Author's Note: Yes, I know the ballroom thing is a little stereotypical. I'm doing it anyway. I'm also breaking up this chapter in an attempt to make my story seem longer. That and people are slacking with the reviews. Maybe I'll just leave you hanging for a little bit...
Disclaimer: None of this is mine, no matter how many birthday wishes I make :(
Sarah smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The gown she was wearing had cost more than most of her wardrobe combined, but as she wore it for the first time outside the fitting room, she still felt it had been worth it. It was elegant in its simplicity: low cut in both front and back, the collar ringed with small white sequins that faded into the black that made up the rest of the dress. It sparkled just slightly when the light hit it, making the form-fitting dress look like a night sky. Her hair was swept up to reveal her long neck, and she wore only a diamond and onyx necklace that dipped down to her cleavage. She applied some dark lipstick and smiled again. All the assets were accentuated: lips, neck, cleavage and hips. Poor Jareth didn't stand a chance. She pulled on her elbow-length gloves and ran to answer the door, pausing to remind herself it was only Matt.
He stared at her, dumbfounded, before letting out a whistle.
"Wow. Sarah you look awesome!"
She frowned at the admittedly weak compliment, but he didn't seem to notice. As she leaned over to grab her handbag he pinched her butt, and all Sarah could think was 'God, I'm not going to miss that.'
When they entered the ballroom Sarah's breath was taken away. Somehow the usually drab hall had been completely transformed. Everything was decorated in crystal and gold, both unobtrusive as well as beautiful in their appearance. There was a small orchestra in one corner and the floor was full of dancing couples. The French doors that lined the far side of the room were open, offering guests the chance to enjoy the cool, starry night. Scanning the room, she found Jareth to their left greeting the mayor and his wife. He was resplendent in a traditional tuxedo, but with a vest very similar to her dress in that it too seemed to sparkle with a life of its own. She watched him smile at the mayor's wife and felt a flush of jealousy in her stomach. As if sensing her arrival, he turned to meet her gaze and momentarily froze. He made his way over to them, eyes never leaving hers. For several moments he was speechless, simply taking in the sight of her. Then he slowly raised her hand to his lips, murmuring "Sarah" against her gloved skin. His gaze was ravenous and she felt herself blushing. This was exactly the reaction she wanted, and se was thoroughly enjoying the attention until Matt noticed the looks Jareth was giving her. He began pulling her away towards the dance floor without even a word of acknowledgement towards their host. Sarah shot Jareth a look that said "don't worry". Deborah would be arriving any minute and she had agreed to take care of Matt so Sarah could talk with Jareth.
True to her word, Deborah had kept Matt busy for several songs, and he didn't seem to mind her dancing with any of the other men in the room. It was only when Jareth approached her, or even looked in her direction that Matt swooped out of nowhere and waltzed her back into the crowd. She was getting frustrated with him and was about to tell him off when she heard the opening strains to a song she hadn't heard in years.
Matt smiled at her and said, "I had them play this for us, Sarah. I want this to be our song." He spun her once and then sang along with the soft chords of Tony Bennett's "The Way You Look Tonight". She stiffened slightly in his arms. This was a bad sign. Past experience had taught her that these sort of romantic gestures were merely precursors to suggestions of commitment. Her mind raced, trying to think of some way to avoid the inevitable conclusion, but it was too late.
"...Never, never change, 'cause I, I love you," and here Matt looked directly in her eyes, "Just the way you look tonight."
Sarah felt the mild panic that always rose in the back of her throat when guys told her that. Instinctively, her eyes darted around, looking for Deborah. This time, however, Matt noticed.
"Sarah, what is the matter? I mean, we've been together for over a month and I...you must realize how I feel. I love you Sarah." he told her almost pleadingly.
She sighed in resignation; after all, she had known this was coming.
"Let's talk outside," she said, leading him out onto the balcony before starting in.
"I don't love you, Matt. I'm sorry but I don't and I can't change that."
"But I can. Give me a chance Sarah, I can be whatever you want."
"You'll try - I believe that. But the truth is you'll never be enough."
He got angry at that, slamming his fist into the railing. As he turned towards her Sarah worried that he might turn his violence onto her, but then he grew quiet.
"Jesus, Sarah, what is it you want?" he asked.
"I don't want someone who just loves me for the way I look tonight. I need someone who'll love me when the world fall down."
He threw up his hands in frustration, then turned to try one more time. Taking both her hands in his, he knelt down and pleaded, "Sarah, I would move mountains for you."
"I know," she told him, "but I want someone who'll move the stars."
With that, he got up and walked out, looking like he carried the whole world on his shoulders. She turned away with a small sigh, staring out into the night and trying to decide what she was going to do next. She felt Jareth's now-familiar presence behind her before she heard him ask, "Where's Matt?"
She smiles slightly and turned to face him. "You know very well where he is" she intoned in her best British accent.
Jareth decided to change tactics. "How long are you going to use sarcasm to avoid the subject at hand?"
That completely threw her off. She looked out over the balcony, turning her back to him again. Not wanting to let her escape him so easily, he stood next to her, leaning onto the railing. Neither one said anything for a while, and then Sarah broke the silence.
"You know, once upon a time a very charming king asked me to love him. He even offered to be my slave. It was very tempting, believe me, but I turned him down. I spent the next 7 years regretting that decision. In that time I tried to...make up for it by making men grovel at my feet, but it was never enough. I've learned two things over those 7 years. First, it's really not a big deal making someone your slave when you don't feel they're your equal to begin with. What good is it for them to put you on a pedestal when they're already beneath you? And from that experience I have learned that I don't want a slave. I want an equal, but I expect the same in return." Finally she turned and faced him. "I will not fear you, nor will I simply do as you say. But I will love you. Is that enough?"
