WARNING: there is a lot of swearing in this fic and it is sexual in nature so if you're bothered by that, this is not for you. There's also a sex scene in a later chapter.
You can like this story if you're not familiar with Bowie's other personas, don't worry!
IMPORTANT:
I know Duke was a character who was a nazi and did drugs and such, and I'm not trying to erase that but I don't want to really make him a drug addict in this story, just keeping his "ladies man" persona alive and maybe his hot headed tendencies but no racist or drug addict (just a mention of that part of his persona). Also a Thomas Jerome Newton cameo! Anyways, this is mostly a Labyrinth Fanfiction but enjoy!
Five years after Sarah ran the labyrinth
A man walked into one of the throne rooms, the one where the king of goblins saved for his rowdy goblins and not for his more, uh, sophisticated subjects. As usual, the throne room was in disarray and the man shook his head, rolling his eyes.
He looked over to the edges of the room and noticed that the goblins weren't drinking their usual ale. He groaned, that could only mean one thing.
"That blasted Jareth. God, I hate talking to him when he's drunk." The man complained, walking quickly to the King's chambers.
Jareth was drowning himself in ale, trying his best to actually keep his head up. He heard someone come in, and he rolled over to his side, annoyed, hoping the person would assume he was asleep.
"Jareth? You alright friend?" The man asked him. He knew though, that Jareth was in fact, not alright.
Jareth turned over, looking like a mess. His usually clean and pristine white shirt had stains of alcohol on it, his hair even more of a mess than usual, his eyes blood shot probably from both lack of sleep and crying, and his breath smelled awful.
The king looked at his friend, the man looking very different from him. Duke had no make up on like he did, no aura of magic and no outlandish clothing. He had on a simple white button down shirt with black slacks and shiny shoes, a golden bracelet on his wrist. His bright red hair and single blond streak suit him well.
Jareth hated how great his friend look while he himself was looking like shit.
"How dare you look so good while I'm in the depths of despair?" He hiccuped. "I'm the magical king who can give you dreams and here I am looking like I just got out of a frat party!"
Duke smirked. "I see you've been spending time with Sarah, learning more about Aboveground and American customs. Oh alcohol, making you say things you otherwise never would." He held his hand out. "Come on, get your glittery ass up. I know it's technically a weekend but you're a king. No more alcohol for you!"
Jareth snarled and made a crystal, throwing it for show, but Duke didn't budge, used to his friend's antics. "Shut the hell up, Skinny Pasty Dude."
"That's a really shitty way of saying 'Thin White Duke.' I know Sarah rejected you but you're being so dramatic, my god that was five year ago!" He sat at the foot of the bed, knowing that if he provoked his friend too much, Jareth would bog him.
"Exactly five years ago, actually. Now go away you weirdo and give me some wine if you're going to stay here." Jareth mumbled, taking another swing from his flask.
Duke snatched it away from him. "You've been keeping track too? You're hopeless." Duke stood up and stretched a little. "Desperate times calls for desperate measures." He sighed. "Take some pain killers for that headache of yours and I'll go kick some goblins with you."
Jareth's eyes instantly lit up. "You'd, you'd kick goblins with me? But you hate kicking goblins, you told me you thought it was stupid."
If Duke was honest with himself, he thought Jareth was rather right now adorable. The king lit up like a Christmas tree when Duke nodded.
"Wow, you're the best dude!" He hugged Duke, still drunk as ever.
Duke patted Jareth's messy hair, trying to make sure the fae wasn't drooling all over him. "Of course, anything for you. But, if you call me 'dude' instead of Duke one more time, I'm going to kick your ass so hard, you'll end up in Ziggy's house in Mars."
"I'm sure Ziggy would love that." Jareth was still grinning. "Let's go kick some goblins!"
Sarah Williams watching some chick flicks and eating some cookies and cream ice cream. No, she didn't just break up with anyone. In fact, she hadn't dated anyone for over six months now. The 20, almost 21 year old college student really didn't have a reason to be up like this.
She refused to put her feelings into words, even in her head, but it was clear that she was thinking about five years ago, how she ran the labyrinth and it forever changed her life. She made new friends, became less annoying, but also retaining that fantasy in herself. She also learned about how much she loved Toby, how she felt so bad about losing her temper and yelled at a screaming baby that night, cringing at the memory.
All in all, it was the best thing that ever happened to her. Except there was that one "what if" about a certain, handsome, crazy haired king.
Interrupting her thoughts was a knock at her door. She really hoped it wasn't who she thought it was, so she stayed put, hoping to be left alone.
"Sarah? I know you're in there! You don't fool me!"
She sighed in relief. It was NOT who she thought it was. She had expected a glittery fae but opened to a different glittery man.
