You guys had better be grateful. I am sick; with a mind-numbing headache, blocked nose, sore throat and iffy stomach; right now, and not only am I posting a bloody chapter for you, I am threatening to make my condition worse by still writing this story, regardless of the fact that my fingers don't seem to be working properly. I almost passed out doing a 200 metre sprint today! Okay, maybe that was my fault. I shouldn't have run the risk when I actually had a choice to back out of it.
Sorry about that. I wanted to complain for once. Usually I plough through stuff without objection, but it's not often that I'm this ill, and I've had exams this week, so I'm not in the best of moods at the moment.
Enjoy the chapter, it's nice and long, just for you, with some interesting background info on Clarity and a small headcannon I came up with for Skulduggery that I hope you like (t's also an excuse to write fluffy stuff between him and the others). The romance at the end isn't all that great, and probably rather cliché, but I'm actually quite surprised that I actually managed to pull it off at all, despite never been in a proper romantic relationship like that before. I guess all that reading paid off.
Oh, and before I close off this ridiculously long A.N, I'd like to suggest some songs that I think fit the Skulduggery Pleasant universe quite well. They're all by an artist called Aviators, and you can find them on YouTube. The first is 'Spectres', which I think would nicely fit Anton and Larrikin if you ship Shudderkin, and perhaps Skulduggery when he's in Necropolis, facing the acclaimed ghosts of his friends and family. The next is 'Freedom Cry', which kinda fits how the Irish Sanctuary refused to surrender to the treat of first Mevolent, then the Supreme Council. Finally, there's 'Building Better Worlds', which I suppose fits Roarhaven's revolution in some way.
Let me know what you think of the chapter and those songs. Tell me if you agree about them fitting as well, or if the relation between them is just my mind playing up because I'm sick. Happy reading (and listening).
~hrhowling
Chapter 13 – The Moon Doth Glow Brightly
Being part werewolf, Clarity was forced to transform every full moon. Thankfully, they didn't lose their mind like most other werewolves, however their primal instincts were heightened, and they had a tendency to isolate themselves from human company and seek out the attention of their pack. But since their pack consisted mostly of humans, it was often a game of Russian roulette. Some moons, they would be reasonably okay with the close contact, others, they'd go far enough as to attack the Alpha. Skulduggery currently had the privilege of that position.
Skulduggery found himself in a similar state of mind for some reason. It had always been an issue when he'd been alive, therefore it was a problem now. Apparently, he had werewolf ancestry somewhere along the lines, and he'd inherited the social tendencies of the beasts. In normal circumstances it wouldn't be a problem; he would just get particularly grouchy; but when it came to him, it was hardly normal circumstances. The bars of Vile's cage got weaker, and the nut-job's influence increased. It was hardly all that much, but still dangerous if something ticked him off enough.
Right now, he was curled up on the sofa with Erskine sprawled out next to him. Sitting beside him was Wolf, watching 'Bambi' yet again. It was late afternoon, and as the night of the full moon came closer, Skulduggery felt that familiar, annoying little itch manifesting in the back of his mind as Vile began getting irritable.
"What're you doing about tonight?" Erskine asked quietly at some point.
"Huh?" Skulduggery mumbled.
"It's a full moon for the next few nights. You remember how you get, don't you?"
"Oh yeah. I'll… I'll probably just lock myself up in my room so I don't try to hit anyone over the head."
Erskine nodded in understanding. "Fair enough."
Skulduggery looked down at him, curiosity glinting in his eyes. "Did you have another suggestion?" he asked. Since waking up with hangovers and realising that they'd developed feelings for each other, they'd been stuck on the fence as to what to do about it, and their relationship was at an unsure stage where neither of them knew how to act. Right now, they were just playing it by ear.
There was silence for a moment. "No, nothing," Erskine muttered.
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Skulduggery frowned, but didn't argue. "Okay."
