And just time time,
at the right place
Suddenly I will play my ace
"Okay, something is up with you. Spill."
Sarah side eyed Leslie as the younger girl made herself comfortable on one of the prop chairs in the cluttered storage room. Turning her eyes back to her clipboard, she resumed taking inventory for their upcoming production with a rueful grin. "I'm that obvious, huh?"
"Yup. 'Fraid so," Leslie agreed.
"You're not going to let this drop, are you?" Sarah sighed.
"Nope," was Leslie's cheeky reply.
Right on cue Sarah flushed, memories of heat and skin flooding her brain, and couldn't hold back her own shit eating grin. "I think I get the big deal about sex now."
Leslie started to squeal, quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, and settled for wiggling her backside in the chair instead.
Sarah laughed, face half hidden behind her clipboard, hoping the concealer that she'd had to slather all over her neck wouldn't melt under the heat of her blush.
"So where did you meet him? On a scale of one to ten, how hot is he? Ooh! Does he have a sister?"
"You are awfully excited for me," Sarah said, shaking her head at her friend's antics. Embarrassing as it was, she was dying to talk to someone, just to clear her head, so she set her work aside for the moment and indulged.
"Okay, you remember I told you about mister could-have-been?"
Leslie's eyes flew wide behind her glasses. "Noooo way."
Sarah nodded. "Apparently he wants a chance and I've decided to give him one."
"He must be hot if you jumped him already."
"15. The man is sex on legs," Sarah admitted, her grin entirely too smug despite her best efforts.
"Please tell me he has a sister. Please, please, please," begged Leslie, clasping her hands under her chin. "I could use some relief that's not of the battery operated variety."
The innocent question brought with it a shadow of discontent. "I honestly don't know if he has siblings."
"Too busy doing the horizontal limbo to talk, right?"
That was exactly what Sarah had expected to happen as well. But Jareth, well, he seemed intent on proving her wrong at every turn.
She hadn't been certain what to expect from Jareth on that first night. Maybe an ostentatious display of magic and power. Or the possibility that he would chain her to his bed and break her thoroughly was intriguing and simultaneously frightening. Knowing his capricious nature, he could have very well tossed her in the labyrinth and then sat back to enjoy the show.
The Goblin King was anything but predictable so she'd prepared herself for anything he might throw her way.
Except, she hadn't considered the possibility that he would take her on a date.
"No, surprisingly. I mean, we've ended the night together... but he's been trying really hard to impress me." Leslie made eager motions for her to keep talking and Sarah laughed. "The first time he took me dancing."
She forewent the minor detail that he'd reordered time to give her a private lesson on East Coast Swing at a dive joint in the Bronx.
In 1942.
"And your second date?"
Sarah could stop her wide grin. "He took me to see a musical."
But not just any musical. Her favorite musical of all time. "Into the Woods" on it's opening night in a private box with a vintage bottle of Veuve Clicquot.
She wasn't even ashamed that she let him fuck her right there on the plush, vlevet seats. He was at least patient enough to wait until the performance was over.
"Only you would find going on a date to a theatre a treat even though you spend every day working in one," said Leslie fondly.
"It's true. I love what I do so to me it's not work," Sarah admitted. Her smile began to dim as she reminded herself that to in order keep Jareth her career was one of many things she would have to sacrifice... She forced the unsettling truth away and said, "I'm seeing him tonight. I have no idea where he'll whisk me away to this time."
Leslie tilted her head, assessing Sarah with measuring eyes. Then she gave a sharp nod, red curls bouncing. "He's good for you. I don't think I've ever seen you this happy before."
It was true, she was happy and Jareth was perfect.
Too perfect.
She couldn't help but think she was allowing herself to be fooled.
Jareth was playing his part well, she had to give him that. But the nagging voice in the back of her mind continued to warn her that with each night that passed, she wasn't getting any closer to unraveling the complex puzzle that he presented. There were questions she needed to ask and answers that could change everything. They needed to talk.
A part of her wondered if he was distracting her on purpose. Which was silly because of course he was. This whirlwind courtship he'd embarked upon was wonderful but it was also a hefty amount of pretense. She could say with certainty that she'd seen him at his worst- she'd sacked the Goblin City for fucks sake. If he were truly heartless he'd have had her and her friends executed for treason. Thanks to the terms of their new arrangement she now had a good idea of what the Goblin King was like on his best behavior, but she suspected neither was the real Jareth.
