Guys & Dolls, you're the best readers and reviewers! I hope you're enjoying my little take on this somewhat OOC relationship... I mean, really, I've been asking you to suspend your disbelief for ages now anyway. ;D Happy Birthday to me (4/6)! Everyone make it a fantastic Friday. :)
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And so now, Sarah sat, tending the man she had crushed on during her teen years, and to some degree still had a tendre for.
She was sitting on the edge of the bed, while he lay sprawled spread eagle over most of it. His frock coat had been removed by herself and the bellhop who'd assisted in getting him to their suite after he passed out from the sedatives; of course, he had to be sedated before he could be moved. Talk about a whiny bitch – you'd think no one had ever gone for the family jewels before!
She would have thought it an occupational hazard at the very least... stealing kids; pissed off parents and all.
Honestly, she hadn't intended to assault him earlier. Emotions were running high from being wound up so tightly. Sarah's head and heart were at war; and her professionalism as an escort had been thrown out the window half an hour ago.
Yeah, you really showed him. Have a temper tantrum like a four year old, and put him out of commission.Sarah, when will you ever learn?
She removed herself from the bed, gingerly, so as not to disturb her drugged up companion; and then she started pacing at the foot of the bed, thinking. The thick pile of the carpet nearly tripped her in those deadly two inch heels; she debated taking them off but decided against it.
Her plan of being a cool and collected professional was yesterday's garbage. She owed him an apology – of a sort. He was still a condescending ass, but she had been spying on him and his body parts for more than a year. She was not blameless for the anxious state she was in; but he wasn't helping matters any by hiring her under false names. "Git," she stopped her militant pacing to scold Jareth softly, standing guard over his person. Sarah had divested herself of the mask upon entering the suite she would be sharing with this man; Jareth's had fallen off when he toppled to the floor in pain. He was still the most beautiful creature to her. His pale silken poet shirt contrasting with his lovely tights. Soft, luxurious tights, that she had touched personally – to get him to the bed, only, of course. If her hands had lingered a bit too long on his taut, round buttocks as she maneuvered him... well, he wasn't awake to feel it.
"Thank goodness they had a doctor on-call. I'm sure they'll wear off soon enough though," Sarah murmured to no one. She looked over at the bottle left on the nightstand by the kindly elderly physician, debating briefly to dose Jareth continuously to make it through the rest of the weekend. Just dissolve a pill in a little warm water Sarah shook her head in regret as she grinned evilly; no, he may fuck with my mind, but I need to know why he's here and what he truly wants. And apologize to him, right.
She moved back to sit beside him on the silver duvet, one of her legs dangling restlessly off the side. Probably time to rotate the ice bag around, gotta make sure it's still cold enough to help with the swelling, she winced.
Her dress whispering against the bedspread as she moved, Sarah carefully shook the ice bag to move the ice within and placed it cautiously back on his groin, pushing gently down to mold it to the offended organ.
Don't grab it... don't touch it... leave the snake alone, Sarah she chastised herself and moved to sit back.
Sighing, she drew a hand down her face, noticing her hair had started to unravel from its elegant up-do. I'm sure all the crystals are still in there though. Magically, of course. Wouldn't want to cost Jareth anymore money this weekend; who really pays ten thousand to the woman who rejected him as a child – for the flippin' weekend? She sighed again, "This is going to be a very long two days."
She drew her gaze up from his crotch to the open 'v' of his pale, sculpted chest, and further up to his relaxed features. Hmm... not a hairy kinda guy. Good to know, she made mental note.
At least he didn't look so weary and tired now; a crease of pain sat on his forehead – her doing, she knew. Sarah moved closer to look at his face, her torso still twisted towards him, comfortably hanging a leg over the edge of the bed.
His strange eyebrows begged to be traced. Her index finger itched to follow the tilt of the dark blond hair and glittering silver slash. His lips were still just as thin and cruel as ever, but it didn't stop her from wondering what they would taste like against her own. "Sweet or tart?" she murmured to herself.
She used her other hand to brush away a few stray white-blond strands from his cheek and felt singed as she accidentally touched his pale skin.
