♡ Valentine ♡

McKenzie hummed as she walked down the hallway of Neverland, her hands flipping through a book she'd found earlier in the library. Her eyes read down the page, reading about types of trees, succulents, and other plants as she meandered about, simultaneously searching for Michael or her friend June.

The Pando tree, also known as the trembling giant, is assumed to have one giant underground root system, yet their population has not been growing in recent times. Human interference seems to be the most likely cause of this current issue...

The two of them had been asked by Michael himself if they'd like to stay at his house as a mini vacation. With Neverland being the kind of place it was, the two of them found it difficult to tell the star 'no'.

So, they gave him a resounding 'yes' instead.

It'd been about three days since they'd agreed to say with him and McKenzie was enjoying every minute of it. Every moment seemed to be another adventure on the property, what with the rides, the movie theater, the amazing collection of animals, and hugs from Michael. It sounds silly, but that was becoming one of her favorite things about being here, hugs. Normally she wasn't much of a hugger, but there was something about the atmosphere that surrounded this place. It felt happy, golden, content...

Michael's aura was... Indescribable. You couldn't help but feel safe, exceedingly happy, bubbly, you name it when around the musician. She loved it! Thinking that this might be over sometime soon broke her heart, so McKenzie didn't spend much time lingering on that thought in particular. Clutching the book about plants to her chest she looked up, realizing her feet had taken her straight to her friend's door to the room she'd been staying in—that's right, he gave them separate rooms—and gave it a polite knock.

"June? You asleep?"

No answer. She knocked again.

Nothing.

With a sigh she turned the oiled brass-colored door knob with a quiet click, opening the door to her room. The room was truthfully more of a suit, as it opened to a small living room of sorts. June was nowhere to be seen, nor was there a sound to be heard other than McKenzie's own footsteps and breath.

"June?" She called lightly again into the emptiness. By this point, she was beginning to believe her friend was somewhere else on the Ranch entirely; however, giving her bedroom a quick check couldn't hurt. She walked over to the ajar door the led to the bedroom of the suit. McKenzie's hand moved the door open with a comfortable ease that anyone else would have done in this situation, only what was revealed to her line of sight wasn't something she'd been expecting to encounter. Ever.

Her eyes became as wide as saucers as she nearly dropped her book, which would have alerted June and Michael to her presence. There was a partition with stylized designs cut out blocking her mostly from their view, but what she saw them doing was as clear as crystal. He held June's thighs as she bounced atop his member, leaning back against his chest in a fever. The sounds that escaped her friend's mouth she'd never heard before in all the time they knew each other, but Michael on the other hand... Well, just listen to In The Closet off the Dangerous album and you'll get the gist. Only they were quieter, whispering sweetly to each other in a pleasurable huff. This moment between her friend and the extremely famous man who'd been so kind to them was - dare she say it - extremely intimate. The complete opposite of porn, if you will.

Then she realized what she was staring at wasn't primal fucking, no they were -

McKenzie had to get out of there. Now. Quickly, she turned, bolting out of her friend's suit. Her knuckles were white from gripping the book like a lifeline as she maneuvered through the house. She couldn't breath. What she needed was OUT. Out of this giant house. Away from everything that reminded her of that man. She needed to escape for a minute to process all that she'd seen. Once McKenzie saw the large double-doors at the front of the house, the book dropped from her arms, forgotten on the smooth wooden floor. Both her hands shoved the front doors open as she power walked through them.

Now trouncing through the front garden, she made a beeline for a spot she knew would be safe: The Giving Tree. Maybe it would calm her down, lord knows there was something about nature that always seemed to soothe the soul.

As she was climbing up the tree, a nail caught her palm and grazed it roughly. A hissing sound emanated from between her teeth in response as she gave a glance to her hand. It was nothing serious, and so she continued climbing to the top platform where she sat with her legs crossed. Her elbows leaned against her knee as she held her head in her hand. An audible sigh came from within her as she exhaled, contemplating.

McKenzie lifted her head back up, her eyes scanning the gorgeous horizon of the property. It was blatant why Michael had purchased this chunk of land, even when you were confused as hell it was a sight to behold. An oasis.

"I knew she liked him!" She growled into the breeze. "Though, that means she lied to me..." Her best friend had lied to her. That stung her heart. June had told her time and time again that she didn't have romantic feelings for him, not in the least. I just respect him as an artist, that's all McKenzie. Well, her eyes said otherwise in that moment McKenzie wasn't supposed to see.

Michael hadn't promised her anything other than a wonderful time at his house, so there was no reason to be angered at him for anything. If he liked June, then great! McKenzie hadn't agreed to stay at the Ranch to get in his pants, she simply wanted to get to know this amazing person she'd admired for so long... and maybe enjoy herself a little as well.

Then why does this hurt so much?

She let her tears fall freely. Doing this made her feel more in control of her surroundings. She wasn't sobbing, just silently mourning a possibility. That was her conclusion. McKenzie had been oblivious to her own feelings, she'd fallen for him - not on purpose - just like love is supposed to be. Effortless. And now, that door was closed completely. Not at all ever an option.

When the tears ebbed in their downpour, she wiped her face off with the sleeve of her white blouse. Today had been a no-makeup day, so there was one thing to be thankful for.

