A/N: I don't own Ghastly, Valkyrie, Skulduggery, Tanith, Gordon or Gracious. Chapter is in Val's POV.
Valkyrie couldn't believe the change that had come over Ghastly. Now that she had moved in he was relaxed, even serene. She had the run of the shop and his apartment, but sometimes just sat on the sofa in the shop, watching him create beautiful clothing or work with customers. And now that he was open full time it didn't take long for his business to pick back up. So she helped and an amused Ghastly patiently taught her everything. "You know, being a woman I thought your mother would have taught you all about fabric and sewing." He teased as they got into the van for a final run to the mansion.
"Are you kidding me? My mom used liquid stich or safety pins." She answered, enjoying the look of absolute horror on his face and it was true. She wanted a book from her craft room, and hoped she could keep Ghastly busy with Uncle Gordon, but both men seemed to feel obliged to try and follow her. Valkyrie sighed, so much for keeping a secret.
Uncle Gordon glided around the room, filled with various finished projects and whistled. Valkyrie snorted. "Enjoy it now, I'm taking a match to the lot of it."
"Why?" Both men asked in unison.
"Because none of it is perfect, that's why. I certainly can't work with my hands. I just need a book from here. Why don't you two go do whatever it is men do together?" She asked, trying to shoo them, but they'd gotten into the purses and drawstring bags she had made and wouldn't budge.
Ghastly held a small red silk drawstring bag in one hand with an elaborate pattern of oriental dragons stitched neatly into it with gold thread. "You said you couldn't sew." He said evenly.
"I can't." She jerked a thumb over her shoulder towards a covered sewing machine and turned back to the bookcase. "That thing can sew. I just sit there and feel stupid because I have no talent. That design was preprogrammed." She found the book and went to move around him and out the door but he was looking at the high end machine reverently. "Ghastly, it's an expensive piece of junk designed for people like me who can't sew. It isn't a real sewing machine. And that thing was my eighth try." She pointed to the drawstring bag.
Ghastly took her into his arms, making soothing noises. "Val, you are way too hard on yourself and too much of a perfectionist. I'm a tailor and I can tell you that is an actual sewing machine. It isn't a toy just because it is preprogrammed to do things. I think your work is lovely, and if you'd agree to, I want to take the things like the purses to display in the shop. They'd sell, I know they would." She looked at him, trying to judge whether this was a joke or not, but Ghastly wasn't like Skulduggery. He would have told her, in the nicest way possible if there was something wrong. Still she worried.
"And if the customers see it and suddenly think your talent level dropped off, what then?" She asked and his face became gentle as he gazed at her tenderly. He softly stroked her face, looking at her for the longest time before replying.
"I'm not a god, Valkyrie. I know you think you'll never match me, but the truth is sewing and tailoring can only go so far. If it will make you happy I'll go over everything with you you think you've done wrong and show you how to correct it, but as your partner I'm telling you we're selling these." He kissed her chastely and she felt herself melt against him as his strong arms sheltered her. The man didn't fight fair, that's what the problem was.
"Perfectionism runs in the family. It's why we're all so talented. Well, the two of us in this room at any rate." Uncle Gordon said, smiling fondly at her. Valkyrie blushed and ducked her head. She'd gotten more used to Skulduggery's sarcastic barbs than she had thought. She didn't know what to do with praise. "I would like to know why you never shared this room with me before." He continued.
"Skulduggery would call me a sissy if he knew I did things like this. He'd make fun of me, you know he would." She heard a rumble beside her and turned to Ghastly, startled.
"He better not." Ghastly said, the same growl edging into his voice. Then he looked at her, the dark mood passing. "I love you, Val. You know I won't stand for it. We'll be taking the machine as well and you get to see me use Elemental skills to get it downstairs. Impressive, aren't I?" He teased and she giggled. Ghastly always knew how to make her feel better.
She watched him manipulate the air to lift the machine and float it out of the room, then up over the second floor railing and at his gesture it floated down gently to the first floor. "You have to teach me how it do that. I thought it was Jedi mind skill or something." She said and he laughed.
