Sarah had expected the hangover when she started drinking the night before, and did she ever get it. The pain in her head throbbed with the pulse of her blood. The light from the crack in the window stabbed her in the eye when she opened her eyes to look at her clock. She flinched and gave a plaintive whine, rolling over and pulling her pillows over her face to block that light out. Just that brief flash made her already stabbing headache worse.
She was in her own bed, which was a clear improvement over the last time she'd drunk herself into a stupor, she decided. Not that she could remember how she'd gotten there. The last thing she remembered was watching reruns of mindless television and trying to avoid thinking about the problem she was drinking to escape. And today, she had the same problem.
A sigh escaped her and she considered sitting up. What was the point? She wasn't expected home until the twenty fourth, which was now three days away. At least if she stayed in bed, nursing her hangover, she'd have an excuse if she didn't answer the phone when her father called.
And he would call. And then she'd have to tell him that she'd lied about having a boyfriend and listen to his disappointment.
She was still considering spending the day wallowing in her own misery when a refined and highly amused voice broke the silence.
"I can promise from experience that the hangover will not improve unless you deal with it, Sarah."
That voice, and the amusement she heard in it made her freeze, and with slow movements she pulled the pillow from her face, staring across the room. Sitting there, looking relaxed and reading in her chair sat the Goblin King, who was looking at her with an expression that was amused, if sardonic. He was dressed in a relaxed manner, wearing a loose cream colored shirt under a cranberry red vest and black trousers and boots. His hair was shorter than she remembered, but still wild enough she couldn't tell if its mussed state was intentional or not. It looked like he had fussed it out of his face enough that it was staying that way.
What sort of stupid shit did she get into last night after she blacked out?
He glanced at her from beneath his dramatic brows, a smirk curving his lips. "There's a glass of water on your bedside table. I recommend that you drink it."
Her eyes shot over to her bedside and she saw there was indeed a tall glass of water sitting there, her phone unhooked from the jack in the wall, and two tablets of tylenol set beside it. She glanced back at him, unsettled, and trying with desperation to remember what had happened the night before.
That amusement gave way to a patient look that reminded her of an adult dealing with a recalcitrant child and his head shook. He glanced towards the water and then back at her, just waiting.
The water would, at least, deal with her parched throat. At the same time, if it was something he'd gotten for her, that meant she shouldn't trust it. Still, she knew he was right, as well. She needed to hydrate, and the pills would help with the splitting headache.
"Do drink up, Sarah. We have much to discuss and little time with which to discuss it."
Oh, sweet mother of fucking Christ, what the hell did she do last night? She took the cup with some hesitation, and the pills in the other hand. To avoid saying anything, she tossed the pills into her mouth and started drinking. At least if she was drinking, she wasn't talking or saying something stupid.
The water cooled a path down her throat, and when she set it down, the glass was empty. She hesitated a long moment before looking back at the Goblin King. He'd set the book aside, bookmarked with his finger. That allowed her to see what he'd been reading and she wasn't aware that she could be mortified for two very different reasons at the same time. Blood pooled in her cheeks and she swallowed hard.
That was a spicy romance novel she'd indulged in, and judging by where his finger marked the novel, he was well into the romance, and had browsed through at least one heated sex scene that involved things she had pretended to not be interested in with her boyfriends, because she didn't trust them any further than she could have thrown them.
"On a scale of one to wishing away my baby brother to the goblins, how stupid was what I did last night?"
The smile that curved his lips showed his pointed teeth. His amusement made those vibrant blue eyes sparkle, and she thought she saw mischief in them as he stood and set the novel aside. "Talking in your bedroom is not an ideal setting for this sort of conversation. You get cleaned up and I'll make you breakfast. We can discuss how stupid you might have been in your living room. Since that's where the conversation started in the first place."
As he walked out of the room, she took a steadying breath, getting out of bed. She closed and locked the door, trying to not think about the fact that Jareth must have put her to bed, last night. She swallowed hard, scrubbing her hands over her face and groaned, seriously considering hiding from her own stupidity back in the bed. She doubted it would make a difference. She wasn't certain a locked door would stop him if he decided to come and get her.
Whatever she'd done must not have been quite a ten. She was still wearing the clothing from the night before. A baggy, festive sweater covered in poinsettias, her favorite jeans, even her socks were still in place.
