Chapter 1: To be unfaithful or not?
Chapter Text
The sun has just set on this warm summer evening and the room is now bathed in darkness. In bed lies a woman in her 30s with black hair and a blanket over her. She tosses and turns restlessly and mutters softly to herself. Her eyes are closed, and she seems to be dreaming something unpleasant. Her chest rises and falls rapidly, and her pulse is fast. She lies alone in bed and has no one to wake her from her dream.
Without warning, the woman sits up with a loud gasp and wide eyes. She is covered in a thin layer of sweat and her heart is beating both fast and hard in her chest. She looks around the room she is in, and it takes a second for her foggy and newly awakened brain to understand where she is and that she is not in any danger. She runs her hand through her hair and takes a deep breath to calm herself.
"It was just a dream …" Valkyrie Cain whispers to herself, dragging her feet over the edge of the bed. She walks into the bathroom attached to her bedroom and meets her own reflection in the mirror. "You look awful, Valkyrie. You stink too, so maybe a shower would be in order."
She undresses and steps into the warm jets of the shower. She runs her hands through her wet hair and sighs as the warm jets wash away the sweat from her body. She lathers both her hair and body thoroughly, causing the last of the nightmare to leave her. She feels much better and hopes she can fall back asleep.
Without any nightmares this time.
She gets out of the shower and dries herself with a towel before going back to the bedroom where she goes to the closet and takes out a pair of pyjama shorts which she puts on. She doesn't put anything on her upper body because she doesn't want to wake up again in a few hours from being too hot. She goes to the window and opens it to let in some fresh air before going back to bed. She has just pulled the covers over herself when there is a knock on her door.
"Valkyrie, are you awake?" says a velvety voice from the other end.
"Yes, Skulduggery. I just had a nightmare."
Her bedroom door opens and in walks her best friend and partner, Skulduggery Pleasant. To Valkyrie's surprise, he is not dressed in one of his suit jackets or a hat, making his white skull stand out clearly in the darkness of the room. He is wearing only a white shirt and a pair of black suit pants. He is also not wearing his gloves, so his white skeletal hands are fully visible.
"I'm fine, you don't need to come and check on me. I'm not a child or an irresponsible teenager anymore, you know."
Skulduggery tilts his head in that special way he always does and looks at her. Or that's what Valkyrie assumes he's doing because it's hard to see in the dark. "I know that you aren't anymore, Valkyrie. You have grown into a very beautiful woman, and I know you can take care of yourself, but that doesn't mean I can't check on you if I suspect something's bothering you. Unlike me, who doesn't need to sleep, you need your beauty sleep to get through tomorrow."
Valkyrie can't help but smile and is filled with warmth when she hears that Skulduggery is worried about her health. "How cute of you to watch over me. Like I said: I had a nightmare. I just got out of the shower, and I feel much better, thank you for asking."
Valkyrie lies back down in bed and pulls the covers around her. She can feel that Skulduggery is still watching her, so she turns her head and looks over at him. "What is it now?"
"Nothing. Do you want me to go?"
Valkyrie does not answer him right away. She is fully aware that she's completely naked except for the pyjama shorts she's wearing, which for some reason makes her feel a little embarrassed. Skulduggery has seen her naked before on several occasions and she knows she doesn't have to worry about him trying to sneak a peek or touch her if she isn't giving her permission.
"Do you want to go?"
"If you want to be left alone, I will of course leave, but if you want me to stay, I'll stay. I can sit in the corner and watch over you for the rest of the night if that calms you down and makes you feel safe."
"Come here." Valkyrie pats the sheet next to her while making sure the blanket covers her upper body. She notices Skulduggery following her movements, but neither he nor she says anything.
Skulduggery slowly walks over to the bed, as if he wants to give Valkyrie a chance to change her mind. When she doesn't say anything, he sits down next to her on the bed. Valkyrie rests her head against Skulduggery's chest, and she can feel how he lays his arm around her shoulders. Many people would find it uncomfortable or awkward to lie against Skulduggery's hard body, but Valkyrie doesn't. She has always enjoyed having Skulduggery close to her own body. She enjoys the contrast their bodies provide: hers soft against his hard and bony.
She closes her eyes and puts one of her legs over his. Skulduggery flinches and Valkyrie are about to ask what's wrong when she feels one of her bare breasts pressed up against Skulduggery's ribs. The blanket has slipped off her, and they are now skin to bone. Valkyrie doesn't dare open her eyes and pretends as if nothing has happened, hoping that Skulduggery won't say anything or leave.
Heat pools in her nether region and she feels her cheeks heat up. She says nothing, biting her lip to keep from making any sounds that might show Skulduggery what she's feeling right now. This was a stupid idea! Why had she asked Skulduggery to get into bed with her when she is half-naked?!
Skulduggery says nothing, but strokes her shoulder in a slow, circular motion. Valkyrie can feel his gaze on her head, and she wonders what is going on in his head right at this moment. She is extremely tempted to use her psychic powers to try to get into Skulduggery's mind, but she knows that it is a useless idea and a waste of her time, as Skulduggery is too strong for her and it probably would not be worth the headache she knows she will have to suffer through afterwards.
A gust of wind blows through the open window and Valkyrie shivers. Skulduggery presses her closer to him by pure habit and Valkyrie can't help but sigh as she is enveloped by Skulduggery's bony body. She wants so badly to kiss his bones, visible under the shirt he's wearing, and to caress them with her fingers. She wants to know if he can feel her touch him. If he can enjoy it.
"Valkyrie."
Even though she doesn't want to, she looks up into Skulduggery's black eye sockets. He's tilted his head in that way he does when he smiles, and Valkyrie knows he finds something funny. What it is, she doesn't know.
"Yes, Skulduggery?"
"You're aware that I don't mind having you this close, right? And I happen to be very aware that you don't mind having me close, either. We're soulmates, right? We don't keep secrets from each other anymore, right?"
Valkyrie shakes her head. "No. I hope not, anyway."
"Then why do you not want to tell me what's bothering you? If you don't want me to stay, I can go."
"That's not it …" Valkyrie mutters.
"Did something happen to Militsa?" Skulduggery asks.
"No, no, everything is fine with us!" Valkyrie says quickly, trying to smile.
Skulduggery does not seem to believe her, which Valkyrie can't blame him for. She has not exactly sounded convincing and she is fully aware of that. The truth is that nothing is really wrong if you look at the surface. The real truth, however, is completely different. For several weeks now, Valkyrie has begun to wonder if she really wants to be with Militsa. She still loves her, that's not the crux of the issue, but her feelings have begun to cool. She no longer wants to spend time with Militsa in the same way they once did, she doesn't spend as much time with Militsa, and her body no longer fills with butterflies in her stomach every time they meet.
Instead, Valkyrie has tried to change their plans on several occasions, not calling back when Militsa has tried to reach her, and not being as approachable as she once was. She also doesn't feel the same sexual attraction to Militsa that she once did. Sure, they still have sex from time to time, but Valkyrie doesn't feel the same pleasure that she once did. Instead, she has almost felt compelled to have sex with Militsa to maintain some kind of facade that everything is as it used to be.
Valkyrie wants and does not want to be with Militsa at the same time. They have been together for so many years now that if they were to break up, Valkyrie would lose a part of herself, or at least that is what she thinks. She also does not know what their future relationship will look like. Will they still be able to be friends, or will Militsa cut off contact completely? Valkyrie still wants Militsa in her life, even if it's just as friends instead of as a girlfriend.
"Valkyrie."
Skulduggery's voice brings her out of her thoughts and she flinches. She looks at him again and now she can see that he is no longer smiling. Instead, he looks thoughtful and she can feel how his fingers that were circling her shoulder a moment ago have stopped moving. Instead, he has put his hand around her waist and pushed her closer. So close that she can feel his ribs pressing hard against the gap between her breasts, causing a thrill to spread through her body, which she can see that Skulduggery feels very clearly.
