Wheel of the Year
Ch. 13
Special Author's Note: While I had most of this chapter plotted out, I did ask the crew on the Labyrinth FanFic FB private page for random silliness and they were more than happy to feed my demon...er...muse. Some of the ideas were already in the story, others served as a springboard. So here's a big shout out to the wonderful ladies over there …
Oh...and 'Mr. Scales' is on temporary loan from Jetredgirl's Jareth in 'The One Where the Goblin King Got a Cell Phone' (which I think also started as a random idea on the fanfic discussion page *lol*). Yes, I have permission to use him (Mr. Scales that is...I'm not allowed to be alone with her Jareth anymore, the last time I borrowed him, I absconded with him for too long and that made her rather cross ;) ).
Anyway, I hope you enjoy the silliness and hints of lemony goodness in this chapter.
Chapters for my WIPS may be a bit slower for a bit, I'm having lots of pain issues with my fibro and associated conditions which make typing painful and thinking hard (at the best of times). In general, the mind is willing, but the body won't cooperate.
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Standing back, Sarah surveyed the neat stacks of clothing on her bed and sighed. Given her line of work, she spent most days in jeans and t-shirts, occasionally donning a flowing skirt and shirt for the odd dinner out with her family. Yet here she was, debating not only whether she should pack something a bit more stylish than jean shorts and t-shirts, but also debating whether to pack practical 'comfortable' summer weight cotton knickers and bras, or her 'special' sets made of silk and lace - sets she had purchased with the hope of wearing them for someone 'special'.
"Now that I've got someone special to wear them for, who definitely wants to see me in my knickers, I can't decide if I should wear them. What the Hell is that all about?!" she muttered, letting her fingertips trail over the pretty blue eyelet lace that adorned one of her nice lingerie sets.
'Hah! He wants to see you sans knickers,' whispered the little voice in her mind, making her cheeks burn faintly at the thought. Impulsively she grabbed two sets of 'special' lingerie and tucked them into the bottom corner of her weekend bag. With lingerie packed, she chewed her lower lip and looked at the clothes again, finally selecting a pair of jean shorts, another pair of khaki shorts, and a set of swim shorts. Shoving them in her bag, she saw her favourite sundress hanging on the back of the closet door. Before she could second-guess herself, she grabbed it off the hook and carefully folded it so as not to crease the fine white cotton, her fingers lightly tracing the tiny blue and pink flowers that dotted the material. Pausing a moment, she tugged open her dresser and picked up the baby blue cardigan that matched the dress, then dropped it into the bag and zipped it up. "Shorts, shirts, a dress… that I won't need but… Shit… swimsuits. What sort of swimsuit does one wear when pretending to date the Goblin King?" she muttered to herself, as she turned and jerked the top drawer of her dresser open with far more force than was reasonably necessary.
"Since I have never pretended to date a Goblin King, I'm afraid I can't help you there, Precious."
Sarah squeaked, whirling around to find Jareth lounging on her bed, dangling her black string bikini from his fingertip. "That said, I find that I am quite in favor of seeing you in this scrap of swimwear….or out of it if you'd rather?"
"Jareth!" Sarah snapped, snatching the swimsuit from his hand and shoving it into the front pocket of her bag with two others she randomly grabbed from her drawer. Zipping the pocket she darted into the bathroom, to hide her flaming face under the guise of packing toiletries. "Did you pack? Where's your bag?" she asked, only half-listening for his answer while debating whether to include her whole make-up bag, or just the bare minimum. 'Fuck...I never worried about this sort of thing before...Jareth and this...this...whatever it is,' she thought irritably, before shoving her whole make-up bag into her toiletries case, followed by a haphazard collection of hair products, deodorant and a hair straightener. Glancing down, she ran a hand over her leg, glad that she had the presence of mind to shave before going to the castle for what she thought was to be the weekend. 'But just in case,' she thought, nibbling on her lower lip as she added her razor and scented body oil to her bag.
'Uh huh...and we all know why you shaved before going to the castle. You were hoping for a little naked cuddle time with a certain sexy Fae,' whispered the little voice again.
"Sarah, I have magic. I don't need to pack a bag," Jareth replied from the bedroom.
"Well you'll look a bit suspicious if you turn up without one," she called out. Slamming the bathroom drawer shut, Sarah paused and looked in the mirror. With a frown she picked up her brush and ran it briskly through her hair, before adding it to her bag. "This is ridiculous," she grumbled to her reflection. "It's Jareth. We're friends...well… friends with benefits maybe...I don't have to be nervous."
Leaning in the doorway, Jareth smiled as he watched Sarah scolding herself. Her way her cheeks flushed when she was thinking of him intrigued him, yet he found that he took no pleasure in her discomfort where he was concerned. "No, you don't, Precious," Jareth said, smiling warmly at the startled look from the flustered brunette. Taking her hand he gently kissed her knuckles. "There is no need to be nervous with me. You have my oath not to do anything you do not expressly want. And after last night's activities, I would have thought your nerves had been well and truly eradicated."
Sarah felt her cheeks flush clear the the tips of her ears, pulsing in time with her heartbeat at the intensity of Jareth's gaze. "We're not discussing what happened last night," she snapped, pushing past him and tossing her toiletries bag on the bed next to her weekend bag. "And you shouldn't sneak up on people like that, Goblin King."
Ignoring her scolding, Jareth slipped back into the bedroom to stand behind her, his arms sliding easily around her waist, enfolding her against his chest. "Yes, Sarah… we are friends, at least I like to believe that we are. And while I am not sure what you mean by 'friends-with-benefits', I like to think that there are benefits to our friendship. And if it should… perhaps… evolve to become more than a mere friendship, then so be it," he murmured, resting his cheek against her ear. "So, there is no reason to be nervous. "You do enjoy my company, do you not?"
