"Sarah?"

Sarah stood up from the couch where she sat reading but not concentrating on a book, and walked cautiously over to the bathroom door. Jareth's idea of playing was torturous, with the thoughts she'd been having about him. She knew he was only having a bit of fun; it was in his nature to be flirtatious and he probably was the same with most of the females he encountered. It was this knowledge along with her epically bad history with men that kept her from reacting too seriously to his comments and innuendo.

"Yes?" she replied, hearing that he had shut off the water.

The door opened and Jareth stood before her wearing nothing but a white towel draped around his waist. His chest and abdominal muscles were more toned and defined than she had been able to see the night she gave him a massage, and his legs, while slender, were also beautifully muscular. Striving to keep her eyes on his face, rather than rapaciously roving over his body, she raised her eyebrows questioningly, as if seeing gorgeous otherworldly naked men in towels was an everyday occurrence for her.

"It seems that my robe isn't in the bathroom, Precious," he said, his tone falsely apologetic. "I wonder… would you mind retrieving it from the bedroom for me?"

Her mouth dropped open. Had she subconsciously forgotten to put his robe in the bathroom for him? She was, after all, the one who had suggested he put it on so she could rinse out his things. "Oh! Sure, yeah, um… I'll go get it for you right now, no problem," she babbled, feeling her eyes drop down to where the towel was wrapped decadently low on his abdomen. This time however, in addition to his amazing body, she noticed something else. Stopping, she frowned. "Your stomach…" she began, resisting the urge to reach out and run her fingers soothingly over his skin. "Haven't those bruises healed at all?"

One hand reached down to cover the bruises. "Not yet," he said, self-conscious for the first time, as if having a temporary defect was more embarrassing than being seen nearly naked. "It seems that this is taking a bit longer to heal than the other physical manifestations of my attack."

"Does it still hurt?" she asked, dragging her eyes up to his face.

He hesitated but then nodded. "Yes."

"I'm sorry," she replied, meaning it. It was mostly dark green and yellow, and the sight of it made her own stomach ache with sympathy. "Hang on, I'll be right back."

She hurried into the bedroom and grabbed his robe from the foot of the bed. Her eyes lingered on the queen-size bed. Tonight she would be sleeping with a man who was tormenting her without even trying. 'Terrific,' she thought sarcastically, wondering if she could get out of it by letting him fall asleep first. If the door was left open, surely she would hear him from the couch if he called to her.

Returning to the bathroom, she found Jareth leaning against the door frame, one arm resting above his head. It was a deceptively casual pose. He had pale blond hair under his arms, she noted inanely; it made him seem even more vulnerable, somehow. She didn't feel she had the right to see so much of him. Even though she kept forgetting it, he was a king, a royal personage. It must be rather humiliating for him to be thus observed, and yet, he didn't seem to mind. He had even teasingly invited her to assist him in showering. His eyes were closed, and she felt her mouth go dry with apprehension.

"Jareth?"

Slowly, his eyes drifted open to look at her, and it wasn't difficult to read the pain there. "Hello, love," he said, which was odd, because she had only been gone less than a minute.

"Are you okay?" she asked anxiously. "What's wrong?"

Moving his arm, he stepped back to allow her entry. "Do me a favor, Sarah," he said, his voice almost a whisper.

"Okay," she agreed.

"Help me put my robe on," he said, holding out one arm.

She sighed. She had already agreed to help him in any way he needed, so if this was what he needed, she might as well do it. At least he hadn't asked her to help him undress before getting into the shower! "Are you feeling any better?" she asked.

"Better, yes, but still infuriatingly tired," he admitted.

"Well, it's not as though you can tend to any pressing matters, so you might as well sleep if that's what you need," she said reasonably. She assisted him in getting the other arm through, then wrapped the robe around him and tied the belt as tight as she dared, given the condition of his abdomen. "There you go," she said, turning to leave.

"Wait," he said, sounding just a little bit annoyed at her hurry to leave the room.

She had to smile at his imperious tone. Facing him again, she said sweetly, "Something else?"

"Yes. Remove my towel… please." Even though he was weak and exhausted, his eyes sparkled at her mischievously.

She nearly laughed. What was he playing at now? This was more than just teasing words… this was… this was… "I'm pretty sure you can do that for yourself," she replied dryly.

"I want you to do it," he said, completely serious and slightly petulant. "Please. You said you would help me."

