Sorry for the wait for this chapter! I'm writing ahead and had to write some 'bridges' that I wanted to get done before I uploaded this. Thanks for your patience! Enjoy the read and be safe!
Sarah sighed as she picked up a cardboard box. The last box. Looking around her room, she felt a strange mix of regret, happiness and nervousness. She was moving. Finally.
On her walls were scattered patches of bright squares and rectangles. Her posters, pictures and furniture had been there for many, many years. Admittedly, since she'd been twelve, not a whole lot of things had changed in her room. She loved this room, she would remember it fondly, but it was time for change.
As she walked down the hall to the van with the rest of her stuff, she occasionally dodged a rampant child running playfully through the house. Toby was having a playdate with his friends. Funnily enough, Toby mostly spent time with girl friends. He also liked dolls and plushies more than cars or dinosaurs.
When she finally made her way to the van, she put the box down. Her dad was chatting with a neighbor while Sarah loaded the van. He was still enjoying himself, so she decided to take one last look in her room if she didn't forget anything.
As she made her way upstairs, she felt a little sad. Time had been closing in on three months since Jareth had agreed to keep in contact. She had been looking for the sign he had mentioned, checking for feathers near her window, crystal balls hanging around, but nothing had happened. He hadn't been at her window in his owl form at all anymore. Maybe he had changed his mind. Maybe he didn't want to be in contact. But then the least he could do was tell her, right?
Walking back into her room, she looked around closely. Nearly everything was gone. Her bed and desk would stay here for when she visited. Most of her other stuff had been worn out and taken to the trash, stored to be given to Toby at a later date, or given to charity. Looking under her bed, all she could see was the curtains of her bed post resting on the floor. Her desk was empty, there was nothing on her bed… and when she looked by her window, there was no sign of him.
Feeling dejected and disappointed, her shoulders sagged and she turned back.
Time to see if Robert was ready to go.
—-
Rain tapped against her windows. There was a soft rumble in the air of thunder closing in and the musky scent of rain creeped in through a small crack of the window. The faint sound of cars passing by could be heard in the distance, accompanied by the scratching of pencil on paper. There was a blissful silence, the scent of lavender and coffee wafting gently through the room.
Sarah put her pencil down and rolled back her chair. No more excessive creaking, just the gentle hum of wheels across the floor. As she got up, she stretched languidly, moaning in relief as her cramped muscles were given a satisfying stretch. Downing the last sip of coffee, the young woman walked over to a window and looked out to the city sprawled out beneath her.
Her father had found her this wonderful apartment, using his connections. Honestly, Sarah was relieved that the last apartment fell through, this one was in much better shape and was much prettier. It was rather spacious for this city and much closer to work than her previous option. It had some funky wooden accents that reminded her of a lodge and had very large windows. The white walls allowed a lot of light to be passed through it, despite there only being windows on two sides of the apartment.
She had divided the main living area to a lounge area, the kitchen and a workshop. Besides that she had a bedroom, laundry room, storage room and a nice bathroom. She had already used her bathtub often. It was exactly the right size. Though usually she opted for a quick shower.
Admittedly, the amount of money Sarah could save up from her earnings as an illustrator had dwindled significantly, but she'd never expected her own apartment to give such a feeling of joy and accomplishment. It did help that her father paid half of it, too. While keeping it clean was still a chore, she preferred it over Karen's obsessive cleaning. Her dad had generously lavished her with most of her interior as an early birthday present. The amount of times she had thanked him for it must have gone quite far into the double digits. And as a continuous thanks, she would invite the family over for dinner at least once a month.
The new place had also provided her with a lot of renewed inspiration. Something that had not gone unnoticed with her boss. There had even been a few hints that he was planning on giving her a promotion in the upcoming year.
Another welcome change had been that she had more time and more energy in her days and weekends to do other things.
Her boss had recently hired a new assistant that she had been talking to a lot. A sweet girl of roughly Sarah's age, called Denisa. She was a little high energy, but was always genuinely happy to help anyone however she could. Besides that Denisa was also interested in theater, fantasy and absolutely loved to see Sarah's work. The girl had often told her that the best she could draw was a circle - or at least something that resembled a circle. And she wasn't kidding. Sarah once asked her to and it made Sarah realize that her skills in drawing were more of a gift than she'd previously thought.
Denisa had already joined her a few times in the local nightlife. The clubs weren't too far away so once every other week or so, she would join her for a glass of wine. It was refreshing to see new faces, Sarah had even been asked out a few times. And she had said yes - at least twice by now. But those had proven to run into dead ends really quick. Whether it turned out they were already in a relationship, just looking for a fling, or plainly were just uninteresting. But new faces turned up all the time, sometimes from people being on vacation or traveling for work.
Sarah had recently turned twentyfive. It had been a few months since she had moved in here. A certain blonde monarch often wasn't far from her mind. She was still hoping he would contact her. She had tried calling him a few times, but he had never responded. Ever so slowly, she had come to terms with it that he simply wasn't interested in talking to her. The girl tried to forget about it, but her dreams and love for fantasy continued to haunt her.