The room seems to have suddenly shrunk, and Valkyrie is gasping for air. Skulduggery is so close that if he would have had human lips, she would have felt his breath on her cheek. All she can hear is her own gasping breath and the wind howling outside the open bedroom window. Time seems to stand still, and she can't tear her gaze from Skulduggery's black eye sockets.
Without saying anything or warning him, Valkyrie grabs Skulduggery's hand and places it over one of her breasts. She gasps as his bony fingers wrap around her soft skin and she presses her lips against his teeth. She can feel Skulduggery stiffen and become as immobile as a skeleton should normally be. She doesn't care, though, but presses herself closer to him and lets her lips encircle his face in quick, desperate kisses. She lets the hand that is pressed against his hand that is wrapping around her breast slowly caress his fingers while the other finds its way under his shirt.
Skulduggery gasps, and Valkyrie can feel him shiver. She doesn't know if it's from pleasure or discomfort - surprise, perhaps? - but she doesn't care. As long as Skulduggery doesn't tell her to stop, she intends to keep going. She wants so badly to feel his bones against her body, to explore him, to give him the pleasure he hasn't felt in so many years. Or at least try because she doesn't know if that's possible.
She and Skulduggery haven't exactly discussed that part in such deep detail.
"Valkyrie, what are you doing?" Skulduggery tries to push her away, but Valkyrie doesn't hear what he says.
She is so deeply immersed in her desperation and her desire to explore Skulduggery. She pushes him down on the bed and begins to unbutton his shirt while continuing to explore his face with her lips. She presses her vagina against his pelvis and moans softly from the friction. She can feel Skulduggery wrap his hands around her shoulders and how he is forcing her head away from his skull.
"Valkyrie Cain!" he roars, and it causes Valkyrie to wake up from her trance. She looks at Skulduggery with laboured breathing, eyes full of desire and a body shaking with suppressed pleasure. "Valkyrie, what are you doing? What's wrong?"
"I … I … Skulduggery …" Valkyrie stammers, pulling away from him immediately. She gets out of bed and starts pacing the room, wrapping her arms around herself. "Oh my God … I don't know what came over me … Oh, my God … What have I done?!"
A pair of bony arms wrap around her from behind and holds her tightly against an equally bony chest. A velvety voice speaks soothingly in her ear while a pair of bony hands slowly caress her arms. Instinctively, she pushes back and moans when she feels Skulduggery's pelvis against her ass. She feels so dirty and doesn't understand where all these sexual impulses have come from. She feels like a horny teenage boy who has nothing but sex in his brain!
"Sorry!" Valkyrie manages to get out but gets no response from Skulduggery. She glances up at him and sees that he is looking at her. His skull radiates nothing but calm, which surprises Valkyrie while also relieving her somewhat. Skulduggery does not seem to be angry at her but just wants to know what is going on in her head and why she suddenly is acting so strangely.
Neither of them says anything for a moment, but Skulduggery just continues to hold Valkyrie and stroke her arms slowly. After a moment, Valkyrie feels her breathing calm down and she can start breathing normally again. Skulduggery puts his teeth against her temple and kisses it before putting his hands around her waist. Valkyrie closes her eyes and places her own hands over Skulduggery's.
"Feeling better now?" Skulduggery whispers in her ear, and Valkyrie shivers as she nods. "Good. I was a little worried for a moment."
Valkyrie cannot help but laugh, feeling the last of the panic drain from her body. She turns her head up to Skulduggery and gives him a kiss on the cheek before whispering, "Thank you."
Skulduggery lets one of his hands wrap around Valkyrie's cheek and strokes it slowly. He looks into her dark brown eyes and she into his black eye sockets that shouldn't show any emotion at all, but from which she can read so much. She always has and she suspects that she is the only living person in the magical society who can read Skulduggery to the point that sometimes just a glance or a gesture is enough for her to know exactly what he wants, thinks, and feels.
Valkyrie lets her lips once again encircle Skulduggery's teeth as she places one hand behind his skull to be able to push him closer to her. She knows that what she is doing now is wrong. After all, she has a girlfriend who loves her, but it is as if someone else is taking control of her body and making her let go of everything that "being faithful" means and instead only cares about getting her desires satisfied.
Skulduggery presses against her, and Valkyrie can feel his hand around her waist begin to twitch, as if Skulduggery is forcing himself to hold it there. It makes Valkyrie smile against Skulduggery's teeth, and she lets her tongue sweep over them slowly while the hand pressed against Skulduggery's skull wanders down to his neck vertebrae. She slowly lets her fingers caress them again, which makes Skulduggery gasp again and this time Valkyrie hears that it's a moan of pleasure.
He can feel my caresses! Valkyrie thinks delightedly and turns her body, so they are face to face with each other.
Valkyrie looks at Skulduggery while she continues to caress his neck slowly. She lets her other hand wander down to Skulduggery's unbuttoned shirt. She lets her fingers caress his chest and ribs in small circles, which makes Skulduggery shiver. She quickly pulls his shirt off so she can see what's hiding under it. She can see that Skulduggery's chest is rising and falling even though he doesn't need to breathe, which makes her understand how affected he is by her caresses, which only makes her own desire towards him increase.
She lets her hands roam over Skulduggery's arms, shoulders, ribs, and spine as she presses her breasts against his chest. The friction created as her stiff nipples touch his cold bones makes her moan softly, and she feels Skulduggery pull her body closer to his own, wrapping his hands around her back and one of her buttocks. He lets his teeth nibble wherever he can reach.
"Skulduggery ..." Valkyrie moans, feeling her innermost muscles contract from his caresses while her vagina pulses and becomes very wet.
Valkyrie lets one hand wander down to Skulduggery's hipbone and is just about to start undoing his belt, when Skulduggery takes a step back, away from her. He turns his back on her and clenches his fists tightly. He shakes his head, as if he's just come out of some kind of stupor. Valkyrie is just about to walk over to him when he raises a hand in the air, stopping her.
"Skulduggery, what …?" she begins, but Skulduggery shakes his head again and takes another step away from her, increasing the distance between them.
"Valkyrie, no. We can't."
"What can't we do?"
"This. Whatever it is we're about to do."
"Why not? I want you and you clearly want me too."
Skulduggery doesn't answer at first, standing as still as a statue, his hands still clenched so tightly that Valkyrie can hear his bones creak. "Because you're in a relationship, Valkyrie. Aren't you thinking about Militsa right now? What would she say if she saw us now? It doesn't matter what either of us wants right now, because it's wrong as long as you're in a relationship."
Valkyrie says nothing. Her chest is beating hard against her chest, and she knows that Skulduggery is right. Despite that, she feels no remorse. She is fully aware that she is a horrible, downright terrible, girlfriend right now, but she can't help what she feels. Deep down, she has always known that Skulduggery is the one she wants, but she has pushed those feelings away deep inside her heart because she hasn't wanted to ruin their relationship.
Now that she knows that Skulduggery wants her too (God knows how long he's wanted that!) she can't think about anything else but how much she wants to feel his body against hers. Feel his bones under her hands, feel him caress her until she screams his name, become one with him and show him how much she loves him.
To be able to take their relationship to the next level. To get to spend the rest of her life with him!
She tries to take a step towards Skulduggery, but Skulduggery raises his hand and suddenly Valkyrie can't move, no matter how hard she tries. She stares at Skulduggery with wide eyes. How dare he!
"Skulduggery, let me go."
"No, Valkyrie, I can't. If I do, I won't be able to keep my hands off you."
"But I want you to lose control! I want you to touch me, Skulduggery! I want to feel your hands and teeth against my body. I want you! I need you, Skulduggery! I have wanted this for a long time, longer than I have wanted to admit to myself."
"And that is exactly why I have to do this. If you want to be in a relationship with me Valkyrie, you have to end your relationship with Militsa first. I may be a man who has done a lot of bad things in my life, but even I have standards. One of those is not to sleep with someone else's partner."
