"Did you ever have a dream or two
Where the hero is a guy named you
And the things he does are just too much…"
~Did You Ever Have a Dream, David Bowie
*Bits of lemon ahead*
"Toby!" Sarah called out immediately upon entering Iron's End. She somehow knew he'd hear from wherever he was.
She was right. "Sarah? Sarah!" The boy gleefully ran towards his sister, the trio of old Underground friends trailing him. "Tybalt was right - you're okay!"
"Sure am, kiddo." Sarah smiled and hugged her brother, surprised at the amount of relief that seeing him brought. It was a taste of home, the home from before lightning powers and dark beasts.
Jareth stood just inside the doorway, expressionless. Tybalt approached him from behind the bar counter with a wary gait. "I saw what the boy wasn't able to," he whispered lowly. "The Beast now travels between realms, unhindered?"
"Not for long," Jareth's voice roughly replied with chilling confidence.
"But then why is it only up to you two? Now that everyone is essentially involved? Surely the royal counsel has…"
"Has relinquished responsibility, as usual?" Jareth's eyes flashed with long-standing resentment. "Aside from it being still primarily our realm that needs saving, none would do anything unless they were faced with absolutely no choice. Save possibly my sister." He now studied Tybalt's reaction at this.
Tybalt's expression was momentarily distracted at the mention of her "Is she...well?" HE seemed to struggle to find a suitable inquiry. Jareth gave the smallest of knowing smiles, nodding once before looking to Sarah as she approached them.
"I want Toby to be returned home," Sarah stated in a commanding tone that Jareth found amusing.
"Yes, you have mentioned that before." Jareth's mocking tone brought a small scowl to Sarah's face. "But he will not be returned just yet." The finality of the statement seemed to hang in the air.
"Why?" Sarah's desperation peeked through her angry voice. "I've done everything you asked. I'm preparing to fight off a damn demon for you. He doesn't need to be here." Her voice lowered almost threateningly, which seemed to please Jareth. A reaction that only fed her rage.
"You have no idea what he needs." His response came so sharply that it almost caused Sarah to cower a little. His eyes bore into hers with a sincerity that threw her completely off guard. She could only attempt to form a defiant expression in response.
"Miss Sarah, I truly have witnessed the boy to be happy almost every waking moment," came Tybalt's reassurance. "He's learning new things, and he loves your friends. There has been no strife for young Toby."
"Apart from him worrying about me? Apart from him being separated from his home, his family, his life." Sarah was pointing every word towards Jareth as she responded to Tybalt. "He has parents. Parents who are undoubtedly panicked as hell at his absence."
"Do you truly think this is my first round of tampering with your world?" Jareth almost sounded miffed. "That's all been taken care of, little girl." His tone grew pointedly condescending.
"I 'truly think' that you don't care," Sarah corrected, daggers in her voice and eyes.
Jareth's jaw set, staring her down for a moment before looking to Tybalt. "You know where to find us should you need." His statement was final and emotionless as he turned to exit the inn.
Sarah threw a glare his direction before walking back to her brother for another reluctant farewell and reassurance that everything will be okay. A reassurance meant for herself as much as for Toby.
"You lack focus!" A frustrated Goblin King shouted at an equally frustrated Sarah.
"I'm exhausted and distracted." Her excuse sounded more accusatory than apologetic. "I've been working at this all day after having also been up most of the night as well. After being torn away from my little brother, yet again." She spat the last word.
Jareth was slowly circling her. "You need to be stronger than distraction. To be able to overpower your mortal exhaustion. The power is within you. Find it!" His words were somehow equally commanding and inspiring.
Sarah's eyes locked onto his as he rounded to face her, stopping his pace. She attempted to search him for something, any hint of what to do or even perhaps a tell that he was exaggerating her powers in order to merely dismiss her complaints. But his eyes seemed alight with only sincerity, encouragement even. She drew in a deep breath and closed her eyes, attempting once more to summon the mystical power she'd felt only intermittently throughout the past few days.
