Disclaimer: I own none of these characters. I do, however, own the ideas that go into this story

A/N: This has only been beta'd for grammar. This being my first story, please leave constructive feedback (positive or negative) in order to improve my writing for next time. Thanks!

He peered into her windows from the branch he had grown so accustomed to over the years. Seeing her having yet another joyous party with her friends without so much as an invitation to him made him fall even deeper into self pity. Of course, how could she have possibly known this? She had never made contact with him again and the only news she ever received of the Goblin King came from her friends Ludo, Hoggle, and Sir Didymus when they felt inclined to share. They rarely did, however, for fear of making her feel guilty over how things had abruptly ended between the two at their last meeting.

The barn owl released the breath that was unknowingly held within his lungs. He ruffled his feathers and let out a pained sigh before taking off in flight, soaring high above Sarah William's house and into the sky, reaching for the moon. Today of all days she should have been thinking about him. It was, after all, her twenty-first birthday. She had said she needed "all" of her friends, but he could never enter her room when he felt her summoning those of the Underground. He truly had no power over her, and this left not only a bruised ego and damaged pride, but also something that he could not quite put his finger on. Was it heartbreak? He could never quite decipher, having never felt that way before. This mortal girl had turned down a king and he felt he was forever doomed to live without her.

Jareth knew he needed to talk to her. He was not sure whether a meeting with her would be something she wanted or something to make her wish him away from her for good, but he needed to attempt something. He came back down from the sky and landed outside of the door of her home. Lost in his thoughts, he landed a bit harder than he had anticipated and when he transformed back into his Fae form, he knew he probably twisted his ankle.

Rubbing a gloved hand over his riding boot to soothe the aching joint, he conjured a crystal with his free hand to check on the occupants of the home.

"Thank the gods…"

He was relieved to see that aside from Sarah and her party guests, no one else seemed to be in the house. Jareth gazed longingly at Sarah. She had changed so much yet so little at the same time. Her vocabulary had widened, both good and bad, he noted. She had obviously been doing well at university for she seemed to have lost the teenage willfulness and instead possessed an alluring confidence, which made him proud.

She looked almost regal. This made his heart ache as he thought about the way she had turned him down, as though he had been merely toying with her like one of her immature schoolmates. Suppressing those thoughts, he went back to…spying?...into the crystal yet again. Her physical appearance had been altered. She filled out. She was not overweight, but she no longer had the rail-thin appearance to her limbs. A smirk appeared across Jareth's thin lips as he began to daydream about Sarah carrying a child, possibly twins for him someday. The expression quickly faded when he remembered how she had styled her hair. It was no longer the long, luxurious chocolate tresses that he had dreamed of caressing, smelling, and nuzzling his face into during the early morning hours of love making…

He stopped himself before getting lost in his thoughts. He would respect her decision to have her hair…that way. It could only be described as a crop-chop, shorter in the back, longer in the front, and many shorter layers were cut here and there, making her look much more like a soldier in the field than a lady who deserved the position of a queen. "Such a pity…" he thought to himself. Yet, this was the Aboveground after all, and she was still young by mortal and Fae standards. Hopefully, if she ever chose to be with him, her king, she would choose a more timeless look.

This was the least of the Goblin King's worries for the moment. Grasping the doorknob in one hand and steadying himself against the doorframe with the other hand, he turned the knob and muttered under his breath, "Please, precious Sarah, I hope you have left this door unhindered for me."

It swung outward, toward him, causing him to shift to keep his balance. His elbow accidentally whacked against the door with a thud, causing the knocker to rap against the heavy brass underlay. Cursing under his breath in Goblin, he swept into the living area, ensuring his black cape was pulled tight around him to keep it from getting trapped in the silently closing door. After Jareth's eyes adjusted, which was rather quick for someone who turns into an owl, he was relieved to see the main floor was shrouded in darkness and the only light was coming from Sarah's room on the second level of the house. He wondered how he would make an entrance without scaring the poor girl, but he decided that appearing out of nowhere would be the best way to both surprise her and keep true to himself at the same time. All he had to do was sneak upstairs without being heard and act as arrogant as he could manage to hide the misery that he had felt since she turned him down in the Escher room.

