Haymitch is like "Yeah, so this person is related to this person who's related to this person and things are this way because of this and this thing actually came from here and this person is actually my best friend and also here's this extra tidbit of random info cause all my lore dropping comes with it's own additional bonus content and all my unnecessary commentary."

pairing: bad m.jackson x fem!reader

synopsis: michael notices that his brothers find his girlfriend hot and he gets jealous, proving to them that you’re all his.

warnings: marlon attempting to flirt with you, jealous michael, angry sex, fingers in mouth (bring it back), overhearing, smut, dom michael, that’s genuinely just dada.

a/n: guys i’m sorry i’m ovulating i don’t know what came over me with this one. i got a little carried away.

you, michael and his brothers—tito, jackie, jermaine, marlon, and randy—were all having a pool day at hayvenhurst as it was a hot summer day. all six boys were dressed in their swim trunks, you were dressed in a skimpy red bikini that sat on your body perfectly.

michael’s eyes were fixed on you as you emerged from the house in your red bikini. the colour complimented your sun-kissed skin, and the string ties on the sides accentuated your curves.

his brothers all looked your way as you walked out the door, walking towards them—tito let out a low whistle, jackie raised his eyebrows, jermaine smirked, and marlon sat up straight in his lounge chair—michael felt a surge of possessiveness he hadn’t experienced before.

as you walked towards michael, his eyes darkened with desire and jealously. he knew his brothers were checking you out—your long legs, your toned stomach, and your tits that sat perfectly—he wanted to throw a towel over you and carry you inside. “baby,” he called out softly.

you heard michael’s soft call and looked over at him, a warm smiling spreading across your face. his eyes were dark, intense—focused on you with that hungry look he only ever showed when they were alone—you walked over to him, sitting on a lounge chair.

“what’s up?” you asked, tilting your head slightly at him.

before michael could answer, his brothers were making their presence known, clearly appreciating the view. marlon was the boldest, sliding his sunglasses down the bridge of his nose to get a better look, his eyes shamelessly sweeping over your body.

“damn, mike,” marlon called out with a teasing grin, leaning back on his elbows. “where have you been hiding her?”

michael’s jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists at his sides. he stepped closer to you, his hand finding the small of your back possessively as he pulled you against his chest. “she’s not hidden anywhere, marlon,” michael said, his voice tight with restrained irritation. “she’s mine. has been for two years.”

marlon just laughed, clearly not taking michael’s warning seriously. “relax, mike. we’re just admiring the view.” he grinned, pushing michael’s buttons on purpose.

tito chuckled from his lounge chair, flipping through a magazine but clearly paying attention. “marlon, you’re gonna get your ass kicked today.”

jermaine smirked, swirling the drink in his hand. “can you blame him though? that bikini is doing something to me.” he said, joining in on the teasing.

jackie joined inc leaning forward on his knees. “mike, you better put a collar on her man. we’re all thinking the same thing.” the competitive teasing among the brothers was escalating and michael’s body was rigid against yours, his hand tightening on your waist as he pulled you flush against his wet chest.

his lips brushed against your ear, voice dropping to that whisper that you knew meant he was dangerously jealous. “ignore them, baby. they’re just being stupid.” but his hands were already sliding lower, his fingers playing with the strings of your bikini bottoms possessively.

marlon wasn’t done with his teasing, standing up and stretching deliberately. “two years, huh?”

you rolled your eyes at the brothers’ antics, used to their teasing by now. you wrapped your arms around michael’s neck, pressing a soft kiss to his jaw to calm him down. “pay them no mind,” you murmured, nipping lightly at his earlobe.

michael’s breath hitched at your touch, his eyes fluttering briefly closed before he opened them again, dark with desire and frustration. he cupped your face with one hand, thing brushing over your lip. “i wish they’d shut the fuck up,” he whispered.

marlon laughed like he knew exactly what he was doing. “two years and she’s still not as when you first snatched her. you fucking that every night?” everyone went silent. michael’s body stiffened dangerously. “marlon…” tito warned.

michael’s eyes narrowed to dangerous slits, his fingers stilling on your waist. he didn’t answer marlon’s crude question. instead, he grabbed your wrist and turned toward the door. “mike, we were just playing!” jackie called out, but michael didn’t turn back.

without a word, michael dragged you into the house, his strides long and purposeful. he didn’t stop until he reached his bedroom, kicking the door shut behind you. once inside, he stood in front of you, chest heaving with angry breaths.

