The past two days had consisted of Jareth being busy with his troops. Almost non-stop he had been in meetings, training his men, surveillance trips or had been otherwise engaged. Sarah had barely seen him and he hadn't been around for dinner. On a more positive note, the evenings alone did give her plenty of time to think.

Jareth had made a valid point when he mentioned that it could very well happen that she wouldn't see her family again, which was a big price to pay. Even though she would be under protection of the crown, that didn't make her invincible. Naturally, the thought of possible death was terrifying and difficult to grasp. Jareth had made it more than clear that he didn't want to take that risk with her. His perspective was that she would willingly put herself in danger for what he perceived to be a glorified parlor trick.

Contemplating where her life in her own world was going offered a rather depressing prospect. Before Alana had taken her she had been living with her parents, without friends and currently no job. Admittedly, the only thing worthwhile in her life at the moment was her family and her friendship with Jareth.

Her life had always felt rather empty. There was always a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. A strange sort of ambition or longing. Something that had consistently seemed unreachable in her life. Her brief trip in the Labyrinth had offered her something beyond the rules of her own world. It had filled her with a sense that nothing was impossible, that nothing was what it seemed. She'd always known there was more for her in the Underground. It was somehow instinctual, as if she was meant to be here.

Jareth had been an increasingly large part of her drive to stay. In her initial trip to the Underground he had been frighteningly fascinating. Much like the Underground itself he had sheltered this sense of hidden mystery. During her run through the Labyrinth he had shown her so many different sides of himself. Of course he'd been the imposing apparition answering her calls, but he had also been a tormentor, a sorcerer, a brat, a romantic… Possibly a bit of a jealous type. But she had sensed a hint of playfulness and an interest coming from him, even if he tried to hide it. Though, all those years ago she had the feeling there was more to discover.

When they met again a while ago he had portrayed that same villain role at the start, but had quickly risen to be the more playful man she knew now. Without Toby in play so many things had become possible. While he had been secretive about his life for most of their friendship, now that he had started opening up to her, now that she knew how bad things were she wanted to be there for him. A helping hand. A better part. Perhaps even somewhat of a heroine.

Especially with the most recent turn of events. A turn that Sarah still wasn't quite sure of was what she wanted. Granted, she enjoyed the playfulness and suggestiveness and he was definitely an attractive man but she enjoyed their friendship. Was this development worth risking that connection?

Despite the fact that Jareth didn't like her going out by herself, she needed some fresh air. Grabbing some boots and a cloak she headed outside for a stroll.

—-

The fireplace was crackling, bathing the room in a warm glow. On occasion, small embers drifted from the firewood like fireflies. Outside the world was dark, even behind neighboring windows the light had long since been doused. Sarah was relaxing in the sitting room, sitting on a carpet by the coffee table while doodling on a bit of parchment with a quill and some ink she found. Jareth walked in, freshly bathed wearing dove gray tights and a white shirt. He was holding a piece of parchment, reading what was on it before tossing it aside as he sat down closeby on the couch.

"Enjoy your bath?" Sarah continued her doodle.

"Very much, thank you. Would you mind joining me for a moment?"

Sarah looked up at him, seeing him put a hand on the cushion next to him. Her stomach contracted. "Sure," she said, crawling up from the floor and sitting down next to him.

"I presume we both know what this talk is about, so let's not be coy," he said. "I trust you have given the matter some thought. Would you like to start?"

Sarah suddenly felt very uncomfortable. While she had anticipated this talk it still formed a lump in her throat. Sarah fiddled with her hands nervously, not knowing where to start. Jareth put his hand over hers to keep them steady. Sarah looked up at him. His face was unreadable, but he didn't seem nervous. Had he already made up his mind? Did he know what she was going to say? Did she even know what she was going to say anymore? Now that they sat here her mind was a mess. She breathed in and out slowly.

Jareth chuckled. "Let me start, before you stress yourself into a stupor." Mutely, the brunette nodded. "First and foremost there's a few things I would like you to understand. I need you to know that when I visited your childhood home, it was never my intention to show myself in anything other than my animal shape. My visitations were simply a self-indulgent reprieve from battle. When I did not visit for longer amounts of time, it was because I was in battle or otherwise engaged. You must know that the way in which I have portrayed myself to you, while not untrue, is not all that I am.

