Wishes

by mikim

Jareth's sister died, asking him to grant her last wish. 3 years after, he's aboveground and finds Sarah on his path. Or is it he who finds Sarah?

2. An Oppenent Met Troubles Follow

Hum, hum… * blush * hum, here's come why this fic is rated R. Run for your lives, kiddoes, if you don't stand alcohol and well, some of the possible consequences…

The others, have fun. (And no, I've never been drunk enough to lose my mind.)

Standards Disclaimers Apply. Songs belong to their rightful authors.

Songs of precedent chapters:

I'd like to love you: Canadian singer called Lynda Lemay who's both author and singer. Ningyo Hime: credit song of Chobits TV SHOW.

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.Chapter 2.

An Opponent met. Troubles follow.

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The excited screams in the club and the heavy cheering brought a sad smile to his thin lips. Once more, he tugged on his gloves and saw Sariel's smug smile at his gesture. Damn Sariel. He always knew when Jareth was feeling uncomfortable, maybe because he had spent almost all his life watching over Jareth. Just like she did.

         Gritting his teeth against the memories, Jareth ran a hand in his short blond hair. Short blond hair: at least, after three years, the hair was finally coming back to cover his eyes but they were no longer reaching his shoulders. The thought brought another bitter smile to his lips. After Millibel's death, he had cut them, shorter than he ever had in his life, as a symbol of his mourning. His mother had snorted at his appearance on the funeral day and his father didn't even try to hide his contempt at the gesture.

Men cut their hairs in that fashion only when the High King was dead. And it wasn't their father that laid there, in the crystal coffin he had conjured for the funeral, but his sister, their only daughter and first child and they didn't even shed a tear. Jareth tugged on his gloves again, harder than he had thought he would. He felt more than saw Sariel's confused, then sad gaze on him and it unnerved him further.

         The man, on the other side of the curtains, was finally leaving the stage and without waiting for the men to open them, Jareth let his fingers ran on the piano. Millibel had taught him the piano. One these cold, rainy days, in the citadel, where there was nothing to do but sit, Millibel had encouraged him to come next to her and play with her. With a small sigh, he recognized the melody his fingers had without his consent started to play. Naturally, his voice rose above the air and screams and he slowly closed his eyes but not before seeing Sariel's startled gaze as he recognized the song. He also heard, behind him, the sharp inhale of breath Iome took as she too remembered the song. The curtains opened.

         Jareth knew Sarah was there. When she had walked in his realm, magic had touched her, never really leaving her. She never had enough magic to feel or see things the others couldn't, what his kin could, but it was far more than enough for him to feel her, to feel her presence near him. The bait had caught her and the trap was set. He opened his eyes slowly.

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         Sarah was gulping down her… What? Sixth drink in less than an hour? And Jareth had to smirk. He and Sariel were standing in the shadows of the stage, after their small concert, watching the crowd. Iome was somewhere, wandering, probably flirting with anything that looked like between 21 and 26 years old, males or females.

         Sariel too had changed after her death, Jareth mused as he sensed the older man moved behind him to lean against a wall, giving up spying the crowd. Jareth threw a glance behind him and saw Sariel pick up a cigarette, a habit he had taken here in the Aboveground, from his jacket, lightening the thing up and bringing it to his lips. Jareth's steady gaze watched his old friend and in the dim light, he saw the hollows his face now bore. Hollows that were deepening with days. Jareth flickered his eyes downward and he realized how frail Sariel's shoulders seemed to be as the man exhaled the smoke of his cigarette. Jareth used to ride these very shoulders when he was small. He remembered how tall and broad-shouldered Sariel had appeared to be in his young eyes, how delighted he had been to be placed so high in the air.

         But, that was a matter where he couldn't poke his nose in. Millibel's death was still too fresh in his heart and he wasn't feeling strong enough to care for another's wounds when his were still bleeding. Jareth looked back at Sarah. She was ordering another drink and the man besides her looked horrified. For a fleeting moment, Jareth's eyes narrowed, but then he saw the small woman, at the man's right, on whom he had his arms around, bringing him down for a ravenous kiss. Sarah burst in laughter and so did the other woman. Jareth smiled again, like a predator. Sarah was drunk.

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         He was waiting for her to come out of the club, staring up at the sky, leaning on the wall, his hands buried in his pockets. Sariel had to stay behind to prevent those crazy fan girls from following him and he was currently hiding in the dark street just next to the club, where the backstage door was. Jareth thought that for a moment, in the club, he had been that close to break one of the fundamental laws of his kin: he had been itching to bust that boy who had been hitting on her and since Sarah was too drunk to distinguish her right from her left, the boy had thought it was in the bag. Jareth had suddenly felt his anger flare up at a speed that surprised him and he was already pushing his way to Sarah when Sariel's hand had fallen on his shoulder to restrain him.

When Jareth had turned his attention back to Sarah, after a few chosen words for Sariel and his anatomy, he saw that Sarah's male friend, the only one sober, had sent the boy looking elsewhere, while he had an arm around a laughing and really drunk Sarah the other supporting the other woman. The man had then tried to convince the two laughing women to walk, or rather to lean on him, while he would drag them to the exit.

