Vinnie fetching Jareth (drabble)

low editing on this one! Might revisit and shift things around later on



During the morning in which Ruby’s paper was released, Vinnie had been the first of the Jareth team to read it. He held the paper folded against his rib as he ordered a cup of tea and biscuits at a family owned cafe just a few blocks from the estate. He sat by himself in the morning fog, his legs crossed, sipping his tea while gazing out at the gray london morning. A red double bus rolled around the fountain at the center of the square, people wrapped in scarves and thick coats roamed the sidewalks, and the cafe door jingled with each customer that entered. In the distance, big ben could just barely be seen inside the fog, overlooking London.

Across the street stood a record shop with a creamy tan door and a sign that read ‘Lazy Cat Records.’ In the display window, Vinnie could make out the blue and purple cover of Jareth’s latest album. Beside it, Jareth’s second to last album. Beside that, Jareths third to last album.

Only when Vinnie was halfway through his breakfast did ‘Jareth’ in the title of the newspaper catch his eye. Perhaps it was a piece questioning Jareth’s sexuality. He plucked the paper from the table, reading the title with calm eyes.

‘Upon their first meeting, Jareth seemed gentle and kind to her. This was nothing more than formalities, and according to Ruby, Jareth has been “mistaken for a man with no desire. Which is completely false, and an insult to his passion.”’

‘Often times, the two would meet frequently at Jareth’s own estate. “Whether or not Cole was there,” she states.’

‘Despite the heart throb reputation of his song; ‘All I need’, supposedly written for young birds around the globe, the scandalous love song was actually written for none other than his brother’s then-finance!’

‘What will become of Jareth now? The mix of family and business has cornered him into possible retirement! Or perhaps he’ll spend his career clawing to get seats filled.’

When Vinnie finished reading the paper, he first worried that Cole may be angry enough to beat Jareth. He then worried that it was true, that Jareth and Ruby had indeed been sleeping together.

When he arrived at Jareth’s estate, he expected Cole to be in a blunder , yet he entered to find the grand entrance empty. He wondered if Jareth and Ruby had ever had sex in the grand entrance. Perhaps in the garden. Perhaps in his very bedroom- certainly his bedroom. A firm hand squeezed at Vinnie’s heart as he pictured Jareth making love to a woman. An older, mature woman with dark brown hair and a thin nose.

In the kitchen, he called Nigel’s flat. After no answer, he rang Cole. He suspected that Cole would not answer, and the two men were separately on their way to the estate after reading the news as well. He pictured Cole’s face.

Cole picked up the phone.

When they were finished, Vinnie waited for Cole at the main entrance still wearing his coat despite there being a heater in each room of the estate. As he waited, he stared with unfocused eyes at the vinyl flooring and pondered.

Jareth couldn’t have slept with Ruby, it was so unlike him. He was an incredibly sensitive man, gentle. His voice was gentle. He wouldn’t. Vinnie then thought about the distant expression often on Jareth’s face.

He wondered if he knew Jareth at all.

Cole and Nigel arrived one after the other, only minutes after the call had ended. The doors burst open, followed by the quick clacking of shoes. Vinnie stood when Cole neared him, offering the paper then crossed his arms after it was taken.

He ran the back of his thumb nail across his bottom lip as he studied Cole’s face. HIs brows were heavily furrowed, and his mustache was prickled. He hadn't shaved this morning, making his jaw look ever so slightly gray.

Vinnie looked up at Nigel, who read the paper over Cole’s shoulder. He had his hands in his pockets while he read, but stopped to study the side of Cole’s face just as Vinnie had been. The older man then look at Vinnie, and they shared the same brief dread.

Cole lowered the paper.

“Is it true?” Vinnie asked. Nigel gave him a disapproving look, shaking his head subtly as though telling Vinnie to hush.

Cole’s eyes were moving rapidly, thinking. His face appeared ill now, pale and cold, and he swallowed thickly.

“Does Jareth know?” he asked.

Vinnie didn't know. He was unsure if he wanted Jareth to know and be upset, or to not know and enjoy the few minutes of peace he had.

For a very long time, Cole said nothing at all. He just stared at the floor and thought to himself. Vinnie felt a weight slowly dropping lower and lower in his chest, and he looked at Nigel. Nigel placed a hand on Cole’s shoulder.

“I’d best wake Jareth,” Cole muttered.

Nigel and Vinnie shared a look.

It was decided that Vinnie was to fetch Jareth. He stood silently with his hands in his pockets as Nigel motioned for him to head up the stairs. Nigel and Cole’s shoes clacked and Cole absentmindedly allowed Nigel to lead him away and mutter to him.

