by Jacqui
Note - All the original characters do NOT belong to me, although the rest of them do. Last names of those characters who didn't or don't have them are entirely fictional. This is my first attempt at Labyrinth fan fiction, so reviews would be really nice and appreciated. This story is mostly based on the movie, but there's a few elements from the book thrown in here and there. I read Labyrinth analyses, various fan fiction, and also came up with my own conclusions and ideas. So, this entire story will entail all three of those sources of information. It may be weird, it may be good, either way, as I mentioned before...feedback is always appreciated and adored. :) Oh yeah, Jim Henson, Brian Froud, and everyone who had a hand in creating this movie are geniuses.
Chapter 10: Jareth's Confession
Sarah awoke the next day with a dull throbbing in her chest. But, despite the pain, she was able to make it to breakfast on time. She listened to Jareth as he explained, and even demonstrated how she should behave while in the presence of the Seelie Court. He spoke about their standards, rigid scales of class structure, as well as their process of decision making. Sarah thought the entire speech was full of things she would never understand or even remember. If her and Jareth ever had a future together, she felt as if she would not make a proper wife at all. Jareth must have noticed her uneasiness, because he slid his hands across the table to cover hers as they lie there clenched tightly.
"Sarah..." he began, "please do not worry. The only speaking you must do is minimal at best. I assure you, most of the talking will be from me." The soft silk of his gloves against her skin allowed her to relax her hands. As she spread them out on the table underneath his, she smiled faintly.
"I understand that...but..." she bit her lip, looking for the right words. "What if the court...denies the request...?"
"That could very well happen, Sarah. But maybe we should deal with that situation when it arises."
"When I asked Helori what my status was...she said I..." Sarah couldn't find the desire to finish, but she did anyway. "She told me I had no status, Jareth she's a chambermaid, you're a prince as well as a king, Phaedra is going to be a duchess...Jareth everyone here except me has some sort of respectable status." She closed her eyes and pursed her lips together. Jareth sighed and stood from the table.
"Sarah," he whispered, slipping his index finger beneath her chin and pulling her eyes back to him. "I am quite respected within the courts. You have no reason to doubt my influence..."
"I know..." she whispered back. Jareth leaned in and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Trust me," he said. Sarah almost didn't realize it, but he was acting like the men in her world. She then smiled and nodded in reply to his request.
"I trust you, Jareth."
"Good," he said quickly. He then straightened himself and began to excuse himself. "I must go then. I am expected by noon. I do apologize for leaving Sarah, but if I am to see that your status is heightened, I must spend the necessary time and energy it takes to do so. I should return later this evening." Sarah stood, curtsied, and began to depart as well. She turned from him, but his hand darted out and clutched her wrist. She gasped as she shifted her eyes to meet his. "Be careful around here by yourself, Sarah. Phaedra may be away and there appears to be no one around, but--"
"Things aren't always what they seem in this place. How could I forget?" she interrupted perfectly. Then she leaned over and kissed him lightly, then turned to leave. This time he let her, sighing roughly as her wrist slipped from his grasp. Jareth watched her disappear around a corner, and within seconds, he vanished from the room as well.
Sarah rushed to her room and quickly changed into a slim dress which as knee-length. The dress had no sleeves, and was a silver color. It felt soft and cool against her skin as she slipped into a pair of woven sandals.
"I'm sorry for being so weird this morning Jareth, but I promised Hoggle I would meet up with him today..." she said to her reflection as she quickly brushed the nonexistent tangles from her hair. Looking behind her, she squinted her eyes to read the watch laying on the stand next to her bed. It was exactly noon, and she was late. Heading toward the door, she made a mental note to have Jareth put a clock in her room.
"Hoggle don't leave..." she whispered to no one as she scurried down halls, turned corners, and dodged an occasional maid or two. When she finally made it out to the garden, she was shocked to see Hoggle standing by a beautiful rose bush. She also noticed that his back was turned to her in such a manner that it appeared to her like he was relieving himself.
"Hoggle!" she shouted, disgusted and amused at the same time.
"Ah! Oh...Sarah..."
