I realized I forgot to say so last chapter. This fic will be posted once a week. I hope that you'll continue to enjoy it and I hope you'll leave reviews/favs/follows :)


A splash of water did little to alleviate Jareth's concerns or to shift his center of focus to his duties as king.

Today, he had some documents to read on the supply of grain and the complaints the farmers had on how hard they worked when this season had been so brutal, for which they wanted compensation for.

He would suggest reallocating tax funds to the farmers, diverting some away from other funds, which was sure to cause discontentment to some leaders, and cause more arguments.

On top of that, he couldn't stop worrying about Sarah's encounter with Dream. Lord Shaper did not have a good record with mortal women. Or women in general. Every single one of his romantic relationships ended sourly.

He thought of Nada, the young woman who had been condemned to Hell by Lord Shaper.

He thought of Alianora, a woman who had helped Lord Shaper and shared a romance until he more or less ignored her when their relationship deteriorated.

He thought of Calliope, the mother of Lord Shaper's son and how their relationship was effectively ruined after a heated argument.

He thought of Johanna Constantine, who was enlisted to do his bidding during the French Revolution and could have died.

And most recently, Rose Walker, a vortex. It was not her fault, and one that he did not blame Lord Shaper for either, but it still stood that interacting with him meant that something bad was happening.

He styled his hair into the purposefully messy strands and put in an earring, admiring how he looked in his reflection.

"Or, perhaps, I'm getting myself riled up. After all, we are all dreamers, so it would make sense for her to have wandered into Lord Shaper's castle. Each one of us has undoubtedly done so."

Then again, most dreamers didn't remember their time with Lord Shaper as clearly as Sarah did. Or at all, really.

Or maybe, it had to do with the fact that she was the Champion of the Labyrinth.

He shook his head. This worrying was getting him nowhere. There was no reason to worry until he had to worry. He sighed and massaged his temple.

"Why do I do this? It does no good to my sanity to constantly ruminate like this."

He knew the answer. It was because this involved Sarah.

After having her in his life, he couldn't bear to think of existing without her. For the first time, he found someone he wanted to live out his existence with.

He had been so lonely, for his kingdom was isolated from the rest of the Faerie Realm due to its proximity to the Realm of Dream. His powers were great, but that meant that no one wanted to marry him, as they couldn't enjoy the high faerie society.

For years, he didn't mind this. He was fine, living his life, even if it was heartbreakingly lonely, but at least, it was better than living with a wife who hated him and made them both miserable.

He did his best to ignore the ache for companionship that reverberated deep in his soul.

When he became friends with Sarah, he hadn't realized how free he felt to be around her.

They first became friends and were able to be unguarded in front of each other. They loved each other without inhibition. There were no games, no lies, or trying to make each other jealous. They were honest and raw and respected each other to the highest degree.

He opened a drawer, pulling out a gorgeous necklace he commissioned for her. The green, crescent-shape jewel would bring out her eyes, and the white sapphires next to them looked like tiny stars.

He planned to give this to her on their third anniversary of reuniting with the intention of asking her to move onto the next step in their courtship.

By his customs, they would court and have long visits before announcing an engagement.

By the standards of her culture, Sarah would probably want to live with him first, but it would be difficult to really see what that would entail, considering that they lived in two different planes of existence.

Jareth wondered if it was the right thing to do to ask her to live with him. There was no issue in finding her housing, as she was the Champion and that included rights and a title.

What he was afraid of were vicious people in faerie society, and Sarah, even with all her spitfire attitude, was a sensitive person.

She did not know how to navigate the sharks of political backhanded compliments and insults. She was also terrible at hiding her facial expressions, a skill essential in navigating the hostile society.

Was it fair to ask that of her?

Perhaps he would live with her in her own world. The idea was shocking and not really something he had thought of before, as he had his duties. But if he was going to ask her to move in with him, he needed to be willing to join her in her own world too.

Was he willing to do that?

It was a lot to think about, but he already knew what he would do, regardless of her choice. Besides, she was a grown woman and deserved to hear all the options and make an informed decision instead of being coddled by him.

Closing the velvet box that kept the necklace, he conjured a crystal that worked as a telephone directly to Sarah.

"Hey, Jare!" she answered her phone cheerfully.

Jareth grinned from ear to ear at the nickname. "Hello, Precious. How was your day?"

