As The World Falls Down

Chapter 19

"Darling."

You looked up from your spot curled under a throw blanket in the seat of his throne, a mess of colorful thread tied around the horns at the head of it as you neatly wove a bracelet together with deft fingers. It was the perfect craft for the rainy Sunday evening you had been graced with, and you had just gotten into the zone when Jareth had appeared in front of you with an unusually somber look on his pretty face. Despite the sleepy atmosphere that had been blanketing the castle since you had woken up, he was dressed as extravagantly as if he were hosting court.

"Hey, where did you go off to?" you asked with a smile, but he regarded you silently, looking you once over before meeting your eye and smiling slightly.

"Would you like to see?" he asked, and the way he said it sent a nervous chill down your spine. "Or would you like to keep trashing my throne?"

"Tempting, but show me what you're up to, please," you said, tucking the half finished bracelet in the curve of one of the golden horns and holding a hand out to Jareth, who held you steady while you rose to your feet. He kept your hand in his, raising your palm to his face as he kissed it, still keeping his eye on you. You blushed, raising an eyebrow at him.

"What's gotten into you?" you murmured as he kissed the inside of your wrist and then rested it on his shoulder. "You're being quiet, you're never quiet."

"I'm allowed," he drawled, cupping your face in his hands and stroking your flushed cheeks with his thumbs. "Aren't you a pretty picture? Did you do something new or are you just particularly stunning tonight?"

"I, uh, no, I didn't do anything different," you stuttered, embarrassed at how easily he could make you melt even after all these months.

"Well, aren't I lucky, then," he grinned, leaning in to give you a brief kiss. "You're freezing, Y/N, goodness. You need some warming up."

"Why do I feel like your definition of 'warming up' is less 'hot drink by the fireplace' and more 'hooking up by the fireplace'," you said snippily. He laughed, pinching your cheeks before moving his hands to tangle in your hair, tipping your head up even more.

"Clever little girl," he smiled, kissing the tip of your nose.

"I'm 1018 years old, Jareth, that's far from little," you mused. "And seriously, what's up with you tonight? You're being so...lovey."

"You've never been one to just go along with me, have you?" he asked, shaking his head in disappointment. "Why don't you just let me make love to you?"

You swallowed thickly and he laughed again, tilting his head to the side.

"What? I thought you wanted me to stop being quiet."

"You're the worst," you groveled, smiling as you looped your arms around his neck, standing on your tiptoes. "Are you going to show me what you were up to or are you just going to have to take me right here?"

"Ah, someday, but not tonight," he promised, and you flushed again. "I hope you're not expecting a long journey. My secrets lie on my private floor."

You frowned. You could've sworn you'd been in every room...

No, actually, you hadn't. There was one room you hadn't set foot in, the one across from the smoking room. You had gotten so comfortable in there and the library that it had slipped your mind to ask what could possibly be in there.

"Do I finally get to see one of your many bedrooms?" you guessed, and he shook his head no, doing his best to suppress a smile.

"No, no, but that's not too far off," Jareth teased and your stomach flipped, running through possibilities in your head as he patiently brushed your hair back with his slim fingers, looking at you with a cheeky smile.