The three all fell asleep halfway through a re-run of 'Pinocchio' (thankfully, Dexter wasn't there to butcher 'I've Got no Strings' this time), and didn't wake until late evening. Valkyrie had considered waking them up for dinner, but decided against it. Instead, she opted to take photos of sleeping trio and send the pictures to everyone so that they could laugh at how Skulduggery and Erskine looked like a married couple who'd just fallen asleep watching a family movie ( it was perfect blackmail material, too, she realised). Then she realised that Skulduggery and Erskine being a couple was actually a little weird, and maybe somewhat repulsive, considering what the latter had done. How everyone had managed to forgive him after just six years was ridiculous. She'd never understand the Dead Men, it seemed. That, or something had happened, and she was still in the dark about it.
Walking back into the kitchen, she was almost tripped over by Dingo and Husky, who both cannoned into her legs at a high speed whilst trying to make a quick getaway from something. They'd been more rambunctious than usual today. It seemed everyone was acting weird during the full moon. Skulduggery was getting irritable to the point where he had come close to hitting Saracen, Clarity had locked themselves in their room all day, and now two of the Pups were more hyper than they'd ever been before.
"Jesus," she exclaimed as the two Pups ran past her. "Is the full moon turning everyone nuts?"
"Actually, it's just the ones with lycanthropic qualities," Saracen said from where he was leaning against the counter with a mug of steaming coffee in his hand.
"I thought that was only Clarity. Okay, the Pups; maybe. But Skulduggery's never been like this before."
"He was more restrained in death," Saracen explained. "But before he returned as a skeleton, he'd act something like the way he is now every single month. Some moons, he refused to let anyone near him; others, he couldn't get enough of anyone. At one point he had the guts to try and snuggle up next to Anton. That was an awkward night for all present."
Valkyrie very well choked trying to hold in her laughter. "Really?" she questioned. "Any idea why?"
"I don't have all the details, but apparently Skulduggery has werewolf ancestry somewhere along the lines. Thankfully, the transformation gene didn't make itself known, and he doesn't go wolf every month. Only the social mind-set surfaces."
Nodding, Valkyrie took a moment to digest the information. "So on a full moon, keep him from hugging the suspects on a case."
Saracen chuckled. "Good idea."
"What's this about hugs?" Clarity grumbled as they walked in. "You'd better not be offering me one. I'm not in much of a hugging mood right now."
"You pulling an Anton tonight?" Saracen joked. Clarity just gave him a blank stare and remained silent until the cheeky smirk left Saracen's face. "Sorry. Let me guess; you've been cooped up for too long."
"Much too long," Clarity confirmed. They turned to Valkyrie, and she could see the animalistic tension in their violet eyes. The beast that lurked within was clearly extremely volatile, liable to snap at any minute; willing to bite the hand that fed it if necessary. "You don't mind if I take liberty of your property and maybe hunt something tonight, do you? I need to run. Do something to make sure I don't try and chew on someone's limbs this month."
"Go right ahead," Valkyrie said.
"Thanks. You know; Gordon used to fence off areas for me to hunt in. Said that if I damaged a piece of his estate, I'd have to pay for it. And he actually did make me do that once when I scratched up his car trying to get a rabbit I'd been chasing."
"Sounds like him. Look, just do whatever you want, I could hardly care less."
"Thanks. I'm probably going to turn at about ten. Don't worry, I don't go crazy like the usual werewolf does."
"That's a relief. Hey, if the Pups wind up wolfing out as well, can you take them out as well?"
"That's fine. It'll give me something to do."
"Thanks."
Erskine woke up courtesy of something cold and wet on his face. Mumbling in protest, he tried to push away the nuisance that was trying to wake him up. Surprisingly, thick fur was what met his hand.
Frowning, he cracked open his eyes to see a canine face with big, golden eyes gazing at him from a furry mass that lay on his chest.
