"I'm not going, Diana," Sarah responded for the fifth time. She lay on her bed, head propped up on her pillow, with a large textbook open in front of her. It was on Biology, one of her least favorite subjects but she had a test next week and she knew if she didn't study, she'd most likely flunk.

Her roommate turned from the mirror where she'd been fluffing her hair, her lips set into a pout, "Come on, Sarah! All you ever do is study! In all the years I've known you I have never seen you with a boyfriend! Now's your chance!"

The brunette smiled slightly in amusement before answering, "Thanks for the offer but I'd rather not go to the party. I have a test to study for, as do you. Besides, you've only known me for 3 years…I could have had a boyfriend before that."

"No chance! Your stepmother asked me if you had started dating yet the last time she came here with your family," the blonde sniffed prettily, glaring at her roommate.

Sarah would have to remind herself to strangle Karen later, "I really don't have the time for a boyfriend. And I just haven't found the right guy yet."

Or rather, she had. But she had let him slip away. To be completely honest, she had actually thrown him away, refused him and rejected him then stepped all over his heart for good measure. She often wondered how things would have turned out if she had accepted his offer. Sarah shook her head…that was dangerous territory.

Diana seemed to catch on to her mood and smirked deviously, "Or maybe you already have found him?"

Sarah said nothing. But Diana caught the heated flush that came over her friend's cheeks.

She squealed then pounced on the bed, jostling Sarah, "All right! Out with it! Who is he?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Sarah lied. At least she tried to. But she had never really been any good at it. The blush on her cheeks was still quite visible.

Diana smacked her foot, "Liar! Come on! Tell me, tell me, tell me!"

Sarah sighed exasperatedly, knowing that Diana wouldn't leave her alone to study until she caved in to the blonde's wishes. Diana was a pretty easy person to get along with…as long as things went her way. But Sarah had grown fond of the blonde 'princess', no matter how difficult she was at times. And somehow Diana reminded her of…him; the same pale blond hair, the same sharp features, and the same somewhat twisted personality.

Sarah snapped her book shut, sighing as she caught sight of her roommate's pout. If she was to study in peace, then she would need to answer her friend's question. Even if she didn't want to.

"It was almost 10 years ago, he probably doesn't even remember me. So this discussion we are currently having is insignificant," she hoped that would dissuade further questions, even though it wasn't the entire truth. It had been exactly 10 years since she'd last seen him, but Sarah was quite certain he wouldn't have forgotten her. After all, she had been the only one to make it across his labyrinth as far as she knew. She was hoping that Diana would drop it, nonetheless.

No such luck.

Diana's mouth dropped open, "So, you've had a crush on some guy for ten YEARS? Wow! He must be really hot!"

Sarah felt her cheeks grow hot again much to Diana's amusement. The blonde laughed out loud, never having seen Sarah so flustered and decided to take advantage of the situation.

She hopped up and down on the bed, "Come on, tell me all about him! Please, Sarah! I'll never bug you to go out to another party for the rest of this year!"

Sarah hesitated, seriously thinking about the offer. A whole year without having a nagging Diana on her back about going to a party sounded terribly inviting. She wouldn't have to spend any more time in crowded rooms, with shallow people who would unsuccessfully try to win a date with her. Besides, what was the harm of telling Diana about him anyway?

Sarah made up her mind, already looking forward to a year with no parties to go to, "Okay, okay, what do you want to know?"

Diana looked absolutely delighted. Then she looked thoughtful for a minute before she spoke, "Physical characteristics first!"

Sarah rolled her eyes at her friend's obvious enthusiasm, "Geez, why are you so excited anyway?"

Diana stared at her with a 'duh' expression, "Because, this is like, the first time you have ever mentioned being interested in a guy! I'm still somewhat shocked that you've liked the same guy for ten years! Now, come on, stop trying to distract me and tell me about him already!"

Sarah sighed, preparing herself for the memories that were sure to bombard her, "All right, all right. Let's see, physical traits right?"

Diana nodded, waiting for her to begin.

"Well, he was tall and very lean with skin as pale as the moon. He had white-blonde hair that was fluffed up into the most ridiculous hairdo you've ever seen! But it made him look alluring, mysterious. He had blue eyes, though one pupil was larger than the other, so his eyes looked magical. He had aristocratic features…features of a king," Sarah had a far away look in her eyes as she painted the mental image for her friend. She could actually see him in her mind's eye, grinning at her with amusement.

Diana watched her friend's dreamy expression with a knowing look, "Uh-huh, so what kind of clothes did he wear?"

Sarah once again felt heat come up to her face as she remembered the Goblin King's normal attire.

