He Will Protect Her, She Will Save Him

Keira's POV
I sat at my kitchen table, still shaking slightly. Had that been real? I glanced at the mirror on the wall. I had slight bruises around my neck. It had been real. Shivers ran through me. I knew I couldn’t tell anyone. I didn't know what the dark man would do if I did...the thought sent more shivers through me. I didn't admit to myself that I didn't want to say anything to anyone anyway. Not because I would probably sound insane, but because I felt like it was something special. Something unique that had happened to me.

I spent the rest of the day stumbling around at home. I'd phoned work and told them that I couldn’t come in because I was ill. I'd phoned them earlier when I was still scared out of my mind, so I probably sounded like someone they didn't want working for them.

Jareth's POV
I found myself going back to her flat the next night. I couldn’t help but smirk when I saw that despite the heat, the windows were shut and curtains were drawn. Not that that could stop me. I realised I was longing to see her again. I wanted to see her blue eyes, her perfect skin, her small but perfectly curved body...I snarled at the thoughts in my head. I'd been watching the girl for years and I still found myself obsessed by her.

I wanted to see her. I needed to see her. I knew it was wrong. I knew I couldn’t get attached. Definitely not to her. Despite knowing this, I mentally opened her window from the roof opposite. Her scent hit me like a ton of bricks and I closed my eyes and breathed in the scent of roses and strawberries.

Keira's POV
Cool lips brushed down my neck. Slowly. They weren’t kissing me, just stroking my skin. It felt amazing. After a while the lips kissed the hollow of my neck and I moved my head to the side to give him more room. I felt twin pricks against my skin...
I gasped, sitting up, much in the same way I had done the night before. The room was pitch black. The window was wide open. Shivers ran down my spine and all the fear I had been ignoring all day returned quickly. I stared into the corner and felt my heart leap as I met a pair of glowing red eyes. The same eyes as last night. I felt my breath come shakily and my heart raced in my chest. I didn't blink and neither did he. I couldn’t take my eyes away from him. "Are...are you...going to...?" I trailed off but I sensed he knew what I was asking. He didn't reply. He didn't move. I got out of bed and realised I was only in my underwear. I blushed deeply, knowing that he could see me. I quickly pulled the sheet from the bed over me. "What..." I whispered, not knowing how to ask all my questions at once. Despite my fear, I took a hesitant step towards him. He turned away from me quickly but didn't leave. I could still see his outline. "Who are you?" He turned to look at me. I met his eyes and felt my hurt lurch with the anger I saw in there. The force of his anger hit me and I took a step back and tripped and fell. I didn't do anything. I lay there looking up at him. His eyes immediately lost their anger as he saw me fall. Suddenly the lights came on softly and my eyes widened. How...?
"You were never supposed to see me. I was never supposed to talk to you. I was never supposed to touch you. My job was to protect you. Nothing more. Not get attached." His voice was low and gravely. I stared at him. In the light I could see him properly for the first time. He was young, about 25 with light, sandy hair. His eyes were amber all of a sudden. I frowned. I could have sworn that in the dark they had been a fiery red. Blood red.
"Who are you?" I whispered again. He reached his hand out to me to help me up. I put my hand in his softly but pulled it back, gasping. He was cold. Stone cold. I stared up at him and I knew my eyes were wide with fear.
"Don't be afraid," he said softly. "I would never hurt you." Then, all of a sudden, he was gone.

I went over to my window and stared out. It was dark outside. I couldn’t see a thing. I saw a movement silhouetted against the moon and looked at the roof opposite. There was a shape crouching on it, staring at me with red eyes. I frowned. I kept hearing his words going round in my head, 'My job was to protect you...not get attached.'

Jareth's POV
That was a mistake. A huge one. I couldn’t begin to describe how big of a mistake it was. I stared at her from the safety of the opposite roof. I knew she could see me and it took all of my self control not to go back to her. I shouldn’t even have been in there in the first place. I definitely shouldn’t have talked to her. God, this was so screwed up. If her father found out I had made myself known, talked to her, told her who I was...I would be dead. If her father's enemies found out...she would be dead as well. Or worse. I shivered at the thought. I'd spent the last 20 years protecting her. I wasn’t going to stop now because I...I wouldn’t even say it.

I went back to the warehouse, refusing to be near her anymore. Dawn was coming so there was nothing more I could do anyway. I closed my eyes and once again her face came into my head. If my heart could beat it would jump when I saw her.