She knew, deep down in her soul, she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him. She thought he felt the same, hoped he felt the same. But there was always something that held her back from expressing this to him. It weighed on her even in happy moments.
It had never been said in explicit terms, but she had never actually needed to be out and out told. She had gleaned enough information from her time in the Underground to understand. Jareth was immortal, or at least very close to it. He would keep going on and on. She would not. Was it fair to get very involved with someone who would likely miss you for centuries?
It was weeks before she brought it up to him. She hadn't even been planning to, but on this bright afternoon at the plateau of a mountain where they had planned a picnic the question simply would not leave her alone, and it finally bubbled out into words.
They pushed the snow off of the picnic benches at the top of mountain and sat down on them, overlooking the view down in the valley. Houses and buildings looked like miniatures in a train set, and although it was daytime, the lights in the windows still glowed and the smoke from the chimneys rose up into the air.
"How old are you, Jareth?"
He winced.
"Oh, don't ask me that, Love. The years all just mush together at this point."
"Your time spent with me must seem like just a footnote in the logbook, then."
"Days feel just as long as ever, I assure you. Some more so than others. But I will be still be treasuring the time I spent with you for millennia henceforth."
She looked up from the thermos she had been toying with, her eyes bright and her nose red, betraying the emotion she skillfully hid in her voice.
"Do you ever regret falling in love with a human? I'll be gone before you know it, but you'll keep on existing forever and ever."
Jareth did not answer right away, although he knew his answer the second she had asked, he didn't want to appear flippant and knew that she deserved to know he had put thought into it.
"I would never regret meeting you, Sarah. I would never regret what we have. If you had never called on me again after college - if you had never even called on me at all, I still would not regret it because just knowing you exist somewhere out there, however briefly, is enough. You change the entire world just by existing, Sarah Williams, and I could never bring myself to regret anything when it comes to you."
He paused, seeing if she had something to say, but she was back to fiddling with the thermos again.
He continued cautiously.
"Back when you helped my kingdom, you remember that there were other humans in the High Court. None of them were recent additions to the Underground by any means. There are these trees that grow there, and on the trees grow a certain apple, gold in color and tasting of honey."
Sarah was looking up again, interested.
"Even just one bite of this apple would make you like we are - immortal, and likely with at least slight magical abilities. But you'll live on and on, just like us. Like me."
"And you want me to eat one?"
"Only if you truly want to eat one. What I want is irrelevant when it comes to something that will effect your life so. I don't want you to eat the apple for me, I want you to eat it for you."
"Immortality is a lot to ask of someone."
Having spent so long trying to face her own mortality and finally starting to come to terms with it, to be suddenly presented with a way out was a mixed bag. To be able to live forever seemed a like good idea - until you got to the forever part. She wasn't sure if her psyche could handle - what had he said? 'Millennia'? - and not lose it at some point. Perhaps she could discuss her concerns with the other former humans Underground.
"I know it's a lot, that's why I don't ask it if you. It's not a decision to be made lightly. But I want you to know that this option is always on the table. I am fully prepared, however, if you decide not to take it. I am aware your time is... Limited, and I only hope to be able to spend as much of that time with you as you see fit. And if eternity sounds unappealing, there are also spells we could do for good health, long life, that sort of thing. As always, it would be entirely up to you."
Sarah sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder.
"Speaking of 'limited time', are you going to eat this soup before it gets cold?" she handed him the thermos.
"And Jareth? I'll think about the apple."
They finished their picnic and managed to move on to cheerier conversation. But as they headed back afterwards, the topic still lingered in the forefront of her mind, particularly as Jareth talked about the times he remembered coming here before any of the town or lodges were built. He'd point out where a tree had sprung up, except the tree was nearly as tall as the ski lift. Sarah wondered at how different her own perspective might be if she had that kind of time.
But she drew her focus back to the present, the only time she knew she had. She didn't want to get drawn away into the possibilities of what could be, of a thousand futures in the distance. She wanted to live out each moment in front of her, to fully live it and cherish the time spent with him too.
