A/N: I don't own Valkyrie or Skulduggery. Val is still in her late 30s same day, same scene.


Skulduggery fell back on my bed, laughing hysterically. "The look on your face right now, Valkyrie, is priceless. I wouldn't try anything here, after all. One, I'm a proper gentleman, and two, I hear girls like you prefer their dead lovers in a coffin!"

He burst out laughing even harder and I kept swatting him with the pillow, my cheeks flaming bright red in embarrassment. Skulduggery backed up under my assault to suddenly fall out of bed with a yelp. He only found this funnier. "I guess a wooden floor," he wheezed, "is just as good as a pine box." Skulduggery tapped it invitingly, then burst into a new round of laughter, snickering so hard that he couldn't even rise up. He tried repeatedly and made it onto all fours, still chortling.

"Are you drunk?" I asked at last.

He shook his head, and managed at last to rise to his knees, the stand shakily. Still shaking and wheezing he staggered to the bed and sit beside me. "No not drunk. It's just that the look on your face was priceless. I would invite to take you shopping for the coffin with me-"

"Skulduggery!"

"But I know how much you love surprises!" He laughed again, but was clearly worn out. He sagged backwards onto the bed, trying his best to make his expression angelic.

"What makes you think you deserve to be on this bed?" I growled.

"You love me and-"

"And?"

"And you want to jump my bones!"

"So not the right answer, Skulduggery!"

"Vakyrie-"

"Leave, NOW!" Skulduggery nodded, walked to the window and started to climb out. He looked back, started laughing again, and lost his balance. I ran to the window to see him on the ground, once again shaking in helpless laughter. "Skulduggery Pleasant, I HATE you!" I shouted down.

At this his amusement only doubled, and he was rolling back and forth, shaking with his mirth. I slammed the window, locking it. I went to my bed, fuming. Only Skulduggery could take a romantic moment and make a joke out of it! A few minutes passed, then I heard him tapping on the window. I looked over, tempted to leave him out there. But he tilted his head and folded his hands in a prayerful attitude, so I went and let him in. He stepped in, composed now.

He tilted my head up towards him, kissing me deeply, his teeth on my lips making my heart melt for him all over again. He wrapped his skeletal arms around me, and I managed, somewhat shakily to put my own around his neck, not breaking the kiss. We stayed like that for the longest time, and when we parted he looked contrite. "I apologize. You aren't the only one who's nervous about this you know. I promise to behave with proper decorum in the future if you'll still have me."

"This isn't you, winding me up, is it?" I growled, distrustfully.

"No, it was just the idea of you being in love with me. For some reason I found it hysterically funny, I apologize. No one has ever... You are the first woman to suggest such a thing in over four hundred years, you know. Not too many" He kissed me. "beautiful young ladies," He kissed me again. "would find me," Another kiss. "all that worthy of love." He kissed me again, but chastely, holding my hands in his. He stepped away, looking like he didn't want to leave. "Until tomorrow night, Valkyrie Cain." He tipped his hat to me, and was gone out the window. By the time I could move the Bentley was long gone.


Poor Skulduggery was just gobsmacked that Valkyrie loved him in return, hence his fits of hysterical laughter. Plus, he does enjoy teasing her, so it is that too. Don't tell Skulduggery, but Valkyrie loves it when he teases her. Shhh!