Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, Jareth or Sarah. But I would happily snog Jareth within an inch of his unnaturally long life if ever given the chance. Just sayin!
I also don't own 'Skeep' the gender-confused goblin (he belongs to the most wonderful Lixxle) but he does get an honorable mention in this story.
Warning: This is a silly story. Please do not attempt anything you read here at home. The goblins are not professionals, but they are goblins, which is why they aren't dead from doing what they do.
The S'mores Incident (AKA: Flaming Marshmallows of Love)
An out of sequence chapter for "Life With the Goblin King: What Happened Before – Sarah, age 19)
Written as a gift fic/Halloween chapter for AutumnSwanO'Shea from the jdbfangirlharem. :)
PLEASE REVIEW! A review is like chocolate for my soul...and I need MORE CHOCOLATE! :))
Chapter 3: I'll Weave You Halloween Evenings
Within an hour, Sarah and Toby had filled his plastic pumpkin full of candy. Although their neighborhood was small by city standards, the people who lived in the houses were always generous on Halloween, giving each child handfuls of candy, thickly slathered candy apples and even small toys. Sarah and Toby skipped down the sidewalk hand in hand, waving at people they knew, as they headed back toward home to give out candy to the older kids that started their trick-or-treating after 7pm.
When they rounded the corner to their street, Sarah felt the tell-tale sensation of the air moving behind her, almost as if someone caressed the back of her neck, the feeling accompanied by a faint hum that floated on the air. Before she could turn around, a crisply accented voice seemed to surround them.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here then?"
Stopping suddenly, Toby and Sarah turned around. Toby gasped, squeezing Sarah's hand tightly as the figure of the Goblin King stepped from the shadows. The king was dressed in black breeches, with knee high leather boots that creaked quietly as he moved. Against his chest, the golden sigil of office glittered brightly, framed by the partially-open front of the grey silk shirt that draped over his chest in a seemingly careless manner. Over the shirt he wore the deep brown leather jacket she remembered from the tunnels, the asymmetrical cut giving him a rakish air, while the long hem of the leather trench swept around his legs, seeming to lick at his thighs in a way that made her libido squeal with delight. Sarah couldn't help but study him, blushing at the piercing look he gave her, knowing she had been caught out – yet again.
Stepping toward them, Jareth gave Sarah a surreptitious wink, before squatting low next to Toby. Cocking his head he inspected the boy, a low chuckle rumbling in his throat at the costume.
"And just who might you be, my fine young fellow?" he drawled, his eyes sparkling with delight at the reaction of the little boy at Sarah's side.
Sarah watched in amusement as Toby stood up straight, squaring his shoulders as he faced Jareth, his hands on his hips. Toby glared at Jareth, his little face twisting into a smirk that was eerily similar to the smug look Jareth often gave.
"I'm the Goblin King," said Toby, glowering at Jareth. "But, I'm not 'aposed to talk to strangers and you look strange," Toby replied, looking at Jareth's clothing and crossing his arms over his chest, a stern frown on his little face.
Clapping her hand over her mouth, Sarah struggled to bite back her laughter at her little brother's response.
"Hmm… good boy," Jareth replied thoughtfully, giving Sarah a warning look, before returning his gaze to Toby, nodding at the little boy's serious words. "However I am not really a stranger, your sister and I are very good friends, aren't we Sarah?" he asked, peering up at her with a mischievous grin.
When Toby turned his head to look at Sarah for confirmation, she gave an encouraging nod, smiling tenderly at the little boy as he stood protectively before her.
"You're a stranger 'till you have a name," Toby informed the older man, tapping his booted foot in a way that reminded Sarah strongly of Jareth when he was impatient. She snickered again, earning another testy look from Jareth.
"Indeed," he replied, smiling warmly at the little boy who was unknowingly mimicking him. "My name is Jareth." Raising an eyebrow, he inclined his head toward Sarah. "And who is she supposed to be?"
Toby looked at Jareth, shaking his head in disbelief, as if the Goblin King had suddenly grown horns and tail. "The Goblin Queen of course. You can't be king without a queen."
Sarah gasped, feeling her face flush hotly at Toby's answer. Seeing the wicked grin Jareth gave her, she nibbled her lip, goosebumps running up her spine and down her arms.
Barring his teeth in a feral smile, Jareth nodded sagely at Toby, tapping gloved fingers against his lips in a thoughtful pose. Jareth smiled inwardly, the boy had no idea how truthful his words were.
"Hmm…quite true, my boy," he said, before winking at Sarah, "Out of the mouths of babes, Sarah Dearest." Turning his attention back to Toby, Jareth inclined his head in question, "And do you think she's a good queen?"
"She'd be better at it if she had a crown," came the all-together, too honest reply from Toby. Being only five, his understanding of the world was simple, clear-cut and often, scarily accurate.
Jareth chuckled low, the sound a chocolate caress to Sarah's senses, as his flickered merrily while he looked at her. "You are right of course, my boy. Every queen should have a crown, especially our Sarah."
Happy that Jareth understood him since no adult other than Sarah ever seemed to, Toby toyed idly with the empty snow globe before adding, "We couldn't find it in the costume box. All she has is that stupid masque."
Laughing softly, Sarah popped Toby on the back of the head with the masque. "Hey, I like this masque," she laughed, the sound brightly lilting in the crisp autumn air. "Masques make you mysterious, as though anything were possible."
She regretted the words almost as soon as they were said, seeing the way Jareth smirked knowingly at her, an impish gleam flashing in his visibly darkening eyes.
What's said is said, quipped her inner-voice with a mocking smirk.
"Hmm….Is that so, Precious? Is anything possible, my sweet Sarah?" Jareth replied, his voice seductive and teasing in a way that seemed to reach into her very being to set her soul aflame.
