pairing : michael jackson x college student!black!fem reader
summary : michael notices how hard you were working yourself and takes matters into his own hands. that’s all ima say for now.
warnings : fluff, mention of sleep deprivation, mention of bad eating habits, flirty friendship, mutual pining, friends to lovers, suggestive themes, pet names (angel and mama), semi proofread
a/n: I don’t really like this one but it’s wtv. I’ll fix the errors in this tmr cause im tired asf. anyways, enjoy reading <3
disclaimer: I use em-dash but I don’t use ai.
it wasn’t finals week, it was your final week. the flashcards you made were starting to taunt you, mocking your brain for not remembering a single word you’ve studied in the past 5 hours. the notebook sitting in your lap wasn’t a big help either.
your professors were definitely not making it easy for you. they announced earlier in the week that most of the questions on the test would be short answer—basically making your life hell. these people were so cruel to make you suffer like this, especially on a friday.
the phone suddenly rings underneath the piles of paper, breaking you out of your train of thought. who could be calling you at two a.m.?…michael. this man never sleeps if his life depended on it. you immediately pick up before it could go to voicemail, desperate for a break.
“michael, what’re you doing up?”
he laughed. “I could say the same to you too, angel. I was expectin’ you to be asleep around this time.”
you did not have time for his antics right now, you were stressed enough as is. “well, you’re the one who called me.”
“and you’re the one who picked up.” the smug tone in michael’s voice was becoming increasingly irritable the more he spoke.
“whatever, why are you calling so late?”
he twirled the phone cord between his fingers. “I was wonderin’ if you could come down to the studio. I could use your company.”
you glanced at the flashcards in your hand.“that’s sweet but I’m a little busy right now. plus, we both know I can’t be distracting you.”
“pleaseeee? I’ll make it worth your time. it doesn’t have to be for long, I jus’ miss you,” he begged.
he was making it very hard for you to say no. the way michael said he missed you made your whole body tense. maybe studying could wait a couple of hours. “be there in thirty.”
after hanging up, you quickly dressed into something comfortable and put on some makeup. the concealer bottle was almost empty from how much you used for your dark circles. the last thing you needed was michael becoming worried about you. you packed your flashcards with the other items in your purse, just in case.
because it was so late, the drive over went by pretty quickly. It had been an entire month since you last saw michael. with most of his days spent in the studio, time together was hard to come by. still, no matter how grueling his schedule became, he always managed to call—even if it was just for five minutes.
as you parked in his driveway, a heavy knot tightened in your stomach—your heart hammering against your ribs. you were more nervous than you cared to admit. hearing his voice through a speaker was nothing compared to facing him in person. flipping down the vanity mirror, you gave your hair and makeup one final check, took a deep breath, and opened the car door.
the studio was organized chaos. there were notebooks, sticky notes, cassette tapes, and pens on every flat surface. this was michael’s second home, spending every waking moment behind the microphone. quincy was currently making him repeat the same verse over and over, giving him notes on how to improve his performance. even if quincy wasn’t forcing him to redo it, he would still record multiple retakes until he was satisfied with his vocals. this album can’t be short of perfection—it needed to be better than the last.
suddenly, the door opened as you appeared into the room. he could no longer hear what quincy was trying to tell him. god, you looked even more beautiful than he remembered. you’re always gorgeous, but something about today made him feral. he couldn’t fathom not being able to have you in his presence—physically pained by your absence. hearing your voice was nice but he preferred to have you within arms reach. everything about you was the perfection he was missing.
michael didn’t waste a second, abandoning the booth to race toward you. next thing you know, he’s pouncing on you, crushing you into his chest. his arms pulled you into a tight hug and squeezed you as if you were going to disappear. his lips repeatedly kissing your cheek.
all the air in your lungs was now gone from the impact. “well hello to you too.” you wrapped your arms around him eagerly, squeezing him as hard as you could.
michael buried his head into your neck. “I missed you so much, mama, don’t ever leave me for that long again.”
your hands gripped the back of his shirt. “I missed you too, mikey.”
quincy eyed the two of you suspiciously. he already knew how michael gets when he’s around you. “let’s take 5.. seems like you need it.”
quincy rushed to leave the studio, taking a much needed smoke break. he definitely wasn’t going to be five minutes.
when michael finally loosened his grasp on you, you took the time to really look at him. your eyes drank in every inch of his body. even as his friend, you had to be crazy not to notice how attractive he was. the way he was looking at you made it hard to stand upright—or maybe it was the lack of sleep.
you forced your eyes away from him and looked around. “so, what song has you staying up until,” you checked the clock on the desk, “..two forty-five in the morning?”
