Looking around Sarah felt her stomach drop. She was dreaming, and she knew it. And considering a certain magical man she had come into the acquaintance of she was far from pleased. As if the realization of her reason for being where she was the gray white misty place she was in began to change. Shadows grew darker and what looked frighteningly like a forest began to form around her. This was not the Fiery forest, this was too different; she was in a clearing with trees so thick around her that running would have been pointless. Looking down she was thankful for everything in her life that she was still in her pajamas. Not that they were something so covering. A pair of boxers and an oversized sleep shirt, but they were familiar, something she knew. She was most grateful that she had opted for the shirt than the wife-beater undershirt.
But she cursed there being nowhere to run to when a white owl swooped low into her cage of a clearing and Jareth entered her dream. At least to her vision, he had undoubtedly been watching her the entire time. He was dressed in what she had dubbed his 'normal' clothes. Or for him the casual day wear, when concerning him at any rate, black pants and a white shirt that split down the middle revealing his ever-present medallion. She didn't know what to do, she was at a loss here, and he was the one in control of everything. But her anger was steadily rising inside of her moments away from boiling over. "If you ever, ever pull that stunt you did earlier in the bathroom." She began, voice strained in her effort to at least sound calm. "So help me I will give you cause to regret it."
"Oh?" He sounded amused. "And how will that be?"
It was true. She could do nothing to him and in her dreams she was at a loss, that was until she figured out she could will things to appear. But that would take practice and he had never pulled this rather intricate trick on her before.
"Remember when you said I wasn't to eat until I apologized?" Her voice cooed softly and yet still managed to sound sickeningly sweet. His cool demeanor faded for an instant.
***(Flashback! Bet you all thought I forgot about this punishment huh? Guess what, you were right :P :
He wondered what she meant when she said she had been threatened with no food before. He soon found out when she didn't show up for that nights meal, or any of the next days. On the third day of her fast he entered the library. She didn't seem notice him as he slowly neared her working form. A cup of water and a pitcher was at her side but his attention was more focused on her pale face. Her cheekbones were becoming prominent and he was willing to wager that one could count her ribs. She was in a light blue dress and from the lack of lace slipping out she wasn't wearing all the underclothes most women dawned when dressed.
"What do you want?" She didn't even look up as she spoke. Stepping into view he wondered how she had known he was there. She answered, as if knowing his thoughts. "I heard you, the goblins are louder and Hoggle has a shuffle with his step." Looking up he saw the dark rings around her eyes.
"Sarah, do you wish to apologize?" He hoped she would, she was looking ill. She laughed cruelly and went back to copying something on a square of parchment.
"I told Hoggle after you left that Karen had said I couldn't eat until I apologized. It was summer and I couldn't grab food at school like I normally did." She glanced to him. "I was hospitalized a little over a week later. Malnutrition, the doctors thought that I had an eating disorder." She dipped the quill back in the bottle of ink and continued her work. "The human body can last without food before it starts digesting itself." He knew what she was getting at. She had done this before and won, she would not beg for food and she would not apologize. She would win this battle of wills or do harm to herself by her stubborn nature. And as angry as he was at being defied he did not want her harmed. Waving his had a platter of food and herbal water appeared behind her. When she turned for more papers she would find it. Leaving he was later rewarded with an emptied platter. Excluding the bowl of peach slices. ***
But the question was what could she do about a mere dress?
"Do you know what happened after you left?" Her voice was still calm and sweet. It was all the more reason for him to be on guard.
"I fell to the floor and nearly passed out. Bernardo had to break in my door. The fact that the door has no lock was noted by all present in my house. I was barely conscious when he took out his knife and cut the back of that fabric cage, followed by that evil thing called a corset. The dress and all you provided has been bleached and is the rag box of my art bin. I couldn't breathe." His blood froze at the image of a perfect Sarah lying cold on the floor. Never had it been his intention to harm her.
"Sarah."
"Don't!" She snapped, backing away from his one step forward. "Don't come near me, don't touch me! Why can't you leave me?" Her last words gave him insight. She expected people to leave her, and she couldn't understand why he wouldn't when she did all in her power to make him do so. He couldn't tell her, that in his own cold way he cared for her. That there was more than a physical attraction to her than even he was willing to admit. Willing it so that she couldn't move he approached her. Pressing a finger under her chin he brought her gaze to meet his.
"It was not in my intention to harm you Sarah." Her eyes were cold; she was not listening to his words. A wall of emotion that was older than their acquaintance was blocking them. "Sarah." His voice was soft, and in his boastful youth it had been all he needed to melt a heart. Sarah proved her merit by not falling for such a tone. Too hardened by challenges he knew not of that had been fought in her past. It was part of what attracted him to her. She had her own sense of mystery and strength that radiated from her like no one he had ever met. But in the husk of a mortal she was fragile and needed to be protected.
"Why do you do this to me?" Her voice was soft and held a childlike quality to it that made him want to hold her. There being nothing to stop him he held her close and gently kept her near his body.
'Because I have been taught no other way.' He thought softly. He didn't hold her tight when she pushed away. When she walked away he noted her bared legs, the memory of her shaving them crossed his mind and with the single mindedness of a child he intended to find out the affect it held on her legs. Moving behind her quickly he swept her off her feet, earning a startled sound from her and both hands gripping his shoulders. As he lowered her to the velvet soft moss floor he willed his gloves to vanish. With a lone finger he ran it along the side of her calf. Gooseflesh formed and he smiled. She was blushing furiously when he glanced to her face and quickly both hands shot out to pull her large shirt back down and over her thighs. Sitting at her side one held her ankle while the other shot up the length of her leg.
"Hey!" She yelped, his hand returned to the bone of her ankle and slowly circled the area of skin.
"Lets play a game shall we?" His tone sounded innocent enough but she had known him for too long to fall for it.
"And what if I don't want to?" His innocent demeanor turned devilish and he pulled her leg so that her body was dragged near his. "Not an option huh?" He shook his head. "What are the rules and what are the stakes." She did not sound pleased.
"Question, and answer. I ask you something and you tell me the answer."
"And if I refuse to answer." She challenged, both hands trying to pull her large shirt over her legs. He trailed his left palm up her leg slightly before bringing it to her foot. She bit her lip then spoke. "Right."
"Shall we begin?" She glared sourly. This would be fun. He figured he could start with an easy question. "Why do you have such a hard time giving your complete trust?" Her head shot up and her eyes displayed her shock.
Well people! What do you think? I got some peeps telling me he's too much, in short, an ass. And here I just showed you that in his own odd way he truly cares about Sarah. He's just a LOT possessive I LOVED all the reviews I got and I'm going to look into that book that was suggested to me. Sounds interesting! I'm a fairy tale nut and love to read the different aspects. Oh well REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks.
~BUM~