Pale yellow sunlight streamed through the window delicately illuminating Sarah's cozy little bedroom. She was buried beneath her quilted comforter, the top pulled up over her eyes shielding them from the warm morning rays.
She felt like shit.
It had been nearly impossible to fall back asleep after her "risque" dream last night, if she could even call it one. Only once before had a dream felt so realistic, but she wasn't sure if the Goblin King had anything to do with this one or not. After all, she hadn't eaten anything peculiar before bed last night...
Still, she just couldn't shake the feeling he might still be toying with her. The idea made her angry and exhausted at the same time. What could she even do about it? She didn't possess magic like him. She was helpless.
And if he wasn't involved then...that would mean that she...
No Sarah don't even go there.
She shoved the covers down and sat up before her thoughts could continue down their scandalous path.
On one hand there was the possibility that the Goblin King had taken advantage of the confused and vulnerable state she seemed to be stuck in lately, or on the other hand she had actually wanted him to.
It was a lose lose situation.
The idea that her own forbidden desires, and hers alone, were to blame for last night's episode was too scandalous for her tired mind to comprehend this early in the morning.
She looked around for a moment, her focus sharp as she studied each one of the familiar contents in her room, half expecting something strange to jump out at her. Or someone...
After last nights events she wanted to make absolutely sure there would be no more surprises.
Satisfied to find nothing and no one out of the ordinary, Sarah climbed out of bed and began tenderly stretching her lazy morning muscles, reaching down towards the floor, unable to to stop the dramatic yawn that escaped her. Just another reminder of her lack of sleep and the reason behind it.
Pleeeease think of something else...anything else...
She stood up and paced around the room, hands clasped tightly behind her head, as she tried her best to divert her tiresome thoughts.
I wonder what Rowan's been up to. It's been days since we've talked. I'm surprised she hasn't called yet considering its my birt-...OH WAIT! MY BIRTHDAY!
A bright smile lit her entire face as soon as she remembered what day it was.
How could I forget!
All memories of the previous night flew to the back of her mind as she rushed out of her room and down the stairs.
She headed straight towards the kitchen, the smell of fresh bacon sizzling on the stove flooding the whole lower level of her house. It wasn't at all uncommon for Sarah to come downstairs first thing in the morning and find Karen already busy at work preparing breakfast for the family, but she couldn't help feeling like somehow today it was all especially for her.
She stopped briefly in the hallway and inhaled deeply. If there was one food on this planet she didn't think she could live without, it was most definitely bacon.
I wonder if the Underground has bacon?
She closed her eyes suddenly as a wave of frustration washed over her.
No. No you don't.
"Not today," she finished the thought aloud as she stormed the rest of the way into the kitchen.
Karen had just placed the last piece of bacon on a plate near the stove, and was getting ready to begin frying the eggs in the leftover bacon grease, when Sarah rushed into the room with a pout and plopped heavily down onto a bar stool at the island in the center of the room.
"Well good morning sunshine," Karen teased as she secretly studied Sarah's reaction out of the corner of her eye while simultaneously flipping over an egg.
"It was supposed to be...," Sarah muttered under her breath.
"Did you say something?," Karen asked genuinely as she set her spatula down and gave Sarah her full attention.
"No, is breakfast ready yet?"
"Almost," Karen answered concernedly. She wanted to ask Sarah what was wrong, clearly something was bothering her. Any other day it might make sense given Sarah's usual moodiness, but not on her sixteenth birthday...
She was almost hopeful that after their friendly conversation the night before, she might actually have a chance at getting Sarah to open up for once. She opened her mouth to speak, but before the words could find their way out, the solemn look Sarah was still sporting caused her to think twice. Silence stretched between them.
After a moment Sarah glanced up. She didn't miss the turmoil that crossed her stepmother's features and it didn't take a genius to figure out the cause.
I am really not it the mood for this.
"Where's my dad?," she quickly asked, desperate for an escape from the interrogation that Karen was clearly debating on delivering.
"In the living room with your brother," she barely got the whole sentence out before Sarah had slid back out of her chair and headed towards the living room.
"Sarah, wait," Karen called out just before Sarah could turn the corner. Without a word Sarah glanced back hesitantly, mentally preparing herself for the onslaught.
Karen let out a sigh. "Nothing. Happy Birthday Sarah," she said with a subtle smile before turning back to continue cooking breakfast.
Thank God.
"Thank you," was her simple reply as she rounded the corner to find her dad.