Vinnie let out a slow sigh through his nose, then look up at the grand stairwell. The bottom of the golden steps were rounded and wide, but thinned as they curved above the front entrance into a hallway on the second floor. Each side was railed with thick bars carved to look like twisted thick vines.

Vinnie’s shoes clicked on the floor, then muffled as he stepped onto the velvet carpet that lapped over the steps. He made his way down the long hallway lined with miss-matched paintings with frames of differing size and texture. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, often dripping with clear jewels or droplets of gold.

The posed skeleton of a leopard stood on two legs just left of Jareth’s bedroom doors, and to the right a stuffed brown bear sitting with a limp lip showing his bottom row of teeth. Vinnie sneezed.

Only twice had Vinnie been alone in Jareth's room with him. As he reached for the handle, his chest ached with the thought of Ruby having entered the door many times before.

He closed his eyes and sighed through his nose again, then pressed the door open.

Vinnie adored Jareth’s room. Particles of dust floated in a thin slit of light beaming from the crack in the curtains. Clocks quietly ticked and a heater whirred beside Jareth’s bed. He had the canopy covers closed, and Vinnie could make out his shape lazing within.

“Jareth,” he said, approaching the bed. He stood an arms length away from the edge of the mattress and put his hands in his pockets.

He sneezed into his arm.

“Vinnie?” Jareth muttered.

“Good morning,” Vinnie said.

“Morning,” Jareth replied.

The figure behind the translucent curtain did not move.

“Have you slept well?”

“Rather well, eh, quite well.”

“Alright,”

Vinnie shifted his weight. The figure behind the curtains began to move, and long legs under thick blankets and comforters began to straighten. Jareth extended himself into a stretch, letting out a strained breath when he finished.

“Cole would like to see you in the garden,” Vinnie said.

Jareth didn’t reply.

“Would you like to?”

“Ehm,... not now.”

“Alright,” Vinnie nodded, then reached up to scratch at the corner of his eye.

For a long while, Jareth laid in the middle of his bed with his eyes closed and Vinnie stood patiently, waiting for him to do something.

Jareth began to shift, moving back away from Vinnie to leave a generous amount of space. Vinnie’s brows raised slightly.

“Do you want me to lay down?” he asked.

“If ehm- only if you’d like, really.”

Vinnie felt a twinge of through him as his heart skipped a beat. He reached up to slip off his mink coat, stepping to the side to drape it over a velvet fabric arm chair. He guided the sheer canopy curtains aside with his knuckles, revealing Jareth’s soft face watching him. He blinked slowly.

He was beautiful. He was kind, and gentle, and oftentimes timid. His thick hair fell in layers over his silk pillow, and his lashes were light brown rather than dark. He was such a tender soul- and very wise.

Vinnie couldn’t help the down-turned smile that crept along his lips as he began to sit and maneuver his legs onto the bed. He laid straight with his back down, fingers laced over his stomach, and shoes still on. He stared up at the ceiling of the canopy, and he assumed Jareth was staring at him.

In the years that Vinnie and Jareth worked together, Vinnie had never seen Jareth take a lover. Never had he shown interest or intrigue in the pursuit of a partner, oftentimes to Vinnie’s disappointment. He felt that Jareth- perhaps having some kind of understanding of the world that others do not- was at peace without a lover. Vinnie wished very often that he could understand how the older man thought.

“Which bass is your favorite?” Jareth asked.

“Oh, to play or to listen to?” Vinnie replied.

“Your favorite.”

Vinnie smiled, just slightly.

“I think fretless bass,” he said.

He could hear the shift of fabric as Jareth would nod his head.

There was a long period of silence. Vinnie began to rub his irritated eyes.

“Nigel arrived with Cole this morning.” Vinnie said. He wished he hadn't. It was a dull thing to say. “He and Cole might be friends now.”

“Have they been ehm-.. Have they been enemies?” Jareth asked, gentle voiced.

“Oh, no. I just think they’ve recently decided not to dislike one another is all. Are you friends with Nigel?”

“I’d rather think so.”

“Well, Nigel likes everyone,” Vinnie said, opening his eyes.

“Nigel is mm,... Indifferent to everyone.”

Vinnie turned his head to look at Jareth, who had his eyes closed. He thought him to be incredibly wise.

“Are we friends?” Vinnie asked.

“Yes,” Jareth replied. “Yes, I rather find that you're,... Yes.”

Vinnie studied Jareth's face. Soft lashes, small nose, rounded jaw, straight brows. He was gorgeous.

For thirty minutes, the men laid beside one another. Neither of them said anything.