Feeling her heart flutter wildly at the base of her throat, Sarah nodded, her throat seeming to click loudly as she swallowed.
Jareth's smile broadened at her admission. He pressed a tender kiss to her cheek, his tone soft and warm. "And I quite enjoy my time with you. So let's just go with the intent of resolving your issue with your parents, and this unwanted suitor business - the bonus being we can spend a weekend in each other's company, with no work, no kingdom requirements pressing upon us and most importantly, no goblins causing chaos."
Sarah couldn't help but smile back. Turning herself in his arms, she reached up, her fingers slowly tracing the line of his cheekbones. "You're so good to me. Why? After everything I did?"
Tilting his head, Jareth's lips lightly brushed her forehead, the touch so brief it was almost imperceptible. "Because of what no one knew, Precious."
"What no one knew? That doesn't make any sense," Sarah sighed, not seeing the look of hurt that flickered in his eyes as she wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her cheek against his chest. Deep down, the feel of his heart beating against her cheek felt so comforting, so...right. Despite a month of coming to terms with all that had happened since the Lughnasadh, she still found it hard to believe - even considering how she had spent the previous night. "Hey wait a minute… you said we could spend the weekend. It's Saturday, the retreat only runs through Monday morning."
Chuckling Jareth kissed her forehead and purred softly, "I move the stars for no one, Sarah…. Except you."
As he spoke Sarah felt the air around them seem to shift, growing heavy. Outside the window, she watched in shock as the sun seemed to pause, then slowly arc backward before going down, bathing the bathroom in darkness. A moment later it was coming up again, on the wrong side of the window frame, before stopping.
"What….did you do?" she gasped, glancing at the window, then the clock by her bed, which now read 2:30pm - on Friday.
"I should think that is obvious, Sarah. I moved the stars, well planets more precisely, but it gives the same result really," he replied matter-of-factly. Seeing her confused look, Jareth laughed and picked up her bags. "I have given us another day, to spend with your family...and each other. Now, are you ready to go?"
Speechless, she nodded. "Yes...I mean...now… I...ugh!" she sighed, dropping onto her bed. "What are we doing? This will never work."
"What won't?"
"This...us," she replied,gesturing at Jareth then herself. Idly twisting a small bit of hair around her fingertip, she avoided his gaze. "No one will believe we're a couple, least of all my parents."
The sound of Jareth's warm, rich laughter filled her bedroom. Dropping the bags on the floor by the door with a thud, he swooped over and pulled Sarah from the bed, hugging her tightly and swinging her around. "Gods you are the most ridiculous and infuriating woman sometimes, Sarah!" he laughed, then kissed her soundly, swallowing her startled squeak.
"Jareth...stop! Put me down!" she giggled, thumping his chest. "I'm being serious."
Still laughing, Jareth stopped and sat on the bed, pulling her into his lap instead of releasing her. As expected, Sarah half-heartedly attempted to free herself, until he shifted her more firmly, and lightly swatted her bum. "Stay still woman and listen to me." Harrumphing, Sarah stopped fighting and leaned against his chest. "Now, let's look at this logically. Do you remember the gatekeeper at the Fayre?" Sarah sighed and nodded, trying to focus on his argument as part of her squealed about the wonderful feel of his arms around her. "Just by the way we interacted, she assumed we were a couple. Anyone in my kingdom who has seen us would make the same assumption. To have that many people fooled into thinking we are a 'couple' we must already make a good 'act' of it. Don't you think?"
"Yes...I suppose, but…" Sarah protested, then frowned, shaking her head. "There will be questions. I know there will and I don't like the idea of lying to Daddy or Karen about us."
Jareth rolled his eyes and gave her a gentle shake. "For one who does as much business as you do with my people, I'm surprised how little you know of me, Precious. I am Fae. I cannot lie to a mortal."
Sarah's face blanched, her eyes wide as she looked at him."Shit...what do you expect me to do? I can't tell Daddy and Karen the truth! 'Hi, this is Jareth, the Goblin King and by some supernatural twist of fate I'm married to him for the next year.' They'd have me locked up!"
"I expect no such thing, Sarah." Jareth tucked his arm back around Sarah and pulled her close once more. "I may be Fae, but I am also Goblyn by my crown and tie to the land. I may not lie, but that does not mean I will tell the unadulterated truth either. You are just going to have to trust me, I will not ask you to lie about myself or our relationship."
Sarah nibbled her lower lip, her eyes dropping to studiously gaze at the top of her vanity, before stopping upon a book, covered in faded red linen, it's golden embossed title worn weak with age. Her mind whirled over what they were proposing to do, and in the end she had two choices - not go to the retreat and face more of her family's attempts to 'help' her with her love life, or bend the truth a bit and take Jareth. 'Well… he is the closest thing I've got to a boyfriend,' she mused before looking up at his warm smile. 'And as far as fake boyfriends go, he's pretty attentive…'
'Hell, as far as real boyfriends go he's a winner!' grumbled her inner-self, while her libido chirped, 'And he's pretty easy on the eye too!'
"Have you made a decision, pet?" he enquired, his tone low and soothing, despite the amused quirk of his smile.
"I trust you, Jareth. Let's do this."
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Expectations could be such tricky things. For example, Sarah had expected that Jareth would just 'poof' them up to the lake in time to meet her parents. As it turned out, Jareth had other plans - plans which involved a two-hour drive in a sleek, silver Jaguar. When he had first explained that he wanted to drive because he actually liked driving, Sarah had groaned inwardly, wondering how on Earth they'd fill two hours of time. In the end, she needn't have worried at all. Jareth was happy to regale her with stories of his life and adventures both Above and Underground.
Watching the trees along the north lakes district whizzing by the passenger window, Sarah had ample time to consider just what she knew about Jareth, the formidable Goblin King, and more importantly how much she didn't know.
