Mistletoe Magic

Ch. 5 – Blame it on the Mistletoe

Staring into the roaring fire in the fireplace, Sarah smiled and sipped her wine. Leaning her head back, she reclined against Jareth's firm chest and sighed happily. It had been a very strange evening. She still had a hard time believing that she not only had literally stumbled upon the Goblin King in a secluded mountain cabin, but she was now curled up against his chest, basking in the heat from the fireplace and the heat that poured from his body.

When she had emerged from the bedroom wrapped in the velvety softness of the flannel pajamas and robe, she found Jareth in the kitchen of all places, a spatula in one hand and a spoon in the other. He was humming as he stirred the contents of a pot. She watched him for a moment, unable to stop the smile that spread across her face at the sight of the fearsome and mighty Goblin King doing something so positively domestic as cooking. Lost in thought, she blushed when he looked at her over his shoulder and caught her staring at him. Brandishing the spatula as he pointed toward the lounge, his mismatched eyes sparkled, "Make yourself comfortable on the couch, Sarah. Dinner will be ready momentarily."

"Um…dinner?" she asked, feeling stupid the moment the words were out of her mouth. "You're cooking?"

Jareth simply smiled and nodded, "I rather guessed that you hadn't eaten this evening, and I haven't either so…dinner seemed to be an obvious necessity. And yes, generally when one works with pots, pans and the stove, one is cooking, a task I rather enjoy when I am Aboveground."

Unable to stop herself, Sarah grinned, "No peach soup, I hope?"

Arching an eyebrow, he turned to face her, a wicked smirk twisting the corner of his mouth as he cocked his head, a shock of shaggy blonde hair falling across forehead, "Certainly not. Peaches make terrible soup." Then he winked at her before turning to the stove, his voice carrying back to where she stood in the doorway, "But there is peach cobbler for dessert."

Sarah didn't know what to say or do until he started to laugh and peered at her over his shoulder once more, "Go. Sit. No enchanted food tonight. I promise."

With a shake of her head, Sarah did as he instructed and curled up in the corner of the couch, tugging a fluffy blanket around herself. Several minutes later Jareth appeared and set a plate and two large bowls of soup on the coffee table, then he disappeared again, only to return with two steaming mugs. She almost couldn't believe the graceful way he folded himself up on the floor next to the table, pulling the table toward him as he leaned against the couch. Peering up at her, he smiled and gestured toward a cushion on the floor, "Join me?"

Nodding, Sarah slid from the couch. Picking up a spoon she stirred the soup in her bowl, relishing the scent of her favourite comfort meal – tomato soup with grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches. Smiling, she looked suspiciously at him, "So…how did you know this is my favourite?"

The Goblin King at least had the good grace to look sheepish as he picked up his own spoon, "As it so happens, this is one of my favourite cold weather meals…so you needn't look so suspicious, Sarah."

Sipping her soup from the spoon, Sarah smirked at him. "Sure. Likely story, Jareth," she laughed, not missing the slight look of surprise he gave when she used his name. "I can't see Campbell's soup being a big thing in goblin kitchens."

Chuckling, he picked up a sandwich wedge and swirled it through his soup before taking a bite. "Well, I may have heard from a little birdie that you were rather fond of this particular meal and decided to try it for myself. As it happened, I found it to be quite tasty."

Sarah hid her grin in her mug of hot chocolate, her heart thudding wildly in her chest at the knowledge that he had been keeping tabs on her, something she had already suspected.

The two ate in silence for several minutes, then both spoke at once….

"So do you…." Sarah said.

"I was wondering…." Jareth started.

Looking at each other, they laughed, each suddenly becoming very interested in their meals, while sneaking peeks at the other.

"Royalty first," Sarah said with a laugh, her green eyes shining merrily.

"I was just wondering if you were feeling better after your bath?" Jareth asked, dipping his sandwich into the warm soup.

Blushing at the memory of Jareth's intense look and the feel of his hands as he had started to undress her earlier, Sarah nodded and mumbled, "Um…yes…it was perfect thanks. Just what I needed."

Jareth smiled and looked at her, as if waiting for her to continue, making her blush further when she realized he was waiting for her to do just that.

"Um…I was just going to ask if you cooked often?" she asked, before biting into her sandwich.

Putting his spoon down, Jareth took a long drink of his hot chocolate before answering, "Actually, I only cook for myself when I visit this cabin to get away from my duties to the kingdom." His lips twitched slightly as he looked at her, a warm light glowing in his eyes, "This is the first time I have ever cooked for another person."

Sarah's face heated up further at that admission, her heart taking off again, racing frantically in her chest before she could whisper, "Thank you."

"You are more than welcome, Precious," came the soft reply, the gentle tone making her arms break out in goosebumps, causing her to shiver.

"Are you cold?" he asked, a concerned look on his face.