"Eh, kinda rough. My mentor, as you know, is kind of a hardass, so I got some pretty brutal feedback on my paper today. But that only means that I can get better."

He could hear the disappointment in her voice, despite her attempt to sound optimistic. "How about you?"

"Oh, you know, the usual. The goblins have learned about basketball and are now trying to throw each other into the baskets hanging from the walls."

He laughed when Sarah did.

"Is that so? Man, those guys are crazy."

"Indeed."

"So, why the call? Not that I mind it. I love hearing from you."

That was the thing about Sarah. She was genuine and he could feel her sincerity through her voice. Nothing felt better than hearing someone he loved professing her loving him and meaning it.

"Will you be free for a longer date this Friday? I would like to take you to a higher-end restaurant."

"You mean our usual street tacos and finding random ice-cream shops doesn't count as high-end?"

He could practically see her wink at the end of the sentence.

"They are wonderful, and I treasure those times, because I was with you."

She was quiet for a moment, but a good kind of quiet. He was sure she was blushing.

"And I with you." Her voice was full of love.

"However," he continued, though his tone was softer. "I want to take you on a special date. It's nice to dress up, is it not?"

"Oh, most definitely. So dress fancy?"

"Yes, but comfortable as well. No need to be anything too elaborate."

"Not too elaborate?" she giggled. "Who are you, and what have you done to Jareth?"

"Ha ha." He rolled his eyes. "Will I see you then?"

"Of course. Will I see you later tonight?"

He frowned, disappointed in his answer. "Unfortunately, most likely not. But I promise to make up for it on Friday."

"Okay." Her tone of disappointment matched his. "I'll miss you."

How wonderful it was to have someone freely express missing him in such a vulnerable way. Where had she been all his life?

"I will miss you a thousand times over, Dearest. If you need me before then, I'm only a wish away."

Once again, she was quiet. "Are you busy right now? Do you have maybe half an hour? Or even ten minutes?"

"I do have some time, actually, but it may not last long."

"A few minutes is all I need."

She cleared her throat. "I wish the Goblin King would come to me."

Before he could completely solidify in her living room, Sarah was already hugging him. He held her, not saying anything and not letting her go.

In that moment of silence, their affection for each other was the loudest. Jareth kissed the top of her head every now and then, recognizing that she needed that affection as much as he did. He yearned for her and vowed to himself that he would do all he could to make her happy for as long as she would have him.

She tilted her head up, looking at him with adoration. "Thank you. I needed that."

She kissed him softly, pulling him to the couch, so that she could properly hold him.

Some days, their kisses were wild and passionate, like that of a roaring flame. Some days, like today, their kisses were thoughtful and loving, like that of a candle.

The taste of her lips caused the storm and worry in his heart to calm.

To think that years ago this was the girl, who irked him to no end, was highly amusing to him. Yes, he preferred this Sarah, who was more sophisticated and thoughtful.

He stiffened, feeling a wish from someone, who wanted a child taken away. He sighed, placing his head in the crook of her neck.

"I must go."

"A wish, huh?" Sarah patted his back, pulling back to look into his eyes.

"It's okay, go do what you need to do. I'm always here. You can come to me when you need me too. You're my priority, Jare. And I love you."

"I love you, Precious," he beamed at her. "I shall take my leave and see you Friday."

"Wait just a minute."

She ran to the kitchen and returned, holding some brownies. "I made these today, for you."

"You're so thoughtful, and I will enjoy devouring the whole thing," he winked, kissing her once more. "Until Friday."

"Until Friday."

They held hands until Jareth faded from the room. Sarah stood alone, missing him dearly. It had been a very difficult day, and she had been looking forward to cuddling with him on the couch. At least, she got to see him for a little bit.

She blew a kiss at the framed picture of them both. "I might as well get to work, since he's not here today."


Lord Morpheus inspected a crack in the wall that Merv the Pumpkinhead brought to his attention. It was strangely filled with… glitter?

Not dream-sand. Glitter.

To say that this was odd was an understatement. From the Houses of Mystery and Secrets, Cain and Abel told him of the same lack of integrity in the foundations of their homes. Also filled with glitter.

He turned to face the library, unblinking. This, along with the rearranging of books? Odd indeed.

He looked down at his opened hands. Maybe he needed rest. It wasn't that long ago that he had been imprisoned and then had to deal with a vortex. The Dreaming was a product of his creation, reflecting his moods and powers.

It was probably nothing he needed to worry about.