HUMAN INTEREST, michael jackson.
thriller!michael x journalist!reader
synopsis: thinking about the first time michael invited you for a one on one interview, which landed you in the most magical place on earth.
content: amusement park, quiet yearning, interview theme, just something fluffy & sweet for mikey as i played him on repeat today.
thriller may have been your big break but disneyland was where you left your mark on journalism. by now, michael had sat across from hundreds of reporters. some wanted the headline. others wanted the controversy. many wanted whatever michael jackson planned to do next.
you however, seemed more interested in understanding why. and he liked that.
he liked that you never treated his childlike wonder as something he needed to outgrow. that you never laughed at the parts of himself the world seemed determined to misunderstand. most of all, he liked that you always met him where he was. and it was that very quality that earned you yet another invitation very few journalists received.
a private day at disneyland with michael jackson himself.
the interview looked nothing like traditional journalism. there were no studio lights, no polished stage, or no rehearsed introductions. instead viewers followed the both of you through disneyland, microphones in hand, as laughter interrupted half the questions before they could
one moment aboard the mark twain riverboat, the next wandering through new orleans square, before finding yourselves drifting beneath the colorful facades of its a new world. this wasn’t an interview confined to a chair. it was one that moved and breathed just like michael did.
“what ride makes you feel like a kid every time?”
michael’s smile came instantly, “all of ‘em.”
“every single one?” you giggled, keeping the microphone steady between you. “i surprisingly don’t find that hard to believe.”
“see,” and that toothy grin of his would only widen. “when your having fun, your not thinking about your age.”
somewhere between fantasyland and frontierland, the interview came to an unexpected pause. not because either of you had run out of questions, but because michael had.
he’d wandered off towards an a shop window, admiring the tiny moving displays and hidden details that most guest hurried right on past. pointing out the little mechanical figures tucked into scenery like he’d discovered them for the first time.
you didn’t rush the moment though, you just promoted the camera crew forward. meeting him exactly where he was with a smile.
“when did you realize imagination was just as important as talent?”
“i think imagination comes first.” his eyes only lingered longer on the display, his voice impossibly soft as he spoke. “everything starts with imagination.”
later while drifting through its a small world, your gaze followed families floating alongside yours. children waving. parents smiling. adults laughing just as loud as the youngins they accompanied beside them.
“y’know..” brushing away a coil that slipped free, “i never thought i’d find myself enjoying disney without a child of my own.”
that confession alone warmed michael’s chest, earning a careful squeeze of your hand as the two of you continued to float easily along the stream.
“why should kids have all the fun?”
and somehow, that became one of the most quoted moments of the entire interview.
by the time the two of you reached queue for big thunder mountain railroad, the conversation had become as effortless as breathing.
“do you think creativity can be taught?”
“hmm,” tucking his hands in his pants, like he’d be carefully considering his next words. “i think it can be encouraged.”
“but creativity’s already there, children prove that everyday.”
somewhere between pirates of the carribean and the haunts mansion, the interview had come to a pause again. only this time there was a small crowd beginning to gather. children peeled shyly behind their parents. families waved from across the many walkways. and without hesitation michael excused himself, kneeling to meet each child at eye level as if they were the only person in the park. signing an autographs, waving goodbye like he’d known each individual child for years.
quietly documenting the moment from the sideline, capturing the gentle humble moments no headline ever seemed interest in.
once the two of you boarded space mountain, the interview had long since stopped feeling like one. especially whenever the rides became just a bit more adventurous. michael particularly enjoyed how your confidence lasted right up until the very first drop. your hand instinctively finding his arm, fingers curling around his sleeve, then into his arm.
holding on just a second longer than necessary before pretending nothing had happened once your feet touched solid ground again. but he’d never call attention to it, only smiled to himself as the two of you continued to explore the park side by side.
“when your creating music…” steadying your breathing with a laugh, “do you hear or feel it first?”
“feel it,” the answer reveals itself with no hesitation, “always.”
he massaged a hand into his chest, “if i can’t feel it here,”
“i don’t think anyone else will either.”
the final question arrived between the evening glow of sleeping beauty’s castle. golden light spilling across the stone walls as guests gathered for the parade, music carrying through the air. and for the first time all afternoon neither of you hurried to fill the silence
“…what inspires a man who inspires everyone else?”
michael watch the floats pass by, all of them laughing, smiling, and simply existing together.
then he’s soft gaze finally found yours, a soft smile tugging his lips.
the answer was simple. honest.
another quiet confession. his eyes darting around the crowd.
the finished interview would go on to become one of the most celebrated pieces of your career. not because you uncovered a secret. you didn’t unveil the biggest scandal. and this time, you hadn’t secured a exclusive.but because for the first time in a very long time, audiences weren’t introduced to michael jackson the phenomenon.
they were introduced to michael.
and somewhere between riverboats, rollercoasters, laughter, and conversations about imagination. the rest of the world finally understood what you’d known from the very moment you stepped onto the set of thriller.
that there was always a person behind the headline.
© 2026 tabloidangel on tumblr. do not repost, translate, or remake any of my works on any platform without permission.
junkies note: as a black woman who plans to become a journalist i believe it’s very important that we remember that our entertainers and public figures are people just like us. michael was one of many who’s suffered at the hands of media harassment, invasive scrutiny, and sensationalized reporting before it was ever seen as wrong. which has led to many of our brightest stars to withdraw and lose trust in the very industry meant to tell their stories.
so as a future journalist, a writer, and admirer of such great work. this story is my imaging of the kind of interview i would have loved to give our sweet boy during his time with us. a interview filled with kindness, curiosity, and understanding of treating one like a being first. how’d you celebrate mj today? hope you all enjoyed! 💋