Sarah was about to refuse again, but something in his eyes told her she ought to comply. It was though he had read her mind earlier when she reminded herself that he was a king, and was now exercising his right to expect his demands to be obeyed. Besides, he did seem to be tired after his shower, and maybe he truly needed her help, even though loosening a towel was not exactly a big exertion…

Then again, maybe it was a challenge, which was possible if the look in his eyes was any indication. Maybe he expected her to balk. Maybe he was counting on her to refuse him. Certain that this was the case she strode back to him and wordlessly untied his robe again. Jareth looked rather surprised when she spread it open wide, exposing him again. She very slowly undid the towel, letting her fingers lightly graze his skin as she did so, and let it fall to the floor. For a long moment, she stood there, staring into his face, knowing he was completely naked. Then she repositioned and tied his robe, all the while striving to keep eye contact with him. Keeping her gaze focused on his face was the single most difficult thing she had ever had to do. By the time she was finished, he was breathing heavily and his eyes had darkened considerably.

Despite the fact that her stomach was fluttering with a host of butterflies, she gave him what she hoped was a smug smile and went to turn away from him. She gave a little yelp when he gently took her arm and swung her around, reversing their positions so that Sarah's back was against the door of the shower. She was sure he was going to kiss her, but despite his nearness, all he did was touch her face lightly with one hand and say, his voice thick with desire… or maybe it was merely exhaustion, "Thank you, Precious, that was most enjoyable."

"Y-you're welcome," she stammered, swallowing hard in an attempt to regain her composure. Seeing the deadly handsome Goblin King in such a state made her knees turn to jelly.

He gave her a smug smile of his own, turned, and left the bathroom, while she cursed her newly acquired inability to refrain from playing with fire.

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Jareth watched as Sarah added logs to the fire, lit it expertly and then stepped back, wiping her hands on her jeans. She had been jittery and quiet since their encounter in the bathroom, but at least she hadn't been avoiding him. If anything, she seemed to be trying to prove something to both herself and to him. It was clear that no matter what he said or did, she found a way to justify it at mere flirting or teasing. Still, he felt her eyes upon him when she obviously thought he wasn't looking. He could see that he was going to have to try harder to show her he was serious, but he was undecided whether to do so before or after Steve and Jen's visit.

Perhaps it would put her at ease to simply have a normal conversation, and he was very curious about her. "Sarah, why is it that you have never settled down and raised a family?" Jareth asked suddenly, hoping for an honest answer given the element of surprise. "You obviously have a successful career and good friends..."

Sarah did indeed look surprised. She sat down on the edge of the couch, evidently searching for an answer to give him. Finally, after a long moment, with her eyes averted, she replied, "Well, it's sort of a long story. I always wanted it all. You know – the white picket fence, two-point-five children and a golden retriever... but I don't seem to be capable of carrying on a long-term relationship. I've tried, but I've never been able to stay interested in any one man longer than it takes for him to decide he wants more than friendship." She shook her head sadly. "I don't even know why I'm telling you this. Only Jen knows how I feel about all this stuff. I just… I think I probably inherited it from my mom... the clichéd man-eater. I date guys for a short period of time and then lose interest."

"Perhaps you are dating the wrong… guys, Precious. One would think that they would fight harder to win your favor rather than merely give up at the first sight of hardship," he replied, hoping that his words indicated that he was prepared to fight to win her favor.

Sarah laughed self-deprecatingly. "No, it isn't their fault... but thanks for offering the easy out." Her expression grew serious again and she averted her eyes as though what she was about to say was painful. Jareth found that he was holding his breath to see what she would say next. "I'm just… broken inside... There's something fundamentally wrong with me. I can see someone a couple times but then they start wanting more than a friendly goodnight kiss... and well, I just don't," she commented, shrugging her shoulders in a defeated manner. "No matter how strong the initial attraction is, no one can hold my interest for long. I've hurt too many men already."

Jareth realized that he had a choice. He could give her sympathy, or he could challenge her. Knowing Sarah, she would fare better with a challenge, in the long run. Sympathy would only enforce her erroneous opinion of herself. "Ah, I believe I see now, my dear," he drawled. "These boys you date fail to stir the passion in you, to make your blood race and your heart beat faster... am I right?" He raised an eyebrow, keeping his features molded in a deceptively innocent expression.

"I'm not having this conversation," she announced, attempting to stand.

Jareth grabbed her wrist, keeping her in place. With a sigh, she fell back against the sofa and glared at him. He grinned at her. "I could assist you with a bit of research, you know," he offered grandly. "See what it's like to be kissed by someone other than a little boy…"

"Oh, no... Don't start that mind game stuff with me, Goblin King," Sarah retorted. "I know how your devious brain works, and I'm not falling for it. I'm not getting into some 'I dare you' situation because you're bored and in the mood to play games."

