I'm sorry?

Time just flew by and I ended up kind of forgetting that I was writing this story... :( I am really sorry. School has been really busy (if any of you are in the IB life, you will understand) and too hectic. And then Star Wars reared its head and I got distracted by writing lots of Star Wars stuff and yeh. This story sort of just died in my head.

Oh and X Files happened... XD I really shouldn't have gotten into this TV series at this opportune time with mock exams happening in about 36hrs... Which I am really struggling to revise for because I haven't ever needed to do revision before for GCSEs...

3 won (but not really much smexy fun times, just more the aftermath of smexy fun times, because I can't do smut)... Although 1 and 2 will come :) Probably next chapter... When I get round to posting it... We'll see...

Apologies and crap are at the bottom with the review replies...

Rating is staying at T. It really isn't going to go much beyond some more kissing...

Chapter 36: In Which Cuddles Occupy Our Time

Skulduggery woke up suddenly, an odd feeling in his mouth. It took him a moment to realise that he had buried his face in a mass of dark hair and somehow managed to get some in his mouth. He sat up, pulling the strands of hair out of his mouth, cringing at the peculiar sensation, spluttering somewhat.

"What?" came a soft mumble and Skul felt Valkyrie shift to face him.

He gave her a gentle smile. "Your hair was in my mouth."

"Ew," but she didn't sound too fussed. "That happens to me whenever I sleep. I move around too much in bed. Sorry about that."

"It was just a bit weird, that's all. My hair's not long enough to do that."

Valkyrie sat up drowsily, rubbing the sleep from her eyes before looking down at the bare-chested blond.

"Have a good birthday?" she smirked as she noticed the wide-eyed boy giving her scantily clothed body a once over.

"Pretty good," he replied, smooth as ever. Then, "What time is it?"

She shrugged, slipping off the bed, wrapping a few of the sheets around herself before shuffling to the curtained window. Peeking around, she was surprised to see that it was only just beginning to get dark, thinking she had slept until New Year's Day. "It's early evening, still the 31st."

Skulduggery frowned. "Seriously? I thought we slept for longer than that."

"Apparently not." Valkyrie turned to give him a broad smile. "It's not even snowing."

"Still quite cold," he grumbled, pulling the thin sheets Val had left behind on the bed in an attempt for some kind of warmth.

"Put some clothes on then," she muttered, picking up the crimson dress that she had been wearing earlier from the floor where it had been carelessly abandoned. She shook it out and lay it over a chair carefully. "Need a quick wash?" she asked, picking up the jug of water that stood on the vanity and moving it to place it near the fire to warm.

He nodded, looking a little awkward in amongst the blankets of the bed that barely covered his lower body. When he looked up nervously, Valkyrie gave him a small smile and he appeared to relax somewhat, smiling back.

"Was it okay?" he asked tentatively as she moved to pull on the crimson dress again. She paused, arms askew inside the multiple layers of cloth, head only just poking over the neckline.

She wasn't exactly sure how to answer. Sure, it had been nice, not that she had anything to compare it to, but from what it sounded like, neither did Skulduggery.

"Can you help me?" she opted to say, flailing, entangled in the dress, hoping he would get what she was asking. She hadn't seen his reaction to her blatant blanking of the question he had just asked, but he didn't comment on it. She heard the bed creak as he got up and the pad of bare feet walking over, followed by a gentle tug on the dress. It fell down over her shoulders loosely, the laces hanging open at the back. There was a pause, and then she felt his lips brushing lightly down the back of her neck. She gasped softly.

"Was it okay?" he murmured again, placing a smattering of kisses along her shoulder blades.

She nodded, unable to speak.

It was only when it seem like the dress was just going to come off again did she gently lead him away from her again.

"Lace me up again. We can do this at some other point. Your parents are going to be wondering what we were up to."

"You mean there will be another time?"

"Sure."

It was difficult take his mind off the fact that Valkyrie, who was sitting on the floor playing with Joy, never betraying a hint as to what they had been doing not a few hours previously to the people around them, had agreed that it would happen again sometime soon.

This evening?

Tomorrow morning?

In a week?

In a month?

It was all he could do not to scream in anticipation.

