Chapter 11: What Is This Feeling?
It had taken Camiya an entire hour to get Sarah to calm down. Jareth had gone inside after a half an hour of sitting under the tree with his head in his hands.
Now, the two women were sitting on Sarah's bed, wearing pajamas with hot chocolate in hand.
"I just don't understand it Camiya. He was normal before I left, but now …. he's just so different." Camiya nodded in understanding as Sarah continued, "He even ruined our special night. You know the one," Sarah paused as Camiya nodded once again, "Well, he messed it all up. Nothing was as it should be. We had prime rib, baked potatoes, vegetables, and frozen fruit instead of cheeseburgers. He skipped our dance and went straight for the walk, managing to even screw that up!"
Camiya braced herself as tears welled up in Sarah's eyes, but Sarah just blinked them back and took a deep breath.
"I don't get it, Camiya. What happened to him? Why is he acting this way?"
"Well, I don't know for sure, but it sounds to me as though Jareth has either given up and decided to settle with being only friends or he's trying to show you that he can be mature and grown-up. You know, not the arrogant, self-centered, flirtatious Goblin King."
Sarah looked guilty as Camiya continued with, "That is what you wanted, right? To be friends only. You've been telling me for ten years that that's all you want from him … friendship. And obviously, he cares more for you than just friendship. How strong those feelings are, I'm not sure, but maybe he's realized that it's pointless to chase a woman who doesn't return his feelings."
Sarah didn't understand this foreign feeling inside her and her head began to hurt as her brain tried to tell her something. Camiya began to feel confused as she watched Sarah think through what she said.
"That is what you wanted, right? To be friends only? Or maybe you're looking for someone a bit more mature than Jareth? I mean, I love my brother. He's been there my entire life and he's always looked out for me, but to be honest, he's always playing around and is hardly ever serious anymore. I thought you wanted a mature relationship; that you wanted somebody who would give you a grown-up relationship."
Sarah shook her head as the truth was coming to her in small, miniscule pieces. "I .. I don't know. I don't think that's what I want anymore." She giggled as the truth in her heart was becoming more and more clear. "I don't think it's what I ever truly wanted."
"What do you mean? I thought that … " Camiya didn't know what to say. She had no idea where Sarah was going with this.
Sarah looked up from the spot on the ground that she had been looking at and looked into Camiya's mismatched eyes that looked so much like her older brother's. She saw Jareth (the old Jareth) in her mind; saw him laugh, saw him smirk, the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking. That's when Sarah's heart told her what her mind couldn't. And boy, when the truth hit, it hit her like a bus!
"I love him," she whispered.
Camiya's eyes grew wide as she stammered, "Wh-What?!" She couldn't have heard her right! Since Camiya had first met Sarah and seen her together with Jareth, she wished and hoped almost every day that Jareth would finally be happy … that Sarah would be the one to make him happy.
When Jareth was barely 96 and she was 73, an assassin was sent by an enemy of the Goblin Kingdom to kill both Jareth and their father. Jareth had barely escaped with his life, but Dad wasn't so lucky. He died protecting his only son. Jareth had watched his father die right before his eyes and had held him in his arms as he took his last breath.
Jareth had avenged his father, killing both the assassin and the one who hired him, but had never really gotten over it. He became Goblin King much too soon and everybody knew that he wasn't ready.
Less than a year later, their mother died. After that, Jareth had not only his kingdom to worry about, but his little sister as well. He was forced to grow up way too fast and he lost himself along the way.
It wasn't until Jareth found Sarah that he stopped being Camiya's king and became her brother once more. She could see the smallest hint of happiness about him when he talked to her about this intriguing girl that he had found in the Aboveground.
Camiya and Jareth had never told Sarah the entire truth about their past. She knew about the death of their parents, but she never knew that there was once a time when Jareth had not been Jareth. When he had been only the Goblin King. A time when he had not been Camiya's beloved brother, but her king who needed to be feared, respected, and obeyed.
When Sarah moved to the Underground, Jareth began to smile more. He made jokes again. He stopped moping around on his throne all day long and starting writing songs and singing with the goblins that he had loved since he was born. He stopped drinking - a habit that he had picked up after the death of his mother. They already seemed like a couple and most people found it shocking that they weren't actually dating.
All that was missing from his life was Sarah returning his feelings of love. It hadn't happened yet, but he never lost hope. He was convinced that someday Sarah would tell him those three deadly words that could make or break any sort of relationship.
