AC III Ch 3- Valentine Evenings Labyfanfic

AMELIORATION CHRONICLES III - VALENTINE EVENINGS

CHAPTER 3 - Promises and Provocations

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Jareth's display of ultra-territorialism tweaked two equally strong but conflicting responses in Sarah: the 21st century feminist urge to slap him silly for his arrogant presumption and the deep-seated, Cro-Magnon ooey-gooeies that tend to stick with modern women the world over when their chosen mate stakes a claim with a suitable level of me-man/you-woman sexual fervor. In the name of peace for their fledgling relationship and due to the bit of guilt she still harbored, Sarah decided to split the difference.  A remarkably mature choice given her track record for emotional overreactions.

"That's because you should've warned him."

Shut up, Tutu. I've heard enough from you for one night!

"Alright, alright, but don't say I didn't WARN you."

Sarah ignored Tutu's latest ominous prediction of romantic doom and responded instead to Jareth's "Mine", which he'd hissed only seconds earlier.

"Mine?" she mimicked his tone, then added in a sardonic yet calm voice to his face inches from hers. "Excuse me?" Sarah subscribed to the belief that the best defense was always a good offense.  Too bad for her Jareth received the same subscription.

"Er-what?" he replied, taken aback. He'd expected her to either cow-tow or most likely rage, but this was ... different ... and rather disconcerting.

"You know what."

Jareth pulled back from his prone position lying atop her, thus exposing both their glorious nakedness, which did nothing to help his ability to think clearly. Damn the woman; she always does this! She started talks whilst unclothed and somehow her capabilities for rational thought remained immune to the devastating effect, while his brain stuttered to a mere duh-duh-duh-duh. Immortal he may be, but male first and foremost he persisted and his blood rarely traveled in the correct direction when needed.

"I-uh-well...that is..." he said.

"You were spying on me weren't you?" She sat up next to him and he was sure she deliberately displayed herself to best advantage.

"I was not!" He used his best—I'm-most-grievously-offended-by-your-accusation-and-don't –take-that-tone-with-me-missy-voice. Unfortunately for Jareth, she knew him well and she was a member of the blood sucking fiend and legal representation society, so she didn't buy it.

"You're lying! You did so spy on me." Furious eyes bored into his, which suddenly found items on her bookshelf intensely fascinating. "You promised, Jareth! No more stalking."

"I wasn't stalking!" He defended, bookshelf forgotten. "I just missed you. Is that such a crime?"

"You weren't supposed to be here tonight. My personal time, you promised that, too!" She pointed a finger in his face. His eyes narrowed and his lips thinned.

"What ... so you can see other men to make a cuckold of me?" His scathing tone bit into Sarah's heart.

"I already told you, he's just a friend. It's the 21st century, trying living in it, Jareth. I'm allowed to have a life outside of my boyfriend!" she snapped.

"A life consisting of romantic dinners for two sans your beau?" he yelled back, his face flushing in anger.

"Aha! So you admit it! You did spy on me!" Sarah triumphantly declared jumping up from the couch, which did marvelous things to her softly, illuminated wiggly parts and Jareth imperceptibly groaned as certain areas of his anatomy twitched in response to her said wiggly parts. Only she, only his Sarah could trap him in his own logic, then bring about a lustful response from his body.

"And you adore her for it!"His inner voice sagely pointed out.

Yes, as much as I wish to throttle her for it as well.

"Or shag her silly, perhaps?" Was his voice sniggering at him?

Oh gods ... why me? Jareth bemoaned his luck and ill-luck of knowing Sarah, the yin and yang of his unique existence. Not to be outdone, he attempted to turn the tables on his perfect match.

"Then you admit to a romantic dinner with another man!" His eyes blazed as he stood next to her, his equally nude body seemingly having no effect on her mental state. If only Jareth possessed telepathy in his arsenal of sorcery.

Why does he have to be so flipping gorgeous? It's soooo not fair! Sarah whined to herself.

"Amen to that, sister!" Tutus said, and Sarah swore she heard faint slurping sounds in her mind.

Geez, Tutu, could you be any more obvious?

"Hey, I've got nothing to hide! You're the one with the complex. By the way...I suspect he only spied on you for a short time. He couldn't have seen the whole dinner or he wouldn't be acting like this."