She wanted to see him with his guard down and get to know the man he was when he was alone, with no one to intimidate or impress. Unfortunately, that would require trust and she doubted Jareth trusted anyone.
"I think this one is going to hurt," she admitted with a wry smile.
Leslie gave her shoulder an affectionate squeeze. "Don't overthink it. If you guys are right for each other it will work itself out. And let's just say, I have a good feeling about this one."
For once, Sarah really wanted Leslie to be right.
There was a knock at her door just as the last streaks tangerine dipped below the horizon outside her living room window. Sarah took a deep breath, steeled her spine and opened the door with a welcoming smile.
And tried very hard not to gape at the lush, sun dappled garden spread out before her.
Jareth, looking supremely pleased with himself, bowed at the waist. "Good evening, Miss Williams."
Wondering if this was payback for commenting on his manners, Sarah willed herself not to blush as she did her best attempt at a curtsey, the pale lavender material of her summer dress swishing gently about her ankles. "Likewise, your Majesty."
The Goblin King, bedecked in a high collared russet vest atop an ivory poet's shirt with tan breeches and his customary black boots, offered her his arm gallantly, his bearing every bit the regal monarch. She accepted, looping her arm with his, strangely comforted by the pleased smirk curling his thin lips. Crossing the threshold, the door closed and her apartment disappeared.
Content to let Jareth lead, Sarah took in their surroundings only to realize they were not in a garden but rather a vast clearing surrounded by lush green vegetation. An assortment of wildflowers colored in jewel toned hues swayed in a gentle breeze that was warm and imbued with the sweet scent of the blossoms as it rustled through the trees and toyed with the ends of her hair. But there was a humidity in the air that was noticeably different to the arid conditions she remembered of the labyrinth.
Charmed and intrigued, she asked, "This place is beautiful. Is it part of your kingdom?"
"No. We are in the Darrow Glens. Long ago it was the high seat of the Gnome empire. Now it is uncontested land bordering the kingdoms of Eversky and the Moors of Never."
Gnomes and magical kingdoms... It was the makings for a fantastical story, one that was already planting seeds in Sarah's imagination. "I have so many questions," she sighed wistfully.
"It will take me no less than forever to answer them all, I'm sure." When she pinned Jareth with a playful glare, he laughed. "The fault lies with you, precious. All you have to do is say your right words."
"Nice try, buddy."
"Alas, the fair Miss Williams has cruelly spurned the virtuous King's affections once more," he declared with a perfected air of wounded innocence.
"The Goblin King? Virtuous?" she teased, "I don't think that word means what you think it means."
"Indeed." In the blink of an eye, Jareth shed his genteel facade and pulled her against his chest, his arms encircling her waist like steel bands as he grinned wolfishly, "I prefer the villainous aesthetic myself. Do gooders are terribly dull, don't you think?"
Sarah pretended to consider, tilting her head coyly as she looped her arms about his neck. "Maybe it's okay to be a little bad." Leaning up on her tiptoes, she brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "Lucky for you I always thought bad boys were kind of hot." Feeling impish, she nipped the lobe gently, relishing the way he let out a soft, shuddering breath.
"Do that again and I will ravish you, right here, right now," he warned darkly.
Emboldened by his closeness, she flicked her tongue and laughed huskily. "Not if I ravish you first." Leaning back enough to meet his eyes, she pulled out the best sultry face she could muster. "You'll let me, won't you?"
It was no small achievement when the Goblin King blinked, too dazed to do more than nod. She laughed again when he opened his mouth to speak but no sound was forthcoming. Deciding that she rather liked a Jareth that was putty in her hands, Sarah began plucking at the ties to his vest. That seemed to shake him from his stupor and he smiled lazily. "I am yours to do with as you will."
"I know," said Sarah archly.
Slipping the vest off his shoulder, she tossed it aside and attacked his gloves next. She had just started on the laces to his shirt when she felt a subtle shift. A gentle pulse of magic. That was when she noticed the gold and silver embroidered blanket now spread out at their feet, the metallic threads shimmering in the late afternoon sun that dappled though the nearby trees.