“i swear to god, ive never wanted to punch marlon more in my life,” michael muttered, pacing away from you. he was jealous and clearly trying not to explode. “that was so disrespectful.” he ran a hand through his curls.

you watched him pace, knowing he needed to cool off. when he finally paused, you stepped up behind him, pressing a soft kiss between his shoulder blades. michael’s shoulders sagged slightly, his voice strained. “don’t touch me right now, okay?”

he sounded mean, but you knew it wasn’t directed at you. you kept kissing his back softly, his shoulders, his neck. michael didn’t push you away. he groaned instead, his body relaxing gradually. “baby, stop,” he muttered softly, but his voice lacked real irritation.

“i’m not stopping until you stop being so mad at your brothers,” you murmured against his damp skin, your lips trailing down his spine.

michael exhaled sharply, his hands bracing against the dresser. “they were looking at you like they wanted to fuck you,” he admitted in a low, wounded tone. “and marlon…”

“and marlon was being an asshole,” you finished for him, your fingers working to massage his tense shoulders. “but you’re the one i’m with, mikey. not them. i’m wearing your ring on my finger, not theirs. i’ve been sleeping in your bed for two years.” you pressed closer.

michael turned around slowly, his dark eyes searching your face. the jealousy was still there, simmering beneath the surface, but your words had softened him. he reached out, cupping your face in his hands, his thumbs caressing your cheeks. “two years,” he repeated softly, leaning his forehead against yours. “and you still look at me like that.”

his lips found yours gently, a soft, apologetic kiss meant to reassure rather than arouse. his hands stayed on your face, thumbs brushing over your cheeks as he kissed you slowly, deeply.

you pulled back just enough to breathe, your forehead still resting against his. “you know i only have eyes for you, michael.” you smiled softly, pecking the tip of his nose. “always have. always will. those brothers of yours can look all they want, they’ll never have me.”

michael chuckled softly, the tension finally leaving his body. “yeah, well, i don’t like them looking.” michael admitted, his voice dropping low. “especially marlon, he’s got a dirty mouth.”

you laughed softly, cupping his jaw. “marlon’s a shit-talker, everyone knows that. you’re the only one i want, mikey.”

michael nodded, the last of his jealousy fading away as he looked into your eyes. he took a deep breath, then sighted contentedly, wrapping his arms around your waist to pull you closer. “let’s go back downstairs,” he said, resting his chin on top of your head. “i’m sure they’re wondering where we disappeared to.”

you both returned downstairs after a few more calming minutes. the brothers were still by the pool, now joined by randy who’d just arrived. when they saw you both walk out together, the teasing immediately resumed.

“look who finally decided to come back!” marlon called out with a grin. “did you finally get some, mike? you seem less tense.”

michael shot him a death glare but kept his arm wrapped firmly around your waist. “funny. real funny.” he guided you to sit with him on one of the lounge chairs, your back against his chest.

you smiled at marlon sweetly, “actually, yes. your brother is amazing. you should find yourself a good woman instead of staring at other people’s girlfriends.”

marlon laughed, looking away exaggeratedly. “damn, she’s got a sharp tongue.” the other brothers chuckled, knowing marlon deserved it. michael smirked, “that’s my girl” he murmured possessively.

the teasing and joking continued, but michael kept you close, his arm around you all the time. you could tell he was still a bit territorial, but the real anger was gone. when jackie started playing around in the pool, splashing everyone, michael actually laughed.

marlon suddenly dove into the pool, surfacing near you with a mischievous grin. “come on, get in.” he splashed water playfully in your direction. you laughed, standing up from the lounge chair. “oh, you’re on.” you walked up to the edge of the pool and jumped in.

michael watched you with a smile, leaning back on the chair as you and marlon started messing around in the pool. they were just playing, but michael couldn’t help noticing how comfortable you looked with his brothers. you fit in so well with their crazy dynamic.

marlon splashed you playfully, ducking when you tried to retaliate. “come on, princess, let’s see what you got!” he teased, grinning widely. you wiped water from your eyes, laughing. “princess? ill show you princess!” you lunged at him, splashing water everywhere as you both splashed around.

