MJ IMAGINES (World with Applehead)

He comes home late

The soft hum of the television filled the quiet living room as you curled up on the couch, phone pressed against your ear.

"What time will you be home, Mikey?" you asked softly.

On the other line, Michael sighed tiredly. "I'm not sure, baby. I still have a lot of work to do... recording sessions, meetings... all that."

Your shoulders sank a little after hearing his answer. Lately, you barely got to see him anymore. He would come home long after you had fallen asleep, and by the time you woke up in the morning, he'd already be getting ready to head back to the studio. Most days, all you shared were sleepy hellos and rushed goodbyes. And yet, you understood.

You saw how much love he poured into his music, into every lyric, every melody, every message he wanted to give the world. Watching him dedicate himself so fully to something beautiful only made you love him more.

Still... you missed him terribly. "I'll wait for you then," you murmured, forcing a small smile even though he couldn't see it.

"You don't have to, baby," Michael replied gently. "If you're tired, go to sleep, okay?"

"No, really. I wanna wait for you," you insisted softly. "We'll sleep together."

A quiet chuckle escaped him. "Okay... I'll try to be home by ten. I can't promise anything, sweetheart, but I'll try."

"Fine," you sighed dramatically, laying on your stomach across the couch. "I love you, Michael."

"I love you more. I'll see you tonight."
The line clicked dead.You placed your phone beside you and stared up at the ceiling. God... I miss you so much.

When you finally glanced at the clock again, it was already 9:00 PM. The seconds felt painfully slow as they ticked by. Trying to distract yourself, you got up from the couch and began cleaning around the house. You wiped down the kitchen counters, reorganized the shelves, polished the furniture until it gleamed, and vacuumed the floors until the entire first floor looked spotless.

But no matter how much you tried to stay busy, your eyes always drifted back to the clock.

10:30 PM.

"He'll be here," you whispered quietly to yourself. "He'll be here..."

You sat back down on the couch, hugging a pillow close to your chest. The house was so silent that the ticking clock almost sounded louder than your thoughts.

A yawn escaped your lips. Then another. And another.

You lightly slapped your cheeks, trying to stay awake. "No, no... I can't sleep yet," you mumbled. "I have to wait for him."

You reached under the television cabinet and flipped through Michael's collection of CDs before deciding on an old comedy special. Maybe it would help keep you awake.

Curling back into the couch, you pressed play. But you barely paid attention to the movie. Every few minutes, your eyes wandered toward the windows, hoping to catch the sight of headlights outside.

Nothing. No Michael.

The jokes on the television blended into meaningless background noise. Normally, you would've laughed at least a little, but tonight your heart just wasn't in it.

Eventually, exhaustion started pulling at your body. You laid down on the couch, pulling the blanket over yourself as the movie continued playing in the background.

"I'll just rest my eyes for a little," you whispered sleepily. "He'll be home soon..."

But your "little nap" quickly turned into deep sleep.

—
Your eyes fluttered open slowly. For a moment, you frowned in confusion. You weren't on the couch anymore.

Soft blankets wrapped around your body, and the familiar scent of Michael surrounded you. You blinked tiredly, realizing you were now in your bedroom.

"How did I even get up here...?" you mumbled groggily.

Then you felt something warm and heavy resting against your stomach. Looking down, your heart instantly melted.

Michael was asleep beside you, half laying across your body like he couldn't bear to be far away even in his sleep. His dark curls tickled your skin while soft little snores escaped him.

You smiled immediately. Carefully, you threaded your fingers through his curls and gently rubbed his back, trying not to wake him. But he stirred anyway.

His eyes blinked open slowly, still heavy with sleep, and the second he saw you awake, his face softened completely.

"Baby..." you whispered lovingly. "Why're you sleeping like that? Come lay properly beside me."

He smiled lazily before lifting himself up and settling next to you, immediately pulling the blanket over both of you again.

"I saw you sleeping downstairs," he murmured in his deep sleepy voice. "Didn't wanna wake you up, so I carried you here."

Your chest tightened at the thought of him coming home exhausted at two in the morning and still taking the time to carry you upstairs so carefully.

"What time did you get home?" you asked quietly, cupping his face gently in your hands.

Michael sighed softly. "Around 2:00 AM... I think." His eyes filled with guilt. "I'm sorry for making you wait, sweetheart. I know I said I'd be home earlier."

A small laugh escaped you as you shook your head. "You tried, baby. That's enough for me." You brushed your thumb over his cheek tenderly. "Your work is important, Michael. I understand, okay? I love you."

You leaned forward and kissed him softly.
Immediately, he melted into the kiss, like it was the first moment all day he could finally breathe. When you pulled away, he rested his forehead against yours.

"I love you too, Y/N," he whispered. "Thank you for understanding me." He let out a quiet laugh. "God... I really don't deserve you."

You rolled your eyes affectionately. "Shut up, Michael," you teased softly. "Come on, let's go back to sleep."

He grinned sleepily before pulling you close against his chest, wrapping his arms tightly around your waist. A content sigh left him as he buried his face into the crook of your neck.

Within seconds, you could already hear his soft little snores again, his warm breath brushing gently against your skin. And despite all the waiting, all the lonely quiet hours...at that moment, being in his arms made it all worth it.