She looked to Jareth but he merely shrugged and began removing his boots, unconcerned. "Only the best for my queen."
Unwilling to step on the opulent cloth with her own sandals, Sarah removed them, delighting at the blades of grass that tickled her feet. Jareth, however, was already making himself comfortable on the blanket, leaning back on his palms with his long legs stretched out before him, bare feet crossed at the ankles. He was beautiful in the sunlight with his pale hair gleaming, the casualness of his pose taking away some of his usual harshness. Here, in this glade, he wasn't her fearsome goblin king, he was a fallen angel with a hunger in his mismatched eyes that was begging to partake of carnal pleasures.
As if he read her thoughts, his grin widened. "You can't ravish me from there, precious."
No, but she could tease him.
It was fortuitous that she'd chosen to wear the only sundress she owned that buttoned down the front. The knee length slip that she wore underneath sans a bra and panties was entirely deliberate. She began to undo the buttons, watching as his eyes followed her every move. Heat was starting to coil in her abdomen and she bit her lip, fighting the urge to rub her thighs together. It was so much harder to practice restraint now that she knew exactly what Jareth's hands could do to her and how amazing he felt moving inside of her.
Shrugging the dress down her arms, Sarah let it pool around her feet. Clad in only her slip, she watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard, the thin material clinging to her like a second skin. Sinking to her knees, she crawled forward, addicted to the way his blatant lust fueled her own.
When Jareth made to reach for her, she shook her finger at him, sitting back on her heels. "No touching. I'm trying to have my wicked way with you."
"Yes. Of course." He sucked in a breath as the strap to her slip slid down her shoulder baring the swell of her breast. "Carry on, then."
Grinning, Sarah resumed her prowl, only stopping once she straddled his thighs. Undoing the laces to his shirt with nimble fingers, she welcomed the help when Jareth yanked it over his head and blindly threw it aside.
Starting with his mouth, she kissed his lips, feather light, once... twice... pulling away when he attempted to take it further. She wanted to taste and tease and touch all of him. Mostly she wanted to see how long his restraint would last. Intent on pushing all the right buttons, she moved to his jaw, biting and kissing down the column of his throat. Reaching his collar bone, she sucked roughly, relishing his groan that stuttered out on a shaky breath.
Down Jareth's chest, she traced the lines of his pectorals, tugging a nipple with her teeth hard enough to make him hiss. Under her lips she could feel his heart pounding, his lungs drawing in staccato gasps, stomach muscles tensing as she nipped each ridge and dip, his body arching as taught as a bow when she swirled her tongue around his navel.
Control.
Power.
A king at her mercy.
Unbuttoning his breeches, Sarah didn't shy away from the raw lust in his dark stare. She was certain Jareth had never looked less human, and yet he was exotically beautiful with his wild eyes watching her every move, sharp teeth bared in a grimace as she scored fiery red marks down his hips with her nails. Burning with need, she squeezed her damp thighs together, desperate for some kind of friction. She licked her lips when his rigid length bobbed free, the tip glistening with anticipation.
Holding his stare, she took him into her mouth, riding the high of ultimate empowerment when his jaw clenched, his knuckles white where his hands fisted into the blanket below. Circling her tongue around the head, she flicked the sensitive underside then slid down as far as she could without hitting the back of her throat. Slow and steady, up and down, alternating between gentle suction and the barest scrape of teeth, she owned the man beneath her.
Until Jareth's self-control snapped.
Sarah didn't resist as he grasped her upper arms and hauled her onto his lap. The thin silk of her slip tore apart in his eager hands and her heart tripped into overdrive as he attacked her breasts with lips and teeth. Desperate and half afraid she would cum just from the lash of his tongue against her nipples, she reached down between them to guide him inside of her, her whole body shuddering when he thrust up roughly. Her hips rocked to meet him, not from any conscious thought on her part because she couldn't think, only feel.
It was an overwhelming amount of sensation and she curled her fingers into his feathery hair, as much to achor herself to the moment as it was to press him closer as he left another love bite to the side of her breast. Groaning, she circled her hips, not caring that he'd leave a constellation of bruises from where his fingers dug into the soft skin to press her down harder. The pain only heightened the pleasure, coiling tighter and tighter in her abdomen as she met his savagery with her own.