Weak sparks emitted from her hands as she finally reached the hidden place within her mind that newly existed. Pleased with herself, she let a smile grow on her face as she opened her eyes to try to find a target.
They were deep in the same forest that she'd first entered years ago with Ludo. After she had expressed concern with killing any magical trees or hidden creatures within the woods, Jareth had reassured her - with some obvious amusement - that he wouldn't allow her to do too much damage. I'm not sure what's so funny, she had thought. After all, you came pleading for help after my powers had apparently grown to the level of causing so much mayhem.
Now focusing on a nearby towering tree, Sarah pictured the Beast, trying to relive the fury she'd been briefly overcome with the night beside the fortress.
But a baby appeared just then, toddling near the tree. A ghoulishly cloaked creature was chasing after it. Sarah gasped as she recognized Toby as an infant, unable to make sense of the image nor to quell the sudden fear that it caused her. Grasping at the weak remnants of power she still felt, she threw her hands up in a feeble attempt to blast the dark creature. Her weak sparks simmered before ever leaving her hands, and all at once the image blurred and rolled into a swirling ball that solidified as a crystal before disappearing entirely.
"That's not fair!" Sarah cried, frowning in open anger towards the man that stood now to her side.
"I would've thought you'd know better than to expect 'fairness' by now, young Sarah," Jareth almost whispered as he leaned towards her, his words purposefully biting.
Sarah shook her head slowly before turning away, sighing from fatigue as much as annoyance. The sun was still visible through the thick forestation, but she could tell it was lower in the sky than the last time she'd noticed it. She rolled her shoulders to relieve some tension, noticing in her peripheral that Jareth's eyes flickered downwards as she did so. She was suddenly very aware of how low her linen blouse was hanging off of one shoulder, now tugging at it quickly as if to regain a bit of dignity.
"You need to gain complete control of your power," Jareth softly told her. "To be able to overcome any distraction. The Beast - nor any other magical foe - will not be considerate of your state of mind. Nor will they prove predictable. Your focus must be unbreakable." Sarah couldn't help but almost admire the sound of his advice, as if he'd learned such hard lessons himself long ago. She sighed again and nodded in reluctant acknowledgment.
"Show me the image again." Sarah sounded much more confident than she felt as she straightened up to appear ready.
Jareth shook his head. "It is pointless, now that you're ready for something you know to be a trick." A thoughtful expression passed over his face before it turned into something mischievous. "No, that wouldn't help you. But after a short rest, a more daunting task might."
Sarah tried to hide her relief at the thought of stopping, even for a bit, as well as her apprehension of what the task could be.
They were suddenly standing in the empty dining hall that Sarah had only briefly visited late the night before. She had snuck in after hours of her stomach tearing at her. She had been so frustrated with not being able to conjure food, too spent after practicing since the moment they'd arrived back. She now remembered the embarrassment she had felt as she'd torn into a baguette and wheel of cheese before noticing the Goblin King leaning against a wall in the dark room, lit only by the moonlight streaming in. Even dim lighting was enough to reveal how pleased and amused he was to witness her giving in to even the smallest of temptations.
Sarah tried to shake the thought away, feeling a blush forming at the memory of not only her embarrassment, but of the image of his otherworldly features in the white moonlight. The contours of his slightly smirking face were all but bewitching as she'd frozen where she stood, before finally turning briskly to return to her chamber. She could almost still hear the soft, deep chuckle that had sounded behind her.
"I know you have no trouble making yourself at home," Jareth playfully stated now, as if sensing her memories. "So do help yourself if you find that you still cannot...help yourself." He mocked with a chuckle.
At that, Sarah was absolutely determined to make her own food appear. It was either that or stay hungry.
She let her hunger overcome her thoughts, allowing whatever her multiple cravings to flash images through her mind along with the ghosts of their tastes. She tried to focus on making everything very vivid, causing her mouth to begin salivating. A silver tray of various foods appeared at the table nearest her. She threw a triumphant smirk towards Jareth before seating herself in front of it. Even small victories can be oh so tasty, she thought as she bit into a gourmet sandwich.
