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Hope everyone had a lovely holiday!
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Sarah squirmed uncomfortably under the gaze of the Goblin King. She suddenly felt compelled to keep busy, keep from being so close to the man who haunted her. She stood and wandered out to the kitchen, taking a glass from the cupboard and filling it with water from the tap. She shivered; the combination of the lack of power and the fireplace sucking the heat from everywhere else in the house made it unbearably cold to be away from the living room for any length of time. A rustling noise made her turn toward the doorway. Jareth's eyes flashed in the darkness, gazing curiously at her. Grasping her water glass, Sarah walked toward him and toward the living room.
"I just needed some water," she explained. Instead of moving to let her through, the Goblin King grasped her arms.
"You are freezing," he noted, running his hands up and down her arms, creating a delicious friction. Sarah's eyes grew large as she fought the sparks that flew between them when in such close quarters. Pulling away, she let her gaze fly around the kitchen, anywhere but at her "guest." Fighting the emotional tension, she lit some of the candles that she had gathered, then spotted a small, battery powered radio that she kept on top of the refrigerator. She flipped the radio on and found a news station.
"Power has been knocked out in most counties in Upstate New York," the radio announcer proclaimed. "Authorities are asking that you stay put, and only call 911 if it is an emergency. Police, firemen and medical personnel are working as quickly as possible to help those who cannot survive without electricity. Again, unless you have a medical emergency, please just wait out the storm. Sarah sighed. The goblin king had moved from her doorway and was now back in the living room, lounging on the couch and staring into the fire. Sarah wandered into the room once more, trying to read the expression on his face.
"Do I still frighten you, Sarah?" he asked, not looking in her direction. Sarah bit her lip lightly, trying to formulate a response.
"No," she finally admitted, "although there was a time when you terrified me."
"Then why the apprehension?" The sharp question shook Sarah out of her quiet contemplation of the situation. "Sarah, I mean no harm. Certainly you and I are beyond these childish games of cat and mouse." Tilting her head, Sarah regarded her guest with curiosity.
"Past experience has taught me to be cautious," she answered, "although some part of me believes that you can be trusted, now that enough time has passed, and we are older and wiser. You cannot blame me for my reluctance; but until you give me reason to behave otherwise, I will give you the benefit of the doubt, and accept you as a guest in my house. But you must agree to disappear if ever I feel threatened by your presence." Sarah closed her eyes, turning away from Jareth. She therefore missed seeing the alternating triumph and uncertainty flashing in the eyes of her companion. Nodding, Jareth agreed.
"I will do as you request, as long as you keep your end of the bargain. Besides, with the blizzard, it doesn't look like you have much choice." With a small sigh, Sarah forced a smile.
Night descended upon the house all too quickly, and Sarah lit almost all of the candles and placed them in the living room, kitchen, her bedroom, and the bathroom. Finally, she grabbed a fleece blanket from her bedroom, wrapped it around her shoulders, and sank down upon the couch in front of the fire. Jareth had been carrying in some wood from her small garage, and now, after standing and staring into the fire, he sat on the end of the couch where Sarah huddled, not breaking eye contact with the flames. Jareth's proximity was unnerving, and Sarah gave a small, involuntary shudder as she imagined the warmth that could be derived from closer contact with him. As if reading her thoughts, Jareth smirked and turned his gaze to Sarah.
"Do you have another blanket, or am I going to have to steal yours?" he questioned, grinning at her. Sarah blinked, frantically trying to remember if she had another blanket anywhere around. She thought about her recent promise and decided that she had better work at least a little to become friends with the man.
"You can share this one with me," she said, untangling the blanket from around her and draping it over both herself and Jareth. A dangerous look was in her companion's eyes, and she realized that she would have to come up with something to keep his mind occupied that didn't involve her and a couch and being under a blanket together.
"Tell me about the Labyrinth," she asked him. "How did it come to be? And how did you become its ruler?" Jareth's expression softened and he launched into a tale of love, betrayal, hope and defeat. Sarah had been shivering, but as the story continued and she got more used to being next to the goblin king, her shivering ceased and wonderful warmth enveloped her. She listened to the monarch's voice as he talked about the creatures he ruled, the magic that filled his life and past, and the dynasty that expected him to live up to the standards that they had established. Sarah had thought him to be uncaring, even cruel. But the intonation in his voice as he talked about his kingdom led Sarah to believe that she had been gravely mistaken. She asked questions and encouraged him to tell her as much as possible. When he talked about the death of his mother and father in a battle they had not been prepared for, she reached for his hand and ran her thumb across it in comfort. They talked late into the night, discovering all the things that had been unsaid between them for so long.