         Jareth's eyes flickered back to the main exit of the club as the sound of one of his songs reached his ears: it was Sarah's female friend who was singing completely off-tune, at the top of her lungs. Sarah and her two friends were slowly walking, leaving the club and its crowd behind them. On an impulse, Jareth didn't let them know of his presence and he followed them. Then, suddenly, the smaller woman freed her limbs from the man's grip and as Jareth watched, while he drifted closer, walking behind them in the shadows, the man put Sarah against a wall, and ran, panicked to the other woman to calm her down, as she had begun another song of his. But what interested Jareth was that Sarah seemed to be really willing to be introduced more intimately to the pavement.

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            His hand caught her just in time and Sarah looked up slowly. The dim light of the public light, a few feet behind him, lit up Sarah's face with its yellow glow, but Jareth could have sworn she had never looked prettier: her black hair had been held up earlier, in a low pun, but with all her laughing and being drunk, the hairstyle had fallen out, some strands of her black hair framing her face gently.

The light was falling on her face from his shoulder, lightening up only her brow and eyes, while her deep red lips were in the light shadows cast by his form on her. In the light, her green eyes seemed to sparkle with hints of gold. She had put some make-up, which gave her skin a sparkling glow intensifying her gaze. She had never been prettier than this instant: looking up at him, with wonder, her eyes sparkling because of the laugh in them, her red lips turned up in a small smile, her hair falling all around her. He couldn't have been more content, even if he knew that look would be short-lived.

Jareth smiled down on her: he had expected her to run away, to scream at him, to ignore him or even to shove her fist on his nose, but not to be completely wasted. Sarah always had a way to surprise him. "Hello, Sarah." He said quietly while her eyes widened in recognition. Now comes the screaming and swearing. Jareth thought and he braced himself for the incoming storm.

But, what Sarah did was completely unexpected: she jumped on him, hugging the life out of him, taking him completely off guard.
As usual with Sarah, he thought as he closed his arms around her to steady her.
"Jareth!!!" She screamed, drunkenly, happily. Embarrassed, Jareth felt a blush coming up to his cheeks, feeling all the soft curves of Sarah's partially covered body against his own. He swallowed hard and refused to feel too comfortable in her embrace.
She's drunk! He tried to convince himself but his body ignored him and gladly reacted to Sarah's closeness. After dreaming of the moment for fourteen years, Jareth's body wasn't going to let the rational part to take the lead. Oh, no!

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         Jareth was there!
He was holding her, preventing her from falling on the pavement! Sarah looked in his mismatched eyes and realized she hadn't seen him in what? Fourteen long years. So, she threw her arms around her neck and cried happily, greeting him.
"Jareth!!!" He smelled so nice and his body was so warm against her own! Jareth really had a wonderful body…

         Sarah stumbled backwards a little, placing her hands on Jareth's shoulders and looked up and down at him, grinning contently at what she saw. Then she jumped on him again.
"Jareth!" She thrilled again and hugged him tighter, laughing happily. What was she laughing for? Even Sarah didn't know.

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         "Sa-… Sarah!" He spluttered. Damn it, he never splutters! When she had backed away a little to check him out, Jareth had felt a growing disturbance in the lower region of his traitorous body. He would have managed to calm himself down, if Sarah, sweet, gentle, so drunk Sarah hadn't jumped in his arms again, pulling him in a bear hug, plastering her right and soft curves against his body, again. Damn it! He never remarked that his arms tightened around her lithe frame when she lost her footing, as she was laughing.

         "Hey you!" Somebody yelled angrily and Jareth glanced up, blushing. Damn it. Sarah's male friend was carrying Sarah's other friend on his back. Jareth had completely forgotten about these two. The man had brown spiky hair and a pair of green eyes, currently glaring at Jareth under the rim of his thin rectangular glasses, which were angling dangerously down his nose, as the woman on his back was clumsily, drunkenly, trying to trail kisses down his neck. The woman looked up and laughed once more. "I was right!" She screamed, "Sarah is in love with Jareth!! You owe me ten, pal…" She slumped back on the man's back and fell promptly asleep while the man sighed.

         "Stew!!!!!!" Sarah yelled and she detached herself from Jareth and tried to run to Steward, arms extended, for a hug. But, she mistook the distance between her and Steward and started to fall again, when Jareth caught her again by the waist, from behind, saving her from another intimate rendezvous with the pavement. Sarah laughed and locked her arms around Jareth's neck, slowly turning on the circle of his arms while Jareth talked to Steward. "I'm Jareth Bane. One of Sarah's old… friends." Jareth added with a wry smile.

"Steward Thompson." The man said, as he shifted the woman on his back gently, in order to ease the nervousness plaguing his shoulders, making him uneasy. "I've never heard Sarah talking about you and I know her…" Steward let his voice trail as he watched, taken aback, Sarah kissing deeply the singer, much to the latter's surprise, by his widened eyes and stunned expression.

