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Sarah flicked channels mindlessly, snuggled in her blankets with her hot water bottle and clutching her "Best Big Sister" mug. It felt as if her uterus had declared war on her backbone and her throbbing head was collateral damage. The ibuprofen had apparently raised the white flag and surrendered. Another cramp spasmed and she mumbled through grit teeth. "Gosh I wish this didn't hurt so much!"
The instant the words left her mouth she slapped her hand over it. Which didn't help her headache at all. Despite the pain she knew that it wasn't her headache that caused the air in the room to shimmer. Before she could see more she pulled a pillow over her eyes, maybe if she ignored him he'd go away.
A beat of silence gave her hope, but a smooth, amused voice quickly shattered it. "What's said is said Precious."
Still from under her pillow she muttered. "No offense your majesty, but I'm really not up to dealing with anyone today."
His voice lowered. "Are you ill?"
She snorted. "Only with my monthly affliction."
The silence that followed made her wonder if he had left. Maybe Underground males were as squeamish about menstruation as the Aboveground ones? She peeked out from under her pillow.
The Goblin King was still there, standing next to her coffee table in a relatively understated (for him) gettup of cream linen and black leather. His hair was just as fluffy as she remembered, his pants just as tight. He had not aged at all in the seven years since they had last met. What was different though was the expression of concern on his aristocratic features.
He indicated the objects cluttering her coffee table. "Is this your usual remedy?"
"Yup, over the counter pain meds, a hot water bottle, tea, snacks and a comfy blanket. Only missing Lud-" She stopped and bit her lip, looking up at him nervously.
He pursed his lips at her sudden silence. "Do not fret, I am aware of your regular visits, and I do not begrudge you your time with your friends."
She frowned in confusion at his seeming change in demeanor. Even Hoggle constantly worried that one day "the rat" would find out about their visits and put an end to them.
He sensed her unspoken question. "In the Labyrinth we each had a roll to play, those roles are no longer needed."
She nodded dubiously. Despite his apparent goodwill she felt at a disadvantage sitting while he stood over her, but she was not inclined to move in her current state and so hoped that he would soon leave her to be miserable alone.
He once again regarded her varied coping strategies. "And it seems that despite your remedies you are in enough discomfort to have temporarily forgotten your aversion to wishes."
Sarah sucked in another breath as another cramp wracked her back. "Yeah... some months are worse than others and this ones a... doozy."
His eyebrows creased in concern. "I am afraid that I cannot remove the pain, I do not have healing abilities."
"I thank you for your concern your majesty, I am sorry to have disturbed you."
"But you see... you did make a wish, and as you are Champion, well... I am obliged to grant it." A smirk teased at the corner of his mouth
She raised an eyebrow at that, not sure if she wanted to know the full implications of that statement.
He glanced at her mug. "Your tea is almost empty, there is a herbal infusion in the Underground that can help for pain, would you allow me to make some for you?"
Sarah blinked. He was asking, not bulldozing. She chose her words carefully, not wanting to disturb the apparent truce. "Although I am grateful for your thoughtfulness, I'm sure you understand why I am more than wary about accepting food from you."
He tilted his head. "Do you really regret that dance so much?"
Sarah blushed remembering dancing in his arms. "It's not the dance per se, it's the fact that you used a mind altering substance to get me there."
A crystal appeared in his palm, it dissolved to reveal a cluster of dainty pale blue flowers. "The sólás flower does not have any dream inducing or mind altering properties. It does however dull pain as well as calm."
Another cramp caused her to hiss. Staring at the innocent enough looking flowers in his palm she sighed and nodded. "Okay, I'll try it. But only if you prepare it without using magic."
He nodded as he took her mug and headed to the kitchen. She could hear him fill her kettle and put it on the stove.
From the kitchen he called. "Do you have honey?"
"Yes, it's in the corner cabinet."
A rustling sound and then, "Oh, you have Earl Grey, may I?"
"Sure, milk is in the fridge if you want it."
More clinking and rustling ensued, a few moments later she heard the kettle whistle and he soon returned with two steaming mugs, she sipped hers and was pleasantly surprised. It was a bit bitter, but the honey mellowed it and there was a hint of something like vanilla and spice.
He indicated the space beside her on the couch. "May I?"
She pulled the blanket aside. He sat, leaving a generous space between them. They sipped their tea in companiable silence. She noticed that he had chosen her owl mug and stiffled a smile. After a few minutes she realized that her cramps had calmed considerably. "The tea seems to be working, thank you."
He seemed pleased. "Is there anything else I may do to help?"
She shrugged. "Not really, normally I just rest and watch TV."
"May I ask what purpose Ludo serves when you are thus indisposed?"
"Oh? Just... you see, when I was a kid, when I wasn't feeling well I would cuddle with my dog Merlin. He was a solace to me during my parents divorce, and then when I went through puberty, and then when Dad remarried. Well, when Merlin died I was a mess. I was in college, far from home, I felt like I had let him down when he needed me. That night I called my friends in the mirror and ended up crying on Ludo's shoulder. He has become my emotional support teddy bear."
"A gentle giant, he is well suited to the task. Why did he not assist you today?"
"Because he's molting and the last time I let a molting rockcaller through the mirror, I clogged Karen's Hoover so badly it burst into flames."
Jareth chuckled lightly. "Ah... yes, I had forgotten that it was that time of year again." He nonchalantly stretched, while surreptitiously sliding a few inches closer. "My shoulders might not be as broad, but if I may offer them as a substitute."
Sarah turned and gaped at him. Did she hear right? Did the Goblin King just offer to cuddle?
He had kept his voice casual, flirty even, but she could see a fragility in his eyes. He was leaving himself open for rejection. Again.
To her astonishment he broke eye contact and stared into his tea. Wiggling over a bit she placed her head on his shoulder. "I would like that."
She couldn't see his face but she felt him grin as he rested his head on hers.
Closing her eyes she smiled, breathing in the scent of vanilla and spice, as well as earl grey and moonlight and magic. She soon drifted off to sleep.
..
When she awoke the room was dark, she was alone on the couch, the TV playing infomercials. She blinked at the clock, she had been asleep for three hours.
As she shuffled off the couch she noticed something beside her mug. A small bunch of dainty blue flowers were planted in a ceramic pot in the shape of an old fashioned telephone.
She smiled as she moved the pot to the windowsill. "Thank you Jareth, yes, I'll call."
...