For instance, prior to their drive, she didn't know that not only was he very familiar with Aboveground culture, but he had houses scattered about the world. "Even the Goblin King deserves a vacation now and then," he'd explained with a grin, as he put her bags in the boot of his car. Over the miles, she'd learned many things - he loved driving sports cars, but preferred Jaguars. He disliked Aboveground horses, but had a herd of pegasi in a country castle near the Underground High Court. She learned that while he was an adrenaline junkie as a younger man, these days he preferred life in his own kingdom. More surprising, she learned that he really did enjoy nights out with her at the pubs in the Goblin City, and would gladly choose them over any sort of court function.
When she thought about it, it made sense. As Goblin King, he was connected to the land and to the people in ways she was only beginning to appreciate.
All in all, the two hour trip may have flown by, but it had proven to be illuminating in many ways. She'd learned more about Jareth, and a bit about herself as well. In hindsight, she felt a burn of sheepishness for expecting him to just 'poof' them to the lake in the first place.
'I am exhausted from living up to your expectations of me...isn't that generous?' whispered a memory in a very familiar voice.
The memory made her heart clench, as she cast a sideways glance at Jareth. Deep down, she felt ashamed, shaken by the sudden realization of just how much he had done for her. Even at the start, he had only done what she asked. He took Toby, just as she requested. He had offered her her dreams. He'd even offered her himself. And since Lughnasadh he'd cared for her when she fell ill, catered to her whims and given her free reign of his kingdom. He'd done so much, and probably more that she was unaware of - yet here he was doing more. 'Why… why would he do all of these things for me?'
'Because of what no one knew.'
'What does that even mean?' she sighed. It seemed so familiar, like a word dancing on the tip of her tongue, yet she couldn't remember what it meant.
Feeling the car start to slow, Sarah glanced up, her heart thudding erratically in her chest at the sight of lakeside retreat. For better or worse, she was about to introduce her parents to Jareth - and she wasn't even sure who or what he was to her, only that being with him felt incredibly 'right'.
Sarah leaned forward, pointing toward the left. "Follow that road around the left side of the lake. Daddy said they were in cottage 7."
Jareth nodded silently and turned the car beneath a carved wooden arch that proclaimed the property to be 'Heron Lakes Resort'. The resort was situated on one of the smaller fingers of Heron Lakes. Neatly situated around the side of the lake were lakeside cottages of various sizes, flanking a large, old-fashioned resort lodge that seemed to hold court at the back of the property. In a quick glance, Jareth counted 15 cottages, many with cars pulled up next to their porches, while families unloaded their belongings. Slowing down, he pulled further around the ring road, watching the numbered plaques by the road until he saw the cottage he was looking for.
Beside him Sarah gave a nervous laugh, her hand clenched upon her thigh. "I should have warned them that we were coming," she muttered. "Of course, when I left for your kingdom, I didn't know we were coming, so… Guess I can stop beating myself up over it."
Reaching over, Jareth gently squeezed her hand, his gloveless fingers sending a shiver of magic through her. "It will be okay, Sarah. Trust me."
The turn signal of the Jaguar ticked quietly, as Jareth pulled up behind the blue mini-van in the small driveway next to cottage 7. A woman in pale pink capri pants and a white shirt was handing luggage to an older gentleman with silvery hair. Jareth cringed inwardly at the loud Hawaiian shirt the man was wearing with his cargo shorts, sunglasses wearing alligators chased 1950s pin-up girls across the swirled fabric of blue and green hibiscus flowers. A younger version of the man was attempting to duel using a long yellow foam tube, his blue eyes sparkling with the sort of mischief so common to young boys. Jareth recognized the child immediately. He was taller, naturally, and his sandy hair was longer, falling casually over his forehead, but the bright blue eyes were exactly the same as Jareth remembered.
"My goodness, but Toby has grown. I had forgotten that it has been 11 years," he mused, parking the car. Through the closed windows he could hear the boyish laughter, as his father teased him about a girl in his class.
Sarah grinned, as she looked fondly at her baby brother. "Not an annoying baby anymore is he," she laughed, watching Toby whack his mother with a pool noodle, until she chased him toward the cottage. "He's 12 now." Her smile fading, she frowned at Jareth, "Will he remember...um...y'know?"
"Doubtful, Sarah. If he does we'll just play it off as a dream." Patting her thigh, Jareth gave her a gentle smile. "Let's meet your family and get the hard part over with, Precious."
Taking a deep breath, Sarah unbuckled herself and got out of the car, waving as Karen turned around. She could hear Jareth's car door open and close, but didn't have a chance to say anything, before Karen rushed her, hugging her tightly.
"Oh! You made it! I was telling your father the whole way here that I had a feeling you were going to come anyway." Karen held Sarah away from her a bit and looked her over, smiling broadly. "You look fabulous! Are you doing something different with your hair?"
"Um...no…" was all Sarah was able to get out before, Karen whirled her around, linking her arm through Sarah's.
"You didn't say you were bringing someone. Come on, introductions!" Karen demanded with a grin.
"Well...ah…." Sarah stammered, looking helplessly at Jareth.
Jareth winked at her and stepped forward, offering his hand to Karen. "Hello. I'm Jareth Brenin," he replied, each word quietly accented.
Grasping his hand, Karen smiled, her cheeks flushing faintly pink as he lifted to her hand to his lips and lightly kissed her knuckles. "Brenin… are you Welsh?"
"Good ear," he chuckled, tilting his head in a brief nod, his odd eyes glittering warmly Sarah's step-mother.
To Sarah's disbelief, Karen tittered, her blush deepening. "Oh...my...well… I studied linguistics at university and always loved the languages from the United Kingdom." Dragging Sarah and Jareth toward the mini-van, Karen beamed at her husband. "I told you she was seeing someone. A mother always knows! Robert, come meet Sarah's 'friend'...Jareth."