Grabbing her mug, Sarah poured herself another coffee and made herself a quick sandwich. She sat down on her couch and texted Denisa if she wanted to go out tonight. She was eager for some companionship. Before she had even finished her sandwich she'd already gotten a confirmation.
As the doorbell rang she walked over to her front door, greeted by a rather curt and grumpy delivery man. He pushed a parcel into her hands and grumbled a quick "have a nice day". Frowning, she looked at the parcel, it was from her dad. It was a small cardboard box, closed neatly with tape and string. As she opened it she was greeted by a short note, letting her know that this was a parcel delivered for her and her father had forwarded it.
Walking back to the living room, she looked at the leather bound book. It was a dark and deep blue, a color somehow more vivid and rich than she had ever seen. The front and the back were blank and as she flipped open the book at random, it was completely empty.
The girl wandered to her studio, not recalling she had ordered a sketchbook. Her thumb touched the lightly textured pages. It almost felt like recycled paper. Flipping to the front she saw a drawing of an owl, highly detailed and adorned by a beautifully drawn border on the edges of the page.
Suddenly it clicked. This was Jareth's sign. But what was she to do with some blank notebook? Perhaps he had attempted to visit her, but found her room empty. She didn't leave a note or anything of the like, to let him know her new address. She didn't even know if an address would even be any use to him.
As she flicked to the second page, something fell out, and reflexively she grasped for it, catching it between her fingers. She looked at it. It was a small chain. Putting the book on her desk, she opened her fist and was greeted by a small pendant. It was a tiny glass ball, no larger than a pea. Holding it up to the light, it winked at her. It seemed so delicate and fragile.
The girl took the chain in between her forefingers, looking at the necklace. She wasn't very big on necklaces, but this one was oddly beautiful. Carefully she put it on, where it came to rest just below the hollow of her neck. A strange brief tingle prickled across the skin by her chest.
It had magic?
Perhaps, Jareth had somehow gifted her with some magic of her own? Did magic even work like that?
Sitting down, she flipped the book open again, the owl staring at her from the page. Maybe he gave this to her as a sketchbook for her drawings. But with the beautiful piece of art on the first page, Sarah felt a little insecure. She didn't want to do the owl drawing injustice.
For now, Sarah closed the book and got up to clean her dishes and proceed with the day.
—-
Keys rattled in the door, fumbling a little bit before the door opened.
Sarah walked inside, immediately kicking off her shoes as she hummed one of the songs she'd heard in the club. As she took off her purse, she lightly snagged on the necklace. She'd almost forgotten it was there. While making sure the necklace was alright, touching it lightly, she turned on the lights. With a yawn, she put on the night lock on the front door before she went to get a quick glass of water in the kitchen.
Within the comfort of her own home, she slightly adjusted the front of her dress. While she loved this dress, it had a weird way of messing with her bra. After greedily gulping down the glass of water, she decided to go to bed.
Walking into her bathroom, she reveled in the feeling of the soft bathroom carpet underneath her sore feet. Looking into the mirror, the girl smiled again at the necklace. While she was very careful with it, she felt hesitant to take it off for the night.
After grabbing her toothbrush and adding some toothpaste she padded over to her living room, where the moonlight streamed in from the window.
Suddenly, there was a strange jolt in the necklace. Instinctively she brushed at the strange sting on her skin. The orb jolted again as she touched it. "What the…" Sarah mumbled with her toothbrush in one side of her mouth. Once she closed her hand around it, it dulled to a gentle hum, a soft vibration.
Frowning, Sarah felt compelled to check on the notebook, and walked over to her studio. Flicking on a desk light, she sat behind her desk and opened the book. The owl stared at her blankly. As she turned another page, she felt her heart leap.
"Sarah?"
There was her name, in the notebook, in beautiful slanted calligraphy. While Sarah had walked into her apartment a little buzzed, she suddenly felt wide awake and crystal clear.
That definitely hadn't been there before.
She grabbed a pen, wiping a little bit of toothpaste from the corner of her mouth and moved it to the page. She halted. After a brief hesitation, she drew a curt question mark.
After a second or two, the ink vanished and the question mark disappeared.
The woman jumped up, her chair rolling back and into one of her cabinets. She spluttered as she accidentally inhaled a little bit of toothpaste and hurried to the kitchen counter to spit out the contents in her mouth. Hurrying back, she left her toothbrush on the counter.
"I see my gift has finally reached you."
She stared at the sentence, now displayed right below her name. Grabbing a hold of the pen again, she wrote back "Jareth?".
"I am here."
The girl felt a strange thrill run through her body, giving her goosebumps and causing a flutter in her stomach. Grabbing her chair, she sat back down and leaned over the notebook. "It's been so long." Just like before, the text faded out shortly after she had finished writing.
"My apologies, I have been busy."
"Do you want to come over?"