"What are you doing?" she demanded, placing her hands on her hips.
"Oh, I was eh...about to leave...thought I'd take care of business..." he replied, quickly doing his pants back up.
"Not on the rose bushes!"
"Uhhh--" he mumbled. In an attempt to change the subject, he asked her a question. "So, what did yeh wanna tell me?"
"Well, let's go for a walk while I tell you...Phaedra might have some spies or something..."
"Who's that?" Hoggle asked, confused.
"Oh..." Sarah smiled, realizing she could say whatever she wanted about Phaedra without getting the third degree. "Nobody." Hoggle coughed, then shrugged.
"Yeh wanted to tell me somethin'?"
"About Jareth, yes. I feel like you're the only one I can tell this to besides Jareth himself..." she said happily.
"What could yeh possibly be able to tell that jackass and me at the same time?" Hoggle was dumb-struck. But the moment he saw Sarah's eyes light up, he took in a huge gulp of air and prepared himself.
"That I'm in love with him, Hoggle."
"Yer joking, right?" Hoggle had a look of pallid disbelief on his face.
"No. I'm not. He told me the same thing. I'm not joking, Hoggle, we're in love." Sarah looked and felt a little hurt that someone she was friends with would think she was lying. She bit her lip as if his words really got to her. She felt tears building up. Hoggle was still in shock, but he slowly began to feel like a jackass himself.
"Ehh...Sarah, I'm sorry..." Hoggle said finally, scratching his head. Sarah slowly sank to the ground.
"No, you're probably right. Maybe I've been daydreaming again...like I did the first time." Sarah wiped a few tears from her face and began to stand back up. Hoggle grabbed her hand and she remained where she was.
"I am sorry, Sarah...eh, it's Jareth yeh know? I remember the way yeh were las' time, yeh were mesmerized by 'im. But...I never expected you to fall in love with 'im. He acts so cold, that I find it hard to believe he could 'ave feelins for anyone."
"Hoggle, all I know is that I am in love with Jareth. But you may be right. He might not have feelings for me...or anyone." A few more tears fell, but she quickly wiped them away with her fingers.
"Well...e'd be a fool not to be in love with a nice girl like you, Sarah..." Hoggle spat, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And e'd be a fool to refuse even yer friendship...I would know..."
"Thanks, Hoggle," she replied, a smile spreading across her face. She leaned over and hugged him.
"Heh...jus' be careful. Yeh might love 'im, but until yeh learn more and yer sure...don't give in to 'im completely," he said hesitantly as she ended the embrace.
"I will Hoggle, thanks. You really are a good friend."
"Yeh well..." Hoggle kicked at the grass. Sarah laughed, then pushed herself off the ground into a standing position.
"So, now that I've told you, and you've formed an opinion, I've cried, you've apologized..."
"I should go," he finished nervously.
"Why?"
"It's jus' that Jareth likes to see me doing my job...yeh may love him, but he still scares me."
"Yeah...he scares me sometimes, too. Will I be able to talk to you anymore?" she asked, looking sad as if she expected him to say no.
"I'll only come around when Jareth ain't 'ere," he said hurriedly as he turned to leave.
"How do you know when that is?" she called to him.
"I jus' do...it's a feelin' I get when he ain't 'ere--like I'm...free..." when he finished speaking, he was already half-way across the garden. His last sentence hit her hard. She could relate to him in the sense of having no freedom. They both had none.
"I'm sorry Hoggle, maybe...someday we'll both have the freedom we desire so much..." she whispered to herself. Sighing, she turned and headed back toward the castle.
Sarah spent the rest of the that day wandering through the castle. She would greet a maid or a servant whenever she saw one passing her in the halls, and they would acknowledge her, but quickly return to their duties. She never entered a room, although she was very tempted to do so. When she felt like she had covered a good amount of the castle grounds, she decided to head back to her room. On her way, she came upon Jareth's office. Reaching her hand out, she ran her fingers over the door's surface. Suddenly, her urge to explore returned. She wrapped her fingers around the door's handle, then quickly checked for anyone who may have been able to see her. And, finding no one within viewing range, she pushed the door open. Very quickly, she stepped inside and shut the door as quietly as possible.