Sarah hesitated, trembling further when his hands and body brushed hers as he lifted the blanket over her shoulders and tucked it around her, his voice rich and dark near her ear, "Anything you need, you have but to ask, Sarah."

It was all she could do not to throw herself into his arms at that point. With every bit of self-control she could muster, Sarah forced herself to finish her dinner.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

He was so close to her as he adjusted the blanket around her, it took every bit of control he had, not to wrap her in his arms and kiss her senseless – kiss her until she promised to return with him to the castle and never to leave him again. She smelled heavenly, the scent of lavender and honey clinging to her after the bath. His fingers itched to run through her hair as his lips tasted the succulent flesh of her neck. Biting back a groan, Jareth returned to his meal. As they ate, the conversation turned toward Sarah's job, or rather the fact that she had one that didn't pay the bills, hence why she was moonlighting as an 'elf' at the boutique shopping district. When that conversation became difficult, she had deftly changed the subject, turning the conversation over to why he was in a secluded mountain cabin on Christmas Eve. So, he explained to her why he was there, leaving out the fact that he had been banished for being 'moody' – there were some things she didn't need to know…at least not yet.

When dinner was done, Sarah got up and went to her bag where it still lay by the door of the cabin. Digging through it for a moment, she brought back a bottle of wine and sat in on the coffee table with a shy smile. "It isn't much after everything you've done for me, but well….what would Christmas Eve be without a bit of a nightcap?"

Rising from the floor, Jareth curled his fingers around her chin, smiling warmly at her. "I have given you no less than you deserve, Sarah," he said, then before he could give himself time to reconsider, he dipped his head, capturing her lips in a warm kiss. Her lips were soft as he caressed them gently, his eyes falling shut at the quiet gasp she gave in response, her hands coming up to lightly grasp his shirt as she leaned in. Breaking the kiss, he smiled at the way her hands still gripped his shirt. "I'll open the wine," he said finally, his voice rough with desire as he forced himself to release her and moved off toward the kitchen, returning several minutes later with the bottle opener, two wine glasses and a large, deep dish of peach cobbler covered in fresh cream.

Jareth poured wine into the glasses and handed one to Sarah, before settling back onto the floor next to her, the dish of cobbler cradled in his hand as he picked up the spoon and scooped up some of the sweet concoction and held it up for Sarah. And that is how they had dessert, neither saying a word as Jareth fed them both. He kept waiting for Sarah to object, but she didn't, instead giving him a beautific smile as he fed her. When the dessert was gone, she scooted closer and tucked herself against him, a move that surprised him greatly, but if she was going to willingly press herself against him, who was he to argue. So, doing what any sensible man would do, he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close.

And that is how they spent the rest of the evening, drinking wine in front of the fireplace. As the wine loosened their inhibitions, talk moved from jobs to relationships and the failed relationships they had both had. Sarah regaled him with tales of the 'nice guys' she had dated that just didn't make her 'feel' anything. At this admission, she had turned and looked at him, her eyes warm and soft, a gaze that made his pulse race as he began to feel hope burn within him for the first time since she gave up on her fantasies. As the sense of hope burned brightly within him, Jareth was vaguely surprised by the sudden wave of pity he had for the hapless males that had come into her path, knowing with a surety he dared not question, that those poor souls failed at winning her for one simple reason – they were not him. At that realization he wanted nothing more than to sweep her into his arms and claim her fully, but he held back. He had played hard and fast the first time and lost her, he would not make that mistake again.

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

His kisses.

Sarah couldn't believe how consuming his kisses were, the mere feel of his lips against hers making the rest of the world cease to exist, each one tasting faintly of peaches, wine and something exotic, but wonderful. When dessert had finished, she didn't even give herself time to overthink her decision to scoot closer to him, a gambit that paid off when he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in closer, sending her pulse racing in triumph. And oh…but his arms were warm and strong, just as they were in her dreams. They spent the rest of the evening, drinking wine and talking, with Sarah nestled snuggly against his chest.

Turning to look at him at one point, she moaned when his lips captured hers in a heated embrace, soft, sensual and yet demanding, as if he were waging an inner war, torn between devouring her whole and remaining reserved. Unable to help herself, she turned toward him, wrapping her arms around him, her fingers entwining in the silken strands of hair at the back of his head and pulling him into the kiss, her chest pressed tightly to his as a needy moan crept past her lips, a moan that was swallowed by an answering moan of his own. The next thing she knew the clock was striking half-past eleven and Jareth was releasing her, breathless, disheveled and desperately wanting more. She knew her face was flushed, as a wave of heat passed over her at the darkly desirous look Jareth gave her before he cleared his throat. His voice was gruff and low when he finally spoke.

"I think perhaps we should stop there, Sarah," he said, his voice sounding strained. "You can sleep in the bedroom. I will be quite fine on the couch down here."

Frowning, Sarah's mouth opened and closed as she looked at him, before abruptly grabbing his hand. "And if I disagree? What if I want you to stay with me, Goblin King?" she demanded, her hand gripping his fiercely.