"I cannot visit right now. I noticed you have moved. I trust you are well?"
"Yes, I am doing fine. I am really happy to hear from you have such beautiful handwriting. I feel a little embarrassed by my childlike penmanship."
"Don't feel embarrassed, I can read it. Barely."
Sarah blushed, slightly tightening the grip on her pen. "Rude." The text vanished and the next few minutes, the paper remained blank. "Thank you for your gifts. The necklace is beautiful."
"You are quite welcome. The necklace will notify you when I have attempted to contact you. It should be near indestructible, so you can keep it on if you wish. This notebook will serve as a tool for correspondence while I am incapable of visiting."
"This does feel a little strange. You can visit if you like. You know, as friends." Jokingly, she dotted the "i" with a little heart. The page remained blank for a while and Sarah grew a little impatient. Had he just up and left already? "Are you still there?"
"Regrettably."
The girl grinned and got up, taking the book and pen with her. She quickly turned off the lights and went to her bedroom, flopping down on the bed onto her stomach and resting her chest on the pillow. Turning on the lamp on the nightstand, she settled in.
"Do drawings work in this as well?"
"Yes."
Sarah started scribbling a little bit, a quick doodle of her new apartment. Somewhat childishly, she added arrows to certain parts and wrote to indicate what certain items were, such as her bookcase where she stored Labyrinth. After a few minutes of doodling, she stopped, and slowly the ink bled into the texture of the paper, disappearing.
Sarah waited for a while, twirling the pen in her hand impatiently while the page remained blank. After about ten minutes, slowly ink started appearing on the page. It flowed on the texture of the paper almost like thinned ink. Her stomach flipped in excitement as she started taking in the drawing. He illustrated a large room, every visible wall covered from head to toe in bookcases. There was a seating area at one end and near to the viewer's perspective was a desk. It was neat, save from a few rolls of paper, an inkwell, a lit candle, a small statuette of a bird and a pair of discarded gloves. While she was taking it in, suddenly there was an addition to the drawing. A plate of food, with an elegant arrow pointing at it with the word "cold".
She giggled and flipped the page. "What a beautiful room." She flicked back to the page, looking at it one more time. The discarded gloves on the desk filled her with a strange sense of curiosity.
"I have to go."
Her face fell. She'd hoped that maybe he'd draw her more, or at least talk for a bit longer. "Five more minutes?" The girl tried. She waited for a while, but there was no reply.
With a huff, she closed the book and put it on her nightstand. As she rolled over, staring at the ceiling, she wondered what he'd be up to while they weren't talking. Putting one arm on her forehead, giving herself a moment to relax, she noticed something in her peripheral vision. Turning her arm and holding it in front of her face, she saw a phone number. Licking her thumb, she rubbed the skin, only a small part of the ink came off. Shrugging, she turned off the nightlight, crawled under the covers and closed her eyes.
The next morning, Sarah woke up a little groggy. Looking to her nightstand she spotted the notebook and pen. Her hand gently touched the orb of the necklace she was still wearing. Somehow, it was still positioned perfectly. At the very least the girl had expected that it had shifted to the side overnight. Regardless, there was no jolt, no hum and seemingly no sign of Jareth. Checking the notebook, no new writings had been added to the notebook. A little saddened, she grabbed the pen, writing a quick "good morning" before she went to take a shower.
—-
Sarah felt her necklace give off a gentle tingle as she balanced her groceries in her arms. Eagerly, she put them down and walked to her studio. It had been about two weeks since her last contact with Jareth. Flipping open the book she checked the latest page and found herself a little surprised.
"Are you available for company?"
Her heart sped up as she gazed around the apartment. It was a bit messy. Looking down again, her heart sank a little bit.
"I'll be there shortly."
Sarah panicked. He didn't even wait for her reply. She quickly scrambled to clean out her desk a little bit, opening the curtains. She walked to the kitchen but spotted a pair of heels under the coffee table. She quickly sat down on her knees and fished for them.
"Sarah?"
The woman jumped, her head knocking violently against the coffee table as she scrambled to get up. She breathed a soft and pained "ouch" as she rubbed the back of her head. Tears lightly welled in her eyes. As she turned to the origin of the voice she put on a weak smile that likely looked more like a grimace. "Your Majesty…"
He was standing near the kitchen, looking a little worried. He was wearing an outfit much like he'd worn in her adventure in the Labyrinth. A deep cut poet shirt, a leather jacket and the rather inappropriate tights with leather boots. The man frowned a little, approaching her. "I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you."
"That's okay. I was just trying to clean up a little before I got a surprise royal visit."
"Here, let me look at that." He offered apologetically, reaching out to her head. Hesitantly, Sarah kept still, bowing her head a little bit while flicking her eyes awkwardly between him and the floor. His hand gently tilted her head a little further and inspected the sore spot. Carefully he brushed her hair aside a little, not missing the faint shiver she got as he did so.
