Sorry guys, life is really crazy right now. There might not be any updates for a few days. But keep reviewing please! :D
All right, Sarah. Let's assess this situation logically. What do you notice about the present circumstances?
Number One: You may have pushed him just a little bit too far this time.
She was inclined to agree with herself. She should've just left it when he was open-mouthed at her audacity. She'd keep that in mind for future reference.
Number Two: The Goblin King is very, very close to me right now.
He'd caught her by surprise and before she could use her arms to block him effectively; as a result, her hands were up against the wall by her head in a most uncomfortably vulnerable position. She was crushed against his chest and he was glaring down at her through the tangles of his pale hair.
Number Three: Oh God, my body is doing that melty thing again.
His legs were entangled with hers and he was so warm and so real against her that she was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe.
Number Four: By all that glitters, he smells GOOD. Like leather and mixed spice and magic. Not that that makes any sense.
It was like the nicest aftershave she'd ever smelt, but a hundred times more enticing. Uh oh, she was beginning to feel lightheaded.
Conclusion: This is bad. Very bad. Get out while you still can.
She collected herself and tried to push him off her, but all that did was shove certain parts of her even closer to certain parts of him, so that was a Bad Idea. New plan, please, brain.
He was still frowning at her. Her brain decided that it was a good idea to be flippant.
"You really like pinning me up against walls, don't you?" she said breezily. Or it would have been breezily, if she'd been slightly less breathless and melty. It came out higher pitched than she'd have liked, but hey, she'd take what she could get. After all, she had a feeling that not many women would survive being in this position for long with their sanity intact.
His lips stretched in something that couldn't exactly be called a smile. He really did have sharp teeth. "An eye for an eye, Sarah. You sacrifice my dignity, I sacrifice yours. And let me just say this before you get any ideas…" He leaned down to whisper in her ear as he had the last time she'd seen him. She could feel the tension in his chest and arms. Yep, he was angry. "If you ever dare to humiliate me in front of my subjects again, Sarah-mine, the consequences will be serious."
How the hell did he manage to drape such a threat in butterscotch and chocolate? His voice alone made her weak at the knees. Not to mention the suggestive images it was planting in her mind's eye. She flushed hotly.
"All right, Jareth," she gasped. "You've made your point. Now let go of me. We have things to discuss."
"Actually…" He bent his head even closer to her and she felt his lips brush, ever so lightly, the side of her neck. She shivered and fought the urge to close her eyes and just lean into him. He's too good at this. "I'm not sure that I wouldn't rather discuss things like this. I don't know about you, precious, but I'm rather enjoying myself at this moment in time." He kissed her neck softly and laughed at the way her breathing hitched.
"Get off me!"
"How about… no," he offered lightly. His breath was hot against her skin. He kissed her again, this time lower down towards her collar bone. If he kept this up she would agree to anything, mortality and freedom be damned.
"How about if you ever want an answer to your question, Your Majesty, you'd better do as I ask you!" It was the best thing she could come up with and she had little hope of its efficacy, but to her surprise he sighed – raising goosebumps on her arms – and then stepped back. Wow. He must be serious about this answer thing if he'll give up a physical advantage over me to hear it.
He was still unnervingly close, but at least she was less dizzy now. She tipped her head up and scowled at him. "That was really unnecessary."
"As was your mocking of me," he pointed out, and she had to admit that he had a point. Still. Don't back down.
"Maybe so, but you started it. And I may have made a joke about it, but I still don't appreciate you comparing me to other women, Jareth." The instant it was out of her mouth, she regretted it. It revealed too much of herself, of her feelings towards him. She half expected him to tease her again, but instead, as if a veil had dropped, he gave her a look that was so direct, so honest, she could do nothing but forgive him.
"I did not intend my apology to be anything other than sincere," he told her quietly, and somehow she believed him. "I am truly sorry if what I said was offensive to you. You are right. You deserve my respect, and I must earn yours."
Sarah didn't reply for a moment. Why did he do this to her? One moment he was a beautiful, annoying, manipulative bastard, and the next he was offering her his heart with a naked authenticity that couldn't do anything other than move her.
She walked away from him, needing respite from his heady scent. This felt so dream-like. Outside, the sky was beginning to cloud a little. The street looked ordinary enough, with its upended rubbish bins and solitary stray cat wandering along the road, to convince her of her own wakefulness. Maybe Jareth was right when he said that dreams and reality could be the same. It was just that she was so afraid that it was too good to be true.
"Your time is up, Sarah." He was right behind her now, though she hadn't heard his approach. "Do you have your answer ready?"
Was it her imagination or did his voice tremble just the slightest bit?
She wasn't stupid. She knew that this meant a lot to him. She knew that so much depended on her next few words. It was frightening and exhilarating to have so much power.
Oh, this was going to be hard.
"Yes, I have an answer."
She could hear the tension behind her.
"But first I want to hear your question again." She still hadn't forgotten the lessons learnt so long ago in the Labyrinth. Not everything is as it seems. Say your right words.
"Sarah, will you come to the Labyrinth and be my Queen?"
Jareth's beautiful voice was like a caress and she wondered momentarily if he was using magic to try and convince her; but somehow she didn't think he'd stoop to that. No, she had a feeling that he was asking her because he wanted a real answer.
She took a deep breath.
"No."
I believe this calls for another... DUN, DUN, DUUUUUN!
Sorry. Mean cliffhanger. I have essays to write. *buries head in sand*
Thanks to: UndergroundDaydreams, whose fics are absolutely AMAZING - go check them out if you haven't already! - and who made my day by reviewing every single chapter; Tierney; Honoria Granger as always; DragonRose4; petersgirl21 - I know what you mean, though in my head they're actually a little more Jane Eyre-ish; and tonemara. I owe you :D love and glitter!