Valkyrie summons her magic. She can both see and feel her entire body begin to glow. Skulduggery's hold on her breaks at the same moment she lets her magic fly out of her body and break the air current surrounding her. She rushes to draw the magic back in before it harms Skulduggery. They both look at each other for a long moment without saying anything. They can both see in the other how much they want to throw themselves into each other's arms and let their desire for the other take over.
Before anything they might regret later can happen, however, Skulduggery turns his back on Valkyrie and walks out of the room without saying anything. The silence that surrounds her makes Valkyrie shiver and she wraps her arms around herself. She looks at the door that Skulduggery has just disappeared through and feels tears wanting to leak from her eyes, but she manages to hold them back for the moment. She slowly walks over to the door and closes it quietly. She can hear Skulduggery walking around the house, but she doesn't know what he's doing, and she doesn't dare follow him to check.
She knows that Skulduggery is right and that he doesn't want her to make another mistake that could cost her dearly in the end, like she had when she decided to cheat on Fletcher with Caelan when she had been a teenager. At least then she would have had the excuse that she was a stupid teenager with hormones running her most of the time. But now ... Now she's a grown woman who is fully aware of what her actions can lead to and what consequences they can have.
"I'm a horrible person ..." Valkyrie whispers to the door and can't hold back her tears any longer. She slides down the side of the door and sits down heavily on the floor, putting her head in her knees and her arms around her legs as she cries violently.
The sound of a car engine starting and tires rolling on gravel can be heard from the open window. Valkyrie hears Skulduggery drive the Bentley out onto the road at a speed that makes the tires scream against the ground. She understands that he is trying to drive away from his feelings, and she would like to do the same right now but decides to stay in the house.
She goes to bed and lies down on it with tears streaming down her cheeks. She pulls the covers over herself and her arms around her waist before pressing her face into the pillow. She is not looking forward to tomorrow because she knows she has to make a decision. A decision that could change her, Skulduggery's, and Militsa's relationship with each other forever. She still doesn't know what to do, but it's something she will have to deal with when she meets up with Militsa tomorrow.
"What the hell have I done now ..." Valkyrie sobs, hugging herself tightly as she listens to the wind whistling outside the open bedroom window.
Chapter 2: The Choice
Chapter Text
The sound of birds chirping wakes her from a restless sleep. When Valkyrie opens her eyes, she can see that the sun has risen and that the bedroom is bathed in sunlight. She closes her eyes again and turns her back to the window. Despite having slept for a few hours, she feels very exhausted and wishes she could stay in bed for the rest of the day.
The sound of small paws moving in the grass and meowing can be heard outside the window. A few seconds later she can hear the sound of something jumping into the bedroom and it is not long before she feels something small and soft stepping on her on top of the covers. Another meow is heard right by her ear and when she opens her eyes she looks straight into a pair of yellow cat eyes.
One of Skulduggery's kittens rubs its face against her cheek and meows again. Valkyrie pats the kitten on the head, and it immediately starts to purr. She smiles at it, feeling a little more at ease. She continues to pet the kitten for a little while before forcing herself to sit up in bed. She gets a sad meow in response before the kitten jumps to the floor and walks over to the door, where it waits for her to open the door.
"Yes, yes, I'm coming." Valkyrie walks over to the door and opens it. The kitten waddles out and heads towards the kitchen where its food bowl is waiting for it. Valkyrie shakes her head and says, "Sometimes I wish I were a cat too. Your life seems so easy. Eat, play, sleep, and hunt. Sounds like heaven compared to what I have to do every day."
Valkyrie's stomach starts to rumble. She looks down at her stomach and is reminded that she's only wearing a pair of pyjama shorts, so she walks over to the chair in the corner of the room and puts on the reinforced clothes that Ghastly Bespoke has made for her. She feels the clothes instantly adjust to the temperature in the room and how they fit around her body in that perfect way that only Ghastly's clothes do.
Before she goes into the kitchen to get something to eat, she closes the bedroom window. When she comes out into the kitchen, she sees that the cat that was in her room has been joined by her sibling and that they are both eating breakfast from their food bowls that are on the kitchen floor next to the kitchen table. When they hear her enter the room, they both turn their heads towards her and meow before continuing to eat.
Valkyrie looks around the kitchen and quickly notices that Skulduggery is not there. She listens to any sounds that might indicate he has come home, but the house is unusually quiet. She walks over to the kitchen window and looks out onto the driveway, only to find it empty. Skulduggery has either not been home all night or he has left again. Given how quiet the house is, Valkyrie suspects he has been gone all night.
She wonders where Skulduggery might be. What is he thinking and feeling right now? Is he angrier at her or at himself for allowing her to go as far as she did last night? Is he afraid, like she is, that their relationship will change for the worse if they choose to act on their feelings for each other? Is he also thinking about what their future together would be like if they were to take their relationship to the next level? Does he want her as much as she wants him?
One thing at a time, Valkyrie. First you need to get some breakfast, and then you need to make your way to Roarhaven where you will meet Militsa. Once you have made your decision, you can contemplate what the future holds.
In the fridge she finds some yogurt and, in the pantry, there is cereal. She pours everything into a deep plate and sits down on one of the kitchen chairs where she tries to eat. The first spoonful goes well, but as she is about to take the second, the memory of Skulduggery's reaction to her advance's pops into her head. How he pulled away from her and how he had used air magic to prevent her from reaching him. The memory of his voice that had been filled with suppressed desire, frustration, anger, and sadness. All at once.
Suddenly the yogurt doesn't taste so good anymore. She forces herself to eat a few more spoonfuls but then has to push the plate away. Her stomach has a big lump in it, and she feels like tears are not far away. She clenches her hands and takes a deep breath. She can hear and feel the kittens rubbing against her legs, as if they sense something is wrong and want to comfort her.
Valkyrie sits down on the floor and cuddles with the kittens for a little while, which makes her mood improve a little. She knows that they can't solve her problems for her, but they can at least give her the strength she will need today to do what needs to be done, and for that she is incredibly grateful.
When the cats are satisfied, they go into the living room and lie down on the couch for a little nap. Valkyrie clears the dishes and puts her plate in the sink after rinsing away what remains of her breakfast she hasn't managed to eat. She then takes her cell phone out of her pocket and dials a number.
"Val, hello! What can I do for you today?"
"Hey, Fletcher. Could you come to Skulduggery's house and pick me up? I'm meeting Militsa in Roarhaven, but I don't have a ride there."
"Skulduggery can give you a ride, right?" asks Fletcher Renn, teleporter, and Valkyrie's ex-boyfriend.
"No, he's not home. I don't know where he is and I don't want to disturb him right now."
"Did something happen between you two, Val?"
Fletcher's voice sounds worried and Valkyrie cannot stop a small smile from forming on her lips. Even though their relationship ended in anything but a good way, they are good friends today and Valkyrie can always count on Fletcher to help her if he has time when she asks him to.
"We had a little fight last night and he still hasn't come back. We both need to be apart for a while and calm down. You don't have to worry, Fletcher. You'll see that by the end of this day we'll be back to our old ways again."
"If you say so …" Fletcher sounds uncertain, as if he isn't believing Valkyrie's words. "I can pick you up right now if it's okay and if you're ready. I have a few minutes before the next class starts."
"Great! See you soon." Valkyrie hangs up and opens the texting app on her phone. She sends a text message to Skulduggery explaining where she will be for the next few hours and that she is sorry for what happened last night. She doesn't expect to get a response and doesn't get one either.
She just has time to put her phone back in her pocket when Fletcher appears right in front of her. He smiles when he sees Valkyrie and gives her a big hug. Valkyrie hugs him back and when she lets go of him, they are already in Roarhaven. More precisely, outside its school, Corrival Academy, where Fletcher works as a teacher.
"I didn't know where you were going so, I teleported us here," Fletcher says, looking a little embarrassed, which makes Valkyrie laugh.