Taking a deep breath, she turned around and exhaled. She let her eyes take in everything around her. From the beautiful red and black draperies, to the richly polished wood of the desk and various tables around the room. She noticed several stacks of papers and documents scattered over the desk's surface. Keeping her mental attention on the door, she walked around the entire space of the room. She felt the drapes, picked up and examined tiny trinkets, flipped through the pages of various books--most of which were in a language she couldn't read. But, when her eyes cam upon a glittering object next to the bookcase, she couldn't resist getting a closer look at it. AS she picked it up, it shone brightly in the sunlight. It appeared to be a bottle of some sort, but very oddly shaped. The top of the bottle was as a wine bottle might look, but it became larger toward the bottom and grew into a square-like shape. Her fingers glided over the sleek glass as she watched it gleam. While turning the bottle, she heard liquid tumbling around inside.
"Probably his magic potion to seduce women..." she joked to herself.
But after she removed the lid, an old familiar smell invaded her senses. Alcohol. He kept a bottle of alcohol in his office. Why? Did he ever drink it? She quickly replaced the lid and set the bottle back into its place. She had to get out of the room. That scent with which she used to be acquainted, now made her sick. She couldn't remember the last time she had any alcohol. Although the temptation to end her drought was overwhelming, she didn't dare risk it. She knew that once she took one drink, another would follow, and another until she became drunk. Jareth would return soon and she didn't want him to see her that way. He would no doubt be infuriated with her. Shaking the thought from her head, she made sure everything was in the same way she found it, then she left the room. Just as she'd closed the door, she heard the sound of footsteps behind her. She breathed in heavily, and turned to look over her shoulder. But before she was able to see anything, a very powerful force threw her against the door.
"Hello, Sarah," came an accented voice from behind her.
"Jareth?" she gasped.
"May I ask what you were doing?"
"I was checking to see if you were back from the--"
"Well, here I am."
"You're not..." Sarah began to hear and feel a different presence. The one speaking to her certainly was not Jareth, he sounded similar but she knew Jareth didn't talk that way.
"You are right, I am not Jareth," came the voice once more. Sarah turned to get a better look at the voice she was talking to.
"Saerin?!" she gasped again, as he set her free from his hold.
"Hello, Sarah," he said, with flirtatious undertones in his voice.
"What are you doing here? How did you--"
"The guards know who I am. All I had to do was tell them I had come to talk business with Jareth." He smiled coyly, bowing in what looked like apology.
"Oh," she laughed, her nervousness quickly receding.
"My, you look beautiful today. Why is Jareth so concerned with business when he has a lady like you here waiting for him?" Sarah heard this as a sincere question, not something he asked just to be a big shot.
"He is the king, Saerin. He has responsibilities..."
"Ah...I suppose you are right."
"You know..." she said, placing her hands on her hips jokingly, "you really shouldn't go around scaring people. You're too nice of a guy to be so sneaky like Jareth!" Saerin laughed at her remark, then Sarah began to laugh with him. Their conversation was so loud, that they even caught the attention of those doing chores around them.
"Lady Sarah," Saerin said, looking quite serious, "Because Jareth was so greedy and rude, we never finished our dance. Would you do me the honor?" Sarah was enchanted by how he spoke to her. He treated her like she had status in the Underground.
"Lady Sarah..." she whispered to herself, smiling. "Of course, Saerin, I would love to!" Nodding, Saerin took one of her hands into his, and slipped his other hand around her waist. She, in turn, placed her free hand on his shoulder.
"Trying your hand at seduction once again, I see," came the familiar tone Sarah thought she heard earlier. They both jumped as they heard the voice, then let go of each other once they saw Jareth standing a few feet away from them.
"Jareth, this isn't--"
"I know it isn't what it looks like because Saerin was just leaving. I have no concern about how you managed to get into my castle, Saerin, although I might be slightly amused if I decided to draw up the scenarios. I am more concerned with getting you out." Jareth's voice was colder than usual, and he never took his eyes off Saerin. Sarah just watched as the two men stared each other down.