Dammit, she sucked in a breath; why does he have to be so attractive? He's not conventionally 'hot'; she tilted her head to the side, but he's handsome in that blonde-big-bad-wolf-way. She chuckled aloud and murmured, "I was only half joking when I asked if you would eat me," and then blushed and alternately paled when Jareth's guttural voice responded with, "As the lady wishes."
She was pinned for a moment by the devilish look in his eyes. Until she fell off the side of the bed.
Sarah, in all her silken elegance, became tangled in her dress in her haste to scramble back and away from him; she promptly slid from the bed onto the floor with a loud "Ooomph!"; her face flushed and her heart jackhammering out an irregular beat;"Uhh...I think we need to talk," her voice coming from the floor.
Jareth moved to sit up so he could see where she'd disappeared to, and winced. His long fingers clasping the ice bag currently residing on his swollen genitals. He flopped back with a groan, throwing an arm over his face.
"Sarah -" he was interrupted by her muffled, "I'm sorry, Jareth."
"You're apologizing," he stated and paused, "for what exactly?"
Again muffled and a bit defiant, "For 'stomping on the boys', as my friend Stella says."
He attempted a chuckle but it turned into a groan of discomfort, "Yes, that would be an apt description – well it was less stomping and more bulldozing."
"It was pretty good, wasn't it? Direct hit and all," Some pride in her voice.
"I... ah... Yes, it was grand. Fucking fantastic. Anything else to include in the apology? And how did we get here?" Annoyance colored his words, he turned his head to see if he could see the top of her head from his viewpoint.
"Are you alright?" he inquired politely, "One would think I am still so frightening to you." A sneer laced the last.
Silence from the floor next to the side of the bed.
"Well?" Concern.
"No, I mean yes, I'm fine. Anything else? Umm... n-o-ooo I don't think so. And the bellhop helped me get you up here. We kinda... sedated you – there was a doctor involved! - and put you on a bellcart." Sarah shrugged but still, thought over the past week – the past year or more of spying on him in the mirror and felt a bit guilty. But really, unless he had a way or reason to trace her mirror communications, he wouldn't have any idea. "I think I'm good."
A frustrated sigh, "Sarah Williams, you will never cease to try my patience -"
Her brunette updo and her eyes peeked above the comforter as she spat out, "You hung up on me! And... and... you," she rose a bit further so he could now see her scarlet silk clothed chest, "you lied to me! Pretending to be someone else." Her green eyes blazed in trepidation, "We have history – not very pleasant history as it is! - and I-" Sarah plopped back to the floor in her sea of skirts, and sniffed.
"Gods, don't tell me you're crying!" he growled and rolled onto his stomach near the edge where he could look down at her form surrounded by waves of silky satin. Her head was bowed; he hair looked bedraggled.
A loud wet, sniff, "It's just a lot to take in."
"I didn't mean to make you cry, precious th-," Sarah looked up to glare at him through the tears she held in check.
"Hell! I'm apologizing to you when I'm the one who was accosted!" he burst out.
She gave a half smile and wiped at a tear that had escaped down her cheek, "I am sorry for hurting you. But you were laughing at me as if I was still that silly girl. I haven't been her for many years, Jareth. And the paranoia you've brought to my life... let's just say it was all too much at once."
He reached out a hand to trace the tear track through her make up and whispered, "I know. To my great chagrin, I was unprepared to face you that day, but knew I had to."
"The day I called Hoggle and Yubs?" At his touch, a shiver worked its way down her spine.
"Yes."
"Why? Why face me at all?" curious, eyes wide.
"I said before, it's our ten year anniversary."
A look of disbelief, "And you return to all your Labyrinth Champions to celebrate their decade anniversary?"
He closed his eyes and brought back his had to hold up his head, sighing into a smirk, "Yes, I do."
Sarah stiffened, "Oh, I see. I get it." Her voice had grown cold; "It was all a test from beginning to end anyways. How many are there?" she spat.
His eyes popped open immediately, guilelessly. "Only you, Sarah Williams, my precious woman. And not all was a test. There were truths throughout that you chose to ignore."