The rest of the morning was awkward to say the least. Seeing her father hadn't gone a whole lot better than her conversation with Karen. Yeah she knew it was obvious she wasn't in the best spirits, but why did everyone have to make such a big deal out of it? At least her father dropped it fairly quickly with a big hug and an enthusiastic "Happy Birthday kiddo", but it didn't make breakfast any less uncomfortable. Every one ate silently, besides Toby who was busy entertaining himself by babbling to his food. Sarah simply didn't feel like talking, and as much as her parents were concerned, neither wanted to risk further upsetting the birthday girl. Afterward she had politely excused herself and ran upstairs to begin getting ready.
Now Sarah stood concentrating hard on her image through the upstairs bathroom mirror as she wrapped her final strand of hair around her curling iron.
Despite the conflicting emotions regarding how she felt about the peach dream, one thing she couldn't deny was how beautiful she felt when she'd caught sight of herself on the mirrored wall. Even as she smashed it into a thousand tiny pieces.
She was intensely focused as she curled, trying her hardest to replicate the ethereal look, but it was proving to be a challenge. She just couldn't seem to compete with the Goblin King and his magical "beautifying" abilities.
Maybe I should have accepted his offer after all, at least I'd never have to do my own hair again...
"What? No...NO," she said aloud as she realized where her thoughts were straying yet again. She stared at her reflection in horror, as if it were the only one responsible for the idea. "There are absolutely zeroreasons to ever even considerthat proposal again. No more wondering, no more imagining, it never happened. Enough is enough!" she scolded herself exasperatedly.
A hard knock, followed by Karen's voice came through the bathroom door startling Sarah.
"Is everything all right Sarah, who are you talking to?"
She jumped reflexively from surprise, the hand wrapping her hair around the hot iron slipped just enough, causing her to painfully burn the side of her finger.
"OWWW...damn it!," she yelled as she set the curler down on the counter and turned the faucet on, placing her finger under the cold water.
"Sarah language!," called Karen from behind the door.
"Well you burned me!," Sarah yelled accusingly as she shut the faucet off and flung the door open.
"Oh Sarah honestly. You know I did no such thing," her stepmother said with a frown, disappointed with Sarah's outburst. "Here let me see," she said reaching for her hand.
"No it's okay, I'll be fine," Sarah said as she defensively pulled her arm away and cradled her hand to her chest.
Karen just stared at Sarah silently for a moment, confusion and disappointment playing heavily across her face.
"Sarah are you sure you're okay?," she finally asked.
"I said I'll be fine, it's just a little burn. I'm a big girl now after all, I can handle it," Sarah ended playfully hoping her stepmother would find that answer acceptable.
"No that's not what I meant, Sarah. Are you okay, you know in general? Lately you've just been so...so spaced out and all over the place. One minute you're up, and the next you're back down. I had really hoped that after last night you and I might actually make progress, but I'm no longer sure we're on the same page. I just want to understand Sarah, that's all," Karen said letting out a deep breath at the end, relieved to finally get that all off her chest.
Sarah stared at Karen's worried expression and couldn't help but feel bad for her. She really did seem to be trying to connect, and if Sarah's life had been anything remotely close to what a normal teenager's was supposed to be, she imagined she'd try her best to take her up on her offer fully. But how could she ever expect someone like Karen, who was basically the living definition of a rationalist, to understand her and the things she had experienced and believed in?
"I'm honestly okay," she lied with what she hoped was a convincing smile. "I'm sorry that I worried you, I've just been stressing about today that's all."
"Okay...you know I'm here though, if you ever need to talk?," Karen could tell Sarah wasn't telling the whole truth, but decided not to press her luck any further.
"Yes thank you," she said her cheeks starting to hurt from her fake smile.
"You look lovely by the way, the curls definitely suit you. No need to stress there," Karen said smiling back before finally exiting the bathroom and heading back down the hall.
So glad that's over.
Sarah turned her attention back to the mirror. She ran her hands through her curls just once to give them volume, turning her head from side to side inspecting her handiwork. She didn't look half bad. Pretty damn good actually.
She peeked her head into the hallway to glance at the clock hanging on the opposite wall. 10:34.
What the hell am I supposed to do until 5? Ugh. Guess I'll call Rowan now, she thought with a sigh as she unplugged her curling iron and shut off the light, heading for the phone to call her best friend.
"Hurry up slow poke, I want to see!," called an impatient voice from Sarah's room across the hall. Rowan sat on the edge of Sarah's bed, practically bouncing up and down in anticipation for Sarah's "grand entrance" in her full birthday attire. She had helped Sarah pick out the dress, more like forced her to buy it when she saw how perfect it looked, but she still couldn't wait to see it with everything else all put together. "You better not be in there admiring yourself, that's everyone else's job."
Sarah's laugh echoed from the bathroom, followed by the creak of the door opening.