"Wolf?" he mumbled, propping himself up on his elbows to properly look at the small lycanthrope that lay on top of him; about the size of a young Irish Wolfhound. Soft, fuzzy fur covered it from head to toe, and a small black nose tipped its long muzzle. Familiar gold eyes gazed up at Erskine with open curiosity that always seemed to perk up whenever something new appeared.
"Wolf," Erskine confirmed, and the werewolf pup's tail swished from side to side playfully. He pawed at Erskine's chest gently, and the gold-eyed mage smiled with fondness. "So we've got three little lycanthropes, now, hmm? Well, I'm guessing Husky and Dingo are lupines as well."
Wolf's tail wagged harder, and he eagerly rubbed his head against Erskine's face. Chuckling, Erskine reciprocated the affection and scratched him behind the ears, surprised by how tame the little Pup was. Even young werewolves were somewhat wild during the full moon. Unless Wolf was like Clarity, then that would explain it.
The soft padding of paws against the floor interrupted him, and he looked at the door to see Clarity standing there in their wolf form, watching amusedly.
"If you weren't human right now, then I'd see a proud young wolf and his cub together, socialising whilst a brother dozes next to them," the black wolf remarked, a small smirk gracing their muzzle.
"You… you what?" Erskine queried, sitting up properly, causing Wolf to slide onto his lap.
Clarity looked away. "Forget I said anything," they murmured. "Look, I'm going out, and I reckon it'd do Wolf some good to stretch his legs, too. Husky and Dingo are likely the same."
Erskine nodded in understanding. "No problem," he said, then turned to Wolf. "Clarity's taking you out for a walk tonight, okay?"
The Pup glanced between Erskine and Clarity uncertainly, but eventually he nodded and allowed Clarity to walk over and pick him up in their jaws by the scruff of his neck. They did it with precise, instinctive care, as if they'd been doing it for years. Wolf whined a little bit, but quieted when he stopped swinging about.
"I'll see you in the morning," Erskine said. Clarity gave short growl in response, and their eyes flickered over to Skulduggery momentarily, then back to him. "I'll keep him out of trouble tonight. Trust me, I've dealt with him on nights like these before."
"Kay. Whaddif he hugs you, an' won' le' go?"
God, Erskin hoped he wasn't blushing. "Again; I've dealt with it."
Nodding, Clarity turned and left the room. After placing Wolf in the entrance hall, they quickly dashed upstairs where they found Dexter and Saracen frantically trying to reign in two small werewolves in the kids' bedroom. One silver-blonde, the other dark grey; both bundles of trouble.
"Clarity," Dexter whined as he flopped over the bed. "Help us."
Sighing, Clarity entered the room fully; their imposing stature making Saracen shrink a little. Clarity was a terrifying sight when shifted. A sharp bark caught the Pups' attention, and they stopped in their tracks when Clarity fixed them with a commanding glare.
"You two;" they growled imperatively; "we're going for a walk."
There was no hesitation as the two werewolves quickly darted over to Clarity's paws. Dexter and Saracen just stared at them in disbelief.
"What..?" Dexter gaped.
Clarity just shrugged. "They know better than to mess with a wolf of a higher rank, I guess," they said, and walked out with the younger werewolves. The two Dead Men were left in stunned silence until Saracen broke it.
"The… the cheek!" he stuttered. "They just declared themselves and those little troublemakers to be a higher rank than us! I object! I seriously object, dammit!"
Back downstairs, Clarity quietly opened the front door and allowed the Pups out first before exiting the mansion and closing it behind them. Husky and Dingo looked ready to bolt off into the undergrowth, but a low growl from the bigger lycanthrope stilled them. Wolf stuck close to Clarity, but his eyes were wide and curious as he took in everything. He hadn't been out at night before, and the moon was glowing brightly in a crystal clear sky decorated with glittering stars tonight, creating a picturesque scene that few got to see.