"It's okay. I didn't actually mention where I was going to meet Militsa. I can take the train from here. You don't have to teleport me all the way. I might need a little time to myself before I meet her anyway, so this actually suited me very well."
Fletcher doesn't answer at first, just looks at his ex-girlfriend for a moment. "Valkyrie, how are you? You said on the phone that you and Skulduggery had a fight, which is not normal. Not like this, anyway. How are you? What happened?"
"Nothing special. Skulduggery and I just had different opinions about one thing and instead of continuing to argue, Skulduggery chose to separate us so that we wouldn't do or say anything that we would both regret later."
"Do you want to tell me what this opinion was about? You know I'm a good listener," Fletcher says, taking one of Valkyrie's hands in his own.
Valkyrie looks down at their intertwined hands. She has thought on more than one occasion that she doesn't deserve Fletcher's friendship, given how she behaved towards him when they were both teenagers. It doesn't matter that Fletcher has forgiven her, she still feels terribly bad about what she did to him, and now that she's done the exact same thing to Militsa last night, the guilt makes her start to sob.
Fletcher wraps his arms around her and hugs her tightly as tears stream down her cheeks and her body shakes from powerful sobs. He whispers soothing words and strokes her back as he lets her cry it out. He doesn't ask why she's sad, he lets her cry it out. He knows Valkyrie will tell him what happened when she's ready and that he'll only make her more withdrawn if he nags her.
After a moment, Valkyrie pulls away from Fletcher and wipes her cheeks. She takes a deep breath, and Fletcher puts his hands on her shoulders while searching her gaze. Valkyrie glances up at him and Fletcher can see that she is deeply embarrassed about something. He still says nothing, just nodding to show Valkyrie that he is there if she wants to tell him what is wrong.
"I'm a terrible person, Fletcher …" Valkyrie whispers. "I've done something I can't take back, and now I don't know what to do."
"It can't be that bad. I know you've done things in your past that you're not proud of, but you've changed a lot since then. Whatever it is that you've done, I'm sure it's not as bad as you think it is."
"I kissed Skulduggery and tried to have sex with him last night."
Fletcher stares at Valkyrie and she can feel his hands on her shoulders squeezing them. Hard. She winces in pain but says nothing. She understands that this is giving Fletcher flashbacks to their breakup. She feels even more horrible now because in addition to having angered Skulduggery and hurting Militsa (who doesn't know it yet), she has now also caused Fletcher pain.
"I'm sorry, Fletcher. I understand that this is tearing up old wounds, and I really thought I had learned from my mistake, but apparently not. You have to understand that I have thought for a long time about ending my relationship with Militsa, but that I haven't wanted to because of our history. We have been together for so long and I really like Militsa, but more as a friend than a partner. I didn't want to hurt her."
"Yet you chose to cheat on her with Skulduggery." Fletcher's voice was empty of emotion, and he had taken a step away from Valkyrie.
"Who put a stop to it all before it could go too far."
"Which surprises me. I thought Skulduggery didn't care about anyone's feelings but his own and yours."
"Fletcher, that wasn't a nice thing to say."
Fletcher smiles a smile that is completely devoid of joy. "Did I hurt your feelings now, Valkyrie? Or are you trying to defend Skulduggery? I understand why you tried to jump into bed with him because you both deserve each other. Birds of a feather flock together."
"Fletcher, please. I'm trying to do the right thing here. Why do you think I called you and asked you to take me here to Roarhaven so I can meet Militsa? I'm going to tell her everything and then it's up to her how we proceed."
Fletcher didn't answer, just turned his back on Valkyrie and walked through the gates of Corrival Academy. Before he disappeared completely out of sight, he called down to Valkyrie. "I hope for Militsa's sake that she makes the right decision, because I know what I would have chosen. I suspect you also know what I would have done."
Valkyrie wants to shout something back, but no words come out of her mouth. Instead, she just watches Fletcher as he disappears into the school building. Her heart is pounding, and she feels like throwing up. Ideally, she would just like to fly home and hide under the covers in Grimwood House where she can disappear into a dream world where she is allowed to fantasize that none of what happened yesterday or today has happened.
Instead, she takes a deep breath, walks to the train station, and gets on the next train that comes into the station. To her great relief, there aren't many passengers in the carriage she gets into, and she gets to sit by herself for the entire train journey. She tries to clear her head of all thoughts, but it's hard. Her stomach is knotting up in cramps from both worry and nervousness. She still doesn't know how to break the news to Militsa, and she doesn't know how her girlfriend will react.
That's the worst thing: not knowing what she can expect.
When the train stops in the city centre, Valkyrie gets off and goes to the café where she is supposed to meet Militsa. She picks up her phone to check the time and notices that she is early. She hasn't received a response from Skulduggery either. She wonders once again where he is, what he is doing and what he is thinking. She wonders if she should call Ghastly and see if he has heard anything from Skulduggery but decides just as quickly not to. Ghastly has enough problems as it is and she doesn't want to drag more people than necessary into the mess she has managed to get herself into.
She sits down in an empty chair outside the café and waves away the server who is starting to approach. She sends a message to Militsa, letting her know that she has already arrived. She quickly receives a reply telling her that her girlfriend is on her way in and should be with her in about five minutes.
Without warning, Valkyrie suddenly starts sweating, and she now wishes she had not put on Ghastly's protective clothing. It is another hot summer day, and a pair of shorts and a tank top would have been more than enough. She takes off her jacket and hangs it over the back of the chair, which helps a little. She concentrates on her breathing, forcing herself to take slow, deep breaths to try to suppress the anxiety that is creeping up on her, which it always does when she is faced with a situation that she knows will result and/or end in a fight, tears, or both.
"Val!" a happy voice is heard calling out and Valkyrie looks up. Militsa comes walking towards her, her red hair bobbing up and down as she walks. Her freckled face lights up with a big smile and she waves happily with one hand.
Valkyrie smiles back and stands up to meet her girlfriend. When Militsa approaches her, she gives Valkyrie a big hug which Valkyrie responds with, but when Militsa tries to kiss Valkyrie on the mouth, Valkyrie can't kiss back so she turns her head away, so Militsa kisses her cheek instead, which makes Militsa raise an eyebrow in question. She doesn't comment on it though but instead sits down on the chair next to Valkyrie.
When the waiter arrives, they both order a coffee. After he leaves, Militsa turns to her girlfriend. "Val darling, how are you? You look tired. Did Skulduggery keep you up all night going through a bunch of casefiles again?"
"No, I just haven't been able to sleep. You know how it is, sometimes you have nights where you just lie there tossing and turning and can't get to sleep."
"Poor thing." Militsa puts her hand around Valkyrie's and strokes the back of her hand slowly. At the same moment, the waiter returns with their coffee. Militsa takes a sip with her free hand before once again turning all her attention to her girlfriend. "Can you not come home with me for a while? I think I know how to make you relax …"
Valkyrie gives Militsa a small smile that she feels doesn't reach her eyes. Normally, a comment like that from Militsa would make her body tingle pleasantly, but today she feels nothing. She takes a sip of her coffee and has to force herself not to pull away the hand that Militsa is holding. She can feel her girlfriend's gaze on her the whole time, but she can't bring herself to look back at her. The shame is eating her up from the inside and she tries to find a good opportunity to say what she wants to say, but it never seems to come.
She can hear Militsa talking to her, but she doesn't understand what she's saying. She finds herself nodding and responding in monosyllabic words, which causes a frown to appear between Militsa's eyebrows. "Valkyrie, what's wrong with you? You're not yourself and it worries me. Something has happened and I don't like it when you keep things from me."
Valkyrie sighs and runs a hand through her hair. She drinks the last of the coffee that settles like a warm lump in her stomach. She manages to get the waiter's attention and says she wants to pay for their two coffees. She can feel Militsa eyeing her suspiciously the whole time. When she has paid, she stands up, puts on her jacket, and takes Militsa's hand in hers. "Militsa, can we go somewhere where we can talk in private? I have something to tell you, and you won't like what I have to say."
