"And when I looked over..." she managed through her giggles, "he'd fainted!"
Everyone whooped, Fletcher sloshing tea on the table.
Skulduggery sat silently, sulking.
"Aw, is poor Skully-Wully anxious?" Ghastly asked, "does he feel like he's gonna faint again?"
Tanith got up and, putting a hand to her head, fell dramatically. Ghastly swooped over, catching her.
"It's not even that funny..." Skulduggery muttered as everyone applauded the couple, who were bowing and blowing kisses.
They were at Bespoke Tailors; 'them' being Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Tanith, Ghastly and Fletcher. After giving out cups of tea to all who could drink them, they had begun to talk... Which inevitably led to Valkyrie telling them all Skulduggery's tale of post-flight trauma.
"Are you joking? It's hilarious!" Fletcher laughed again.
"Yeah, yeah, hedgehog, you just shut up."
"Oh, and what are you gonna do about it, bonebag?"
This earned a smile from the sulking skeleton.
Fletcher had changed since Valkyrie had left; a change for the better. Though he'd kept his ridiculous hair style, he'd grown, filling out. He'd become more confident, and wasn't afraid of anyone anymore... well, maybe some people... okay, he was still a scaredy-cat, but he'd gone four months without screaming, which was a start.
Also -and this is what surprised Val the most- he and Skulduggery had become closer. Not that close, but enough to be able to slag each other off.
"And what about your hand?" He asked her as the laughter died down, "You haven't explained that."
Her hand was better than before, but there were still lines visible.
"I closed the compartment door on it," she said, scowling.
He laughed. "Only you could, Val."
Everyone else joined in, though Skulduggery's was forced.
"So, where were you living? How did you stay hidden?"
"Um... I was living in a place called Meek Ridge in America- you wouldn't know it, I moved there because it was isolated. And then I bought a house isolated from Meek Ridge... so I didn't really have much left to do to hide myself."
"And food? Money?"
"I made a friend; his name was Danny. He ran a shop. He gave me provisions every week." She shrugged. "He was a good man."
"Certainly sounds like it."
"And what about here?" She asked after a moment, "Everything seems to be back in order..."
Ghastly looked at her. "Did you and Skulduggery talk at all?"
"Wha- of course we talked! We just never came across the subject of Roarhaven-"
"Or the Sanctuary, or us-" he interjected.
"Alright, we get the point." Skulduggery sighed.
"We were talking about... other stuff."
"Like what?"
The two looked at each other, conversing silently;
Skulduggery: should we say?
Valkyrie: monster?
Skulduggery: (roughly translated) no, the dancing peacock
Valkyrie: haha
Skulduggery: so-
"Uh, guys?"
They jumped, looking at Tanith. She was staring at them, confused. As was everyone else.
"Yeah?"
"...what were you doing?"
"What were we doing?"
"You tell me."
They looked at each other again.
She nodded quickly.
"Well, there's actually something we have to tell you... but it's a rather, ah, sensitive subject right now."
They looked at the two, knowing that this would be what they'd held back before.
"Ah... well, it all started with Skulduggery forgetting to stop for petrol-"
"Haha."
And so she recounted her nightmare, which was new to everyone in the room; she hadn't told him about it. She got to the part when she was slipping back into her panicked state...
"And I was just freaking out and I didn't know what to do. And then Skulduggery-"
She choked back the words.
"I just kind of talked, and then she calmed down." He shrugged.
"Right," said Tanith, nodding her head, "and then...?"
He sighed and continued, Valkyrie taking over when he got to the part where he was knocked out.
"... So we decided that it was probably necromancy; how else could it have been made of shadows? And the fact that it knew what to change into-"
"Telepathy." He finished.
They looked around at everyone, shock dominating their features.
"That's... that's crazy..." Ghastly started, "And to think you hadn't even made it home..."
"Sounds like Skulduggery got on someone's nerves." Fletcher added.
"But who? I mean, it's not like you were ever really into necromancy," Skulduggery was suddenly glad he didn't have a face, else he would've look quite sheepish, "So what necromancer would want to get you particularly?"
"It doesn't have to be personal, remember," Valkyrie cut in, sensing his discomfort, "Some people could still be sulking about the Faceless Ones."