"How the hell can I look them in the eyes?" She bitterly asked the elements around her. The slight breeze held no answer for her. Maybe meditating would help, she thought. Maneuvering her body into a more comfortable position for meditation, she closed her eyes once more, deepened her breathing ,and let go of the turbulent world surrounding her.

Everything opened up around McKenzie just then. The conscious of mother nature wrapping McKenzie up in her arms as she cleared her mind, it is a welcome embrace. The embrace she knew better than any other. In this state of being she let her turmoil leave, allowing her bitterness to be swept out with the breeze, even mending her heart with help from the grounding sensation of the Giving Tree. An immeasurable amount of time passed her by as McKenzie tried her best to heal herself. Until a thump of feet sounded upon the platform.

She didn't flinch, she didn't move at all or open her eyes. She kept her breathing steady as the intruding person took up space next to her in the tree; they, of course, were the first to speak.

"I know you saw us." It was June. McKenzie stayed still, focusing on her breathing. "If you're not going to talk, that's fine. I understand why." There was a deep pause of silence between the two friends.

"You lied to me."

Her voice lingered in the air between them. This was the only problem McKenzie found in whole ordeal: a lie from someone she trusted implicitly. She could live with Michael falling for someone, anyone for that matter. The odds of her being the individual he fell for seemed insanely minuscule, so that didn't matter much. What did mean something to her, was that no matter how small or large the lie was: it's still a lie. McKenzie opened her eyes and finally looked at her best friend.

June sat next to her, looking regretful and slightly shamed from within. It was clear she'd fixed herself up a bit after finishing being with him, but the top she'd chosen to put on wasn't helping her case. Hickies were visible along her collar bone and one peaked from atop her left breast. The shoulder of her shirt had fallen down her arm on one side, being the friend that she was, McKenzie fixed it for her and looked back onto the horizon. June sniffed, clearly on the verge of crying just as McKenzie had done what felt like only moments ago.

"I'm sorry, I should have been honest with you." June stated, "I didn't expect this to happen. If anything, I was gunning for you and him to be together!" Internally, McKenzie shrugged at this confession.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. What's done is done." She took a breath, glancing over her friend's state of being.

"No, it does matter. My actions made you feel like shit -" The curse word miffed McKenzie that anyone who knew her well enough, noticed.

"Not, shit. Per-say."

"Sorry, I'll correct myself. Made you feel awful -"

"That works." McKenzie whispered. This was how they talked to each other, cutting each other off and shrugging it off like nothing, then continuing. It was common for the two of them to hold a full conversation where they finished each other's sentences the entire way through. Michael had encountered it while they stayed with him, and it boggled his mind to their humor.

The pair went silent once more, simultaneously enjoying the spectacular view.

"Did you ever realize he's that big?" June asked, completely changing their topic. McKenzie turned her head to look at her friend, her face contorted into an expression that said, 'Are you kidding me right now?'.

"I had my suspicions with those gold pants of his. But what's more interesting is that he's into anal - something I never would have thought of." June smacked her friend's shoulder, blushing crimson across her face and down her neck a ways. McKenzie giggled a little, continuing. "Are you sore?" She poked June in the side, making her grin.

"I can't believe you!" She protested, smiling.

They put their arms around each other, still sitting up in the tree.

"Friends?"

"Always."

Later

June and McKenzie sat chatting up a storm at the dinner table. Without the King of Pop nearby they were able to entertain a number of topics, most of them being sex-related or about the man himself. June, having experienced the one thing the majority of the female population (and some males) wanted more than anything in the world, was now sharing it exclusively with her best friend, McKenzie, over a pasta dish and a glass of wine. If McKenzie was being completely honest with herself, this is the juiciest news they'd talked about in a long-ass time!

"So, does he snap his hips like onstage - OH. Even better, that body roll!" She took a sip of wine as June let out a rosy-cheeked laugh.

"Ah! The body roll..." She thought about it for a minute, "You know, I don't think he's done that yet. How odd." June took a bite of pasta, looking at her friend. The both of them looked incredibly happy in this moment as the two of them sat at the dining room table in Neverland.

"Well, what has he done then?" McKenzie cocked her head to the side slightly, leaning back in her chair. June groaned in satisfaction.

"Oh. My. God! Kenzie, girl! Glorious things... Absolutely glorious things." She took a sip of wine and set her glass carefully back down on the table before continuing. "His mouth - best feature, hands down. Do you realize how fucking talented that mouth really is? He could get it insured for a billion dollars and it simply wouldn't touch its real worth, I'm serious."

"So, what you're telling me is that not only can he sing," She started counting with her fingers out for emphasis. "Beatbox like a genius, change his voice like an expert voice actor, but he can also expertly eat a pussy?" June's eyes went wide in surprise at her friend's use of 'vulgar' word, grinning at her with her mouth agape.

"Ooo! You did not just say that word!"

"I did, indeed." McKenzie grinned, wiping away fake tears before letting out a laugh. They soon exchanged a serious look, speaking at the same time.

"It's the tongue."

Then they laughed simultaneously. It was cute, Michael thought as he looked on from around a corner. He knew he shouldn't have been spying on June and McKenzie, but when he realized they were talking about him - well, he couldn't help but become highly curious. Holding in a laugh he decided he'd spied on the girls enough for one afternoon. Smiling in satisfaction, he sauntered away through his house, both his hands in his trouser pockets.

♡