"You ever see through me, don't you, sweet Sarah?" he replied sarcastically. "You attempt to ascertain my motivation and write me off as you do your naïve little boyfriends... Ah, but how does one simply write off a man, a king, in the same way one disregards a simple mortal boy?" He tsk'd at her, his look indulgent.

She rolled her eyes, clearly annoyed with his comments. He congratulated himself inwardly as he realized that she was finished with her brief session of self-pity and was now thoroughly agitated with him. Excellent. "What do you mean by that smartass comment?" she demanded.

"Simply what I said, my dear, and nothing more." He smirked at her. "You seek your satisfaction with mere boys and then dare to compare me to them. It's insulting, Sarah. Truly insulting."

She threw her hands up in exasperation. "This isn't about you at all! You think everything is about you. I wasn't comparing them to you, for your information. Besides, I'm talking about me, Jareth... I'm just not …" Her voice trailed off and she made a frustrated sound deep in her throat. "Why on earth am I even discussing this with you?" She stood quickly, evading his attempt to stop her again. Looking at him resolutely, she said, "I'm going to take a walk, and you should go to bed and rest. Are you able to make it to the room under your own power or do you need help?"

Giving her a sultry glance, he said, "I would appreciate the assistance, Precious."

Sarah sighed and then leaned over, holding out her arm for Jareth to take. She helped him stand and then walked next to him into the bedroom. He made sure to take his time, enjoying her closeness again. At the bed Jareth paused, turned and placed his hands on his shoulders, ignoring her warning look.

"Do you remember, Sarah, that I once reminded you of the necessity of a 'basis for comparison?" he said quietly, looking into her eyes.

Sarah nodded, frowning slightly. Before she had enough time to process his words, he quickly moved his right hand to cup her cheek as he bent his head over her and kissed her as he'd been longing to do ever since he first set eyes on her again. He knew better than to press her too far, merely moving his lips slowly upon hers and nipping her lower lip gently. Ending the kiss, he looked into her startled eyes, pleased at the repressed desire he saw there. "Enjoy your walk, Precious," he said, softly running his thumb over her lower lip before turning and getting into the bed.

Falling asleep after kissing Sarah was one of the more difficult things he had ever done, particularly as he was unable to keep himself from reliving the kiss over and over in his mind. He had kissed hundreds of women before Sarah, but never had he wanted a woman as badly as he wanted her. His lips still tingled from the contact; it had been difficult to break the kiss and not press for more, but she would never have allowed it, even if it was what she wanted too. Finally, exhausted and sore, he felt himself drift off and into a dream…

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Sarah had been stunned when she heard Jareth ask her about her necessity for a basis for comparison. As he had looked into her eyes, she thought she saw a dark desire reflected there for a moment, but then it was gone, replaced by a steely resolve. She had known he was going to kiss her and the internal argument between 'he's only looking for amusement' and 'what the hell – kiss the man' had taken too long for her to process a decision. Before she knew it, he was already there with his warm breath on her face, kissing her gently as he stroked his thumb along her jaw. He was mesmerizing. He smelled of that unique spicy magical scent she'd come to associate with him and he was… oh, so much more fascinating than the guys she had kissed before – not that she had any intention of admitting that to Jareth, of course. It had taken a great deal of self-control to bid him a good rest in a normal tone and flee out of the cabin to take her walk.

She stood near a small stream, her thoughts a jumbled mess. Jareth's kiss had left her thoroughly confused and unsure of how to act around him the next time she saw him. If she encouraged him and allowed him to touch her, and she suddenly lost interest in him, he would likely be furious. She remembered with vivid detail the expression on his face when she refused his offer when she was fifteen. If she turned him away a second time, there was no telling what he would do, despite his reassuring words to the contrary. What if, though, he was the one man in the universe for whom she could truly feel? What if he was the one who could hold her attention?

She shook her head. That opened up a whole new can of Cockney-accented, punk-haired worms, didn't it? Because if she allowed herself to fall for the Goblin King, where would it get her? Where would they live? And – perhaps most terrifying of all – what would happen when she began to age and he stayed exactly the same? What if all he was after was an easy conquest, and was the first man to break her heart? Somehow, she knew she couldn't bear that.

Resolutely, she steeled her resolve. No, Jareth's shenanigans would have to be curtailed sharply. Perhaps he was feeling feisty as he healed, but he would just have to wait until he got back Underground to take care of his male urges. Of course, that thought brought a wave of ridiculous jealousy – jealousy over whatever female he saw fit to give his attentions to. Sarah sighed. She was already too far gone, and that was a bad thing. Without even trying, the Goblin King had captivated her all over again.

