A/N: I don't own Valkyrie, Skulduggery, or Dex. I think Valkyrie should actually be 26, but let's go with 27 anyhow. Thanks go out to Jcat for the review
Valkyrie had a better opinion of herself than usual that night. Skulduggery was looking forward to the ball, Dex had flirted with her, even f it was all just in good fun, and it was nice, having two men competing over her. "As long as Skulduggery doesn't find out and shoot Dex." She reminded herself as she slipped on her Dublin jersey and got into bed.
Her dreams that night surprised her. She had expected the nightmares that often came after a case, but she had sweet dreams. Not of Dex coming to get her in a fancy sports car, which she might have also expected, but of Skulduggery, happy as he used to be and enjoying time with her. She could see the whole night, him showing up at her window, the beautiful dress Ghastly had made her, dancing with him at the ball. Then, of course, she had to wake up.
She did to a persistent tapping sound. Valkyrie frowned, she was groggy and couldn't place the source, then realized it was the window. She went to the window to find a figurine on the windowsill. A dancing couple comprised of a dashing skeleton in a black tuxedo and a beautiful young woman in a flowing black dress. The tapping continued and Valkyrie woke a second time to find dawn's early light streaming through the window.
She got up with a groan and went over to open the window and let Skulduggery in. He looked at her curiously. "Do you always looks this terrible in the morning? You look simply dreadful. I can't take you to breakfast looking like that." He said with a cheerful smile
At first Valkyrie was angry and wanted to punch him, then she realized he'd mentioned breakfast. "Did you say breakfast, without a case?" She asked surprised, then turned from him to grab clothes and hustle off to the bathroom with Skulduggery following her.
He stood outside the door as he usually did as she showered and dressed. "Yes, breakfast. Now that I've cleverly deduced you want more time with me, and I can see why, because I am me, I felt like giving it to you." Valkyrie choked back a laugh at his arrogant warmth, knowing it was his way of showing he cared.
Not that he'd actually say he cared, or give me presents without being bullied into them. She thought as she finished getting ready. So why does he really want to go to the ball? With me of all people?
She opened the door and Skulduggery tipped his hat politely to her. "Good morning." He said and Valkyrie was taken aback.
"Good morning." She managed and she sensed his smile, even without the head tilt. Skulduggery escorted her back to her room then helped her out the window, and they jumped, displacing the air to land softly. Had she been paying more attention and not distracted by Skulduggery's odd behaviour, she'd have noticed the figurine she'd found the first time she'd awakened, placed neatly on her night stand.
The dashing skeleton and his partner were frozen in a waltz and the inscription on the tag underneath the couple read: "Valkyrie, I thought this suited our upcoming dance perfectly. Regards, Skulduggery."
Hm. lunch, then breakfast and a statue of a dancing couple. The story is writing itself at this point so not even I know what it means.