"You've known Gracious for too long. Next he'll have you attending conventions with him." He teased and she blushed. Luckily she also wanted some instant coffee from the pantry so she escaped any further teasing for a while as Ghastly joined her uncle in his study and she packed all the coffee she had in a small box, throwing in what tea she had. She didn't dislike tea, though she had to admit she was missing coffee. But if the was the most serious problem she ever had with Ghastly she'd count herself lucky.
She walked back up to the office slowly, not really wanting to interrupt the two men. She thought about Tanith briefly, but she knew Ghastly had chosen her, though she still didn't know why. The man wasn't a liar or one to settle. If he said he loved Valkyrie enough to marry her, he meant it, though it still killed her inside that he couldn't be with Tanith. Was this what love was like, she wondered? So much happiness and sorrow mixed together? She blinked back tears, not wanting to upset Ghastly and continued on to the study.
Both men looked up with a smile as she entered. Her uncle studied her for a while, then spoke. "I hear you've become a partner in Ghastly's business, good for you. I mean it, Valkyrie. You've matured into a sensible young woman. My only regret is I'm loosing the only roommate I ever liked." He teased.
Valkyrie smiled and went to him so he could hug her the best he could. Even though he was only the Echo or imprint of her uncle she loved Echo Gordon dearly. To her he was her uncle, as much as he could be. Because he was the gift her uncle left behind for her, no matter what reasons his poor Echo might think he was created for. "I'll come by from time to time, just when you have a really good story going and interrupt you, it'll be fun." She said, gently and he smiled at her fondly. "And before you ask, this is your mansion, not mine. I'm never selling it and kicking you out on the street. I love you, you know that." Her uncle grinned at her, clearly relieved.
Ghastly smiled at her. "That's why I fell in love with you, Valkyrie. You're good to people. I know you're far better to me than I deserve." He held up a hand before she could protest. "You've given me your love completely and your trust. I can't imagine how terrified you must have been to trust me after seeing me chase after Tanith like that. And before you ask, if she were here right now, I'd still choose you. You're the woman I'm in love with. Valkyrie Cain. You're the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with."
Valkyrie felt her heart melt, and she happily accompanied Ghastly out to the van, admiring his foresight in parking around back, for though the former boxer was so big and strong he could have easily carried the sewing machine, he used his magic again, and she knew he did it to impress her. And it was working. They went back in for her box of coffee and tea and Ghastly gathered up all the purses and bags in another box.
He kissed her reassuringly when he got in. "Your work is wonderful, Valkyrie. Stop worrying so much. This isn't just me talking as your fiancée or one of your best friends either. You really have talent." Valkyrie, of course didn't miss the veiled search for where he stood in her heart.
"You're my best friend, you know that. Just don't tell Skulduggery, or it will kill him." She said and he grinned, a thought popped into Valkyrie's head but she didn't mention it. How could she tell the man she loved that he'd forgotten to wear his disguise for weeks? The strange thing was, nobody seemed to notice, not even when they went out together. She certainly hadn't thought of it until now. Because he was a normal man to her. Ghastly seemed to read her mind.
"I wondered when you'd noticed I'd stopped wearing hats and tilting my collars up. We rarely deal with mortals now since we live in a magical community and I'm tired of living like that. I love you and I want you to know you're getting a man, not something that has to hide in the shadows." Valkyrie unbuckled without a word and went to sit in his lap. She had no words for his incredible bravery. No words for how painful she knew it must have been to face the stares of people just to show her he'd do it. For her.
She kissed him tenderly and he obliged her willingly, drawing her in deeper, one large hand stroking her hair tenderly while the other gently clasped her waist. Ghastly pulled back to smile at her. "I love you, Valkyrie. With you I don't have to hide anymore. I don't feel the need to. The facade is gone too, by the way."
"You don't know how long I've waited to hear you say that." She said, cuddling into him. And they sat that way for the longest time. Two best friends enjoying the quiet companionship, until he gently guided her back to her seat and they started for home.
Your daily quotient of cute. This originally got very dark and I mean depressing dark, but I couldn't destroy one of my favourite couples. And don't ask me why Val can sew. It seemed like such a good idea at the time. Because I'm a crafting nerd.