"Now you're scaring me, Valkyrie."
Valkyrie doesn't answer but takes Militsa to a park a little way from the café, which is a little way from the city centre, where there aren't many people out this early in the day. Many are at work, at school, or at the beach where they can catch some sun. The only company they have is the birds flying around in the air and the wind whistling around them. On any other day, Valkyrie would have enjoyed having Militsa this close to her, but not now.
"We can't get any more alone than we are now, Valkyrie. Now I demand that you tell me what happened." Militsa stops in mid-step and lets go of Valkyrie's hand.
Valkyrie takes a deep breath and clasps her hands together. She can't look Militsa in the eyes, instead fixing her gaze on a tree behind Militsa. She opens her mouth to start telling her story, but notices that she can't get any words out. She can't find them and doesn't know how to start. Should she start by saying that she's lost her feelings, about the kiss that was becoming something more, or that she wants to break up?
"Militsa, I …" Valkyrie begins and clears her throat. She glances at Militsa, who is looking at her with worried eyes. "Something happened last night."
"What? Were you hurt? Were you and Skulduggery in a fight again? Did you spend the night at Synecdoche's?" Militsa asks in a worried tone but looks confused when Valkyrie shakes her head in response.
"Not exactly. I slept over at Skulduggery's last night. When I was in bed sleeping, I had a nightmare and Skulduggery heard me. He came in to me, and I asked him to lie down with me so I could go back to sleep." Valkyrie broke off in her story because her throat had suddenly become very dry. She cleared her throat and would have done anything for a glass of water right now.
"While Skulduggery was holding me, I noticed how close we were and … And I kissed him. Instead of stopping, I tried to sleep with him and at first, I thought Skulduggery wanted me too, but before it could go too far, he pushed me away. He didn't want to hurt your feelings and got mad at me for what I had tried to do. He drove off in the Bentley shortly afterwards and I haven't spoken to or seen him since."
Valkyrie felt her eyes well up with suppressed tears, but she managed to hold them in. She didn't dare look at Militsa but continued to stare at the tree next to her. She knew very well what she would see in Militsa's eyes if she chose to look at her, and it was something she wasn't ready for yet. She wanted to get everything out of her head first, because if she looked at Militsa now, she wouldn't be able to continue because she would break down.
"I know what I did was really stupid and I shouldn't have done it. I should have stopped myself before I acted, but I didn't. Forgive me, Militsa. I did not want you to find out this way, but I want to end our relationship. We've had many wonderful years together, but I cannot continue to be with you anymore because I no longer have any romantic feelings towards you."
Valkyrie had indeed told Fletcher that it would be up to Militsa whether they would be together or not, but once she had started talking, she had realized that she didn't care whether Militsa wanted to continue their relationship or not, because Valkyrie had just come to the realization that she couldn't continue being with Militsa. It wouldn't be fair to either of them but would only lead to even more suffering.
Militsa says nothing for an exceedingly long time. She stares at Valkyrie with wide eyes that are shiny with tears. She opens and closes her mouth, but no sounds come out of her. Valkyrie understands that she is shocked and keeps her own mouth closed, even though there is a lot she would like to say. She can see that Militsa is clenching her hands tightly before taking a step away from Valkyrie. Tears are now flowing freely down her cheeks, and she shakes her head over and over, as if trying to convince herself that what she has just heard is not real, but just some strange dream from which she will soon wake up.
If only it were that simple.
"You … you …" Militsa begins to say in a thick voice. Her lower lip trembles violently with suppressed sobs. "How could you? Aren't these years we've spent together worth more to you? I'm so disappointed in you Valkyrie, because I really thought you were a better person than this. How wrong one can be. You think you know a person …"
"Militsa, please…" Valkyrie begins, but is interrupted by Militsa, who laughs heartlessly.
"Don't you dare 'please' me, Valkyrie Cain! I understood that something was going on, but that it would be something like this ... For god's sake! You really are selfish, aren't you? For some strange reason, I am not surprised that it is Skulduggery that you have chosen to cheat on me with. Considering everything you two have been through, I know that you have a really close relationship, but that it would be this close ..." Militsa shook her head before continuing.
"You two really deserve each other, because you're both equally rotten. How long have you been going behind everyone's backs? How long has this been going on? I don't believe you when you say you didn't sleep with each other. I guess I've noticed the way you act around each other when you think no one notices. You were only with me because you were worried that Skulduggery wouldn't be able to satisfy you sexually, right? I've just been a sex object to you, haven't I, Valkyrie?"
"No, that's not the case at all!" Valkyrie protests and takes a step towards Militsa, who backs up.
"Don't try, Valkyrie. Don't come one step closer or I will attack you. I want you out of my sight. If you try to run after me, I will not hesitate to hurt you, do you understand what I'm saying?" With those parting words, Militsa turned her back on her ex-girlfriend and walked out of the park with tears streaming down her cheeks and her head held high.
Valkyrie stares after Militsa as she walks away. She too is crying, but unlike Militsa, her tears are mostly of relief because she is glad that she has finally taken the bull by the horns and ended things with Militsa now before she did something she could not have undone and that would have hurt Militsa even more.
She wonders if she should call Skulduggery and ask him to pick her up so she can sort out their situation but decides to wait. She doesn't want to pressure him and risk making the situation worse. She's learned over the years they've known each other that it's better for him to come to her than the other way around. Trying to talk to a still-angry Skulduggery never ends well.
She picks up her phone, wiping away her tears with her free hand. She searches up the last conversation she had with him and sends him another text message, not expecting a response, but which she is hoping will let him know that she's no longer upset with him and that she hopes he isn't either.
We need to talk. Can we meet at your place? I'm in Roarhaven now and can be at your place in about twenty minutes.
She waits a little while to see if the text message arrives and if Skulduggery has read it. When she sees the little tick that symbolizes that the text message has arrived and has been read, she summons her magic and begins to lift off the ground and into the sky. When she is high enough, she begins the journey back to Skulduggery's home. Thanks to Ghastly's clothes, she doesn't have to worry about her clothes getting ruined during the flight, for which she is incredibly grateful.
The journey back to Skulduggery's house gives her plenty of time to think about everything that has happened in the last twelve hours. She can't believe that so much has happened and that she has managed to hurt so many people she cares about so much. She has no idea what Militsa will do from now on and how she will handle their breakup, but she really hopes that Militsa can move on as soon as possible.
When it comes to herself, she can only hope that Skulduggery really wants her too and that his caresses and kisses last night weren't just a "heat of the moment" thing. If that's the case, she has two options: either try to continue their partnership and pretend like nothing happened while repressing her feelings for him deep in her mind or retire from the arbiter profession and live her life without Skulduggery by her side.
As she approaches Skulduggery's house, she gets down to the ground and walks the last bit. She sees that she has arrived before Skulduggery because the Bentley is not parked outside. She uses her key to enter the house and is immediately greeted by the two kittens, who are eagerly stroking around her legs while meowing loudly. Valkyrie pets them both tenderly and talks to them for a moment before checking their food bowls. She refills them before sitting down heavily on the couch, waiting for Skulduggery to return.
Valkyrie doesn't know how much time has passed when she hears the sound of a car engine approaching. The car pulls into the driveway and as the driver turns the key and the engine dies, it becomes incredibly quiet. The sound of a car door opening and closing is heard before footsteps approaching the front door gets closer and closer. She can't take her eyes off the handle and as it turns, her heart starts beating faster and harder in her chest while her stomach fills with panicked butterflies.
The front door opens and Skulduggery steps into the hall. He turns his white skull towards her where she sits on the sofa, and the moment his black eye sockets meets her brown eyes, she stands up. She slowly walks towards him. All the while, her heart continues to pound hard and the butterflies flutter even worse in her stomach. She feels nauseous and her head is pounding.