"True..."
"Guys," Tanith sighed, "Do we really have to talk about this now? All that matters is that Valkyrie is back; let's just enjoy the rest of the day."
"Hear hear!" Fletcher held up his mug. They all made a toast, and soon they were back to making jokes, winding each other up, having a good time.
****
By 12 o'clock, the group were slumped in their chairs, feeling warm from the vast amount of tea they'd had.
Ghastly and Tanith were talking quietly, holding hands, while Valkyrie and Fletcher were falling farther down their seats, eyes drooping.
Skulduggery watched, amused.
He waited until they were both on the brink of sleep before-
"VALKYRIE!"
She jumped, eyes wide, looking around for trouble. When she saw him chuckling to himself, she scowled, rolling her eyes.
"What was that for?"
"I think it's probably time for bed, Val."
"But mommyyy-"
"Bed. Now."
She sighed again, but got up.
"Hey guys, I think I'm gonna call it a night." She said to the couple.
"Alright, Val; see you tomorrow, yeah?"
They got up and hugged her.
"Definitely! Looking forward to working already!" She said sarcastically. They all laughed. Which caused Fletcher to wake up.
"Gah! Guys!" He groaned, rubbing his eyes.
"We're closing for the night, Fletch," said Tanith, "But you're welcome to sleep on the couch."
"You know what? I might just-"
He disappeared, and a snoring sound came from behind them. He hadn't even bothered to walk; he just teleported and dropped.
They all laughed quietly.
"Goodnight guys!" She and Skulduggery walked out the door, getting into the Bentley.
He started the car and began to drive. Then he stopped.
"What wrong?" She asked.
"Um, where are we going?"
She thought for a minute. It was too late to go to her parent's, and Gordon's was twenty minutes away, whereas Skulduggery's was closer...
"Can I stay at yours? I don't think I could make the trip to Gor- to my house."
He nodded silently.
They say in a comfortable silence, neither needing to speak.
They reached his house in under ten minutes; just before Valkyrie was got bored, luckily.
They silently got out of the car, slamming their doors after them before walking to the front door. He unlocked it swiftly, standing aside to let her go first.
"Beauty before age." She chuckled as she began to make her way through, only to be cut off by him.
"Hey! What was that?" She asked.
He shrugged. "You told me to go first."
She looked at him. Then laughed.
"You can be so stupid sometimes."
She was about to go up to her room when he called from the living room,
"Can I talk to you for a minute?"
"You could've talked to me in the car..." she started, but walked over all the same.
He was sitting on the armchair across from the couch. So she sat on the couch.
"Everything alright?" She asked.
"Well, yes; I think."
"You think?"
He sighed. "Listen, Valkyrie, I need to know..." he hesitated. "I need to know how you feel. I've asked you before, but you haven't given me much to work on. You can tell me, you know that? Even if you- if you don't feel the same way, it doesn't matter. I'll understand."
She stared at the ground, not looking up. For a while he didn't think she'd reply, but reply she did;
"Listen... what you- I don't..." she struggled for words, "It's just, this is... so sudden. I'm not going to lie to you Skulduggery; I didn't think of you... in that way. At all. You were my best friend, my partner-"
"I understand." He hung his head, but other than that he was completely still.
"Don't feel bad, I didn't expect you to anyway. But we can still be friends, right?"
When he didn't get an answer, he looked up, only to see a very annoyed Valkyrie.
"Valkyrie?"
She sighed impatiently, "If you would let me finish..."
He tilted his head.
"So, as I was saying, you were my best friend, and I loved you like a best friend.
But then you... made a move or two, so to say, and then I... I was confused. Conflicted, as you would say. I didn't know whether I wanted... whether I liked..."
He stood up and slowly walked over to the couch. He sat down next to her.
"Please don't feel pressured," he said quietly, "The last thing I'd want is for you to do something you didn't want-"
"Ugh, can you go two minutes without talking? Please?"
He was shocked into silence.
"Thank you. Again."
She turned her body so that she was facing him.
"So, that was then. But this is now. And I've thought it over and I..."