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         Jareth felt so nice next to her! His warmth made her crave for more, the feel of his gloved hands on her bare arms kept on giving her ideas and she shivered with delight, when she turned in his arms to face him, as his hands ran almost without him noticing on her arms again. The feel of cold leather against her warm skin, running on it, making chills ran down her arms where his hands touched her, arousing her. Damn. She was always feeling so horny when she was drunk… And Jareth was so warm and sweet, supporting her like that and all… Jareth…

         Sarah glanced up and without him realizing it, her hands shot forward and grabbed Jareth by the collar, pulling him down to meet her eager lips.

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         Sarah was kissing him. She had pulled hard on his collar to bring his mouth down and she had taken advantage of his gasp of surprise to slide her tongue in his mouth and curling it with his.

Really unsettling. Jareth thought.

         His arms wounded around her, crushing her against him and he groaned his approval when Sarah let go of his collar to put her arms around his neck, bringing him closer in the process, then her hands started to caress his back. She had her tongue do something to his, what he didn't know but he wanted her to do it again. Unfortunately for him, she darted back her tongue in her own mouth, daring him to come and take what he wanted. He could feel her smile against his lips: she was enjoying torturing him.

         Her maddening fingers couldn't go further than his shoulder-blades, so she wrapped them around his waist, snuggling a little, brushing her body against his, making him grow breathless and he panted in her mouth, not really believing what was going on. But, he wanted to kiss her again. He wanted to deepen that kiss. He wanted to taste her more than that. He wanted, he wanted so much…

Groaning, he caressed her tongue with his, one of his hands trying to bring her even closer to him, his other arm curling around her shoulders as he had no intention of releasing Sarah. When she purred, as he let go of her mouth for the smooth skin of her neck, his mind went blank and he didn't even know when his left hand had cupped her bottom, or when she had put her knee behind his leg for better support or when his thumb started teasing the suddenly hardening nipple, but, then, he hadn't felt when Sarah's hand reached his butt to caress it.

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         Iome jumped as the hand slapped her harder than it was probably meant to be at first. To Sariel's defense, it had to be said that he wasn't looking what he was doing: his eyes were focused on the pair eating each other's faces and since he really didn't want Iome to spoil the mood with one of her trademark squeals, he had put his hand over her mouth. Iome poked him in the ribs and he let go, after casting a fleeting glance in her direction. She and Sariel were standing in a dark alley, a block from the club. They were watching their King and his reunion with the mortal who had bested him.

         Iome grinned smugly, not minding at all Sariel lack of consideration, after all, he was as stunned as she was to see her King kissing, well making out, the woman he had been mooning over for years now. Iome glanced up at Sariel next to her and saw the man's face crept up with the first genuine smile in three long years, since her death.

         Sariel smiled slowly, watching Sarah and Jareth kiss. He was happy, he truly was. A part of his promise to Millibel was almost fulfilled. The smile turned mischievous and he whispered. "Only truth would be allowed to pass the barrier, heart, mind and body as one, this will be as I proclaim it to be, I, Sariel the Watcher." The wind took the spell and wrapped it around Jareth and his ladylove. He had seen Sarah trying to drown herself in alcohol, but thanks to this, it could give them a little push in the right direction.

         Iome heard Sariel's strange declaration and watched him sharply, narrowing her blue eyes. She then growled in frustration as she recognized what he had done and she punched him hard in the stomach.

"Ouch! What was that for?" Sariel hissed over his breath, as Iome dragged him further in the dark alley to give him her piece of mind without being disturbed.

"Are you crazy?" Iome snarled, looming over him, "You've just used magic!" She accused him and Sariel just smiled.

"Silly girl," Sariel said, shaking his head, "not even able to recognize instinctive magic from normal magic."

"What!" She stomped her foot angrily.

"I was born with the gift of making what I say happens when I will it in a spell!" Sariel leaned on her, making her back away in front of him.  Sariel straightened up and looked down at Iome. "Remember, I am the one who tells the truth! Silly girl, instinctive magic is as natural for me as breathing is or changing forms for Jareth or locating people for you. You don't need magic for that, do you? It's natural! It's the same with me, it's a mere gift and the Council can't sense that magic here as it's my personal and instinctive talent. Do pay attention when I'll resume my lecturing on magic. We're getting back home." Sariel shook his head and took a fuming Iome by her elbow, leading her to the other end of the alley.

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         "Only truth would be allowed to pass the barrier, heart, mind and body as one, this will be as I proclaim it to be, I, Sariel the Watcher."

Jareth broke the kiss, breathless, as he thought he had heard Sariel speak in his ear. Puzzled, he turned his head in the alley to see if he could spot his friends, but Sarah had never liked to be ignored.

         "I want you." She slurred before catching his lips again, tiptoeing. That was when Jareth came back to his senses or tried to. He had to stop that kiss now, otherwise Sarah, when sober, would have his head. She'll be mad at him for what they were doing but… If he had heard Sariel, if he had really heard Sariel, then, then, maybe…

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         Steward blinked once, twice, thrice, then he rubbed his eyes, waking Charlie in the process. Charlie looked up and saw… Saw Sarah trying to rape a horrified man in a deserted street at maybe four in the morning. Charlie squirmed on Steward's back and he let her down, still staring as Sarah slid a hand in the man's jacket while her other hand was going lower and lower.