In the past I gave personal preference over my castle in the center of the Labyrinth. While goblins are loud, unruly and destructive, the castle offered me peace due to its secluded position. It is only one of the reasons that I prefer my title as Goblin King, rather than more… conventional titles. Alana has informed me you already know the basics of the uprising that followed due to my disinterested disposition. While I take no pleasure in it, I have done things one could consider inhumane, cruel or even monstrous to reverse the damage I had done. I have made people suffer to get what I want. To regain control I had to destroy parts of my own cities and villages. While I have not purposefully aimed to do so, I have taken innocent lives for my cause.

In the past I have ordered men to report for duty, to abandon their families and loved ones to lay their lives on the line for me. I have commanded them to fight this battle that I personally caused out of negligence. Though I have ruled for a long time in mortal standards, to my people I am still a young ruler. While many of my subjects have thrived with me as king, they partially have their own capabilities to thank for that. Those that did not thrive or those that disapproved of the way I ruled are the people that oppose me in this war. My men draw their swords against them, if needed."

Subconsciously biting her lower lip she took a moment to take everything in, her eyes lowering. After a little while Jareth used his forefinger to lift her chin. She looked up at him.

"All that being said, I have promised to consider your request to stay, and I have. I have thought of the things you said to me and the things we have done together." The man grinned wryly. "As you might have noticed by now, I am a selfish man. If it wasn't for this war I might just have proposed for you to stay. Or attempted to convince you with possibly less savory methods. I am used to getting things my way. If need be I will twist things until I do. However, this is not a matter that offers me the luxury of making a decision that suits me alone." His hand gently brushed aside a lock of her hair. "I am putting my egocentrics aside in this situation. I have decided to disregard what I want and what I think is best and place the decision in your hands. As you said, you are a grown woman. If you have given serious thought to the situation I trust and respect your capabilities to weigh your options." His smile carried a strange sense of pride. "Meaning that you, Sarah, my precious thing, are the first person in three hundred years that can tell me what to do." His hand moved from her hair to her cheek, where his thumb brushed gently against her cheek. "The choice is yours."

Sarah felt tears well up in her eyes. Before she realized it was happening she choked out a sob and she quickly raised up a hand to her mouth to cover it. Despite the serious situation Jareth smiled at her and fully cupped her cheek. "Now Sarah, don't tell me you were going to say the same thing." She let out a sound between another sob and chuckle. He leaned in and kissed one of her tears away before gathering her in a hug. "Quiet down, Sarah," he said gently as he rubbed her back. "Let's continue with your part tomorrow. You need some time."

The woman shook her head, gently pushing herself away from him. Sarah took a calming breath. Jareth waited, his fingers fidgeting with a seam of the couch cushion. She looked back up at him with a wobbly smile. "God, if I'd known you prepared a page long plea I would have written down some of my cliff notes."

The Goblin King smiled encouragingly at her. "If you can convey your message in a handful of words, you are welcome to do so."

Sarah shook her head. "No, that's not going to cut it. Not with something this important."

"Very well."

"I'm not as put-together as you are, so bear with me. You have told me before that you suspect I'm just interested in little magic tricks." Sarah looked down with a small smile. "But to be brutally honest, nothing you have shown me has been so bindblowing that I would uproot my entire life for a chance of seeing it again." She looked up at him. His lips were slightly pursed and narrowed, one eyebrow raised as if she'd just minorly insulted him. She could see the sparkle of amusement in his eyes, though. "For the majority of my life I have felt like I didn't belong. People always looked at me funny when I talked about the things I find fascinating. I couldn't really connect with anyone. Often I wondered if people deliberately avoided me. When I was running the Labyrinth so much of that loneliness disappeared. People - creatures talked to me in such a natural way. Almost if I had already met them before. In a way it really did feel like that. After that, I felt alone again. The following years, seeing that pale owl in my tree… Seeing you kept the dream alive.

Eventually I just felt that I had to take action and see whether I was going crazy or not. I was so happy you humored me. At least then I knew I wasn't ripe for a sanatorium. Then, you said you didn't want to meet anymore. Just like that, I lost that sense of connection and worse…" She looked up at him. "I lost you."