"As a king with no healthcare knowledge at all, I can almost confidently say that you will live." He stated as he took a step back from her. "At least for now. You can never be sure with you mortal folk."
The girl rolled her eyes, touching the spot again one more time before letting out a sigh. While trying to calm her racing heart, she cleared her throat, looking up at him. His face was blank, patient. She was happy to see him again. His hair had grown longer since the first time she had met him after her adventure, now reaching his shoulders quite easily. Looking into his mismatched eyes, he held that same intensity. It was so strange how Jareth simply looking at her was already hypnotizing.
A sharp toothed grin slowly spread on his features and he leaned a little closer. "Like what you see?"
Sarah blushed and frowned defensively. Giving up on cleaning up, since he was already here anyway, she walked past him and back to the groceries. "So what got you so eager to visit all of a sudden?" Sarah asked while cleaning up her shopping.
The Goblin King followed her to her little kitchen, watching her as she put away various food items. "I just needed a change of scenery. A distraction." He watched her trying to place a bottle high up in a cabinet and he pried it from her fingers, easily sliding it in the cupboard. She mumbled a quick "thank you" while she squirmed out from between the kitchen counter and himself to put away what looked like cooking oil. "I hope I'm not intruding?"
"No, it's fine. I was just a little surprised."
"I noticed when I arrived and you were trying to disappear under a glass coffee table." He teased.
"I was cleaning!"
The Goblin King grinned at her. "Regardless of what you were doing, it did reward me with a rather fetching sight. I should visit unannounced more often." The way her cheeks turned a deep red and her lips parted in silent shock delighted him.
There was something about this girl that he enjoyed. She was different from the usual ladies of the court that he had been in contact with. Sarah wasn't afraid to push him every now and then, she wasn't so damn polite and delicate like others. He didn't mind her jabbing at him and her lack of social awareness. He didn't even mind her childlike righteousness every now and then. Besides, she actually had a life of her own. The other women he spoke with practically lived to serve and please men. They made for terrible conversation companions.
He frowned then, turning from her and walking a little bit into the living room, hands on his hips. "Now, do tell me… how do you live in such a pigsty?"
Sarah let out a shocked yelp and grabbed a nearby sponge, throwing it to his back.
Infuriatingly, he turned around in time to catch it, grinning at her with a smug smile.
Taking a slightly over dramatic breath she offered him a small smile. "So, as you so kindly poofed into my apartment out of the blue, you caught me in the middle of my daily routine of preparing dinner. Would Your Majesty like to join me?" She gave him a slightly mocking curtsey.
"Actually, I think I will." He tossed the sponge back at her, which she caught with both hands.
"Good." She put it back on the kitchen counter and walked over to the living room. "In that case, let's order some pizza."
"I'm not sure what that is but you seem determined to do so." He observed, following her to the living room and making himself comfortable on the couch while she made a call.
Sarah tossed her phone onto the couch and went over to get a drink. "Do you want anything to drink? I have some soda, juice, I think I have a bottle of wine, milk, water…" she trailed off.
"I could do with a glass of wine."
After pouring two glasses she walked back to Jareth and handed him one. He politely thanked her and she sat down at the other end of the couch, curling up her legs. "So, I've been meaning to ask," she started. "How are things in the Labyrinth? Or uh… your realm."
Sarah didn't miss his expression hardening slightly. The somewhat sizable swig he took from the wine didn't go unnoticed either. "More political troubles than I had hoped to come across in this millenium." Jareth looked at her and saw her face fall and turn worried. "I can't be talking to young brats all day unfortunately." He added jokingly, giving her a wink.
The girl narrowed her eyes, watching as he looked out the window when rain started tapping against it. "How about you?" He turned back to her, putting one leg up to rest his ankle on his knee.
"Me?"
"Yeah. How are you doing?"
Jareth took a contemplative sip of his wine looking back outside. "It's been quite a while since someone has genuinely asked me that." He chuckled a little bit awkwardly. "I am well. Well enough under the circumstances. Definitely a lot better than many others in my environment."
His eyes glazed over a little as his mind seemed to wander. "Is there anything I can do for you?" Sarah offered.
"I appreciate the gesture, but no, there is not. But I have been through many hardships, this is nothing I can't handle." Jareth looked around the apartment. "Your apartment is rather cozy."
Sarah chuckled. "I'll take that as a compliment."
"It's nice." He insisted. "And much more spacious than your drawing. Less arrows, too." Sarah giggled at that. "You seem happier here," he noted.
The girl nodded. "I am. It's good to have a change of scenery, I really needed one. Besides, I now actually have a fr-" she froze midway through the word and looked at Jareth, knowing he didn't like that word.
He chuckled at that. "It's good to hear. Not everyone has a fr-" he mockingly stopped midway through the word.
She was trying to find a response to get back at him but then thought of something. "Do you have any?"