She looked into the vanity, finding her face and hair were a mess, mascara smeared around her eyes, her hair in crazy waves from the french braid it had been in most of the day prior. A sigh escaped her and she grabbed a change of clothes and towel and headed to her bathroom.
So, it looked like at this point, she was breaking even at a five for now. She could work with that. It couldn't be any worse than any other shit she'd gotten herself into.
She hoped.
She washed her face and brushed her teeth, took a moment to use the toilet and change her clothes. She considered taking a shower, but she wasn't certain she was feeling that brave this morning. So, instead, she brushed her hair and pulled it back into a ponytail. She stared at herself in the mirror for a moment, trying to not feel underdressed in jeans and a t-shirt. She went back to her room and put her clothes in the laundry hamper, and tried very hard to ignore the novel he'd been reading.
He must have been using that to freak her out. There was no way he was reading that book ever since she passed out the evening before. An immortal fae king couldn't find something like that interesting. Definitely just to get a rise out of her.
That decided, she stuffed the book into her drawer, and made her bed. She was procrastinating. She knew it. With a sigh, she headed out of her room, and paused next to her coffee table. The bottle of vodka was still sitting open on it, her glass tipped on its side. She shook her head, capping the bottle and picking it and the glass up, carrying it the short distance to the kitchen. She put the bottle in the freezer and the cup in the sink, trying to ignore the king who was standing at her stove, looking at her with amusement.
"For a little while, I thought you were going to make me come find you. An interesting inversion on our last meeting, I daresay."
She braced her hands on the sink, feeling a little green from stress. "Just kill me and get it over with."
"On the bright side, my dear, you didn't vomit."
The endearment made her brain trip and land in a heap, but she shook that sensation away. As if her puking was a concern. She was more worried about anything she did while she was drunk. She shifted away from the sink, sitting at the small table. She took a moment to notice that her coat, scarf, and hat had been relocated to their respective pegs by the door, right next to her keys and bag. She didn't remember doing that, either. She stared at the surface of the table, taking a deep breath. "What did I do?"
He turned back to the stove, and whatever he was cooking on it. It smelled delicious. "You wished yourself away to the goblins. You're fortunate that's not a service we provide. Although considering the state I found you in, I doubt it would have been appropriate for me to take your wish seriously."
She choked, the words sending her into a coughing fit. No. She wasn't that stupid. Or desperate. Was she? Had she? But why else would he be here, right now? She groaned, putting her head in her hands. "Okay, so that's dumber than usual. Usually when I get that drunk, I just pass out."
He gave an amused chuckle. "I was dwelling on problems of my own and that request was quite unusual. The goblins were trying to figure out how exactly that would even work, since the wisher was both the challenger and the wished away. I dismissed the goblins, who were still quite confused. You're welcome for that. I doubt you'd have appreciated them besieging you last evening in your drunken state."
That was the truth. She sighed, her head still between her hands. A moment later, a steaming mug of coffee was set down in front of her, along with her bowl of sugar and jug of milk. "Fair. And you're right, being jumped goblins when I was drunk out of my gourd would have made a very bad evening much worse."
He gave an amused snort. Of course, he managed to even make that sound dignified. "Indeed. However, since a summons was made, someone had to show up. When I arrived, you were already very deep into your cups with whatever that cheap alcohol you tortured yourself with. I admit I didn't recognize you, at first. You are definitely not the same child you were when you ran the Labyrinth."
She wasn't certain if he was complimenting her or condemning her.
"Moments before you passed out you said something most curious. A request, which given my own situation, I thought might result in us being of assistance to one another.
He turned towards her once again, sliding an omelette onto a plate and setting it before her. She took a deep breath, doctoring her coffee and eyeing the eggs, wary. She wasn't certain if she dared to eat them. The food would make her recover faster and she knew it, and she didn't want to insult him. But at the same time, she still remembered that damned peach. "What did I say?
The smile on his lips didn't help her nerves. She took a bite of the omelette, and he spoke with an amused expression on his face. "You asked me to be your boyfriend for Christmas."
That bite flew out of her mouth in less than a second, landing on the table between them as she stared at him, the blood draining out of her head. Okay, that was definitely a ten on the stupid meter.
The Goblin King's eyes flicked towards the bite of egg, and his lips twitched, amusement clear on his face. He picked up the bite she'd lost, and popped it into her gaping mouth, pushing it past her lips with a gloved finger. She started chewing just to have something to do with her mouth besides say something stupid. She could barely taste the damn food, but she swallowed the bite, and then hid her face in her hand, closing her eyes.