“i can show you better than i can tell you,” he smirked.
“wow, thee michael jackson is gonna show me an unreleased song? i think im gonna faint,” you teased.
he playfully rolled his eyes. “stop playin’ with me, girl. jus’ relax and listen, i need another person’s opinion before i add it to the album. im gonna call it ‘the lady in my life’.”
you settled into quincy’s seat, laying your purse in your lap. every detail in this room reflected michael’s mind. it was scattered with ideas and full of imagination. the effort he was putting into this album was visible throughout these four walls. you let your eyes wander until you hear a silken, intimate melody surround you.
you spun your head to look at michael who was already grinning at you. the instrumental felt as if you were listening to love itself. it was so peaceful that it made your heart feel lighter. you were already hooked, not even needing lyrics to know this will be good. just then, michael’s voice began to flow into the song.
there’ll be no darkness tonight
lady, our love will shine (lighting the life)
just put your trust in my heart
and meet me in paradise (now is the time)
your body had goosebumps just from one verse. maybe you were being dramatic, but it was just that good. as the song song progressed, your fingered tapped to the beat, bobbing your head to the music.
lay your body close to mine
let me fill you with my dreams
I can make you feel alright
and baby, through the years
gonna love you more each day
that you will always be the lady in my life
who could this be about? there wasn’t a lot of women in his life that you knew of. the only time the subject came up was when he talked about his fan girls. was he hiding something from you? you glanced at michael who was still staring at you, trying to read your expression. you kept your face joyful as you clutched your purse, your knuckles turning white. there’s no way you’re jealous over a song.
lay back in my tenderness
let’s make this a night we won’t forget
girl, I need your sweet caress, oh
two hearts in the beat of ecstasy
your unresolved feelings were pushed to the back of your mind the longer you listened. you had no clue michael could be so sexy, so sensual.
(ooh, girl, let me kee you warm) let me keep you warm
(you are the lady in my life) you’re my lady
(fill you will the sweetest love) ooh, the sweetest, yeah
(always the lady in my life) I wanna touch you, baby
(lay back in my tenderness)
(always the lady in my life) doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo
(rock me with your sweet caress)
this was just getting better and better. every thought in your brain was gone, replaced with the lyrics that entered your ears. this man was going to make you go crazy.
(always the lady in my life) you’re my lady and I love you, girl
(ooh, girl, let me keep you warm) ooh
(you are the lady in my life) don’t you go nowhere
(fill you will the sweetest love) I love you
(always the lady in my life) I love you, I need you, I want you, baby
(lay back in my tenderness) stay with me
(you are the lady in my life) don’t you go nowhere
(rock me with your sweet caress) and I love you, baby
(always the lady in my life) ooh
now you get why people act the way they do when they get around him. michael has this force that makes him seem other worldly through his words alone. you were under a damn spell—not that you were complaining.
(ooh, girl, let me keep you warm) I wanna give you all
(you are the lady in my life) now
(fill you with the sweetest love) let me fill you, baby
(always the lady in my life) all over, all over, all over
(lay back in my tenderness) lay back with me
(you are the lady in my life) let me touch you, girl
(rock me with your sweet caress) lay back with me
(always the lady in my life) all over, all over, all over
(ooh, girl, let me keep you warm) all over, all over, all over
(you are the lady in my life) all over, baby, ooh
as the song fades into the distance, you sat there star struck. you felt seduced in ways you couldn’t imagine. the song was so incredibly perfect. michael put pure passion and affection into every word spoken. you could feel the desperation and longing through his lyric. honestly, you could’ve cried.
michael’s voice cut through the silence. “so..what did you think?”
you picked at the loose thread on your shirt, avoiding eye contact. “that was… wow. I have no words.”
he scratched the back of his neck. “it’s that bad?”
your eyes widened with panic. “no! no, that’s not what I meant. it’s…beautiful, michael, seriously.” you stood from the chair and gently took ahold of both his hands. “it’s the most amazing song i’ve ever heard. might be one of your best works in my opinion. you were so passionate n’ sultry—your fans are gonna love it. I know I do, especially that ending.”
michael’s saddened expression turned into a smile, raising his eyes to meet yours, “thanks, it took forever to make it.” he ran his thumbs across the back of your hands. “wait.. what do you mean by ‘especially that ending’.”
you bit the side of your cheek, searching for the words to use. how were you supposed to say you were turned on without saying you were turned on? “it’s very, um…it’s very seductive. the way you were begging plus the desperation in your voice really sells the point. it’s like you’re speaking directly to the person listening.”
he nodded his head as you spoke.“so you’re tryin’ to say you felt seduced?”
