Chapter 10

Warning: This chapter is very M-rated.

-XXX-

The black-clad figure that loomed in the middle of the shadowed path shifted forward as Sarah shrieked. Their motion was one of alarm, not of menace, as Jareth the Goblin King moved into the light, concern across his features.

Her fear only faded when he stopped just before her, hands up in the universal "don't shoot" motion. She calmed, though drew back as he moved closer.

"You scared the ever living shit out of me," she cried, hands balling into fists against her thighs. "What the hell are you doing creeping around out here?"

One of his elegant brows rose. "I am hardly creeping, my lady, I am on a public path and walking in broad daylight."

Her heart was still palpitating. "Right. You just so happened to be taking a walk, in all the possible places, here. Precisely where I happened to be. Also, it is near sunset, that daylight is not so broad."

The fae sneered slightly. "I had no notion you would be here. Believe it or not, Sarah, not everything in my life revolves around you. I'm looking for something. I didn't know that here was where I would end up. Finding you certainly was not my goal."

Anger rose in her throat. "Am I truly supposed to believe that?"

"I don't care what you believe." His voice was cold.

Sarah crossed her arms. She immediately regretted it as she made contact with her sweaty self. Inhaling, she looked up at the Goblin King. He was dressed in imposing attire and heavy boots. His hair was loose and looked as though an electric current had been run through it. When she met his gaze she saw frustration reflected back at her. He really had not meant to find her. He was just as upset as she was.

"Then what are you here to find?" She tried to keep her tone measured, civil. Dropping her gaze she waited for his reply.

Jareth hesitated, thrown off by her sudden change in attitude. Finally, he said shortly, "It doesn't matter."

Her eyes snapped back to him. "You realize that sounds super suspicious, right?"

Glaring, he threw his hands up. "Very well. My Labyrinth has been missing. She's been occupied somewhere in the Above and I couldn't tell what she was so focused on. I followed the connection and this is where I ended up."

"Your giant maze led you here?" Sarah wasn't sure how to digest this information. It didn't sound remotely legitimate, though to be fair she wasn't exactly an expert on magic. "Your big stone logic puzzle which you apparently share a psychic connection with told you to come to this exact point?"

Sighing deeply, the king massaged the bridge of his nose with one hand. "The Labyrinth is more than a bunch of bricks, she is an ancient and powerful magical force, and it's becoming clear to me now that she was being rather tricky is getting me here. I have no doubt this was a ploy on her part."

Dumbfounded, Sarah sunk onto the bench. "I'm sorry, what?"

"She drew me to the Above, likely so I would be forced to see you." He was looking at her now, calculating. "Why are you here? Are you feeling stressed?"

He remembered that she often hiked when feeling overwhelmed. It was something he'd caught her in the midst of months ago, right before finals or midterms. He'd been thrown – she would hardly be described as "outdoorsy" – but the king had been game to go along with it. They'd circled the lake and shared a granola bar that day.

"Maris said she'd seen you on the trail this weekend," she began, realizing how silly it would sound. "And it made me so mad – I was sure you'd been trying to send a message or spy on me or whatever."

"So you came to find me," he said slowly.

"Mostly to yell at you," she admitted.

Jareth frowned. "I have not been in the Above since our last physical meeting, a month ago now."

There was something fishy in the air and it was not the scent of the nearby river. Sarah shook her head. "Maris could have been wrong," she said, uncertainly. "I guess. She only met you once or twice. But let's go back to your thing. Your Labyrinth drew you here to see me? Why?"

It was evident that the Goblin King was working quite hard not to roll his mismatched eyes. With the greatest patience, he gestured to her. "Likely because she thought I was being a miserable sod over you. She's not exactly subtle in her desires."

"And what are her desires?" Sarah felt silly, speaking about a structure in this manner. She followed his lead in pronouns, wondering how exactly the Labyrinth manifested itself.

