The Love of a Dead Man

Who? What? Where? When? What?

It didn't take long for Valkyrie to find Skulduggery, the skeleton going straight to the place only he and her knew about. Valkyrie jumped up, pushing on the door above her bed, and stairs came down. She climbed them, heading into the attic and found him in a dusty corner, on a dusty chair, reading a dusty book. 

"Go away, Valkyrie." 

"Nah," She said airily, looking around. She scowled, having a dumb moment. There was a couch over the other side of the spacious attic, and she hadn't really been training while she was over in America. With a huff, she walked over to it, and pushed and heaved and pulled, but the couch didn't even move, not even inch.

Nor did Skulduggery but he spoke, "I'm mildly disappointed in you, Valkyrie."

She huffed, blowing her hair out of her eyes, and glared, "Why?" 

He sighed, and raised his head a fraction, "Are you not a skilled elemental?"

Valkyrie smiled and shrugged, "whoops." She stood and waved her hand; the couch shot to the other wall, directly in front of the sulking skeleton. She walked over, sat, plucked the book from his fingers and burnt it. 

"What did that book ever do to you?"

"Nothing. I just want to talk." 

"Yes, but I don't." 

She shrugged, "oh well." 

He looked at her for the longest moment and she shifted under his gaze. He moved slowly, his fingers going to his collarbone, and a face flowed up his skull. Dark hair that fell over dark, guarded eyes. She thought she saw skin between his leather glove and wrist cuff of his suit, but quickly shook it off. That was impossible.

"Valkyrie, I don't want you to get hurt."

She looked at him. He looked troubled, his deep, black eyes searching hers progressively. She shifted her own eyes away again. She didn't want to get lost in those black, endless voids of danger. China had upgraded his facade so that whatever face appeared it reflected his current mood, and Valkyrie didn't know whether it made her uncomfortable or not. 

She felt the air shift and then Skulduggery was wrapping his arms around her and she cried and cried and cried. She buried her face in Skulduggery's jacket while one of Skulduggery's hands followed her spine and the other buried itself in her long hair.

"Why do all my boyfriends have to be assholes?" 

Skulduggery grunted, "I hate that it has come to me defending him, but Fletcher wasn't the asshole in that relationship." 

Valkyrie lifted her head, glaring at him and wiping at her eyes. "I never cry," She grumbled. 

"Oh, you mean you're eyes are just leaking unnaturally?" 

Valkyrie's laugh trembled but it was a laugh, "shut up," she said. 

"I love you, kid," he said, smiling at her. "And it's because of that love that I got something done. Now it's still just apart of the facade so if you don't like it, don't get too offended." His grin turned sharp, "but I'm sure if you come to your senses and dump Ravel, you'll make good use of it." 

Valkyrie frowned, shifting on his lap so she was straddling him as he pulled off his gloves and Valkyrie's frown turned into wide eyed shock. 

"Holy mother of god." She whispered, her body trembling as she lifted his shirt. "Holy mother of god," she said again. 

She glanced up at his face, to find it inches from hers, "Skulduggery," she whimpered when a crash came from downstairs. Her look of troubled satisfaction turned into a hard glare and she pointed a finger at him and she left the attic, "we are not finished here." 

Skulduggery's P.O.V

I sighed and followed the girl out of the attic. I was so close. So damn close. I didn't know if I was going to love or hate the distraction the bang downstairs had caused.

"Saracen Rue!" I heard her yell, and I felt the lips on the facade pull into a smile. Love it was then, "What the hell is going on!?"

Whelp, I felt more sorry for my fellow Dead Men in that moment than I ever had before. God, she was mad. I walked down stairs, and pushed open the door, taking in the situation before me, and put the pieces together. I leaned on the door frame, chuckling and she whirled on me, and I stopped, straightening. 

But no matter how hard I tried, I could not keep the grin away. 

"Do you think this is funny, do you?" 

I didn't get a chance to answer, Erskine showing his face over the other side of the kitchen, curious. I glared at him over the top of Valkyrie's head, resisting the urge to tuck her away. God, I might as well cock my leg and piss on her. Luckily Erskine got the message and he blanched, turning away again before Valkyrie got the chance to see who it was. 

But then she hadn't noticed, what with her body now trembling with rage at Saracen. And now at me. 

Oh well. I'd faced her anger more than once before, and I'd face it a lot more in the future. I cocked my head, and answered her question. "Ah, yes. I do find it quite amusing that our dear friend Mr. Rue here, could have been taking that little bet with Mr. Vex very seriously, and in an attempt to swoon her over, before out man of muscle could. He has tripped over that tile," I tilted my head towards the uneven tile, "that you have been warning him about for the past two days, and dropped all that food he had gone through the effort of making all over her shirt." I finished, tilting my head in a way so she knew I was feeling very smug, although I'm sure she could see it on my false face. "I find that very amusing."

Valkyrie, a little calmer from my voice, turned to Saracen, "is this true?"

Saracen looked down at the floor, colour rising in his cheeks, "I knew she liked bolognese, so I thought I'd make her some." 

Kate chose this moment to insert herself into the conversation, asking a question that had been asked a million times before, "how? How did you know?" I frowned at her, at the need to find out the answer, as if her life depended on it, but didn't comment on it as Saracen's grin returned and his signature words came out. 

"I know things," he winked at her, and it was her time to blush. 

Kate turned to Valkyrie, "I'm sorry Miss Cain," Valkyrie cringe made me happy, "I was going to have a shower soon anyway, I'll just have it now." She turned to Saracen, "want to join me?" 

Valkyrie cut of Rue's very eager yes, "No, he doesn't." I laughed, and walked out into the lounge room, deactivating my facade. Dexter was watching Australia's Next Top Model, Ravel was asking if anyone had ever seen a kangaroo and Ghastly and Anton were having a quiet argument. 

There was a knock on the door, and I went to answer it, confused as to why so many people were coming here. The kid standing out there was a good looking boy, and he knew it; he was leaning against the post a crooked grin on his face and flicked his hair away from his blue eyes. He looked tanned too, like he spent a long time in the sun

"Hey, " he drawled in his thick Australian accent, "you seen a girl, long blonde hair, striking green eyes. Goes by the name Kate, seen ya?"

I looked at him, and decided that I was bored so I asked, "Who am I?"

"Don't know, don't care. Look I ain't here to play games with you buddy. Just came along for this girl."

"Oh, you're no fun. I'm a walking skeleton. What's your name?"

"Name? Uh... Don't know yet, still thinking 'bout that one. I'm new to all this."

"Hmm."

"Yup, but I'm working for an old friend, can I have the girl?"

"Who do you work for?"

"Well, he's been around for a while, met him a few years ago. You might know him as Mevolent."