*******
"A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same."
- Elbert Hubbard
*******
The atmosphere in the King's throne room was electric. The quiet echoed and the lights flickered with almost unbearable energy. Jareth sat on his throne, alone in the room, having banished the goblins a short time before. His body was tense, back flat against the back of the throne and legs bent at the knees, feet bouncing slightly on the floor. Unbearable.
A crystal sat in his upturned palm, now returned to his knee. Moments before he had held it before him, peering into it in order to watch the show that the girl had performed for him. All for him. Now his thumb stroked the curve of the sphere carefully, as though he cherished it. Maybe he'd keep it. After all, it had shown him his dreams. Then again, maybe he would give it to her. A gift to match the one she had just given to him.
A smirk fell upon his lips. She had pleased herself, hoping that he would be watching. Indeed he was. He shifted slightly, attempting to ease the ache in his groin. Eyes closed and opened again, revealing the darkness held; evidence of his arousal. Drawing the crystal closer, he glanced at it again for a moment before whisking it away to his bedroom with magic. He would figure out what to do with it later.
Standing up, he kicked a pebble with his foot, listening to it bounce along the floor and skitter to a stop about a meter away. The sound was satisfying, like a light in the dark. He walked over to a window, leaning over and looking into the city below. Candlelight flickered in every window, smoke rising through the chimneys. It was his. This entire world was his. But what was it worth to him if he didn't wave happiness?
He grimaced as the thought came to him. He'd never been truly happy before and now that he'd had a glimpse of what it could be, he wanted nothing more than to experience it totally. He wanted his heart to beat for one person alone, to feel love in its purest form. To be loved by another. To know what making love felt like. He sighed quietly. He wanted her with him. Eyes closed and he could see her, naked and flushed, head thrown back in ecstasy, his name screaming from her lips. A flash of lightening off in the distance mirrored the one shooting through his body. Sarah. Oh, how he wanted her.
He flew back from the window as a deafening crack of thunder followed, leaving the throne room and heading towards his chambers, a short walk away. Entering the room, he slammed the door behind him, enjoying the bang that filled the air. The room was warm, the fireplace lit with reds and golds, flickering in the darkness and providing the only light. Jareth sat on one of the chairs in front of the fire, removing his shoes and warming his toes against the chill. The cold was appropriate, he thought, it suited his feelings of loneliness. If only he could make her love him. He shook his head. Sarah was extremely strong-willed, she would never love someone if she was forced or asked to.
There was a quiet knock on the door and Jareth looked up as it opened and a head poked around. Talia.
"Come in." He looked up at the woman as she entered the room, her long black hair falling over her shoulders and past her waist. The firelight danced in her playful brown eyes and her lips held in a smile. They had been lovers once, but had found themselves to be much better as friends. She sat down in the chair beside him, extending a hand toward him.
He grasped it and sighed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Talia grinned and tickled his palm with her fingers. "Well, I heard from Karlon, who heard from Sellion, who heard from Nell, who heard from one of your little goblins that you were unhappy and brooding. Now of course, I know that you're very good at that." She trailed off when Jareth threw her a look of warning. "But you kicked the goblins out of the throne room. You don't even do that when you're angry, let alone unhappy."
"Yes, well, I had my reasons."
"Would you care to share them with me?" The look he gave her brought sudden tears to her eyes. She had never before seen him so helpless. Only one thing could reduce him to this. "It's her, isn't it?"
He nodded. "I manipulated her dreams so that they were of me."
Talia looked up at him, shocked. Though not forbidden, toying with others' dreams was frowned upon in the Underground. "Oh Jareth, I would've thought differently of you. Why would you do that?" She stood up and sat back down on the ground before him, still holding his hand in hers.
"I wanted her to experience for me the feelings I hold for her." He looked over at his friend to see tears shimmering in her eyes. "It was an erotic dream."
"Jareth -"
"And then she showed me one of her own." The question burned in Talia's eyes and he answered it. "She woke up and pleasured herself. She called my name, Talia. She called my name."
Talia brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, her deep green dresses falling to the floor and covering her legs. She looked up at him, watching the emotions play in his eyes; fear, hope and love. She licked her lips and thought for a moment. This would not be easy to say.
"Do you know for sure that she was not calling your name as a result of the dream you gave her?"
A tear fell from his eye and when he made no move to rid himself of it, Talia stood on her knees and wiped it away with her thumb.
"I cannot be certain." His voice broke and he struggled to remain his composure, not wanting to appear weak, even in front of a friend.
Arms wrapped around his neck as Talia stood and sat on the arm of his chair, hugging him. Moments later his held onto her waist, clutching at her dress, silken fabric soothing the ache in his knuckles. Her hand came up to the back of his head, bringing his face to her neck, his tears like fire on her pale skin. She rained kisses in his hair, fighting to keep from crying herself. She rocked him slowly until his sobs subsided, breaths deepening from the sharp gasps of sadness.
"Why don't you ask her?" The whisper in his ear sent his eyes shut and he licked his dry lips. "You'll never know for sure until you ask her."
"I could never ask her." He almost laughed at the idea. "I already know her answer. She would never love me, I am just -"
Talia leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his forehead, casting a spell of sleep over him. His head slumped forward and his breathing evened out in slumber. Taking his hand, she pressed another kiss to his skin and suddenly he was in his bed, fast asleep. Talia stood up from the arm of the chair and smoothed her dress over her body. Blowing him a kiss, she sent Jareth sweet dreams and moved to the door. If Jareth wouldn't ask the girl, she would have to do it herself.
"A friend is one who knows you and loves you just the same."
