Underground

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With your hand gently placed with Jareth's gloved one, he guided you through the quiet corridors of the castle to an unknown destination. The promise of food made your stomach rumble louder, and still you found yourself rooted with embarrassment.

Jareth didn't say or poke any fun at you—he only glanced over his shoulder and gave an adoring smile, one that caused butterflies in your stomach. You wanted to avoid his gaze, but you couldn't help sneak subtle glances at him as he guided you along.

Then, a large banquet hall opened up. You stared in amazement at the grand assortment of food, served buffet style on a series of tables. Jareth released your hand, and you hurried yourself to the table while trying not to drool at the delicious smells.

There were various cheeses, crackers, fruits, baked goods, dips, salads... you didn't bother picking up a plate as you plucked a bread roll from the table. You coated the inside with butter and began adding smoked ham and cheese. As you sunk your teeth into the food, you found yourself moaning in bliss as your hunger started to become satisfied.

Jareth joined your side again. You ignored him for the most part, but you couldn't help notice the way he chose his meal carefully. He reached out and plucked a vine of grapes from the table, then delicately dropped them one-by-one into his mouth. Every movement was truly befitting of a King, which you had to remind yourself quickly. He had power here, and if you weren't careful then he could easily turn that power against you. That meant you needed to watch your tongue; no more outbursts that could affect yourself or Harry.

15 minutes passed with you finishing your roll and indulging in little bits of the food provided. You tried small squares of cheeses, fruit and crackers. When you were finally full, you stepped away from the table and frowned at the large quantity that remained. What would happen to the rest of it? Would it be discarded?

"Why do you fret, my precious dear?" Jareth asked, swooping in and recognising your emotions faster than you could realise. His hands grasped yours, and he spun you around so you were tucked in his embrace. Pressed against his chest, you listened to the beating rhythm of his heart, and within it you found a slither of comfort. "Was the food not to your standards?"

"The food was perfect," you countered quickly. His embrace relaxed, and you had the idea to pull away before he could trap you again. Instead, you remained in his arms, savouring the moment for whatever odd reason. "It's just..."

Jareth hummed as your sentence faded. His fingers began stroking through your hair. Your eyes fluttered shut at the sensation.

"What will happen to the leftovers? Surely they won't be thrown away?"

You felt embarrassed again as a humoured rumble vibrated through his chest. You opened your eyes again and tilted your head, so you could look Jareth in the eye as he spoke. He was already gazing down at you, with that same expression of adoration.

"They'll be fed to the goblins," Jareth assured with a sincere smile, though the teasing undertones didn't go unnoticed. "Food is not wasted in my castle."

That was certainly a relief. You couldn't imagine that Jareth would willingly waste good food, but those with riches and power were always full of surprises. They were far too relaxed about the poverish behaviours of their subjects, not knowing the extent of an empty stomach and the worry of where another meal would come from. You'd witnessed the obliviousness of those with money beyond their spending grasp, unknowing of their own capabilities and wealth. They knew many envied to be in their position, but they deemed it for all the wrong reasons.

Was Jareth truly the bad guy that you had believed him to be?

You were far too focused on your thoughts to realise that Jareth had somehow taken you back to the throne room. He settled down on his throne with you still embraced in his arms, your head against his chest. There was only a slight hum of noise from the goblins, but even that went unnoticed to you.