Charlie was still feeling a little light headed but she had an incredible stamina to absorb and erase the alcohol effects. Sure, she'd have a headache the next morning, but nothing a painkiller pill couldn't resolve. Steward and Sarah had often complained about the unfairness of the whole thing but it only made her grin wider.

Therefore, she was sober enough to understand and register everything to blackmail Sarah later… That would be fun to force Sarah to spill her real feelings for the singer.

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         Sarah's right hand had finally found its way inside his jacket, while her fingers of her left hand fumbled with the lower buttons of his vest. Jareth moaned. Damn it… Sarah was…

         Jareth abruptly pushed Sarah away, his hands on her shoulders, his breathing raged and heart beating at a way too fast rate to his liking. Jareth tried to swallow and say her name. But, when pushing her away, his eyes had fallen on her face, her partly-closed lids, heavy with desire and her red, full lips which seemed to hold so many promises while her hands were trying to reach out for him.

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         Steward cleared his throat loudly and Jareth's bewildered eyes left his tormentor face for a while to find Sarah's friends ones. That was when Jareth realized he was panting.

"Hum…" Steward scratched his cheek, sign that he was embarrassed. If the look on Jareth's face had been less wild, completely surprised and tormented, he would have certainly burst in laughter, but then, somehow the male bonding made him feel pity for the man. "I suppose I should let Sarah in your… care." Steward put a hand on Charlie's shoulder, he shouldn't leave that man with Sarah, not that he feared what he could do to her, rather what she could do to him, but Charlie was Sarah's second best friend and his wife. A man should be selfish when his woman was involved. Or rather prudent. "Charlie and I are getting back home. Night."

Steward sent a mixed look of guilt and sadness, one telling Jareth he would have helped him if his wife wasn't grinning so broadly and practically beaming with approval and enthusiasm.

"Wait!" Jareth called after them, as Steward forced Charlie to walk away. The pair stopped and looked back at him. "I…" He mainly didn't want to be alone with Sarah! Who knew what she could do and what his reaction could be! "I, well, I don't know where she lives and-" Jareth jumped in surprise as Sarah bit him gently. "Sarah!" He choked.

"What?" She asked, grinning. "You want this as much I want it to happen." She whispered as she advanced on him again.

"Sa-Sarah!" Jareth tried to hold her far from his body, but Sarah wasn't meeting too much resistance as his hands were shaking. Sarah had definitely changed over the years and he was still powerless in front of her.

She slid her arms around his waist, resting her head against his heart. "Say my name again?" One of her hand sneaked lower till Jareth's left hand caught it.

"Stop!" He roared.

Steward and Charlie looked at themselves and Steward sent her a pleading look to which Charlie rolled her eyes. Steward then called towards Jareth. "Help?"

"Yes!" Came the relieved answer.

Now, that was settled. Jareth breathed in relief as Steward and his wife walked closer. Sarah was to be back home with her friends while he would go back his, dig a hole in Sariel's thick skull with a coffee spoon, have a freezing shower then slump in bed and try to sleep. That would be good. He would the next morning go to Sarah's and explain. Hopefully, she wouldn't accuse him of taking advantage of her drunken state.

From his arms, Charlie pulled on Sarah's arm, telling her gently, like to a child. "Come on Sarah, let's get you back home."

But Sarah was a little bigger than a child and a lot more stubborn. "No."

"Sarah…" Steward tried to admonish her, but Sarah cut him firmly.

"I want Jareth."

"Argh."

Steward, concerned, looked down at the sudden bent Jareth. "You okay?" He knew what Jareth was feeling. The poor guy was "uncomfortable" as Charlie so nicely put it and Steward felt sympathetic to him. After all, the two of them were in the same situation: in the hands of two women who once their minds were set wouldn't budge a hair from their path to get what they wanted.

"In a minute." He whispered hoarsely.

Steward nodded in understanding and pulled Sarah after him. "Come on, in the car, I'll drive you home."

But Sarah realized her toy was denied from her grasp and so she did the only sensible thing to her, she yelled. "JARETH!"

A chill ran down his spine and Jareth knew he couldn't resist the pleading tone and the desperate look she sent after him. So he quickly called after her as he jogged to where Charlie, Steward and Sarah were. "I'm coming, I'm coming."
Thank Gods I'm wearing that long vest… Jareth thought, with a dry smile.

Sarah, Steward and Charlie were standing near a red little car with only two doors and Steward had the driver door opened while the seat was tipped to let Sarah and Jareth, since Sarah didn't want to release him, in.

"Poor guy." Charlie shook her head as Sarah jumped in his arms again.

"Shut up…" Jareth growled, trying to catch Sarah's hands before they decided to explore again. "Who are you?" He suddenly asked.

"His wife." Charlie grinned, pointing her thumb in Steward's direction, as she walked around the car to get into the passenger front seat. "And Sarah's other best friend. Nice to meet you."

On the other side of the car, Steward whistled in surprise. "Wow. That was impressive."