"Come on," Clarity called good-naturedly, trotting off into the woods with the Pups hot on their heels. "Let's go chase some rabbits."
Erskine really hoped he wasn't being creepy when he found himself thinking that Skulduggery looked sweet when he slept. Aside from the occasional twitch and the fact that he looked somewhat anaemic in his weakened state, he was peaceful where he was; curled up on the sofa. But in all honesty, he looked a little cold.
Maybe I can… Erskine ventured, but then he shook his head. No. He couldn't; his relationship with Skulduggery was confusing, and he didn't want to make a wrong move, especially when his temper was this volatile.
So he just sat next to Skulduggery in silence, flicking through channels on the television to keep himself occupied, and casting frequent glances in the detective's direction. He looked… vulnerable. As if he was fighting against something and barely keeping it back.
At some point, Skulduggery started muttering quietly, and the twitches became violent kicks. Worrying he'd end up hurting himself, Erskine tentatively reached out and shook his shoulder until he woke up. When the detective opened his eyes, Erskine saw the feral anger that simmered behind a wall of regret in those violet depths. Truth be told, it scared him.
The anger quickly faded to a dull annoyance when Skulduggery's eyes focused on Erskine. Uncurling from his position, he stretched out his thin legs and yawned widely. Erskine noticed that his canine teeth were slightly sharper than usual. Another side effect of his lupine ancestry, no doubt.
"You okay?" Erskine asked quietly. "You seemed restless just a moment ago."
Shaking his head, Skulduggery shifted over to Erskine and rested his head on Erskine's lap. "I'm fine," he muttered. "Just a bad dream."
Erskine just nodded, but he was silently contemplating if he should kiss the man, however he didn't. He still wasn't sure of how to behave in this relationship.
"What're you watching?" Skulduggery asked as Erskine flicked through another channel.
"Something," Erskine muttered bluntly. "Whatever catches my interest."
"Not the news channels then," Skulduggery quipped, a small smirk meeting his face. "They always start with 'good evening', then proceed to tell you why it's not."
Erskine chuckled and skipped some more channels. "Truer words were never spoken."
"What's that?" Dexter asked loudly as he and Saracen both strode in and flopped onto the couch adjacent to Erskine and Skulduggery. They hardly took notice of the position that the two men were in. Weirder things had happened with Skulduggery on the full moon; this was positively tame.
"Mortal news channels," Skulduggery said. His tone was perky, but there was suspicion sparking in his eyes at the sight of the two Dead Men. "They talk too much shit."
Saracen shrugged. "True that. Skip this one, it's got a rerun of some crap movie I've seen before coming up. I needed to bleach my eyes it was that bad."
"If it's that bad, then we should definitely avoid it," Dexter agreed. Erskine immediately pressed the channel button again, and the Simpsons Movie was suddenly on; only ten minutes in.
"Finally!" Saracen cried, leaning back into the sofa. "Entertainment!"
Skulduggery rolled his eyes and got up, leaving the room. "I'm going to bed," he muttered. There was clear tension in his voice, and no one objected. Clearly, he was getting pissed off by the moon's effects.
Erskine watched him go, and decided that it was time he turned in as well. After mumbling a quick 'good-night' to Saracen and Dexter, he stood up and left. At the top of the stairs, he found Skulduggery waiting in the hallway.
"Is everything okay?" he asked, getting a nod from the detective.
"I was hoping I could sleep with you tonight," Skulduggery said quietly. "I don't think I can sleep on my own right now."
Blood rushed, unprompted, to Erskine's face, and his tongue seemed to tie itself in knots, but he managed to untangle it and stutter a nervous 'yes' in reply. Skulduggery's eyes immediately lit up with gratitude and yearning, and he eagerly followed Erskine into his bedroom. That actually sounded a little wrong…
Mind out of the gutter, buddy, Vile snickered.
Fuck you, Skulduggery spat back. I did not have those intentions, you filthy bastard.
