Valentine
Evenings
By: Dolores Morrissey
A/N: I do not own Labyrinth. :( Or the song "The Wizard" by Bat for Lashes which inspired me in the first place. (It has quite the sensual, sexy sound, if you ask me! I encourage you to indulge.) (Okay, so maybe Jareth isn't really a "wizard", but the Merriam-Webster definition of "wizard" is "one who is skilled in magic", so it I do think it fits appropriately!) Hehe, I hope you enjoy it.
Chapter One: In Search of New Dreams
Doing the mess around
Push me down into the
ground
Taste the hands that drink my body
She glumly pulled herself up the stairs. Dripping and cold. It was like her to get caught in the rain. Upon arrival to the third floor, she swiftly turned to her right, to the far back corner.
The door to her apartment was hidden in the back. The way she preferred it, really. She didn't particularly feel observed. She pushed her way through the door, and hung her coat up behind the door. Removed her shoes. Set her keys on the long table along the tiny thing you could call a "hallway". It abruptly ended about a foot beyond the table, and the wall turned into a corner, opening to the rest of the apartment. The kitchen was the first room, somewhat closed off from the living/dining area. A rather small, squared table with two chairs sat in the corner, parallel to the back of the love seat. The television was against the wall, next to the stairs up to her loft sleeping area. Between the television and love seat was a coffee table, where she had different journals of her writing sprawled out. On the other side of the stairs, was her petite bathroom, which the loft sat upon.
A cozy home for a starving artist. She made rent by working as a playwright's assistant. It was good money, but she would have preferred to be the playwright themselves, or the starring actress. For now, it would do.
She sat her briefcase on the kitchen counter, and headed to the restroom. She turned on the bath water, and irritably stripped. She couldn't stand the wet friction against her body that made it terribly hard to remove damp jeans. As she finally managed to peel the last leg of her jeans off, she looked up into the mirror.
She rolled her eyes. She wasn't surprised to see a reflection that did not belong to her. It happened frequently, there were only two mirrors in her home, and they seemed to almost always be occupied by individuals other than herself. At first, she ignored the image, and poured a concoction of eucalyptus bath oil, and lavender bubble bath into the running water. She placed the last bottle on the side of the tub, and eventually turned her attention to the man standing in the mirror.
"What can I do for you, Jareth?" she offered, placing each of her hands on her hips, and returning his smirk in a sardonic manner.
The man in the mirror glowered at her sarcasm. He tilted his head, and lifted his chin in annoyance. His feathery blond hair swayed with the movement of his head.
"Hmmph, so much for caring for another's well-being. Are you always so darling to all of your house guests?"
She batted her long lashes over the intense green of her eyes. "Only for you, your majesty." Her hands released from her hips, as she bent over to turn the running bath water, and proceeded to cross her arms.
Jareth was obviously clenching his teeth. "You're too kind, Sarah-dearest."
"No, really, Jareth. What do you want? I've had a whirlwind of a day, and I'm a bit too irate to be playing games with you right now. I've got a headache, and I'm hungry--"
Jareth interrupted without hesitation. "Which is exactly what brings me here today, if you would just shut that pretty little mouth of yours."
Sarah let out an irritated sigh. "Do enlighten me."
Jareth displayed a rather sarcastic, somewhat sadistic smile.
"My lady, I only wish to invite you to the Underground, I'm sure your little friends would be so delighted."
She eyed him suspiciously. An invitation to the Underground…?
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, yet again. "Now why would I want to go to the Underground when I've got this splitting headache, and not to mention--starving?"
"Sarah, Sarah, Sarah, now why would I allow you to suffer either one of those upon an invitation to my kingdom? Have you forgotten what I'm capable of?" Jareth sneered.
"Oh, so you're going to cure both with an enchanted peach? Kill two birds with one stone, huh?" Sarah retorted.
Jareth let out a crow of laughter. "Much to your displeasure, I'm afraid not, dear Sarah. But I'll let you think about it in your little so-called bath. Whenever you're ready, just say your right words."
With that chilling smirk and mischievous spark in his eyes, Jareth's image dissipated from the mirror.
Sarah continued to glare into the mirror. Knowing that just because she could not see Jareth, did not mean he could not see her. That sneaky bastard.
She should be used to it by now. She wouldn't be surprised if Jareth already knew her body like he could've been her lover.
He would, that pervert. Oh well. Better the Goblin King, rather than Stanley.
Stanley was a pretty notorious peeping tom in her apartment complex. A kind of chubby guy, who delivered pizza. Luckily, the only windows in her apartment were the two windows in the living/dining area, & the two, small high windows in the loft, and was definitely too difficult to peep into.