Diana laughed, her eyebrows rising up and down, "Ooooo, that good, eh?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter! That's not it! His…sense of…fashion was a little extravagant. His most casual clothing was a poet's shirt, which he liked to keep open at the chest, a black vest, and tan tight-fitting breeches. He usually wore these leather boots. And he was always wearing black gloves on his hands. He also has a fondness for glitter," what Sarah didn't mention was how tight the pants were. Sarah had not really realized it until she had become older. Her visit to the Underground had been mostly about rescuing Toby, not how tight the Goblin King's pants were and how very attractive he looked in them.

Diana tapped her manicured fingernails against her mouth, "Uhmmm, tight pants, you say…How tight would you say they were?"

Sarah instantly flushed a bright red, "DIANA!"

"Okay, I'm sorry," the blonde looked anything but repentant, a smirk plain on her face.

Sarah huffed, feeling heat travel down her body. Really, sometimes her friend could be such a pervert. She would have to say the blonde was the exact opposite of her. While Sarah had never had a boyfriend, Diana had several each week. All the girl thought about was men and parties. Sarah could honestly say that in the entire time they had shared the dorm she had never once seen Diana pick up a textbook…Sarah had no idea how the blond managed to pass all her classes.

Her roommate poked her in the side, looking impatient, "Onward, Sarah! What was his personality like?"

Sarah once again saw the mental picture of the goblin king, only this time, his grin had turned into a patronizing smirk, "Oh, where to begin? He's arrogant, pompous, sneaky and stubborn. His ego is as huge as his kingdom, and he's bossy! He does what he wants when he wants to do it! He thinks he owns the world! And he's INFURIATING!"

"Sounds like a typical guy," Diana joked, chuckling. Sarah didn't think HE was quite like a typical guy. She'd met plenty of 'typical guys' and they didn't seem anything like the flashy king.

Sarah bit her lip, as another thought sprang up, "But…I guess he can be considerate sometimes. He threw a ball for me once, though it was more for his benefit. And he always did what I asked of him…"

"Wait, wait, backtrack! He threw you a ball?! Are you serious?!"

Sarah winced at her friend's loud voice, "Yeah, I mean, he owns a castle, and he's pretty rich, I think."

"No wonder you don't like any of the guys down here! They're all a bunch of immature dunderheads. This guy sounds pretty romantic," Diana winked at her, her grin coy.

Sarah said nothing, biting her lower lip and nodding. She guessed that the Goblin King had been somewhat romantic, with all that talk of putting the sky in her eyes and the moon in her heart. He had offered her countless gifts, one being the adventure she'd always craved. Another being the offer to be her slave if she feared him, loved him and did as he said. It was a bit of a strange request but still…She should have thanked him for all the good that he had done.

Diana poked her again, bringing her attention back, "So, why aren't you with him, if you love him so much?"

Sarah stood shocked for a minute, "What did you say?"

Diana blinked, "I said 'why aren't you with him'?"

"No, after that," Sarah's moss green eyes were wide, as if she had just solved a great mystery.

She paused, confused, "…If you love him so much?"

"I...I love him? Diana, I love him…," Sarah had known that she'd liked him and had always wished, after she had gotten older, that she could explore her feelings for the interesting goblin king, but she was always too afraid to call out to him. She was too afraid he wouldn't answer…and also afraid that he would.

She thought that all she felt was physical attraction, but that it could have grown into love if she had given it a chance. To realize that she was ALREADY in love with the Fae was like a bucket of ice cold water being splashed in her face. And with that realization, all his past actions became clear. He really had been generous and she hadn't realized that his claim of everything that he'd done, he'd done for her, was true.

"Yep, and you've got it bad. Don't tell me…you really are dense," the blonde shook her head, smiling fondly at the astonished brunette. Sarah was too much in shock to be offended by the last comment.

"How could I not see it before? I just don't LIKE him…I love him…I'm hopelessly in love with him…," Sarah's expression turned from astonished happiness to utter depression.

"Hey, what's wrong, sweets? You were bouncing with energy just a second ago," Diana looked at her crest-fallen friend with worry.

"Because I'm too late," she laughed bitterly, "Ten years too late."

Diana scooted to sit right beside Sarah, putting a comforting arm around her, "What do you mean, Sarah?"

"When I first met him ten years ago, we had a little…disagreement…over my brother, Toby. I ended up publicly humiliating him…after he asked me to be with him. He told me he loved me, in a peculiar way I admit, but still…and I didn't believe him. I took his feelings and flung them back in his face. I was so angry…I didn't think. I couldn't comprehend what he was offering," Sarah found that tears had begun running down her cheeks.

"Oh, sweets," Diana looked at her sobbing friend with sympathy in her kind gray eyes. She offered the crying girl a hug, hoping to comfort her, at least a little. Diana knew that she would not be able to offer the comfort Sarah really needed. 'What Sarah needs now,' Diana thought, 'is her mysterious king.'