Charlie whirled around and told him flatly. "Shut up." She then smiled to him gently to soften her tone. "Besides, how do you want me to get hyper when Sarah's all plastered to him like that?" Charlie rolled her eyes, while Steward burst in laughter. Throwing a glance behind her again, Charlie saw Jareth try to stop Sarah from crying as she wanted to kiss him again.

"Sa-Sarah…" He tried to hold her down but if she started to cry, he'd be doomed. Steward then ushered Sarah in the car but Sarah, pulling on Jareth's arm, her hand glued to him, took him after her. As he sat, she threw her arms around his neck again while his hands were on her waist, preventing her to notice his growing discomfort.

Her eyes gleaming, Sarah looked up to him and locked her eyes with hers. He couldn't look away nor blinking at the emotions whirling in them, nor could he understand them fully.

"I'm attracted to you…" She whispered. "I've always been." Charlie's face broke with a huge grin and Steward restrained himself from turning the radio on as his wife leaned closer to the pair in the backseat, while he started the engine and pulled the car on the familiar road to Sarah's close apartment. "I didn't understand when you sang the first time because of your stupid peach."

Jareth was staring down at her, his breathing quickening as Sarah's voice dropped lower again. His hands on her waist started to tremble so lightly and when she leaned on him, again, he didn't stop her. Sarah came closer, bringing her mouth just above his ear and whispered, her hot breath teasing. "I missed you."

"Peach?" Charlie repeated in a whisper, looking at Steward who was driving.

Steward only shrugged back. "Don't ask me, I don't know!" He exclaimed, as Charlie turned to him, one of her eyebrow up in a silent question. Thankfully for both males, they arrived near Sarah's old building. "Here we are." Steward said with a smile and a quick glance in the rearview confirmed him that Jareth was feeling as relieved as he was. Gulping, he pushed Sarah away while Steward opened the door and tipped the seat again.

Jareth got out, Sarah's hand in his. "Sarah, come on." He said, not looking at her. Steward sent him a wry smile and Jareth nodded in thank. Sarah stumbled outside the car and fell on Jareth's back. He looked behind at her to see that she was pouting nicely.

"Carry me?" She asked, a pleading look in her eyes.

Jareth turned around. "Sarah…"

"Please?" She wrapped her arms around his neck once more.

Jareth sighed and ran a hand in his hair, before sweeping her off her feet, one of his arms secured under her knees, the other supporting her back. "Come on, hold on tight." He told her, as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Sure…" Sarah purred.

Jareth gulped and blinked. Damn it. Sexy Kitty Drunk Sarah. Stress on Drunk, pal. 

"Sa-Sarah, I put you in bed and that's it. You're drunk and you probably…" He was so rudely interrupted by warm lips pressed against his own and a teasing tongue caressing his own. Then all too fast, the invaders retreated, leaving him crave for more, his own lips following her retreated ones, before he could stop himself from encouraging her.

"You're saying?" She asked and as he didn't answer, she instructed him, pointing at the entrance of her building. "Third floor. Elevator broken. Damn." She swore as she pushed the entrance door open for him.

Jareth finally snapped out of it. "What?" He cursed inwardly at all the little angels and gods probably laughing their heads off at him. How could Sarah affect him so? Sure, Sariel's little spell was for something, but it wasn't supposed to be that strong. It was only a truth-telling bonding spell, but even if he tried to cancel it, Sarah's soft curves against his chest were starting to make him uncomfortable, once more. And she wasn't helping him either in that matter, purring in his ear like she was doing, as he stood in the doorframe.

"You've never had any fantasy?" She purred in his ear, her voice dropping an octave turning husky. "Like doing it in an elevator?" Her warm breath was pure torture.

"Bye, bye, Sarah!" Charlie called, breaking the electrified-crackling atmosphere allowing Jareth to breathe.

"See you, Charlie!" Sarah called back and Jareth was glad she had her attention on something else.

Where did he lose it? When she first kissed him? When she said his name? When she jumped in his arms the first time? Where did he lose it? Things weren't supposed to be this way. He wasn't supposed to carry her home, he was a King, holy shit. Where the hell did he lose it?

"Call you tomorrow!" Charlie called again and the car disappeared in the night and Sarah let the door close behind them. As the door slammed closed, Jareth felt a cold shiver ran down his spine.

Sarah turned her attention back to Jareth, "So, in this elevator…" But Jareth interrupted her, by kicking the service door open.

"Hold tight." He pushed through his gritted teeth, focusing with all his might on climbing the stairs. He had survived fourteen years, 'that' could wait a little longer, like until she was sober.

"Whatever you want." Sarah tightened her hold on his neck, pushing her chest further against his. Damn little tease.

"Sarah, you're drunk." Jareth said firmly, climbing the stairs as fast as he could, the faster he got her into her house, the sooner he could be out of this hell.

Sarah leaned on him and whispered, looking at him through half-closed lids. "Not enough for you to be accused of taking advantage of me but enough to know what to do to get what I want." 

Maybe it was because she was staring at his lips or his at hers, or maybe because she ran a little pink tongue on her upper lip, taunting, but Jareth's breathing quickened, but at least, he knew it wasn't from the exercise of climbing, at four in the morning, carrying Sarah, the three floors leading to her apartment.