"It's about time," Rowan said as she watched Sarah enter the room. "Damn can you say superbabe?," Rowan gushed as she took her best friend's appearance. From the tightly fit dress in the fun shade of pink, to the long curls cascading past her shoulders, down to the shiny golden pumps she wore on her feet, everything had come together perfectly. Rowan had helped her with her makeup, playing up her eyes until the bright green shade sparkled even more than normal. In comparison to her everyday "minimalist" tom boy approach to style, Sarah looked like an absolute super model all dolled up.
"Thank you, thank you. You're too kind," Sarah played along as she flipped one side of her hair behind her shoulders dramatically. They both burst out laughing.
"No but for real, you look gorgeous. I bet Matt's going to die when he sees you," Rowan said after gaining her composure. She raised her brow, waiting for Sarah's reaction.
"Yeah right Row, we're just friends. Have been forever, you know that," Sarah said suddenly uncomfortable. She had known Matt Sanderson even longer than Rowan, and the three of them had been close ever since elementary school. Just the thought of him having romantic feelings for her was too weird to consider. This was the same Matt who still challenged her to regular burping contests after all. Besides, her love life was complicated enough already.
"Oookay, if you say so," Rowan chuckled as she stood up from the bed and glanced at the fancy gold watch around her wrist. "Well Cinderella, it's 5:15, guests have probably all arrived, and I think its time for you to make your grand debut," she said with a wink. "See you downstairs!," she called before disappearing out the door.
Great, thanks a lot Rowan. She loved her friend to death, but Rowan sure had a way of saying the worst possible thing at the worst possible time. Even if it wasn't true, and Matt didn't have stronger feelings for her, the seed of curiosity had now been planted, and she had had enough stress build up in the past few weeks to last a lifetime, she just wasn't in the right state of mind to explore any new romantic possibilities. Save it for another time. Time to go downstairs and kill it she thought as she put her game face on. This was her night, and she would make damn sure everything went right for once. She took a deep breath and headed out of the room towards the stairs.
Sure enough all her guests had shown up on time, and her decent sized home suddenly felt a lot smaller with everyone inside.
Her friends and family were all waiting in the foyer, chatting amongst each other and sampling the snacks Sarah's parents had placed on a banquet table in the room.
"Ah Sarah, there you are," called her dad enthusiastically, causing everyone to turn their attention to the brunette beauty coming gracefully down the stairs.
She could hear all the "oohs" and "aahs", and even a wolf whistle from the anything but subtle Rowan, and couldn't help but smile as her birthday was starting to turn out exactly as she had pictured in her mind for so long.
So far so good.
When she reached the bottom her father stepped forward and embraced her in a warm hug.
"My little girl is all grown up, I couldn't be prouder," he spoke low so only she could hear, nearly bringing tears to her eyes.
"Dad, stop you're going to mess up my make up," she said with a smile before pulling away, going off to mingle and greet her guests.
A pair of dark brown eyes watched from the back of room, as Sarah chatted and laughed her way through the crowd. The boy they belonged to leaned up against the back wall, slowly nursing his ginger ale.
"Matt the scaredy cat? Not something I would have pegged you for," came Rowan's voice from behind.
Matt rolled his eyes, taking a long sip from his cup.
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said at last turning to face her.
"Oh you don't?," she challenged with a smirk. "I've known you and Sarah forever, and it doesn't take a genius to notice when things change. When feelings change," she said placing her hand on his shoulder. "At least go say Happy Birthday."
"Hey I'm going to okay?," he said, shrugging her hand away, pretending to be more annoyed than he actually was. " And nothings...changed, I'm just letting everyone else go first. I'm a nice guy," he teased.
Rowan chuckled. "Whatever, you're both in denial," she said before walking off to grab herself another soda.
Matt leaned his back against the wall with a sigh. Damn women. Always so observant. He just hoped she hadn't told Sarah about her theory, although knowing Rowan, she almost definitely did. He took a final swig of his ginger ale and set the empty cup on a table near by.
"Well, it's now or never," he muttered under his breath before making his way towards the birthday girl.
Sarah's head was spinning as she closed her bedroom door behind her shortly after the party had ended. The sudden silence seemed too loud and the soft light from her lamp seemed too bright.
What the hell just happened?
She stared straight ahead at nothing for a moment as the night's events came rushing back to her.
Rowan had been right about Matt.
When he had finally approached her with a hug and birthday greeting, at first everything had seemed so normal. She even mentally scolded herself for even considering that she had anything to worry about. They were just friends. That's how it was supposed to be. But when he didn't pull back right away from their hug, her suspicions began to return. And when he looked her in the eyes as they let go, that's when she knew. She could read the question in his eyes. Do you want me, too? It was the way a man looked at a woman...and it was terrifying.