The Goblin King swirled the last few drops in his glass, looking at it in a moment of silence. "I used to. One of them was Theoddore." She looked at him silently, waiting for him to continue. "He died while we were still young. Very young. From a very early age he worked at my family''s stables. His family was incredibly poor, so I often stole food out of the kitchens for him and his family. My mother pretended not to know, my father made sure that I knew he did."
"How did he die?" Sarah asked sadly, her heart aching at the thought of a young boy, forced to work for his family, possibly not having much of a childhood and never having a future.
Jareth twisted the stem of the wine glass in his fingers back and forth, the cup swaying, almost like he was nervous. "He died working in my family's stables. My family has a long line of royal horses, a unique breed. Warhorses, basically. They are fierce, fearless and incredibly strong. In battle, they're known for being vile and aggressive, not hesitating to take a bite out of whoever is in front of them. Regardless if it's a foe or the hand that feeds them." He glanced at her, seeing her eyes wide with horror. "Theoddore was trampled by them."
Sarah leaned over to gently take his hand, squeezing softly. "I'm so sorry… That's so awful…"
He turned his hand to hold hers, looking at their joined hands and squeezing back gently. "Thank you," he let go of her hand and put the glass down. "I wish I could say that after the incident, the breed was eradicated. But my father valued an upper hand in battle more than the life of a child. Or whichever innocent soul was inevitably next." He sighed.
"Does your family still breed them now?"
He nodded with a slight frown. "Yes. Specifically me." Jareth looked at her, a sad and confused expression on her face. "I know that they resulted in a fatal tragedy for someone that I deeply cared for. I am aware that something like it could happen again. But I cannot deny that the breed makes for a powerful tool. They have incredible stamina, very little and very minor defects, not to mention the mere sight of them is intimidating. I have not needed to use them in battle for a long time. But as a king, it is a precious source of intimidation and war power that I simply can't ignore." He shook his head, chasing dark memories from his mind.
The doorbell rang and Sarah jolted. She'd almost forgotten that she'd ordered pizza. "Excuse me for one moment." She got up and went to the front door.
When she returned, she put two boxes on the table, not missing the curious gaze Jareth was giving them. She retrieved the wine bottle from the kitchen and walked back. "Can I pour you another one?"
"Most certainly, thank you."
Sarah poured them both another glass, leaving the bottle on the table. She went to wash her hands before dinner and beckoned him over with a tilt of her head. The Goblin King gracefully rose from the couch and made his way over to her. "Wash your hands. You eat pizza with your hands," she added while grabbing a towel.
Jareth briefly hesitated, looking at the tab and back at Sarah, before he somewhat cautiously and slowly peeled off his gloves.
At that moment Sarah remembered that seemingly he always wore gloves. Something that for some reason had slipped her mind.
Putting the towel down on the counter, she went to walk behind him once she noticed he seemed to feel a little hesitant to take them off. He turned to the sink and put his gloves on the countertop, turning on the tab and quietly washing his hands. The girl couldn't help but peek around. She wasn't sure why, but she was very curious. Which was strange, she'd never been interested in anyone's hands.
His hands were pale and smooth, with long and elegant fingers. It almost looked like he came from a fresh manicure. The woman wasn't sure if this was always the case, but his hands even moved rather strangely, almost delicately, like he was handling the finest silk. As he turned his palms down towards the sink she noticed what looked like white lined tattoos on his hands. The drawings consisted of beautiful patterning that looked like curled branches, trailing in between his forefinger and middle finger. It reminded her of fine gloves, yet it still looked masculine.
He turned off the tab and dried his hands with the towel she had left. Sarah briefly noticed he reflexively reached for the gloves, but halted. Pulling his hand back, he went to turn around and Sarah quickly turned to the window, pretending she'd been waiting patiently. "Ready? Let's eat before it gets cold," she said smiling, heading over to the table. She sat down and opened the boxes, chuckling at his almost childlike curiosity, as he leaned forward after he was seated. "I got us one pepperoni pizza and one vegetarian pizza. Feel free to try at your leisure."
Jareth followed her lead as she scooped up a slice in her hand and took a bite. He let out an approving moan and leaned back a little, holding one hand under the slice in case he spilled. "I don't normally eat with my hands, but I will make an exception for this."
Sarah chuckled. They fell into an easy silence, enjoying the meal. On occasion, Sarah glanced at his hands again, but tried her best not to make it too obvious. Like most men Sarah had experienced, Jareth took larger bites than her and was done before she was. When he was done, he leaned back on the couch. He kept his hands close to himself and tucked away. Sarah had noticed. She wiped her hand and mouth with a napkin and sat back as well. "If you want, you can put your gloves back on," she offered.
He contemplated that for a second, but remained seated. "Thank you. I'm just not used to not wearing them around others. It takes a little getting used to."
The girl shrugged, taking a sip from her wine. "I don't mind, as long as you're comfortable." She saw him slowly relax, his hands still slightly hidden. "If I may ask, why do you always wear gloves? Is it a cultural thing?"
Jareth lifted one hand to trace circles on the back of the other, looking down at them. "It is expected of royalty, but it is mostly a habit and preference. I like to keep physical distance from others in whichever way I can."