Becoming lost in his thoughts, he recalled the day, as he had thousands of times before, that Sarah had turned down the chance at having all of her dreams given to her…the chance to live a life with Jareth, be a queen, and bear his children. He knew those were her dreams, for he had seen them in the crystal he held out to her. Steadying himself against the wall behind him, he half-closed his eyelids and allowed his mind to wander. He vowed to be everything to her and give her everything she needed in order to convince her he was genuine; that this was not just part of a sick game to get her baby brother. The only way to put this all into motion would be a grand, surprising entrance into her room to catch her off guard and try to make her see how much he loved her and missed her. Maybe appearing behind her and uttering "guess who" as they often did in the Aboveground would keep her from getting violently mad. Perhaps if she was in good spirits he could convince her to go somewhere with him to talk, perhaps hold hands.

He vowed to himself "This time, I will express my love with actions instead of silly words."

Before he could think too much about the perfect way to surprise her, he noticed the silence throughout the house. If Sarah was having a party, there would be a ruckus, especially with Ludo unable to utter a single thing without sounding like a broken car muffler. He leaned out from the living room to get a better view of the stairway and, ultimately, to check and see if the lights from Sarah's room were still lit. "Too quiet," he thought, curious as to what caused the sudden deafening silence. The last thing Jareth remembered was feeling a dull thud, seeing the room spin, then nothingness.

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Sarah had heard the front door's knocker shake violently and she immediately feared for her friends' safety. She knew that it would be no one invited. Her father and Karen were visiting family across the country, taking Toby with them, and she did not have many friends in the Aboveground who would bother coming over unannounced.

Sir Didymus was immediately on his feet and ready to charge down the stairs but Sarah ordered Ludo to physically hold him back. She rushed the trio through the mirror to get them safely back Underground, which made them worry but they did as they were asked, and quickly severed the connection that temporarily linked her room to the Realm of the Goblins. She switched off her bedroom light and silently crept down the stairs, thanking the fact that she had lived in the house so long and knew all of the quiet spots on the stairs where the floorboards would not groan beneath her weight. She stole into the kitchen and grabbed the heaviest thing she could muster: an iron skillet.

A brief movement in the living room caught her attention. As stealthy as she could, she slinked her way to the wall which separated herself from the intruder. From her standpoint she could hear him brushing up against the other side of the wall. She could even smell him. It was a vaguely familiar smell, of leather and spice and musk. Sarah could not put her finger on it, but whoever was on the other side of the wall was not welcome. Swinging around the doorway with her arms raised, skillet poised, she brought down the iron pan with a vengeance and heard the body land hard against the floor.

She ran her hand across the wall, frantically feeling for the light switch but not wanting to peel her eyes away from the unmoving form on the floor, just in case the intruder tried to run at or away from her. Finally feeling the plastic protruding switch on the wall, she flipped on the light and immediately dropped the pan. Before her, the Goblin King was crumpled on the floor, unconscious and vulnerable.

"Oh God…what have I done?" She blurted, immediately hating herself for harming him. Him, of all people. Adrenaline rushing, she pulled the surprisingly heavy Jareth off the floor and into a fireman carry. She hauled him up the stairs, slowly and painfully, and felt a rush of relief when she cast him into her bed. As she attempted to straighten him into the covers, her mind started to explode as she tried to remember everything that she knew about Jareth. What in the Aboveground she could do in order to help him?

Remembering he was Fae, she realized the iron in the skillet would make the blow to his head several times more serious than a normal concussion. She surely could not take him to a hospital…he would probably destroy their machinery with the magic that practically dripped from him, and if they found out he wasn't even human who knows what they would do to him. Her hand trailed over the bed to his wrist to feel for a pulse and, satisfied that he had a strong heartbeat, she leaned in to listen to his breath.