"Would you like to share in my spoils?" Sarah sounded more taunting than generous. Jareth chuckled softly, causing her to briefly muse as to whether this was the first time he'd ever laughed with rather than at her.
"I think I'll decline for now." His chuckle still lingered in his voice. "Find me when you're ready." He was gone before she could ask where he was going.
Sarah had to fight the urge to overindulge, as much from the taxing hunger that had grown as from her wish to prolong the inevitable return to the frustrating practice of her seemingly fleeting magic. Why did I feel everything so much more acutely near the Wild Fey lands? She picked halfheartedly at an orange as she surfaced the question that had been lingering all day. She wondered if the magic in those lands had simply fueled her, if her own actual power was in fact much weaker than what she'd been able to show there. Jareth seemed to be able to ignite the erupting force of it, she admitted to herself the thought that she'd never voice aloud. Why does that seemed to be a lost element here? She now began to wonder if the Underground brought too strong of memories for her still. Memories of Jareth as nothing more than a rivaled enemy.
A sexually-awakening enemy perhaps, but still. She shook her head in disapproval of the amending thought. He is still as much of an enemy now, she reminded herself, suppressing the memory of the fire-lit kiss that now threatened to surface. She forced herself to replace it with the memory of how livid she'd been with him when he had shown a re-kidnapped Toby through his crystal back at her apartment.
Her apartment. The memory of it somehow felt vastly distant now. She sighed at the thought and rose from the table, taking small delight in seeing the tray disappear without her having to consciously force it to.
Sarah somewhat lazily searched for the Goblin King in the known corners of the castle, admittedly in no rush to resume her painstaking task. After a long moment, she conceded to the suspicion that he was in his chambers. Slowly ascending the staircase that she at least thought led to them, she chewed her lip and hesitated several times before finally reaching the top. The garish double doors before her told her that she had likely been right. She couldn't shake the feelings of pique and apprehension at the probability that he'd easily lured her to this moment of having to knock on his bedroom door. Her hand balled into a fist, deciding between using it to knock or to strike the face that could suddenly appear.
"Still so shy?" Came a sneering voice behind her.
Sarah scoffed as she rounded to face him. "Seriously? Do you just get off on this hide and seek bullshi…"
"Oh come now, Sarah," his laughing voice interrupted. "Don't try and pretend there's no part of you that actually wished you would be forced to come to me in there." His eyes danced with a taunting playfulness as he closed the distance between them.
Sarah shuffled somewhat awkwardly, unwilling to give him the satisfaction of her stepping away in discomfort, yet equally unwilling to meet his gaze. She knew she wasn't quite strong enough to hide what might be showing in her eyes at the moment.
"Now." He took her arm, voice still full of amusement as he took in the sight of her uneasiness. "Ready?"
They were gone before she could answer.
Regaining her balance much more quickly than the many past times he'd whisked her away, Sarah was momentarily pleased at her progress in getting used to the disorienting traveling method. The pleased feeling quelled instantly as she realized where she stood.
The unwelcome familiarity of a hilltop amid a seemingly deserted wasteland came into full view. The labyrinth was fully visible from this distance, the castle no larger than a small replica. Sarah couldn't help but relive the confusion and fear she'd felt the last time she stood atop this hill. The disconcerting way the Goblin King she had just met was toying with her, the mixture of intimidation and determination that had blossomed inside her.
"Why?" She turned to said King with nothing but exasperation on her face. "Why the hell are we here of all goddamned places?"
"Because it's uncomfortable for you," came his matter-of-fact answer. "I told you - you need to break free of any discomfort or distraction." He almost seemed lecturing.
Sarah turned away from him, facing a direction that spanned out into seemingly nothing. She decided that the labyrinth and castle grounds would still have to be the source of her storm, not being able to imagine anything helpful lying in the desert before her. Her mind drew up the image of the forest they'd been in as she reached for the feel of water and air currents that her present surroundings so painfully lacked.
