1970
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"Y/N!" Michael called, bursting through the back gates of your backyard.
You let out a sniffle before grabbing a tissue. Raising the tissue to your face, you furiously wiped your eyes and cheeks before Michael could make his way around the tree.
"Y/N?" Michael called, using a softer tone as he walked around the tree trunk.
It was a warm, summer day. The late afternoon breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding shrubbery, giving more life to the scenery. You were sitting on the grass, resting your back against the trunk of your enormous camphor tree. Your knees were pulled to your chest as you kept your tissue box on your right. On most days, you would've been out enjoying the perfect weather. However, today was not most days.
"Y/N? What's wrong?" Michael asked, his doe eyes widening in concern.
You shook your head, sniffling as the breeze blew your hair. "It's nothing."
Michael frowned, eyeing you sympathetically. He walked in front of your body and crouched down, giving himself an easier view of your face. As you looked up, his sparkling brown gaze met yours.
"You're crying," he observed.
Putting your head back down, you tucked your knees farther into your chest. Michael got on his knees and crawled next to you. Reaching around you, he wrapped his right arm around your shoulders before pulling you closer to him. You hated letting people see you cry, but you couldn't help appreciating Michael's comfort.
"What's the matter?" He asked softly, rubbing your shoulder.
"I don't want you to worry about me, Mike," you whispered, using your tissue to wipe another falling tear.
"You're my best friend, Y/N. I'm gonna worry about you, whether you like it or not," he answered, taking the tissue from your grip and wiping your cheeks himself.
You let out a sigh, knowing you wouldn't win this fight. "My dog died."
Michael froze, stopping his movements. "Sunshine?"
Michael instantly thought of your lively golden retriever. He'd known that dog as long as he'd known you. Every time Michael had the chance to visit your house, which was located right next to his, Sunshine would greet him by affectionately pouncing on him. He'd developed a great love for the spirited animal.
"Mhm," You hummed, nodding your head.
"Oh, Y/N," Michael spoke sympathetically, "I'm so sorry."
"I know she was your friend, too," you said softly, trying to keep your quivering voice under control.
"She was, but she was your friend for longer," Michael answered, "How did she pass?"
"Yesterday, we were playing back here. I was throwing the ball around the yard, like we usually do, you know? Then, someone drove down the street with really loud music. When she heard the noise, Sunshine got excited and ran through the gate. I tried to run after her, but it all happened so fast. Before I could stop her, she ran into the street, right in front of the car," you told him.
Your eyes began to well up again as you thought back to the horrific event. For a moment, Michael's mouth hung open in shock. You supposed he'd assumed that Sunshine had an illness or had to be put down. He didn't realize that your precious dog had actually been killed. Upon hearing the tragic story, Michael felt his own eyes well up. However, he swallowed his emotions. He knew that you were hurting and he needed to be strong for you.
"Y/N . . ." He began, looking down at you, "I'm so, so sorry."
You nodded, biting your lip and trying to keep your tears at bay. He reached out with his other hand and began pulling you into a tight embrace. "C'mere," he whispered.
Finally accepting his comfort, you allowed yourself to lean into his embrace and break down. As much as you needed to grieve the death of your pet, you hadn't allowed yourself to fully feel the loss. You'd been crying, but you had been trying to keep yourself from sobbing. Though, with the help of Michael's quiet sympathy, your emotions were finally pushed over the edge.
Michael's heart broke at the sound of your sobs. You were always a bright, lively, happy-go-lucky child. He'd never seen you cry like this before. However, that only encouraged him to give you as much comfort as he could. He knew what it was like to lose an animal that he'd grown attached to. When he was younger, he found a rat in his house, which he quickly befriended. Not long after, however, his father set traps around the house and eventually caught the rat. Michael was devastated that his friend had left him so soon.
"I just miss her, Michael," you cried, turning your head to look at a green shrub.
"I know, Y/N. You're gonna miss her for a while. She'll always be with you, though. She just moved up to Doggy Heaven," he answered, squeezing you tightly.
You squeezed him in return, letting a few more tears fall. "I know."
"She's gonna be okay, I promise," Michael continued, pulling away from the hug.
You nodded, reaching up to wipe some of your remaining tears. Michael reached out, grabbing a tissue from the tissue box. He leaned forward and wiped your tears, making a small smile tug on your lips.
"Thanks, Michael," you said softly.
Michael nodded, giving you a small smile in return. "We made a pact, remember? We're always gonna be here for each other. Whenever you're feelin' down, just call my name. I mean, just yell it out the window. I'll hear you from next door, and I'll be here in a heartbeat," Michael said sweetly, making your heart swell.
"You're the best friend anyone could ever ask for," you responded, "and you can do the same for me. I'll always be here for you."
His smile grew, making euphoric emotions erupt inside of you. Michael always knew how to make you feel better. No matter what the situation was, Michael never failed to put a smile on your face. Thinking about this caused butterflies to erupt in your stomach, making you frown slightly. The strange feeling was unfamiliar to you.
"What's wrong?" Michael asked, immediately noticing your change in expression.
You snapped from your thoughts. "Oh, it's nothing," you answered before changing the subject, "You know what I just realized?"
"What?" Michael asked.
"You're here! You're home in the middle of the day!" You said excitedly, making his eyes light up in realization.
"Oh yeah! That's what I came over here to tell you! We've been given a minor break from work, so I can spend all my time here!" Michael said, giving you a wide smile.
Your smile grew impossibly wider. "Really? Michael, that's such great news! Yay!" You cheered, pulling him in for another hug.
Unlike your first hug, this hug wasn't meant to comfort your saddened emotions. This was a hug of celebration and glee. Michael almost never got time off of work, so you were ecstatic to find out that he'd been given a break.
Michael hugged you tightly, laughing when you began rocking your upper bodies from side to side.
"How long do you have?" You asked, pulling away from the embrace.
"A few weeks!" He answered.
Your eyes widened. "Weeks? That's so much time!"
"I know!" He replied excitedly.
"That means we have all the time in the world to build forts, prank your siblings, climb trees, prank your siblings, ride our bikes, and prank your siblings!" You said goofily, making Michael burst into a fit of laughter.
"Don't forget pranking my siblings!" Michael added, making you laugh, "Including Jermaine!"
"Oh, come on. He's the easiest one!" You said, giggling uncontrollably.
Michael shook his head. "Erms is so gullible. It's ridiculous."
"It's perfect!" You flashed Michael a mischievous smile.
Michael returned the smile. "You're right. It's absolutely perfect."
Standing up, he held out his hand for you.
"Ready?"
You looked at his hand before tilting your head. "Ready for what?"
He rolled his eyes playfully before looking back at you. "To go plan our schemes for this entire break, remember?"
Your eyes lit up as you broke into a huge grin. "Of course," you answered, reaching out to take his hand.
After helping you up, the two of you ran into your house, preparing to plan your adventures for the break.
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There you go! That's the first imagine! Please, please, please tell me your thoughts! I want to know what you guys think! Do you like it so far? Should I continue with this? Let me know <3