marlon caught your wrist as you splashed at him, pulling you closer with a smirk. “you know, you’re even prettier when you’re mad.” he lowered his voice, leaning in slightly. “ever thought about dating a jackson properly? i could treat you real nice.”

you rolled your eyes, shoving his shoulder. “in your dreams, marlon.”

marlon chuckled, refusing to be deterred. “hey, just saying. michael’s got the temper, but i’ve got the charm.” he winked, making a show of flexing his arms. from the lounge chair, michael leaned forward, his voice carrying across the pool deck. “marlon, keep your charm to yourself before i drown you.”

marlon raised his hands in surrender, laughing as he floated backward. “i’m just playing, mike! damn, can’t a man compliment his brothers girl?” he shot you a wink. “you look better wet anyway, sweetheart.”

you laughed, splashing water directly into marlon’s face. “keep dreaming, marlon.”

marlon wiped water from his face dramatically, then swam closer to whisper in your ear. “but seriously, princess. when this inevitable blow-up happens, you know where to find me.” his hand brushed your waist under the water.

before you could respond, michael was already in the pool, coming towards you and marlon. michael grabbed marlon’s shoulder, his grip tight. “i swear, marlon, if you’re hitting on my girl…” his voice was deadly calm. “i’ll break every bone in your body.” he then looked at you, “baby, come here.”

you didn’t hesitate, swimming away from marlon and straight into michael’s waiting arms. he wrapped them around you securely, glaring daggers at his brother. “keep your hands to yourself,” michael warned him, kissing your temple. marlon held his hands up, splashing water innocently, “i was just playing!”

michael scoffed, pulling you closer. “yeah, right. you’ve been flirting with her since she got here.” he buried his face in your neck, his possessiveness on full display. “i’m not stupid. i can see what you’re doing.”

marlon grinned unapologetically, swimming backward. “and what if i am? she’s gorgeous. any man would try his luck.” he looked at you appreciatively. “those legs, that smile…damn, mikey. you got yourself a keeper.”

michael’s arms tightened around you possessively, but you could tell he was trying not to explode. he took a deep breath, “marlon, shut up and go flirt with someone else. like jackie’s girlfriend. she seems into your smooth talk.”

after a few more minutes of acting like kids in the pool, everyone finally climbed out of the pool. you wrapped yourself in a towel, sitting on one of the lounge chairs next to michael. everyone sat close, drying off and chatting casually. marlon sat closest to you and on your other side.

marlon stretched out on the lounge chair next to you, propping himself up on his elbow. “you know, i bet you look even better without this towel.” he smirked at you, eyes trailing down your body lazily. michael’s jaw clenched so hard you heard it.

marlon reached over and tugged lightly at the corner of your towel. “just a peek, princess? come on”

that’s when michael snapped. he was off the lounge chair in an instant, grabbing marlon by the collar and yanking him up. “touch her one more time with that tiny dick energy and i’ll leave you floating in the pool with a broken jaw.”

marlon laughed, holding his hands up in surrender. he was used to pushing michael’s buttons, but he knew when to back off. “whoa, okay! jeez, you’re touchy about your girl. i was just messing with you.” he grinned mischievously.

michael slowly released marlon’s collar but didn’t look away. “if you ever pull that shit again, i don’t care if we’re brothers. got it?” his voice was low and dangerous. marlon raised his hands, still smirking. “got it, mike. god, possessive much.” he flopped back onto his chair dramatically.

you laughed softly, shaking your head at the two of them. michael kissed your forehead then sat back down, pulling you onto his lap. “ignore him. he’s got no self-control.”

marlon shot back, “me? days the guy who nearly murdered me for complimenting his girl.” michael rested his chin on your shoulder, “you were doing more than complimenting.”

marlon rolled his eyes, grabbing his sunglasses form the side table. “i’m going in to get the rest of them. at least they appreciate my presence.” he sauntered off towards the house, calling over his shoulder, “call me if you get tired of mr. grumpy!”

once the house quieted down and the brothers filtered inside, michael was still angry. he stood up, taking your hand firmly. “come on. upstairs. now.” his tone left no room for argument.

you followed him up the stairs, noticing how tightly he gripped your hand. you reached his bedroom, he kicked the door shut behind you.

michael paced the room, running his hands through his damp hair. he looked frustrated, jaw tight. “i swear, if he touches you again—“ he stopped, turning to face you. “why did you let him get away with it? you laughed it off like it was nothing, as if you liked it.”

