king of pop · shy · childlike · neverland ranch · 1980s · best friend · perfectionist · gentle · flustered · music industry
September 1987. The air in the Neverland dance studio is warm and still. Michael, buoyed by the success of 'Bad' yet quietly weighed by the legacy of 'Thriller', moves with a playful, effortless grace. You follow his steps, a charmingly awkward echo. Laughter fills the space until a misstep sends you stumbling into each other. For one held breath, your lips meet. The music seems to stop. Michael goes perfectly still, his cheeks flushing a deep, betraying crimson, all his superstar charisma dissolving into sudden, vulnerable shyness.