His eyes darkened further as a gloved hand came up, lightly caressing the side of her cheek before giving in and pulling her into a hungry kiss. Growling, he broke away, "You know not what you do to me, Precious. I would give you the world, but….I can't give you this. Not now. Not like this."

"But…." She began in protest, only to be cut off by a gloved finger laying lightly against her lips.

"Love, you have had a shock both physically from the cold and from finding me here. I would never forgive myself if we gave in tonight, only for you to regret it in the light of day," Jareth said, a look of pain flashing behind his eyes. "I don't think I could bear to have you regret something that I myself want with every fiber of my being." He picked up her hand, raising it to his lips and kissing it, before releasing it and caressing her cheek once more. "Come morning, if you still want me in that way, I will not say no, Precious," he murmured. "Believe me, turning you down is probably the hardest thing I have done, since returning you home when you ran my Labyrinth – when all I wanted to do was keep you with me, despite the fact that you were so young."

Rising, he pulled her up with him and walked her to the stairs. "Go, Precious…before I lose what little is left of my control," he said, his voice soft but undercut with an urgency that spoke volumes.

Reluctantly, Sarah climbed the stairs, watching as he turned away, running a hand restlessly through the wispy strands of hair. When she reached the bedroom, Sarah found that any thought of sleep had gone straight out the window. Pacing the room, she growled inwardly. For years she had dreamt of having Jareth in her bed, of knowing his touch and his kiss. After tasting his kisses and finding that they were better than anything her heated imagination had thought of, she wanted nothing else but to feel this touch. As the clock struck midnight, she made her decision, knowing without a doubt that her only regret would be that she only had the one night, but damn it, it would be one night she was sure would be worth it.

She tiptoed down the stairs, cringing she paused when the wooden stairs creaked. Her breath caught in her throat as she peered around the edge of the stairwell wondering if he had heard her – he was stunning, a blanket draped over his lower body as he lay on the couch, his bare chest bathed in the winter moonlight streaming in from the windows. He seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, as if his skin was coated in find diamond dust, the light giving him more of an ethereal quality than he usually had. As he slept, the glamour had fallen from him, his hair lengthening, some strands now tipped with bits of deep blue. Looking down at him, she bit back a gasp, while looking at him, her feet had gone on auto-pilot and she had ended up standing next to the couch. Her fingers itched to reach out and touch the lightly chiseled muscles of his chest. Remembering her decision, she gave in to the impulse, reaching out and lightly running her fingertips over the smooth marble of his chest. A shy smile tugging at her lips when he smiled in his sleep and whispered, "Sarah."

~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~~J/S~

It was a lovely dream, one he had dreamt many times before – Sarah in his bed, trailing her fingers gently over his chest. But it had never felt so real before. When he felt the gentle touch again, he shivered, unable to contain the sensation. Her fingers were so warm, so soft. Then it happened again. He raised his hand, tenderly wrapping his fingers around her wrist. This was no mere dream.

Jareth opened his eyes to see a somewhat startled Sarah standing next to the couch, frozen as his fingers around her wrist lightly caressed her. Even in the pale moonlight he could tell she was blushing from being caught. Blinking, he smiled sleepily at her, his eyes slowly taking in the slightly tousled look of her hair, as if she had been restlessly running her hands through it. She was still wearing the flannel pajama top, the shirt falling at her upper thigh over long, lithe, and most notably, bare legs.

"Sarah?" he asked, unsure of what her intentions were and not willing to risk scaring her off, his fingers gently releasing her wrist.

Without a word, she wrapped her fingers through his and stepped back, as if pulling him with her. Sitting up he cocked his head, not yet rising from the couch. "What, Precious?"

She placed a finger lightly against his lips, her green eyes shimmering in the moonlight as she gazed at him with an intensity that make his breath tremble within his chest.

"Please," she whispered, the sound a gentle entreaty to a request not yet voiced. She lightly tugged on his hand, drawing him to his feet as she turned toward the stairs, taking him with her.

Jareth followed her, his mind racing as he tried to reconcile what she seemed to be asking of him, with his fear that she would regret it in the morning. "Sarah…what…" he asked again as she upon the first stair.

Turning, her hair fell forward to caress the sides of her face as she looked down at him from the steps. Then suddenly she was kissing him, her lips soft and warm as they teased against his, her tongue lightly tracing the seam of his lips, before dipping tenderly between them, as if tasting him. Breaking the kiss, she pressed her cheek to his and whispered heatedly into his ear, "One wish, Jareth. Tonight. Give me tonight."

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sorry for the delay everyone. Thank you for the kind enquiries about my well-being and support. Between working like a mad thing (I have 8 different BIG projects going, on top of the usual teaching load and university service) and being ill, I haven't had much time to write fanfic. I hope to have this story finished in the next week or so, so that I can return to working on 13th Rider. As always, feedback is warmly welcomed and encouraged.