Its amazing how you can be totally assured something is a oneshot because what else could you possibly add? Then I was walking along listening to my iriver and l and behold my muse reappeared.
The song is Lenka's Trouble is a friend, which really does sum up the entirety of Jareth's relationship to Sarah.
One difference from last time is that I've decided to add some actual dialogue this time, not much, but a little….or a lot.
He was waiting for her when she returned home from class, a faint sardonic smile hovering on his lips. "Hello dearest,"
She yelped and slammed the door shut, dropping her bag and spilling early Celtic mythology notes across the floor. "Damn it Jareth! Why do you have to do that?"
He grinned showing jagged teeth in a kind of feral delight, "Because its fun dearest." He moved from his propped up stance against her vanity and crouched close to her legs, gathering up her spilled notes. "And you do know how I love to get a reaction out of you."
She glared down at him, "Very funny." The wild face crouching at her feet turned upwards as he swept his hands across her dorm room floor. Eyes not leaving her face he collected the last of the papers and flowed slowly upwards until he stood a breath apart from her, notes in hand. "Although I am very sorry about spilling your work."
Trouble he will find you
No matter where you go
Oh, oh
No matter if you're fast
No matter if you're slow
Oh, oh
She could taste his breath on her tongue, heavy spices and dark wine. He was standing entirely still, the perfect pose of a man at ease, but the sensation of him rolling his body up hers, was anything but polite, it bordered more on the obscene. His head tilted to one side, a peculiarly avian gesture, she could tell he had been flying recently. "Well dearest, aren't you going to say thankyou?"
'Dearest' hissed across his teeth like a snake hypnotising his prey, while 'thankyou' was a tapestry of undercurrent tension and suggestiveness.
Sarah closed her eyes and concentrated on her breathing. Grand. He was in another of those moods.
"Your majesty is very kind" she whispered, looking down before opening her eyes to take back her notes. The Goblin King's gloved hand resisted for a moment as she tried to retrieve her work. "It's Jareth, Sarah" he growled before letting her take back her papers.
The eye of the storm
Wanna cry in the morn
Oh, oh
You're fine for a while
But you start
To lose control
Sarah was already late for class as she dashed around her too small dorm room, toast clenched between her teeth and frantically shoving textbooks into her bag. Glancing around the room in frustration she tore the toast from her mouth and howled, "Gods damnit Beek where is my pencil case!" Beek was a peculiar little goblin she generally found hanging around her floor, either making a mess in the kitchen or chewing pencils. Once Sarah had tried buying him a twelve pack of coloured pencils from the stationary store on campus but Beek had refused, explaining "Stole'd colours alays tastes betterer Lady"
The day after Sarah had placed them in her drawers intending to keep them herself she had discovered a third missing and the half of the remainder chewed beyond recognisability.
Then her wardrobe door blew open and banged against the one door out of Sarah's room. A long booted leg clad in tight grey breeches extended itself out of the inside mirror, followed by the head of the Goblin King somewhere above it. "Has one of my subjects upset you, my love?" Jareth asked, leaning forward then halting disgustedly, "Blast this narrow mirror, how many times have I told you to get this replaced?" His head withdrew and he fitted through shoulders first, wriggling somewhat to get through the narrow space. Sarah turned a furious (and now peanut butter smeared) finger on the intruder, "Not now Jareth!" She snapped, "I'm late enough as it is!"
He's there in the dark
He's there in my heart
He waits in the wings
He's gotta play a part
With a casual seeming flick of his wrist Jareth called up a crystal and tossed it towards the clock hanging on the opposite wall, "Now then," he smiled as the ticking second hand froze, "We've got all the time in the world, so tell me what's happened."
Sarah opened her mouth to argue, but at a quirk of Jareth's raised eyebrow she sank slowly down onto her bed and chewed her toast.
"S'this stupid essay on the comparative writing styles of reconstructed mythologies," she mumbled, "and what we can learn from reading different versions of stories. I was up all night finishing it and slept through my alarm." She rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand exhaustedly. "I was just getting into the rhythm of it when Didymus and the others called to tell me Ambrosias had passed away, so I didn't finish writing it until four thirty this morning."
Jareth's eyes widened slightly, "Ambrosias? I was wondering why my loyal knight had been absent from court this week, I shall have to attend him with my condolences."
He frowned at Sarah who had finished her toast and was now rubbing her eyes with both her hands like a child. He cast his eyes around the room and picked up a half empty cup of cold tea, with an absentminded tap of gloved fingers it was filled with hot fresh brew. "There, there dearest," he crouched in front of her and tugged one of her hands down to wrap around the mug. "Come now, drink this" he guided the mug to her lips and pressed it against her lips. As the first sip passed down her throat the tension in her shoulders melted.
