Looking to him she dearly wished for a way to harm him. Eyes shooting to the bubbles she nearly sagged in relief that they were still plentiful and that meant she had only been out for a few moments. "Would you please leave me alone?"
"No." He replied smiling in a self-satisfied way. Biting her lip softly she wondered if she splashed him he would leave.
'Probably not.' She thought after glancing around. Finally giving up on the hopes of him leaving anytime soon she wondered if he would leave if she stopped acting like it mattered that he was there. Grabbing for the soap she lifted one leg out of the water and took care not to lift her upper body too far out of the water. Grabbing a razor from the rim of the tub she held it in her teeth as she lathered her leg. She had handled under her arms in the shower but had forgotten her legs. Running the blade a small distance she had to clean it soon. She hadn't shaved since before she had entered the labyrinth. She had quickly come to miss the small vanity and was taking great care not to knick herself.
"What are you doing?" She glanced up to the Goblin King as she cleansed the blades of hair.
"Shaving, I would think that obvious." Shifting slightly she worked at the under half of her legs. She never went farther than a little above her knees, so it was not difficult to keep under the suds that surrounded her.
"Why?"
"You are so last century." She toned in her best valley girl accent. He glared at her and then back to the water. The bubbles were dissipating and she was losing her cover. Smirking she used her foot to kick the faucet up, she had done this so often that she had hit it to just the right angle for the temperature she liked. Using her free hand she poured in more bubble mix and soon her bubbly wall was back and better than ever. Resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at him she lifted her left leg to begin shaving it's hair off as well. "Will you leave? At least get out of the room, no crystals or any other form of spying on me. Magical or not." He shot her a grin at hearing her cover all bases but merely leaned back, waiting.
"You have to get out some time." He taunted. Only this time she was not to be out done.
"And Mick will be here eventually, I may be a prune by then but he'd be more than willing to defend my honor."
"Honor?"
"Shut up, it's a figure of speech."
"What honor was there in wishing your brother away?" She flinched at the cruel reminder of her past actions. Not meeting his eyes she gazed to the foamy water as she spoke.
"There wasn't, I already know that. I have a lot of excuses for my action and many can justify my emotions. Only guess what, I don't care. I ran that Labyrinth knowing I had done something unforgivable. If I had lost I would have begged shamelessly." Glaring to him she let him know she was far from acting. "I would have taken his place if you would have allowed it, only I didn't lose. Not him anyway, I escaped you, and I plan on living my long and hard life up here until my numbers called. So if you don't mind please do not remind me that I am more like my mother than I ever wish to be." Her tone could have cut diamond, and the pain in her eyes should have had tears. But her voice never wavered nor did her eyes water. Whether he believed her she didn't know, she knew she spoke the truth. She had thought she hated Toby. Blaming him for all that was wrong, even the things that had been wrong longer than he breathed. Her mother had left her family and hadn't cared in the least that her daughter missed her. Her father had grown more distant with her at every year. She grew to resemble his first wife so much that he finally stopped all interactions with her, only taking responsibility of her. Karen had come and the woman's spite had been more daggers into her jaded heart. Karen had forced her to give up the life she had loved, the circle of friends and activities that had meant the world to her. Trying to make Sarah fit into a mold she was unsuited for, make her be the perfect miniature of all that was proper. Where Sarah wanted fantasy Karen wanted reality. Needless to say Sarah had rebelled. Making costumes and wearing them around the house and more importantly around Karen's friends just for spite. She didn't care that the kids thought her weird. She didn't care that boys looked over her as if she weren't there. The fact was Jareth had been the first ever to acknowledge her as a blossoming woman, ever. And she hated him, wished for him to ignore her like everyone else. But he wouldn't. "If it makes you happy Jareth I'll say it. I have no honor, I am worthless in the eyes of many and love is completely beyond my familial grasp. The only person in the house who cares for me can't even pronounce my name and the only other that loves me has fur and four legs. My mother couldn't care less about me and my father has probably forgotten the date of my birth. I'm not even going to start on the woman that is my stepmother. Are you happy? Does it give you pleasure or do you even care that I know how little people care for my existence? Cause guess what I stopped caring a long time ago."
He watched with building anger at her words. Not at her, she spoke her soul, something he was finding to be an endearing quality. But the people had raised her to be hostile to anything that resembled affection. 'Not that my intentions are true.' He reminded himself. But to see such neglect in one who could believe in fantasy so well was astonishing. Most mortals he had seen would turn in on themselves, or become actively violent in their society. She had only fled into the world of the unreal, frightened of what she could find if she left.
But even though his thoughts were of the closest way he could get to pity her, his eyes never left the water. When her arm reached out for a towel he wondered how she planned to protect her modesty. He was soon disappointed when she positioned it to hide her as she stood, wrapping it around her he saw her legs kick off the water and the hem rise as she bent to drain her tiny tub. When she stood up once more, she sent him a glare, knowing that he had been admiring her legs. "Can't you at least pretend that you aren't checking me out at every chance?"
"Why bother when you know I am anyway?"
"Don't answer a question with a question." She muttered grabbing something off a hook and heading into her sleeping chamber. Following he saw that it was the single, most unflattering robe he had ever seen. She had tied it around her waste and with a shake of her hips, he saw the towel fall to her feet. She lifted it and was son drying her legs, doing her best to reveal as little flesh to him as possible, he hated to think about how well she was at it.
"How do you do this so well?" He demanded, jealousy running through his veins.
"Good at what?" She cast him a startled glance before turning her back to him and stepping into something. If he hadn't been so adamant on gaining his answers he probably would have found her show amusing and alluring.
"Changing the way you are." Crossing his arms as he spoke she actually turned to him with raised brows.