Fair enough.
Ignoring Vile's voice, Skulduggery sat on the bed as he waited for Erskine to finish getting changed in the bathroom. He didn't feel the need to get changed himself; the tracksuit and shirt that he had on right now would do for tonight, and he honestly didn't want to distance himself from Erskine at the moment. Another thing with the social habits of werewolves; closeness to others kept them stable.
When Erskine came back in, he was wearing boxers and a short-sleeved shirt, and Skulduggery felt anger – his and Vile's – burning in his chest when he saw the scars littering Erskine's legs.
"Those bastards didn't know when to leave well enough alone, didn't they?" Skulduggery growled. Erskine didn't say anything as Skulduggery stood up and wrapped his arms around him, rubbing his face in the gold-eyed mage's messy brown hair. The anger slowly dissipated; replaced by a different kind of heat that he felt in Erskine's body, too. "It's okay," he promised. "I'll protect you."
Erskine nodded, returning the hug. He trusted Skulduggery fully. Tentatively, he reached up and cupped the back of Skulduggery's head and pulled him into a kiss that he gladly reciprocated. Pleasure rocketed through his veins, and he found himself caressing the smaller mage's face, mapping the smooth curve of his jaw and the arch of his cheekbones with one hand, and the other wrapping around Erskine's waist and pulling him closer. The kiss deepened, and Erskine tightened his grip on Skulduggery, moaning in eagerness. He needed this. He needed Skulduggery.
Skulduggery felt his hands trailing downwards, and quickly pulled away, breaking the kiss. A needy whine escaped Erskine's lips, and lustful eyes gazed up at Skulduggery with disappointed confusion.
"Why'd you stop?" he asked, dazed by the sheer euphoria of the kiss.
Unexpected fear brimmed in Skulduggery's eyes, and he stepped back. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered softly.
"What do you mean?"
Shaking his head, Skulduggery dropped on to the bed with his face buried in his hands. "I almost tried something with you. I shouldn't have even thought about it."
"It's okay," Erskine consoled, sitting down next to Skulduggery and pulling his hands away from his face and rubbing their noses together tenderly. "I know you won't do anything like that."
They stared into each other's eyes for a while; and Skulduggery reflected on how much this seemed like one of those cheesy soul-searching moments that Valkyrie kept moaning about when talking about those romance movies she liked to watch. What were they called? Oh yeah, chick flicks. Erskine taught him about them.
"I need you," Erskine murmured, placing a lingering kiss on Skulduggery's cheek. "Please. You understand. I feel safe around you, and you make me feel loved. No one's made me feel like that before. I love you."
His words set of something inside Skulduggery, and he swiftly leaned in to kiss and nuzzle Erskine's neck tenderly. He could smell aftershave and a warm, sweet, musky scent that made his senses tingle, and left Vile a keening mess in the back of his mind. It took all of his willpower not to collapse into a squirming pile on top of Erskine's lap that wanted nothing more than a scratch behind the ears and a belly rub. Okay, that was weird.
Erskine was overwhelmed by the suddenness of Skulduggery's shower of affection, but he was very quickly flooded with bliss as he was coaxed into the detective's arms that entwined themselves around him. Lying back onto the bed, he allowed Skulduggery to embrace him lovingly. Soft kisses peppered his face; which he eagerly returned.
"I love you too," Skulduggery whispered into his ear. "You're the only one who can tame this beast inside me; the part of me that wants to hurt others. That's the side of me that's always known you meant more to me than a friend of a brother, but I've never listened until recently. I need you as well."
Erskine smiled warmly as he cupped a hand around Skulduggery's cheek. Tears of gratitude stung at his eyes, and he rested his head against his newfound lover's chest. "Thank you," he breathed.
"Thank you," Skulduggery said softly, wiping away the tears and tenderly hugging Erskine in a protective embrace. "And I mean it; I love you."
Did I do good?