It didn't seem fair for him to throw such a curve ball at her, and on her birthday of all days. As if she didn't have enough feelings to sort out already. Matt was a good guy, no a great guy, and one of her favorite people on the planet. And in any alternate universe she could maybe have imagined their friendship blossoming into something more, but her stubborn mind was still trying to get over the haughty King of the Underground, and poor Matt just didn't stand a chance.
She sighed as she move to sit on her bed and reminisce the better parts of her night instead.
The rest of the party had went wonderfully well all things considering. Her parents had even bought her her first car! A gently used ford escort, in a bright cherry color. It had taken quite a bit of convincing and cake bribing to get her to exit the vehicle and go back in the house.
Once she was back inside, her father had ushered her into the kitchen where everyone else was already waiting. As soon as she took her seat at the island, Karen quickly placed a large chocolate cake in front of her, with the message, "Happy Sweet Sixteen Sarah" written in blue frosting on top with a few sugary flowers here and there. Sixteen colorful striped candles were planted across the surface, their tips glowing from tiny flames just begging to be blown out.
Within just seconds of setting it down, the room had filled with the sound of many voices singing the "Happy Birthday Song", and Sarah couldn't help the blush that lit her cheeks from being the center of attention. After the song ended, she could feel all eyes on her as they waited patiently for her to make her wish. She stared down at the candles for only a moment before pushing her hair back and leaning forward to blow them all out on the first try. The room had erupted in cheers.
She laughed as she remembered how everyone had been so curious what she had wished for. She had simply told them all, "If I tell you it won't come true." Truthfully, she hadn't wished for anything at all. She had already learned that lesson the hard way.
Shortly after the presents were all opened and the cake was passed around, her friends and family began to say their goodbyes one by one. Of course the last person to leave had been the last person she wanted to see.
Matt had asked her to walk outside with him for a moment, and despite the strong urge to come up with a reasonable excuse to decline, she told herself that he was her friend and had been there for her many times when she needed someone to be. He deserved to be heard out no matter what.
The night air had been breezy but comfortable, and the stars were shining down brightly in the clear sky, giving everything around a silvery glow as they stepped through the door onto her front porch, hand in hand. Sarah's nerves were in an absolute frenzy as she silently waited for whatever it was Matt had on his mind.
He had stared straight ahead for a minute, took a few deep breathes before turning to face her with a pained look on his face.
"Man am I lame or what?," he joked, nerves clearly getting the best of him, too.
"I could have told you that," she teased back, not knowing what else to say, her hand starting to sweat underneath his.
His playful expression had turned serious then.
"I want you to know that you're friendship means the world to me, and I would never intentionally do anything to ruin what we have. You know that right?"
"Yeah. I do," she had said, afraid of what was coming next.
"But sometimes things are just out of our control...,"he trailed off staring down at the cement steps leading to the sidewalk.
Tell me about it...
"What do you mean?," she asked feigning ignorance.
He sighed again,lifting his head to look back into her eyes. "I like you Sarah. I like you, like you. I'm sorry I don't know how it happened. We've been friends for so long, but one day I just saw you differently. And the harder I fought it the more I wanted you," both of their faces turned crimson as finished his admission. "You don't have to feel the same way or anything, I just couldn't go any longer without getting it off my chest, you know?"
"Yeah, Matt I understand," she had told him even though she wasn't really sure it was true. He had hugged her once more before walking stepping down to the sidewalk and heading to his car, leaving behind a very confused Sarah.
She laid back on her bed now, unable to get the scene out of her head. She needed a distraction.
I know!
She sat up quickly and rushed over to her vanity table.
"Hoggle, Ludo, Sir Didymus...if you guys can hear me, I could really use my friends right now," she said quietly, careful not to be too loud lest her parents overhear.
"Well it's about time," came a gruff voice from behind. She whipped herself up and around expecting to find Hoggle staring up, but coming face to face instead, with a large chest covered in orange fur.
"Luto!," she said joyfully as recognized the big friendly beast in front of her.
"Sawah fwend," he said in that sweet way of his. She embraced him tightly. A light tap struck her ankle, and she looked down to find Sir Didymus, the feisty little fox, peer up at her with big puppy dog eyes.
"It has been many moons too long, my lady. I can see thou is still as radiant as ever," he said with a bow. It brought a laugh out of her as she reached down to pet him affectionately on the head.
"I have most certainly missed you, too," she said still smiling. She glanced around the room for a moment before she finally spotted who she had been looking for. Standing shortly behind Ludo, was a very bashful looking Hoggle.