"I'm going to kill Sariel for that!" He groaned under his breath.

"What?" Sarah looked up at him.

"Nothing." He refused to meet her bewitching gaze and focused on the stairs once more. A heavenly silence for Jareth fell between the two of them as Jareth decided that maybe counting the stairs would help. One, two, three…

"I like when you're panting like that…"  Sarah murmured suddenly, breaking the silence.

Fifteen, no, five, damn it!

"SARAH!" He growled dangerously.

"What? It makes you look more human!"

Jareth stopped climbing the stairs and stared down at her, his face unreadable. "I'm human." He said, softly. He resumed walking, and arrived in the front of a door with a big three painted on it. He pushed it open with a foot and crept into the dark hall.

"No, you're not, you're a Fae." Sarah said, pushing on the switcher, illuminating the hall. "That door." She pointed to the farthest door on the left.

A sad smile crossed his lips, as if deciding against something before nodding to her. Arriving in front of her door, he ordered her. "Right, open the door."

"The key is here." Sarah moved in his arms, showing him her pants right pocket.

"Sarah…" Jareth moaned in defeat and reached for the key.

As he had his hand in her pocket, Sarah leaned and whispered in his ear again. "I like the way you say my name too…" Jareth froze and his breathing quickened, she was a real little devil.

Quickly, Jareth put Sarah down and opened the door. He threw the key on the table inside and turned around to face her, he then frowned and announced. "Here, I'm going back home."

"No." Sarah said, her hands behind her back, blocking him.

"Excuse me?" He asked her, unbelieving.

Witch. First, she had cast a spell on him, second she had obliged him, once more, to do anything she wanted and now she refused him his release. Witch indeed, but so pretty. And sexy.

Sarah walked on him but Jareth refused to back away in front of her. Where did Sarah learn all those tricks to run a man wild? "Liar." Sarah said, closing the door behind her. "You're just a liar."

Jareth narrowed his eyes and he felt anger rose inside of him. Sarah was the only person that could so much strings on his heart at once. First desire, lust till it hurt, and now anger, along with something that existed ever since she had first laid her eyes upon him. Anger quickly ran in his veins, making his blood boil, burning his flesh and his resolve of leaving her faded like snow under a blazing summer sun.

"I never lie, Sarah." He said, taking a step in her direction, forcing her to arch her neck up to look at him. He was going to make her regret what she had just said. He could be anything but not a liar. Never a liar.

If she hadn't been pushed by the alcohol remaining in her system, she would have recognized the fire and retreated slowly, but she had always been too bold with a drink in her system.

"Then, do you really want to go home?" She pushed further, her eyes locked with his.

"…No." Jareth admitted and a smile crept on his thin lips. So that was why. It wasn't another attempt to defy him, like she had done so many times in the past. He watched her with guarded eyes as Sarah's hand slowly raised to rest on his face, her fingers tracing gently his features, following the form of his jaw, tracing his lips.

"See, I always win." She whispered, exploring his face.

"Sarah…" He grabbed one of her hands and the other cupped his cheek. He kissed one of her fingers, looking in her eyes before saying. "That's because I always let you win…" His eyes burned in hers, making her shiver once more, and twitched with excitement, mixed with a little fear.

But, she kept on, she was nearly there, a little more push and he'd be hers. "Sure…" Sarah rolled her eyes and Jareth's mouth suddenly caught her neck in a kiss.

"Try me." He whispered before sucking hard, making her gasp and dug her fingers almost painfully in his shoulder.

"That's what I've been asking for all night!" She whispered back urgently and Jareth released her flesh, groaning in approval. He looked up in her eyes.

He shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't. But he would, he had waited fourteen years, damn it, he deserved it. To hell with the consequences. He leaned quickly on her and captured her lips with his. Sarah had a way to crawl under his skin and turning him mad, but he couldn't live without her either. Screw it. He'd let his emotions rule him, for once and just once, then he'd get all back to business. Yeah, back to business…

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         Sarah awoke at the feeling of somebody's body against her back. The man had his hands on her bare chest, holding her tightly against his own, as he slept soundly behind her, as naked that she was. Sarah blinked once, then twice and was about to jump out of bed when the splitting headache, nice comeback of the hangover, raged like a fire sword in her skull. She moaned loudly as the room started to spin faster and for a moment she knew she was about to throw out. What the hell had happened the night before?

         The man behind her started to move, as he was emerging from sleep's tender arms and Sarah stiffened immediately, her heart pounding, her headache relegated to a simple ache in the back of her mind. God Damnit, she had no doubt she had slept with the man, but who the hell was he?

"Sarah." Her name was breathed just over her neck, tingling the smooth skin, as the man, still asleep, moved to hold her tighter. She knew that voice. Then she screamed, jumping out of bed.
"What? What? What?" Jareth sat up in the bed like a little Jack-in-the-box, half-asleep. His short hair was pointing in every possible directions while he blinked, trying to get rid of the sleep in his eyes, the white cover around his slender waist, his pale skin having a golden gleam as the sunlight gently caressed it.