Annoyed with both herself and Jareth, she stormed back to the cabin. Inside, she glanced at the clock. It was far too late for lunch, but it wasn't too early to start dinner. Nodding in satisfaction at having something to do, Sarah found flour, shortening, yeast, and a few other items with which to bake bread, saying a silent thanks to Steve's mother for keeping the pantry so well stocked with fresh enough items. It had only been a few months, after all, since his parents had moved to the west coast. Steve and Jen had spent a few weekends up here, Sarah knew, but she didn't think that baking and cooking was their main activity.

With the bread in the oven, she looked through the pantry and found a gravy mix. In the freezer was a pound of roasting beef and some frozen carrots, and she had brought some potatoes and onions with her from home. Placing the beef in the sink and covering it with hot water to thaw, she began chopping the potatoes and onion. Her mind was busy circling the issue at hand, over and over and over, and always coming to the same conclusion – stay away from Jareth.

She nearly chopped off her finger when she felt his arms snake around her and his body nuzzle intimately against hers from behind. "Geez," she exclaimed, letting her annoyance override the eager reaction of her body. "Can't you see that I have a knife in my hand?"

"Well, now I can, Precious," he answered, completely unperturbed at her outburst. "No harm done, though."

Resisting the temptation to melt into him despite her earlier resolve, she rolled her eyes and shook him off, turning to face him. "Lucky for you," she said dryly. "Jareth, you startled me. I didn't hear you come into the kitchen. You're fortunate I didn't turn around and stab you."

"There's no one here but the two of us, love," he pointed out reasonably.

She frowned and waved the knife at him. "Stop doing that," she demanded and then softened her tone. "Don't call me 'love' or 'precious' or anything else but Sarah. Please. Look, I'm serious. I did some thinking when I was out walking and this… whatever you're doing… won't work. Whether all you want is an Aboveground fling to pass the time or you're trying to prove something to me for some odd reason, it's got to stop. No more. We're done."

Jareth tilted his head to the side and stared at her quizzically for a few seconds, but his look soon changed to consternation. "I do not wish for a… what did you call it? Fling," he told her disdainfully. "I'm afraid I don't understand what you're talking about, Sarah."

"Don't play innocent with me, Goblin King," she said, narrowing her eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. You kissed me!" she blurted accusingly, her words sounding ridiculous to her own ears. "Don't try to pretend you didn't."

The ghost of a smile flitted over his lips as he evidently recalled the kiss. "I assure you that I have absolutely no desire to pretend I didn't kiss you, my dear," he said with that infuriating calm. "I just don't know what you mean when you say that whatever I'm doing won't work. What am I doing, and in what way exactly will it not work?"

She found she couldn't hold his frank gaze. Damn him and his stupid reasonable logic! When he put it that way, she had no idea what to say. Turning back to the onions, she resumed her chopping. "I don't want you calling me pet names and being all... all flirty with me. I don't want you kissing me. There's no point to it. I've told you I'm no good at relationships. The way I see it, you figure you've got a neat little challenge for yourself, to see if you can be the one… man in the entire universe I could have a relationship with, and wouldn't that be an ego booster for you! The problem – one among many – is that you don't live in this world. Even if it worked out – and it wouldn't – you're going to leave sooner or later." Acknowledging out loud that he would eventually go back to his own world was harder than she'd ever thought it would be.

He had moved to stand next to her and watch her work. She hated how he could throw her off balance by just being in the same room. "A challenge, Sarah? You believe I view this as some kind of game? I told you earlier; you've been attempting to have relationships with the wrong men. I'm not blind. I can see the effect I have upon you as clearly as I know the effect you have upon me. There's no 'challenge' to speak of," he said intensely.

He was fighting her tooth and nail, determined to prove her wrong when she knew she was right. To her dismay, Sarah felt tears welling up in her eyes. Wiping at them angrily with the back of her hand, she cast a quick sideways glance at him. "So you want – what? Let me guess. A roll in the hay based on mutual attraction?" She mentally cursed herself. Why was she getting so emotional? "Well, I don't!"

"Why are you crying?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

Shrugging away from his touch, she sniffled and shook her head. "It's the onions," she said flatly, ignoring the perplexed glance he gave the offending vegetable. Why had he had to go and ruin everything by kissing her? Damn him!

"I don't want a 'roll in the hay', Sarah," he replied resentfully, withdrawing his hand. "I know what that phrase implies, and I don't appreciate your using it. Please do not be so vulgar when discussing what it is I want. You have absolutely no idea what precisely I want or why, so you have no right to speak of it as if you do."