Sarah gulped hard, trying to force herself to relax as her entire body erupted in a mass of tingling electric sensations from the way he caressed her name as he said it. Three years on, and the sound of her name rolling from his lips still thrilled her to the core. She wracked her brain to come up with a suitable response as he threw down the opening gauntlet of the game they always seemed to play when meeting, a game of innuendo and cunning, where neither ever won or really seemed to cared that there was no winner.
Snap out of it! Demanded her inner-voice. He is winning! Say something.
Her emerald eyes flashed as she peered at him from beneath heavily hooded lids. Flicking her tongue against her dry lips, she lifted the masque back to her face, reveling in the way it gave her courage. If she didn't know better she would swear it was enchanted, by the coquettish way it made her feel.
"Possible, yes. Probable…well that depends," she purred cryptically, wishing for a moment that she had a fan to flutter coyly.
"Upon what, Dearest?" Jareth asked as he rose, his voice a dark purr that hinted of luscious and enticing endeavors. Taking a step closer to her, one hand grasped her waist to pull her against his hip, while the other snaked out to lightly caress the creamy flesh where her neck and shoulder met.
Sarah found herself leaning into him, lost to the familiar routine of teasing that they had engaged in for the past two years. When she was younger, the teasing was all one-sided, with Jareth gently taunting her with his game of words, baiting her to watch her blush. It wasn't until she turned 18 that she fully began to play along, thrilling at verbal sparring that flared hotly between them. In the back of her mind she knew that it was a dangerous game, but oh….it was such delicious fun.
Seeing her hesitate to reply, Jareth brushed his lips lightly against the flesh by her ear, his breath hot as it washed over her. "Do you concede, Pet?"
"You wish, glitter-boy," she murmured throatily, her eyes fluttering shut at the tender caress against her throat. Damn he was good at this game.
"Oh, but I do wish, Precious…You just don't know exactly what for. And you shan't, unless you promise to grant it," he replied, his voice rasping darkly with an emotion she couldn't quite name. "And as a hint…boy is horribly inaccurate, as I would be only too happy to demonstrate for you."
"Then we are at an impasse, as I won't make that promise unless I know exactly what it is you wish for," she breathed, blushing at the way his nearness made her voice deep and hoarse.
Sarah bit back a gasp when his tongue flicked out, tickling her earlobe, as he replied, "Think carefully Pet, you know what I wish for. You've always known."
Still reeling from the intense heat that radiated from him, Sarah felt him draw away from her and opened her eyes to find that he was gazing at her, the dark hunger evident in his eyes hinting at torrid thoughts, thoughts which made her pulse race and her breath catch in her throat. Before she could consider his meaning more fully, she heard it, a shimmering sound at the edge of her mind – the faint tolling of a deep bell that made the sultry darkness fade from his eyes, to be replaced by a frustrated frown.
Jareth sighed deeply, lightly leaning his forehead against hers. "As much as I would dearly love to continue this most pleasant repartee`, I am afraid I must go, Precious."
"A summons," she whispered, knowing that her disappointment was etched upon her face as if it were made of stone.
Jareth nodded, turning toward Toby as the bell tolled once more, the clanging ringing insistently in the back of Sarah's mind. She knew he could not deny it, as it was his vow to the Labyrinth and to deny the summons would cause him physical pain.
Looking down at Toby once more, Jareth paused. "However, there is something missing from our little Goblin King here, something he needs for his costume to be complete."
With a flourish, Jareth drew a crystal from the air, smiling as Toby's mouth fell open in surprise.
"Sarah! You didn't say he did magic!" squealed the little boy, his pale eyes shining brightly as he watched the crystal dance through Jareth's hands.
Laughing, Sarah replied, "You never asked. You know you have to ask the right questions, Tobes."
Toby watched, mesmerized as Jareth passed the crystal effortlessly over his hands, the shimmering skin of the crystal dancing in the reflected light of the streetlamps overhead. Winking at Toby, he seemed to squash the crystal in his hands, where it vanished, the small boy looking on in awed delight when Jareth's hands opened once more. There, lying upon his palm was a small silver replica of his own sigil of office. Smiling tenderly at Toby, Jareth slipped the chain over his neck.
"There you go, my boy. Now you look like a proper Goblin King."
Sarah merely raised an eyebrow, fixing Jareth with a curious glare, her voice low so that Toby could not fully hear, "And what price for that trinket, Jareth?"
"A kiss from you, Sarah my sweet. At a time of my choosing. Nothing more. And fear not, no harm shall come to the boy," Jareth crooned in a way that would have been soothing and reassuring, had it not been for the wolfish grin he gave her, a grin that would have made Little Red Riding Hood tremble with abject anticipation.
Nodding her acceptance, they were interrupted in their negotiations by Toby tugging at the cuff of Jareth's sleeve.
"But what 'bout Sarah?" asked the small boy as he gazed up at the older man in rapt wonder. "She can't be a proper queen without a crown."
Jareth laughed softly, feeling the pull of the Labyrinth become more painful as it demanded his attention to the summons.
"Well Toby, as much as I would love to give sweet Sarah a crown, she must ask for it herself."
Stepping away once more, he lightly grasped Sarah's hand. Giving a slight bow, Jareth raised her hand to his lips, his gloved thumb tenderly caressing her fingers as they curled over his. Jareth pressed a fleeting kiss to her hand, then backed away into the shadows, his final words hanging in the air as stars against the night sky.
"I will be back to collect on the debt soon, Precious. Be prepared."
And then he was gone, leaving a hint of laughter swirling around her and the scent of cinnamon, amber and pine drifting on the gentle autumn breeze.