Sarah's face paled as all her blood, ran cold in her veins, then as she had stood up too fast, her blood rushed back to her brain, making her feel dizzy and to help nothing, the headache decided it has suffered enough ignorance for now and came back in full force. Sarah held up a hand to her head and felt once more the floor spinning, as she moaned.

Somehow, Jareth had crawled out of bed and was encircling her of his arms and the blanket. "Are you okay?"

"I think I'm going to be sick…" Sarah moaned and Jareth sighed. It wasn't either the way he had hoped his first morning with Sarah would happen. He could see a bathroom, next to Sarah's bedroom, and pulled her after him, gently.

"Come on." He encouraged her.

He supported her, as she knelt in front of the toilet, her head almost in it, holding her long black hair out of her face with one hand, while his other arm was around her waist, the blanket falling on his broad shoulders.

"A bath?" He proposed, carefully arranging the blanket around them, as Sarah stood up. She hadn't threw up but she wasn't feeling all too well either.

A hand to her head, Sarah felt horrible. She didn't want to think of what had happened the night, or morning before. She hadn't the strength to do so. "What are you doing here?" She whispered as Jareth opened the taps. How could he know how to do that, when he was supposed to live in a Middle Ages castle touched her lightly but she dismissed it quickly, not wanting to question herself, now, on that.

Jareth looked at her thoughtfully, before slowly asking her. "… You don't remember?" He secured the blanket around them, carefully, avoiding her eyes.

"I do." Sarah shook her head and regretted immediately her movement, as a wave of nausea threatened to overcome her again, making her moan. "And I… I don't regret it or anything I've said." She confessed. She didn't want to argue with him right now nor did she want to discuss what had happened.

So, it had happened, then good, but it was now the past and right now, the past mattered very little. The bath was so appealing, she just wanted to creep inside that bath and let the water recover her. Hopefully, she could get rid of that headache and forget the outside world for a while, like for a good soaking hour. Besides, right now, apart from that horrid headache, Sarah cared for very little.

"Look at me." Jareth forced her to look up by taking her by the chin but Sarah closed her eyes.

"Do I have to?" She asked tiredly.

"Why must you fight me even on the smallest things?" He wondered aloud, more to himself than to her.

"Beats me." She shrugged back and walked around him slowly to get into her salvation: the bathtub.

But, Jareth didn't allow her too. He wounded his arms around her waist too quickly for her to react and she didn't have the force nor the envy to push him away. "I don't regret either." He whispered, crushing her against his chest and Sarah froze.

"You stink." She remarked and Jareth made her turn around slowly.

"Thanks to you. You're blushing." He said smugly with a smile. "Here, princess, your bath will be ready shortly." He lifted her in his arms and deposited her in the bathtub, before sending the blanket back on Sarah's bedroom floor and step inside the tube with her.

Jareth was sitting in front of her, her feet on his lap, while his long legs were stretched on each side of her. He had smiled broadly when Sarah had quickly put some bath salts to start a bubble bath, his smile turning mischievous as the two of them remembered the night before and Sarah's forward behavior. Sarah moaned in embarrassment and Jareth didn't press the matter further nor did he speak once of what had happened. But he smirked when she blushed at the hickeys she found all over her body, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Just like she couldn't help but blush deeply when she spot some on him.

Sarah felt alive again as her headache slowly fading away, at the rhythm of the bubble floating in the air. She had tensed when Jareth had come in the bath with her and she had rushed to start a bubble bath but the hot water and the silence of her apartment was soothing her immensely. The hot water was relaxing her muscles and Jareth hadn't said a word, just smirk from times to times, but he hadn't said a word. Somewhere, she could hear a faint clock tick the seconds away gently and Sarah lowered herself in the bathtub, till the water came to her chin, closing her eyes, her feet, that Jareth had firmly placed on his lap, encircling carefully his waist. If only her head wasn't throbbing that much, she cold fall asleep on the spot.

Jareth watched her relaxed in the bath, forgetting his very presence and surprisingly, so was he. He was feeling relaxed and calm, he hadn't thought her awaking would be so smooth but then, he hadn't expected to jump at his neck and try to get him in her bed so hard, or so fast, for that matter. He had been so tensed the night before, but now he was just feeling relaxed. How could Sarah affect him so? How could his Sarah lay in a bathtub with him like that, now that he thought about it.

"Sarah, are you alright?" Jareth frowned as Sarah didn't answer, he knew she wasn't sleeping at the frown that quickly crossed her forehead when he had talked but something was wrong.

Sarah bit her lip, sighed heavily, before slowly opening her eyes, averting her gaze from his form, though. "Jareth, I…" She started, her hands raising to massage her temples, as she sat up in the bathtub.

"I know." He cut her, leaning forward, replacing her hands with his, massaging her temples to help her get rib of the pain. His skilled fingers made her lean towards him, eyes closed once more in bliss and she wondered if he was using magic. "Me too." He whispered. "I didn't want our first meeting in fourteen years to happen like that, but it's already happened and I don't regret it, so let's get over it, ok?" He proposed gently, stopping the movement of his fingers and she opened her eyes, seeing how close they were.