After a time passed that Sarah couldn't quantify, she finally felt the glimmer of the control that she'd been grasping for. A small yet dark cloud formed closely in front of her, and she decided to try to strike a nearby dead tree. A disappointingly weak shower of sparks emitted from the cloud and died out before even touching the tip of the top branch.
Sarah let out a grunting sound of defeat.
"You're too impatient," Jareth chided.
"Wonder what could be feeding that," Sarah sarcastically spat back. "With all the urgent warnings and sense of impending doom." Her eyes were angry, frustration and resentment darkening them into a look that Jareth couldn't help but find empowering for her. Almost frightening even, had he not actually known the girl better.
"I'm afraid I'll have to up the stakes." His tone suddenly reminded Sarah of the brief mischief she'd seen flash in his eyes in the forest. He neared her as she began to feel a prickle of instinctual warning that caused her to back away. He paused, thoughtfully studying her in open amusement.
"You still fear me," he surmised. His expression was unreadable, and she couldn't quite tell if he was pleased or disappointed with the revelation. "An oath to not cause harm still binds me," he reminded her, with a grin that she found almost terrifying. Terrifying and tantalizing.
Sarah suppressed a shiver as she struggled to come up with a retort. She jumped back as he reached for her, mostly out of a wish to buy a minute, but also partially out of spiteful defiance.
"I still don't trust you," she finally corrected. "There's a difference. You are no less an antagonist to me than you were when we met. The only change is my maturation; I am no longer a naive, innocent teenager."
A deep chuckle told her the statement wasn't exactly being taken the way she'd hoped.
"No, Sarah, you are not. Although I wouldn't have exactly called you purely innocent back then, any sooner than I'd say you were totally stripped of innocence now. Nor of naivete." He sized her up slowly, seeming to send heat right through her with his gaze. "I'd say there's still a great deal you have yet to experience."
He let the words hang in the air before nearing her again, relishing in the apprehensive shiver he'd brought on her. Taking her arm now with ease as she still remained temporarily frozen, he leaned in so close that her heart quickened, whispering, "And it's time to have one of them now."
Sarah was swept away into darkness.
She couldn't be sure how many moments passed before she realized where she was, coming out of a dizzying haze. The musty smell of dirt and stagnant air began to register as all too familiar.
She was in an oubliette.
As the shock wore off, she gasped at the now distinct feeling of drafty vulnerability; she was completely bare. And strewn by each limb. It was a replica of her dream. But this was different, the reality of it painfully and starkly more vivid. Her breath quickened as she came to this full awareness. A dim torch suddenly lit in the corner behind her, casting a flickering light upon an irredeemably smug Goblin King. Sarah wasn't sure her heart had ever beat so fast.
"Let's test that confidence of yours, shall we?" His voice almost growled the words, grin as apparent in the sound of them as the view of the poorly-lit sight before her.
Sarah gathered any resolve she could muster, unwilling to let her vulnerability show. "You have no power over me." The words came softly yet unwaveringly. His low chuckle made her regret them almost immediately.
"Let's test that as well." He closened to her, grin becoming more clear as he did so. As did his inhumanly fiery eyes.
Her breath hitched as those eyes shamelessly grazed over her. Her one glimmer of comfort was the fact that the lighting was so dim. But any lighting at all would surely illuminate the deepest of blushes that now crept over her entire body. The sight of it seemed to cause a low sound to emit from him, something between a growl and a groan.
He slowly and predatorily circled around her, until he stopped behind her, causing Sarah's breaths to quicken and her skin to tingle at the thought of him viewing her from out of her line of sight.
The familiar scene began to unfold as he leaned into her neck and slipped a gloved hand around her waist, sliding it down her abdomen. A familiar scene, yet excruciatingly intensified. She could have never fully imagined this feeling. His breath against her neck scorched her, lips grazing and igniting the sensitive skin into a spreading fire beyond where he actually touched. The leather glove was cool at the surface, yet his warmth seeped through to heat her skin, the tantalizing way it slid down her sending shock waves to her very core. A wet heat formed between her thighs, causing her to pull against the restraints on her ankles in a failing attempt to bring her legs together.
