Sorry for the delay, but with the holidays and finals the muses had kind of abandoned me... Thanks for the reviews though! Keep following and faving!

Hope you like it, to make amend for the late update I've managed to write a loooong chapter.

Disclaimer: Jareth, Sarah, and all Labyrinth-related stuff belong to Jim Henson, George Lucas and Brian Froud.

Chapter Seven

Jareth was very pleased to have the chance to spend some time alone with Sarah, but he soon regretted leaving her apartment. With her roommate out for the weekend, they would have been alone and undisturbed, free to explore their... Relationship. Unfortunately, Sarah had insisted on going out, first to a café called Stardust, or Starbust, or something similar, where she had bought two beverages called "cappucino" for them. Instead of sitting inside the venue, they had gone out again, sipping the hot liquid while walking through the crowded streets of the city center. Of course, he had not been able to talk much with her during that. But he did approve Sarah's attire that morning, he thought admiring her some steps behind. She had chosen a long ivory t-shirt with the image of an owl over a pair of tight black leggins, slippers and a black leather jacket.

"Since when do you host some of my goblins, Sarah?" He asked when they stopped at a crossroads.

"Actually, it's only Pymp who lives with me. Sometimes he invites other two goblins to stay with him, but they always go back to your castle after dinner" She answered. "It all started... mmm... Three weeks after I ran the Labyrinth"

"And it doesn't... Bother you?"

"What? Goblins company? Not really. I had to explain a few rules to them at the beginning, and Pymp caused a few incidents at my old house, but I like having them around. They're cute, and funny"

Jareth looked at her, amused. You are a rare and precious one, are you not, my Sarah?

"And tell me, where are we going now, precious?" He asked taking her arm.

"Don't touch me" She whispered, moving her arm away. "I already told you, we're going to the mall"

Jareth frowned. "Does my touch displease you so?" He took Sarah's arm once again and made her stop. "Why are you in such a bad mood today, Sarah?"

Sarah closed her eyes and slowly counted up to ten, trying to calm down. It wasn't his fault if she slept in déshabillé, nor if she had forgotten about him being in her house. Nor if your period came early this month. She opened her eyes and let out a sigh.

"I'm sorry" She said. "I'm not in a bad mood, I... don't like crowded places" She glanced around, bothered. Actually, what annoyed her was the fact that every woman (and also some men) who saw them (or, better, who saw the Goblin King) stared at Jareth with wide, lustful eyes and shot a killing glance at Sarah.

To show him that she was serious, she took his arm and gave him a shy smile.

Jareth smiled back and gave a small bow. They continued walking, both more relaxed.

Once they arrived at the mall, Sarah guided him through the crowd to a big toy store.

"It's Toby's birthday next week" She said.

Jareth nodded, mentally taking note of the event and planning on how to find a way to participate.

"Let's see.. Karen will surely buy him some clothes and I think dad wants to initiate him to football... So we can avoid the sport activities section. Uncle Brian got him a Nintendo for Christmas, but the games are quite expensive, and I don't really like the idea of Toby spending too much time with it..." She quietly murmured, walking through the aisles.

Jareth had no idea of what a Nintendo was, nor what kind of sport football was, but he followed Sarah looking around and saw many children pulling their parents, others screaming joyfully at the sight of a particular doll or puppet, and others crying hysterically.

He quickly stated that he did not like toy stores.

"I recall you saying that Toby likes to draw" He said "May I suggest something like pastels or a... sketchbook perhaps?"

Sarah looked at him, impressed that he remembered that. "Well yes, that could be an option..." She was interrupted by a woman who stepped between them, dragging a 3 year old boy with her. She smiled broadly at Jareth and blinked several times.

"Excuse me, but I was looking for puzzles and board games, and I actually got lost in this big store! Would you be so kind to help me find the way?" She asked in a low voice.

Jareth stood speechless, looking at the woman who had suddenly appeared. Was this a mother? She wasn't very young, her face had much too make up on and her dress was definitely too short for a woman of her age, she wore extremely high heeled shoes and her legs were bare. The little boy next to her was probably her grandson, and he was looking at him with wide, curios eyes.

Jareth opened his mouth to say something, but Sarah stepped forward and grabbed his arm, making him move back a little, and shot an angry look at the woman.

