Jareth the Goblin King and Sarah Williams belong to Henson and Co.
Finnevarrah Vercingetorix belongs to Ellen Weaver.
A Bedtime Story
Ice pellets tap against your bedroom window. A draft slides across the floor and chills your ankles, still damp from your hasty shower.
You crawl into your bed. The queen-size bed is an acre of cold wilderness. You settle on the side of the bed, staying within arm's reach of the damnable alarm clock with its glowing red numbers, and shiver in your long t-shirt, waiting for your body to heat the space.
"I need to be warm," you groan petulantly. Two hefty cats are walking across the quilts over you, poking you with their tiny feet. You reach out and pull one of them down beside you, hoping for a cozy cat warmer. The cat glares at you and jumps off the bed.
"So it's like that, is it?" you say to the cat. It gives you the stink eye, washes the fur you soiled with your disgusting human hand and then stalks from the room, tail twitching in insulted indignation.
Everything's cold. Everything sucks.
"I wish I could get warm," you gripe to yourself. You close your eyes and curl up, still cold and peevishly muttering.
A soft noise, a sigh of breath barely heard, lets you know you are suddenly no longer alone.
If you were cold before, now you are frozen.
You slowly and carefully open your eyes to see two blue eyes staring at you from very close quarters.
"Eep," you say.
"Would you mind scooting over," says Jareth. "I'm freezing here."
After a moment of absolute confusion, you decide you are dreaming, so you scoot over without further comment.
He lifts the covers, allowing a chill draft in to steal your warmth and then crawls in, taking the warm spot you just vacated. You are both intrigued and unsettled to discover that he is wearing only a pair of silky pajama bottoms. He wiggles around a bit and then grabbing hold of your hand, pulls your arm over himself and snuggles in with his back to you, becoming the small spoon.
"Of course," you think. "He WOULD want to be the one getting cuddled." He IS warm though, and quite touchable, so you pet his smooth stomach and nuzzle into the back of his neck. His hair is soft, fluffy, tickles your face and smells of lavender shampoo. He is lovely, warm and snuggly in your arms. Your backside is still cold, though.
"I wish I had another warm body," you say, imagining being sandwiched in warmth.
"Scoot over, you two," says a soft feminine voice.
"Hello, Precious," says Jareth to the voice. He turns and pushes at you, until you move back. He scoots over as well, taking your warm spot, then resumes his former position as the little spoon.
Sarah crawls in beside Jareth, turning herself to become another small spoon. Jareth is purring with satisfaction, having become the filler in a warm body sandwich. They whisper and coo to each other, ignoring you.
You mutter under your breath, realizing you should have been more specific in your wish.
"I wish I had another warm body to warm ME," you grumble to the back of Jareth's fluffy blond head, shivering a little on the un-warmed portion of the mattress.
A sudden draft chills you again as the blankets lift and another body climbs into the bed behind you.
"Hey, sweet Baby," Finn says. He slides one arm into the space under your neck and wraps his arm back across your collarbone. He hugs you to him with his other arm. He is large and warm and comforting… and completely naked.
You swallow hard at the realization. Suddenly you feel very warm after all.
"You must be tired," Finn says, nuzzling your neck. "You're usually much more careful with your wording."
"I am tired," you whine, "and..."
"Hush," he says, and runs his tongue along the back of your ear.
"Eep," you say again.
"Finnvarrah," says Jareth.
"Wut?" says Finn.
"She didn't specifically wish for that, I'm sleepy, and you're shaking the bed. GO TO SLEEP."
"Spoilsport," says Finn. He snuggles up, pressing you between his own muscular chest and Jareth's smooth back. Finny heaves a sigh and his body relaxes next to you.
The cats jump onto the bed and pick out comfortable spots atop the blankets.
You are warm. You are asleep.