When his fingertips found her clit, she knew he was close. He toyed with the little bundle of nerves until she was whimpering against his ear, muscles quivering as she burst apart in the most decadent way as stars moved across her eyelids. It only added to her satisfaction when tucked his face against her throat and found his release as well.
Sarah was still trying to catch her breath and unclench her hold on his hair when Jareth muttered, "You are going to be the death of me, woman." She giggled when he fell back against the blanket, taking her with him.
She lost track of time as Jareth stayed curled around her like a vine. His head rested on her breast as he drew lazy patterns on her stomach and she scratched her nails against his scalp, loving the way he hummed happily, going boneless in her arms. She had no intention of moving, but as the darkness began to creep along the edges of the sky, the pleasant breeze took on a chill that left her shivering.
"Here, precious," said Jareth as he handed her his shirt, reluctantly peeling himself away from her side so she could don it properly.
Delighting in the softness of the cloth and the way it carried his scent, she grinned. "You know, there might be hope for you yet."
"Hardly. It simply wouldn't do for you to freeze to death before you see the show," he explained as he readjusted his breeches but left the buttons undone, a fetching sight as he leaned up on one arm to watch her.
Sarah looked around the clearing, still a charming picture even in the waning light. "What show?"
"When the sun sets, you'll see," Jareth replied, purposely cryptic.
As the last of the sunlight faded behind the trees, shimmering moonlight took its place. Twin moons began to peek over the treetops and Sarah was enchanted by the surreal sight. But then her attention was recaptured by their surroundings as the wildflowers began to glow when the moonlight touched them. Then one by one the flowers broke free of their stems, lifted up by the gentle wind into a colorfully illuminated confusion.
It was a magical moment and giving into whimsy impulse, Sarah ran out into the eddy, flinging her arms wide as she spun in a circle, laughing gaily. From the blanket Jareth watched her antics with a doting grin.
She'd wanted to see him with his guard down and Sarah was hit by the sudden insight that this was it. If she stripped him down to bones in the end what she would find was a man trying to win the heart of the woman he loved.
Feeling too far away, Sarah returned to the blanket and the warmth of Jareth's arms as she relaxed against his chest. Contentedness filled her, sugar sweet and incandescent. But in the shadows of her happiness lurked the questions she'd put off asking. There would be no better time than now.
"Jareth?"
"Hmm?"
"Why did you choose me?" It was the one thing she'd always wanted to know. "You could be with anyone. What makes me so different?
For a long moment he was silent and she almost feared he wouldn't answer, but then he sighed, pressing a kiss to her bare shoulder where his shirt lay askew. "A crystal that showed what had the potential to be."
"A crystal?"
"I dared to learn my fate," Jareth explained, his voice taking on a somber quality. "You must understand, scrying to know your own future is taboo among my kind. We are taught from a young age that to do so is forbidden. The price of being long lived is that the unknown is often the only novelty we have in the end. Because it is frowned upon, it is a great temptation. As difficult as you may find this to believe, I was a rather impetuous and willful youth. Always challenging authority and breaking as many rules as I could manage."
"You still do," Sarah chuckled.
"True. I suppose it's something I've come to excell at- but I digress… My future was meticulously arranged. I was to inherit the prestigious position of Lord General and take command of my father's army. My mother secured my betrothal to the Nightshade King's youngest daughter. It was a sound strategy to unite the upper and lower regions, but she was a horrid, vile creature. I voiced my displeasure quite fervently. After a time my father thought it best to have me sequestered away with only my tutors for the duration of my military and academic studies. He claimed it was to preserve my focus. In truth, it was to break me. His intention was to have me forever remain in submission, a puppet prince existing for his every whim."
The bitterness in Jareth's divulgence was saturated with old hurt and impotent fury.
Lacing her fingers with his where they rested against her stomach, Sarah said gently, "I don't think subservience would suit you well."
"On that, at least, we agree," he chuckled wryly.
"Then what happened?"
"On the eve of my handfasting I scryed in a crystal to see what would be. Well, imagine my surprise when I saw, not a warrior's glory and a gilded prison, but a sprawling labyrinth, a shabby throne from which I was to reign and an exquisite mortal woman at my side. Knowing there was something else for me, I renounced my birthright and took leave of my father's kingdom."