"Don't...worry about it, Goblin King. I was feeling sorry for myself, last night and that was it. It's my own fault, anyways. I fibbed and told my parents that I'd bring my boyfriend home for the holidays. Since I don't have one, that's proving difficult. I'll just make something up." She mumbled, staring at the top of the eggs he'd cooked. The smell was excellent, at least.
The sound that left him sounded like a laugh, and he pulled out the chair across from her, vibrant blue eyes searching hers. "And what would you say if I told you I found myself in a similar quandary and would be willing to barter, Sarah?"
Her eyes snapped to his face and she saw a smirk on his lips. She swallowed and looked him in the eyes. There was no way to tell if he was playing a nasty prank on her. No way at all. "I would say that that's awfully convenient, your majesty."
Sharp teeth flashed behind thin lips. "The deal would be simple. Any event requiring a plus one, or where one is heavily encouraged, the other party is that plus one." He leaned back in the chair, looking comfortable in her small apartment.
"What even do you need a plus one for where this benefits you?" She asked, and then sipped her coffee. Damn, he was good - these beans were cheap, but this was the smoothest cup she'd had in years. She shook herself trying to pay attention to what he was saying as she heard his inhalation before he spoke again.
"I'm required to go to a few parties over the seasons. Yule, in particular, is an impressively big deal among the fae - new beginnings and all that. However, I have grown tired of these, and their obnoxious parade of women who think that this king has been alone for a shamefully long amount of time. I require someone who isn't a known quantity, who has no mistaken ideas as to what this arrangement is. Someone who can feign interest where there is none."
"And this arrangement is…?" She asked, between bites of the food he'd made.
"Convenient. Nothing more and nothing less. I get a shield, a woman who can act well when the situation requires her to pretend to be involved with me. And to reciprocate the situation, you get a fine specimen of a man who can pretend to be your lover during family engagements. If you wish, consider it a business arrangement. I'll even have a contract drawn up."
She looked him in the eyes, her own narrowing. This would be beneficial for her. Perhaps she could get that to overlap with functions at the school which required a partner as well. "Nothing fishy?"
"I don't know how you expect me to answer that honestly, precious. I am Fae. We're capricious by nature and we do so love our games. But trust me when I say that getting permanently involved with a mortal woman isn't even in the realm of my agenda." He seemed serious about that much, at least.
"And getting involved with a Fae man isn't on mine," she agreed. She looked at him over the rim of her coffee cup for a long moment, considering him. He seemed at ease, so she relaxed just a bit. "So, then, when would this first event be, anyways?"
Those sharp teeth showed when he grinned at her. "Tonight is the first night of Yule, so that should give you some idea. I can provide the required garments and accessories. Hair and makeup can be handled in my realm, as well. There will be several, but I only planned to attend the first and last for this holiday. The evening of the twenty fourth and the day of the twenty fifth are yours if you're agreeable to this. Any additional holidays or events in the future where you or I require a companion, a bargain can be struck again."
She took another bite of the omelette to give herself time to chew over that for a little while. Then, she sighed, looking at him. "You have me at a disadvantage. I hate disappointing my father, and he would be if I didn't bring anyone."
He gave a smirk that was grim and amused at the same time. "I assure you, the desperation you feel is something I am familiar with. If I could avoid these parties altogether, I would, but I've been conspicuously absent for some time, now. The disadvantage is a mutual one."
She sighed, and straightened at the table, extending her hand. "Alright, Goblin King. I'll go tonight and we'll see how this goes. If we can both live with it, you've got yourself a deal."
His smile grew wider, and there was a strange light in his eyes." Very well, Sarah. I'll pick you up so you can change in a few hours. Do get some rest in the meantime. And enjoy your breakfast."
She would have relaxed, but he paused for a moment, turning, and she saw that book she'd stuck in her drawer in his hands again. The smirk on his lips made her head light. "I'll take this with me. It's far more interesting reading material than is typically available to me. And I left off at such an...interesting point, it would be a shame to not know how it ends. I'll return it when I'm finished with it."
Then, he was gone with a burst of glitter, and she sat there, blushing for a long time after he was gone. He'd stolen her book. And the implication he'd left her with was that he had gotten to one of the spicier bits.
In the end, however, she gave a quiet sigh of relief. Well, she had a date, at least. And it looked like her holidays were going to be more interesting than she expected. She just wasn't certain if that was a good thing or a very bad thing.