187 Face It, You Love Me

CHAPTER 187

He managed to pull her from his embrace, then raised her head with his hand, so she could look him in the eyes and answer him.

"I'm sorry."

"Astrid, there…"

She cut him short when she wrapped her arms on his neck and hugged him suddenly. His hands still parted as he wasn't expecting her to hug him suddenly. After some seconds, he relaxed into the hug and wrapped his arms around her back as well, pulling her closer to his body.

She sobbed silently on his body, her head buried at his nape as the tears washed over her.

"Shh! It is okay. No need to cry."

Jareth tried his best to comfort her but her cries only worsened. 

'Oh come on Astrid. What would I do with you?' he sighed in his mind.

She sure was a hand full. He didn't like her crying and she knew that but she couldn't help herself and it only hurt him the more.

He tightened his grip on her small back, hugging her closer than before. At first, he expected to wince at the pain but found out that he felt nothing.

'Wait, why don't I feel my wounds? Or is it that she healed me just now?'

Tenderly, he pulled away from the hug, eyes staring into the other and a pained smile broke out on his lips as his gaze lingered on her teary eyes.

After some time, his gaze drifted back to his chest and didn't find any burn marks. He looked back up at her, his shocked eyes already conveying his question to her.

Before he could ask, she nodded at him with a tight-lipped smile. "I'm sorry, sorry that I hurt you, Jareth," her small hoarse voice reached his ears, carrying her apology.

He didn't like how she sounded because of her crying, but still, he liked her that way. "Don't be. Thank you," his hands reached up to caress her cheeks as he spoke.

"No, thank you."

Her eyes flickered when their eyes met. He could see the yearning in her eyes, the same one that always matched his. His eyes dropped closed as he drew her in, their lips just inches away from each other, almost touching.

She shut her eyes as well, giving in to her feelings and leaned in. Just as their lips were about to connect...

"Awwn! Master! You're up!" Snow exclaimed in her mind, its round eyes opening the more, to reveal its cute eyeballs.

As soon as she heard its voice echo in her mind, her eyes flew open and she quickly withdrew her head away from his head.

When he couldn't feel anything, Jareth opened his eyes and looked at the pair of black orbs staring right back at him.

Astrid signalled him with her eyes to look at their side. He followed her line of gaze and found the little White Tiger-Phoenix beast staring cutely at the both of them.

Jareth sighed in his mind, feeling helpless at his current situation. 

"Ahem!" Astrid cleared her throat, intentionally breaking the awkward silence.

"I was thanking you for yesterday," Astrid reminded him with a wink.

They were behaving like kids who were trying to hide something from their parents. But in their own case, Snow was the parent. It didn't look away as its eyes were glued like gum on the couple in front of it.

"You were going to thank him, master? What was your lip about to do close to his?"

"You clearly saw wrong, Snow!"

"I would not argue this one out with you, master. Keep on thanking your lover, rather than be bothered on why his chest got burnt. Oh well, mother was right!"

"Why, you little…"

"Face it, you love me, master, at least you have come to terms with your love for me than Jareth here."

Astrid tilted her head back at the little beast's remark. 

'Who is teaching this cub all these things?' she thought and let out a small sigh internally.

"Don't forget, I can hear you!"

The White Tiger-Phoenix beast sighed hopelessly in Astrid's mind and then walked up to where they were before settling in between them and resting its head on Astrid's lap.

Jareth rolled its eyes at the beast's sorry attempt to get him jealous. Astrid could barely contain the urge to burst out laughing at their behaviours.

Finally, she rubbed her palm on the little cub's head as she proceeded to ask Jareth the question.

"What really happened? How did I get you burnt? What caused it?"

"Are you seriously asking him that?"

"Hey, Snow, whose side are you on?"

"No one. How do you expect him to know what caused it? Oh, Master!"

Astrid opened her mouth to scold Snow but stopped when Jareth held her hand. Her gaze left the little beast and went straight to where Jareth's hand was on hers.

"I do not know much about why you suddenly became hot and cold, but perhaps it is as a result of you using your powers so much," Jareth explained, his fingers rubbing on the back of her palm soothingly as he spoke.

"Well, I would take that guess."

"Also, both of your hands changed colours. One was very red and the other ice cold. It was as though your powers were at war inside of you."

She averted her eyes from his, her gaze drifting off into the distance as she thought about what he told her.

"Master, I think you unlocked a part of your powers. You controlled fire, master. Your powers are advancing!'

"True. I feel different, more energetic somehow and I can feel my hold on my powers grew stronger than before."

"That is good. I am happy you fought it out and controlled your powers. If not, it would have consumed you instead. Jareth had to hold you close to his chest irrespective of the pain he suffered, to keep you warm when you were cold."

"Cold? I thought I burnt him?!" 

Astrid exclaimed in her mind. She wasn't so sure about what happened as she was barely conscious when it all took place, so her memory was vague on the incident.

"Hmm!"