Suspecting there was far more unpleasantness to his leaving than Jareth was willing to talk about, Sarah aimed to lighten his mood. "Wow. A real downgrade, huh?"
"Now that you mention it..." Jareth trailed off slyly, then laughed when she huffed and tried to jab her elbow into his side. He nipped at her throat and purred, "Really, precious, you know I like it rough."
"Pervert," she accused fondly.
Sobering, Jareth said, "But for all contained within that single glimpse of possibility, it was your cruel eyes that did me in."
"Cruel?" Sarah scoffed, "How so?
"Your eyes moved right through me. They still do, more often than not." Though his words were teasing, the inflection they held tugged at her heart.
"What do you mean?" she asked, afraid that she already knew.
"You persist in assuming all things are exactly as they seem and assign roles to those around you that appeal to your sense of fairness," he replied ruefully. "I'm beginning to wonder if you will ever see what is right in front of you."
Honestly, Jareth couldn't have given her a better opening if he'd handed it to her on a silver platter.
"Then explain it to me, please." Shifting around until she could see his face, Sarah refused to dance around their misconceptions any longer. "I still remember what you said to me, at the very end, before the world fell down. I could never be certain what was true and what was lies. I need to hear it from you."
"Answer me something first and I will tell you anything you want to know." His mismatched eyes bore into hers stubbornly even as his lips were sullen with resignation. All she could do was nod. "Were you tempted by my offer? Even in the slightest?"
"At the time, no." He averted his eyes but not before Sarah caught the hurt that filled them. Her honesty stung and it was as painful to say as it was to hear, but he deserved to know her side of their story. "I was too focused on Toby and too uncomfortable with everything you made me feel. It wasn't until later, as I got older, that I started to understand what I felt and what it seemed like you were offering me. But Jareth, you forgot the most important thing."
He smiled tightly. "And what would that be?"
"You didn't love me," said Sarah sadly. It had taken her a long time to figure out exactly what it was about his declaration had left her feeling bereft. And then she'd realized, he'd demanded her love but only in exchange for material possessions. Now she found herself wondering if that's how he expected relationships to work.
Jareth glowered. "Are you certain of that?" he countered peevishly. "Is love not comprised of fear, devotion and obedience? Does love not make slaves of us all? I did not ask anything of you that I had not intended to give in return."
And while that knowledge made all the difference now, younger Sarah would still have made the same choice. She'd needed the time to grow up at her own pace.
"I was still a child. Just a spoiled little girl throwing tantrums. I was too young to be your lover."
"Perhaps seduction hadn't been the correct strategy to implement." When Jareth noticed her wide, startled eyes, his smile returned, cheekily unrepentant. "No need to look so scandalized, precious. You were a budding young woman, defiant and innocent. Really, how was I to resist?" She mouthed the word pervert at him which he disdainfully ignored. "In truth, it was fondness that prompted my actions. I admired your spirit and envied your imagination. Beyond that, I was enthralled by your potential. I had seen the woman you would become and intended to have her by any means necessary," he said, lifting a hand to cradle her cheek, the gesture as affectionate as it was possessive.
With the thud of her heartbeat steadily increasing, Sarah approached the precipice, suspended in that final moment before taking the fall, knowing that Jareth held all the power over her that he could possibly want because how he answered her next question could either grant her dreams or shatter her fragile heart.
Teetering on the edge, she asked, "And now that you have her are you sure you want to keep her?"
"I could never settle for someone less," he replied firmly, almost reproachful, as if she should know better. "I will have you, Sarah, or no one at all."
In the wake of his devotion, she fell.
Figuratively and literally as she pounced on Jareth, knocking him onto his back and kissing him with giddy exuberance. Her Goblin King was never one to let an opportunity go to waste, and she giggled against his lips as he slid his hands down until he was palming her bare ass beneath his shirt. Breathless, she sucked on his bottom lip, pulling away with a smack, pretty certain she looked as punch drunk as he did.
This was probably a good time to lay down some new ground rules.
Shifting to straddle his thighs, her kiss swollen lips curled in a cheshire grin. "Since I'm done settling for less, too; I think our little game is pointless now. "
She knew she had Jareth's full attention when his hands stilled against her bottom mid squeeze. "You would have us both lose?"