"Hello Princess," Robert laughed, freeing Sarah from her step-mother's grasp and hugging her close. "I'm glad you changed your mind, Karen would have been insufferable if you hadn't shown up. She's been quite convinced you would be here for the past two days." Releasing her, he turned toward Jareth, his arm still around his daughter. "Brenin, hmmm. No relation to Garret Brenin, the political consultant to Parliament, I suppose?" he asked, holding out his right hand.
Smiling, Jareth nodded and shook Robert's hand. "Actually, I am his youngest son….and the only of my siblings to indulge in the family 'business', as it were."
Sarah blinked at him, hoping she didn't look as stupidly ignorant of him as she felt. It had never occurred to her that Jareth might actually have an Aboveground persona that was well-known. Unaware of her own internal angst, Sarah's father nodded at Jareth and released his hand, the two of them launching into a discussion of United Kingdom politics that Sarah couldn't have followed if she wanted to. The two men drifted back toward the open boot of the mini-van and began pulling out more luggage, leaving Sarah free for to fall back into Karen's clutches. Grabbing her arm once more, Karen pulled her toward the porch steps leading up into the cottage.
"He's quite handsome. So tell me...how did you meet him?" she demanded, with all the insistence of a high school girl demanding gossip about her best friend's latest crush.
Listening to Karen chatter on, Sarah was reminded of the way Karen used to make the same demands when she was in high school. While their relationship was strained prior to her trip through the Labyrinth, when Sarah returned, she and Karen slowly grew closer, until Sarah would rather discuss her crushes and heartaches with Karen than friends her own age. Laughing nervously, Sarah wracked her brain trying to figure out how to describe the way she met Jareth without telling the truth, which would be completely unbelievable to anyone 'normal'.
"We met briefly when Sarah was just starting high school," Jareth replied, coming up behind them with several bags in his hands. "I was called away due to my Father's business, and we lost touch. By a happy accident, our paths crossed at a festival last month."
Sarah glanced over her shoulder at Jareth and gave him a grateful smile, as Karen blathered on, seemingly happy with that answer.
"Toby has already laid claim to the attic bedroom, and your father wants the bedroom on the main floor. Will you and Jareth be okay in the bedroom off the porch? It should be quiet on that side of the cabin and it has it's own bathroom."
Surprised, Sarah gawked at Karen. "You mean, share a room?"
"Of course dear! Your father and I aren't stupid. We went through college in the 70s. We have no illusions about what you two consenting adults do in private." Karen laughed and shook her head, oblivious to the incredulous look from Sarah. "All we ask is that you act with some decorum around your father's colleagues and keep any noise down around Toby. He is old enough to understand the concept of sex, but we don't really want him thinking he'll be allowed to have 'sleep-overs' with the opposite sex until he is over 18."
Hearing Jareth chuckling behind her, Sarah was sure her cheeks resembled a neon sign."But in high school, Daddy said he'd skin any boy alive if he caught them in my room!"
With a sly smirk, Karen leaned close to Sarah and chuckled, "That was high school and from the looks of him, Jareth is no boy, Sarah." Stepping away again, she waved Jareth toward a nearby door. "Now go get unpacked. The cook-out will be starting soon up by the lodge. We'll meet you and Jareth up there," she said, winking at Sarah and nodding toward the partially open bedroom door, before disappearing up the stairs to fetch Toby.
Jareth nudged the bedroom door open, taking in the large room, surrounded on three walls by floor to ceiling windows, each one topped by carved wooden curtain rod hung with heavy drapes. Dropping Sarah's bag next to a simple black leather bag of his own, Jareth sat on the foot of the bed and gave an experimental bounce. "Well, I'd say that went swimmingly. I've even been granted parental permission to…."
"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Goblin King!" hissed Sarah looking in horror at the glass walls of the room. "Honestly, if they were worried about us being low-key around Daddy's colleagues, why did the put us in a room with glass walls? It would be like…like...a perverse Jim Henson shadow puppet theatre!"
Tugging Sarah onto the bed with him, Jareth hugged her close, draping his leg over her thighs to hold her still when she tried to struggle. "As tantalizing as that mental image is, I promise that should you invite me to be 'intimate' with you in such a way, Sarah, I would make quite sure that no one knows of our activities save you and myself - Despite what you may think of me, I am not in the habit of broadcasting my sexual activities." Nuzzling her ear, he kissed her cheek when she finally stopped struggling and relaxed against him. "Except at some of the more… dionysian festivals in Avalon," he added, his lips curling in a wicked grin when Sarah squealed. "I rather hope you'll join me for the next one."
"Jareth!"
"Is that a yes?"
"Jareth!"
Nipping Sarah's earlobe, his chuckle deepened. "I'm not hearing a 'no'." At the breathy moan from Sarah, he leaned over her, his pale eyes sparkling mischievously. "I'll take that moan as a 'maybe' at the very least. Perhaps a little more persuasion is necessary."
Jareth dipped his head toward hers in a gentle kiss that made her toes curl, as warm currents shot up her legs to pulse in her stomach. Gasping into his lips, Sarah gave herself over to his very talented tongue. 'I'm not sure how much of this brand of persuasion I can resist,' she thought, before another pulse of pleasure shot through her, taking it it any other thought she may have had.
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Jareth adjusted the collar of his shirt, then slipped his feet into the unassuming shoes he preferred in the Aboveground. Through the window he watched as the sun began its slow descent behind the mountains surrounding the lake, the pink-orange glow shimmering over the trees and still waters of the lake. While he enjoyed many cities in the Above, as at home, he preferred to be out of the cities and closer to nature, so the retreat at the lake suited him just fine. Glancing at Sarah, he chuckled at the way she seemed to be debating what to wear. Silently, he slipped behind her and wrapped his arm around her stomach, relishing the surprised gasp she gave at the sudden embrace. "Whatever you wear will be fine, Precious. But if you're concerned about appearances, wear the blue sweater with your jeans. It is sensible and I'd rather you not catch a chill once the sun goes down."