“I mean.. I guess you could say that,” you mumbled.
he let go of your hands and walked over to the cassette player, taking the cassette out before placing it back into the pile. “that last part was really hard to sing. it was so embarrassin’ to record. I had quincy close the curtains jus’ to do it.”
you were relieved he didn’t question you further. listening to michael talk about music and the process of it all was so pleasing. the way he got so involved and immersed into the subject showed how devoted he was to his craft.
before you could ask him who the song was about, quincy entered into the studio, smelling strongly of cigarette smoke. “cmon smelly, let’s finish this up so I can go home.”
you picked up your purse from the chair, swinging it over your shoulder. “I’ll let you two get back to work, thanks for inviting me mikey.”
michael moved to stand infront of the door, blocking your exit. “wait, don’t leave. you don’t have to go jus’ yet.”
“are you sure? I know how you get about your work.”
“yes, I’m sure. I love having you here, angel. plus, I don’t want you to drive home so late at night.”
you didn’t want to leave either but you liked seeing him like this. “it’s no problem, the roads are empty anyway since it’s so late. I’ll be just fine.”
his face turned serious. “no. I said I don’t want you drivin’ at this time of night. jus’ sit on the couch, please. I promise it’s comfortable.”
you pretended to think about it. “..fine. now get back in that booth before quincy gets mad.”
michael quickly kissed your cheek before retuning back to his music, working even harder now that he had an audience.
the couch was as comfortable as he claimed it was. it was so comfortable that you were seconds away from dozing off. since michael was busy, you took the time to study—or atleast try to. the words on the flashcards were starting to blur together. not only was it three in the morning, but it’s been five days since you’ve had proper sleep. you physically couldn’t read another word. the fatigue was definitely starting to hit you hard. you leaned your arm against the couch as you rested your head on your hand. you decided that you’ll rest your eyes for a tiny bit before heading home.
michael finished the session at five a.m., finally deciding to call it for the day. quincy basically ran out the door, leaving before michael could even step foot out of the booth. he looked over to the coach to see you knocked tf out. your head was leaning back against the wall while your arms were crossed in front of you. you still managed to look breathtaking in your sleep, he thought. the flashcards sitting in your hand caught his attention, gently taking them out of your hands as he analyzed each card.
michael knew you better than you knew yourself. you always complained to him how stressful testing season is for you. he could tell that you weren’t taking care of yourself. the concealer under your eyes couldn’t hide your exhaustion from him. now it made sense why you were up so late.
“cmon angel, let’s get you to a proper bed.”
instead of forcing you awake, he gently picked you up. you snuggled closer into his neck in your sleep, searching for warmth. michael could’ve died and went to heaven right then and there. he held onto you tighter, securing your legs around his waist as he made his way into hayvenburst.
michael’s room had many copies of his previous album scattered across the floor. currently, you were laying down on his bed, resting your head against the pillow. he gathered your curls in his hand and styled it into a low bun to the best of his ability—tying a scarf over your hair as a finishing touch. michael ran to his private bathroom and grabbed some wipes before returning back to the bed. he gently cleaned all the makeup off of your face with a delicate touch, trying his best not to wake you. once he finished, he tucked you under the covers with a kiss on the cheek.
the clock read one p.m. when you opened your eyes. you don’t remember falling asleep in bed at all, especially in a bed that wasn’t yours. you slowly sat up against the headboard, taking in your surroundings. how the hell did you get in michael’s room? you raised your hand to scratch your head when you felt the scarf on top. this man really thought of everything. you lowered your hand over your face. your makeup was gone too. did michael really do all of this for you?
the door opened quietly, revealing michael in his plaid pajama pants and white t-shirt. he met your gaze halfway as he made his way over to your side of the mattress.