"Sa…rah" escaped from Jareth's lips as his eyelids fluttered. She suppressed the urge to cry, and Sarah pulled off his boots then went to get an ice pack from the kitchen to put on the back of his head. She hoped the swelling was not going to impair his ability to travel back to the Underground to heal more completely. Her thoughts of self loathing were cut short, however, when she looked at the Jareth's face. He was resting peacefully right now, even if it was an artificially induced sleep.

She switched on the lamp next to her bed, bathing the room in a dim pink light. Her comforter had been pulled to just below the waistband of his tight gray leather breeches and his black poet's shirt was pulled open, dangerously close to his navel. As her eyes traveled up his body, she got lost in his face. It was painfully beautiful, just like the rest of him. The Fae tended to be a beautiful people regardless, but her childhood fantasy of staying with him after their last encounter had made her heart weep over the last six years.

Hoggle had informed her that the King had refused to take a queen until Sarah returned to him, she realized his offer had been genuine and not just a distraction from the game. If only she could have realized what he was offering had been a dream come true while she was still there…still able to contact him. Several attempts to make contact with him had proven fruitless over the years and she did not want to make Ludo, Hoggle, or Sir Didymus take a message to him. She pushed aside those memories and focused on the matter at hand.

She wished he was awake for two reasons. For one, she wanted to be sure he was going to be okay, obviously. For another, she missed his eyes and longed to gaze into them again.

"This time," she swore, "I will not break his heart. If he breaks mine, so be it."

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She mopped his feverish face with a cool cloth, whispering words of encouragement into his ear as she tried to help him back to health. Pushing back his hair so it wouldn't stick to his neck, she let her fingers linger on his ears for a moment until she continued wiping him down. Having already removed his cloak and gloves, with no avail in lowering his temperature, she realized more clothing would have to come off. With difficulty she managed to pull him into a sitting position and, hesitating but deciding it was for the best, she pulled off his shirt and started cooling his torso with the cloth. Laying him back down gently and taking great caution with his head, she pulled back the sheet and played mental ping pong about removing his breeches. She wasn't sure if he would appreciate finding himself naked when he woke.

Encouraged by his sound sleeping, Sarah peeled his impossibly tight pants off his legs and, out of respect for this powerful being, she averted her eyes as she cleaned him. She knew she would not be able to get his breeches back onto him herself but she hoped he wouldn't mind too much, as she was only trying to help. She hadn't realized how long she had been keeping him cool, nor did she realize that abruptly after removing his breeches his fever broke.

"Dammit Sarah, stop acting like a horny high school girl and just keep the man comfortable," she chided to herself. Stealing a glance at his face, she could have sworn she saw the corners of his mouth pulled up ever so slightly into the trademark Jareth the Goblin King smile. With her heart feeling like she just ran sprints, she decided to be bold and see if Jareth was, in fact, awake. The idea that he might be aware of her presence and simply enjoying her touch thrilled her to no end.

She lain on the bed with him and stretched out, entwining her leg with his. Pulling a cover up to his waist so he was not so…exposed…she traced a finger from his belt line up his torso, achingly slow. Momentarily she ceased her upward movement when she reached his sternum, relishing in the feel of the toned muscles beneath his glowing, milky skin.

Splaying out her fingers, she very gently ran her palms over his chest muscles and made sure her fingers took time to make tiny circles around his nipples. Feeling them grow hard, her suspicion that he was aware of his surroundings was solidified. The fact that he was neither not transporting himself away nor stopping her added fuel to her passionate desire to show him her love for him.

She shifted, allowing part of her torso to overlap with his, and stretched until her face was directly below his. Underneath her palms she could feel his heart racing. She knew that with his ego, it was probably taking every ounce of self control to not grab her and act upon the roiling lust that was just beneath the surface of his "sleeping" form.

She slowly brushed her lips along his jaw line, extremely pleased to feel his fever had broken. Although the fever had been forgotten momentarily, she was overjoyed to see that he was, in fact, feeling better and to realize that he was letting her do this to him. As she leaned into his neck to kiss his pulse point next to his jugular, she heard the slightest utterance of pleasure from his throat, though it was obvious he was trying to hide it.

