"Happy birthday Sarah!"
Sarah Williams smiled at the greeting, entering Diane and John's apartment. Their children ran to Sarah and nearly knocked her over with their hugs. She laughed. "Thanks, guys!"
"Wait 'til you see the presents you got!" cried Annie, the oldest of the three.
"They're so big!" elaborated Benjamin, next in age.
"And Lissa made the most beautiful cake!" Annie continued.
"It looks so good!"
"Come on!" The Annie and Benjamin grabbed her hands to drag her to the kitchen as the littlest ran ahead.
"Hey guys," Sarah greeted her adult friends as she passed them by. They smiled and followed behind.
"See! See! Isn't it pretty?"
"Yes, it is," Sarah confirmed. She turned to the woman responsible for the cake, gratitude warming her voice. "Thanks, Lissa." Her friend returned her smile.
"Let's blow out the candles!" cried the children.
Diane smiled fondly at her over-eager offspring. "Darlings, we have to have dinner first."
"Awww…."
"Come on, Mom!"
"Yes, come on, Mom," their friend Amy repeated facetiously. Diane gave her a light slap.
Dinner passed uneventfully, and eventually the moment came when Sarah was to be presented with her cake.
There were only two number candles on the cake to indicate Sarah's age – an easy feat to blow out. Her friends grinned stupidly as they sang the birthday song; and the children were nearly jumping with excitement.
What do I wish for? Sarah wondered. She wanted to wish for something serious, not materialistic or frivolous. She understood the power of wishes. I wish for… She let it drag out, wracking her brain for an idea.
No one noticed when David, the youngest of the children, became distracted by one of the presents. It was a new present, one that had not been there earlier. The boy picked up the gift, an orb, in both hands and carried it over to his sister. He tugged on her sleeve.
She looked down. "What is it, Davy?" she whispered.
"What does this say?"
Perturbed, she glanced at the note attached to the ball. "To Sarah, from Jareth."
"Jared?"
"Jareth."
"Oh."
The song was finishing, and Sarah still didn't know what to wish. I wish for… The song ended, and she took in a deep breath. I wish for…
"Who's Jareth?" Davy's question seemed loud in the silence.
Jareth? In surprise, Sarah blew the candles out.
The party did not last very long, and Sarah arrived home a little after 10:30. Not in the mood for bed, she decided to open the champagne Amy had given her.
Although her birthday was actually on the following day, the upcoming long weekend had sent all of her friends on road trips, forcing them to throw her party a day early.
What the hey, maybe I'll just count down to my birthday. Sarah poured herself a glass of champagne and sat down to watch Seven Brides for Seven Brothers.
She had been forced to cover the sudden appearance of Jareth's crystal. Her excuse had been that an overly friendly bookstore salesman had given it to her free for her birthday. It must have fallen out of her purse, which had been placed on the same table as the gift pile. No big deal, she had said.
The movie finished only a few minutes before midnight, and Sarah spent these last few in her room staring at the clock, sipping her champagne. Eventually, the clock began to chime, and Sarah counted as she refilled her glass.
At the twelfth chime, she raised her glass to the timepiece. Happy birthday Sarah. She brought the liquid to her lips.
"Happy birthday, Precious."
Sarah choked. She wiped the champagne off her chin, somewhat humiliated, and stood to face her foe. "What do you want, Goblin King?"
His grin did nothing to put her at ease, and he was suddenly very close. "My dear, I think the question is, what do you want?"
Her gaze was defiant. "Nothing."
"Is that so?" He fiddled with a strand of her hair.
Sarah's traitorous stomach gave little flips. "Yes, that is so. I don't what would make you think otherwise."
His canines flashed. "Why, you wished for me not but four hours ago. 'I wish for Jareth,' I believe were the precise words." He presented her with a rather satisfied smile. "For me, Precious. Not for my presence or my appearance." He pressed ever closer, and Sarah emitted a small squeak as she attempted to back up, only to find herself lying on her bed, his knees between hers. "For me."
"I did not!" she cried indignantly, sitting up to face him. She paused, and he watched her eyes turn distant as she recalled all that had passed that night.
Eventually, she let out a small, surprised "Oh!" before slapping her hands over her face and emitting a longer, more mournful "Oh…." She let herself fall back onto the bed.
The Goblin King leaned over her. "You wished for me, Precious, and here I am. Now what do you plan on doing with me?"
Sarah glared at him through her fingers before placing her hands on his chest in an attempt to push him away. Her hands, however, enjoyed their new location, and refused to force him off of her.
"Nuh-uh. I did not willingly wish for you." Realization dawned on her face. "That stupid crystal you gave me! This is your fault!" She shoved him, but he barely moved. "You– you– arrogant! loathsome! despicable! son-of-a-witch!" Sarah emphasized by hitting his chest on every word. She was twisting and turning beneath him, and he growled, grabbing her wrists and pinning them up by her head.
Sarah froze, the tension in the air increasing dramatically. She couldn't breathe. Sarah let out a shaky breath, and Jareth's eyes darkened. Her stomach dropped, and she had lost her breath again.
They stayed that way for a second, or a minute, or an hour, before his lips crashed down on hers. He was forceful and passionate and Sarah could do nothing but respond to him.
Jareth placed a knee on the bed, and Sarah scooted back a little as he climbed on top of her, their lips never parting. His hands clutched her waist desperately, pulling her as close to him as possible.
When he eventually pulled away, Sarah gasped, though she was pleased to note that Jareth was also out of breath. But he only paused for a moment before moving to her neck. Sarah tilted her head as he licked, sucked, and nibbled his way down. One hand pushed down the collar of her shirt, giving him access to her shoulder and collarbone.
Sarah felt lightheaded as Jareth returned to her lips. The hand still on her hip ran down her thigh and hitched her leg up around his waist. Sarah let out an involuntary moan. At this, Jareth kissed her fiercely, pressing her into the mattress. She could feel his smirk as his hand began to push under her blouse, but she didn't care. Not at the moment, at least.
A loud sound like a gong suddenly rang through the room, and Jareth pulled away from her to swear venomously. Pulling her as close to him as physically possible, he kissed her ferociously before vanishing in a cloud of glitter.
A/N: Ahem, okay... So. These... uh, these stories seem to keep getting more and more intimate. Physically. And, uhem, well, I kinda wrote all the kissing and the nibbling in one sitting, and then reread it later and was like, woah. I still kind of read it with a "? Young lady, what do you think you're doing?" sort of mentality. So, well, new territory and all that.
Aaaand... I bring it to you a month overdue! Yay! Moving on, many thanks to my beta hopeless. romantic. 3739.
Labyrinth belongs to Henson, etc. etc.