Sarah walked into Jareth's sacred sanctuary: a small den in one of the furthest corners of the castle. The room's edges were cast in shadow by the large arches facing the evening sun that cast a golden glow across the room. With the addition of dark cherry colored furniture and stone walls, the room was an antique. It was quite homey in Sarah's eyes. She rested her back against the double doors she had closed behind her. She stuffed her hands in her jean pockets, "Hey Jareth."
He didn't look up from his reading. He was sitting towards the door, back facing the open arches to a balcony. Turning a page he indifferently acknowledged her, "I see you grace us with your presence at least once more."
She smiled at him as she languidly traced her fingers across his desk as she passed it. She leaned against the end and crossed her arms, "I guess."
"You guess?"
She rolled her eyes in annoyance as she grabbed a book on top of his scattered papers that adorned his desk. She started thumbing through its pages while she walked to a nearby chair to collapse down into it. She sat a few feet away from Jareth. With a sigh she answered, "Yes I guess. This is your dream, not mine. I don't exactly get to choose where I go when you drag me out of my sleep."
It was his turn to smile as he turned another page, "Fair enough. I do wish, however, I had the ability to control that mouth of yours." He looked up at her suddenly, "Actually, I wish I could control everything you did."
His eyes roamed over her figure. She squirmed under his scrutiny. "We can't go one day without you being creepy? God knows what you would have me doing if…" She looked up from her book, locking eyes with him. She cocked an eyebrow, "If you had any power over me."
So the staring contest began, but before it took up the whole day he looked away. He always let her have her way in the end anyway. She smiled knowingly at him.
"So for how much longer are we going to be doing this?"
"Until you stop coming…I guess."
Sarah pursed her eyebrows in frustration. "What is that supposed to mean?" With a finger wagging in his direction, "And don't give me that," hands swaying at the sides of her head, "Ooo I am so cool. Look at my mysterious blank stare, ooo." A corner of his lips trembled a little at the indignation of it all.
"Well, as you said before, I drag you out of sleep, yet you have not fought against me once as so to stop."
"I didn't know I had the option."
"You just happen to forget I have no power over you?" It was his turn to smile. She stared nervously at him.
"Now what, I wonder, will little Sarah do?" He put down his text on a table. Stalking over to her, he crouched down in front of the fidgeting girl. Weaving his fingers together he placed his chin on them as his elbows rested on his knees. "I really would like to know why a pretty little thing would want to spend her dreams in a dirty city of Goblins; in a dank little room with a cruel, evil king."
Her panicking eyes became stern. "You mean that spoiled brat of a king who likes to toy with anyone at his whim?"
He pursed his lips, "Oh no, you're speaking of the neighboring king. I am speaking of the King in front of you." At that she got up sprinting to his desk. He stood up himself, "Why so nervous Sarah?"
Sarah braced herself against her new best friend: the desk. "I don't get it. Why do you keep bringing me back? I beat you. Shouldn't you hate me or something…not want my…what?" She glanced sideways at him unconvinced, "Company?" Her eyes danced across his face looking for a clue. A clue of what, she didn't know.
His eyes, on the other hand, were firmly fixed on hers. She had the uncanny feeling that's all he needed to know exactly what she was feeling; wanted; needed. She always felt bare around him.
"What is it that you want?" She whispered in exasperation.
"Do we really have to go through this, Sarah?"
"Stop saying my name!"
For the first time he looked genuinely confused. She glanced at him apprehensively. Apparently, she shouldn't have made that remark. She didn't want him thinking about it too much.
Unfortunately for her, she was the only person Jareth would care to delve into this odd demand. He was about to inquire when she cut him off, "Just tell me what you want! Let's stop these useless games."
"You know exactly what I want…Sarah." He was laughing inside, she could tell. She wondered if he knew.
Tightening her grip on her best friend for support, she unwaveringly said, "No. Tell me."
He lifted up an arm with a smile to reach for a strand of her hair. But before he could touch her, she tossed her hair back. "If it was hair care secrets you wanted, all you had to do was ask. I'd gladly help your static problem."
He dejectedly rested his hand to his side. Her dark locks did look so inviting. Sarah's whole body was tautly rigid. She was waiting. Even her breath was caught as he leaned down to her ear. His breath, she noticed very clearly, was easily flowing and warm. "Sarah. I love you."
She scrunched her features in skepticism, "Are you sure its not just infatuation?"
She could see that he wasn't expecting her to be hesitant in his proclamation. He stared at her in astonishment as he quietly answered her, "Perhaps in the beginning. But the years have passed, my dear Sarah."
Seemingly indifferent to his words, her fixed stare was slowly draining him. She could tell by the sudden lack of mirth in his eyes.
"What did I say about my name?"
"I wanted to ask about that, but you…"
"Do you do it on purpose?"
Forgetting her rejection of him, "Do what?"
"Elongate my name the way you do."
"Elongate your name?" He tested it, "Sarah. Hmm, I suppose I do." He had been talking to the air when he looked back to Sarah who had her eyes closed in relish.
His eyes widened in realization. She opened hers in turn and coyly smiled at him, "One of the few reasons I keep coming back." Never had she seen him so completely dumbfounded that he had no reply. So she released her old friend and went up to her new one. With a short sweet kiss to his lips she answered him, "I love you too." A loud shrieking buzz resounded through the room, "But I'm waking up."
And she was gone.
"That's why she always…all this time. I could have…"
He shook his head and tried to go back to his reading. The words he read faded in his mind as the words blurred incoherently. All he could think of was Sarah. He always knew words were powerful...he just never knew those rules applied to him as well.
"I'll gladly play by the rules.
Umm…I'm not sure I like the ending…I sorta had writer's block…eh.
Short? Yea.
Listening to:
I'm in the club 10 grand in a rubber band / Damn right I'm crunk / Damn right I'm clean / They got that rock / They got that lean/ We make a pool palace / I make ya shoulder lean