Your Slave

By JediAshes1021

Chapter 10: The Sound of Silence

"After your little… 'misadventure' with the fairy yesterday, I have decided on summoning an exterminator to the gardens today. Do not be alarmed if someone comes through the gates," Jareth told Sarah from behind the dressing curtain.

"Okay," she replied. She was brushing her hair, sitting in front of a vanity, trying to decide on how to arrange it. She finally decided on leaving it down. 'It's just so much easier,' she thought.

"What will he look like?" she asked him.

"You'll know him when you see him," he smirked, emerging from behind the curtain dressed in a gray shirt, blue leggings and vest, and his black shiny boots. "That dress looks lovely on you," he said, looking her up and down.

"You really think so?" she asked, rising from the vanity and twirling around like a little girl. "All of these dresses are gorgeous. Thank you so much for them, and for this beautiful vanity."

"I can't have you embarrassing me in front of visitors, now can I?" he teased, hands on hips. "Just think of the horrible rumors that would spread throughout my kingdom."

"I could only imagine," she mumbled, rolling her eyes at him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

A little while later, Sarah was basking in the warm rays of the sun, when the gates to the castle were opened. She sat up to make sure it was the exterminator and not someone else. When she saw him, she jumped to her feet and ran towards the little, wrinkled dwarf.

"Hoggle!" Sarah shouted as she rushed to hug her old friend.

"Sarah? Sarah, is it really you?" Hoggle asked, his voice a bit muffled in the ruffles of her dress.

"Of course it's me!" she told him "Who else would it be?"

"Its just…its just…I never thought I'd be seeing ya ever again. What's ya doing here, anyways?" he asked.

"Oh Hoggle, its been a long few weeks." She said. She proceeded to tell Hoggle the whole story; from the wish, to the tasks, to the would-be escape, and finally to her present situation.

"So, you is a slave of his majesty's, eh? Cor..." Hoggle shuttered.

Sarah shrugged. "Its not so bad, not now anyway. He has actually become…kind. I mean, he sent for you after all!" she said and hugged him again.

"I s'pose so." He shrugged. "Well I better get to some exterminatin' before his majesty appears and scolds me for sittin' down on the job. When I'm finished, I'll come back an' talk to ya fer a while." He said and scurried off, sporadically spraying his can-o'–fairykiller.

Sarah was so surprised that Jareth would do something so thoughtful for her. She immediately ran back into the castle and found her way to his office to thank him.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Jareth was standing next to his book shelf, a book laying open in one hand as the other spread itself over the page, pacing his scanning. All of a sudden, the door to his office burst open and Sarah was hugging him from behind.

"Oh… thank you so much, Jareth. It was so nice of you to send Hoggle to me." She said into his back.

He turned around in her arms and hugged her back. "I would turn the world upside down for you." He said, his eyes full of emotion. Slowly he began to bend his face towards hers.

'Is he going to kiss me?' she thought, 'He is going to kiss me!' Time slowed as she wondered what it would be like. 'Will it be hard and passionate, or soft and gentle? I wonder if his lips are as soft as they look. I hope my lips aren't chapped. Oh! He's really going to kiss me!'

He finally closed the small gap between their faces as Sarah puckered her lips and… he quickly kissed her on the forehead.

Sarah didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved. She almost laughed at her former thoughts. Jareth took her smile for happiness over Hoggle's appearance and ushered her out of the room for more quality time with the dwarf.

As she walked back to the garden, she pushed the thoughts of the almost-kiss to the back of her mind. She didn't want to be preoccupied while she talked with Hoggle. He would surly notice and ask her about it and she wasn't sure that she wanted to talk about this sort of thing with the little wrinkled man.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

Hoggle stayed the entire day in the garden with Sarah. They talked about what had gone on in both of their lives since the last time that they had seen each other. Jareth came to escort Sarah to dinner and asked if Hoggle would join them (calling him Higgle) but he declined the invitation, saying that he had dinner plans with Ludo and Sir Didimous. He left, promising to bring them later in the week.

Sarah was quiet throughout dinner, her thoughts going back to the kiss. 'More like a peck,' her mind scoffed.

o0o0o0o0o0o0o

When dinner was through, they made their way to the library. Jareth continued to read off information to Sarah, who wrote it down on index cards. She was still as silent as she had been at the table.

"You're awfully quiet this evening." Jareth said. "I hope everything went well today."

"Oh, yes. Today was wonderful." She answered, gazing at the card in her hand.

"You seem…preoccupied. Is something the matter?" He asked, concerned that Hoggle had said something to upset her.

Sarah looked up and put on her best fake smile. "No, I'm just a little tired, that's all. It's been a long day."

"So it has." Jareth replied, rising from his seat. "I think its best we retire then, don't you agree?"

"Yeah, that sounds good."

As they walked towards his chambers, Jareth began to think that her silence was because of the kiss he gave to her in his office that morning. 'Perhaps she feels awkward in my presence because of that unwanted kiss.'

When they had both climbed into bed, Jareth decided to speak up about his thoughts, just to clear the air.

"Sarah, are you being so quiet because of my kiss today?" he asked.

"Maybe…" she mumbled.

"I did not mean for you to feel awkward. I will refrain from it if it bothers you this much."

"I…um…well, it wasn't even a real kiss or anything. More like a peck if you ask me." She replied shyly.

A smirk immediately appeared on his face. "So it was… were you expecting something more?" he inquired, inching his body closer to hers.

"No, I was just stating a fact!" She cried indignantly, "I'm going to bed." And with that she turned her back towards him and shut her eyes.

"Hmm…" was all Jareth said as he too turned and shut his eyes. But both of their busy minds would not allow them rest for some time later.

To be continued…