Picking up the navy cabled sweater, Sarah set it aside, then pulled a simple white t-shirt from her bag. "I'll get changed then we can head down to the fire ring. I saw a couple of the partners heading that way with wood in a wheelbarrow, so they must be getting ready to light the fire."
"I should probably leave you to get ready and meet you up there, if I stay we'll only end up necking again and that will only end up with us…" Jareth sighed, nibbling her ear before releasing her and picking up his own grey cashmere sweater.
Sarah grinned and pulled her make-up bag from the suitcase. "It's not my fault that Snot and Bob showed up with the message from Alesander, just as you were…."
Frowning, Jareth interrupted her with a petulant growl, "Their timing is impeccably bad, as always. I swear Alesander did it on purpose."
"Oh really? And just how did he know we'd be rolling around in bed snogging, hmmm?"
"Darling, I'm the Goblin King. He would naturally have assumed you'd come to your senses and succumb to my charms," Jareth purred, as he opened the bedroom door.
"Charms? Is that what we're calling it these days?"
Clutching at his chest, Jareth groaned. "Oh how you wound me, Precious!" Jareth winked at her then nodded. "Finish getting ready, Sarah. I'll go find somewhere quiet to check in on Alesander. Some of the castle guests were leaving today and I want to see that they got off all right."
Sarah's eyes glittered wickedly as she grinned at him. "Please tell me Oliviana is one of the courtiers leaving."
Laughing, Jareth shook his head, "Sadly no. But I have no doubt that once Alesander makes it known that the King is spending his weekend with the Champion and her family, she will hopefully decide that to pursue me further is a lost cause."
"Oh, so 'meeting the parents' is a significant relationship thing in the Underground?" she asked, picking up her jeans and t-shirt and heading toward the bathroom to change. Seeing Jareth's sly smirk, Sarah stopped, her stomach fluttering wildly.
"In my world, to meet the parents of lover in a social setting such as this, when it is already known that the people involved are 'coupled', is generally a precursor to the formal announcement of betrothal."
Gulping, Sarah fumbled her clothing, as she tripped over a discarded weekend case. "Um..well… yeah… let's not get ahead of ourselves here. You're just here pretending to be my boyfriend."
Jareth leaned lightly against the doorway of the room, giving the flustered brunette a wicked smirk, his pale eyes glittering slyly. "So tell me Precious, what am I? Hmmm?"
"Complicated!" Sarah muttered, before darting into the bathroom and shutting the door firmly, the sound of Jareth's laughter following her as he left the room.
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Jareth leaned against the railing at the far corner of the front porch, a shimmering crystal balanced on his fingertips, hidden from view by the climbing night jasmine that bloomed around the railing. "Ensure the guests are seen off then supervise the goblins in the barracks. They seem to have been getting into more mischief of late. And for all that is sacred, do not send any more goblins with messages. If you must reach me, do it the usual way," he snapped, ignoring the amused smirk on Alesander's face.
"Why, did I interrupt? Did you have the Champion in a compromising position?" Alesander laughed, not-flinching from the steely glare of his King.
"Just ensure there are no more messages this weekend. You can handle things until I return, and if you can't, then I sha new seneschal." Hearing footsteps coming up the porch stairs, Jareth abruptly flicked the crystal skyward where it burst, casting shimmering water droplets upon the air, until they floated gently to the group and burst.
"Cool, you have a satellite phone?" Toby asked, hopping up the last two steps leading to the porch and landing with a resounding thud.
Jareth smiled at the boy, chuckling at the way he jumped up to sit on the railing surrounding the porch. "Um… yes," he replied, lifting his hand from the hidden side of his chair to reveal a satellite phone. "You must be Toby. Sarah has told me quite a bit about you," Jareth said, regarding the boy with a warm nod.
"Oh, yeah, I'm Toby and Mom says your name is Jareth… but I'm not supposed to say anything about your funny accent," the boy said, then shrugged. "Is Sarah here?"
"She's changing into something more appropriate for the campfire."
"Oh," the boy sighed, then flopped into the Adirondack chair next to Jareth.
Without a word, Jareth watched as Toby shoved hair out of his face, his legs swinging back and forth under the chair, in the 'perpetual-motion' that many small boys seemed to have. "Shouldn't you be down at the campfire with your parents? Sarah and I will join you all shortly."
"Nah, Mom sent me back up to the cottage with a message for Sarah, but she said I wasn't to go into your room if you guys were in it." Grinning at Jareth, Toby added, "I guess that means even if one of you is still in it." Toby fell silent, his legs still swinging as laughter echoed up from the campfire and beach by the lake. "So...you guys are sharing a room," Toby said, his words appearing to be more statement of fact than a question.
Nodding, Jareth looked at the serious expression on the boy's face. "We are. Is that a problem?"
Toby shrugged, giving Jareth a lopsided smirk. "No. I know about that sort of thing. Mom and Dad think I don't know about boyfriend/girlfriend stuff, but I do."
Jareth bit back a smirk of his own at the boy's air of confidence regarding relationships. "Oh, I see. I shall remember that should I need advice on the subject."
The two fell into a companionable silence, interrupted only by the occasional burst of laughter and yelling from the beach. Finally Toby looked at Jareth, his blue eyes narrowing sternly upon the older man, in a look far older than his years. "So...are you Sarah's boyfriend then?"
"I suppose that depends upon how you would define the interactions and characteristics of a 'boyfriend'," Jareth replied, smiling inwardly at the forthright nature of the child. "I'm male and I am Sarah's friend."
Pursing his lips, Toby gave Jareth a searching look, then nodded, his expression far too serious for a twelve-year-old boy. "Well, Erin Murdock told Jenny, who told Brian, who told me that a guy is a girl's boyfriend if he eats with her and holds her hand."