Her hand brushed against her pants and she realized she was completely clothed in ugly street clothes and felt very inexperienced next to his naked form. Hoping he wouldn't be too upset, she leaned up to his ear and whispered, "I'll be right back…don't go anywhere, my love."

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Upon her utterance of the word "love" Jareth's breath caught in his throat. Not even three hours before his current state he was convinced that Sarah would forever be out of his reach. Now here she was, doting on him, exploring him, professing her love for him. He could not even wrap his immortal head around the sudden change of events. Speaking of head…

He could not believe how much his head hurt. Who knew that Sarah could pack a wallop of that degree? He dared not move too much, thoroughly enjoying the attention she was giving him. He did not want to let her think he was fully aware of what was transpiring, so he stayed still and opened his eyes in thin slits to look around.

The first thing he noticed was the statuette of the Goblin King on her vanity. Had that always been there? If so, then she had been thinking about him. He saw the stuffed Ludo beast near her door and smiled to himself, wondering if she had made that or bought it prior to her visit. His site-seeing was interrupted by the sound of footsteps coming from the hallway. Quickly he composed himself into "unconscious" Jareth and stilled his trembling body.

He could smell her before she came into the room. It was a luscious floral scent which reminded him of the secret garden that his green thumb goblins kept behind the castle back in the Underground. He made a mental note to make the garden his and Sarah's special place when he took her back there with him. He also noticed that she no longer made a swishing sound when she walked. Hearing her on the other side of the room, he dared a peek from a barely-open eye and nearly jumped out of his skin. She was wearing the skimpiest silken dress he had ever seen on a woman. It left nothing to the imagination. The nightie fell around mid-thigh and was a deep shade of azure. Her outline was clearly defined in the thin material.

Jareth was no virgin; he had his fair share of Fae women. However, none of them ever dressed in such a fashion. She was truly a vision, and because she was bent over looking through a drawer for something, Jareth got a good idea of the outline of her derriere. The thought created stirrings in his groin area and to his horror he realized she could probably see the arousal from across the room. Pretending to have a rush of pain, he groaned and shifted onto his side in her bed. This caught Sarah's attention, and she stopped searching for whatever she was hoping to find and rushed to the bed to check his temperature with the back of her hand to his forehead.

As she realized he was just getting more comfortable, she took away the ice pack from his head and reached down to pull the covers back up over him, just in case he was chilled. Her hand brushed against a solid area of soft, smooth flesh that was exceptionally warm, and she flushed when she realized where she had touched. Plucking up her nerve, she brushed his hair off his neck and leaned down to plant a kiss below his ear, allowing her nose to rub against his ear lobe.

Hearing a sigh work its way out of Jareth's throat, she placed her mouth a few centimeters above his ear and, allowing her warm breath to come out in an exaggerated fashion, said, "Jareth my love, what are you doing to me?" Scooting down the bed, she rolled the Goblin King onto his back again and straddled his waist. At that moment, they both became very aware of each other's arousal. Smirking to herself, Sarah leaned forward and very lightly began placing butterfly kisses all along Jareth's face. She worked her way down to his neck, careful to avoid his lips for fear of losing her self control. Traveling to his ears, she lightly nipped and sucked the earlobes. She let the tip of her tongue slip across the opening of his ear and she felt him tense beneath her.

As she was enjoying him with her mouth, she let her hands work their way over his body. Lightly dragging her nails over his skin gave him goose bumps and she was pleased with the way she could affect him. He could probably have any girl in the Underworld that he desired but he had made it very clear to his kingdom that he only wanted Sarah. With this in mind, she reared up and started tracing kisses down his neck and onto his torso, working herself into a frenzy as her lips went lower and lower. When she could go no further without dismounting from him, she sat on his lap again as she leaned up and ever so lightly brushed her lips against his. Feeling him react under her, she stuck out the tip of her velvety tongue and traced along the line of his lips, exhaling softly.

Suddenly, she felt strong hands cupping her face and holding her where she was. Jareth kissed her with unbridled passion and moved his hands to her back, grasping at the moist flesh that was readily available through the thin, strappy silk nightgown. At the feel of his electric touch, Sarah moaned loudly, unable to keep her hormones in check any longer.