"Jareth, I think it is only fair that we get to finished what we started before you interrupted that night..." Saerin retorted, a sly smile on his face.
"This stops here, Saerin. She does not belong to you. She called upon me, therefore she belongs to me. I trust you can find your way out," Jareth replied sternly, moving between Sarah and Saerin. Jareth nodded curtly toward Saerin, placed a hand on the small of Sarah's back, and led her away.
"I can't believe you still view me as your property!" Sarah yelled across her room from the vanity where she sat.
"I told you, Sarah, about his joy in seducing women. Why did you, yet again, fall for his trickery?" Jareth replied from his position by the door.
"Get out," Sarah said, trying to calm herself. Jareth just chuckled to himself, but didn't bother to indulge her request.
"Answer my question, Sarah."
"I said get out." Without listening to anymore, Jareth hurried across the room. He stopped behind her as she looked into the mirror at him in anger. He grabbed her arm and yanked her from her seat.
"If I leave, you come with me," he shot back. Hauling her back across the room with him, she continuously tried to pry his hand off her arm. Jareth pulled the door open, and angrily stalked down the long hallway with Sarah in tow.
"How could you treat someone this way when you claim to love them!?" she screamed. Jareth paid her no attention as he forced his way through a door at the end of the hallway. Pulling Sarah in with him, he slammed the door shut behind him.
"Now," he said calmly, pulling Sarah over to a fireplace on the other side of the room. Sarah recognized this room as the one where she and Jareth had made love for the first time. Everything was as it had been that night.
"Now what?" she replied, feeling tears that had begun to build up finally slide down her cheeks.
"Now you can not throw me out. Why did you fall for him again, Sarah?"
"Why do you care? It's not like me and him were doing what you and I have done..."
"And you are not going to, either. Like I have said before, you do not belong to him." He still had a firm grasp on her arm, which she now jerked free upon hearing the line 'belong to.' She clenched her teeth as more tears fell.
"If you see me that way, that's not love. It's possessive, and controlling and--Ah!" Sarah cried out in pain as Jareth grabbed her arm and tightened his grip, pulling her closer to him.
"Call it whatever you may, it still does not by any means classify you as a free spirit. No matter what title or level of status you attain down here, you will still belong to me!" With that said, he pulled her over to the bed and threw her onto it.
"What's gotten into you, Jareth?" Sarah whispered, rubbing her now pulsing arm.
"You want me to be honest with you, yet you do this? I have warned you about him, Sarah. I knew you were stubborn, I also should have known better than to leave you here by yourself."
"So now you don't trust me?" she replied, jumping off the bed.
"I do not trust Saerin. He has used his charms on women in the past, only to have it end in terrible results. But to see him use those charms on you..." Jareth let himself stray from conversation. He sighed deeply and looked at her.
"Jareth...real love is impenetrable. He can use magic, chains, whips, or even torture me..." she said calmly as she began walking toward him. "But he can never shake my love for you. Ever."
"When it concerns Saerin, I have my doubts, Sarah."
"I don't," she whispered, now standing only inches from him.
"Sarah...he has an unbreakable determination. He is certainly capable of manipulating anyone he chooses," Jareth replied, trying to keep from concentrating too much on how close she was.
"Are you trying to convince me, or yourself?" she whispered, bringing a hand upward to rest against the side of his face. He stared into her eyes for a long moment, hoping secretly that what she said was true.
"I know I seem cold and callus, Sarah, but I..." he sighed, bringing a hand up to gently caress her arm. "I am the king, and it is not an easy job. It has been quite some time since anyone has given me a reason to change my nature..." He let his hand fall down to his side. "I never expected to see you again. I thought you would remain in your world and I in mine. I found it quite amusing that fate decided to make our paths meet once more. When I saw you again, you came across as the same naive girl who asked me to take her brother away all those years ago. But I began to know more about you, Sarah. Distaste progressed to fondness, which in turn grew into love." Sarah's eyes were on his every second of his speech. They had brimmed so heavily with tears, that when she blinked suddenly, a waterfall of them rushed down her face.