At the same moment that she stands in front of him and is so close that she could touch him if she stretched out her hand, she whispers, "Skulduggery, I chose you."
Chapter 3: Indulge in your feelings
Chapter Text
Skulduggery says nothing, just looks down at Valkyrie. She can't read his thoughts like she usually can because he consciously chooses to keep them inside, which hurts her a little. She doesn't know whether to say or do anything. She thought Skulduggery would be happy with her decision, but now she's not so sure anymore. Maybe she should go home and let all this run its course instead? Stay away from Skulduggery for a few days and then carry on as usual as if none of this had happened.
Valkyrie is just about to stretch out her hand and open the door when one of Skulduggery's gloved hands wraps around it. She looks up at him and before she can understand what he's going to do, she has his arms wrapped around her in a tight embrace. She wraps her own arms around him and hugs him back, while she can feel how tears of relief is running down her cheeks.
Her heart is pounding, and she knows Skulduggery can feel it against her chest and ribs. She wonders if this means Skulduggery wants to take their relationship to the next level as well, or is he holding her to comfort her? She really wants to believe that the first option is true, but she can't know for sure unless she asks him.
Or trying to kiss him … whispers a little voice in her head.
Valkyrie lifts her head and looks into Skulduggery's black eye sockets. She lets one of her hands wrap around his cheekbone and to her great joy, he doesn't pull away this time. Instead, he tilts his head and looks at her curiously.
"Are you sure this is what you want, Valkyrie? You are aware that I am several hundred years older than you, right? I have a dark past and I am not a good person either. I am nothing but bones held together by magic and cannot do things that normal people do. I cannot do normal things with you that you have been able to do with your other boyfriends and girlfriend. I cannot ..."
Valkyrie interrupts him by pressing her warm lips against his cold teeth. She can feel how Skulduggery is shivering from the touch and how the grip of his arms that lays around her tightens. She smiles and kisses him again. This time Skulduggery presses his teeth against her lips, which Valkyrie knows is the closest he'll ever get to kissing her back.
"I do not care about any of that, Skulduggery. It is you that I want, even though you are just 'bones held together by magic.' I have wanted you for a long time but have been too afraid to take the plunge. I think I've had romantic feelings for you ever since that day in the reactor room when I thought I would lose you forever. The reason I started a relationship with Coda and Militsa was to suppress my true feelings for you, because I didn't think you felt the same."
Skulduggery doesn't answer but instead pulls her closer. He leans forward and lays his teeth against her ear before whispering, "How lucky for you that I have a hard time keeping my cool around you, Valkyrie Cain."
Valkyrie shivers from Skulduggery's words before she starts kissing him once again. She lets her hands caress his skull and neck vertebrae, which makes Skulduggery shiver against her body. He gives her earlobe a small bite before nibbling her throat and neck, which makes Valkyrie moan lowly. Skulduggery once again moves upwards and presses his teeth against her lips again. He lets his hands wrap around her hair and back so he can press her closer to his bony body. Valkyrie gasps against his skull and begins moving her body up and down along his.
They continue kissing for a while longer. It's only when Valkyrie starts to get out of breath that they pull away. They meet each other's eyes and Skulduggery asks, "Valkyrie, are you really one hundred percent sure about this? After all, you have just ended a relationship that has lasted for many years, and I do not want you to do this just to try to fill a void. If you want to be in a relationship with me, do it because you really want to and not just because you want to please me."
Valkyrie gives him a smile before kissing him again. "Skulduggery, as I told you a moment ago, I am absolutely certain of this. I have dreamed of this for a long time, longer than I wanted to admit to myself. It has always been you, Skulduggery. No one understands me like you do and no one makes me feel like I can handle anything. You have always been by my side ever since Gordon's death and no matter what I have done or said, you have supported me. You have helped me out of so many situations where I could have died, and I know you will continue to do so in the future as well."
"But I have also put you in life-threatening situations that I could have chosen to let you avoid. It is because of me that you have experienced so much pain and death. If I had acted differently, you would not be as mentally damaged as you are, Valkyrie."
"And as I've told you so many times before, Skulduggery, the choice has always been mine. You've warned me more times than I can count about how serious the situations we've been in have been, but I've still chosen to jump in head first. I save your life, and you save mine. That's just how we work. Until the end."
"Until the end," Skulduggery replies with warmth in his voice, kissing Valkyrie.
Valkyrie takes Skulduggery's hand in hers and leads him into her bedroom. She leads him over to the bed and makes him sit down on it before sitting down on his lap. She lets her hands caress his body outside his clothes while she at the same time is letting her lips explore his face, neck and cervical vertebrae. She can feel her vaginal muscles contracting and how she gets wet with each new caress and from the sounds Skulduggery makes when she touches him.
"You have way too many clothes on," she whispers into Skulduggery's throat, unbuttoning his blazer before moving on to his shirt. When both garments are in a pile on the floor, she pauses so she can look at Skulduggery's half-naked form before her. "You are so beautiful, Skulduggery."
She begins to caress his bones slowly while she is watching Skulduggery to see his reaction to her touch. She is not disappointed. She can see Skulduggery shiver and hear him gasp. His hands wrap around her thighs, and his thumbs caress the insides of them, causing Valkyrie to moan softly. She instinctively presses herself against his hands as she continues to caress his body.
"Valkyrie ..." Skulduggery whispers and begins massaging the inside of her thigh, just out of reach of her throbbing desire.
Valkyrie moans and starts kissing Skulduggery's shoulder blades while letting her hands find their way under his ribs, causing Skulduggery to gasp. Valkyrie stops and glances up at Skulduggery, trying to determine why he's gasping. She doesn't want to hurt him, and she doesn't know how sensitive he is to this kind of treatment. Skulduggery has told her that he can feel things, but that what he feels is more like a memory of a feeling than the actual feeling itself.
"Don't stop," Skulduggery says, caressing her cheek.
"Are you sure?" Valkyrie asks. "I don't want to do anything that will cause you discomfort or pain."
"You're not hurting me, Valkyrie. On the contrary, you make me feel alive in a way I haven't in a very long time."
Valkyrie smiles and gives Skulduggery a kiss. She continues to caress the inside of his ribs and spine in slow movements. She can feel Skulduggery trembling beneath her and hear his pleasurable gasps. She lets her lips and tongue caress his sternum while one of her hands finds its way down to his hipbone. Two of her fingers find their way inside the waistband of his pants and she can feel the outline of Skulduggery's pubic bone.
"Ah. .." Skulduggery moans, pressing against Valkyrie's fingers.
"Did I touch on a sensitive spot, Skulduggery?" Valkyrie asks in a velvety voice. "I apologize profusely."
"You're not sorry," Skulduggery replies with a smile in his voice, and Valkyrie can't help but laugh.
"Thay may be true, but I happen to feel that you like this a lot, which means that I will keep going."
Before Skulduggery can respond, Valkyrie pulls down his pants and lets her tongue explore his hip and pubic bones while continuing to caress his spine with one of her hands. Skulduggery moans loudly and lets his hands wrap around Valkyrie's hair, causing Valkyrie to smile between her lickings. She summons her magic and lets it seep out through her mouth and fingers, giving Skulduggery a tickling sensation on top of the pleasure her caresses give him.
"Oh my God, Valkyrie!" Skulduggery says, gripping her hair tighter before pulling her head back so he can look into her eyes. In them he can see her desire and how excited she is to be able to satisfy him.
"Is something wrong, Skulduggery?" Valkyrie asks, tilting her head as she smiles innocently. "Was it too much for you to handle?"
"Watch it," Skulduggery growls lowly, pressing his teeth hard against Valkyrie's lips. "Now that you've had your little fun, it's my turn."