And now, Camiya just knew that she couldn't have heard Sarah right. Wishful thinking, she passed it off as.
Sarah, however, felt liberated. She had finally said it! She realized now that she had always loved him .. from the first time she had ever seen him … from when she saw him smirk for the first time and say "You know very well where he is."
She had been denying her feelings for so long and it seemed almost ridiculous to her now how she could have never seen it, but now she finally knew the truth. She loved him and she wasn't afraid to say so … at least, to his sister. So she repeated herself.
"I love him." She giggled to herself, then said, "Camiya, I am in love with your older brother. And now that I think about it, I love everything about him."
Camiya raised her eyebrow, "Everything?"
Sarah smiled and said in an awed tone, "Everything. I love the way his hair blows in the wind, the way it feels and moves when I run my hand through it. I love his eyes. There are times when I feel like I could live in his eyes or just stare into them forever. I love the way he walks, the way he talks, the way he holds himself. I love the way he makes me smile when I'm having the worst day ever. I love how I just can't seem to stay mad at him." She chuckled. "Even now, I can't wait to see him again."
Camiya smiled at Sarah, still finding it hard to believe what was happening. Sarah leaned back against her bed frame and closed her eyes. "I love the way he smells; how he smells differently for everyone. For me, it always depends on my mood. When I feel happy and bouncy he has this sort of … earthy smell. Like the outside … trees, grass, flowers. When I'm feeling sorta quiet and low-key, he has those musky book smell; not bad musky, but relaxing. When I'm sleepy we're cuddling in way, he has this light, simple flower smell. When I'm feeling moody and I'm just not in the mood to deal with anybody, he smells of spices. When I'm sad, he has that post-rain smell. On our special night, the day before New Year's Eve, he smells like pine trees, fresh earth, wild light sweet smelling flowers, and the light breeze that brings all those smells to you. When I'm mad at him, he smells like peaches."
"What does he smell like to you now?" Camiya asked. Maybe this can help she thought.
Sarah paused then said quietly, "Peaches and thunderstorms."
Camiya got quiet and there was a short period of time where everything was quiet.
The Sarah started talking again. "I love the tingling sensation I get every time he touches me. Or even when he looks at me. He makes me feel like I'm the only woman in the world. And then I know that I'm the only woman in his world … besides you." She looked at Camiya and smiled.
Then the tears came back. "I miss him so much Camiya. I …" her lip trembled and she tried to catch her breath "I just want the old Jareth back. I want to tell him how I feel and have everything be the way it used to be, but only better."
Camiya crawled across the bed and held Sarah. It wasn't the way Jareth would do it, but it was comforting all the same.
"Then," Camiya started, "we'll just have to show him how you feel and bring him back."
Sarah sniffled and looked up. "But h-how?"
Camiya thought it over and then smiled. "Well, tomorrow is New Year's Eve, right? Well, everybody knows about the traditional kiss at midnight and Jareth has been wanting to kiss you for years … especially then. Why don't you beat him to it?"
Sarah pulled away and looked Camiya in the eyes. "Wait … what?! You mean … you mean, kiss him. Kiss him on New Year's Eve in front of all the lords and ladies of the Underground!"
Camiya smiled wickedly and replied, "Why not? It would really show him that you're sincere and want to be with him."
Sarah thought it over, then mirrored Camiya's smile. This would be a New Year's Eve that they would never forget!
A/N: OMG! I can't wait for the next chapter!! How about you? =D
Okay so I got a bunch of feedback and I couldn't choose just one so here are the thank-yous:
DestinChild and my friend Cat - outside, the grass, nature, flowers
Marie-Louise - pinetrees, fresh earth, wild light sweet smelling flowers and the light breeze that brings all those smells to you
Thundara - peaches , thunderstorms, and magic
Princess Sorrow and my friend Arielle - spices
Cynthia - simple flowers
Lizzy - musky, book smell
DestinChild also came up with the idea for Sarah loving the tingling sensation that Sarah gets when Jareth touches or looks at her and how she feels like the only woman in the world
Thundara came up with the idea of Sarah loving Jareth's hair, eyes, and the way he acts and dresses.
My friend Cecelia came up the idea of Jareth smelling different for everyone.
Thanks again for all of my reviewers and all of those who took the time to give me some suggestions.
Next chapter is New Year's Eve! So, please review and hopefully I can update pretty quickly!