AgreedSarah refocused, or tried her best to refocus on the argument at hand by keeping her eyes locked solidly above his neck. Don't look down there...don't look down there was her mantra for the present as his yumminess kept trying to salute her, and she flirted with the very strong temptation to postpone their disagreement ... again.

"I admit nothing of the sort," Sarah resolutely stated. "I told you it was dinner with a friend regarding business and that's the truth. If you chose not to trust me then ... well ... we've got some serious problems in our relationship, Jareth." She crossed her arms in front of her inadvertently pushing her bare breasts up and together creating a luscious picture of cleavage that Jareth's eyes zoomed in on. However, her statement came forth calmly and far, far too rationally which brought Jareth's anger to a screeching halt.

Blinking several times, he then snapped his gaping mouth shut so sharply his teeth hurt.
"W—what?" he said in a rather dull fashion.

"You've got to learn to trust me, Mr. I-can-magically-do-anything-I-want. I suppose I should've warned you about my dinner plans so you didn't worry, and I'm sorry about that. But you don't get to run my life, Jareth, just as I don't get to run yours. I really don't appreciate being spied on."

"Oh crap..." his inner voice said.

Oh crap... Jareth said.

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After much angst, a bit more arguing, and quite a lot of making up between them throughout the night, they eventually reached a tentative understanding. Jareth again promised not to spy on or stalk Sarah, and although he never actually admitted to having spied on her this time, Sarah graciously allowed him to keep his pride by exacting the new vow without the requirement of the admission as well. In return Sarah agreed to inform him beforehand of her personal plans, which necessitated his exclusion. Granted, this reality of a portion of Sarah's life without him was a bitter pill for him swallow but he acknowledged, if not accepted, that his Sarah's independence and passion stemmed from her willingness to stand apart from others, even him.

Languidly lying in her bed the next morning, he admired the view of her silken clad backside as she dressed for her workday. All in all the day, or night rather or possibly very early morning, ended pleasurably for them both, and Jareth grinned as he remembered a few of the nicer bits of the makeup activities.

"What are you smiling about? That evil smirk is making me nervous," Sarah said warily, and he caught her looking at him by their reflections in her dresser mirror. He grinned wider and waggled his hips under the tented sheet.

"Oh ... just replaying some of the more pleasant bits of last night, Precious." He enjoyed watching her reflection blush and her eyes brighten. Jareth scented her quick rush of arousal but she decided to act the prude.

"Ugh...you would!"

"And you wouldn't?" When she had no answer, he released a hearty laugh. "So where would you prefer to go for dinner tonight, love? Paris? Venice? Or perhaps we should try something Asian?" he asked casually, his head cocked slightly to the side on his pillow, his platinum hair fluffing in the air at the motion.

Tonight? Sarah squeaked to herself. She needed to meet up with Brad tonight. "Oh, uh, about tonight." Sarah turned around to face him her bottom pressed against the edge of her dresser and observed his eyes flick from soft to crystalline at her tone of voice. "I have an errand to run ... a business errand."

"Don't tell me, with your friend," he said, sitting upright on the edge of her bed using the sheet to keep his groin covered. What-the-bloody-HELL? He didn't feel the need to expose his sudden lack of randiness to her.

Sarah swallowed hard. "Yes, but it'll only take a couple of hours, then I'll be right back home. We can do something then." She forced a smile. Crap ... crappity, crap, crap.

"Sure, whatever you say, my dear," Jareth answered blandly, stood and snapped his fingers, instantly dressed in an outfit similar to his one the previous night, but with a tunic instead of a poet's shirt. "Well, I best be off then."

His abrupt change of mood rattled Sarah, and as she started to tell him to meet her bright and early at her apartment tomorrow morning for his Valentine's Day surprise, he snapped his fingers again and vanished.

"Well ... shit," she said aloud to an empty room.

"Now you've done it! Did you see his face?Tutu said. "I can't believe you went all night and didn't tell him about the surprise. You are SUCH an idiot!

"I was going to...I swear, Tutu! But every time I started, we either argued or he was doing things that made it impossible for me to ... you know ... speak coherently," Sarah pleaded aloud.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot! Well, are you going to call him back to explain?"Tutu asked as Sarah's cell phone rang in the next room. She checked the time, Brad's car service! She rushed to answer the phone.

"I'll deal with him later; his libido has already made me late for work."

"Oh, you'll be dealing with him later. I guarantee it."Tutu predicted and Sarah mentally moved to Egypt, Land of De-Nile.

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