A deep chuckle sounded near her ear, provoking a tremble through her that she knew was visible.
"Where's that stubborn resolve now, precious thing?" His mouth was nearly touching her ear as he spoke, grazing his tongue lightly against it after the last word. He lowered his hand to her pelvis, splaying it with a possessiveness that might have buckled Sarah's legs from under her had she not been suspended. She emitted a soft whimper that was met with an unmistakably pleased growl from the throat behind her.
Jareth's hand pressed against her harder, his other now closing around her other side in an upwards direction. As it brushed over her breast, he pressed himself up against her. Sarah let out a more audible mewl as his hardness pressed into her backside.
"Escape your restraints, Sarah," he spoke again into her ear with a daring tone.
Sarah tensed at this, breaking only slightly free of the erotic fog that had been encasing her. She tried to grasp at the bit of coherency she was feeling and frantically searched her mind for the magic it held. Her small amount of clarity slipped as he lightly caressed her neck with a hot tongue.
He's fucking proving his power over me. Her thoughts burst through the fog with resentful defiance.
She conjured the memory of her storm creations, painfully struggling against the raw desire to succumb to his every motion. She forced herself to picture how the elements had gathered, reliving the memory of how empowering the awareness and control felt. As her confidence grew, she turned her focus to the feeling of her restraints. They were soft, yet sturdy. The dim light hadn't revealed much of what they looked like; they could be lined rope or strong silk or some unknown material. In her mind's eye, she tried to hone in on the very fibers that touched her skin. Suddenly a glimpse of the silky white cloth that was tied against her wrists and ankles flashed through her mind. A small smile grew on her face as she recognized the magical feeling of reaching beyond human awareness. Clinging to the small triumph, she tried to feed it with memories of her greatest triumphs. She thought of successfully saving baby Toby, though quickly forced the thought away as the image of the man behind her began to be associated with that memory. She knew she needed to have no thoughts that involved him at the moment, her head still barely above water as it is.
Jareth sensed her momentary empowerment and pressed harder against her in attempt to falter her focus. His hand now lithely encompassed her breast, thumb caressing purposefully. The hiss of her sharp intake of breath revealed the effect his touch had. Grin growing anew, he pressed his mouth back against her neck, biting her softly. The tug of his teeth felt like it somehow tugged from below her navel, drawing a hiss from her that was met with another satisfied growl from him.
You have no power over me, she repeated internally as if it were a mantra. The control of her magic still so close to her grasp, Sarah gathered all of her frustration and swirling mixtures of emotions into a storm cloud within. She let it build into a different kind of fire, feeding her anger towards the manipulative being behind her. The King who took what he wanted. The magical Fey who'd connected her unwillingly to his own powers.
We are equals.
That thought empowered her somehow far more than any other. She could feel her restraints loosening.
She fed the feeling more and more, memories flashing in her mind. Striking the Beast into fleeing. Conjuring a storm with the High King as a witness. Learning that she'd had power enough to upheave the kingdom that had once been solely controlled by the man behind her.
Her restraints disappeared entirely. With a hurried yet fixed thought of leaving the oubliette to a safer environment, Sarah found herself in her castle chamber.
She gasped as she stabilized against the bedpost, head still reeling at the startling change of atmosphere and ground. And at the sudden lack of physical contact. Her body was still achingly aroused, yet the control her mind had found kept her sharp, and she was not about to let that melt away. Realizing how unlikely it would be for the Goblin King to simply stay away in defeat, she quickly entered the wardrobe in a frantic search for something she could easily throw on. She didn't yet feel quite confident enough in her current state to try and conjure up the clothing magically. No sooner had she found and wrapped herself in a deep green silken robe than the devil himself appeared.
Leaning against her bedpost, Jareth made no attempt to cover his arousal nor to hide his hungrily frustrated expression.