Jareth felt a burst of laughter threaten to slip past his lips and coughed, hiding his smile with his hand until he could control the impulse. Chastened by the angry look from Toby, Jareth cleared his throat and nodded sagely. "By those standards, then yes, I suppose I am Sarah's boyfriend, as we have shared several meals now and I have gotten to hold her hand."
"Damn," Toby muttered, his frown deepening as he slouched down further in his chair.
"Why? Do you object to me?" Jareth asked, wondering at the sudden pall that fell over Toby's mood.
Looking up in surprise, Toby shook his head. "Oh no...you're cool. You've got a satellite phone and make Sarah smile, so you're already waaaay better than that stupid jerk that Dad and Mom keep trying to set Sarah up with."
Confused, Jareth's eyes narrowed upon the boy, who sighed and turned his attention to the scuffed tennis shoes upon his feet. "So what is the problem then?"
"Well, if that makes you Sarah's boyfriend, then I must be Erin's boyfriend...and I don't want to be her boyfriend. I like Jenna."
Jareth swallowed the amused chuckle that rumbled in his throat and gave a grave nod of his head. "Hmm...there is a bit more to it than that, Toby. Generally, the people involved share activities and interests, as well as the occasional meal."
"So what, you mean like having the same English teacher?" Toby asked,his frown returning.
"Um, no...it is a bit more complicated than that."
The two fell silent once more, each lost to their own thoughts, before Toby looked at Jareth, his expression troubled. "Ah...you're not going to tell Mom I cursed are you? She's really picky about that kind of thing. I thought it would be okay, since it was just...you know…"
"Two men discussing women troubles?" Jareth offered, unable to hold back the amused smile that curled his lips.
"Yeah," the boy nodded.
"It will be our secret, Toby."
"What's a secret?" Sarah asked, as she pushed open the screen door of the cottage.
"If we told you it wouldn't be a secret," came Toby's immediate reply, while Jareth simply smiled and nodded.
"That is merely a matter of discussion between two men, Sarah," he chuckled. Rising from his chair and taking her hand. "And since I have it on excellent authority that you are most definitely not male, I am unable to divulge the details to you, Precious."
Toby's face crinkled up as he groaned. "Precious?! Ewww! Does Sarah call you my gross mushy names too?"
Sarah and Jareth regarded the boy with amused grins. Winking at Sarah, Jareth raised her hand to his lips and kissed her open palm, earning them another groan and a gagging sound from Toby. "It is quite common for boyfriends and girlfriends to address each other by affectionate nicknames, my boy."
Jareth's words made Toby freeze, his lips turning downward once more. "Crap…" he muttered.
"Why? Do you have a girl at school you have a cutsey nickname for?" Sarah asked, ruffling Toby's hair, then following Jareth down the steps to the lakeside path.
Hopping from his chair, Toby trailed along behind the couple, kicking pebbles on the path. "Not unless 'Four-Eyes Erin' counts."
"I'm quite sure that does not count as an affectionate nickname, Toby," Jareth replied, glancing at the boy over his shoulder and winking at him. "I think you're in the clear."
The boy grinned happily as he caught up with them, nudging Sarah's arm with his shoulder, until his sister grabbed him in a headlock and continued pulling him up the path. Laughing, Toby pulled free. "Hey Precious, Mom wants you to go up to the lodge and see if they have any bug spray."
Sighing, Sarah squeezed Jareth's hand. "I'd better go. Karen gets terrible welts from mosquitoes. Do you want to come with me?"
"Actually, I was going to suggest that Toby might like to come with me to find the right sort of sticks to carve down for roasting hot dogs," Jareth said, chuckling at the way the boy's eyes lit up with enthusiasm..
"Wow! Really?! Dad always wants to use the metal toasting forks, but everyone knows hot dogs taste better when roasted on a stick!" Pushing Sarah away from Jareth, Toby continued. "You'd better go do women's work, Sarah - leave the manly stuff like finding good roasting sticks to us men!"
Biting her lip, Sarah looked from Toby's serious face to Jareth's amused smirk and shrugged, forcing back a laugh. "Well, don't let me, a mere, helpless female stop you from such important 'men's business'." She laughed at the way Jareth's eyebrow shot skyward when she said 'helpless'.
"While I'd hardly call you 'helpless', Precious...it would seem that we must be off to take of this very important 'men's work'," jareth chuckled, winking at her.
Pleased with Sarah's words, Toby's chest puffed up with self-importance, as he and Jareth headed toward the nearby glade to find the 'right sort' of sticks. Sarah watched the two of them walk away. She couldn't hear what Toby was saying as he chattered at Jareth, waving his arms around, but she could see the way that Jareth was listening to every word and nodding. The sight left a warmth inside her. In that moment, watching the older and younger blonde walk away, they could have been father and son.
Turning away, Sarah headed toward the lodge, feeling lighter inside that she had in days. She bounded lightly up the steps leading to the lodge porch, nodding and waving at colleagues of her father as she made her way to the kitchen. The kitchen was crowded with people working to get everything ready for the cookout, their laughter and talking seeming loud as it bounced off the industrial size, stainless steel catering grade refrigerators, work tables and appliances. Sarah was somewhat glad to reach the storeroom where the bug spray was kept, if for no other reason that to find a brief reprieve from the cheerful chaos of the kitchen. Stretching up on her toes, she reached into the cabinet over the washer to get several bottles of bug spray, only to stop as an electric tingle raced up her spine. The sensation lodged into the base of her skull with a sharp ache that made her stomach lurch uncomfortably, as the taste of bile crept up her throat.
"I'm glad you made it," purred a voice from the outside door. "Your father said you were going out of town."
