Green Happiness
Second Story in the Holiday Series
Sequel to "Twenty First"
Disclaimer: Echo the Insane in no way, shape, or form owns the film "The Labyrinth". Nor does Echo the Insane own the wonderful characters, music, or plot in said film. Echo the Insane does not own the awesome beer known as Guinness, though she does have a six pack in the fridge. ^_^
Saint Patrick's Day was not Sarah's favorite holiday. Yes, she wore green, yes she drank insane amounts of Guinness with her friends, but really, the next day's hangover and fuzzy mouth feeling always made her hate it just a little bit.
Yet here she was, at a Patty's Day party, staring off into space as overly loud "authentic" Irish drinking songs pounded over the speakers in one of her college friend's living room. People were trying (and failing) to sing along, falling over each other, spilling beer, and making complete asses of themselves. Sarah was trying her best to disappear into the awful wallpaper, sipping her Guinness slowly, praying the ibuprofen she had taken would negate her upcoming hangover.
Adam, her "date" was dancing around the room with a lampshade on his head. Sarah had no idea people actually did put lampshades on their heads, but apparently they did. She sighed, rubbed her temple, and took a bigger gulp.
She would rather be anywhere but there, listening to bad music, watching drunk people dance. She stared down into the beer, wishing wistfully the mug in her hand would be full of Elvish wine instead. Thinking of Elvish wine made her think of Jareth. She smiled into her drink, remembering him eating pizza and enjoying an action film. She remembered waking the next day, finding that beautiful rose; her most prized treasure. It was in a glass box on her dresser, where she looked at it each day.
She hadn't seen him since, but was quite sure he was lurking around often. She heard his voice on the wind, saw his silhouette in the shadows. Sometimes she dreamed about him, sometimes she...fantasized about him.
So, here she was, staring into her Guinness, thinking of Jareth the Goblin King, on Patty's Day, at the worst Patty's Day party ever. Sarah sighed, looked up from her Guinness, stared at all the annoying college kids she was supposed to be hanging out with, and grumbled under her breath. She took a gulp, felt the first tingle of a buzz sneaking into her brain, and sighed.
"Bored, pet?" a voice said from behind her, his breath tickling the top of her ear.
Sarah yelped, though no one heard it over the loud thumping of the Irish pub song. The wall melted behind her, replaced by the warmth of a body. She didn't turn to face him, her back pressed against his chest. She felt his hands on her hips, his cheek pressed against her hair.
"Hello, Sarah," he said, his breath still close to her ear.
"Hi, Jareth," she said breathlessly, her chest heaving.
"Did I scare you?" he asked. She could feel him chuckle through her back, his hands gripping her hips tighter.
"A bit," she replied, a voice stronger now. She pulled away from him, turning to face him. Her eyebrows shot up towards her hair, her eyes widening. He was leaning against the wall, dressed in the spirit, wearing a green, long sleeve shirt, a pair of black jeans with a dark green belt, and green tennis shoes. She had no idea he would look that good in mortal clothes; green ones at that. His long hair was pulled back into a ponytail and not as...fluffy as usual. He looked rather like a normal, human man.
"Happy Saint Patrick's Day," he offered, giving her a disarming smile.
"Happy Patty's Day," she replied, smiling a bit back at him. "But why are you here?"
His smile turned into an amused grin. He looked around the party with mock interest. "Why shouldn't I be? I was bored, had no one to talk to but Goblins, and you were at this amazing party without me." He grinned again, moving closer to her. She couldn't help but feel lighter, smiling up at him. He took her drink from her, set it down on a nearby table. She looked up at him with curiosity. "This place is not for us, my dear," he said, looking around again with an amused smile. "Let's go elsewhere, shall we?"
"Oh? Like where?" she asked, tilting her head in interest.
"Somewhere...fun," he said in a conspiratory whisper; his voice carrying even over the awful music. The room darkened, the music faded, and away fell the boring party and boring party goers. Sarah blinked, and found herself in a very familiar ball room; though it was decidedly different.
There were green drapes hanging. A long table was covered in green cloth, glitter, and silver punch bowls. Green streamers of gauze hung from the ceilings. The dancers were milling around, all dressed in green, wearing green masks, drinking green drinks and eating green cakes. Sarah laughed in wonder, her eyes widening as she noticed something about the dancers.
"Hey Sarah, this is awesome!" Miranda, her college roommate called, waving from the arm of a handsome man in a mask. Her college friends were there, all unmasked and in fine, green garments. "I have no idea how we got here, but somehow, I'm not worried!" Miranda laughed, twirling away with her partner.
Colleen, her lab partner and generally cool person to be around, was dancing with an handsome, masked man, her eyes locked on him in wonder. Sarah saw everyone she actually liked, even her silly date Adam. He no longer wore the lampshade, and was swirling a redheaded dancer around the floor.
"Will they remember any of this?" Sarah asked in wonder, looking to Jareth. He was no longer in his mortal outfit, though it was similar. He wore a green jacket; covered in glitter; over a white shirt, with black pants, and dark green boots. Sarah looked down at herself, finding her green shirt and jeans gone, replaced with a long, form fitting green dress, made of satin. Her hair was curled, falling loosely around her shoulders.
Jareth smiled, taking her hand. "They will remember it like a most pleasant dream, my dear," he said, leaning closer to her. "This is for your benefit, not theirs."
She smiled up at him, moving closer as they began to dance to a soft, gentle song. It was vaguely familiar, in a far off way. He held her close, and they circled around the room for what seemed forever.
"Sarah?" he asked at length, his voice soft.
"Yes?" she asked, suddenly aware of the heat coming from his body. She could feel his hands tighten on her, draw her flush against him. They weren't dancing anymore, but Sarah found she didn't care. He was looking at her with such intense feeling, his eyes wavering with indecision. Sarah's heart fluttered, her mind spinning, and without even realizing she was doing it, she raised to her tip toe and kissed him.
His mouth was soft, warm, and oh-so perfect. He kissed her gently, lovingly, and the world fell down. The ballroom dissolved, fading into darkness. She opened her eyes as he pulled away, and found them at the end of the Labyrinth. Broken columns of stone, pieces of shattered stairs, and a dark sky surrounded them. Sarah looked at Jareth, suddenly afraid and confused. Why bring her here, where once he'd offered her the world? Why remind her of that horrible time, when she'd been forced to pick between her brother and her dreams?
"I'm not offering you your dreams, Sarah," he said, as if reading her mind. He was still holding her, though loosely now. He tilted his head, looking vulnerable. "I'm just...offering you me. If you'll have me," he added, waiting.
Sarah's breath caught, giving him a searching look. "What...what does that mean, exactly?"
He smiled a bit, his lips quirking. "It means I love you. I have always loved you. Would you accept that, Sarah? That I love you?"
Sarah's mouth was suddenly very dry. She licked her lips, her eyes wide. He was waiting patiently, watching her face.
"I...yes," she said at last, swallowing hard. "Oh yes. I can accept that, Jareth."
He smiled warmly, brought her fingers to his mouth, and kissed them gently. "That's a start then, pet," he said, grinning at her.
She grinned back, squeezing his hand as he kissed her fingers again. "I think I like Saint Patty's Day a lot better now."