- Elbert Hubbard
*******
The atmosphere in the King's throne room was electric. The quiet echoed and the lights flickered with almost unbearable energy. Jareth sat on his throne, alone in the room, having banished the goblins a short time before. His body was tense, back flat against the back of the throne and legs bent at the knees, feet bouncing slightly on the floor. Unbearable.
A crystal sat in his upturned palm, now returned to his knee. Moments before he had held it before him, peering into it in order to watch the show that the girl had performed for him. All for him. Now his thumb stroked the curve of the sphere carefully, as though he cherished it. Maybe he'd keep it. After all, it had shown him his dreams. Then again, maybe he would give it to her. A gift to match the one she had just given to him.
A smirk fell upon his lips. She had pleased herself, hoping that he would be watching. Indeed he was. He shifted slightly, attempting to ease the ache in his groin. Eyes closed and opened again, revealing the darkness held; evidence of his arousal. Drawing the crystal closer, he glanced at it again for a moment before whisking it away to his bedroom with magic. He would figure out what to do with it later.
Standing up, he kicked a pebble with his foot, listening to it bounce along the floor and skitter to a stop about a meter away. The sound was satisfying, like a light in the dark. He walked over to a window, leaning over and looking into the city below. Candlelight flickered in every window, smoke rising through the chimneys. It was his. This entire world was his. But what was it worth to him if he didn't wave happiness?
He grimaced as the thought came to him. He'd never been truly happy before and now that he'd had a glimpse of what it could be, he wanted nothing more than to experience it totally. He wanted his heart to beat for one person alone, to feel love in its purest form. To be loved by another. To know what making love felt like. He sighed quietly. He wanted her with him. Eyes closed and he could see her, naked and flushed, head thrown back in ecstasy, his name screaming from her lips. A flash of lightening off in the distance mirrored the one shooting through his body. Sarah. Oh, how he wanted her.
He flew back from the window as a deafening crack of thunder followed, leaving the throne room and heading towards his chambers, a short walk away. Entering the room, he slammed the door behind him, enjoying the bang that filled the air. The room was warm, the fireplace lit with reds and golds, flickering in the darkness and providing the only light. Jareth sat on one of the chairs in front of the fire, removing his shoes and warming his toes against the chill. The cold was appropriate, he thought, it suited his feelings of loneliness. If only he could make her love him. He shook his head. Sarah was extremely strong-willed, she would never love someone if she was forced or asked to.
There was a quiet knock on the door and Jareth looked up as it opened and a head poked around. Talia.
"Come in." He looked up at the woman as she entered the room, her long black hair falling over her shoulders and past her waist. The firelight danced in her playful brown eyes and her lips held in a smile. They had been lovers once, but had found themselves to be much better as friends. She sat down in the chair beside him, extending a hand toward him.
He grasped it and sighed. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
Talia grinned and tickled his palm with her fingers. "Well, I heard from Karlon, who heard from Sellion, who heard from Nell, who heard from one of your little goblins that you were unhappy and brooding. Now of course, I know that you're very good at that." She trailed off when Jareth threw her a look of warning. "But you kicked the goblins out of the throne room. You don't even do that when you're angry, let alone unhappy."
"Yes, well, I had my reasons."
"Would you care to share them with me?" The look he gave her brought sudden tears to her eyes. She had never before seen him so helpless. Only one thing could reduce him to this. "It's her, isn't it?"
He nodded. "I manipulated her dreams so that they were of me."
Talia looked up at him, shocked. Though not forbidden, toying with others' dreams was frowned upon in the Underground. "Oh Jareth, I would've thought differently of you. Why would you do that?" She stood up and sat back down on the ground before him, still holding his hand in hers.
"I wanted her to experience for me the feelings I hold for her." He looked over at his friend to see tears shimmering in her eyes. "It was an erotic dream."
"Jareth -"
"And then she showed me one of her own." The question burned in Talia's eyes and he answered it. "She woke up and pleasured herself. She called my name, Talia. She called my name."
Talia brought her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees, her deep green dresses falling to the floor and covering her legs. She looked up at him, watching the emotions play in his eyes; fear, hope and love. She licked her lips and thought for a moment. This would not be easy to say.
"Do you know for sure that she was not calling your name as a result of the dream you gave her?"
A tear fell from his eye and when he made no move to rid himself of it, Talia stood on her knees and wiped it away with her thumb.
"I cannot be certain." His voice broke and he struggled to remain his composure, not wanting to appear weak, even in front of a friend.
Arms wrapped around his neck as Talia stood and sat on the arm of his chair, hugging him. Moments later his held onto her waist, clutching at her dress, silken fabric soothing the ache in his knuckles. Her hand came up to the back of his head, bringing his face to her neck, his tears like fire on her pale skin. She rained kisses in his hair, fighting to keep from crying herself. She rocked him slowly until his sobs subsided, breaths deepening from the sharp gasps of sadness.
"Why don't you ask her?" The whisper in his ear sent his eyes shut and he licked his dry lips. "You'll never know for sure until you ask her."
"I could never ask her." He almost laughed at the idea. "I already know her answer. She would never love me, I am just -"
Talia leaned forward and pressed a kiss against his forehead, casting a spell of sleep over him. His head slumped forward and his breathing evened out in slumber. Taking his hand, she pressed another kiss to his skin and suddenly he was in his bed, fast asleep. Talia stood up from the arm of the chair and smoothed her dress over her body. Blowing him a kiss, she sent Jareth sweet dreams and moved to the door. If Jareth wouldn't ask the girl, she would have to do it herself.
