1972
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"Mike!"
"Come on, Y/N!"
"What if we get caught?"
"We won't!"
Michael had a tight grip on your wrist, anxiously tugging you down the dimly lit hallway. You tripped over your feet as you tried to keep up with him. Since you were a few inches shorter than him, you'd always had trouble walking at the pace he naturally strolled at.
The cherry wood walls surrounded you as Michael pulled you down the hallway of the recording studio. Occasionally, you passed an open window, slightly brightening the room with light from the gray skies outside. You couldn't have been more thrilled to be at Motown Records. According to Michael, Motown had just settled in its Los Angeles location. Now, due to the studio's closer proximity, you were able to visit for the first time. Michael was eager to let you listen in on artists rehearsing, but Berry wasn't fond of the idea. The last thing he wanted was two kids running around the building while musicians were trying to work. However, Michael had other ideas.
"Berry said to remain professional," You continued.
"We're taking this opportunity to listen to and observe the way the true geniuses do it. I'd say that's a professional thing to do," Michael answered, finally beginning to slow down.
You let out a sigh in relief as Michael stopped in front of a cracked door. Putting his finger to his lips, Michael signaled for you to remain quiet before pointing to the door. You nodded, zipping your lips with an imaginary zipper.
As the two of you turned your attention to the door, you concentrated on figuring out who was rehearsing in the room. At first, you only heard the faint sound of a piano. The artist hadn't sang a word, yet,
you felt a slight sense of familiarity when listening to the song.
"Mother, mother. There's too many of you crying," a familiar voice began to sing.
You gasped loudly. Michael snapped his head in your direction, eyes wide with anxiety. He placed his left hand over your mouth before raising his right finger to his lips. You placed your hand over his, muffling your mouth even further.
The music stopped. Michael maintained eye contact with you, staring with his doe brown eyes. You held your breath as you waited for the music to start again.
After a moment of silence, the music began.
"Brother, brother, brother. There's far too many of you dying. You know we've got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today, yeah."
"I love this song," you mouthed to Michael, smiling goofily.
"Me too," he mouthed back, flashing his charming smile.
Marvin Gaye's voice continued to seep through the cracked door. "Father, father. We don't need to escalate. You see, war is not the answer. For only love can conquer hate."
You leaned over to whisper to Michael. "Do you think he heard us?"
Michael shook his head. "I doubt it. You gasped pretty loudly, but I think he figured it was the hail outside."
"It's hailing outside?" You asked, turning to face the window.
Michael was right. As soon as your gaze fell on the open window, you spotted the small chunks of hail that were falling from the sky.
"But this is Los Angeles!" You whispered.
"I know! Weird, huh?" Michael agreed, turning to face the window.
"Super weird. I've never seen hail before," you continued, looking out the window in fascination.
"Never?"
"Never in my life."
The two of you faced each other before falling silent. The music had stopped again. Michael cringed before turning to face the door. You followed his actions.
Once you'd turned around, you were greeted by a tall figure looking down at you with an amused expression. It was Marvin Gaye.
"Hi, Marvin," Michael greeted, avoiding eye contact with him.
"Hi, Mike," Marvin greeted, breaking into a smile, "What's with the long face?"
"Sorry for interrupting your rehearsal," Michael apologized.
Marvin chuckled. "Don't worry about it," he replied, turning his attention to you, "Who's your pal?"
"I-I'm Y/N, sir," you replied, "I really admire your music."
His smile widened. As you looked up at him, you took notice of how tall he was. Compared to the images that you'd seen of him on records, he looked much larger in person. Standing well-over six feet, Marvin was wearing a black suit with a yellow button-up shirt and tie. "Why, thank you, sweetheart. I appreciate that."
"W-We didn't mean to interrupt you. Mike just wanted to show me what the studio was like when artists were making music. He wanted to show me the process, you know?"
"Well, then," Marvin began, leaning against the doorframe, "if that's all you wanted, come on in."
He took a step back and held the door open. You and Michael stared up at him, shock evident on your facial expressions.
He raised his eyebrows.
"Come on, now. We don't have all day," he said, jerking his head towards the piano.