"You know, Sarah, you never told me his name," Diana poked the girl slightly, offering her a small smile.

Sarah nodded gratefully, glad for the distraction. She breathed in a few mouthfuls of air before answering, struggling for control. She wondered if it was wise saying his name, if that would be enough to beckon him. She decided to risk it. The worst that could happen is that he would show up. But considering how they had parted ways, she didn't think that was likely to happen.

"His name…," she hesitated for only a minute, "It's Jareth."

The silence that followed was broken by the shrill ring of the doorbell.

"Wait here, sweetheart, I'm going to go check who that is," Diana supposed it was her date for the evening, but knew she would not be able to go with Sarah feeling down like this. It worried Diana to see her usually strong friend so…vulnerable. Not only that, her plan had failed…

"Hey, I'm sorry, this is a bad time…," Diana's words died in her throat as she opened the door and came face to face with her visitor.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Sarah looked up again as her friend stood in the doorway.

"Who was it?"

Diana said nothing, grinning widely. Sarah was confused as Diana stepped aside, revealing the person behind her. Sarah's eyes widened as she recognized the person. Mismatched blue eyes looked down at her, unnaturally dull. She felt her eyes once again fill up with tears.

"Hello again, precious," his silky baritone voice called out to her. She felt her heart splutter and butterflies flit around in her stomach. She was glad she had been sitting down. She was sure her knees would have given out if she had been standing.

Her voice came out sounding choked, "Jareth…"

"Well, I'll leave you two to catch up," Diana grinned at Sarah, winking suggestively. Her friend left the room but not before mouthing 'Go for it, girl!' and flashing her a thumbs up. Sarah then heard the door of their apartment slam shut.

Neither of them moved, mismatched blue clashing with moss green. Her eyes looked him up and down, noticing that he had not changed one bit. He wore his regular clothes and his hair was still styled in that poofy hairstyle. Although…Looking closely, she saw that he had dark circles under his eyes. There was a deep sadness in his icy blue eyes, a broken tint to them.

"Why have you called me, Sarah?"

Sarah shivered in pleasure at hearing his smooth voice again. 'Has it always been this…sad?' There seemed to be a tiredness to his soft voice, with just a hint of wariness.

"I…I…I'm sorry," all her thoughts seemed to have flown out the window. There seemed to be nothing but him. She shivered under his gaze, her heart beating wildly in her chest.

"Sorry? For what?"

His voice took on a bitter note as he continued, "For destroying my kingdom? For humiliating me? For turning my own subjects against me? Take your pick, Sarah."

She longed to reach out to him, to comfort him. But she was afraid. She was afraid he would turn away from her and leave. Afraid he would…she gasped.

'Was this what he felt when he held out that crystal towards me? This fear of rejection?'

At the thought, Sarah felt new tears prick her eyes. She realized at that moment that the crystal he had offered her had not only been her dreams. He had been offering her his heart. He had been hoping that his love was HER DREAM.

And she had rejected him and broken his heart into pieces.

Finding her courage, Sarah pressed on despite the harsh tone in his voice, "I'm sorry for all of that, but also for not realizing the seriousness of that last gift you offered me…and I would like to say thank you for all that you did for me."

He looked slightly surprised and Sarah swore she saw a glimmer of hope flash in his eyes before he slipped into his mask of indifference.

"If that is all, I shall be on my way. I do have a kingdom to run, after all," he said haughtily in his clipped British accent, then added in a softer voice, "But I accept your apology and gratitude. Goodbye, Sarah."

"NO!"

Sarah would not let their reunion end like this. She had dreamed for so long about meeting him again, dreaming up different scenarios. And now, thanks to her friend, she realized that what she had been feeling, ever since she had first lain eyes on him, was love. At fifteen, she had been too young to recognize it, but now…

For the second time that night, Jareth looked startled. He stood in the doorway, turning to look back at her. The glimmer of hope had reentered his eyes, making them shine.

"I…I had something else to say…" she slowly made her way towards him, her eyes never breaking contact with his. She saw him swallow as she stood only a few centimeters away from him. She had never realized how tall he really was. Once again, her thoughts and courage flew out the window as she lost herself in his mismatched gaze. She inhaled his magical scent, making her skin tingle. He stared down at her, surprise, wariness and hope reflecting in his expressive eyes.

"I am sorry for how things turned out, Jareth," her hand had come up and she hesitated only once before laying it against his cheek, "But you didn't let me finish."

She felt her heart give an unsteady beat as he closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, a small smirk playing in the corners of his lips.

"Do forgive me for interrupting," he murmured softly, his breath caressing her face.