She could still sense he was a little on edge about not having them on and retrieved them from the kitchen for him, putting them on the couch next to him. "Well, I appreciate that you feel comfortable enough to take them off near me." He took the gloves, falling still before slowly slipping them back on. "The symbols on your hands are very pretty, by the way. Are they linked to your magic?"
"That is a good question," he stated. "But no, they are not. They are purely decorative."
"Well," Sarah grabbed her glass and pointed it to him. "Can I pour you another?"
Jareth pursed his lips. "Actually, can I introduce you to my favorite liquor?"
The girl tilted her head curiously, putting the glass down. "I… uh… I don't really have anything else on hand right now, so I doubt I have your favorite."
Jareth grinned widely. With a flourish of his hand and the air shifting, an ornate bottle appeared in his gloved hand. He watched her eyes grow wide.
Sarah let out an excited "wow", then pointed at the bottle. "I have seen my dad's collection, and that's definitely the stronger stuff."
The Goblin King handed her the bottle, which she took hesitantly.
The crystalline bottle was adorned by a pattern that reminded her of a pineapple. It was definitely smaller than a wine bottle, but it wasn't that small. It was a little over half full and the contents looked rose gold. It was only barely see-through. The neck of the bottle was decorated by a leather strap, fastened by an ornate button with a little bit of silk under it. She tilted her head at it. "You know," she muttered. "This bottle even dresses like you."
Jareth laughed heartily at that. No one he'd ever met would even think to make that connection, let alone speak it.
Sarah handed him the bottle back. "Sure, I'll try anything at least once."
He grinned playfully at that. "I'll be sure to remember that." The girl narrowed her hazel eyes at him. With another flick of his wrist he summoned two glasses, each with a small twig of mint and some ice cubes in one of them. Putting the glasses down, he poured each of them a modest glass of it and handed her the one with ice.
The woman smelled the drink curiously, her gaze flicking left and right in thought, a small frown on her face. When it clicked, she narrowed her eyes, her gaze shifting to the man. "This isn't spiked… right?"
Jareth rolled his eyes, grabbing his drink and lazily sinking back into the couch. "Yes, it's peach and no, it's not spiked."
"Why did I get ice and you didn't?"
He chuckled. "Because with the stronger drinks, ice will ease it down a little bit for you." He swirled the drink for a few seconds, before he took a small sip.
Hesitantly, Sarah sniffed again, then put her lips on the edge of the glass. After another small second, she took the smallest sip of the drink, leaving it in her mouth for a small second before swallowing, lowering the glass to her lap. Suddenly she burst out coughing, her eyes tearing up a little bit. "Holy shit," she whimpered hoarsely. The Goblin King laughed, at which she gave him an annoyed glance.
He watched her with a wide and slightly mocking grin as she suppressed further coughing, a concentrated frown on her face. Once the coughing died down, she suddenly got a determined little glint in her eye and took another, slightly larger sip. He raised one eyebrow and silently observed as she coughed again.
"It's not so bad." She croaked, clearing her throat. The man was patiently but eagerly waiting for what would happen next. She slowly pursed her lips. Taking another small sip, this time without coughing, she smacked her lips for a second, before settling deeper into the couch. "Actually, I think I like it." She reached out the glass to him. "Hit me again."
"Sarah, you might want to take it a little easy on this one. This is pretty strong."
She raised her eyebrows at him stubbornly. "Well, I am a grown ass woman and I'm telling you to hit me again."
Jareth frowned at her. "Did you just say 'grown ass woman'? What does that even mean?"
The girl lifted up the glass a bit and lowered it with every other word insistently. "It means I want some more." He didn't seem impressed and she batted her eyelashes at him, giving him puppy dog eyes. "Please?"
Rolling his eyes, he indulged her and poured her a little bit more. He added a little more to his own and put the bottle on the little stand next to the couch. Feeling rather relaxed for the first time in a while, he made himself comfortable on the couch. He took a sip of the drink and looked at the window as a flash of lightning tore through the night sky. A low rumble followed soon after, resonating throughout his body.
Sarah studied him for a moment. Somehow he seemed tired. The intensity she'd seen in his eyes seemed a little dampened. Maybe his eyelids even seemed a little heavier. Or perhaps the alcohol was just messing up the perception. "I love thunder." Sarah said quietly. "Do you maybe want to watch a movie?"
Jareth had heard of movies before, on occasion he had seen small bits of them. "Yes, why not."
The girl put her drink down and moved to the TV, rummaging through some small boxes before putting one in the machine and turning on the TV. Walking to the kitchen, she grabbed some chips and settled down on the couch next to him again. Opening the bag, she offered him some, which he took curiously.
After tasting one, he made a dissatisfied sound. "That is vile." He muttered.
Sarah shrugged. "Okay, more for me."
