Heir of the Labyrinth

Chapter 34: Awkwardly perfect

The sun was setting over forest, casting soft golden light through the trees as Jareth Jr. and Ruel made their way to their usual spot by the river. The air had that autumn like crisp, with a hint of woodsmoke drifting in from somewhere far off, and the leaves crunching under their boots made everything feel impossibly peaceful. It had been a few days since the almost-kiss incident—an incident Jareth still replayed in his mind, heart racing every time he thought about it.

He glanced over at Ruel, who was walking just ahead, his long ruby hair catching the light, and wondered, (Is it going to happen again?) He felt ridiculous even thinking about it. They hadn't talked about what happened—thanks to, Hans and Lars—but something had shifted between them since that moment. Jareth wasn't sure if it was good or bad, but there was a tension in the air that felt like something waiting to be spoken aloud.

-"You're glancing at me again," Ruel said, without looking back, his voice full of playful amusement.

Jareth nearly tripped over a root. -"What? I wasn't— I mean, I wasn't glancung. I was just, you know, looking at... the trees."

Ruel stopped and turned, one eyebrow raised in that effortlessly cool way of his. -"The trees, huh?" His lips twitched, trying to suppress a smile.

-"Yeah, they're... majestic," Jareth mumbled, feeling the tips of his pointy ears burn as he hurried to catch up.

Ruel shook his head, the smile winning out as he resumed walking, this time matching Jareth's pace. -"If you say so."

They arrived at their usual spot—a small, grassy patch by the riverbank where the water bubbled softly over smooth stones. Ruel flopped down first, lying back with his arms stretched out, looking for all the world like he hadn't a care. Jareth, meanwhile, sat a little more carefully, picking at the grass by his feet, trying to ignore the nervous energy buzzing under his skin.

-"So," Ruel said, staring up at the sky, -"what's on your mind, Jareth?"

Jareth flinched at how casually Ruel asked the question, as if he hadn't just thrown a conversational grenade into the silence. -"What do you mean?"

Ruel turned his head to look at him, propping himself up on one elbow. -"You've been acting a bit weird lately"

-"Weird? I'm not acting weird." (I'm definitely acting weird) Jareth huffed softly.

Ruel raised his eyebrow again, and Jareth could feel the weight of his gaze, like Ruel was reading all the thoughts he was trying to keep buried. -"You've been fidgeting with the grass for the last ten minutes, and you've got that look."

Jareth Jr:
-"What look?"

"That 'I'm thinking too much and it's making me awkward' look."

Jareth groaned, covering his face with his hands. -"I do not have that look."

-"You do," Ruel said with a grin. -"It's kind of cute, actually."

Jareth's hands dropped, and he stared at Ruel in disbelief. (Cute?) Ruel thought *he* was cute? His heart did a strange little flip at the compliment, but he quickly squashed it down, reminding himself to stay cool. Except he wasn't cool. He was Jareth Jr., king of awkward moments.

-"You think I'm cute?" he blurted out, immediately wishing he could take the words back. He didn't mean for it to sound like a desperate question, but that's exactly what it sounded like.

Ruel blinked, then laughed softly. -"I do, yeah."

Jareth didn't know what to do with that information, so he did what he always did when he was feeling overwhelmed—he deflected. -"You know, for someone who's always so smooth, you trip a lot. Like, *a lot*."