She nodded, swallowing thickly, her breathing coming in more quickly. Her heart felt as if it would pop out of her chest from how fast it was going, beating against her ribcage as if it wanted to escape.

"What I wanted to say was that," she hesitated for only a moment before gathering up all her courage, "I think…I love you…"

Mismatched blue eyes once again opened, staring at her in awe and shock. Jareth went rigid under her hand but she pressed forward, "I realize now what you offered me all those years ago…and why you did all those things. You were only doing what I asked of you…I really was a spoiled brat. But I hope you can forgive me, Jareth. I know you might have changed your mind and that I'm a little late but I love you and I want to be with you and Jareth I…"

She was effectively cut off from her ramblings by a warm pressure on her lips. It took her a few seconds to realize that Jareth was kissing her. 'He's kissing me…The Goblin King is kissing me…'

She had no time to respond to his kiss before he pulled away, "Sarah, my offer still stands…"

Sarah looked up into his mismatched eyes, shining full of love and hope. She felt as if her heart would burst from happiness. 'He still loves me!'

"Jareth, I don't want to fear you or do as you say…But I do already love you…Is that sufficient?"

He smiled brilliantly, nodding in agreement. Her arms came up around his neck and tugged his head down to her. She captured his lips in hers, letting her emotions take over. The chaste kiss became heated as both fae king and human woman let their emotions tumble out. Her hands came up to tangle in his golden hair, drawing him closer. She tilted her head and deepened the kiss. His mouth worked feverishly against hers, demanding and fierce. She responded eagerly, her whole being only focused on Jareth. A small growl of pleasure escaped his lips when she moaned softly. He clutched her closer to him, her body flush against his. Jareth's tongue licked her lower lip, asking for entrance. She gasped and he took the advantage to slip his tongue into her mouth, their tongues dancing with each other. He explored her mouth, tasting her. Their mouths moved in unison, molding to fit the other's lips.

Jareth broke away, bending his head lower to trail soft kisses and quick nips down her neck. She tilted her head back, allowing him better access to her neck. But Sarah was soon missing his mouth on hers and brought his lips back toward her. Before she knew what she was doing, her hands were on his shirt, fumbling with the buttons. His hands were under her own shirt, his ungloved hands tracing patterns on her skin. She briefly wondered when he had taken off his gloves before deciding that it didn't matter. Sarah felt like her skin was on fire. Wherever he touched, her skin would flame and tingle. Her clothing was suffocating her, restricting her. She wanted to be closer to him, even though she was pressed against him so closely that there was no space between them.

"I believe," Jareth paused to growl lightly as Sarah kissed and nipped at his own neck, "I believe we should continue somewhere more private…What say you, my love?"

Sarah looked up at him with shining green eyes, nodding with unabashed lust and adoration. He returned the look, his mismatched eyes shining with unbridled love. Jareth then smirked suggestively, bending down to capture her lips hungrily with his.

xxxxxxx

When Diana came home later that night, she found the apartment bare…save for a handful of glitter and a small note in Sarah's room. The note read: Diana, went out with Jareth. Won't be back tonight. Thanks. –Sarah. A little lower, there was another scribbled message: I apologize for the glitter. Rest assured I will clean it up. Thank you for your help. Though we WILL talk about this later. –Jareth.

Diana shook her head and smiled knowingly, as she noticed that the penmanship of both persons was slightly hurried and crooked. Rolling her eyes, she allowed herself to smile fondly.

"You owe me big time, Jareth," she called out to the air. She swore she heard a deep male chuckle echoing in the air. Snapping her fingers, her appearance changed slightly. Her clothes became more regal, her features more sharp and pronounced. She was no longer Diana, the roommate.

She had become Dianalia, Queen of the Nymphs, Resident of the Underground, All-Around Flirt, and Older Sister to the Goblin King.

She sighed happily, glad that the two dense and sulking people she loved the most were finally happy. She had found out about Sarah seven years after the girl had beaten the Labyrinth. She was surprised her mischievous brother had managed to keep it a secret for so long. She had been forced to pry after her mother expressed her worry for the obviously depressed Goblin King. It had taken her all but two seconds to realize she had to find this Sarah and somehow convince her to marry her brother, for the sake of all those involved. It had taken her three long years to finally get Sarah to call on Jareth. It had been three long years of keeping her identity a secret, dodging Jareth's inquiries, keeping aforementioned Goblin King in the dark about her ulterior motives to living in the aboveground, and being the clueless roommate. But it had been worth it. She absolutely loved Sarah. She understood now why Jareth was so crazy about her. 'I'm looking forward to having Sarah as my sister-in-law!'

And with a flick of her wrist, she disappeared in her own cloud of glitter, gleefully congratulating herself on what a great actress she was and on a job well done.