"Oh Jareth" she hiccuped, scrunching her eyes closed against the tears, he moved the cup swiftly, setting it in mid air for fear of her spilling the hot tea. "Wasn't there something you could have done? Didymus was so devastated! I thought creatures of the Labyrinth could live forever!" tears started flowing down her cheeks, hot, itchy and painful. Jareth sat on one knee on the bed beside her and pulled her into his lap, she struggled for a moment, then gave up and collapsed into him.
"Shush dearest," he petted her hair and back, "Hush love, all will mend"
Trouble is a friend
Yeah
Trouble
Is a friend of mine
Ahh
"Not all creatures of my kingdom are immortal Sarah," he whispered. "Ambrosias lived a good life, he was well over one hundred years when you first came across him at my Bog."
"One hundred…dog years?"
"Not precisely my dear, time is measured in alternate patterns within the labyrinth."
Sarah chuckled wetly, "Probably because someone keeps messing with all the clocks," she sniffed. Jareth produced a plain white handkerchief from somewhere, "Blow your nose." He instructed. Sarah obeyed, scrubbing her face with the soft linen.
"I think, "she took a deep shuddering breath, "I think I need to wash my face."
With reluctance, Jareth withdrew his arms and allowed her to stand. Sarah tottered into her adjoining bathroom and shivered as she flooded the sink with icy cold water. Wincing as she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror she spent another few moments hunting for her hairbrush and dragging it through her unruly mess of locks.
Feeling slightly better she walked back into her room to find Jareth gripping her desk until the leather in his gloves creaked with effort.
"Jareth?" startled Sarah jumped backwards. In reply the Goblin King opened his eyes to slits and gritted his teeth. "It's a summons." He hissed. "I cant not answer. I must leave you Sarah, I am sorry."
"I…oh." Sarah flushed uncomfortably.
"I'll return in a week," Jareth gasped and flung his head back, "The funeral, I'll bring you."
"Oh...um…thankyou yes." As soon as her acquiescence was given Jareth disappeared. The clock resumed its ticking and Sarah was left clutching a white hanky that smelled of magic, wondering what she had just agreed too. The hovering mug dropped and spilt tea all over the carpet.
Trouble is a friend
But trouble is a foe
Oh, oh
And no matter
What I feed him
He always seems to grow
Oh, oh
Groaning tiredly Sarah passed a hand over her mirror, ceasing the buzzing pressure growing in her skull.
"I'm here alright?" she sighed, slumping her head forward into her hands, "What do you want now?"
"You're late." Jareth stated, lounging on his throne.
"No I'm not."
"You are. It's half past five in your mortal realm, you agreed that you would call to arrange a visit once your exams were done."
"It's twenty five past four, Your Majesty, its daylight savings."
"What in the Underground is that?"
"It's not in the Underground, Majesty, it's an annual time change, clocks got wound back an hour last night."
Jareth sneered, "Ridiculous custom. Are you ready to leave?"
"Leave?" Sarah puzzled, then gasped, "The funeral is now?!"
Jareth frowned, "Yes of course Sarah, you received your invitation did you not?"
Sarah glanced at her top desk drawer which was suspiciously silent. "No…" she answered slowly, "I did not."
Jareth scowled for a moment, "Very well that is of no current matter, are you ready?"
"Of course not!" Sarah gestured frantically at her worn jeans and green t-shirt, "Jareth I've been in class all day! I've only just gotten home!"
Jareth looked at the last clean clothes before washday outfit and groaned.
He sees what I see
And he knows
What I know
Oh, oh
So don't forget
As you ease
On down my road
"Sarah, Sir Didymus and the others will not care if you are wearing a manure sack as long as you are in attendance."
"But Jareth!" already tugging off her sneakers and shoving frantically through her closet, Sarah pleaded with him, "That would be disrespectful, I couldn't do that to Ambrosias!"
Jareth pinched the bridge of his nose, "It will not matter a damn fig to those who care about you what you are wearing!" he argued as Sarah, hair flying, bounded away from the wardrobe with a black dress in hand into the bathroom.
"You have ten minutes!" He shouted pointlessly.
He's there in the dark
He's there in my heart
He waits in the wings
He's gotta play a part
Trouble is a friend
Yeah
Trouble
Is a friend of mine
Nine minutes and fifty seconds later Sarah reappeared, tossing a pair of laddered stockings behind her and still ripping a brush through her hair. "I'm ready," she puffed, "Let's go." She reached out a hand and tried to push through the mirror, her fingers plunked against cold glass. "Hey! Let me through!"
