A/N: I don't own Ghastly, Valkyrie, Erskine, Tanith, or Skulduggery. Val is in her 20s here. Oh, "Smooth" is a song by Carlos Santana and if you don't know who he is you frighten me, seriously.

Ghastly was actually happy for the first time in a long time. He'd retired from the position of Elder at last, and now devoted his days to working in his tailor's shop or working out with his heavy bag. Life was good, almost serene. Well, not too serene. He grinned to himself as he worked. Today was Friday and that meant he'd be seeing Valkyrie again in a few short hours. He was already dressed and ready to go, and if she and Skulduggery didn't land into trouble between now and then, he'd be holding her in his arms in a few short hours.

The door chimed and he looked up from his work, his sewing machine falling silent and was surprised to hear her distinctive tread coming towards him. Ghastly smiled and rose to meet her as she entered, all too happy to indulge her with a lingering kiss that left them both breathless. Valkyrie giggled as they parted and Ghastly grinned, making her blush. He gestured and the radio came on, then he drew he into a dance, grinning even more.

He loved the way she moved when she danced, coming up just close enough to brush her body against his, then grinning impishly and swaying back away from him. Ghastly laughed and caught her in his arms, bringing her in close and his lips were on hers almost immediately. It never ceased to amaze him how very soft her lips were, or the fiery passion she stirred in him. Soon he was teasing her into opening her lips, needing that deeper connection that made his heart sing.

He cradled her head and indulged himself, but immediately pulled back, his blue eyes wide with sudden worry and guilt. "You do know I love you, right?" He asked, beating down his desire if only for the second it took her to nod and draw him back in by his collar. He planned a very stern lecture about that being a good way to ruin a shirt some day, but then Valkyrie was doing things to his neck with her lips that made him dizzy. A champion prize fighter, Dead Man and experienced warrior, and she could render him defenseless with a touch or a kiss.

Valkyrie pulled back to look at him. "I love you too. I'm not one of those goofy girls you saw during to war. Uh, your war, not mine. Or were you seeing girls then too? Are you seeing any now?" She mock growled and he smiled. Valkyrie always could make him smile, make him laugh at himself. He knew he worried too much, but it was in his nature to worry. He opened his mouth to say something, but she wasn't finished. "Stop. We both know what you're going to say. Stop feeling guilty about seeing anyone before me, all right? That was then, not now. And besides, consider it practice for keeping me happy." She said, an impish grin on her face.

He wanted to be considerate and ask about her day, but she was busy undoing the buttons to his vest. "This is new, I love the material." She complimented him. "But I love the tailor a lot better." She purred as she freed the last button and slid her hands inside. Ghastly grinned stupidly at her and she laughed softly, giving him delightful shivers. Then she was kissing him again as her hands explored. That would have been enough for most men, but when she brought her hands up to touch his scars next that meant a lot more.

Ghastly closed his eyes and gave in to the sensation, wanting to weep in gratitude. He didn't know how he didn't repulse her, scare her away like he'd done with so many women. But she didn't treat him like a freak to experiment with either. She loved him as a man and he needed that. All too soon she was pulling her hands away and he could still feel the warmth of her fingertips on his scars.

Ghastly opened his eyes and Valkyrie smiled at him. "I brought you something. That's what I stopped by to drop off." She disappeared out into the hall and came back with a bottle wrapped in a midnight blue velvet drawstring bag and Ghastly blinked. Neither of them drank. But he opened it eagerly anyhow and took out the bottle then looked at her, puzzled. "It's Twelve Beverage. It's sparkling tea. Trust me, you'll like it. I'd chill it first though. Well, I've got to get back, duty calls." She kissed him chastely on the cheek and was gone before he had a chance to thank her.

Valkyrie was ready to be picked up at the mansion at their usual time and Ghastly was enchanted with how she looked as she answered the door. She wore a black dress he'd designed for her and it looked stunning on her. The scoop neck top hugged her curves and gave way to a skirt of smoky grey silk that floated as she walked. Sheer fabric in the same smoky grey trailed down her arms and she looked like a living fantasy to Ghastly.

She had on the low heels he'd made her, perfect for dancing in. She'd added a necklace and earrings in abstract shapes made out of jet glass. Valkyrie only wore eyeshadow that he could tell, a silvery grey that enhanced her eyes. As she walked up to kiss him the smell of her exotically spicy perfume made him feel faint. Ghastly was utterly entranced and smiling to himself as he escorted her to the van. He was lucky, he didn't need anyone to tell him that.

Minutes later he had her on the dance floor, enjoying the warmth of her body as he clasped her gently to him. She was a wonderful dancer, so light on her feet that she seemed ethereal. Ghastly kept expecting to wake up and not find her there, but until he did, he intended to enjoy every minute he was given with her. Valkyrie swayed closer to him, an impish grin on her face. "Guess who has two weeks off from the Sanctuary?" She asked, wrapping her arms around his neck and he smiled at her.

"You're kidding. No, let me guess, Erskine is sending you two to some sort of couple's therapy camp since you two fight so much." He teased, then twirled her, enjoying her delighted giggle. She shook her head and giggled again, allowing him to escort her off the dance floor. Ghastly got her chair for her, smiling. It was rare that she let her guard down and acted her age so he wasn't about to mention it. "So, why did our illustrious leader give you time off?" He asked and she grinned at him.

"I just told him I wanted it. Skulduggery's already left for a while, earlier today actually. China finally went psycho and broke into his house, so he needs the downtime."