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"You dirty faker, I knew you were awake the whole time," quipped Sarah, a teasing smile on her face as she bit her bottom lip and threw back her head to toss her hair behind her.

"Well, my precious Sarah, it is quite impossible to stay unconscious under your…care," replied Jareth, his voice heavy with lust and eyes full of desire. Jareth had always pictured this day as being full of passion, with hours of teasing and touching before finally pleasing his future wife. However, after enduring mere minutes of Sarah's tortuous play, he knew he needed her as soon as possible.

He was content with staying beneath her, since he had just been clobbered over the head with a terribly heavy piece of equipment. He spread his legs, forcing hers apart. Running his fingers down her back, he allowed his hands to explore her backside before bringing his hands to the front of her body. Before he even lifted her gown, he could smell her desire for him coming off of her body. As he traced up the inside of her thigh he knew she was quite ready for him, but he wanted to give her some torture as she had given him.

Very gently he ran a finger across her lower lips, trying to get a feel for what she would like best. He had no idea how many times Sarah had already done this, if any, so he wanted to savor a little bit of the time they had together. He watched her chest heave faster and faster as he worked his hands on the external area, feeling her clit with his thumb and forefinger.

As his finger was about to go into her, she grabbed his arm.

"Jareth…I've never done this before."

He stared at her, unsure of what to think. He hoped she didn't think he would take advantage of her.

"I just want you to know that I want to give myself to you because I love you. I have always loved you."

His heart stopped, leapt into his throat, did a jig, then came back down to his chest and started beating again.

"Sarah…" he choked out, trying to force his emotions to stay in check. "Sarah my love, my dearest, precious thing…I love you too."

With tears in her eyes, she fervently kissed him and he resumed his exploration of her virginal opening. He cautiously entered her with a finger, feeling the unused muscles clamp around him immediately. Working his way in and out of her, she groaned and growled. As if it were unspoken permission, he slowly withdrew his finger and replaced it with two.

As she gasped, he attacked her mouth with his lips, putting his unused hand on the back of her neck and drawing her toward him. He thrust his tongue into her mouth and she massaged it with her own, relishing in the pain and pleasure the man of her dreams was giving her.

After a few moments of feeling Jareth make her soaking wet, Sarah throatily whispered "Jareth stop that, I wish to give myself to you. Right now."

Jareth obliged without complaint and he pulled away his hand, helping instead to have her remove her nightgown over her head. He tossed her gown to the floor and turned to drink in the site of her. Sarah was lowering herself onto his shaft and could feel her muscles clasping the sides of him as she slid down with minor resistance. She groaned in pain and Jareth felt the barrier within her break. Instinctively, his hands went to touching her. He felt her shoulders, breasts, waist and buttocks. As she was lifting and dropping herself on him, he put his hands on her hips and enjoyed the closeness of her body and the scent that their entwined bodies was creating.

Noticing that Sarah was having difficulty making love on top for her first time, Jareth flipped them, to Sarah's relief. She was nervous that she was doing something wrong, so having him take over was a weight off her shoulders. He pulled her legs around him and began thrusting into her, slowly, gently, but with enough force that flesh could be heard colliding together.

As her body grew accustomed to the movements, Sarah urged him to go harder, faster, and deeper. Knowing she was about to find her release, her body started trembling and her breathing because irregular. Seeing this, Jareth reached down and stroked her moistened external flesh. She came in an explosion of emotions and trembling and Jareth found his release a few moments later, having held it in until she was fulfilled. He leaned down and lightly kissed her, turning them onto their side.

It was only then that Sarah realized they were in Jareth's bedchambers. When he had transported them she was completely unaware. She held out her hand to his face and she noticed a diamond platinum solitaire ring on her left ring finger. Stunned, she turned to him with a mouth open wide.

"I had vowed to show you I loved you Sarah. You don't have to ans.."

She cut him off with a savage kiss on his mouth. "Of course I will marry you, Jareth. These were my dreams."

Happily, he nuzzled into her chocolate locks. "Um, Precious, we need to talk about your hair…"

The end