They turned their attention to the movie and settled into a comfortable silence. After about ten minutes or so, Jareth moved to remove his leather jacket, sinking back into the pillows in an almost boneless manner. Throughout the movie, they occasionally shifted and every now and then, Jareth would offer her a small amount of his peach drink again.
Roughly halfway throughout the movie, Sarah was sitting with her legs pulled up and a pillow on her lap. She definitely felt drunk. Her cheeks were flushed and she felt relaxed and oddly serene, maybe even kind of numb. She'd put her glass to the side, opting to not drink any more.
There had been a peaceful silence for a while as they simply enjoyed the movie and the thunder outside. Jareth had made himself comfortable, nestling in the corner of the couch and his legs stretched over the lounger, neatly keeping his boots off of the couch itself. However, Sarah often opted to ball up, rather than stretch out. Cuddling up to herself made her comfortable.
"Are you liking the movie so far?" She asked quietly. When he didn't respond, she looked over at him.
He'd fallen asleep. His head was tilted back and to the side, facing her. His breath was steady, his chest slowly rising and falling. Over the sound of the movie, she could only barely hear his soft inhales and exhales. His usual sharp features, while still angular, had softened. In her cozy living room lighting, he looked so… normal. Though Sarah had to admit that his completely flawless skin was anything but normal. As a matter of fact, it was mildly annoying.
His pale blonde hair looked so soft that she was rather tempted to touch it, just to see if it was as soft as it looked. His thin lips for once not curled up in a smug smile or curved down disapprovingly - but simply rested in an even and straight line.
Her already pink cheeks darkened a little bit as she shyly looked down further, down his slightly bared neck to his chest. He wasn't as strongly defined as the male Adonis she'd often seen in commercials but he was definitely in a pretty healthy shape. His chest was almost oddly pristine, like alabaster. The amulet he always seemed to be wearing was resting on his chest. Like always and seemingly regardless of the light or lack thereof, the amulet had a little shimmer to it.
Unfurling from the couch, she put the pillow aside. Curiously, she leaned in a little closer to look at the amulet. His strange scent of rain, sandalwood and what seemed to be peaches subtly drifting towards her. There was also a lingering smell of alcohol.
She wasn't sure if her eyes were playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn that the distant flash of lightning briefly lit up the center of the amulet. Blinking, the girl tilted her head and leaned a little closer. Almost completely subconsciously, her hand reached out to touch the small circular detail of the strange item.
As her fingers got in touch with it, somehow, it felt like she wasn't touching anything at all.
Suddenly a sharp and strange sensation shot through her arm, not unlike electricity. Her necklace almost aggressively vibrated against her chest and a weird sense of adrenaline worked up along her spine.
Jareth gasped for breath, instantly awake and jolting up. Reflexively, he grasped her wrist firmly.
Sarah was instantly snapped out of her curiosity and buzzed relaxation. Suddenly Jareth's face was right in front of hers, his eyes wide and completely black. His lips were parted slightly, his quickened breath slightly tickling her chin. He seemed to be in a strange daze, not aware of his surroundings.
"J-Jareth?" She squeaked carefully. Looking into the inky depths, a slow dread worked up along her skin, leaving goosebumps.
Swallowing heavily, his eyes fluttered and returned back to his mismatched gaze. It took a few seconds, after which he seemed to return to the here-and-now. Suddenly, he seemed aware of their current position. He quickly let go of her wrist, the white imprints of his grasp slowly fading on her skin. The man scooted back on the couch a little bit. Still with a strange sense of urgency, he ripped one of his gloves off and splayed his fingers over the amulet on his chest. After that, he calmed his breathing.
Quietly he put his glove back on, not missing her watching his every move. "Sarah," he said a little hoarsely, after which he cleared his throat. "I apologize, I didn't mean to manhandle you like that."
The woman was wearing a small frown of concern. She wanted to touch his arm, but frankly, she was a little afraid to touch him after what just happened. "Jareth, are you okay?"
"Perfectly fine, I assure you," he stated. Looking around for the bottle of liquor he quickly poured himself a drink and downed it in one swoop, a brief grimace on his face.
"You don't look okay…" She pressed. "I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to…" Her apology faded into silence.
Jareth looked at her arm. "You're not hurt, are you?"
Looking at her arm, she shook her head. "No, no, I'm fine. Really. Are… are you hurt?"
The Goblin King put the bottle and the glass on the table, shaking his head. "Not at all. You just… caught me off guard, is all." He looked at her, her face still full of worry.
"What just happened, Jareth?"
Looking at her, he sighed as he put the glass on the table. "It's just a little bit of magic. A protective ward of sorts. Don't worry about it."
"I am sorry… I didn't mean to cross a boundary like this. I always feel this strange attraction to your amulet." She rubbed her arm, looking down at it. "My arm is still a little tingly from it. Should I be concerned?"
"No, magic like what you just felt is not harmful. Malicious intent has to be infused into it, to put it simply. From a conscious mind."
The girl settled back against the couch. "Does that mean that by nature, magic is benevolent?"
"Magic by nature is energy, it is neutral."