"You have to say the words Sarah," The Goblin King reminded her, "I cannot take you with me otherwise."
"Oh." Straightening her shoulders and pushing her hair back, Sarah looked directly into the mirror at a point just behind Jareth's collar. "I wish that the Goblin King would come and take me," she paused as she noticed the hungry look in Jareth's eyes and hurriedly ad-libbed, "away to Ambrosias' funeral right now!"
"Clever girl," Jareth muttered, stretching both hands through the mirror to yank Sarah through to land before him. "Welcome back Sarah."
So don't be alarmed
If he takes you
By the arm
I roll down the window
I'm a sucker
For his charm
After the funeral two figures walked alongside one another along the stone paths of the labyrinth. Although to be more truthful, one paced hurriedly ahead while the other snapped along just behind her, radiating fury from the tips of his hair to the flick of his cloak. All at once the first figure rounded on the second and demanded "Dammit Jareth just take me home!"
"No."
"Why not?"
"There are a few matters which need sorting out first my dear, for instance, just what you think you can demand of me when I go to so much effort to allow you time with your friends."
"You didn't tell me it would be like that!"
"Surely you weren't so naive as to think that all you saw of my Labyrinth was all that there was dear Sarah?"
Sarah screamed, "For goddesses sake Jareth just take me back!"
"Oh that I can do now that you ask so nicely, and believe me my dear I shall do so with pleasure."
Two figures disappeared and worlds skewed…
Trouble is a friend
Yeah
Trouble
Is a friend of mine
Ahh
"I cannot cater to your every whim!" he shouted, "You were brave enough to face me, why cannot you put up with a few idiotic comments from an empty brained Sidhe wench?" Sarah dropped her gaze, then bull rushed past him into her room
"Sarah." She ignored him and went to slam her door.
"Sarah!" she froze and turned around slowly, mascara tracks streaking her face, he strode up to her and seized her face in his hand.
"I am the Goblin King" he hissed, "You named me that yourself. I am the embodiment of my kingdom and its subjects and as such there are times when I must be cruel!" Sarah gulped and sobbed and tried to pull away. "Don't you understand that?"
"Th-there's a difference" she stuttered, "to being arrogant to visiting dignitaries, an-and being a soulless bastard to people who are supposed to be your friends!"
Jareth jerked as if physically stung, "Oh Sarah" his eyes softened as he looked at her, "If I ever learned any lesson about cruelty, it came straight from you." His eyes hardened again and he pulled her against him, "But whoever said we were friends?"
He left her trembling as he stormed out, bruises from his fingers on her already forming on her chin and lips red and shaking with each breath. A tiny drop of blood at the corner of her mouth from his jagged teeth.
How I hate the way
He makes me feel
And how I try
To make him leave
I try
Oh, oh, I try
It took a month for her to gather the courage to call the Labyrinth again.
"Nothing, nothing is ever easy tra la la" she muttered, passing her hand over the mirror. Hoggle's features were just materialising when another arrogant vision appeared instead.
"Tut, tut Sarah," Jareth smirked, "Calling on one of my subjects before you greet your King?" he shook his head, "A grave misconduct indeed my dear."
Sarah sighed and rubbed her brow. "Are you coming through?"
Jareth's smirking expression flickered, "From calling Hogbog to inviting me into your home so quickly Sarah, anyone would think you didn't even like the dwarf."
"You make it sound like I should be surprised to see you Jareth."
Jareth raised an eyebrow, "So mature Sarah, not to mention eager to see me…perhaps I should kiss you more often?"
"I think this might be better discussed in person your majesty."
But he's
There in the dark
He's there in my heart
He waits in the wings
He's gotta play a part
Trouble is a friend
Yeah
Trouble
Is a friend of mine
She reached across and grasped his hand, "You keep saying I cast you as the villain Goblin King. Who are you really then instead?"
Jareth smiled his tired weary smile of almost four years ago, "I am what you wanted me to be."
"Well perhaps you ought to be yourself then Jareth. Stop exhausting yourself with living up to my expectations."
"And why would I want to do that precious?" his voice held more than a hint of sarcasm.
Sarah wanted to scream, or cry, or stand on a soapbox and renounce all men on a street corner, instead she closed her eyes and let the breath rush out of her. "Because I have no idea how to live up to yours."
So don't be alarmed
If he takes you
By the arm
I roll down the window
I'm a sucker
For his charm
Trouble is a friend
Yeah
Trouble
Is a friend of mine
Ahh
So what next dear readers? Perhaps what really happened with that Seelie wench? Or would you prefer a day in the life of Beek?And remember, if you review I write faster!