"Oh Hoggle, thank you for coming! Thank you all of you," she walked over and bent down to give him a hug.
"Well, that's what friend's are for. Ain't it?" he asked sounding slightly unsure.
"Yes, it definitely is," she reassured, elated to see her friends after what felt like so long. "So, guess what today was?."
The three of them looked confusedly to each other, none of them knowing the answer. Luto scratched his head, Sir Didymus began whispering to himself, and Hoggle shifted from foot to foot, each trying their hardest to solve the mysterious riddle she had given them.
"Oh you guys," she laughed. "It was my sixteenth birthday today. You do have birthdays in the Underground don't you?," she asked suddenly aware that they may have no idea at all what she was talking about.
"Ah but of course!," shouted Sir Didymus as if the answer should have been obvious the whole time.
"We must celebrate!," he said enthusiastically.
"That's okay, I think I've had enough excitement for one lifetime," she said shaking her head, feeling slightly guilty for mentioning it at all after his enthusiastic reaction.
"Sawah birfday?," Ludo asked tilting his big head in confusion.
She placed her hand under his chin and scratched gently earning herself a satisfactory groan from the gentle beast. "That's right Ludo. I was born sixteen years ago today."
"Sixteen? Is that all?," asked Hoggle incredulously.
"Well how old did you think I was?," Sarah asked genuinely interested in the topic.
"Uh I don'ts know," he said sheepishly. "300 something?."
"300! What no way!," now it was her turn be surprised. "I guess I didn't realize how differently it worked in the Underground," she sat down backwards in her vanity chair still trying to wrap it around her brain that 300 could be considered "young" for one's age.
I guess that means he really is like a thousand years old after all...
"If I'd have known, I woulda gots you something," he grumbled shamefully.
"Oh Hoggle that's very sweet of you, but believe me when I say just seeing you three again is the best present I could have asked for," she said giving them her sincerest smile and meaning every word.
A sudden draft blew through the room after her words drawing each of their attentions towards the small window to Sarah's right. It was still tightly closed.
"What the hell was that?," she asked to no one in particular.
"Uh-Oh," Ludo said backing up, fear lacing his voice. Normally Sarah would convince him that there was nothing to be afraid of, he did have a tendency to overreact in these situations, but this time she just couldn't bring herself to do it. Something didn't feel quite right.
"Oh, I can tell you who it was," Hoggle said distastefully before mumbling "rat bastard" under his breath.
"Who?," Sarah asked standing up from the chair. They all looked around her room, and she felt her adrenaline spike as a certain fae king's face suddenly popped into her mind for no reason at all.
"Me," came his rich accent out of no where.
Shit. She'd recognize that voice anywhere.
They all whipped around to the sound of his voice. He stood off to the side of her vanity, opposite the window, towering over the antique piece of furniture. Sarah had to force her mouth to stay shut, to avoid gawking at the sight of him.
"Happy Birthday Sarah," he purred.
Why is he so damn attractive? Ugh Stop!
"You again?," she asked doing her best to come off as cold as she could.
"Please call me Jareth," he said with that smug confidence he seemed to master.
Huh? She hadn't even considered that he had a real name, despite the few times Hoggle had called him as such. She was honestly surprised it hadn't crossed her mind, but now was not the time for formalities and she was certainly never going to give him the satisfaction of using it.
"You have to leave! Do you have any idea what my parents would do to me, or you, if they walked in and saw you standing there?"
Amusement colored the Goblin King's face as he laughed at her urgency. "Sarah love, don't be childish. You and I both know that there's nothing they could do," he said with a charming smile still painted on his face.
She barely managed to bite her tongue to keep herself from correcting his childish remark remembering exactly how that played out in her dream.
Or was it not a dream? Did he just say that on purpose? Oh God how humiliating...
"Yet I suppose they would say nothing of the dwarf, the talking rodent or the large ugly beast?," he continued with a raise of his brow, completely oblivious or at least pretending to be, to Sarah's inner turmoil.
She chanced a quick look to the three standing off to the side, each wearing the same look of shock she could feel on her own heated face.
"Well I...but they...," she struggled to find a response as she accidentally locked her pleading eyes with his challenging ones.
"Now that I've mentioned it actually, you three are free to go," he spoke as he broke her gaze and turned to face her anxious friends. His words carried an air of playful smugness, but the serious expression his face spoke volumes of his authority.
"But they just got here!," she whined.
"Yeah, and we're nots leaving Sarah alone with you, you can forget it" scoffed Hoggle bravely.
"You're forgetting your place again Hogbrain", sighed Jareth as he rubbed his temple between his thumb and index finger. "I really don't have the patience to keep reminding you," he ended with an icy stare.