Valkyrie opens her mouth to respond when, without warning, Skulduggery lifts her up and throws her down onto the bed. She lands on her stomach and is about to roll over when she feels Skulduggery's bony body lies on top of hers. He grabs her hands with one of his own and places her arms behind her back so she cannot move. He uses his other hand to slap one of Valkyrie's buttocks, causing Valkyrie to gasp from the pain and pleasure coursing through her.
"Oh!" she says, instinctively pushing herself against Skulduggery, who chuckles.
"You liked that. Could it be that you're a naughty little girl who needs to be taught a lesson, Valkyrie?"
"Yes, Skulduggery," Valkyrie gasps, pressing her bottom against his body. "I've been naughty. You need to punish me more."
Skulduggery gives her other buttock a slap just as hard as the first one, and Valkyrie moans. Skulduggery laughs softly in her ear and bites her neck before pulling away from her again. "What am I going to do with you now that I have you completely under my control, Valkyrie?"
"Whatever you want."
If Skulduggery had had a human face, it would have raised an eyebrow by now. He sounds impressed as he says, "Whatever I want, you say? You are aware of what you have just given your permission to Valkyrie, right?"
"Yes, and I trust you completely, Skulduggery."
"Good girl."
Skulduggery lets his free hand wrap around the waistband of Valkyrie's pants and slowly begins to pull them down while he continues to hold Valkyrie's arms with his other hand. As her pants lie on the floor next to his own clothes, he slowly begins to caress her inner thighs and buttocks, causing Valkyrie to moan softly. He can feel the heat radiating from her bosom and he can see from her panties how wet she is. He teases her lower abdomen with a finger by caressing it on the outside of her panties and he can both feel, hear and see how Valkyrie begins to writhe under him while she whimpers softly.
"Skulduggery, please …" she begs, pressing herself against his finger.
"He who waits for something good …" Skulduggery says, releasing Valkyrie's arms. He turns her around so he can check out her body before giving her a kiss. "Take off your clothes."
Valkyrie immediately obeys his orders and takes off her jacket, sweater and bra while Skulduggery follows every move with his black eye sockets. When she sits in front of him wearing only panties, he presses her against his own body and caresses one of her nipples slowly, causing Valkyrie to gasp and press herself against his hand. Skulduggery lets his teeth nibble along Valkyrie's chin, neck and shoulder blades as he continues to caress her breasts and nipples.
He lets his other hand wander between her buttocks, hip and the inside of her thigh. Valkyrie trembles from the pleasure he gives her which makes his own desire for her increase. They both press against each other and Valkyrie lets her hands caress Skulduggery where she can reach.
"Lie down on your back," Skulduggery orders, and Valkyrie does as he says without protest. "Take off your panties."
Once they are removed, Skulduggery lets his fingers caress Valkyrie's labia and clitoris slowly while he holds her down with his other hand by placing it against her pelvic area, just above her lower abdomen. He can feel Valkyrie straining against his grip as she presses her lower abdomen against his fingers.
"Lie still Valkyrie, or I'll stop."
"You scoundrel ..." Valkyrie whispers but does as he say.
"Good girl," Skulduggery replies, pressing a finger into Valkyrie. He can feel her innermost muscles immediately envelop his bony finger. "You are so ready for me, aren't you, Valkyrie?"
"Yes, Skulduggery."
Skulduggery slowly starts moving his finger in and out of Valkyrie and it's not long before he lets another finger join the first. He lets his thumb caress her clitoris in slow, circular motions as he moves his fingers in and out. Valkyrie spreads her legs and presses herself against Skulduggery's fingers as best as she can, considering his other hand is holding her down.
"Please, Skulduggery …" Valkyrie begs, trembling with the pleasure that runs through her. "I need more. This isn't enough. I want all of you."
"And you will get that, Valkyrie. Soon." Skulduggery gives her inner thigh a small bite while moving his fingers a little faster in and out of her.
"You bastard!" Valkyrie gasps, pressing herself harder against him.
Skulduggery chuckles and lets a third finger find its way inside her. He bends his fingers a little so he can reach Valkyrie's g-spot, which makes her lose her composure completely. She now moans loudly with pleasure and presses herself hard against Skulduggery's fingers. She asks him for more and he gives it to her by pressing his fingers both deeper and faster into her. Valkyrie is now shaking violently, and Skulduggery can feel her closing herself tighter and faster around his fingers, which tells him that she doesn't have much longer, so he increases the pace even more.
"Skulduggery … Oh, God … Yes …" Valkyrie screams as she feels the orgasm begin to build inside her. She presses herself desperately against his fingers and grips the sheets around her tightly. "I … am almost there …!"
"Come for me, Valkyrie. Let me hear you."
"Skulduggery!" Valkyrie screams, pressing herself hard and fast against his fingers as the orgasm sweeps through her. She can feel Skulduggery continue to massage her as she comes, and how he follows the waves of her orgasm. When she can't take it anymore, he slowly pulls out of her and caresses her cheek.
"You are such a good girl, Valkyrie."
Valkyrie smiles and presses a tired kiss to his teeth while she tries to come back down to earth. She breathes heavily and feels very satisfied. She turns towards Skulduggery and caresses his arm slowly. Skulduggery puts an arm around her back and presses her against his body. Valkyrie straddles him and gives him a wicked smile that makes Skulduggery tilt his head.
"What are you doing?" he asks.
Valkyrie doesn't answer but starts moving her lower body towards his pelvis. She moans softly and feels Skulduggery put his hands around her hips to support her. He gently presses himself against her too. He doesn't want to hurt her, but Valkyrie doesn't seem to care because she presses herself desperately against him.
"Take it easy, Valkyrie. I don't want to hurt you."
"Neither will you," Valkyrie gasps, letting her hands caress his neck vertebrae. "I trust you completely."
"Do you really have any more strength? I want you to be able to move tomorrow."
Valkyrie laughs as she is filled with warmth from Skulduggery's words. "You're so thoughtful today. Yes, I'm far from done with you."
"I have my moments. Don't you want me to use my façade?"
Valkyrie shakes her head. "No. It's this version of you that I fell in love with, Skulduggery. I want you for who you are."
"As you wish. But to make this more interesting, I would like to try something."
Valkyrie raises an eyebrow and is about to ask Skulduggery what he means when she feels how something is pressing itself into her. She gasps in surprise and looks down between their bodies. She cannot see anything at first, but she clearly feels that Skulduggery has put something inside of her. It is not until Skulduggery starts moving in and out of her that she sees the shadows that is seeping out of his pelvis and that is when she realizes what he has done.
"You cunning fox. .." she whispers with a smile before moaning softly in pleasure.
"Glad to see you like it."
Skulduggery takes a firm grip on her hips again and starts moving harder and faster against her, causing Valkyrie to throw her head back and moan loudly. Even though they are just shadows that Skulduggery has shaped to give her absolute pleasure (since he has no penis of his own to penetrate her), she still intends to enjoy herself to the fullest. She can feel Skulduggery manipulating the shadows to move in time with her and his own movements while adapting to her body and what she can handle in terms of size. This makes their pleasure increase even more.
"You're good at this …" Valkyrie moans, pressing herself harder against Skulduggery. "It's like you can read exactly what I need and want."
"You're not particularly difficult to read, Valkyrie," Skulduggery replies, caressing one of her nipples.
"Watch yourself," Valkyrie says, biting Skulduggery's throat, which causes him to tighten his grip around her hip and push himself deeper inside her. She moans and whispers "Mm, I like it when you do that," against his throat.
Skulduggery tilts his head to the side and slaps one of her buttocks. Hard. Valkyrie moans again and rolls her hips a little extra. "I have … mm … also something that … ah … I'd like to try …"
Skulduggery looks at her curiously. "Go ahead, Valkyrie."
"For this to work, you have to let me access … your mind."
Skulduggery pauses for a few seconds while he is watching Valkyrie. She bites her lip and worries that he won't agree to her suggestion. After a few seconds that to her feels like minutes, he nods slowly and Valkyrie dares to breathe again. She gives Skulduggery a kiss and caresses his cheek. "It will not hurt at all, and I will not dig through your memories either."
