Green

"There's a leaf on your hat," Valkyrie told me. I reached up and pulled it off. She held out her hand for it, and I gave it to her. She tore it in half, then quarters, then threw the pieces into the wind and let them fly away. We stopped walking to watch them disappear among the trees, and the silence of the forest wrapped around us.

It was the sort of silence that was made of sounds. The wind sighing through the trees, the leaves whispering against each other. The afternoon sunshine shone through the canopy, tinting everything green. Beams of pure sunlight peeked through the branches, lighting up parts of the forest floor. I stood beside Valkyrie, savoring the peace that filled this place. I tilted my skull up, and let the sun pool in my eye sockets. When I glanced at Valkyrie, she was watching me with an expression that was almost sad.

When I turned my head towards her, she looked away. But I had seen her watching me, and I wondered what she was thinking right now. She resumed walking, still pointedly looking at the ground, and not at me. I followed, our footsteps disrupting the forest's tranquility and sending birds fluttering from nearby trees. Eventually, I spoke.

"You were right about this place. It's much nicer than the beach. I still have sand in my skull, you know." Valkyrie smiled at that, her face brightening as she glanced at me. I was glad to see the melancholy gone from her expression. It seemed out of place in this peaceful forest.

"We aren't there yet, stupid," she said. I looked around us, at the trees that stretched in all directions.

"You mean, there's a specific place we're headed? But this forest is so calm. It's enough just to be here." She had told me that she had felt guilty about the 'beach incident' last Thursday, and wanted to take me somewhere different. So here we were, wandering through the forest behind Gordon's house. She picked up the pace, and I matched her speed.

"Almost there," she said. I felt a slight curiosity. With Valkyrie, you never really knew what was going to happen next. So I followed quietly, letting myself trust her, until she stopped. "We're here."

In front of us, the grass turned into stone, and the stone dropped away sharply into water. She was standing in front of a small pool, fed by a tiny waterfall. It was small but deep, so clear I could see the stones at the bottom. The trees were close around it, their leaves making a ceiling overhead. The light shone through them, turning the water a cool green. Valkyrie gestured to the pool. "What do you think?"

I thought it was beautiful. I thought she was beautiful, her arms spread to indicate the forest, her face half-shadowed by the branches above us. In a dark green T-shirt and black shorts, she seemed to belong to the forest, at home among the trees. For a second, I had no words to form a reply.

"It's lovely," I said. She smiled gratefully. Then she pulled off her sandals, throwing them to one side. She sat on the edge of the pool and dangled her bare feet in the water. She wiggled her toes and sighed. I sat beside her, crossing my legs.

"Why don't you like the beach?" She asked. I shrugged. "That's not good enough," she complained. "Come on, explain yourself!" She nudged my shoulder with hers, trying to push me off balance.

"I don't like the sand. And the water smells like fish." I explained reluctantly. She raised both eyebrows at me, because she's never been able to raise one. She kicked her legs in the water, sending up small splashes.

"Well, I thought that we could go swimming here. The water is clean, it's always cool, and there's no sand. Come on, Skulduggery. I can't even imagine you swimming." I eyed the pool. I didn't like being in water. The feeling of something inside my bones was unsettling.

"I don't think so," I murmured finally. Valkyrie groaned, looking disappointed.

"Do you have your gun on you?" She asked. I shook my head, having left it at the Bentley. Then, suddenly, she grabbed both hands, pulling my gloves off. I stayed still, confused. I suppose I should have guessed her intent by her eyes. They were bright with the joy of trickery. Using her weight, she pulled us both off the side and into the water. Surprised, I let myself sink beneath the surface, and the water pulled me down. Bones float, but fabric doesn't, and my suit was making me heavy. And then Valkyrie was beside me, her hair floating around us in little underwater currents. She grabbed my arm and pulled me to the surface. When we hit the air, she sucked in a deep breath. I suddenly felt conspicuously not out of breath. I didn't need to breathe. Because I was dead. Right. A dead man walking.

But I felt so alive right now, the cold water pressing against my bones, Valkyrie's teeth shining in a wide grin. So alive. I focused on the water under my feet, asked it to support me. It solidified, and I shifted my feet to balance. Valkyrie was kicking her legs slowly, keeping herself floating.

"So," she said once she had her breath back. "How's the water?" I looked around before answering, spotting my hat floating near-by. When she pulled off my gloves, she had tossed them to the side, thoughtfully protecting the leather from the water. Apparently my hat did not garner the same respect. A convenient gust of wind sent it bobbing towards me, and I tossed it onto the shore beside my gloves.

"The water is surprisingly nice," I admitted. Valkyrie kicked herself away from me, and sat on the edge of the pool. Her green shirt had turned see-through in the water, and I could see the outline of her bra underneath. I doubted that she was aware of it. She noticed that I was manipulating the water and frowned.

"That's cheating."

"It's convenient. Just because you're terrible at water manipulation…" I trailed off, head tilted mockingly. She narrowed her eyes and pushed at the air, sending a wave over my head. When I surfaced, she was laughing so hard she was crying. I twisted my fingers in the water, changing the currents. This was deeper level stuff, that I hadn't gotten around to teaching Valkyrie yet. I watched her face as a tendril of water reached up from the pool, curled around her ankle, and pulled her into the mini-lake again.

She reached out for something to grab, and found my shoulder. I caught her as she was pushed up against me, and casually splashed a handful of water into her face to make my point. She coughed several times and then started to laugh again. She put both hands against my shoulders and started to push herself back towards the edge of the pool. Then she stopped. The laugh trailed off. Her hands rested lightly against my shoulder, her eyes locked on my face. They were wide, with something surprise and apprehension mixing in them. I watched as she hesitated.

She leaned towards me, the chocolate of her eyes filling my vision. She pressed her lips against my teeth, and that moment lasted forever. I couldn't believe how soft her lips were, how good they felt against my mouth. My arms were already around her from when I pulled her out of the water, and so I left them there, holding her against me. I didn't move, scared of ruining the moment. Honestly terrified that if I moved, if I tried to kiss her back, that she would suddenly come to her senses and realize that she was kissing a skeleton.

She abruptly pushed herself away from me. It was as though she had read my thoughts. She reached the edge of the pool and pulled herself out in one smooth movement. She backed away from me, a hand over her mouth. I stepped on top of the water, telling the surface of the pool to hold me. It did, and I took a step towards her. I wanted to say something, but I had nothing to say. Quite unexpectedly, all words had flown from my mind and I was absolutely helpless. Valkyrie's eyes were glistening with shocked tears. She backed away until she hit a tree, and then she turned.

I watched as she pushed her palms down and rose into the air. The wind lifted her over the trees and then she was gone. Valkyrie could fly. She had kissed me. And then she had run.

What just happened?

A/N: Hello again. Well, I'm back. I totally appreciate all the reviewers! Thanks for the support, guys. People like you keep me writing. Keep reviewing...If you want to know what happens next. (Blackmail. An ugly, yet useful thing.)

Speaking of people who keep me writing... ticklethedragon1! Yes, I shall say it again! Ticklethedragon1. She is amazing, everyone. I will immortalize her in Author's Notes.

Coming Next-

Blue: In which Skulduggery relies on synonyms, we find out why mages can't fly to the moon, and three classic words turn into two words, as is often the case between good friends.