Sarah watched the brief exchange with a look of panic on her face. The last thing on earth she wanted was to be left alone with this magical maniac, but she knew all to well what he was capable of if his demands went unmet.
"Don't care whats you say, we're no-"
"Hoggle it's okay, you all can go for now." Sarah interrupted before Jareth had a chance to make good on any threats that were surely crossing his mind. Just the memory of the bog alone caused her nose to crinkle and her head to ache fiercely. Getting him alone was also the perfect opportunity to find out just how much of an influence he had even had on her psyche these past few weeks, or if she was simply out of her damn mind all on her own. A question she wasn't sure she could handle the answer to either way, but definitely not in front of her friends.
"My lady?," Sir Didymus spoke up hesitantly.
"Thank you all for coming, it's really been the best birthday ever. I'll be all right, I promise. He won't hurt me," she assured the three of them as she bent down to place a kiss on Sir Didymus's cheek and then back up to do the same for Luto. When she reached for Hoggle, he drew back unconvinced.
"Sarah, are yous sure?," he asked.
No, not at all, but what choice do I have?
She crouched down to her knees in front of him until they were eye level, and placed her hands on his shoulders comfortingly. She found it funny whenever she imagined when they had first met. Hoggle had been so insistent that he wasn't her friend, or anyone else's for that matter, but when she looked into his eyes now she had never felt so cared for in her life.
"I hope you know how great of a friend you are Hoggle," she said with a soft smile. His cheeks instantly turned pink with embarrassment from her compliment, but he found himself unable to help from smiling back.
"Ahem," interrupted a very impatient Jareth.
Sarah stopped herself from turning his way and shooting him her best death stare, there would be plenty of time for that in a minute. Instead she gave Hoggle's shoulders a light squeeze and gave him a kiss on the cheek like she had done for the other two.
"And yes I'm sure," she continued as she re-met his gaze. His expression was hard to read, and she was almost certain he wanted to protest some more, but after a moment he let out a defeated sigh and nodded.
"Just remember, should you need us...," he said as he took a step back.
She felt her smile grow. "I'll always need you."
Behind her, a brief flash of pain crossed the Goblin King's face undetected before being swiftly replaced with a look of indifference.
She watched as the three of them disappeared into thin air like it was the most normal thing in the world. Once they were gone the gravity of the situation she just put herself in finally caught up to her, causing her stomach to drop. She was all alone...with him.
"Finally I have you all to myself," a seductive voice purred behind her, sounding much closer than it should.
"Don't get any ideas," she said as she whipped around to face him, jumping slightly when she realized just how close he actually was. She took a step back. "I only agreed to this so I could figure out how to make you leave me the hell alone."
"I doubt that," was his only reply as Jareth turned, hands clasped behind his back, and started wandering around her room examining things as he went.
What?
"What are you doing here?," she asked louder than she would have liked. She prayed her parents weren't close enough to hear.
He ignored her as he stood next to her vanity table, silently inspecting the photographs she had taped to her mirror.
"Look did you come here to talk to me or not?," she said impatiently as she moved to stand beside him.
He tilted his head to meet her eyes, his lips turned upwards in a smirk. The intensity radiating from his blue eyes caused her cheeks to blush, similar images from last night's dream flashing through her mind.
This was a bad idea...
He continued his provocative stare down, gliding his eyes slowly down her front, stopping at her hips and back up to her eyes. She fidgeted nervously under his gaze.
"Well...?," she asked a little more on edge. His eyes darkened.
"I only came to see you," he said losing his smirk as he turned his attention back to the pictures in front of him. "But given our history of pleasant conversations and the turn of events following each, especially our last, sure let's talk," he said emphasizing "last" with an emotion Sarah wasn't sure she could identify.
"Oh there is no way that's going to happen again," she said before she could stop herself. With lightning speed he turned his attention back to her just as she registered her slip.
Shit shit shit!
His eyes narrowed as he studied her, confusion and amusement highlighting his features. She frantically tried her best to keep her expression as nonchalant as possible, but she feared the worst. The damage had already been done.
"What isn't?," he asked simply, hiding his growing excitement.
"Never mind," she said looking down, diverting her gaze.
"Oh no Sarah, no running this time," he said as he reached out and put a gloved finger under her chin to tilt her face back up towards his. The moment he made contact with her soft skin she jumped back in a frenzy like the mild touch had set her flesh on fire. To her, that would seem like a pretty accurate description.
In that moment it became painfully clear that her dream the night before had been just that, only a dream. She thought she knew what his touch would feel like, but a simple brush from the tip of his finger was way more than she could have ever prepared herself for. Suddenly she wasn't feeling so confident in her defenses.