“good afternoon, sleepyhead.”
you yawned. “good afternoon, applehead.”
“you seemed to have a good sleep, especially with all that snoring,” he teased.
you nudged his arm. “oh so now we’re just lying? since you must know, I slept great.”
he cut straight to the point, his playful demeanor gone. “that’s good. so, how long?”
michael held up one of your flashcards. “how long?”
you glanced between him and the flashcard. “I have no clue what you’re talking about.”
he huffed frustratingly, trying to remain patient. “yes, you do. you haven’t been sleeping, have you?”
you sighed in defeat. “it’s only been a couple of days.”
michael rubbed a hand over his face. “five days? mama, you can’t be doing this. I know that you get stressed about tests but you can’t treat yourself so poorly. when was the last time you ate?”
“I had a granola bar with some muffins yesterday,” you said, looking down in your lap.
“that’s not a proper meal.”
“well I wasn’t that hungry.”
“I’m getting you some food.” he got up from the bed and went down to the kitchen.
michael was already gone before you could protest against it. even if he did hear you, he most likely wouldn’t have listened anyway. you should’ve known that he would’ve caught on eventually—hiding something from him was basically impossible.
he returned to the room with two slices of pizza, water, and a bag of chips. he set up the bed tray over your lap, placing the plate on top of it.
there was no room for questions. you picked up a slice and bit off a piece as he laid beside you. you haven’t even realized how starved you were until your plate was cleared.
the silence between the both of you was becoming too loud. it was very unusual so you started a conversation. “so…who was that song written about?”
michael turned his attention toward you. “the one I showed you?”
“yeah, I mean it’s pretty obvious that you had someone in mind when you sung it.”
he took a moment to think about it before answering. “I’ll tell you when you pass your test.”
you scoffed. “that’s unfair, michael. I’m not gonna pass.”
“first, don’t speak it into existence. second, yes you will. you’re the smartest woman i know and you need to start actin’ like it.”
“no, michael, you don’t get it. I’ve been studying nonstop n’ I still can’t get it right. what if I do all this just to fail? my professor isn’t generous about his grading either which makes it ten times worse. I always work my ass off and get nothing in return. when is it finally going to be my turn, michael?”
tears started to form in your eyes, threatening to spill over. you hated when you got emotional but you couldn’t control it. you just felt so much frustration and anger that you felt like crying. your throat began to burn as the tears dragged down your cheeks.
michael pushed the bed tray out the way and pulled you into his arms, resting your head on his chest. “shh, it’s ok angel. I’m gonna help you, ok? jus’ breathe.”
he rubbed your back soothingly—part of him felt guilty for pushing you too hard. “you’re so much more than a grade, sweetheart. i know you’re goin’ to pass because you worked so hard. even by some chance you don’t, you did the work and that’s good enough. your grades don’t define you as a person nor does it dictate how your emotions. you are the most caring, capable, persistent person I know. dont let school grind you into bits n’ pieces. I need my girl.”
you wiped the tears from your cheeks. “thank you, mikey.”
you lifted your head off his chest and composed yourself. this is so embarrassing, you thought. the tear stains on michael’s shirt didn’t seem to bother him in the slightest.
“how about this, I’ll help you study as much as you like, but on one condition.”
you took a sip from your water—damn, you were parched. “I’m listening.”
“you have to stay here so I can make sure you get proper sleep and maintain a healthy eating schedule.”
“is this just an excuse to keep me here longer?” you joked, trying to lighten the mood.
he darted his eyes away from your gaze. “..no, this has nothing to do with me.”
“you were almost believable I’ll give you that. but alright, you’ve got yourself a deal, jackson.”
an envelope sat unopened on your desk, awaiting to be revealed. its been a couple of weeks since you took your finals—it didn’t go as well as you hoped. there was a 50/50 chance that you passed your exams. michael helped you memorize more material than you studied in a week, using different methods to test your knowledge. however, some of your professors’s tests had a handful of questions that weren’t even on the study guide.
if you were going to open this letter, you needed to have support. you grabbed your phone and dialed michael’s number. it didn’t ring for long before his voice came in through the speaker.
“hey angel, how’ve you been?”
to say you were anxious was an understatement.“my grades came in the mail.”
michael was just as nervous as you. “what does it say?”
“I don’t know! I’m too nervous to open it. I was hoping you could come over.”