"Hi Ziggy." She said tiredly. "What's up?" She motioned him in the apartment and he walked over to the dining table.
Her visitor had on a suit of sorts with red and green stripes going up and down. His nails were done with glittery gold (she tried to not think of Jareth when she saw the glitter), bright red shoes, a large circle in the middle of his forehead as a marker that he was Martian. His boots were bright red with black laces, matching the red lipstick on his lips and the red hair on his head, spiking out like an 80s rock star.
"I just miss you." He said honestly, but with omition. "We haven't talked in a while, that's all."
Sarah narrowed her eyes in a nice-try-I-don't-buy-anything-you're-saying kind of look, and promptly called him out. "I saw you last month with Jareth. You never drop by unannounced unless it has something to do with Jareth. Judging by your attitude, he's not in any immediate danger like the time his nephew tried to bog him by accident and I had to save his ass. So, let me ask you again, what's up?"
Ziggy whistled. "Damn, you are good. No wonder you want to go into law."
Sarah gave him a look and grinned at her friend. "Flattery won't get you out of this. Now tell me, what is wrong with that spiky haired glitter boy?"
Ziggy frowned. "Hey, I'm the spiky haired glitter boy too, you know!"
Sarah waved. "Stop distracting me! I know you have glitter powers too. I don't even know the point of having glitter powers, Jesus."
Ziggy sighed. "Alright. Truth is, Jareth has no idea I'm here."
Sarah looked at the alien in surprise and he shrugged.
Neither Jareth or Sarah had talked directly about their feelings for each other, though she had talked about it a little with her three companions and Jareth to both Ziggy and Duke. But, the friends never talked to the other person about it as they were afraid some delicate balance would fall.
"I'll go ahead and say it." Ziggy prayed that he wouldn't ruin anything by starting this. "Sarah, I KNOW you and Jareth have feelings for each other."
"I have no idea what you're talking about." She said with a tone of finality. "Anyways, ice cream?"
Ziggy shook his head. "Oh stop. Why don't you try to talk to him about it? Sarah, what's holding you back?"
The human girl looked into his eyes, the facade gone. "Maybe, Ziggy, it was the fact that I said no to him back then, and he never expressed any interest since. We already talked about what happened a little, about how he was sorry that he made me feel like shit when all I did was try to save Toby and the fact that I was young, and I apologized for being such a brat. He hasn't brought it up since, and I can't take the rejection, okay? So stop pressuring me to be with him."
She pouted and crossed her arms, refusing to look at Ziggy, afraid that angry tears would fill her eyes and fall.
She felt a hand on her back and she looked up in surprise to see someone else, a man with orange hair and a blonde streak, dressed finely and respectfully, looking very suave.
"You know, I would appreciate it if you actually came through my front door, Duke." Sarah frowned at him. Duke clicked his tongue and Ziggy chuckled.
"My dear, I just put the king to bed. That man is like a child when he's that drunk." He sighed and sat next to Ziggy. "I have never met anyone more stubborn as you and Jareth! You two would make quite a pair."
"Look cut it out. I care about Jareth but there's no need to pretend that he doesn't think that I'm the same bratty kid as back then. If you two are going to just make me feel all fucked up, then maybe you should leave."
"Sarah, do you feel like you're not good enough for him or that you're scared that he would hurt you in the same way as he did five years ago? That's the vibe I'm getting." Ziggy grabbed the carton of ice cream and began to scoop himself some.
Sarah was about to open her mouth but Duke put a finger to her lips. "Hush and listen to me, dear. You have no idea how much he has regretted the way he acted towards you for back then. So often, you told everyone of how much you learned in the Labyrinth. Has it ever occurred to you that maybe, maybe, Jareth went through the same thing? He has changed a lot since that time."
Sarah leaned back, at a loss for words. She had never thought about that.
"That's what I thought." Duke ran his hand through his hair.
"What am I supposed to do now?" She asked them angrily. "Maybe I don't want to try with Jareth. Maybe I enjoy having him as a friend. I'm also single as hell and I want to meet guys my age."
The little voice in her head told her that she was lying, that when she closed her eyes at night, only one man was there. And she didn't want to risk ruining anything with him.
Ziggy rolled his eyes and was about to talk, but Duke held a hand up and spoke instead. "I have a proposal. Your 21st birthday is almost here, yes? You said that since university is not in session, that your friends are gone. What if us two go with you? We could have some fun as friends and I'm sure you will have no trouble finding someone to go home with. If you decide to go that route that is." He winked at her.
Sarah thought about it for a moment. She was planning on spending it alone or waiting for her friends to come back to school and then going to a bar for the first time, but hey, it was safe to go with two men that she trusted. She had been itching to get into the dating scene, not used to being single because when she was single, she thought of HIM. She wanted to ask why Jareth wasn't invited, but she figured it was better not to ask or else it'll make it look like she wanted him.
