L.O.V.E

They'd been married for 10 years, but he still had a knack for being romantic and sweeping her off her feet. So when he came up behind her in the kitchen and wrapped his strong arms around her she was sure today was going to be a good day. She turned to look at his face, that so many had regarded with disgust, with pure love and smiled as she gazed into those tired eyes that crinkled as a smile passed upon his lips. He adored seeing her in housewife mode. There was nothing in her that remotely hinted at the fact that she was a mother to two beautiful children and a wife. When she was in battle it was completely different, but no matter where she was he loved her and he couldn't wait to spoil her for this one day.

" The kids are gone." He smirked as her face light up. She loved her children but it was nice to not to hear 'Mom, where's my shoes! Why isn't my lunch packed!" for one day.

"Where'd you dump our lovely darlings?"

"With their godparents." A little bit of apprehension bled into her eyes.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?"

"No."

"Just checking." They spent a few more seconds staring into each other eyes and he was the first one to break the spell though it killed him every time,

"I'm going to get changed. You should too at some point because we've got a lot to do today." A glow light up the face that he never got tired of.

"I'm gonna to finish up here and then I'll go get changed."

"Hurry."

"I will, but these dishes will not clean themselves you know."

"You do remember I have magic don't you?" The glare she gave him could have killed the most powerful of mages, "Right. Don't tell you how to do things. Got it."

"Right. Good dog." With a bark he turned and slowly made his way to the hallway. A few minutes later the gramophone, that he had insisted they buy for the romance of owning such an object, started to fill the house with Nat King Cole's crooning voice floating just within reach of her ears. She smirked. He knew she was a sucker for Nat King Cole.

"L is for the way you look at me…O is for the only one I see…" She started to hum the tune that had for so long had made every sad day a little bit brighter. He got to the kitchen in time to see that she had started dancing a little and singing. He leaned against the door, a hint of a smile in the corner of his mouth, watching her, so oblivious to his presence, staring at the lovely girl he had married. How did he ever get so lucky? One of life's little miracles he supposed. She weaved gracefully in and out of picking the dry dishes and putting them in their respective shelves. He finally stopped watching and came up behind her, taking the dish from her hand and twirling her so her hair made an arc as she turned. She was shining when she saw him and they started to dance. Not very well executed dancing but a clumsy expressive movement that only two people who knew each other so thoroughly as the pair would have the courage to perform. Slowly the song reached it's climax and winded down, but the couple stayed swaying with each other enjoying the warmth that only the other could provide. To an outsider the pair might have looked a bit insane but to the people who mattered it made all the sense in the world. She slowly pulled her head back from the resting place on his shoulder and saw the smile that he reserved especially for moments like this. A cross between the Cheshire Cat and a sheepish grin. A smile that had pride and humbleness all wrapped up in his lips. A doorbell suddenly shook the pair from their quiet revelries, for the music had gone off long ago. His smile turned into a look of annoyance as he approached the door. There stood Skulduggery holding Cain and Valkyrie running up with Eve shouting that interrupting Cain and Eve's parents might not be the best idea. Tanith had been left back in the living room shocked that the moment she had just had was over already and sighed as she saw the cause of reality. Skulduggery only could stare and quickly handed Cain to his father.

"I'm sorry, Ghastly but I don't seem to have the knack for children that I used to." Ghastly sighed and smiled,

"Too bad." With this Cain was given back to Skul's tilted skull of annoyance and the door was quickly shut.

Bet you thought it was Valkyrie and Skulduggery the whole time right? Or maybe you're didn't but either way is fine J I took a little break for a Ghastly and Tanith chapter because I just reread the third book and saw glimpses of Ghastly and Tanith throughout so I wrote this chapter out of that thought and hope you enjoyed!

I owned nothing (except for Cain and Eve) unfortunately :P