148*A-hem! * Sarah cleared her throat as she ducked her head and took a step back. Her cheeks reddened as Jareth stood there with no reaction aside from a blank look on his face as he gazed into the distance, not even blinking. Sarah started to nibble her bottom lip and shift her weight as the seconds turned into a minute. She risked a peek up at him without lifting her head. Still the same look on his face. Did I break him? Has he never been kissed before, even on the cheek?
As time continued to pass with Jareth as still as a statue, Sarah could no longer take the silence.
"Jareth?"
No response.
"Jareth?" she tried again, slightly louder.
Still nothing. How to get a response? She considered her options. She could tug on his hair. Too juvenile. She could poke him in the arm. A bit annoying. Slap him on the arm? I don't think we're comfortable enough in this friendship for that. Besides, Jareth has probably never been given even the lightest of hits. Pinch his butt? Her gaze dropped down without her consciously doing it. Her cheeks blazed into an even deeper blush than previous when she realized what she was doing and quickly looked back in front of her. Uhhh….Nope! What are you thinking, Sarah?! Stupid!
She settled with turning and laying a hand on his arm, giving it a light squeeze.
"Jareth" this time it wasn't a question seeking acknowledgement but a firm demand for a response.
He blinked several times before he finally seemed to snap out of whatever daze he was in. "Hm? Did you say something, Sarah?" he asked as he looked down at her, still blinking faster than normal.
"Are you okay?" Sarah asked with her eyebrows furrowed slightly and a small frown on her face.
"I'm fine," was the reply he gave in a distracted voice. His eyes moved over her face continuously, never seeming to take in enough of her appearance. "Why did you do that?"
"Kiss you? It was to show my appreciation. I am who I am partially because of you," she fought to keep the red out of her cheeks. Not the time to be embarrassed nor any real reason. People kissed other people in thanks all the time. No big deal. Deep breath and keep your head up, Sarah.
So here's the latest. Sorry about the extremely long wait. Just haven't felt like writing. Been reading instead. Some of the previous chapters make me want to cringe and delete. I had forgotten the explanation Hoggle gave to the Labyrinth's existence. I had since made up a completely different explanation for why the Labyrinth and Jareth exist. Going to have to try to improvise or meld the two.