for a few minutes?” I rolled my eyes and went to him and closed janets door. “Yes marlon?” He told me he was sorry for everything that happened all those years ago “oh you mean when you nearly broke my whole face?” He clenched his jaw “i didnt mean too do that and you know that alice.” I rolled my eyes. “Look its whatever now okay we are both adults its fine now” i say and i heard something down stairs. Me and him both look over the railing to see the downstairs main floor. We heard joesph yelling something at michael about needing to go on a tour. “No joesph i need to think about this. Okay?” I hear michael and his soft voice. I look back at marlon and he shook his head “is he always this mean to michael?” I ask “yeah but its whatever back to what i was saying-“ i cut him off by going downstairs and seeing michael in joesph office. “Hi mr jackson can i steal michael from you i just wanna catch up with him?” I asked and joesph looked at michael and then back at me. “Sure thing alice.” He said and michael went to me and i looked at him. His eyes kind watery. We got outside into his back yard. Its nearly 8 pm and the sun is going down. “Are you okay?” I asked after a few mineute of slience. He nodded. “So um…how have you been these past few years.” He looked at me and chuckled “what?” I say and smiled at him “nothing you just… you look the same… its nice seeing you again…your still as beautiful as i remembered” i got beat red and he smiled. We kept talking about old stories and memories laughing and sitting by the pool. Our feet in the pool. We talked it felt like for hours. Once we headed back inside i saw marlon and he got up. “Hey alice.” He said and smiled at me.”hey marlon” i say and michael walked away. I turn to look at michael but hes already uo the stairs. “Look marlon what do you need?” I said kinda fed up. He smiled and chuckled. “Nothing nothing. You know its getting late we can talk tomorrow” he said and i nodded. “Goodnight alice” he said and then kissed my cheek. I rolled my eyes and wiped my cheek. Gross.

The next few days went by in a blur. My mother and father were gone most the days helping and talking to people about our house leaving me alome with the jacksons. Me and michael spent our days mostly together. Talking about old stuff, music, people, everything. Marlon kept talking to me too. He has tried to kiss me or make moves on me but i just dont want that. Not when someone else has been in my mind all these years.

“So whats the deal with you and Mikey?” Randy asks janet looked at him and slapped his arm “randy! Shut up!” She said and i rolled my eyes and smiled “nothing is going on with anyone you pervs” i say and walked away and then turned the corner running right into marlon. “Oh hey alice i was just coming to find you actually” i rolled my eyes. I still dont wanna talk to him. “Oh really? And about what” i say obviously not wanting to talk to him “look alice, i messed up okay? I did and i know i did but you gotta forgive me okay? That shit happened 8 years ago! Look all im asking is…if you will go on a date with me. Tonight. Just tonight. Please?” I rolled my eyes and then looked at him. I know he wont stop asking until i say yes. “Fine. Tonight and thats it!” She said and he smiled. “Okay be ready at 5:30 okay? And wear something nice!”

5:30 rolled around sooner that i thought. I havent seen michael all day i was confused. Janet said hes probaly out in the studio working. Me and marlons date went fine, we laughed and had a nice dinner but i couldnt stop thinking about someone. Him. About his curls that were down mid neck, about his big brown eyes, his silly cheesy smile whever i made him blush. I couldnt stop thinking about michael. Michael. Wow. By the time the date ended and we got back to the jackson house i gor out of the car and marlon pulled me close. We are right by the front door, he pulled me in. “Marlon what are you doing?” I ask and he kisses me. I hear footsteps walking up and then a kinda gasp. I turn and look and its michael. With flowers and his smile dropped. “Michael no its-“ hes already walking away. “God marlon why did you kiss me!?” Marlon knew in that moment. I didnt like him anymore. Maybe i never liked him, maybe i hung out with him to get closer to michael. I ran off to catch michael and he was walking away to his studio. He flipped the sign on the door of the stupid ti say “busy do not bother!” I didnt care and opened the door. “Michael please let me explain! He kissed me it wasn-“ he cut me off “why did you agree on going on the date with him if you dont like him?” I was shook. I didnt know the answer for that question. “Michael no its just-“ he cut me off again. “You know he dosnt actually like you he just likes this” he looked at my body. “Whats wrong with you michael thats mean!?” I said and he looked at me. His voice kinda raising. “Because alice i have been in love with you since we were 14! And you ran off with my older brother! I mean have you ever thought about what any of my songs mean!” I looked at him “‘Shes Out Of My Life’ ‘P.Y.T’ ‘Lady In My Life’.!? I mean have you ever thought about that? And who they are about?!” I felt tears well up in my eyes. No. They couldnt be about. About me? “They are about you Alice. Its always about you. Every single lyric i sing is about you. I never stopped thinkng of you.” I covered my mouth with one hand. “I thought you knew. I thought you knew, did you not?” I shook my head no. “Of course you didnt thats why you kissed marlon. Im so stupid.” I shook my head. “Michael no-“ he cut me off by just grabbing the flowers and giving them to me “here these are for you. Do whatever witu them i dont care.” He said and left the studio in house. I stood there shook. Tears falling down my face.

The next few days were rough. Michaels confession hung in the air thick. It was just lingering. Those words “they are about you alice! Its always about you” those words rung in my ears. I couldnt even comprehend how to start a conversation with michael. I saw him a few times around the house but could strike up a conversation. I mean how do you say sorry? Hey sorry i chose your brother over you for all these years my heart did belong to you but i was to scared to say anything!? No. I cant say that. My father found a nice hotel for me and my mother to stay at. We are leaving the jacksons house tomorrow. I know if i dont say anything now to Michael i wont ever say anything to him ever again. I tried to tell my mother and father i would like to stay at the jacksons until our house was back up. They said i would have to ask the jacksons. I wanted to stay with Janet i missed her. She of course wanted me to stay so kate and joesph let me stay. My mother and father still left and went to the hotel leaving me and my thoughts at the jacksons house.

Later that night i was laying in janets bed with her, shes sleeping and i cant seem to fall asleep. The guilt still hanging on my shoulders of not knowing michael had been in love with me all those years. I got up and left her room. I remember kinda which room was michaels. I walked down the hall and took and right and i was there. I dont bother knocking. I open the door and seem him shift in his bed. I know he isnt asleep. It’s obvious i went over to his bed and got in it and his eyes were closed but i knew he was awake. I leaned in and pressed my lips to his. He smiled softly as i pulled away. “Im sorry. For everything.” I said so softly. I didnt need to say anything else he knew. I felt a pare of arms drap over my waist and pulled me closer causing my face to be burried in his neck. As i start to drift off into slumber i hear his smooth voice say a few words which made me feel safe and welcomed“Its okay, you can stay here until the smoke clears” he said softly, i could stay here forever it felt in his arms or at least until the smoke clears out of my home.