Hold a Crystal, Ch 4 - Labyrinth FF

Despite having only received five tickets for her family and friends to watch her graduate, the group there to clap for Sarah numbered more than a dozen. The chickens were denied entrance, else that number would have been higher.  The large, hairy, orangish friend stood by the door, but somehow everybody else fit onto the bleacher seats, although not in the same section.

Representatives from the various story-telling entities who hoped to hire the soon-to-be-grad congregated on one side, with the contingent from Underground on the other, and family members in the middle. Hearing Sarah's triple major, summa cum laude, and 4.0 GPA announced, the cheer that arose from all around somehow wasn't deafening, just loud.

The second best present that Sarah received was from Jareth, who made sure that none of the attendees that came with him interacted in any memorable way with anybody at all, except for Toby. The best graduation present was from eight-year-old Toby himself, who hugged her, and announced to whoever cared to listen that "this is my sister, who tells the bestest stories, and I'm proud of her and really really love her."

Even the Goblin King got a little teary-eyed.

That evening, having received congratulations all afternoon at the reception, Sarah welcomed the quiet of her room. Having treated herself to a relaxing bubble bath, she was now cuddled up in comfy pajamas on her window seat. She held another crystal, the one that was waiting for her that evening.

Holding a sphere of smooth, cool glass and the face of a man who has always fascinated you isn't that difficult, until you try to understand how it actually works. Fortunately, Sarah skipped that step, and was already well past acceptance.

Jareth had already adjusted his seated posture so that he could more easily hold his lady.

Knowing that this was borrowed time, they rested their foreheads against each other, and let their met eyes hold conversation; Sarah was completely exhausted from all she had accomplished, and Jareth's strength was a little sapped from having kept so many goblins in check for so long.

After either two hours or thirty minutes, Jareth noticed a pair of drooping eyelids that were not his own. "Sarah-love, you must go back. I don't know what would happen if either of us fell asleep in this state. We might possibly get stuck forever in the crystal, and I have other plans."

In agreement, she sighed. "Jareth. If only you could come, too. I'd really like to cuddle onto your shoulder for a little bit."

Glad that this was the Champion of the Labyrinth, Jareth knew that such a wish was easily granted, but "Say your right words, and you can have your wish."

"I wish that Jareth would visit me in my room for awhile… RIGHT NOW."

Curled up on her window seat, Sarah slept on Jareth's shoulder, until he carried her to her bed. Kissing her softly on her forehead, he vanished with only the smallest amount of glitter.