She gave Duke a nod. "Alright. Fine."
Duke patted her shoulder. "Then it's settled. Meet you there at 8pm next Friday?
"Sounds good."
After they left, Sarah didn't feel like watching the movie anymore. Instead, she picked a book and began to read. It was an old favorite, one she hadn't read in five years.
"But what no one knew is that the king of the goblins had fallen in love with the girl, and he had given her certain powers…"
Sarah's birthday, approximately one week later
Duke and Ziggy decided to try their best to NOT tell Jareth about their meeting with Sarah or the plan to see her at the bar. As far as Jareth knew, it was going to be by coincidence that she was there and hopefully he could go and initiate things himself.
Jareth was feeling lonely still, and Ziggy suggested that they have dinner in the garden, coming and seeing him when all of their schedules allowed.
"Thank you both." Jareth said. "I'm sorry about, well, you know…"
Ziggy gave Jareth a pat on the back. "We all know you're in love. It's okay."
At that, Jareth snarled. "I am NOT in love." Even as he said it though, Jareth knew it was a lie. He was head over heels for Sarah, the girl who defeated his Labyrinth, the girl he had been friends with since then, but unable to move on from.
"If you're not, then maybe this is a good chance for you to go home with someone for the first time, in, oh how long has it been since you got laid?" Duke leaned back casually.
Truthfully, the last time he had any fun with women, it was probably not long before he met Sarah but they all knew that. "Oh, so now you're gloating because you probably got laid last week. Haha. Well it doesn't matter, you arrogant jackass, because I don't want to." Jareth spat. He was a tiny bit jealous that both Duke and Ziggy could be so detached from love and just have fun. How he wished he could be that way.
"Actually I got laid last night, but if it makes you feel better then we can say a week ago." Duke took a sip of water, Ziggy laughing his head off at angry Jareth.
"You know, Jareth." Ziggy laughed some more. "You are so fun to provoke. No wonder Sarah said 'it's a piece of cake!' I mean that girl, man. No wonder she drives you insane. Plus, you either need to ask her out or get over her. Maybe you should be like us and find someone to have a night of fun with. You're really annoying when you're brooding over her."
"Enough of this stupid talk." Jareth growled.
Ziggy just shrugged, saying nothing. He knew that if he provoked Jareth too much, especially when it came to Sarah, he really could end up in the bog and smell forever.
It was amazing, actually, how calm and collected Jareth could be. But for some reason, when he was in love with Sarah, all that calm demeanor just leaves him.
Ziggy winked at Duke to start their plan. He drained the rest of his wine. "I must say, this was a great meal. Oh, what do you say we actually go to a bar for drinks? Maybe even some dancing with some ladies and karaoke!"
"Oh come now Ziggy. You and your wine." Jareth rolled his eyes. "And I already don't want to go, I'm not interested in a fling with anyone."
Duke smirked at him. "Oh come on. When's the last time you guys had any fun, you Fluffy Goblin Kicker? Or are you too scared that I'll sing better when drunk than you are sober?"
That did it. No one challenged Jareth to a singing challenge without him accepting it. That man had an ego bigger than the Underground!
"I can assure you, gentlemen, that I can in fact, sing better than both of you combined!" Jareth boomed. "I will not be outdone!"
He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothing. "Just, give me an hour to change outfits." And just like that, he poofed.
"Does he really need an hour?" Duke groaned. "All I need is a shower and just put on some clothes. Well okay and some hair gel but that's it."
Ziggy's mouth popped open. "Blasphemy! And you know that he will run into Sarah tonight. Just let him look his best or he'll come running back trying out ten different outfits. You know him. And we all know you just want to hurry as fast as you can so you can go to the bar and find someone to get laid with."
Duke shrugged and smiled, showing his pointy teeth. "You aren't wrong there."
After an hour, Jareth showed up, deciding to wear an all black outfit from long sleeved shirt with the corset around his waist and black breeches inside black heeled boots. His shirt opened in the front, his amulet resting clear as day.
To top it off, he had on a black glittering cape, deciding to go gloveless as it was summer after all.
"I'm ready!" The king announced to his companions.
"Finally." Duke rolled his eyes. "I was wondering if I should leave without you."
His friend had the same simple clothing on as before with the button down white shirt and black slacks, but this time had a silver vest over with a silver cape.
Ziggy admired Duke. "Where'd you get that vest and cape? It looks great on you! Next time take me shopping too!"
"Enough, let's go." Said Jareth. "And no, I am NOT going to get laid tonight so don't even convince me because I don't want to. I will just prove to you BOTH that I am better at singing!"
The other two rolled their eyes and crossed their fingers that their plan to bring Jareth and Sarah together would work.