Michael glanced at you before starting into the room. You followed behind him closely. The two of you made your way to the piano. Once you caught sight of the grand instrument, you took in a small breath. It was large, black, and sleek. It looked to be a classic. You'd never seen a more beautiful piano in your life.
As your gaze shifted to the room, you noticed the large floor-to-ceiling window that allowed you to view the gloomy sky. As you made your way across the floor, you could hear the sounds of Michael and Marvin's dress shoes prancing against the hardwood.
Marvin made his way to the stool and took a seat. You and Michael stood next to the long stool, unsure of whether to sit. Marvin placed his fingers over the keys before taking a quick glance at you. He let out an amused laugh.
"What's wrong? I'm not gonna bite ya'," he said, patting the seat with his left hand.
You smiled and slid onto the stool, settling on his left. Michael settled next to you. His knees gently brushed against yours.
Marvin smiled before turning his attention back to the piano. Once again, he placed his long fingers over the keys and began to play.
As you listened to the instrumental, you watched him in awe. It was completely effortless for him. He didn't appear to be thinking as he played the delicate notes. All you could see was his soul.
Glancing to your left, your eyes fell on your best friend. Michael's doe eyes were fixated on Marvin's hands. He was sitting there, soaking it up like a sponge. You knew Michael well. You could tell he was taking in Marvin's every movement. He hadn't even noticed your eyes on him.
Michael always wanted to learn. He never stopped trying to imitate skills from the greats—like Marvin Gaye. Michael hadn't mastered any instruments, but by the way he was watching Marvin play the piano keys, you knew he'd be able to, one day.
"I bet you're wonderin' how I knew, baby, baby, baby 'bout your plans to make me blue. With some other guy you knew before, between the two of us guys,
you know I loved you more," Marvin sang.
Marvin continued to play the piano and sing his legendary song. Eventually, he removed his hands from the keys and looked out the window.
"The hail stopped," he said, making you turn your attention to the window.
"Hey, it did! It's still gloomy out there, though," you said.
"I'm gonna go out and get some air. I've been inside this stuffy place since five this morning. Why don't you cats join me?" Marvin said, standing up.
You both stood up and followed him to the door. When you reached the doorway, he opened the door and allowed you both to exit before him. Marvin grabbed his trench coat and followed behind you.
Not long after, the three of you exited through the back door. This led to a small side street. The sidewalk was wet and covered with hail. All of your shoes caused the pieces of ice to crunch under your steps.
So there you were, walking in between Marvin and Michael.
"How long have you two been friends?" Marvin asked, placing his hands in his pockets.
"Three years," you both answered.
"Hm," Marvin hummed, "Y/N, you must be really special for Mike to be allowed to bring you to the studio."
"Well, she's my best friend," Michael answered before you could, "I'd been wanting to bring her for a while."
He chuckled lightly. "Best friends . . . I figured that."
Marvin paused for a moment. "You two hold onto that, okay? Don't ever let that go. It's hard to make friends as an adult, even though this one's already a grown man in a little body," Marvin teased, reaching over to nudge Michael. Michael kept his eyes down, smiling at his feet.
"Do you have a best friend?" You asked.
"Careful," Marvin said suddenly, grabbing you and Michael's shoulders.
The three of you had reached the crosswalk. As you began stepping out into the street, a car ran a stop sign. Marvin grabbed you again.
"Oh, for Heaven's sake," Marvin scuffed, "That's the one thing I miss about Detroit. Better drivers."
Once the coast was clear, the three of you walked into the street. "Yes, I have a few good friends. However, fame can make you feel lonely and loneliness can make you do things you shouldn't," Marvin finally answered.
"Like what?" You both asked.
Marvin sighed. "Don't worry about it. Just hold on to each other, okay? Promise me?"
Looking up at him, you and Michael immediately nodded your heads. Marvin cracked a smile before placing a hand on your shoulder. You smiled up at him before turning to Michael. Michael stared at you and offered his hand. Without hesitation, you took it in your own.
"Always," Michael whispered, giving your hand a squeeze.
~~~~
Hello, my loves! Hope you enjoyed this update! I just wanted to tell you all to stay safe! Please, please, please wash your hands and touch as little as possible. COVID-19 is affecting the lives of many. I love you all so much and I don't want anything to happen to any of you.
All my love. X.