you smirked, knowing what game you could play with this. you crossed your arms over your chest, grinning. “maybe i did like it. maybe i liked how he touched me in the pool.” you watched michael’s face darken with anger, exactly the reaction you wanted. “what if i want him to do it again?”

michael stood in front of you, his face inches from yours. he was breathing heavily, his jaw clenched. “don’t test me. you know exactly what will happen if you let him touch you again.” his voice was low and dangerous.

you tilted your head, looking up at him through your lashes. “or what, michael? you’ll hit your own brother? break his jaw like you threatened?” you stepped closer, poking his chest. “maybe i like making you jealous.” michael grabbed your hand, pinning it against his chest. “you think this is funny?”

his grip tightened slightly around your wrist. “you think my possessiveness is a joke?” he backed you up until your legs hit the edge of the bed, forcing you down. “i don’t share. period. and i sure as hell won’t share you with my brother.” he leaned over you, caging you in with his arms.

michael’s breathing was heavy, his eyes dark with jealousy as he hovered over you. “you’re mine. do you understand me?” his voice was rough, desperate. “i can’t stand the thought of anyone else touching you.”

you could feel his anger and jealousy radiating off him in waves. you looked up at him calmly—even though you were anything but calm, you were extremely turned on by the jealous side of him that you had never seen before—a small smile playing on your lips. “prove it then,” you whispered, leaning back on your hands, spreading your legs slightly in a silent challenge. “if you’re so jealous, prove it.”

michael’s eyes darkened further at your challenge. he didn’t hesitate. one moment he was hovering over you, the next his hands were on your thighs, pushing your legs wider apart as he settled between them. his mouth crashing against yours with a fierce, almost punishing intensity.

his kiss was rough, possessive, and demanding—everything you’d teased him about. he bit your bottom lip hard enough to sting, then soothed it with his tongue. his hands roamed your body possessively, gripping your hips like he was staking a claim.

his hands traced over your bikini clad body, rough and urgent. “i’ll remind you who you belong to all night long.” he marked your neck, marking you where everyone would see. “let him flirt with his heart out when you’re walking around with my markings on you.”

michael’s hand slid under your bikini top, his thumbs brushing over your nipples. “these are mine. not his. never his.” he leaned down, capturing one in his mouth through the fabric, the feeling of his tongue running over you made you gasp.

he wasn’t playing games anymore—he was staking his claim loud and clear.

with a sharp tug, he removed your bikini top altogether, exposing your chest to the cool air and his hungry gaze. his hand immediately replaced his mouth, squeezing and massaging your breast possessively. “if he looks at you again, i’ll rip his eyes out.”

he kissed down your body, tugging at the strings of your bikini bottoms with his teeth. “and if you ever say anything like that to test me again, i’ll make you scream my name so loud the whole house hears you.” his lips found your inner thigh, trialing slow, torturous kisses.

you gasped as his teeth grazed the sensitive skin of your inner thigh, your hands tangling instantly in his curls. “is that a threat or a promise?” you managed to breathe out, arching your hips up towards him. “because i think i like making you jealous.” you looked down at him, biting your lip. “fuck me.”

michael growled low in his throat, his eyes flashing with dark possessiveness. “oh, i’m going to fuck you alright. until you can’t remember your own name, let alone marlon’s.” he ripped the fabric of your bikini bottoms aside, not bothering to untie them properly, his fingers sliding through your wet folds. “wet for me already, baby.”

he slid two fingers inside you, you gasped as his fingers pushed inside you, “god yes—“ michael’s eyes darkened as he leaned in, his mouth replacing his fingers. he ate you out with a desperate, possessive hunger, tongue deep, his hands gripping your thighs like you might try to escape. he wasn’t gentle, but he wasn’t rough—he was obsessed.

his mouth was relentless, sucking and licking like he wanted to devour you. his fingers joined back in, curling inside you as his tongue circled your clit. “michael…michael…” you moaned his name repeatedly, your hands gripping the sheets tightly.

hearing his name fall from your lips like a prayer only made him more possessive. he doubled his efforts, adding another finger and sucking harder on your clit. one hand snaked up to cover your mouth as he muffled your loud moans against his palm since his brothers were still downstairs. “shh…quiet, baby.”

you whimpered against his palm, squirming beneath him as he worked you over mercilessly. his fingers pumped faster, hitting that spot inside you that made your toes curl. “that’s it…take it all.” he murmured against your thigh, feeling you clench around his fingers. your hips buckled upwards, chasing his mouth.