"Jareth, do you really feel that way about me?" she whispered, sounding as if she were about to cry. She let her hands fall to her side so she could fidget with her dress. He just kept his eyes locked onto hers, and continued speaking.
"I have never been in love, Sarah, and if what I am feeling right now is truly love...it is very painful. I am not sure why no other women have given me this feeling, but I suppose if I tried to find out I would be at a loss." Sarah's hands were clenched tightly in the fabric of her dress. Her heart pounded unrelentingly, subduing the moderate throbbing in her arm. Suddenly, Jareth reached out and took both of her hands into his, causing her to look away from him. Forcing her tightened fingers to loosen, he laced his fingers between hers. He could feel her trembling as he pulled her against him.
"Sarah, look at me," he whispered. She was almost to the point of solid crying as she turned her eyes back to him. Keeping their fingers intertwined, he slowly slipped his hands around her waist. Pulling her closer still, he whispered very softly in her ear. "I love you, Sarah." And without further discussion, he touched his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. Sarah's legs grew weak as his tongue slowly explored her mouth. She gasped as he lifted her from the floor, and carried her to the bed. Her tears had slowed to a slow trickle, but her heart continued to beat fiercely.
When they reached the bed, Jareth gently broke the kiss and set her down on the satiny bedding. While he undressed himself, Sarah slipped her shoes off and tossed them to the floor. She was wiping her tears away and ridding her face of older tear stains when he slowly got into bed next to her and motioned for her to get on top of him. She complied, and moved her body over him so that she straddled his waist. After a moment, he motioned for her to lean in toward him. As she did so, she felt him stiffen up as the cleft between her legs rubbed up against him through her panties. She had bent down until the distance between them was only mere inches.
"I simply wanted to apologize for that," he whispered, pointing to her visibly bruised arm. She looked down at his chest, bit her lip, then looked back at him. Her hair slid from behind her back and splashed over the sides of his chest and arms. Slowly, he brought his hands up, pushing her hair back as his fingers grazed her cheeks. His mouth covered hers as they both let their eyes flutter shut. He forced his tongue past her lips with a lustful ardor. She responded by sliding her tongue against his and tangling her fingers within his hair. Her body shivered as his hands moved from her face to her lower back. He tugged at her dress and reluctantly pulled his mouth away from hers.
She pulled herself up, grabbed the bottom of her dress, and slowly lifted it over her head. Jareth smiled, relieved that he didn't have to mess with more than one undergarment this time. Her hair fell back down around her shoulders and her breasts, causing him to stare in amazement at just how beautiful of a woman she had grown to be.
"Sarah...you..." he said, in a barely audible whisper.
"What...?" she replied, feeling him harden beneath her.
"You are just...so beautiful..." he finished, sitting up to face her.
"I...oh Jareth, I don't know what to say now," she said shyly, her face becoming flushed with red.
"Do not say anything..." he said once more, shifting positions so that he was now on top of her. Sarah's head fell gently against the pillows as she felt his fingers slide under the waist bands of her panties. He pulled them down to her ankles, and she pulled her legs up until he had pulled them off completely. Tossing them to the side, he bent down and their lips met in a playful kiss. Sarah placed her hands on his back, and ran her fingers up and down his spinal column. She sighed as he settled himself between her legs. His mouth moved from her mouth, and slowly down her throat in a wet, hot trail of soft kisses. She arched her back a little so as to beckon him to keep going.
"Jareth..." she breathed, moaning slightly as he began using his tongue along with his lips. His hands were on either side of her body, supporting his weight as he moved farther down. When his tongue reached her breasts, she slid her hands into his hair. He closed his eyes as the tip of his tongue teased each hardened nipple. Sarah gasped, and Jareth stopped abruptly, leaving her to want more. He moved back up so that he was facing her again. But when she attempted to move her hands toward his face, he intercepted and pinned them on the pillows next to her head.
"Spread your legs a bit more," he whispered heavily in between kisses. As she did so, she felt his genitals brush hers.