Disclaimer: None of this is mine, no matter how many birthday wishes I make :(
Sarah smiled at her reflection in the mirror. The gown she was wearing had cost more than most of her wardrobe combined, but as she wore it for the first time outside the fitting room, she still felt it had been worth it. It was elegant in its simplicity: low cut in both front and back, the collar ringed with small white sequins that faded into the black that made up the rest of the dress. It sparkled just slightly when the light hit it, making the form-fitting dress look like a night sky. Her hair was swept up to reveal her long neck, and she wore only a diamond and onyx necklace that dipped down to her cleavage. She applied some dark lipstick and smiled again. All the assets were accentuated: lips, neck, cleavage and hips. Poor Jareth didn't stand a chance. She pulled on her elbow-length gloves and ran to answer the door, pausing to remind herself it was only Matt.
He stared at her, dumbfounded, before letting out a whistle.
"Wow. Sarah you look awesome!"
She frowned at the admittedly weak compliment, but he didn't seem to notice. As she leaned over to grab her handbag he pinched her butt, and all Sarah could think was 'God, I'm not going to miss that.'
When they entered the ballroom Sarah's breath was taken away. Somehow the usually drab hall had been completely transformed. Everything was decorated in crystal and gold, both unobtrusive as well as beautiful in their appearance. There was a small orchestra in one corner and the floor was full of dancing couples. The French doors that lined the far side of the room were open, offering guests the chance to enjoy the cool, starry night. Scanning the room, she found Jareth to their left greeting the mayor and his wife. He was resplendent in a traditional tuxedo, but with a vest very similar to her dress in that it too seemed to sparkle with a life of its own. She watched him smile at the mayor's wife and felt a flush of jealousy in her stomach. As if sensing her arrival, he turned to meet her gaze and momentarily froze. He made his way over to them, eyes never leaving hers. For several moments he was speechless, simply taking in the sight of her. Then he slowly raised her hand to his lips, murmuring "Sarah" against her gloved skin. His gaze was ravenous and she felt herself blushing. This was exactly the reaction she wanted, and se was thoroughly enjoying the attention until Matt noticed the looks Jareth was giving her. He began pulling her away towards the dance floor without even a word of acknowledgement towards their host. Sarah shot Jareth a look that said "don't worry". Deborah would be arriving any minute and she had agreed to take care of Matt so Sarah could talk with Jareth.
True to her word, Deborah had kept Matt busy for several songs, and he didn't seem to mind her dancing with any of the other men in the room. It was only when Jareth approached her, or even looked in her direction that Matt swooped out of nowhere and waltzed her back into the crowd. She was getting frustrated with him and was about to tell him off when she heard the opening strains to a song she hadn't heard in years.
Matt smiled at her and said, "I had them play this for us, Sarah. I want this to be our song." He spun her once and then sang along with the soft chords of Tony Bennett's "The Way You Look Tonight". She stiffened slightly in his arms. This was a bad sign. Past experience had taught her that these sort of romantic gestures were merely precursors to suggestions of commitment. Her mind raced, trying to think of some way to avoid the inevitable conclusion, but it was too late.
"...Never, never change, 'cause I, I love you," and here Matt looked directly in her eyes, "Just the way you look tonight."
Sarah felt the mild panic that always rose in the back of her throat when guys told her that. Instinctively, her eyes darted around, looking for Deborah. This time, however, Matt noticed.
"Sarah, what is the matter? I mean, we've been together for over a month and I...you must realize how I feel. I love you Sarah." he told her almost pleadingly.
She sighed in resignation; after all, she had known this was coming.
"Let's talk outside," she said, leading him out onto the balcony before starting in.
"I don't love you, Matt. I'm sorry but I don't and I can't change that."
"But I can. Give me a chance Sarah, I can be whatever you want."
"You'll try - I believe that. But the truth is you'll never be enough."
He got angry at that, slamming his fist into the railing. As he turned towards her Sarah worried that he might turn his violence onto her, but then he grew quiet.
"Jesus, Sarah, what is it you want?" he asked.
"I don't want someone who just loves me for the way I look tonight. I need someone who'll love me when the world fall down."
He threw up his hands in frustration, then turned to try one more time. Taking both her hands in his, he knelt down and pleaded, "Sarah, I would move mountains for you."
"I know," she told him, "but I want someone who'll move the stars."
With that, he got up and walked out, looking like he carried the whole world on his shoulders. She turned away with a small sigh, staring out into the night and trying to decide what she was going to do next. She felt Jareth's now-familiar presence behind her before she heard him ask, "Where's Matt?"
She smiles slightly and turned to face him. "You know very well where he is" she intoned in her best British accent.
Jareth decided to change tactics. "How long are you going to use sarcasm to avoid the subject at hand?"
That completely threw her off. She looked out over the balcony, turning her back to him again. Not wanting to let her escape him so easily, he stood next to her, leaning onto the railing. Neither one said anything for a while, and then Sarah broke the silence.
"You know, once upon a time a very charming king asked me to love him. He even offered to be my slave. It was very tempting, believe me, but I turned him down. I spent the next 7 years regretting that decision. In that time I tried to...make up for it by making men grovel at my feet, but it was never enough. I've learned two things over those 7 years. First, it's really not a big deal making someone your slave when you don't feel they're your equal to begin with. What good is it for them to put you on a pedestal when they're already beneath you? And from that experience I have learned that I don't want a slave. I want an equal, but I expect the same in return." Finally she turned and faced him. "I will not fear you, nor will I simply do as you say. But I will love you. Is that enough?"