The Goblin King bared his teeth in an approximation of a smile. "For nothing but my happiness and the prosperity of the kingdom."

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. She pressed her hands together in her lap.

He was suddenly next to her on the bench, sitting on the opposite side. Even sitting he loomed over her, his black cloak and heavy boots adding weight to his presence. Sarah looked up at him, biting her lip. So much had changed since the last time they had truly been together. A little over a month had passed since their fight and only a day since her dream. She'd been processing what he'd claimed, their argument still reverberated in her mind.

We have been fools.

"I've missed you," she said abruptly.

Jareth's brows rose. He was quiet for a moment before asking, "Have you truly?"

"Of course."

"I…have missed you as well."

The sound of the water moving just beyond the trees claimed the space between them as both digested the words. They stared out at the expanse of trees. Sarah could catch glimpses of the river between the leaves, shimmering the late afternoon sun. She wondered what he was thinking. Jareth's eyes were fixated on the greenery before them, however, they were unseeing. He seemed so out of place in his cloak and linen shirt on a trail where most people wore mesh shorts and tennis shoes. She almost laughed at the thought of Jareth in workout gear.

"What is making you smile, Sarah?"

She blinked at him, realizing that she was staring. "Oh. Nothing." Then, she shook her head. "Jareth, I don't know what to do."

"So you've said," he remarked dryly.

"Oh stop," she said, sighing. "I really don't. You've had years to think about this, you know exactly what you want. I've barely had six months to realize that this was on the table, Jareth. How was I to know? And between graduating and trying to move out on my own, life has already been overwhelming. Throw a faery king in the mix who wants to whisk me away, and I don't know what to do, Jareth."

She was crying. Jareth was watching as she spoke, observing with an impassive expression as her voice cracked. He did not interrupt, letting her continue.

"Can you possibly imagine? Having a sort of plan for your life and then someone comes along and show you this whole other option that is entirely tempting but also completely terrifying? Jareth, I love you, but people don't just run away to magic land with a fae they barely know –

He cut her off. "You love me."

It was not a question. Sarah stopped, wide-eyed. She had not known she'd uttered the words.

"Well, yes. I supposed." She released a breath that had been inadvertently held in.

Jareth's expression was still unreadable, though he moved closer, covering one of her hands with his. Her teary eyes traced his face, trying to suss out his intention. Surely she'd not offended him. Wasn't her love exactly what he'd been seeking?

"I'm sorry, I know that wasn't exactly romantic." She wiped at her eyes with her free hand, looking up at the branches ahead as she did so.

"I love you too," he said softly.

She burst into tears again. "What are we going to do?"

Jareth squeezed her hand. "Whatever you wish. You can come back with me if you choose. We can split our time between the Above and the Underground. Or I can leave you be."

For a moment she imagined her life if Jareth were to walk out of it. Things would likely be much as they were over the last month. She would soon be out on her own. In time she might start graduate school or perhaps a more full-time career. She might one day meet someone, settle down, have children. Or, at least, a few dogs. Perhaps things wouldn't feel empty. But there would always be the knowledge that there was something unseen out there.

"I don't think I want that," she said softly, moving closer on the bench so that their bowed heads nearly touched.

A gloved hand went to rest on her neck, the thumb tracing her jaw. The light was fading fast, they were in a dark blue shadow and his eyes seemed to glow against the dark. "We can only try. Come be with me. There is much to do in running a kingdom. You would never be bored. I'll not have you idle and pretty, you were meant for more, Sarah. I promise."

She almost began crying again. Jareth pressed his forehead to hers, his voice low as he continued.

"I know that it frightens you. I have never imagined anyone else by my side, Sarah. It will not be easy. Yet I know that whatever it is we face we'll face together. You've shown me to have all that I could wish for in a partner, I hope that I've shown the same to you."

Despite their honeyed sweetness and genuine meaning, the words made Sarah laugh through her watery smile. "Jareth, I was barely president of my high school French club. I don't know anything about running a country."