"You're kidding, right?"

"Nope, she was screeching about him never having loved her, and this time it was me she'd kill. So Skulduggery socked her a good one in the jaw and then had the Cleavers come get her. We've always known she was crazy, but never how criminally insane."

"And you know all this because-"

"Skulduggery's quite proud of himself for having saved me. That said, I think he was changing suits at the time, and there's some mental scarring involved from the places she-" Ghastly held up a hand to stop her description before he got mental scarring. Valkyrie looked at him for several beats then burst out laughing. "Ghastly, I'm kidding. Skulduggery went to America to see some old friends. He knows I'm seeing you so he told me to enjoy the free time with you. He came up with the story, by the way."

"And you're the strangest girl I've ever known for telling it to me." Ghastly said dryly. He ordered them dinner because he knew Valkyrie would try to stick with whatever was cheapest and turned back to her after their hot drinks, tea and coffee respectively, were brought to them. "But I like that about you. Skulduggery's all of three years old when he's with you. He was ruthless before he met you, Valkyrie, cold. But you've changed him for the better. Thank you. I'll also thank you to take dessert to go if you don't mind. I have something for you at the shop and we can have it there if that's all right with you."

Valkyrie's face lit up in response and his heart melted. It was nothing much, really, to make her clothes, it was what he did for a living. But Valkyrie adored his clothes, even if she also liked the dreadful mass-produced clothes mortals designed. He smiled to himself, knowing he'd made something she'd never suspect.

It seemed like an instant later that he was sending her into the back room to find her gift which he'd hidden. It gave him enough time to sneak out two glasses and the chilled bottle to his work table, and plate up the desserts with plates he had had ready. He heard Valkyrie's squeal of delight and grinned openly and she came running out of the back to catch him in a bone-crushing hug. "Ghastly, they're wonderful!" She enthused, then drew him down into a searing kiss that left him happily dazed.

She saw that he'd set up dessert for them and her expression softened. "Ghastly, I hope you know I love you for you. You don't have to spoil me, you know." She said softly, tears glimmering in her eyes. Ghastly drew her in for a lingering kiss needing to comfort them both.

"I don't spoil you, Valkyrie. Spoiling means giving things instead of love or affection and I have a lot more love for you than things, but you like them? Honestly?" He asked as he led her to the table.

"I love them. They look a lot like the jeans I wear around the mansion, but you would have noticed when you visited, being a tailor, wouldn't you?" Ghastly snorted in amusement as he poured them the Twelve Beverage.

"I noticed because I'm a man, Valkyrie. You wear your jeans so tight they are like a second skin. These are of magical material but should feel about the same as normal jeans. I'm guessing, I don't see what you see in them, but as long as you are happy that's all that matters."

"I am, thank you, and I mean that. Erskine still can't talk by the way, that's some right hook you have." She said fondly and he blushed.

"Nobody talks to you like that man did in front of me, ever, Valkyrie. You're a lady, not one his-" He paused searching for the right word.

"Bagatelles?" She offered and he nodded, then blushed again. Valkyrie was developing quite the lexicon in her travels with Skulduggery and it never failed to amuse him that most of the new words she learned were insults. Erskine had called her pretty much the same thing and Ghastly had lost his temper.

"Of course he probably still walks funny too, that wasn't a nice place for you to kick him, you know. Especially with steel toed boots on." Ghastly mock scolded. Erskine had been drunk so the punch hadn't quite taken him down and at his slurred insult of Ghastly's face Valkyrie had nailed him between the uprights and the Grand Mage had went down like a house of cards.

"He shouldn't have said that about you." She said and he knew she wasn't kidding. Valkyrie had a fiery temper and had put people through windows for less. She didn't care if people insulted her, and she didn't even react when they insulted Skulduggery, leaving Skulduggery to fend for himself. But if Ghastly or the other Dead Men were insulted she answered with her fists.

He thought again about how lucky he was to have her there. She loved him and he loved her. Ghastly was fairly sure that counted as a miracle as he'd repeatedly made a fool of himself in front of her over Tanith. But she'd never held it against him. She'd been there for him when the cruel wedding invitation had arrived in the mail. Had looked out for him when the shock forced Erskine to let him retire at last.

She'd even slept in his bed the first few nights. Not as a sexual gesture, but just so he'd have someone to hold and to hold him. Ghastly owed her his life and he knew she was well aware of it. Had she not moved in for those horrifying weeks that followed getting the invitation while he kept wanting to end it all, he would have. But she had fought his depression like a lioness. Not letting him feel sorry for himself, but still showing compassion for his loss.

It was then he'd realized she cared for him as more than a friend as more than a Dead Man. It was then he'd realized she was in love with him and he'd been able to start a new life with her. He thanked God for every day he had with her and he intended to devote the rest of his life to making her happy if only she would let him. "I love you." He said gently as the drowsed on the couch later, wrapped in a blanket.

"I love you too, Ghastly. I don't want you feeling obliged to entertain me for the next two weeks." She said, yawning sleepily. "I just wanted you to know because I love you and if you want those two weeks with me they're yours." She feel asleep then, nestled trustingly in his strong arms and Ghastly couldn't think of anyone he wanted to spend the next two weeks with more.

Aww. That was cute! This was meant to be a super hot sp chapter, but it clearly wanted to grow into something sweeter so I didn't fight it. Hope you liked it!