In his eyes, was swirling something odd she couldn't recognize, but it was something familiar to her, something she had already seen. She was feeling oddly comfortable in Jareth's presence, seeing him naked had somehow destroyed the frightening aura she had always associated with him. Sure, she had fantasized about him naked, in her bed, but never she had dreamt of such feeling of familiarity and bond she felt with him or being as comfortable as she was now, naked in front of him, as if she was right she had always wanted to be. Sarah stared in his eyes, listening to the water drip slowly from his fingers still against her temples, immobile, watching his emotions swam over and over again in his mismatched orbs.

"What are you doing here?" She suddenly whispered too, her eyes still locked with his.

"I'm a singer." He whispered back.

"Jareth!" She hissed, breaking the mood and crossed her arms over her breasts, leaning backwards.

Quickly, Jareth kneeled in front of her, water dripping over the rim of the tube as he moved, leaning on her. "Can't you guess?" He whispered hoarsely. "By all my previous actions, can't you guess?" His gaze burned hers and Sarah couldn't hold his long, she turned away, her headache coming back once more.

All I've ever done, I've done it all for you! His voice resonated in the secret of her mind and she winced, shutting her eyes closed.

Jareth raised his hands to her temples. "Why? Why now?" She asked, almost whining. Why only now? She barely restrained herself from saying.

The circling movement he displayed on her temples stilled for less than a second, but it was long enough for Sarah to notice. "It…" She heard him take a deep breath. "It took me time to get over your first… well, your travel in my Labyrinth."

Sarah opened her eyes and refused to meet his gaze, instead, she focused her attention to the top of his head. "What happened to your hair?" She suddenly asked.

"I cut it."

"Well, that I can see that." She said dryly. "But why?"

"… I…" He suddenly got out of the tub, jaw clenched, and wrapped a white fluffy towel around his waist, lying nearby, under her curious eyes, and turned around slowly, telling her in a dull voice. "I had a sister, an older sister who died three years ago." He extended a hand towards her, without looking at her, reaching with the other one for another towel that he wrapped tightly around her when she came out.

"I'm sorry."

He only shook his head, saying nothing.

And Sarah stared. Where was the Goblin King? The frightening male, the arrogant man and manipulative monarch that haunted her nights and thrilled her days. Was it another of his masks? She had already seen three: one known to the others as a singer, the other one she had met as the Goblin King of her childhood and now that one. An almost sweet lover but which was the truth?

Under the white towel, Sarah shivered lightly and wished she could speak with Hoggle.

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Without waiting for her, Jareth got out of the bathroom, back to Sarah's bedroom where he gathered his clothes, lying carelessly in every corners of the room. Sarah followed him, wearily, his sudden mood almost freezing her. If she had felt comfortable, she wasn't anymore. She felt cold and empty, she felt alone and sad. How could she have known? It wasn't her fault! Why was Jareth reacting so badly? Sure, it was horrible, but how on earth could she have guessed that his had a deceased sister? He was unfair! Anger quickly replaced her sadness and when she was about to yell at Jareth for being insensitive and unfair, the phone rang, cutting her in her boost.

Mouth hanging open, Sarah's stared at the phone, completely caught off guard.

"Your phone is ringing, Sarah." Jareth commented dryly. He had his pants back and was running his fingers in his hair, trying to put it back in place, frowning lightly. Sarah only growled back and stomped past him to the bed, as the phone was next to its head. She fell on her bed and picked up the receiver.

"Sarah!!!!" Charlie recognizable voice yelled as greeting. Sarah winced.

"What?" She barked back.

But Charlie either didn't notice or shrugged it off. "You won't believe that! I…" She kept on, yelling, as always, when she was excited.

Sarah sighed heavily and cut her sharply. "Charlie, not so loud, I do have a hangover…" She let her voice trail, acid dripping from every letters. Sarah felt the mattress move and raising her eyes, she saw that Jareth had lied back on the bed, his arms crossed under his head, looking up at her. She scowled at him and turned away, immediately feeling bad, but she was stubborn, so she didn't look back.

"Hum, well, do you remember what happened last night, after that we left the club?"

"…Jareth's still here." Jareth rolled on his stomach and came closer to Sarah. With a glance, he made her share the phone with him, so that he could listen to Charlie.

"That's good to know. Because you and him, kissing madly, are on the front page of almost every tabloids I've seen so far!"

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Hey there, mikim is here.
So what do you think? I hope it was worth your long wait. And for the cliffhanger, well, I'm sorry… I just wanted to tease you, guys! I got that weird idea reading a tabloid (I know, I know, I know but I can't help it! Besides, I don't buy them, my sister does! Lame excuse…)

BTW, I know, from experience, that alcohol can erase inhibitions and can make one act really wild or bold. Therefore, for the kiddoes who didn't follow the warning at the beginning, be careful when you drink because it can lead to… unexpected consequences… o _O (This was the message from Mother Mikim who had never, never in her whole 19 years, ever touched a single glass of alcohol… Yeah, right, who am I kidding?)
Anyway, be nice and review, please?

Mikim.