“i can’t—“ michael pressed his hand harder against your mouth to silence your broken moans. “yes you can. come for me.” he curled his fingers just right, sucking harshly on your clit, sending you tumbling over the edge instantly. your body shook violently, your back arching off the bed as you came hard against his mouth. “that’s it…” he praised softly.

michael didn’t stop until your tremors subsided, lapping up every drop of your release before pulling away, his mouth glistening. he kissed his way back up your body, hovering over you as he removed his hand from your mouth. you were breathless, chest heaving, “still think jealously is a joke?”

you were panting hard, eyes dazed and lips parted, still catching your breath. your chest rose and fell rapidly as you looked up at him, a lazy, satisfied smile spreading across your face despite the lingering haze of your orgasm.

“mmm…proving a point, baby.” you whispered, reaching up to trace his jaw.

michael caught your hand, pressing a kiss to your palm before moving lower, trailing his lips down your stomach. “point proven.” he looked up at you, eyes dark with hunger again. “now it’s my turn.”

he stood just long enough to strip off his clothes, revealing his body before lowering himself between your legs.

you watched him, biting your lip as he settled between your thighs. he was hard and thick, the head of his dick pressing against your sensitive entrance. he leaned down to kiss you deeply, swallowing any sounds you might make as he slowly pushed inside. “shhh…quiet baby.”

you gasped into his mouth, your nails digging into his shoulders as he filled you completely. he paused, letting you adjust to his size, his forehead pressed against yours. “you feel so good…” he groaned, his hips twitching forward. “so tight.” he started moving slowly, pulling out until only the tip remained before plunging back in deep.

you threw your head back against the pillow, a choked moan escaping your throat as he set a slow, deep rhythm. your legs wrapped tightly around his waist, pulling him impossibly closer. “michael…god…” you whimpered, your fingernails scraping down his back. “please…faster.” you arched your hips up to meet his thrust.

hearing you beg and whimper his name snapped something in him. he grabbed your legs, pushing them back to expose your chest and stomach completely, changing the angle to hit that spot inside you that made you cry out loud.

you bit your lip hard, trying to stay quiet as he pounded into you relentlessly. your thighs trembled around him, your eyes rolling back. “can’t—can’t be quiet—“ you gasped, your back arching off the bed. “feels too good—you’re too deep—“ his grip on your thighs tightened. “i know, baby…”

michael leaned down, his moth hovering over yours as he picked up the pace, each thrust making the headboard bang against the wall. he didn’t seem to care if his brothers heard anymore. “you like this, huh?” he slammed into you hard, hitting that spot inside you over and over. “yes—fuck yes—“

michael swallowed hard, watching you writhe beneath him. your tits bounced with ever thrust, your face contorted with pleasure. he realised something—you were loud as hell when you had sex. like, really loud—he covered your mouth with his hand experimentally, muffling your moans.

you moaned against his palm, the vibrations sending shivers through you. your walls tightened around him involuntarily. “mmph—“ your eyes fluttered shut, overwhelmed by the depth and angle. he removed his hand, replacing it with his mouth, kissing you deeply, swallowing every guttural sound you made.

he broke the kiss, his breathing ragged against your lips as his hips snapped harder into yours. “you gotta be quieter, mama…” he groaned out, though his rhythm didn’t slow down. instead, he went deeper, “they’re downstairs…” he groaned out. “i know—im trying—“

michael suddenly pulled back, his eyes blazing with intense possession. he slipped two fingers into your mouth, pushing them deep as he continued to fuck you. “suck…” he commanded hoarsely, watching your cheeks hollow around his fingers. “keep quiet for me.”

you sucked on his fingers obediently, muffling your moans a little ad he thrusted deeper and faster. tears pricked at your eyes from the intensity, your walls clenching around him relentlessly. “mmph—“ you mumbled around his fingers, your hips meeting his in desperate, hungry thrusts. your orgasm crept upon you unexpectedly, your thighs trembling dangerously.