I am very unlikely to write again anytime soon, mostly because I am losing the feel for this story (I'm sorry) but also because of the IB, which is what I am currently doing at school in order to get good grades for Uni. I have not been able to write anything except a few chapters of my Star Wars Fic in these past six months, and that was only prompted by the fact that TFA came out back in December, but since then my writing has become quite dead.

When I do come back (likely to be sometime next year after I have finished the IB, because I really need to pass this thing) I promise to reread the Skulduggery Pleasant Book series again to get myself in the mood to continue with this story, or maybe rewrite it so that it works better, because tbh it needs proof reading and condensing. Long stories are great, but not if they drag, and this one has.

And this chapter was quite shit and quite short and I just can't do anything about it right now i am soo fucking sorry.

SOOO! I am officially announcing a hiatus that will probably last a year. I probably should have done this back in September, but what's done is done. I am still active on Tumblr, if anyone cares to follow me. I'm posting loads of random crap on it, mostly Star Wars, Steven Universe and X Files at the moment.

leoraphthalo is my username...

REVIEW REPLIES!

FoxDemonKing- I completely get you. Babysitting is nearly always hilarious because of the things that some of them say.

Lexi- You utter geek... And sure...

YoungBlood364- Welp. You got your wish :)

Blufox03- Sorry, 1 will probably be the next chapter. I won't have any present Skulduggery in this fic until much later, because should Valkyrie return to the future, she can return to the same point in time that she left (think Back to the Future) so really, present Skulduggery has no clue as to what has happened. That is, unless, Val never returns. Plus, the ship is Valduggery ;)

GunsFallSilent- Hmm, this is a great idea. Although, because 3 won, this will probably come in at a later chapter, although it won't long now.

Libertied Insanity- Very fun :) IDK, I'm not that keen on birthdays either. *shrugs* And thanks :)

Jenny-Sweet-Fire- I tried, okay? I'm really not that good at smut and I think it would just end up being this huge blip in the middle of my half-decent writing in the rest of the story. So just more subtle hinting it is... :)

China sorrows worshiper- I will try to asap :)

Live4theMusic- Okay, tbh I am basing the character Joy off myself as a toddler and I was stupidly ahead for my age. If she behaves older that she actually is, it is because she is not the norm. But thanks for the feedback anyway :) I could probably go back and make her grammar somewhat more erratic, but at this point, I'm struggling to take this story anywhere... About the whole SkulxVal relationship: IKR! But, to be fair on Val, all she knows that someone is going to turn up out of the blue and be Skul's wife. I loved the name Lorcan, and I'm glad lots of people agreed with me and voted for Lorcan as a name.

SamTheKingOfHell- Sorry for the long wait, but I'm glad you like. Hell's approval ftw. (My christian friend is going to be so irritated if she finds out I got Hell's approval for this fic XD)

Valduggery Forev- Sure thang :)

guest (18th Sept, 2015)- Sure thang! :)

yeokaiwen31801- I couldn't do both, unfortunately... Too many words for one chapter... But 1 and 2 will come soon (I do like the idea of dividing up where China plot comes in).

Mya2015- Awwww thanks! Glad you like it :). Sexter is a fabulous ship name! Sorry it took so long.

Melonlord27- Nice to hear from you lovely :) I get what you mean about the chapter being unexpected, because I did a shit job of leading up to the chapter, but hey, I was younger.. I'm 17 now, good grief... I started posting the story when I was 15... So hopefully my writing style has somewhat developed.

jcat- I had to at some point :)

Mudlarks- I'm back :) 1 will hopefully come soon.

Robbyn Flight- Nice name :) Sure thang :)

Skeletal Pleasantries- Will do soon :)

Guest (19 Dec, 2015)- School will come soon, but there won't be any present Skulduggery in this fic until much later, because should Valkyrie return to the future, she can return to the same point in time that she left (think Back to the Future) so really, present Skulduggery has no clue as to what has happened. That is, unless, Val never returns... :)

Jackals Whispere- Nice name! 3 sure, 1 later :)

Lorcan- Please don't? XD Well, take pride in the fact that I chose it as Skulduggery's given name. It seemed quite Irish when I searched it up.

Ruby- I'm presuming the above is your friend XD And thanks, I'm sorry it will be a while before I update again. I will probably change it a bit when I next return.

FANGIRLofLIFE- I kinda do later on, but honestly it went a bit weird... I'll work it out... Eventually... Thanks for reviewing :)

~Leo, over and out