"Covering up so soon?" The lightness of his taunt was belied by the rawness in his voice. "As if that piece of cloth could slow me down." He canted his head downwards, eyes smoldering.
Sarah failingly attempted to keep her breathing steady. "I passed your self-serving test, Jareth. With flying colors, I might add." Her voice managed to sound defiant, if not a touch raw as well. "This particular torment is over." Her jaw set with much more resolve than she actually felt.
Jareth seemed to see through it though. His eyes flashed dangerously as he shoved off from the post, approaching her with characteristic predatory slowness.
"Lie to me and tell me you're not craving me," he dared with a half smile. A look that combined with his words in a way that sent a thrumming pulse between her thighs. "It was, after all, your own imagination that set up such a delicious scenario."
She almost retorted, but her voice left her as he closened, now teasingly near. His expression turned almost fervent as he looked down at her, a finger lightly grazing the rim of her robe that barely held closed. He traced down the length of it over her stomach, lowering to just above her apex before she caught his wrist.
"We're done here." She found just enough strength in herself to sound sure, her grip tightening around his wrist as if to strengthen her resolve as much as to stop him.
He made no attempt to free his hand, but extended his fingers out with just enough motion to brush her robe apart slightly. A cooling wisp of air teased her dampness, sending her whole body into a quick but noticeable shiver. She hated the smirk it brought to his face.
"I can release the tension, Sarah," his whisper was somehow headier and more powerful than his louder tone had been.
Sarah's chest heaved in almost gasping breaths, causing the robe to part at the widest point and his eyes to follow the slight peek inside that it gave. She had no doubt his skilled hand - that was now only centimeters away from her most sensitive area - could indeed ease her ache. With fireworks, no less. But the submission that it would require was not something she was prepared to give in to. She'd just beaten him at his own unfair game, and the promises of that triumph was greater than her lustful desire. Marginally.
"We both know there's more hiding beneath that offer than release alone." Her voice was still made raw by her inner struggle. "Ever striving to prove a victor over me." Green eyes flashed with implied defiance.
"You'll always be the victor, Sarah." Jareth's admonishing words shocked her as much as the passion in his voice did. A slight frown contorted her face in her confused surprise. Jareth seized the opportunity to unwrap his hand from her grip to grasp her forearm, pulling her into him all in one swift motion. He leaned in, and his lips were on hers before she could react. Surprise and confusion left her momentarily limp, until his teeth grazed her bottom lip tantalizingly. Beginning to lose her own battle, Sarah started to kiss back with a rough force that surprised even herself, her lips crushing against his.
His grasp still firm on her arm, Jareth lifted his other hand to her jawline, caressing it with such gentleness that Sarah couldn't help but revel in the contrast between the two touches. It made her heart leap, frightening her even more than being chained up had. She parted her mouth from his to inhale fully, looking up at him with hooded eyes. The level of hunger she saw in him was almost vicious. She felt that she would wind up losing the battle yet, and suddenly she was lost. Dazed even.
"Jareth," she whispered as he lowered to resume the kiss, causing him to pause mid-motion. She was unsure of what she was going to say; the name had come out almost as a plea. Pleading him to stop as well as to not stop, or to at least give her a moment to marvel at what she saw in his eyes. None of that was worded however, and Jareth's face seem to harden to an emotionless mask, his hands dropping from her. She couldn't know exactly what he'd seen in her expression, but her inner battle was rapidly shifting into one between relief and regret.
"You should rest, Sarah," was all he said before vanishing.
She was left with a rush of multiple types of frustration, gasping with uneven breaths. After what seemed to be a long moment, she finally seemed to be able to control her breathing as well as to cool the burning that seemed to be emanating from her entire body. With one deep, steady sigh, she crossed to the bed and collapsed from the exhaustion that was now completely consuming her.
NOTE: Yes, yes, I know the whole steamy oubliette scene is a bit of a tired trope. But in my defense it was a dream of mine from long before I discovered fanfic, and also I couldn't resist *shrug*
animelover996 - Thank you so much, I'm glad you're enjoying :)