"Jareth," she said in a light tone, "tell me one more time..." He looked into her eyes so lovingly that it took her breath away. He let one of his hands release hers, then brought it down in between them so he could position himself. Sarah released a shaky moan as she felt him just barely move inside her. Then, reclaiming her free hand with his, he bent down and gently touched his lips to hers. He felt her chest heave against his with heavy rises and falls. The wet heat of her lips combined with the dampness of her body made his head spin. Each time her breasts touched his chest, he became more aroused. As he broke off the kiss, he rested his forehead against hers.
"I love you, Sarah," he said in a husky voice. Sarah smiled, and closed her eyes in contentment. She let his words echo in her mind, making her smile grow wider. Suddenly, she felt his mouth cover hers, his tongue forcefully breaking past her lips. As he thrust himself inside her completely, Sarah let out a small cry of pleasure mixed with pain. He began at a steady pace and with every thrust Sarah's fingers dug into his hands as he held them pinned down. She lifted her legs and wrapped them around his waist. His breathing had become labored and heavy, while Sarah's was even heavier. He released his hold on her hands and brought them down to rest on the soft sheets below. With each passing minute Sarah's breathing came in loud, pleading gasps.
Jareth kept up his pace, occaisionally leaving trails of kisses along her throat or collar bone area. His arousal went higher and higher as he heard her soft moaning. She tightened on him, making him gasp with pleasure as he continued to penetrate her. Sarah's hands had moved up to rest on his upper back as she moved in perfect rhythm with him. All of a sudden, Jareth began pushing harder than before, Sarah moaned louder, moreso from pain than pleasure. She arched her back and dug her nails into the wet skin of his back so hard that her nails left bloody half-circle marks.
Her moaning had become so loud, that Jareth had to quiet her by forcing a hard kiss onto her already red, swollen lips. She shifted beneath him, allowing him to actually feel how hot and wet she was inside. But, as much as it made his body ache to do so, he forced himself to pull out of her as slowly as he possibly could. He felt his lower region throbbing as he rolled over so he was lying next to her. Sarah began to protest, but before she got a word in, he had slipped his arm underneath her back. Gently, but quickly, he pulled her toward him. She understood and moved herself back into her previous straddling position. He delicately grasped her waist with both hands, and Sarah's skin grew red as she widened her eyes.
"Jareth...I don't--"
"Just move your hips in rhythm with my hands." She took a deep breath and nodded, lifting herself up slightly so he could, again, re-position himself. Lowering her body back onto him, her hands flat on his chest, she gasped and bit her lip as he re-entered her. Her eyes slammed shut at the feeling of him pulsing against her inner walls. He slid inside with no problem, and she was taken aback by how good he felt as she began moving her hips in unison with his hands as he instructed. Sarah picked up quickly as she rocked her hips first at a moderate rate, then progressed to a faster and harder thrust.
"Ah...Sarah..." Jareth begged, tightening his hold on her waist. Sarah had dropped her head back, savoring every inch of him as he moved within her. Her body was now covered in a thin layer of perspiration, as was his. She slowly pulled her head back up and looked down at him. They both read the desire in one another's eyes. He released a low groan as he brought his hands away from her waist and cupped her face. Then he slowly pulled her face toward his until their lips connected in a searing hot kiss. Their tongues plunged in and out of each others mouths as they kept their hips moving together. Sarah was beginning to feel true passion, and it was taking over her entire body.
"Jareth..." she whispered in between each kiss, "I think I'm going to--"
"Do it, my love...just lose yourself in it..." he replied with raspy breaths. When their lips parted for the last time, she felt his muscles tense. She, as well, had a feeling of pure pleasure running all throughout her nervous system. Jareth held himself still as he grasped her arms tightly. She let her body rest on his as she felt herself shaking. His moan almost blocked hers out as he met with his point of climax. She shuddered as he let himself go inside of her. For the first time, they had reached the pinnacle of ecstasy together. Eventually, she loosened her hold on him, and he slowly pulled himself out of her. He was careful not to hurt her, and he allowed her to roll onto her side next to him. As the moment subdued itself, and their erratic breathing and heartbeats had become normal, Jareth turned to look at her.
"Are you in any pain?" he asked, a look on his face that told her he was serious.
"No, I'm fine..." she sighed in reply.