Gasping, Sarah dropped the bug spray, the bottles clattering loudly on top of the washer. "Alex! Um… yeah… it was a last minute decision." Without looking at them, she reached for the bottles, her hands knocking them across the top of the washer as she fumbled to pick them up. Finally grabbing them she felt the electric zapping sensation intensify, making her flinch each time they lodged in the base of her head. Clutching the bottles to her chest, Sarah gave him a smile and backed toward the doorway way leading to the kitchen, the sound of laughter and chatting comforting when faced with the hungry look on Alex's face.
He gave her an appraising look, mentally cataloguing what she would look like without her clothing. "I've booked a catamaran for tomorrow morning to practice for the race. Would you like to partner me?"
"Oh… I…gee... that would be nice except…." Sarah muttered, the zapping increasing as he stepped toward her. Each electric sensation was enough to make her breath catch in her throat. 'I'm alone with a male! Shit...the contract! That's the pain,' she moaned to herself, then squeaked was she backed into someone. Instantly the zapping sensations faded, replaced with a liquid warmth that seemed to flow over her skin like water, soothing away the sting.
"She is partnering me for the race, I'm afraid," Jareth answered, sliding his arm around Sarah's waist. "Although I'm sure she appreciates the offer."
Alex's gaze narrowed on Jareth, a possessive growl in his voice. "Excuse me? Who are you?"
"Oh? Didn't Sarah tell you?" Jareth replied cooly, tucking Sarah firmly against his side, his arm still around her. "I'm Jareth Brenin. Sarah and I have been seeing each other off and on for… oh… years now," he said, smiling down at Sarah, who blushed brilliantly, leaning against Jareth. Feeling the tension in her body fade, Jareth's fingers lightly caressed her hip, as he enjoyed the easy closeness of her.
"She...what? I thought…." Alex muttered, glaring at Sarah then at Jareth. "But her father said…."
Drawing strength from Jareth's embrace, Sarah gave Alex an apologetic smile. "Yes, I'm sorry about that Alex. Daddy and Karen didn't realize I was seeing someone. With Jareth's line of work, we felt it was best to keep things quiet until we knew how we wanted things to go."
Jareth felt a warmth rush through him at her words - her first public claiming of him. Of 'them.' 'I know it is only for show, but still it is a thrill to hear her say such a thing,' he mused, momentarily distracted from Alex.
Alex frowned, the possessiveness in his tone giving way to veiled anger. "But you went out with me, over the summer."
"I know. I did. But Jareth and I were.. well we weren't seeing each other at that point. We were...taking a break," Sarah tried to explain, running a hand through her hair, then leaning further into Jareth at the stormy look from Alex.
"You...you led me on," Alex hissed, taking a step forward with his hands balled at his sides. Bristling, he moved to step forward again, only to freeze when Jareth's pale eyes flickered black, then pale blue again.
Blinking, Sarah felt Jareth release her, as the noise in the kitchen seemed to dim until it fell silent. The world seemed to slow, until everything appeared to be happening in slow motion. Sarah could see people talking though the open doorway of the kitchen, but it was like watching a movie with the sound turned off. Beside her, she felt Jareth's bearing change, heralding a shift in the air around them. When he stepped toward Alex, he seemed to grow taller somehow, his very presence having an almost palpable weight. For a brief instant he was once more the fearsome Goblin King she remembered meeting so long ago in her parent's bedroom. Then she blinked again and time seemed to fall back into place, while the kitchen still moved in a silence all its own.
"She did no such thing," Jareth growled quietly, his words like icy lances that struck at Alex, making him flinch back a step. "She tried to let you know that she was not interested in pursuing a relationship with you. If you are too dull to take the hint, that is your fault, not hers. And I'll thank you to never make such an unfounded accusation against her again."
Alex's mouth opened and closed uselessly several times, ping at Jareth. Registering a gentle pressure upon his arm, Jareth glanced down at Sarah; the silent plea in her eyes giving him pause.. "It's okay, Jareth. It's fine...let's just...let's just go back outside. Karen is waiting for the bug spray and I'm sure Toby is hoping you'd help him with his hot dog."
Grasping Sarah's hand gently, Jareth lifted it to his lips and kissed her knuckles, before tucking her hand in the crook of his arm and leading her from the kitchen. Around him, Alex felt the weight of the air seem to change, as the talking in the kitchen seemed to grow exponentially louder. "What the Hell?!" he mumbled, blinking dumbly at the empty space where Jareth and Sarah had been a moment before.
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The sound of rushing water roared dully in Sarah's ears as she brushed her teeth, her green eyes staring vacantly into the mirror, while a smile curled her lips. Although the evening had gotten off to a somewhat rocky start thanks to Alex from that point on the evening went far better than Sarah had imagined. Jareth continued to charm everyone he met, until the partners and their spouses were vying for his attention. More than one of the women managed to corner Sarah at various times through the evening to tell her how good of a 'catch' he was and press her for details about their relationship. Their adoration for him only grew in seeing the way he kept the children and even the stubborn, sullen teens entertained with his storytelling and games.'I don't know why I'm surprised. He manages a kingdom of unruly goblins just fine, Aboveground kids can't be that different,' she mused, her quiet smile widening at the thought.
Lounging on the bed, Jareth propped his head up on his hand and peered through the bathroom door, watching Sarah. His eyes narrowed studiously upon her, wondering at the intense look in her eyes and the mysterious smile upon her lips. "As the mortals say...penny for them, Precious?"
Sarah blinked, gaping momentarily at her reflection in the mirror before seeming to come to herself once more, her green eyes falling on Jareth reflected in the smooth surface. Rinsing her mouth, she shook her head as she wiped the toothpaste from her lips and smiled at him in the mirror. "I was just laughing at how easily you had everyone engrossed in your ghost stories. I don't know why it was so surprising that you'd be able to wrap all the kids around your little finger, but I definitely didn't expect everyone else to adore you." Flipping off the light, Sarah crossed the bedroom, a sudden rush of heat pooling in her belly at the sight of Jareth lounging across the bed in nothing but the loose, fine linen trousers he wore for sleeping. His bare chest seemed to glitter softly in the moonlight spilling into the room, making his badge of office seem to glow as it hung against the smooth expanse of pale flesh. Even though he was clothed, the inherent sensuality of him made her feel suddenly self-conscious to be standing there in her simple faded flannel shorts and tank top.
