A/N: Little late on this, oh well. Next bit will be up when I finish it!
Sarah raked her hands through her hair in frustration. The Labyrinth had decided today would be bright and sunny with a cool breeze, so she had grabbed a light sweater and taken the thick books and scraps of paper she had been reading outside. Now they were spread across a large stone bench in a nook she had found in the hedge maze.
She had only meant to quickly check some facts she had forgotten, but she had come across a several mentions to a conflict she didn't recognize, and when she had finally found a description of it elsewhere, she had been drawn into a whole new realm of complexities. She had tracked down a story, a couple histories, and assorted letters and was trying to tease answers from them, to find out what had happened, more or less, and why the court still cared. She had been making progress until she had gotten to references to another unfamiliar name, which would mean hours more in the library sifting through books and scrolls and scrawls and books that weren't books and letters shoved between crumbling pages to find what she wanted. She loved the library, but sometimes she would have just liked to be able to find the information she needed without the adventure. She had made some progress in the massive collection, but she had learned a year was barely enough to understand the scope of the situation.
She groaned and flopped back on the bench and stared up at the sky, seriously contemplating going back in time to kill a couple of important fae to save herself the trouble of figuring out what they had done to piss off each other's kingdoms so much. Jareth would be able to help.
Fluffy clouds passed overhead and she idly imagined shapes in them: that one was a dragon, that could be a ship, and that was definitely a chicken. She was squinting at a particularly complex one when something not at all cloud-like appeared in front of her.
She batted at the hair that was now hanging in her face. "You're blocking my view," she said in mock annoyance.
"My apologies." Jareth straightened, standing next to her bench. "Although some would say I am the view."
She snorted. "Yeah, you would." She shifted to lean on her elbows, then realized exactly what kind of view she had from her position on the bench. She gaped openly. "You didn't seriously?"
Jareth looked extremely pleased by her reaction.
"Leather?" she squeaked.
"I've always considered it a part of my look," he said smugly. "And though my wardrobe has been sadly reduced, it only seemed right to include it."
With difficultly, she managed to speak again. "That looks uncomfortable."
"Not in the least," he said, with more than a bit of a leer. "But you're free to feel for yourself and see."
It was a tempting offer, but she ignored it. "You sure? You're not cold or anything?"
He smirked back at her and posed. "What does it look like to you?"
She had to admit it was a good view, not that she'd ever tell him that directly. His ego was already the biggest thing in the kingdom. She looked at the books strewn around her instead.
"Looks like you need to help me get these all back," she told him.
He heaved a melodramatic sigh and rolled his wrist, forming several crystals that flew from his fingertips and floated gently to each of the books. One after another, they disappeared, and she knew they would be waiting for her on a table in the library.
She got up from the bench and leaned into him to place a quick kiss on his cheek. "Thanks."
Before she moved away, his arms came around her and dragged her against him for a much more thorough kiss. Her hands came up to brace herself against his chest and she spread her fingers over his bare skin, slightly chilled by the cool air. She was very tempted to let them wander further, to trail downward and feel just how comfortable his leather undergarments were. His tongue swept into her mouth, filling her senses with the spicy taste of him. She moaned and he pressed harder against her, crowding her into nearly falling back onto the bench.
She finally had to break for breath and she leaned her head against his chest, panting slightly. His comforting scent surrounded her, wrapped as she was in his arms, and she smiled against his skin.
"Come back for lunch, love?" he murmured in her ear, twining a lock of her hair around his fingers.
She sighed. "In a minute. There's something I need to look up really quick."
He leaned back and raised a sculpted eyebrow at her. "So dinner then."
She flicked his chest and made a face at him. "No, it'll be quick, it's just a detail. Should be in the same place I was already looking."
"Mmm," he hummed, unconvinced. He unwrapped himself from her and stepped back. Bending at the waist, he held out a hand. "Shall I escort my lady to the library then?"
She took a minute to appreciate the image he made, clad only in a leather thong and affecting the manners of a courtier, then placed her hand regally in his. "You shall, my king."
He grinned at her, and they disappeared.