Beauty and the Beast - A Labyrinth Story [COMPLETE]

11) Much Needed Affection

Art above is my own.

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Jareth stood shirtless in front of his tall mirror, inspecting his bony figure. His body was covered in many scars from his own doing, mainly from anger and frustration.

His claws raked down his chest, his shoulders and parts of his abdomen. Hot tears streamed down his sharp cheekbones as he shattered glass crystal after crystal against the wall, and his own roaring cries carried down the long and many halls within the castle.

Jareth sighed as he ran a hand through his thick hair. Not a day went by that he didn't do this in front of the mirror; staring at his thin frame and remembering the words Sarah said that caused this.

Bashing his fist into the wooden door Jareth cried a cry of pain, dragging his talon-like claws against the stone walls and leaving deep marks. Blood dribbled down from the slashes in his thick scaly skin and pooled onto the floor, staining the stone.

The scars on his face had faded slightly, all but the fresh one that he created not too long ago.

Sarah had been crying in her room for hours, and Jareth had taken to his old habits of anger. He tore apart the old prison cells by hand, ripped the chains and threw the benches against the walls. No matter how hard he tried Jareth caved and made a new deep cut down across his lips.

"Jareth?" A soft voice disturbed his thoughts. He turned and saw Sarah by the door as she closed it slowly. Her eyes widened at the sight of the Goblin King's thin, bony and scarred frame.

"What are you doing in my chambers?" Jareth felt exposed and was rather ashamed at himself for letting her see him like this.

"I just..." Sarah trailed. When she got closer to Jareth he backed away, flinching when her hand touched his scaly skin.

"What are you doing?" He muttered.

"Your skin...it's so rough but...also so smooth?"

"And?" Jareth was becoming bashful. Sarah looked up at him after she saw all the scars across his torso, feeling absolutely horrible for doing this to him.

"I'm so sorry about this..." She muttered.

"I've... I've healed. I'm fine, precious." Jareth pulled on his robe and tied it.

Instead of arguing, Sarah took Jareth in an embrace. She wished hard that she could love him in return and change him back to his former self.

Jareth wrapped his arms around her to return the affection, finding himself basking in the moment he closed his eyes and let out a sigh of content.