"I guess that's one way of looking at it. I prefer to see it as we both get what we want."
"Careful now, precious. I'm beginning to believe you might love me after all," he chided playfully, hope sparking to life in his unusual eyes.
It was Jareth's hopefulness that gave her courage. "I do love you, but I'm going to be completely honest; I'm not ready to give up my family or my career. I'm not letting you go either. I can't. So instead of choosing between you and my life, what I really want is to share my life with you."
Something fierce flickered in his expression as he sat up, his hands moving to a far less distracting place on her hips as he pinned her with a searching look. "Eventually you will have to remain here in the Underground. You understand, don't you?"
"Yes." And she did. Forever wasn't too high a price to pay for their happily ever after. "When the time comes I'll be ready. Just not quite yet, okay."
"And this would make you happy?"
"More than anything."
Jareth smiled, a real honest to goodness smile that was wild and so unexpectedly beautiful that it damn near took her breath away. He's happy, she realized, awed. I made him look like that. Me…
"Lovely Sarah," he chuckled softly, "I can deny you nothing when you give me such a precious gift."
The rush of affection that filled her had her smiling broadly. "Really?"
"I have never lied to you. All that I am is yours." Then realizing exactly how much leverage he'd just handed her, Jareth rolled his eyes and attempted to look put out. "Now see what you've done. Already I'm going soft." However, the smile that continued to tug at his lips ruined the effect.
"Oh, I think I can fix that," she promised with a sultry laugh, scooting her hips forward.
"Minx," Jarath hissed, catching her lips in a crushing kiss.
It was the last that either of them spoke for a good long while.
In Jareth's experience, mortals did not share. They demanded. They took. They placed impossible expectations. They were easily subdued by fear. They were fickle creatures by nature and self destructive in their almighty greed. After thirteen centuries of dealing with the cretins, aside from their creativity and the multitude of ways in which they expressed it, there was very little he found redeeming about their kind.
Yet, he was fair and not above making exceptions. The sleeping woman curled into his side was his greatest concession to date.
...what I really want is to share my life with you.
Those words, the promise they held, the power they gave…. Precious Sarah was willingly entrusting everything she was to him. Victory coursed through Jareth's veins, a syrupy sweet aphrodisiac. Already he was growing hard against her thigh, eager to worship what was now irrevocably his, if only to savor her adoration and bury himself in her so deeply they need never part again. He would mark her delicate skin in rose and burgundy, lay claim to her body in every deliciously filthy way imaginable. She would bear his ferocity, answering in kind, marking him as well.
Sarah had an eternity to teach him tenderness and in turn he would make her a goddess.
Only the Fey seemed to understand that power taken was nothing more than damaged goods. True power had to be given freely. And for every bit that Sarah gave he would gladly reciprocate. But only because she understood. Perhaps not with complete clarity, but that was fine. He would take those pieces of leverage where he could find them, lest she- bog forbid- entice him to actually play by the rules. He shuddered to think of how tedious that would be.
Twinning a lock of her sable hair around his finger, Jareth watched Sarah's face, expressive even in dreams. A hint of a smile curled her full lips, dark lashes fanning her cheeks as the shadows painted interesting contrasts in the moon-kissed darkness. She was beautiful, retaining an innocence that he would eventually take from her. She would only be more magnificent for its loss.
He hated to admit, but her beauty had beguiled him enough to overlook her greatest asset; that she was an inordinately clever girl. It was rather adorable that she thought she could dare to outwit him, but there was no doubt she was intelligent and more than a worthy match. But it wasn't only her intellect that set Sarah apart like a diamond in the rough. It was her strength of will. Had he known the depths of her devotion and loyalty at their first meeting, he would have played a very different game.
In truth, Sarah was a rare gem but not the only one of her caliber. She couldn't possibly be. If so the mortals would have done themselves in long, long ago. But those with noble hearts did not tend to wish away their young. It was rather difficult not to despise the creatures, not when he'd seen first hand the horrors and depravity they often inflicted on the weak. That unfortunate incident in Hamelin was a perfect case in point. The aftermath had boosted the population of the goblin city by a third overnight.