She hesitated
"I'm still ambivalent, but... but I have a feeling that- that I..."
"Valkyrie?"
She looked up at him from under her lashes, causing him to stare; she was so beautiful. And he wasn't usually a sentimental person.
They looked at each other. Just looked.
Slowly, her head leaned forward, her eyes closing.
But he didn't understand. Didn't she want a face? Lips?
"Val..."
But he was cut off when her mouth pressed against her teeth.
He loved every moment of it, savouring the feel of her lips, her warm breath, her closeness. He shivered slightly as it tickled him, something he had shied away from not three days before. But it was all tainted with the doubt that he wasn't enough; she couldn't enjoy this, she was just kissing bone.
But, oh, how wrong he was.
Her stomach was doing flips as she leaned in, her heart alternating between beating so hard it hurt to missing a beat. And when she'd kissed him; she felt all tingly inside, like when you wake up really early, annoyed with yourself, before remembering it's Christmas Morning. She'd never felt so happy; not when she was with Fletcher, especially not with Caelan.
No, he was special to her, she realised.
She never wanted him to stop.
But stop he did.
"Listen, Valkyrie... I'm a skeleton."
She raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"I... I don't have lips. Or a mouth. Or any skin anywhere."
"I'm aware."
"I can't... I can't give you enough, Val..."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, when you kissed me just there, I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe that you'd..."
He paused, thinking of how to say what was on his mind.
"Why?"
He looked at her.
"Because just there, I get the feeling that that wasn't half as enjoyable as it would have been if I had lips to kiss you back."
She stared at him.
"What?" She sounded calm, but not in a good way; it was forced, as if she were... angry?
"I'm sorry that it won't be the same without some sort of fake face for you to-"
But he was cut off as she tackled him down so that they were lying on the couch, her on top.
And she kissed him. She kissed his teeth passionately, joy and yearning taking over her mind.
He froze, shocked.
When she finally broke away -much to his disappointment- she whispered fiercely,
"Don't you dare say that that wasn't as... as... amazing for me as it was for you, Pleasant."
She kissed him again.
Having somewhat recovered from his momentary shock, he realised what was happening; she was kissing him. On the teeth. But she didn't seem to mind.
Slowly but purposefully, he brought his head up, pressing against her lips.
She sighed in satisfaction, shivering as his hands wound around her waist, pulling him to her.
When they broke away for air -yup, he didn't have lungs, but he was panting- he brought his hand up, stroking her cheek.
"Valkyrie..."
She smiled down at him. She looked... happy. Very happy. Which made him even happier.
"You need to understand something," she said, looking from one eye socket to the next, "I don't care if you don't have lips; frankly, I wouldn't care if you had a beak. You're still you. That's what I care about."
He just lay there, not answering, just looking at her with his head tilted in a way she'd never seen before.
Then, before she could protest, his facade was up, and his 'lips' were attacking hers.
She responded instantly. They held each other close, crushed against one another. Soon they were exploring each other's mouths, not noticing the time slip by.
Finally, they broke apart, both gasping, eyes fluttering open.
He looked at her questioningly, a smug look already forming under it.
She glared at him at first, but then looked away sheepishly.
"Alright, so that was pretty good as well."
He laughed, and not long after, she joined in. They were on Cloud 9, and nothing was going to bring them down.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Okay, something you should know about me. I'm... not romantic. At all. Let's take a look at this simple equation to help to understand what I mean:
Book_reader263 + romance of any sort = awkwardness
Explanation enough?
So writing about kissing and hugging and looking deeply into one's eyes makes me cringe internally. And sometimes externally.
But it's something I'm trying to fix; I love writing, and don't want to be limited by my... er... cringiness?
So sorry if it's a bit bad or weird or too
much or too little or whatever. Cause I really do not know. Yeah XD
On a happier note...
200 VIEWS!!!
Seriously, three chapters ago I was thanking everyone for 100, and now we're just shy of 250! Thank you all so much; just, just... THANK YOU!!!
It's really late now, but I didn't want to not update... even though I probably should've posted a couple a hours ago 😅
So, thank you all for being amazing, keep commenting and voting and most importantly shipping Valduggery!!
~ book_reader263