"Sarah..."
"Just forget it, okay!," she exploded no longer aware that her parents might hear. Her heart was pounding out of control and it was becoming increasingly harder to breathe. She walked to the other side of her room towards the door, half tempted to just escape. It felt like her room was shrinking and no matter how far away she got from him, he was just as close as before.
"How could I forget what I don't remember?," he asked as he began making his way towards her. He was grateful her back was to him since he couldn't help the wicked smile that stretched across his face. "I was simply reminding you of the time you rejected my proposal and broke my poor little heart. Two things I very much doubt you regret doing. That's the last conversation I remember precious. Or did I by chance miss one?"
She could hear his voice get progressively louder as he made his way to her, only this time she didn't want to turn around. Her mind was still racing trying to come up with a convincing enough lie, and if she looked him the eyes now he would surely see right through her.
"Now if I didn't know any better, I'd say you've been dreaming about me. About us," his voice was lower now, almost a hiss. Sarah could feel the hairs on the back of her neck rising as he came closer still. "I find myself very curious just what it is you won't do again. What has you so...flustered. And I intend very much to find out," he said barely above a whisper as he closed the distance and brought his hands down to grip Sarah's shoulders gently.
"Like I'd ever tell you," she spat, realizing too late that she had basically just admitted everything.
"You don't have to," he said smugly before releasing his hold on her.
Grim curiosity got the better of her as she gave in and turned to face him. He had backed up a ways, his right arm held up in the air , a crystal ball now weaving to and fro between his skilled fingers. He did nothing to hide his devilish smile now as she looked at him with a wild panic in her eyes.
"Time to see how you really feel," he said, lust heavy in his tone. His eyes slowly left hers to stare deep into the crystal ball. She watched as several expressions, none of them to her advantage, crossed his face before anger and embarrassment swelled through her and she found her hands moving of their own accord. With a fury she wasn't sure she even possessed, she grabbed the crystal out of his hand and threw it against the wall, shattering it into a hundred sharp, tiny pieces before it disappeared completely. She had no idea how much he just saw, but from the victory smirk he still wore on his face, she could guess it was enough.
"Well now that was rude," he said with a light laugh.
"Get out."
"Oh Sarah don't be-"
"I said get out!," she said exasperatedly, her voice just short of full blown yelling.
His smirk turned predatory just then, and the energy of the entire room seemed to change. She could feel the magnitude of his power radiating off of him, and suddenly she wished she had kept her mouth shut.
"But I haven't given you your present yet," he said with a playful suggestiveness, one that was affecting her body in ways she was downright ashamed of. He took small steps towards her until she managed to back herself into the door. She placed her hand on the handle reflexively even though she knew it was pointless. He was much too close to her now for any chance at escape.
She could feel her knees threaten to buckle as he advanced until their bodies were merely inches apart.
This is too much like my dream...oh fuck...
He was staring at her like she was ice cream cone on a hot day, and he was barely restraining himself from licking her up from head to toe. The blush on her cheeks deepened as the image of such sent waves of warm pleasure through her body.
Her nervous flush didn't go unnoticed by him, and he delighted in knowing how positively he was affecting her. It only fueled his ego further as he leaned forward until his lips were but a breath away from her ear.
"I want to make your dreams come true," he whispered, before running his nose along her jaw line.
Game over.
She felt the small crack in her resolve at his words. Her hand let go of the door knob, and it took every ounce of strength she had not to bury it in his hair and forcefully pull his lips down to hers.
His hands found her waist and she shivered uncontrollably at the contact and the similarity to her dream. He tightened his grip at her reaction as his lips brushed the top of her neck in a gentle kiss.
There was no denying this time just how badly she wanted this, just how close she was to giving in, but in the back of her mind it all still felt so...wrong.
She raised her hands to his shoulders, not sure if it was to push him away or simply find another reason to touch him. She hoped it was the former, but bet it was the latter.
His hands began lazily trailing up her sides as his lips worked their way down to her collarbone.
You have to stop this...
"Jareth," she said breathlessly, slightly ashamed at breaking her rule of never using his name, but even more ashamed at how good it sounded to her ears.
"Mmm, say it again," he begged, burying his face in her neck. The vibrations of his words against her skin sent a surge of pleasure through her strong enough to force a soft moan from her lips. She was embarrassed for only a second before his face was back in front of hers, their lips only a breath apart, his eyes full of lust and excitement.
"So this is what you want?," he asked in disbelief as he stared into her eyes intensely, throwing her completely off guard.
Why is he acting surprised? He saw my dream, didn't he? Is he expecting me to say it out loud? What an asshole!
