Page 64 of First Snow

Jareth tries to disentangle them from each other, but Arttu clings to him desperately. He needs him to stay.

“Please,” Arttu mumbles. “Don’t leave. I can’t stand it. Please! Talk to me. I need—I need you.”

Jareth growls again.

Arttu hates that he’s the reason for Jareth’s upset. But he is. It’s because of him that Jareth is unhappy, and Arttu has no idea how to fix it.

“I’m sorry,” Arttu whispers. “I’m so sorry.”

“Shh, it’s okay.” Finally, Jareth gives in and pulls Arttu against his chest. He walks them backward until he can plop down onto an armchair and pulls Arttu into his lap.

A relieved sound escapes Arttu’s lips, almost a sob. Hiding his face against Jareth’s neck, he greedily breathes in his scent.

Jareth lets him cling to him for some long minutes, softly caressing Arttu’s back. The touch of Jareth’s hands on his skin feels heavenly, and eventually his frantic heartbeat calms down and his jumbled thoughts clear.

“Feeling better?”

Jareth’s breath fans against Arttu’s ear, making him shudder.

Arttu only hums in response. He can’t bring himself to feel embarrassed, not when Jareth is finally talking to him again.

“You’re under a spell, sweetheart. I shouldn’t have taken advantage of you when you were scared and confused. I’m sorry that I tricked you into giving me your true name.”

Arttu slips his hands under the soft fabric of Jareth’s shirt, relishing in his warmth.

“Don’t be. You did a good job brainwashing me.” Arttu tries for humor, but instantly regrets his choice of words when Jareth tenses again. “I mean it!” Arttu rushes to reassure him. “Damn, you need to cut me some slack. I’m willing to consider your insane story, all right?”

Playing idly with a strand of Arttu’s hair, Jareth presses a gentle kiss to the top of his head. The soft touch makes Arttu virtually purr with delight. Okay, maybe there is something to Jareth’s prattle about enchantments after all.

“Do me a favor and look at me, sweetheart.”

Jareth’s voice has taken on an inquisitive tone. Maybe this should make Arttu wary, but he likes this change of mood in Jareth too much to care.

Arttu disentangles himself from where he’s snuggled close to Jareth and looks him in the eyes. Their faces are only inches apart, and Arttu is very aware that he crawled naked into Jareth’s lap. Arttu’s cheeks heat up, but he doesn’t avert his gaze.

Curling his fingers around Arttu’s jaw, Jareth carefully tilts his head this way and that, inspecting his every reaction. Arttu wets his lips. Being the center of Jareth’s intense focus is unfairly arousing.

“Do you feel disoriented? Dizzy? Like you are drunk?”

Arttu swallows the lump that has formed in his throat. In contrast to the frantic haze he was caught in when he feared Jareth would leave him again, he now feels quite composed. Inconveniently aroused, maybe, but Arttu is pretty sure no enchantment is needed for that.

“I’m okay,” he croaks.

“You weren’t a few minutes ago.”

“I’m feeling much better now.”

It’s not even a lie. Being close to Jareth is incredibly soothing.

Jareth frowns at him. “How do you do that? You should be more affected the closer we are.”

Arttu manages a grin. Seeing that Jareth is also confused calms him down a bit.

“Maybe you aren’t as charming as you thought?”

To Arttu’s relief, Jareth responds to his jab with a smile.

“No, you were so dazed you were willing to throw yourself at my feet, and not in the way you kneel for me when we play. Believe me, I know the difference.”