Joining the ranks of the goblins was certainly a far better fate than being left to starve by one's own parents. Or worse, to be the sickly ones used as rat bait.
Oh yes, he had a wealthspring of reasons to condemn the mortal race. It was out of pity for the children that he gifted the discarded and unwanted with a simpler, prosperous existence. And they had the audacity to vilify him for turning the poor wretches into goblins when in truth, it was a public service, really. Why he was not thanked for his generosity was truly beyond comprehension.
Speaking of generosity… As loath as he was to leave Sarah's side, there was one last bit of unsavory business that needed to be taken care of and a token of good will to be bestowed.
Touching Sarah's temple, Jareth sent her deeper into her dreams. The magic tingled against his fingertips and she sighed. Assured that she would not wake before his return, he slipped from the bed and strode toward the arched window, the pale moonlight bathing his nude form in a wash of silver even as skin turned to feathers and he silently took flight, vanishing into nothing as he crossed the stone ledge.
Jareth found his prey at their agreed upon meeting spot at exactly the stroke of midnight. The rooftop of her apartment building was a flat, bare space, offering privacy from eavesdroppers but little else. It gave her a false sense of security since they were in an open area in plain view of the other buildings surrounding them.
Arriving on swift wings, he transformed mid stride and gracefully closed the few feet between them, his goblin armor striking the intended amount of intimidation. He could hear her heart racing. Practically taste the fear oozing from her pores. The predator that he was desperately wanted to hunt.
Tramping down the instinct, Jareth acknowledged the girl with deceptive mildness. "Hello, Leslie."
To her credit, the young woman did not let her fear show. She met his stare directly, her hazel eyes measuring him from behind those atrocious purple glasses. "Goblin King," she replied with a gracious dip of her head.
Now that wouldn't do. It was much more fun to play.
Reaching out, he trailed a knuckle along her cheek, a playful threat. Allowing the otherness of his features to become grotesquely pronounced, he flashed her a pointy-toothed grin. "Come now, little mouse. I know you fear me. I would have you cower appropriately."
Leslie swallowed hard, trying not to flinch. "I am not afraid of you."
"Really?" he arched a dramatic brow mockingly. With a flick of his gloved fingers, the hand beside her cheek produced a tarantula.
Leslie screamed, rearing back so violently she fell right on her backside. Screaming again, she barely made onto her hands and knees before scrambling away.
Jareth laughed, the sound sharp and dripping with cruelty as he took the ultimate pleasure in her groveling position. It was amusing to see the visible hit to her vanity now that her immaculate outfit was streaked with dirt. Almost as delightful as the humiliated blush that stained her round face as she glared up at him balefully.
With another flex of his fingers the illusion was gone. "There's nothing there, foolish girl," he chastised scornfully, another laugh bubbling forth like tar as she rose unsteadily to her feet.
"Fuck you!" Furious, Leslie folded her arms across her chest protectively, stamping her foot in a display of temper that Jareth had only ever found charming from one person specifically, and lifted her chin haughtily. "You could be a little nicer to me, Goblin King," she seethed. "I've put in a good word for you with Sarah like you told me. I was even able to cause some confusion with our schedules tomorrow so she won't be able to leave the theatre before sunset without getting a write up. You've as good as won. And it'll be all thanks to me." She smiled nastily. "You owe me."
"Sabotaged Miss William's schedule," he hummed appreciatively, "Truly devious. I am quite impressed." Casting her sly look, he taunted, "Though I expected nothing less from someone who wished away, not one, but two siblings."
Leslie's brow wrinkled in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about?"
"Nothing of importance. You wouldn't remember anyway," Jareth replied dismissively. Once the more the rush of victory assailed him and his expression turned wildly joyful. "Yes, about our little game. Seems Sarah and I have agreed to a draw. She will be otherwise occupied tomorrow. In fact, for the next week, at the very least. You have done your part admirably. She is finally where she should be."
"It's over then." Leslie's relief was palpable. "You'll give me what I want, right? My dream?"
"Yes, yes. I believe payment is in order." It was commendable, really. Already the girl was regaining her poise, not the slightest trace of doubt or regret making an appearance. Not even the fear she reeked of was showing now, only expectancy of a reward justly deserved. "Ever the consummate actress," he mused aloud, "I must say, that was quite ruthless of you to sacrifice your friend for your own gain."