"Board games are upstairs, and the exit is right behind you" She said coldly. "Hadn't you noticed, there are plenty of clerks to ask to" She walked past her then, dragging Jareth with her.

"I can't believe it" She said. "Cougars" She muttered with a disgusted tone.

Jareth was grinning just behind her, making sure she didn't let go of his hand. He hadn't expected such a possessive reaction from her, and he was delighted.

Three goblins had watched the scene hidden among the animal puppets. They had been following their King the whole morning, confused to see that he did everything that the Lady asked.

"She's a witch" One of them whispered. "Ye see how she treats the King? She talk to him and trails him like a doggy"

"We musts stop her" Another said.

"What if she uses a spell? Like she do with Pymp and Clak and Pod?"

"But we musts save the King!" One said a bit too loud, and two kids turned to look in their direction.

"Hush, you idiot! We musts not be seen"

"But..."

"Hush!"

Sarah and Jareth were looking at the various marker pens and colors, some twenty minutes later.

"Oh look, with this he could also paint with his hands" Sarah said, taking a box. "It's a paint set. There are four colors and two paint brushes"

"I think you have found your present then, Sarah" Jareth said.

Sarah smiled. "Yep, I like it. Thanks for the idea Jareth"

He smiled as his heart skipped a beat. She was smiling at him, and she had just thanked him.

"You're welcome, precious. May we pay and then perhaps eat something?"

She nodded. "Yes. There's a McDonald's here in the mall"

Jareth frowned. "Do you eat a lot of this McDonald here Aboveground, Sarah? I have seen many posters while we walked here"

"Well yes, it's cheap and tasty. They make good hamburgers and I love french fries"

"French fries?"

Sarah laughed. "You've never eaten French fries? Oh Jareth, what do you eat in the Underground?!"

The three goblins had momentarily lost their King when they had discovered the big ball pool at the center of the store. They had watched curiously some kids climb a short ladder and then throw themselves into a pool full of small colored balls. At first they had thought that it was some kind of Bog to punish the children, but the kids had reappeared unarmed, smiling and laughing together.

They had got closer and closer, curious to understand what was so funny about it, when one of them had fallen into it, disappearing under the sea of balls.

The others had screamed in terror, jumping inside to find their companion, and you could imagine their shock when they noticed that the balls were soft and that they could breath, and it didn't smell at all!

Unfortunately, the kids that were playing in the pool saw something move under the balls and felt something touch their legs, so they run screaming and crying to their parents, while the goblins lost themselves in that sea of colors.

Jareth was feeling sick.

When they had entered the restaurant, a heavy and strange smell had hit his nostrils. He had never smelled anything similar before, and he couldn't judge if it was a good smell, or a bad one. Then, as they approached the counter, the smell of burnt oil and fried food had almost overwhelmed his delicate senses.

"What would you like to eat?" He heard Sarah ask. She was looking up at the menus displayed over the counter. He tried to read the names of the plates, but he couldn't recognize any of them.

"Whatever you choose is fine" he said. "I will find a table for us" He turned before Sarah could reply, and went straight to the tables closest to the doors.

He sat and noticed that the tables had no cloth, and the one he had chosen was indeed dirty and greasy.

He waved a hand, disgusted, and magically cleaned it just as Sarah sat in front of him, putting a red tray in front of them.

"I took a cheeseburger and French fries for you" She said, pointing at a white box and a red one, from which many yellow sticks came out. "Here's the ketchup and the mayonnaise. They're sauces, you can put them on the fries"

"Thank you, Sarah" He said, opening the white box. "You forgot the cutlery" He said.

Sarah stopped chewing, looking at him, then laughed. "There is no cutlery, Jareth. You eat with your hands" She took her hamburger in her hands and took a bite, showing him.

Jareth widened his eyes. He had never eaten wit his hands in public before. He took his cheeseburger and took a bite, chewing slowly.

"So?" Sarah asked. "Do you like it?"

Jareth didn't answer. He had closed his eyes and taken another bite, and was now enjoying the new amazing tastes in his mouth.

Sarah smiled. "I'll take it as a yes" She took some fries and put them in her mouth, watching the man in front of her with amusement. After the first little quarrel that morning there had been a peaceful atmosphere between them.

He's not so bad, after all. She found herself thinking, when he opened his eyes and smiled warmly at her.