Skulduggery Pleasant: Raising Cain

Chapter 172 - That's a big bitch!

Chapter 172

Valkyrie woke slowly to little kisses on her neck. She smiled, feeling Nadia's hair on her bare chest, and turned over to pull her closer.

"Wake up," Nadia whispered. Valkyrie cracked open one eye just a little and saw she was grinning excitedly. "It's Christmas."

"Mmm, no, not yet," Valkyrie moaned turning the other way.

"Hey," Nadia said just a little louder. Valkyrie heard footsteps in the attic room above. "You can't just turn your back on me! It's Christmas!"

"No it's not."

There was a quiet moment and then Nadia practically dropped on top of her with a grin. "But I'm naked."

"No you're not."

"I am. See," she grabbed Valkyrie's hand and put it on her breast.

Valkyrie hummed, leisurely rolling her nipple between her fingers. "Still not getting up."

Nadia giggled and got off the bed. Valkyrie smiled and watched her walk around the tiny room to get her clothes from the suitcase next to the door. They had barely more room than that. "Do you want your presents?"

"No."

"Really? I got you a good one," she said with a sneaky look.

"Unless you're going to get on my face, I don't care," Valkyrie said, pulling a pillow over her head.

They heard a muffled laugh through the wall from Tanith, getting them to laugh as well. The house soon filled with movement. Valkyrie and Nadia got into the pyjamas right before Saracen barged into the room, followed up by Erskine who tackled Valkyrie onto the bed, breaking one of the slats underneath.

"Erskine!" She cried from under him. He rolled off laughing hysterically. Nadia took his hand and pulled him up – then shrieked when Valkyrie jumped up after him, picked her up and threw her over her shoulder. "Presents!"

Nadia laughed and shouted to be let down, so Valkyrie threw her onto the sofa. Erskine and Dexter came bounding down the stairs a few moments later, followed by the rest of the family at a more sedate pace. Valkyrie pulled back from Nadia in time to grab Erskine and stop him from toppling them both over onto the coffee table. "It's Christmas Val, we need to open the presents!"

"Dexter help!"

Dexter picked Erskine up from around the waist and moved him to the other side of the room. Anton arrived and patted Erskine on the shoulder, calming him down in an instant, and they all gathered around the minuscule living room. Erskine placed himself at Anton's feet next to the pretty tree he had decorated himself, in a way Nadia didn't like as she had made sure to tell Valkyrie – Erskine had a very haphazard way of decorating Christmas trees and Nadia preferred something more 'elegant' – and demanded they had presents immediately.

"Alright, let's see!" He said and snatched up the nearest. "This one is for Solomon, from Valkyrie. And this blue one is to Saracen, from Tanith..."

The presents were handed out quickly and they opened them as they came. Valkyrie got a book from Solomon on magical theory, Erskine got her and Nadia matching bracelets with a rainbow charm on them, Dexter bought her a collection of nice chocolates. Ghastly and Anton had gone halves and found a few tops and some new pyjamas for her to match her new height and build. She had a little chocolate snowman on a stick from Laila, Saracen surprised her with a really pretty photo album, and Fletcher gave a note to her and Nadia as a promise to chauffeur them to any locations of their choosing for a day so they could visit family, places or go on dates. Fletcher's was a surprise, but Valkyrie actually felt touched he'd be willing to give up his entire day to let her and Nadia enjoy themselves.