michael watched you closely, noticing the way your eyes squeezed shut and your jaw clenched around his fingers. he knew exactly what was happening. he spread your legs wider, going even deeper inside you, hitting that spot over and over again as he silently commanded you to come apart around him.

the coil in your stomach snapped violently, your back arching off the bed as you came silently. your walls fluttered and clenched tight around him, your scream muffled perfectly by his fingers buried deep in your mouth. your entire body shook violently, your toes curling tight. “that’s it…” he whispered, fucking you through your release.

michael groaned deeply, feeling your orgasm crash around him. he didnt slow down, determined to chase his own release. his hips snapped harder, faster, his fingers still deep in your mouth as he chased your climax. “come again…for me…” he hissed through clenched teeth, his own pleasure building rapidly.

you gasped for air, your mouth sore from sucking hid fingers as he came down hard inside you. his whole body shuddered, groaning your name against your neck as he spilled deep within you. he collapsed on top of you, breathing heavily, his heart pounding against your chest..

“fuck…” he muttered against your skin, pressing open-mouthed kisses along your shoulder.

you lay there stunned, your body over sensitive and shaking from the intensity of it all. michael’s fingers were still curled inside your mouth as he recovered on top of you. the only sound throughout the whole house was the muffled conversation from downstairs and their laboured breathing.

michael slowly pulled his fingers out of your mouth, watching as you licked your lips, still feeling the ghost of his fingers on your tongue. he pressed a gentle kiss to your mouth as he felt you squirm underneath him, feeling his come leaking out of you.

he rolled off you gently, pulling you into his arms. your body was a mess—hair disheveled, lips swollen, thighs shaking and sticky with sweat and come. he kissed your temple softly. “i’m sorry…i got carried away.”

from downstairs, you could hear the faint voices of his brothers. “mike, you coming down?!”

“two minutes!” he yelled back before getting up and putting on fresh clothes for himself and grabbing you fresh underwear and his oversized tee for you, then getting you a towel. he leans down, softly wiping between your legs, as he comes back up he presses a soft kiss to your lips. “you okay?” he asks softly as he begins dressing you.

you nod your head as you stand up on wobbly legs, attempting to fix your messed up hair.

he watched you closely, making sure you were okay before opening the bedroom door. he stepped out the door, then turned back to offer you his hand.

as you both entered the living room, the chatter died down instantly. all five brothers turned to look at the two of you—michael looking slightly disheveled, your hair messy, lips swollen, and wearing his oversized shirt—their eyes flicked between the two of you, eyebrows raising.

jackie leaned back on the couch, a knowing smirk spreading across his face.

michael tightened his grip on your hand, pulling you closer to his side. he looked at his brothers calmly, his expression neutral. “what?” he asked simply, challenging their stares. he didn’t look guilty or ashamed.

you and michael sat down on the loveseat, his arm wrapping around your shoulders. the silence stretched for a few seconds before jermaine suddenly cleared his throat, his face breaking into a grin.

“oh—oh god, yes” jermaine mimicked, his pitch high and mocking. tito and marlon burst into laughter, echoing the sounds.

jackie joined in, throwing his head back dramatically. “michael…michael…can’t—can’t be quiet—“ he pitched his voice impossibly high, clutching his chest dramatically. “oh, the humanity!”

marlon was practically wheezing, slapping his knee. “i thought the ceiling was gonna come down!”

michael just sat there, letting them mock you both. he didn’t look embarrassed or angry—just amused, trying not to laugh. “you guys are ridiculous.” he laughed out.

you blushed deeply, burying your face in michael’s chest as they continued to laugh and tease you. “i do not sound like that!” you protested weakly, your voice muffled against his shirt. michael just chuckled and kissed your head, enjoying your embarrassment way too much.

michael jackson x f!reader ────୨ৎ──── ♡ wc: 4.3k

synopsis: childhoodbsf!mj and reader in a hot tub... what can go wrong? (or right :D)

cw: smut, switch!michael, hot tub sex, dry humping, dirty talk, praise, tensionnn, mutual pining, michael jackson being a whimperer (surprise), creampie

the hot tub lights cast soft blue ripples across the water, reflecting against the stone around the edge of the patio. the early summer night air brushed against your damp skin coolly in contrast to the heat of the water, while music drifted faintly from somewhere inside the house. overhead, the sky was dark and cloudless, a soft breeze moving through the otherwise still night.