She took this opportunity, turned around and struck at his left side, he used the sword to block hers and took two steps back. She continued attacking, and he retreated, till she was very close to him.

She struck her sword again, aiming for his chest, he dodged it and s.h.i.+fted his body to her right hand side a bit. With one swift move, he held her hand and bent it back, so the sword was on her neck.

With his free hand, he held her other hand tight in his grasp, in front of her stomach. Astrid stopped moving, realizing she had lost to him, again.

He didn't move, neither did she, her chest heaved up and down with every breath she took. Both of them stayed silent for a minute, his breathing was a little bit scattered, but not as erratic as hers.

He gaze trailed from the sword in her hand to her face, he watched a sweat drop roll down from the side of her face and fall on her chest. It slowly made its way down her cleavage and in between them.

He kept on staring at her as her chest heaved up and down, then brought his gaze back to her face. Another sweat dropped but rolled to her lips.

His heart beat raced as he watched her. She cleared her throat and he quickly got himself back. He released his grip on her hands and stepped back.

"If every time your opponent advances and retreats, he sucks you in just a little closer to him, eventually you'll be just within range and you never saw that coming. You did this the first time, I thought you learnt, I asked you to go again and you fell for it a second time" he yelled at her.

"I am still learning okay" Astrid spat back sharply.

"I thought you earlier on about your defence and attack, perception. In a bid to attack me you left yourself wide open. If it was a real battle, you'd be dead before you know it."

"Well it is not. This is training" she defended herself.

"Your problem is you just do things not bothering about the consequences" he yelled again.

"What is your deal Jareth? Ever since this morning, in fact yesterday, you've been acting strange. Nothing I do is good enough, you of all people know I am trying and doing well" she yelled her heart out.

"If you did, perhaps you wouldn't act so recklessly and throw your life away" he yelled at her again, walking closer to her.

Astrid gazed into his eyes, all of a sudden she felt his heartbeat race again. It was thudding fast in his chest, she looked into his eyes, though it was brief she sensed pain in them.

"It's not about the training Jareth, you are talking about the ambush, my power surge" her eyes searched frantically in his for a sign to prove her right. "I couldn't risk losing any of you, there was nothing more I could do."

"Never would you do something so risky ever again. It could have cost you your life, but you do not care. You don't think about the consequences of your actions, you just act."

Jareth was very close to her now and for some reason, she felt it again, his heart beat. It was same as hers, a glimpse of the dagger moving towards his head came flooding back into her mind.

Astrid couldn't control herself, she leaned in and the next moment, their lips locked. Though it was for a few seconds, she kissed him, leaving him shocked.

Their lips met but he didn't part his, his eyes opened wide, hers closed, his racing heart seemed to calm down a bit. His eyes closed, he parted his lips to kiss her back, suddenly he opened his eyes and quickly put a hand on her shoulder, withdrawing his head.

"Stop. I can't" he turned his head to the side.

"I–I, I'm sorry. I should never have done that. I thought you... I felt that... "

She couldn't form a coherent sentence again. Her heart felt like it was being stabbed a thousand times.

She had felt his heart beat when he held the sword close to her neck, she noticed his gaze on her face and chest.

Even right then when they argued, she felt it, he felt pain from the thought of losing her and she felt it too. She couldn't bare to lose him, she didn't understand this feelings but she knew she care a lot about him and he did too.

Or so she thought, was it all in her head? She bent her head down, not being able to look him in the eye again.

"We can't Astrid, you shouldn't have feelings for me."

"Why?"

"Because you'll only hurt yourself, I can... "

"I'm sorry. Forget that ever happened."

She turned away and ran into the trees close to them.