"I trust you, Valkyrie."
I really hope it's going to be worth it ... Valkyrie thinks to herself before taking a deep breath and summoning her psychic powers to link her mind with Skulduggery's. Realizing that he has granted her access, she lets her emotions and pleasure be transferred to Skulduggery so he can experience what she is experiencing.
"Valkyrie ..." Skulduggery whispers and his grip around her hips tightens.
Valkyrie starts moving again and it doesn't take long for Skulduggery to continue pressing against her as well. Their senses become one and now they can both experience what the other feels, which causes their respective pleasures to intensify. They both press desperately against each other now and they moan loudly.
Valkyrie puts her hands on Skulduggery's thorax and moves increasingly desperately against his "penis" while she can feel how Skulduggery is sitting up. He presses her body tightly against his own. One of his hands wraps around one of her buttocks while the fingers of the other hand begin to circle her clitoris. Valkyrie's body shakes violently with pleasure, and she feels as if she is drowning from all the emotional impressions that are going through her at this moment.
She doesn't know if Skulduggery can have an orgasm, but she hopes so. She begins to kiss and lick his cervical vertebrae while caressing his ribs. All the while, she continues to keep their psychic link open, allowing her to feel how much he enjoys her touch and he to feel how much pleasure he can give her from his body and the magic that circulates around them both in this moment.
Neither of them knows how long they are continuing to move towards each other, but finally Valkyrie can't hold back any longer and comes a second time, screaming Skulduggery's name. As she comes, she can't hold their psychic link any longer and pulls away from Skulduggery's consciousness, but not before she can feel Skulduggery starts to shake violently beneath her, leading her to believe that he too has reached his limit.
As the last of the orgasm washes through them, they hold each other tightly, and although Skulduggery doesn't need to, Valkyrie can hear how he is breathing gaspingly against her neck. She wraps her arms around Skulduggery and hugs him as she settles against his shoulder. She feels Skulduggery lie down on the bed and how he strokes her back slowly while he pulls the shadows back into himself.
Neither of them says anything for a long moment, just enjoying each other's company. Valkyrie can't help but feel a little empty now that Skulduggery is no longer a part of her, and to get something else to think about, she decides to be the first to break the silence. "I hope it was as nice for you as it was for me."
Skulduggery laughs and gives her temple a small kiss as his fingers slowly caresses her spine. "It was. You are wonderful, Valkyrie."
"You're not that bad either," Valkyrie replies, giving Skulduggery's sternum a tired kiss.
She can feel Skulduggery's eyes on her but she's too tired to lift her head right now, so she just waits for Skulduggery to say whatever it is he wants to say. When he speaks again, it's in an amused tone. "So, I'm the only one for you, am I?"
Valkyrie can feel how her cheeks are turning red with embarrassment and hear Skulduggery laughing above her. She buries her face in his cervical vertebrae, refusing to meet his gaze. She's never been good at this emotional stuff, and it still feels strange to talk about things like this with Skulduggery, since this is something they've decided long ago they don't need to talk about.
"All kidding aside, how are you, Valkyrie?" Skulduggery asks, kissing her hair. "You just ended a relationship and jumped straight into a new one. Have you had time to process anything? I know you find it easier to lock all the bad thoughts away as far back in your mind as possible, but that doesn't usually result in anything positive."
"I … I feel torn to be honest, which I know I can be with you. I know I made the right choice to end my relationship with Militsa because I couldn't be with her anymore, but that doesn't mean it still hurts. We've been together for a long time and she's the longest relationship I've had. We've been through a lot and we've had fun. She's helped me a lot and made me see things from a different perspective, but I've always known deep down that it wouldn't last forever.
What I'm most sorry about is that I've hurt two of the people closest to me and I'm afraid that from today on I won't be able to have those people in my life anymore. I've already lost so many friends in the years since I first discovered magic, and I don't want to have to lose any more."
"Who have you hurt besides Militsa?" Skulduggery asks in surprise.
"Fletcher. I asked him to pick me up this morning because I didn't dare ask you for a ride to Roarhaven. When we got there, I told him what had happened between the two of us last night and he got very upset with me. I brought up a lot of old, nasty and painful memories for him and he was very disappointed in me for not learning from my mistakes, which I can't help but agree with.
I am not perfect, and I never will be. I have done many terrible things in my life that I have to carry with me for the rest of my life and learn to deal with so that they don't eat me up from the inside. I have come a long way on the road, but I still have a long way to go to be completely healthy, and I am fully aware of that."
Skulduggery wraps his arms around her in a tight embrace and Valkyrie closes her eyes. She feels the tears burning in her eyes and, wanting something else to think and talk about, she asks, "So, how long have you wanted me, then?"
Skulduggery, which is fully aware of what Valkyrie is up to, chooses not to press her any further. "I can't honestly answer that question. All I know is that I have known about it for a long time."
"I've had feelings for you ever since that day in the reactor room when I thought I was going to lose you forever. When I told you I loved you, I really meant it, but it wasn't until later, when I had already arrived in America, that I realized I meant it in a romantic way and not as close friends. I tried to bury my feelings for you at the same time as I tried to bury all the horrible memories of what Darquesse had done to all those innocent people.
My relationship with Coda was just a desperate and pathetic attempt to forget you and move on, while also being a way of punishing myself, because I knew I could never be with you like that. At least that's what I thought at the time, but in the end it only resulted in us being seriously injured and almost dying."
"Coda's choices had nothing to do with you. He was an unstable individual who had delusions and lived in a completely different reality than you and I do."
"It doesn't matter. If I had been stronger ..." Valkyrie whispers, taking a deep breath to calm herself down and suppress the negative emotions.
"Valkyrie, you know I don't blame anything that happened between us and Coda on you, right?"
"My relationship with Militsa was also a way to suppress what I really felt for you," Valkyrie continues, as if she hasn't heard what Skulduggery has just said to her. "I truly loved her and my relationship with her is the most genuine I've ever had, but in the end, she was just another tool I used to try to forget my true feelings for you.
I also used her as a kind of therapy because Militsa made me feel good and dare to say no to taking on more assignments than I could handle. She made me realize that I can't go back to my old life before Darquesse, but that I can still be a part of the magical world and make a difference in a way that doesn't always have to involve violence. She made me realize that I'm not a murderer, or that I am at least doing everything I can to avoid having to kill other people."
Skulduggery says nothing for such a long time that Valkyrie wonders if he's entered one of his meditation phases. She looks up at him but cannot read him because he won't show her what he's feeling. She whispers his name, and he looks down at her with those black eye sockets.
"I know you don't blame me for anything that happened to you, but I still have to apologize for everything I've put you through. There are times when I wonder what your life would have been like if I had chosen differently. If I had acted differently. If I had been stricter and not let you go on certain missions. If I had ..."
Valkyrie puts her hand over Skulduggery's teeth to stop him from talking. "Listen to me really carefully now, Skulduggery Pleasant. I have never regretted our meeting and you introducing me to magic, because I can't be without it or you. I love you and want to spend the rest of my life with you. I want to be your partner and be by your side, through good times and bad. Until one of us dies."
"I want that too and I don't regret that I got to meet you and had the great honor of watching you grow up and become the wonderful woman you are today. However, there is one thing I think you should know and that is that we can't change our past, but our future is not yet written. If we want to be better people, we can learn from our past and hopefully make better choices in the future. That's exactly what you have done, Valkyrie. I am very proud of you, and I will always be here by your side through thick and thin."
Valkyrie smiles and lets her lips touch his chin in a tender kiss before she finds her way back into his neck vertebrae. "Until the end, right? You and me against the world until the end, Skulduggery Pleasant."
"Until the end, Valkyrie Cain."
Max (Guest) on Chapter 1 Wed 12 Nov 2025 06:12PM UTC
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