Sarah continued undressing, now to her blouse. She wiggled it's cloth loop loose from the long, golden tooth of the built-in belt. She pulled each button loose, from top to bottom. She threw it onto her drenched jeans on the tile floor. She unlatched her bra, and pulled down her panties, which all ended up in the somewhat messy pile of wet laundry.
She slid into the bath, inhaling, and enjoying its fresh aroma. She let herself sink beneath the water, knees still chilled sitting in the air. She exhaled slowly.
"You better be considering my offer, Sarah."
The voice seemed all around her underwater. Startled, she sat up, and gasped for air. Her heart was thumping.
Sarah's face quickly changed from terror to irritation. "You asshole."
And with that, Sarah finished her bath without haste, still somewhat bubbly when she got out. She grabbed a towel out of the cabinet and forcefully dried herself. She bent over, and let her long mane dangle in front of her as she managed to get as much water out of it as possible. She wrapped the towel around her head, turban-like, and swiftly like an art she had been practicing for many years. She grabbed her bathrobe, and wrapped it around her body, picked up her wet clothes and slung them over the rail of her shower curtain.
She walked out, grabbing her bottle of body lotion, and plopped herself in front of her TV. She turned it on, and flipped the channels, finally landing on the news. She continued to scowl in agitation as she slathered on her lightly fragranced lotion.
She was already almost certain she did NOT want to go to the Underground. She had many things to take care of still. She had to make sure Mr. Rudolf made it to Paris okay, and make sure that she booked the correct hotel, and that his play was being featured in the correct theatre.
Mr. Rudolf kept her really busy with his really busy schedule.
She was also particularly helpful in getting rid of old pursuits he once had. "Aspiring actresses" hoping to land spots in his plays.
He was a rather successful playwright, still somewhat in the underground (which Sarah found ironic every time this was brought up). He was never really rude, or ugly to Sarah. Usually extremely grateful, polite, and friendly. Sure, he would have those moments of stress, and lose it, but would always apologize for his actions moments later.
But, an invitation to actually go to the Underground without having to conquer the Labyrinth? This sounded particularly enticing to Sarah. Perhaps she would be presented with even more exciting conquests, perhaps the Goblin King, himself?
Sarah found herself blushing, and scolding herself!
Hah, me? And Jareth?! Never! That villainous, conniving, beautiful creature…Her eyes widened. There seemed to be no way of overcoming her deep, hidden desires.
Mr. Rudolf, only eight years Sarah's senior always seemed curious to know why Sarah had never seemed to be dating.
She recalled a distant memory.
"Miss Williams, for the past three years you've been working for me, why haven't you ever asked for leave…? You're so reliable, it makes me suspicious. I've never had such a devoted assistant. You haven't even so much missed a phone call!! It's so hard to believe, are you not married? No boyfriends, no nothing…?"
Sarah would always smile, "That's very unprofessional of you, Mr. Rudolf. But really, my career comes first, and you being able to count on me, well, that's my career."
Mr. Rudolf would always return the smile, "Hmm, he must be amazing, the man you're stuck on…"
She sat her chin on her propped up knee, listening to the thunder, as it crept closer, and closer.
Rain for the weekend, most likely to clear on Tuesday. Sarah sighed, and glumly turned around to look over at her kitchen. She really did not have any desire to cook, but walked into the kitchen and peered into her cupboards. She had box macaroni, some canned veggies, Ramen noodles. She looked towards her phone, and gazed over the Take-out menu. She leaned over and thoughtfully placed her left cheek onto her hand, as she began reading the menu. Thunder clapped, followed by lightening, leaving her lights flickering, and eventually out. She looked up, and back at the phone, somewhat saddened that the storm had ruined her grand idea to a night of Chinese-American cuisine.
"Sarah, darling, really? That stuff is god-awful, and you know it!" a male voice replied as its owner's right arm found itself around Sarah's waist, with its hand resting on her shoulder.
Sarah jumped out of surprise.
"Good lord, Jareth!! Have you no decency? I mean, really!" She bellowed, as she shoved him away.
He tilted his head in amusement.
"Oh come, come, now, Sarah! Let's go back to the castle, you'd rather not stay here, in the dark, starving, hmm? And with that awful, what was it? Headache…?" Jareth crooned, as he caressed Sarah's face with the back of his fingers from her forehead down to her chin.
Just as his surprisingly ungloved hand glided down her face, at that very moment, her headache had pacified, just as soon as his hand was removed, the throbbing ache returned.