"What would happen to someone inexperienced wielding magic?"
Jareth pursed his lips. "That fully depends on how the wielder gained access to the magic. If the magic is shared from another party, with the control of the other, it cannot do much harm. A mild headache at worst. If it is absorbed or gained without any party involved, it can go anywhere from being drugging and pleasant to instantly killing you."
"Technically… You didn't influence what just happened… Any chance whatever just happened could result in something bad later?"
The Goblin King chuckled, touching the amulet on his chest. "No, the amount of magic gotten by a simple touch of my necklace is not nearly enough to cause you any serious harm."
Sarah nodded, smiling a little. "It kind of hurt at first, but now it's almost like a warm blanket."
He nodded. "That is not an unlikely feeling, coming from my pendant. Magic itself ironically cannot do wonders. True healing magic is very rare. But a mild sense of relief is definitely possible. I sometimes use it during stressful times."
The woman scoffed. "All the more reason to like magic. All we have here are comfort foods, spas and for some people, alcohol." She pointed to the bottle Jareth brought. "Two out of three do more harm than good."
"You've been stressed?" Jareth looked at the wry smile spreading on her lips as she glanced at her studio.
"Yeah. We have a difficult customer at work. Nothing I make is good enough for them, but they refuse to take their business elsewhere. I must've already made over fifty illustrations by now, which have all been refused. And the deadline for the needed ten illustrations is next week."
"May I?"
Sarah looked back at him as he held out his hand. Her eyes flicked down, then back up at his face. He raised his eyebrows in a questioning encouragement. Hesitantly, she offered him her hand, not even sure if that was what he was asking for.
He brought his other hand up to his face, and Sarah watched closely as he closed his teeth around the fingertip of his glove and slid off the leather object. The woman blushed, which luckily he didn't seem to notice as he looked at her hand still. "Take a calming breath," he ordered as he looked up at her. With her heart racing, Sarah tried her best to relax, breathing deeply. "Close your eyes." His command was gentle, lulling her more into relaxation.
As she closed her eyes, the feeling of her cheeks burning intensified. Slowly, she started to relax. His low voice was quietly telling her when to breathe in and when to breathe out. His hand disappeared, her hand resting on the couch. A second later, he took her other hand and placed it next to the other. For a moment she sat there. Then, she could feel warmth touch her hands that was not quite like a hand's touch. Then, his fingers slowly traced up the length of her fingers and into her palms, his thumbs tracing the side of her hands. As he lifted their hands up, he shifted, his nails briefly grazing her palm before moving over her pulse until her palms rested on his, their fingers by each other's wrists.
A gentle ebb of what she could only call energy drifted into her skin, like the warmth of a hot drink in winter. It slowly drifted up her arms, into her neck and down into her chest. There, it spread all through her body, making her muscles relax. Feeling herself grow a little bit dizzy, she opened her eyes so she could find her balance. Jareth had been looking down at their hands but looked up at her when her eyes opened, as if he'd sensed it.
She looked into his eyes quietly, while the calming sensation seeped into every muscle, every pore. His eyes were intense as always, now a strange power brimming in those mismatched depths. He held perfectly still, not speaking or moving. It almost seemed like he wasn't even breathing. Slowly, the relaxing feeling started evening out, remaining present in her body like warm rays of sunlight into her very being.
As it settled, Sarah let out a deep sigh. "Wow…" She wasn't sure what to do. "Thank you… that felt so… good."
His trademark grin spread on his face again. "You're not the first woman to tell me that."
Sarah rolled her eyes at his innuendo. She slightly flexed her fingers to test the muscles. As her fingers briefly touched his inner wrists he retreated and quickly put the gloves back on.
Clearing his throat, he shifted back a little bit and looked outside. "I should probably go, it's getting rather late." As he rose from the couch, she got up as well. "My thanks for being a gracious host this evening."
She smiled up at him. "Of course. Next time, please let me know at least an hour beforehand, so I can make sure you don't catch me huddled under my coffee table again."
Jareth chuckled. "I will."
"If you want to talk or anything… About anything, let me know." She offered, at which he nodded, slightly avoiding her gaze. "Good luck with whatever you're going through. I can tell it is bothering you." He gave her a quiet "thank you" and she offered him a kind smile. "Now give me a hug, it's the least I can do for you."
Jareth looked at her then, frowning a little. Ignoring his hesitance, she wrapped her arms around him. At first, he stiffened, but after a few seconds he relaxed in her hold and wrapped his arms around her. Closing his eyes, he let himself relax further.
"Is that one of your crystals or are you just happy to see me?"
He pressed his lips together at her teasing comment. She must've been dying to say that. "One could say those are to be used synonymously." He smiled as her body lightly shook against him as she giggled at his reply.
She let him go and smiled up at him. "Goodnight, Jareth."
"Good night, Sarah." He said softly. As Sarah blinked, the man was gone. She let out a little sigh, after which she started turning off the lights so she could head to bed.