The fae smiled down at her. "You'll learn."

"And what if I ruin everything? What if in six months I decided I want to get my Master's degree, or live Above full-time, or any number of things?"

"Then we'll figure it out."

Lower lip quivering, Sarah squeezed the hand that held hers. Those were words she'd heard before. This time, they finally struck. With only a little hesitation, she leaned up to close the gap, kissing him with ferocity. Jareth immediately melted into her, moving closer so he could wrap his arms around her shoulders. The cool early autumn air suddenly felt hot. Sarah sighed into the embrace she'd missed for nearly two months.

Teeth clicked against hers as the Goblin King's passion increased. All of the tension of the last sixty days, all of the frustration and longing went into his kiss. Soon Sarah found herself straddling Jareth, her knees uncomfortably pressed into the rough grooves of the bench's uneven wood surface. He held her by the waist, fingers pushing the green fabric of her blouse up. She audibly gasped when she felt him against her core, involuntarily grinding against him and tearing her mouth away from his as the pleasure struck center. Eyes hazy, Jareth looked up at her as he traced her side. Sarah moved against him, shuddering. He felt amazing.

Wordless he lifted the hem of her blouse, peeling it back and discarding it to the other side of the bench. Sarah's breath hitched. Her breasts were still covered by a bra, but she remembered that they were, well, in public technically. He removed his own jacket and shirt.

"Jareth, someone might –" she whispered, pausing in her motion.

"No one will be able to cross the path," he murmured, cupping one breast. "Nor hear us."

Another piece of magic used to conceal them, just like her graduation party. Biting her lip, the weight of what was coming crashed into her. They were going so fast. Maybe too fast.

The worry was soon swept away by Jareth delicately removing her bra and his gloves, turning his full attention to her chest. The cool evening air was a balm against the fire of her skin. When he rolled a taut nipple between his thumb and forefinger, Sarah quickly forgot any caution.

When she arched her back to move against his pelvis once more, Jareth groaned and placed his face between her breasts. The warmth of his breath against her sternum encouraged her and Sarah gripped his shoulders. She was aching.

Pressure mounted. She would need a release soon. Jareth mouthed at one breast, his hand trailing down her stomach to her waistband. She adjusted to let him. He wasted no time coaxing two fingers into her folds, his thumb teasing her center. Sarah clutched his shoulders. She moved with him as he pumped his digits in and out.

"Oh," she managed. "Jareth."

He grinned into her shoulder. Sarah bounced, the aching becoming nearly unbearable.

"Let me have you," she breathed.

He needed no further invitation. She hovered above him as he undid the fly of his pants. What had long been imagined by too-tight pants was a reality. He was beautiful. Holding herself steady, Sarah lowered herself onto him, closing her eyes as she took in the length. Despite their foreplay, she was still not quite prepared and it took a moment of accommodation to get him into her slick folds. Her hands held his shoulders.

When she opened her eyes Jareth's face was tilted back, lips parted as he observed her. Breathless, she kept her gaze locked as she rolled her hips. His hands moved to her waist, gliding against her skin deliciously, guide her motion. She tried to slow down, stay steady, but her need was overwhelming. She wanted all of him, and now.

"Sarah," he said in warning as she picked up speed. His hands gripped her rear now, squeezing the flesh. There was no doubt that she'd have marks come morning. She pushed herself forward, feeling him lift to meet her. They were both so close.

"Sarah," he said again with urgency in his voice, and at the sound of his agony, she did not hold herself back any longer.

Arching her back she rolled her hips again, taking the full length in with a final gasp. The Goblin King bucked below her, hips rising to meet hers. His hand tangled her in hair, lips and teeth and tongue meeting her neck as they collided. And all too soon they were crashing together.

-XXX-

This is possibly the most M-rated thing I've ever written. I've had this finished for days but hesitated putting it out because I worried it might be too steamy.