"Astrid. You were... "

All of a sudden she squinted, as if recalling something and sat up almost instantly, interrupting his speech. 

She gazed at a tree not too far from where they slept. Jareth followed the line of her vision and his gaze landed on the same tree, but unlike her, he didn't notice or see anything weird. 

Astrid kept on staring at the tree, she was far lost in thoughts as she squinted and furrowed her brows. 

Jareth wondered what she thought off, she was so lost that she didn't hear him speak. 

"Astrid, what is wrong?" He asked her. 

She didn't reply him, she was cut up in whatever it was that she saw and either ignored him or she didn't hear him at all. 

Needless to say, he got tired of awaiting her reply. He sat up, looked around and found the beasts still resting, then he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. 

She jolted in surprise. She wasn't expecting such contact and instinctively pulled away from his hold. 

His hand hung in the air from whence she wriggled from his hold. After some seconds he put his hand down. 

For some reason best known to others and not him, Jareth felt bad and sad from the lost of contact. 

He had wanted to comfort her, perhaps the shock from her dream was too much and so thought to be her s.h.i.+eld. 

Unfortunately she pulled away, it felt like a knife stabbed at his heart. Astrid turned to face him and quickly apologized when she saw his forlorn look. 

"No, no, no, Jareth. I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. You scared me that's all," she explained to him. 

He had a sad smile hung on his lips, slowly he put his head down. All these while, his gaze was still on the area where she just left. 

"Jareth," she called out softly. She s.h.i.+fted closer to his side and rubbed her palm over his injured arm. 

The way she touched him sent electric down his spine. His body was on fire with her gentle caresses. 

What was this innocent girl doing to him? 

As she did that, her mind traveled her again. He raised his head after some time, when he noticed her hand movements stopped abruptly. 

It was as though she was no longer there again. The way her eyes stayed stagnant, he peered into those black orbs staring right back at him. 

Once more, the usual pull he felt whenever he looked deep into her eyes, suddenly happened. Her fair skin radiated the moonlight when it cast its rays on her. 

Unknowingly, she bit down on her lip lightly, her body trembled a bit. She wasn't okay. He couldn't piece it up, but he knew she was affected by her dreams. 

As his gaze dropped from her eyes to her nose, they found their way to his prize. He felt his trousers tighten as he stared continuously at her lips. 

If he didn't do anything now, he was going to have a hard on. He had to stop her from doing this, it only made matters worst for his control. 

So much so, the beast inside him, wanted to free that lip and claim her mouth for himself. 

There wasn't really any beast, but his s.e.xual desires were becoming more and more harder to tame. 

With his left hand, he slightly touched her jaw, then moved his hands up and pulled her lower lip free. 

He could notice a red mark where she bit down on. He so much wanted to lick the mark, taste those succulent lips, slid into her mouth and let his tongue explore every inch and corners of her mouth. 

"d.a.m.n it, since when did I become this perverted? Self control, self control," he chanted in his mind. 

"But, I... Just a lick wouldn't hurt now, would it? Just to help ease the pain, right?" He muttered. 

Slowly, he moved his head close to hers, there was no stopping him now. He wanted her lips, a peck on the lips wouldn't hurt anyone. It wasn't like he was taking advantage of her. 

As he inched closer, his eyes once a while darting up into hers to check if she had come to. 

There was it, only a breath away, he slid his finger lightly across her bottom lips and said, "You don't know what you have done to me, she keeps biting you. Let me ease your pain."

As his lips brushed on hers, Astrid blinked. 

"   "

0_0

She had finally come to. Two pairs of eyes stared into each other, none blinking, none moving. 

After what seemed to be ages, Astrid's gaze finally left his and trailed down to the warmth she felt on her lips. 

She quickly backed away in shock when she realized what was about to happen. 

He moved back as well. He couldn't believe he got caught. "Now she's going to think the worst of me. I almost took advantage of her lips." He couldn't help but look away. 

Astrid's POV

I woke up from a dream, well two dreams, a painful and a confusing one. When my eyes cleared, I saw his face close. He was near me. A tear slipped out my eye from a pain I never knew.  

"Jareth," I called out his name lovingly.  

"Astrid, you were... "

He wanted to say something when I recalled my dream and sprang up, ignoring him. 

At first I was confused, I still am honestly. My dream, it didn't feel like a dream, it felt real as the one about Aunt Nerissa's death. 

Later I felt a hand around my shoulders, I jolted up and away from his hold. 

Apparently he was speaking to me, but for some reason I didn't hear him. When I turned, I saw a dejected look on his face, it broke my heart seeing him that way. 

I think that was the first time I saw Jareth look that way, a somewhat sad expression ?. Was it because I pulled away, when he was being caring and worried?

?

Please go to to read the latest chapters for free