Jareth had yet to look away from her since she'd spoken. He didn't want to miss a single word, a single emotion, any context that she might share, verbally or physically. After she looked back up at him he could see the heartbreak in her eyes and it took him every shred of control to remain quiet and still. To give her space. "While I have never taken you for granted, I didn't realize just how important you were to me until you were gone. More often than not you were the first thing on my mind in the morning and the last before I went to sleep. Whenever I spoke to my family, it felt like a part of it was missing. A cocky part that was all too keen on the taste of beef pizza."

Sniffling, she continued. "My family is really important to me. After losing my mom I became terrified of losing anyone else." Her eyes had fallen back to her lap. "I have thought about it a long time," she continued. "Of course I value your perspective and I hope you know I take it very seriously. All that said, you are very important to me, Jareth. More than I'd previously thought or at least wanted to admit. I don't like seeing you hurt, stressed and tired. I don't want to go home and pretend that things never happened and that nothing is wrong, knowing your situation. I can't. I want to stay and help. I want to be here for you and do what I can to make things better."

Jareth's face seemed blank, but his eyes were reflecting so many emotions at once that it was somewhat frightening. It was silent for a long while, during which he refused to meet her gaze. Her hand gently squeezed his. "I will honor the choice you have made. While I truly hoped that you had chosen otherwise, it is done." The man looked at her. "I propose we visit your family tomorrow so you can say your goodbyes. You have until then to reconsider your decision. After that, I will not bring it up again. As for you, you are free to ask and I will return you home as soon as possible."

Sarah lowered her eyes and quietly settled against him, her head on his shoulder. His hands fidgeted uncomfortably. "I suppose we'll have to inform Alana when she gets back." His voice was distant.

Sarah looked up at him with an encouraging smile. "It's okay, Jareth. You're not alone, not if I can help it."

A brief flash of emotion crossed his face. Shifting he turned to her a little, his arms wrapped around her and he cradled her head under his chin. "I'm such a softie…"

"I'm not so sure," Sarah said as her hand came to rest on his chest. "These feel pretty firm to me…" There was a small amount of rejection and concern that she felt when he didn't respond to her tease.

Letting out a calming breath he gently pushed her away. "Please excuse me, Sarah. I need a little bit of time to myself."

"Of course," Sarah said with a nod but she grabbed his hand before he could rise. "I really appreciate that you have given me a voice in this, Jareth. There's no place I'd rather be right now than by your side to help you get through this."

A sad smile curled up his lips and one of his hands moved to cup her cheek. "For a long time, being with you would have made me so happy. Now, I'm not sure how to feel," he said. "I do hope you realize that every second you are here, I will worry."

"Why? We make a really good team. We're going to kick ass. You should worry about all that oppose us."

"Us," he repeated softly, his thumb caressing the skin of her cheek. "That just might be my favorite two letter word," Jareth said with a chuckle. The man leaned into her free cheek, pressing a kiss to the warm and soft skin. Leaning back, he felt a resistance on his shirt.

It took Sarah roughly thirty percent more courage than she thought to possess to grab a hold of him the way that she did. Once her hand had clasped on the fabric of his shirt it felt like it would have to be pried off with a crowbar. Before she could backpedal she quickly put one of her hands on his cheek and pressed a kiss to the other. His skin showed no sign of stubble, creases or scarring. It was smooth like marble, soft like velvet and warm like a cup of hot chocolate in winter. It wasn't until she felt his fingers thread through her hair at the back of her neck that she realized she was lingering.

She moved swiftly to pull back. He pulled her hand back up, covering it with his own once it was back on his cheek. A flutter jittered through her stomach feeling his lips brush against her jaw. Slow and chaste. After a brief pause, his fingers threaded through hers, his lips still making contact with her skin. Jareth paused, silently gauging if his attentions were wanted. The brunette remained motionless. He pushed his luck and moved a little further back still, placing a kiss by the corner of her jaw.

Jareth had always found himself skillful in seeking and pushing boundaries.

Sarah couldn't repress a shiver when his other hand brushed up along her scalp with a feathery touch, burying itself in her dark hair. A quick brush of his tongue below her ear caused her breath to catch.

After a brief moment he chuckled. He cradled her face in his hands and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I will give you some time to yourself. I will return in a little while."

Sarah nodded and looked at his retreating form. Once by herself she released a long breath, relaxing her shoulders and letting herself sink down onto the couch. Quietly she let her fingers trace a path from her cheek to just below her ear. Once her heart had stopped racing and the butterflies quieted down a little she slumped on the couch, closing her eyes.