210 You, Your Lips!

CHAPTER 210

"Jareth!"

Jareth sat at up at his name being called in a yell like that. In one swift move, he jumped down from the tree and landed in front of her.

Her gaze still remained sharp and unmoving as he stared him down.

"How long have you been there?" Astrid asked, crossing her hands in front of her chest.

"No longer than you have been."

"What!"

She opened her eyes in shock. What did he mean by that? Did he mean he came the same time with her?

"Wait a minute, are you trying to say that, you followed me here?"

"Yes, clever girl, clever Astrid," he praised her giving her a thumbs up.

"Are you kidding me?"

"Nope." Jareth shrugged his shoulders at her and moved closer to the tree to rest his back on it while crossing his legs.

"Why didn't you say anything when I was looking for you? It has been minutes since I went in search of you. How could you do this?"

He could sense she was angry and hurt, hurt that he could tick her and leave her. Somehow he could sense it from her voice as she spoke jut now.

It carried her hidden pain that she tried to mask away.

"Well technically, I never left. You left and I followed you." He moved away from the tree and walked close to her.

By the time he got close enough, he stopped, all the while never breaking eye contact with her. "I needed to be sure that you wanted me to come along with you and you missed me. You were going to be lonely without me."

"As would you."

"Me?" Jareth placed a finger on his chest and asked, his eyes popped open at her remark.

Says who he was going to be? At most he would feel sad, but he would be thankful that she made it easier for him to return to his former self.

As much as he had feelings for her and couldn't bring himself to let them go, she leaving hiM would have made it easier to tame his heart that seemed to only beat, hurt and feel happy just for her.

"But since you still I insist that you do not need my help or me round, I would just take my leave for real this time," Jareth replied her, clutching onto his bag tighter.

Before he could turn, Astrid covered the gap between them and grabbed him by his left arm. "Of course I want you to accompany me. I was just joking. Can't you take a joke?" She asked Jareth with a toothed grin.

Jareth grinned back at her and replied to her, "Hehe, thanks. You are just forcing yourself to say this. You do not have to."

He yanked his hand free from hers but made sure not to injure her in the process and successfully turned away.

"Goodbye, Astrid."

Not answering him, Astrid moved to stand in his front with both hands spread to the side, blocking his path.

"What is this?" Jareth asked, arching a brow at her. She mumbled something but Jareth couldn't hear her clearly. "Speak loud, Astrid."

With her sharp and bright twinkling eyes, Astrid blinked severally and moved in close. "Besides, I still need to train on her to use the sword. You were carving a wooden stick a while back. I bet you were making a wooden sword. You see even you need me, admit it, Jareth."

0_0

He was at a loss for words at her sweet but annoying speech. While he was thinking of what next to do, Astrid used her favourite weapon, his weakness, against him.

'Damn it! How can I refuse her when she asks like this? She looks so cute when she makes her eyes this way. Well at the very least, she hasn't done the taboo yet, ha' Jareth thought.

Just as he was about rejoicing in his mind, Astrid did it. She did the forbidden thing... His damn weakness.

She bit her lower lip.

Coupled with her pouting babyface, Jareth felt his mind go bunkers staring at those succulent soft kissable lips.

'Come on, Astrid. Please don't do that!' Jareth lamented in his mind.

He had wanted to make her plead with him before he agreed to go back with her, but now, it seemed as though he would be the one to plead with her to stop it or else he would do something he shouldn't do.

"Pretty please Jareth, even Snow wants you back. Apparently, he misses your touch and sweet caress. Won't you consider it?"

"No, Astrid." Jareth rejected her plea through gritted teeth. He quickly turned his gaze away to avoid been tempted once more.

By now his blood began to boil as funny thoughts swarmed into his mind.

Thoughts of how her lips tasted on his, how her body squirmed and yielded to his touch and kisses.

"Jareth... How can you say no to such a cute adorable face like this, hmm?"

Astrid knew what she was doing and how much it affected him. Just like how he claimed her lips at the Wellspring of the forest.

She finally made him succumb and he looked at her. Eyes staring at each other, Jareth felt like he was drowning into eternal bliss as her dark eyes kept sucking him away.

"Urrghh! You win," Jareth said, his frustration, clear and evident in his voice.

"Yay!!!"

Ignoring his frustrating look, Astrid screamed in delight, jumping for joy but her joy was soon cut short when she didn't notice the stone on the ground and kicked against it.

She tripped, bending backwards, with her face facing the sky, falling to the ground. Astrid felt a sudden pull at her waist, yanking her closer to a hard surface as her nose crashed into his chest.

"Ow!"

Her hands moved up to clutch her pained nose and finally, she lifted her head to look at her saviour.

"You see, I still need you to catch me. Thanks."

Jareth smiled mischievously at her then moved her down, so they were in a slanted position with his upper body hovering over hers and their lower bodies pressed against each other.

'Oh no, I am in the lion's den. Why is he smiling like m like that? What kind of weird reverse way is he holding me!'

Astrid panicked at his invading hers that seemed to see through her soul and unintentionally bit her lips.

'You defiant young lady! Do I need to imprint your punishment deep into your skull before you learn, huh?' Jareth thought.

"What? Why are you staring at me like a sheep in the lion's den?" Jareth asked her with brows.

Seeing her feel so nervous, Jareth couldn't help admire her the more. She looked fascinating this way.

"Nothing," Astrid managed to mumble.

"How do you intend on thanking me?"

"I just told you thanks. Isn't that enough?"

"No."

"What other thing do you want?"

"You, your lips."

Badum! Badum! 

Astrid's eyes widened at his request and her heart thudded hard against her chest. 

'What does he mean by me? What does he want my lips for...? Wait? Oh no, no, no, no. Not now. Snow could be here for all we know. Besides, in as much as I want to kiss him, I can't let him feel this proud about winning. No, uh uh... I won't give him that satisfaction. Let him want me as well.'

She felt strong and confident inside her head, but when faced with the real-life situation, she went speechless before him. 

GULP! 

Astrid gulped before finding the voice to respond, "No. I am afraid you can't have me or my lips."

His eyes lit up with amusement at her reply. 'Is she putting up a resistance? Tsk... My brave girl.'

"If you can't do that, then your only option is for you to stop biting your lips and causing trouble you cannot handle or you would have to be punished. Do I make myself clear?"

She bobbed her head up and down, dignifying 'Yes' as she bit her lips tighter. 

Jareth reached up with his free hand and helped released her lower lip from between her teeth. 

"Speak with your mouth, you are not a lizard."

"Understand!"

His smile dropped abut and finally pulled her back up, then steadies her on her feet. 

"We better head back. We do not want to wander these area at night. Who knows, there could be traps."

"Alright. Snow would think something is wrong and come searching for us."

"Hahha, someone is going to get jealous. Your baby seems so overprotective of you," Jareth informed her even though she already knew how Snow bahaved. 

"Let's go."

******

Princess Marin and the other mermaids swam at an alarming rate, rushing forward in the water. Their faces were filled with all forms of seriousness and determination. 

They were going to attack and capture her. Now was the time.. The long awaited moment for them. 

~~~~~~

{My heart goes out to Smiler_Frost_Fairy, Ashley_Garcia_6164, prajwagh, nifemi_xo, Palmar, Baiquian992, ChaoticLuck, Lilybloom, BaoBau, Shubpreet_Kaur, Mikaa13_ and Baiquian99, prada_murthy, rachelruth, yim3, maiyime, Emdymo and Deanna_Lebeau...