With his hypnotizing lips off of her body, Sarah could feel her anger slowly start to return.
"What? No! Are you crazy?," she hissed as she used her grip on his shoulders to shove him forward. "Look, I don't know what you think you saw in your little crystal ball, but it couldn't have been what I want," she said crossing her arms.
"Why is that?," he asked calmly, not seeming the least bit fazed by her sudden outburst.
"Because what I really want is to never see you again," she said giving him her best serious expression.
He laughed loudly, earning himself a nasty glare. "You may be braver than most Sarah mine, but I know what you're afraid of."
"What does that have to do with anything? It certainly isn't you if that's where you're going with it," she said matter-of-factly.
"I wasn't."
"So what then?," she said annoyed, clearly running out of patience. She was still upset with herself for allowing him to touch her without a fight, and taking her frustration out on him seemed like a pretty good idea.
"Why did you stop me?," he asked changing the subject.
Is he serious?
"I already told you, I didn't want it. I don't want you. Can't you take a hint?," she spoke, putting as much venom in the lie as she could manage.
"How strange, when you were most certainly enjoying yourself just moments before," he said raising his brow, daring her to try to deceit him again.
"You caught me by surprise that's all, and I can assure you it won't happen again." She stiffened as the wicked grin reappeared on his face. His mismatched blue eyes each seemed to turn a shade darker as he took a step forward.
"You don't believe that," he challenged, inching even closer. "And next time precious, I won't stop," she could read the dark promise in his eyes and it sent a dangerous shiver through her body. Panic crept it way back in as he closed the distance between them once more.
"Eww stop! Whether I liked it or not, which I definitely didn't, I'm only sixteen, okay? It's illegal," at this point she was willing to say anything to change his course of action. He was right, she didn't really trust herself to stop him if he tried anything again. Hell, it was hard enough not to make the first move herself.
"Your silly human laws are of no consequence to me," he stated confidently.
"Yeah well they mean something to me," she said squeezing her arms tighter around herself. He smirked at her attempt to appear innocent, she was playing hard to get and he loved a good chase.
"I see," he played along. "I had no idea it could all be so easy."
"What are you talking about?," she asked hesitantly.
"You simply wish to wait until it is socially acceptable in your world to explore your feelings for me, how honorable. I'd hate to be the one to ruin such a pristine reputation. I shall relinquish my advances," he said, showing no trace of deception.
It all seemed too good to be true as she searched his eyes for a trick of any kind. Where's the catch...
"Until you turn eighteen," he added, his words a dark promise.
There it is.
"Ha," she scoffed, "you mean to tell me, that you could go two whole years without interfering in my life? That would be a miracle, but I seriously doubt it," she remained unconvinced. "On second thought, maybe you'd forget all about me by the end of it. At this point anything would be worth that, so deal," she held her hand out to shake on it, a gesture she suddenly felt foolish making as it dawned on her he was probably unfamiliar with the earthly custom. She pulled her hand back quickly.
"Two years is hardly a long time Sarah, especially for one who can manipulate time itself," he said smirking, her face twisted in alarm as she registered his words.
"You wouldn't dare!"
"You wouldn't even know if I did," he said with the same teasing grin on his face. His hands found their way to the wall Sarah leaned against, placing one on each side of her head caging her in. She reflexively brought her hands to his chest, trying her best to keep as much distance between them as possible.
A lump formed in her throat, from the possibility of him speeding up time or the nervousness of having him so close she wasn't quite sure. She swallowed thickly as she ran through options in her head, no clear answers presenting themselves. Her mind was racing too fast for her to notice as something new caught his eye.
She jumped as his hands came down over her wrists, bringing her hands directly in front of his face.
"What have we here?," he asked as he inspected her left hand with intense curiosity.
What is he doing?
Letting go of her right hand, he twisted shifted her fingers apart with his free one, exposing the tiny red burn mark on the inside of her index finger.
"It's nothing," she said trying her best to pull herself from his iron grasp to no avail.
Without a word he lifted the finger in question to his lips, pressing a gentle kiss onto her skin, his eyes never leaving hers. She closed her eyes and forced herself to swallow the wimper that threatened to escape her from his intimate touch.
"Until we meet again. Happy Birthday Sarah," he said barely above a whisper as he released her wrists and she felt the warmth of his lips disappear.
When she opened her eyes he was was no where in sight. She sighed and looked down at her hand, her eyes growing wide what she saw. The burn was completely gone, the only indication it had even been there being a soft tingling sensation left over from his kiss. She slid down the door until she was sitting on the floor, her hand still displayed in the air.
What have I got myself into...