Sarah felt herself shiver. She looked into his eyes, and down to his lips, and slowly back to his eyes. His lips curled into a familiar smirk. He had no courtesy for personal boundaries, and stood rather close to Sarah, with one foot planted dead center in between her bare legs.
"So what do you say?" he grinned. He placed his hands on either side of Sarah, against her counter.
His sweet, woodsy scent infiltrated Sarah's senses. She felt like quivering, and melting into his arms. It was like every girlish fantasy of Sarah's was almost coming true—when it hit her—
"JARETH. Quit trying to charm me with your magic! I know better, you ghoul."
Jareth's grin only grew into a somewhat toothy smile. "Ohh, Sarah-darling. I'm not using any magic to charm you…"
Sarah's face instantly filled with a shade of crimson. She had outright called herself out in front of Jareth, pointing out that he simply did not even need to use magic to seduce her.
She sucked in her bottom lip.
The lightening continued to shimmer across the fixtures around her apartment, temporarily revealing Jareth's silhouette, and devious eyes.
Fight me in the dark
Wrestle your bones over mine
Into
our moonless march come the wizard
Come, the wizard comes
The
wizard comes
The wizard comes
The wizard comes
"Come with me, Sarah," he whispered, as he slowly pulled the towel-turban off of her head, allowing her hair to fall to her shoulders.
Sarah could only blink, and hold her breath. His cheek grazed against hers, as he pulled away. She shut her eyes, and just as she felt him slowly exhale, the power came back.
She found herself holding the towel once on her head in a deathly grip, close to her heart, like a frightened child. She looked around her kitchen, and there was no Goblin King anywhere.
Not even his scent lingered. It was like he didn't even appear to her.
Sarah rubbed her temples, and picked up the phone and punched in the numbers to the Chinese restaurant. She quickly placed her order, and hung up the phone. She raced up the steps to the loft area, and changed into a tank top and pale blue pajama pants. She crept back downstairs, and curled up on one side of the couch, finally finding a movie on the TV she was content with. About forty-five minutes into the movie she had been watching, her doorbell rang.
She grabbed her clutch out of her briefcase, and half skipped down the so-called hall, and opened the door.
It was one of the restaurant owner's teenaged sons.
He smiled politely, and reminded Sarah of her total. She gladly paid up, and tipped him much more than she had to, thinking it was nice of him to be polite, because of his venture to her third floor apartment during a thunderstorm at nine o'clock at night.
He thanked her, and left.
Just as Sarah turned around, there was Jareth. He was leaning next to the entry way of her kitchen.
She slumped down her shoulders.
"Jareth, please. I just want to have a normal night, please, I'm begging you."
Jareth frowned.
"That's too bad… But if you should change your mind…"
Sarah half-smiled. "I know what to say, your majesty. Now if you don't mind, I would like to start my dinner, and continue this movie-
She didn't even have to finish.
The Goblin King was gone—again.
I really wish he would stop doing that…
Sarah opened the little paper boxes, and sat at her lonely table. She chewed her orange chicken slowly, intrigued by the movie.
The romantic in her wanted to wish herself into Jareth's arms, but her stubbornness kept her from doing it. She had too much pride to wish herself to the Underground, into the Goblin King's quarters, into his arms.
She knew she wouldn't regret it. But there was always a catch with Jareth. She could never possibly just visit the Underground, of course there would always be more than visiting.
There was that possibility, what if she didn't make it back in time?? Mr. Rudolf would worry, and possibly have her apartment raided by S.W.A.T. if he could. He was simply lost without Miss Williams at his aid.
She finished the film with a smug smile on her face. She really enjoyed it, it was strange that she did, really. She turned off the television, lots of fantasies floating around her head.
She put the leftover food in her fridge, and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She proceeded to turn off all the lights, and knowing that she probably really shouldn't, lit a candle on her nightstand. She watched the shadows dance, the shadows formed by the candlelight seemed to tango with the shadows produced by the lightening.
The light rumbles of thunder became less frightening, and more soothing. She lay on her bed, spooning with her pillow.
In the battle of consciousness and a dream, Sarah unknowingly whispered, so, so, softly, "You know, Jareth, I wish I could be with you right now."
A familiar breath blew out the candle's flame, and a figure leaned in over Sarah's near-slumbering body.
"I'm sorry, darling, did I hear that right…?"
Wants to feel you shake and shooting Trembling midnight lands
He will be our
leader
Wants to feel you shake and shooting
He will be our
leader
I travel with the
wizard
Drink his blood and he's our leader
*********************************************
A/N: Please let me know how you like it!! Am I too flowery with my words/details/anything? I hope you're curious to why Jareth is inviting Sarah to the Underground, and most of all, I hope you enjoyed my first chapter!! :)