"I would tell you this why?" He glared at her as she continued to defy him. He took a step forward before catching himself, she stumbled back and fell to the bed. The robe had split at the hips and revealed all of her legs, along with the cloth she wore beneath her britches.
"Do not toy with me Sarah." He warned, she tried to look unworried of his threat. Lifting a flimsy looking pair of stockings that couldn't keep coals warm. Slipping them on her legs, he saw her work at making the fabric stretch to her form. "An answer or your party shall have many interruptions." She looked up to him with violence in her eyes at his last few words.
"If I tell you, you swear to me that you won't interfere with my party." She finished pulling her stockings on as she stood and was soon standing before him, hands on her hips. Reaching one hand out he began to slip the robe along her shoulder.
"I need not have to promise you anything Sarah." Before she could breathe, he had his arm around her middle. Holding her close, he ran his pointed teeth along her exposed shoulder. "But in this instance I might."
"Might is not the answer I want. Let go of me!" He did but let her know with a smile that she had been released only because he had wanted too. She glared to him and turned to dig in a chest along a wall. She pulled two fabrics from it and re-entered her bathing room. Closing the door behind her, grinning he knew that a simple door could not keep him away from her.
"Answer my question Sarah and I promise to you that I will in no way interfere with your gathering, that is unless you begin activities I disapprove of." He called to her, lounging on her mattress as he told her. She left the bathing chamber and looked to his position.
"What are you doing?" She snapped, pulling a red partial dress from beneath his leg. He forgot to answer her for a moment; she had the towel around her hips. Leaving him to view her shirt, black and form fitting, the neckline had been cut wide to reveal most of her shoulders if not all of them when given a few soft tugs. "Well?"
"Don't you know what a man does in a ladies bed Sarah?" She rolled her eyes to and she pulled the half dress over her head.
"Of course I know. Give me some credit here." He heard, muffled due to her clothing. Moving to his feet in angered grace he gave a violent tug to the fabric, bringing her face to view.
"Owe! What?" She began, only for him to cut her off by grabbing her chin. Forcing her to look into his eyes.
"Where, when, and who Sarah?"
"You forgot what, why, and how." She let out cheekily, he responded by tightening his hold and pulling her closer. "Hey! Let go, what's up?"
"Who Sarah?" He growled lowly, her eyes went from confusion to wide-eyed astonishment.
"N-no one." She stuttered out. "Let go, you're hurting me." He loosened his grip and gave her room to breathe, but he did not release her.
The violence of his reaction stunned her and she suddenly didn't know how to handle him in his rage. In turn she had turned to humor, however foolish it was to use. When his grip lessened she chose not to struggle. He was still waiting for an answer. "I'm sixteen Jareth, I've known about sex for a while. Just because no one at school acknowledges me doesn't mean I haven't heard about it. Plus there's a little thing called 'Sex Education.' I'm a virgin not stupid." She spat out the last words before realizing she had said them. Her hand flew to her mouth when she realized what she had just uttered. 'I did not just say that.' Her thoughts stopped when he let her go. Backing away she distracted herself with adjusting her jumper. When finished she looked back to his heated eyes. "What?"
"Sex Education? How crude is your society going to get?"
"This coming from the man who turns babies into goblins for a living." She muttered dryly. Turning her back to him she pulled her hair out from under the jumper as she walked. She did her best to ignore him as he followed her, grabbing some of her hair she set to work at removing the tangles that lived in her hair. She gave a cry of protest when he stepped behind her and snatched the brush from her and began to brush her hair. He pinned her arms to her side whenever she tried to get her brush back, or reach for another off the counter. Eventually she just settled for glaring at him through her reflection and having her arms crossed over her chest. He seemed to want to brush her hair and gave her no option in the action.
"What do they teach you in that class?" His clipped voice demanded. She decided that it would be wise to listen to him and answer his questions for a while.
"Umm protections against getting pregnant, diseases that can be transferred from sex." She tried to recall all that had been taught. "The mechanics of how a baby is born and created." She caught his look and blushed crimson. "I mean before then, after sex, from creation of ovary and sperm to ejaculation and fertilization of ovary. Then the stages of the embryo, to fetus then birth and all in between." Cheeks hot she snatched her brush back and began to use her hair dryer. There was something wrong about discussing sex with a man like Jareth. Finishing her hair she left the room, slipping past his arm and practically fell into her vanities bench. Hands flying into her hair she began twisting and braiding it in a stylish fashion. She knew she had to keep it out of her way for the night she was in for. Glaring at him she waited for the smart remarks to come.
"They teach you this in your classes?" He didn't sound as if he believed her. "Whatever for?" Rolling her eyes she grabbed a few pins and began pinning her newly formed braids to her head.
"Why not, at least its not useless like most of what they teach." Reaching towards her feet she grabbed her choice of shoes, slipping them on she stood and stepped into the hall. Poking her head back into her room she smiled. "And as for the first question and sealant to our agreement, I have traveled in enough busses loaded with guys to be able to change without giving a peepshow." Laughing she left. She didn't know whether he would keep his word, but at the moment she wanted to know that she had bested him. And the doorbell ringing helped speed her way for Mick. Within an hour she had done the easy work and he had moved all the furniture from the living room. It was ready for dance and moving watching. She had prepared the kitchen for the comings and goings of junk food. A substance Karen refused to buy or allow under her roof. 'This is my night.' She thought laughing as Mick shocked himself with a wire while plugging the boom box in. 'I will do whatever I want.'
Well REVIEW FOR ME WOULD YA??!!! The next chapter shall have the party and you will get to meet a few more of her mortal friends. All of them unique and interesting. Review and place in requests for certain scenes or what-not. Either way REVIEW!!!
~BUM~