“well, I’m still in the studio right now but I can stop by after. is nine ok?”
“nine is great, thank you michael!” you squealed, hanging up the phone.
you tried everything to distract your racing thoughts. you cleaned your entire apartment, took an everything shower, changed your outfit three times, and even rearranged your bedroom. maybe you were going a tiny bit crazy but atleast you weren’t spiraling, right?
you were watching movies on your couch when the doorbell rang. when you opened the door, you expected your pizza delivery but wasmet with michael instead—holding your favorite flowers and snacks. you felt a little silly being in your pajamas since he was dressed so well.
“you do know it’s only eight right?”
he shrugged. “I cut the session short so I could come here early.”
“I know how important this is for you and I didn’t want to keep you waiting. here, take these.” michael held out the flowers and snacks. you weren’t sure if they were a pity gift or a celebratory one but still took them from his hands and placed them on the counter
the letter now sat on the coffee table, staring at both you and michael. your body was frozen. you couldn’t even move to pick it up. michael could sense the tension from where he sat—your leg rapidly bouncing against the couch. he swiped the envelope off the table and started to open it.
“what are you doing!” you reached to grab it from his hands.
he held it out of your reach. “jus’ sit back while I open this, you’re too nervous to do it yourself.”
your arms were starting to get tired so you relented. “fine, just give me a second.”
you got up and made your way to the linen closet, retrieving the tissue box before settling back onto the couch.
your eyes were covered with your hands. “ok you can open it now.”
michael took one of your hands from your face and intertwined it with his, ripping open the envelope with the other. he gave your it a soft kiss before he pulled out the piece of paper.
after some time you opened your eyes. michael was cheesing so hard, his pearly white teeth showing. that must mean-
“you did it mama! you passed!”
your brows furrowed. “you’re kidding. that’s a funny joke, really.”
“how about you see for yourself.” he placed the piece of paper in his hand.
safe to say, he wasn’t kidding. there was a mix of a’s, b’s, and c’s but overall, you did really well. you dragged michael into your arms, wrapping your arms around his neck.
“oh my gosh, this can’t be real!”
his hands instantly found your waist, digging his fingers in your shirt. “I’m so proud of you, mama.”
michael didn’t say ‘I told you so’ but he was definitely thinking of it. for now he would just enjoy having you in his arms. you smelled as good as you looked.
your arms still rested around his neck as you pulled away, playing with the hair at the back of his head. “now will you finally tell me who the song was about? I’ve been dying to know ever since I heard it.”
he laughed nervously. “I was just saying that to motivate you.”
“oh c’mon! you can’t just tease me like that. please, michael, just tell me.”
“alright fine, it was…” his words drifted off, unable to find the confidence to look you in the eyes. he stared down at the couch. “..I wrote it about you.”
was this a dream? no way the most beautiful song to ever bless your ears was about you. maybe your feelings weren’t one sided after all. now that you think about it, the signs were always there—god, you’re so blind. the constant phone calls, kissing your cheek, and hand holding made a lot more sense now.
“I don’t think I know what to say.”
michael finally gained the strength to look you in the eyes. “I get it if you’re weirded out by this. I didn’t want to tell you because you’re such a good person and I would hate you lose you-“
your lips impulsively crashed onto his, testing the waters as you caressed his face with your hand. you could feel his body freeze under yours. shit, maybe you moved to fast. you backed away, slapping your hand over your mouth.
“no, no you’re not stupid. I actually liked it… a lot.”
“really? you seemed a little tense.”
“I was jus’ surprised is all, I’ve been waiting years for you to do that. please do that again.”
you both slowly leaned back in, meeting in the middle. his lips weren’t as stiff this time around, allowing you to feel how soft they really were. the kiss was gentle, radiating with longing and anticipation. as you were about to straddle michael’s lap, the doorbell rang.
“wow so I’m not the only person you called?” he teased.
“I completely forgot I ordered pizza. let me go get it.” you moved to get off the couch before hand grabbed you.
“how about I show you how proud I am instead?”
you didn’t need anymore convincing. the pizza guy could definitely wait.
I do not consent to using my work for ai in any way,shape, or form. do not copy my work in general.
a/n : I gave up halfway through it but we ball I guess. anyways, thank you so so much for reading !!
p.s. where did everyone go omg it’s been quiet lately
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