"Aww...I rather hoped you would be wearing that delightful little black silk number with the lace trim," he purred, smiling at her in a way that made him look like a hungry wolf.
"Down boy. I know what we did last night but I can't…" Sarah muttered. Swallowing heavily, she forced her eyes from his chest to the faded quilt that covered the bed, shaking her head as she gathered her thoughts.. "I can't do that sort of thing with my parents on the other side of the house and my little brother upstairs. My daggy pajamas may not be sexy, but that's the point. No sex. Nada. Zilch!" she added, sliding under the covers next to him. "If I have to sleep in the lounge I will."
"You'll do no such thing, Sarah. We are here under the guise of being a couple. If you sleep in the lounge you will only find Alex being more persistent, while every woman would be offering you advice for how to manage relationship strife." Jareth watched with great amusement as she fastidiously tucked the covers about herself, the settled back with her arms pinned tight to her sides - as if pinning the blankets around her body would save her from his touch. "Furthermore, you could wear a hessian sack and still be sexy, Precious. And if it is noise or the presence of your family that are the primary barriers to letting yourself give in and enjoy all of the pleasures I am more than willing to show you, then please, let me assure you that I have soundproofed the room and made it so that no one can see through windows, while we can still see out. No one would know what transpires between us. Also as your step-mother already noted, we are two consenting adults, darling," he noted, then chuckled at the conflicted frown on her face. Kissing her forehead, he reached over and pulled her closer, until her bum was tucked comfortably against his hips and her back molded to his chest.
Sighing, Sarah shut her eyes, relaxing into the warmth of Jareth's embrace. It was getting harder and harder not to give in to him and the more she thought about it, the more she questioned her reasons for resisting in the first place. A gentle caress of his foot along her calf made her smile. "Jareth...not now...I'm actually tired. You didn't let me get much sleep last night."
"Not what?"
Sarah laughed and shook her head, snuggling back against him, as the gentle caress continued upward. "No. Jareth. Come on," she said, twitching her leg to push him away.
"What are you on about, Precious?" he muttered with a yawn.
"Your foot…?" Sarah muttered, her attention drawn to the sensation as it crept higher, now above her knee. Focusing she felt the movement as a line that felt oddly… rough.
"FUCK!" she shrieked, launching herself out of bed and throwing the covers from her body. Scrambling for the nightstand, Sarah blinked frantically at the bed, ignoring the blanket-covered mound that was Jareth, only to screech and leap up on the armchair at the sight of a snake slithering up the middle of the bed. "Holy shit! There's a snake in the bed!"
Pushing the covers from his head, Jareth looked in shock at the Labyrinth Champion as she cowered on the chair. Calmly he reached over and picked up the snake, letting it curl around his fingers. "Ahh...there you are, Mr. Scales," he murmured to the reptile as it paused to flick its tongue out at Jareth.
Sarah's eyes widened, watching Jareth murmur to the snake and gently stroke under it's chin. "Mr. Scales?!"
Chuckling, Jareth smiled at her. "Yes, this is my pet. Alesander detests reptiles, so I thought I'd bring him with me."
"No snakes in the bedroom! And definitely not in the bed, Jareth!" Sarah insisted as she slowly she crept down out of the chair and took a timid step closer to the bed, her eyes glued to the snake that now coiled around itself around Jareth's fingers, it's shimmering scales of red and blue twisting upon itself in a mesmerizing shift of color. "Hang on...is that….is that the snake you threw at me?!"
"Yes," Jareth replied matter-of-factly. "He so loves to be part of things when there is a runner."
"But...but you...threw 'Mr. Scales' at me?!" Sarah hissed incredulously, then flinched back as Mr. Scales stuck his long tongue out at her, the end flickering frantically.
Jareth beamed at her, then stroked the snakes head. "See, he likes you."
"Wha...NO! Just...no! No snakes allowed in the bedroom. Out!"
"But…" Jareth protested, while Mr. Scales seemed to glare at her with his deep black eyes, then stuck his tongue out at her again.
"Now, Jareth!"
Still petting Mr. Scales, Jareth chuckled at her wild-eyed demands. "All snakes? Or just this one?"
"ALL...Snakes...Jareth…" Sarah growled, making shooing movements toward Mr. Scales. "Now get it out of here!"
"Sorry, but you heard her Mr. Scales," Jareth murmured, twisting his hand and watching as the red and blue snake faded from view.
Breathing heavily, Sarah stood next to the bed, glaring at Jareth as she willed her heart to slow down again. "I can deal with spiders, but snakes scare the beejezus out of me, Jareth. If you ever want to have me back in your castle or bed, you'd better keep that...that...thing away from me!"
"I promise, darling. Honest," Jareth cooed softly, taking her hand in his and gently pulling her back to the bed.
Sarah nibbled her lip, then laid down hugging the far side well away from Jareth. She felt the bed dip and shift as he laid down, then rolled over toward her, his arm warm as he draped it over her stomach and pulled her back against him once more. The two of them laid there silently for some time. With every passing second, Sarah's shock and upset at finding the reptile slithering up her body faded a bit. Lulled into silence by the soothing beat of Jareth's heart against her back and the feel of his gentle breath on her bare shoulder, her eyelids drooping lower with the steady rhythm of his heart and her own.
"Do trouser snakes count?"
"Jareth!" Sarah groaned, rolling over and punching him in the chest.
"What?! What did I do?" he laughed, making a weak attempt at fending off the brunette now assailing him with her fists. "I'm just trying to make sure I know the rules for what is allowed in the bedroom and what isn't!"