Leslie didn't bat an eye. "Better her than me."
"You are correct. I would never move the stars for you, little mouse," he taunted.
"Stop calling me that. It's creepy."
"As it's meant to be." Taking a step closer, he sneered when she instinctively retreated. "You see... Owls. Eat. Mice." He snapped his teeth and she jumped.
"I did what you wanted. Give me my dream!" she demanded with air of petulance.
"Spoilsport," he chided with an uncaring shrug. "You have served me well so I will be generous. State what it is you want and you shall have it."
He knew what she would wish for. He could see it in every line and angle that made the girl who she was, written as clearly as words on a page.
"I wish for fame because I want everyone to know who I am and I want my name to live on forever."
Jareth couldn't quite bite back the vicious satisfaction that teased his lips. Wishes borne of selfish desire rarely played out as intended. Take the puppy that nine year old Leslie had traded her brother for; it had to be put down because it contracted rabies. And the rollerblades that twelve year old Leslie traded her newborn sister for? The subsequent broken ankle cost her years of dance training and forced her into acting instead. Not that the foolish girl remembered her lost siblings or making the wishes. Sadly, that was the price of magic.
And now history was once more repeating itself. This was the part where he could warn Leslie to be more specific and say her right words. That while her wish was going to get her what she wanted, he was fairly certain that her name carved in a headstone as the victim of a highly publicized plane crash was not what she was expecting. If he were noble, this would be the time to warn her. But really, where was the fun in that?
Conjuring a crystal with a twist of his wrist, Jareth held it out temptingly. "That is your wish? Your name immortalized?"
All it would take was a little rewording...
Leslie eyed the crystal greedily. "Yes."
Tossing the orb into the air, a shower of sparkles rained down and sealed the simpleton's fate.
Such a pity.
Alas, it was not as if he were obligated to offer benevolence. The choice was his and he chose to save his generosity for Sarah, where it would reap the most pleasant of rewards.
"It is done," he said dispassionately and made a shooing motion with his gloved hand. "Now run along, little mouse. Before I get hungry."
Jareth listened to the girl's hasty footsteps fade off down the stairwell and closed his eyes, taking a deep breath just to revel in the pure gratification of a bargain completed- and his nose wrinkled, finding the stench of pollution and humanity in general, heavy and cloying. Sparing the dramatic entrance, he willed himself back to his bedchamber, his clothing melting away along with the tension in his body once he was back in his own kingdom.
Sarah was still sleeping, the blissful dreams of someone content at heart and it went a long way to ease his distaste at the other girl's company.
There had been a moment, at their first meeting when he offered Sarah the crystal and he thought she might accept. He'd almost been angry, the woman he desired should not have been a little girl easily swayed. But then she proceeded to not only turn him down but turn his very world upside down quite brilliantly, and he knew as sure as she'd spoken those hated words that revoked his power over her that he would never give anyone but her the same dominion over his person. He wondered if Sarah realized it yet, that the certain powers he had given her were not the ability to call on him, but rather it was his choice to love her as best as a creature such as himself was capable.
He thought of the other girl, doomed by her own greed and of the two goblins residing in the city, blissfully ignorant of their origins. He thought of Toby and how one day he would find his way back to the labyrinth by his own choice. The magic would call him and he would heed. His destiny was to be as great as his sister's. A future king in the making...
But as the very first fingers of grey began to reach across the sky to hail the coming morning, Jareth tucked that game away for another time. He had a queen to wake and a short eternity of restrained affections to lavish upon her. And bog it all if she wasn't worth every second of that long and lonely wait.
A.N.- I hope this is an acceptable conclusion. I'm posting this before bed because I want to get it out there and done. I'll edit it better tomorrow.
So I have this headcanon that Jareth is pretty much the fey equivalent of a typical 20 year old guy and his kingdom is one big bachelor pad that really needs a feminine touch. I took liberties with his back story and maybe I'll revisit it in the future. We'll see.
Also… Who else thinks Jareth would make his jiz taste like chocolate or something so Sarah would be more willing to go down on him? I had that random thought while writing this chapter and all I could think was, no peaches, Jareth, or she just might bite you. lol