"Good," he said, bringing a hand up to brush some stray hair from her face. She looked at him quizzically, with a question on her mind that she didn't know how to ask. He traced her lips with his index finger, then slipped it under her chin and pulled her lips to his in a short kiss.
"Jareth..." she began, but made a sound that meant 'nevermind.'
"Yes?" he replied anyway. She bit her lip and looked down at the sheets as if she were scared to say it.
"Is this..." she pursed her lips together, "is this the only future we have together? I mean is this...I'm not of your kind, so...we couldn't possibly...right?" she appeared hurt by the possible reality of her own question.
"Are you suggesting that we marry, Sarah?" he answered, not sounding the least bit shocked by the inquiry.
"No...of course not. I wouldn't do that to you, unless you wanted to. I mean we're in love...right? I..."
"There is more to marriage than love in the Underground, Sarah. We marry here for the securing of our own social and political standing in the future, as well as for our family's benefit. Love has very little if anything at all to do with it." As he finished, he felt slightly troubled when he saw Sarah turn onto her back and stare at the ceiling. In his heart he had already made up his mind about her, but he knew that the society he had been born into would hardly allow a marriage between a mortal and a fae.
"So..." she whispered to herself, "us being in love is rather unfortunate then. I'll eventually have to watch you marry someone else...who knows...maybe your elders will see no reason to keep me here and send me back home..." she rambled, a tear sliding down the side of her face. Jareth sighed, placing a hand on his chest and resting his arm on his forehead.
"Sarah I--"
"I can't live like that Jareth. Seeing you with another woman, I would rather go back home than have to see you fall in love and marry someone else...possibly start a family with her...it's too much!" she sobbed, bringing her hands up to cover her face. As she cried, her last sentence caught his attention more than the rest as he immediately sat up and looked at her.
"Look at me," he demanded. She hesitantly obeyed, letting her hands fall to her chest. She then averted her eyes, red and burning with pooled up tears, in his direction.
"We don't stand a--"
"I am only going to tell you this once. I will not fall in love with another woman as long as I have you. And furthermore, I do not wish to have children with any other woman but you." Sarah momentarily ceased her sobbing to look at him in total surprise.
"Jareth, why are you acting so..."
"I can not answer that. Although, I can tell you this: I am in love, Sarah. This...these feelings I have for you are entirely new to me and my way of life. They are breaking down my natural resistance, and I have no idea why I am so different than before. Our relationship now is the complete opposite of what it was the first time I laid eyes upon you. Maybe it is everything you are and everything you have come to mean to me that is the source of all this. Maybe I am actually wanting to change, or it could be many other possible reasons. The important thing is, I never wanted to learn what I have learned about you. I never fathomed making love to you, to look at you and know that we have established an unbreakable bond that could only be true love. I never wanted, nor desired to be a part of anything having to do with you. But now that I have, I do not want it to stop. My feelings have gone farther than I ever thought possible for someone like me. Before, I wanted to ruin you. Now I..." he stopped there, unable to finish as he noticed her facial features change from shock to something he had never seen before.
"Oh my...Jareth, I...I don't..." she finally broke down into tears, only this time he knew her tears were those of joy. He smiled, scooting himself up next to her and pulling her into his arms. That night had turned into a long, but unforgettable one. Jareth had finally confessed his own state of breaking down to the point of almost being human. And that alone meant a great deal to her. She was finally able to look at him and not see the beast that he used to be, but just a man. A man who loved her.
Jareth managed to get the both of them under the heavy sheets. He slowly let his back rest against the fluffy pillows behind him as Sarah's head rested on his chest. He still held her in a close embrace, and she continued to sob. Her hair became damp as tears fell and absorbed themselves within the dark brown tresses. Jareth caressed her hair and patted her arm as her sobs eventually digressed into sniffles. After several minutes had passed, the only thing Jareth could hear was her soft breathing as she slept soundly.
"Your status will change, Sarah. But not to that of a mere citizen..." he whispered to himself. With that said, he kissed her tenderly on the forehead and closed his eyes. The last thought he had before slipping into unconsciousness was that of Sarah when he first met her.