She shook her head. He was impossible. This whole situation was impossible! "Well, then tell me what it is you want, so I can point out the flaws in it," she said, feeling tears slide down her face. It wasn't the onions. Onions had never bothered Sarah; Karen had always had her chop them because of that fact. But it was a good cover, because she felt like she was falling apart, and she didn't understand why. "Tell me, oh mighty Goblin King, precisely what it is you want, and why."

He stiffened, and she could sense the emotional pain radiating off him in waves. Why was she so in tune to him all of a sudden? "I don't think you're in the right frame of mind to hear it, Sarah," he retorted, sounding frustrated and suddenly very, very angry. "I had hoped to begin by showing you something of my feelings, but apparently you are not inclined to be reasonable."

"Reasonable," she said slowly, setting down the knife lest she accidentally slice into herself, "is knowing when the odds are completely against something. We're from different worlds. You can't live here, and I can't live Underground. Anything that happens between us is bound to result in one of us getting hurt or being expected to make life changes we're not prepared to make. We aren't even the same species. And once again, in case you didn't get it before, I can't maintain interest in a man for longer than five minutes. What makes you think you would be any different? I've already refused you once. I really wish you would take the hint and leave me the hell alone!"

By the time she had finished her tirade, she knew it had been completely ineffective, because she was crying freely now, much to her chagrin. Jareth, instead of looking furious and offended, looked worried, guilt-ridden and completely miserable. Rather than storming out of the room cursing her very name, as she had fully expected him to do, he moved forward, wrapping his arms around her and refusing to let go even when she struggled. After a moment, Sarah stopped fighting and just let him hold her against his chest as she cried softly, her tears wetting his robe.

Just as the timer went off, announcing that the bread was finished baking, Sarah remembered that she hadn't washed Jareth's pajamas. She renewed her determination, horrified that she had broken down in front of him. Disentangling herself from his arms, she pushed away and she wiped her eyes dry on her sleeve. She said, as though nothing had happened, "Sit down and relax. I need to get the bread out and start the stew, and I forgot to wash your things earlier, so you'll have to sleep in your robe tonight." She desperately needed to return to a sense of normalcy, if that was even possible.

"Sarah, I…"

She held up a hand. "Jareth, please. I can't talk about this anymore."

He didn't say another word, just turned and walked slowly out of the kitchen. In the other room, she heard him turn on the television and start watching an old rerun of 'The Andy Griffith Show.' She would have found it amusing if she hadn't been an emotional wreck, it was such a male reaction. Suddenly she couldn't wait for Jen and Steve to get here to break the tension. As if on cue, the phone rang. It was Jen, calling to get a list of things Sarah needed her to bring.

As soon as Sarah answered, her friend said, "All right, what's going on? You sound like you've been crying."

"Oh, Jen, I'm so glad you called. This is all such a mess," Sarah said, keeping her voice low even though the television was still on. "I can't wait till you guys get here. I can't be alone with him anymore!"

"Tell me what happened," Jen prompted. Sarah could hear both sympathy and eagerness in her voice, prompting her to roll her eyes.

"Jareth is... he's trying to... I don't know," she said, frustrated. "He kissed me, and he's acting like there's nothing at all wrong with it... He's being all nice and ugh… romantic and perfect and... ugh, wrapping his arms around me from behind..."

"Wait. He kissed you? Oh my god!" Jen squealed. "I thought he might do that, but not so soon… Oh, I can't believe it! And this is a problem... why?" she asked.

"Jen!"

Jen laughed. "Oh, Sar, we told you he had it bad for you," she said, her voice triumphant. "Did you really think that once he got you alone, he wasn't going to try to seduce you?"

Sarah blushed as though Jen were in the kitchen with her. "Of course I didn't think he was going to try to seduce me, Jen, he's injured and poisoned! He's here to heal, not... not to have an affair with me! For all I know, this is all just some deranged amorous side-effect of the iron they gave him at the hospital!"

"It is not a deranged amorous side-effect, sheesh!" Jen exclaimed. "Give him a little more credit that that. He's injured, Sarah, not dead," she quipped. "He's a guy; they require relatively little recoup time in that area."

"Ugh," Sarah rejoined.

"Look," Jen said calmly. "Tell me everything that's happened so far, and don't leave anything out. Not one teeny, tiny little sexy Goblin King detail."

Half an hour later, Sarah felt as if she'd been pep-talked to death, and she was partially deaf in one ear from Jen's constant squealing. Actually, Jen had made some fairly sound points, and Sarah wished she could take them to heart. But the sum total of her experience with men told her it wouldn't be a good idea to give Jareth any leeway at all. She worked automatically, her mind on anything but fixing dinner.