A/N: I don't own Skulduggery , Tanith, or Valkyrie, yadda, yadda, yadda. Yes she is still 24, yes it is still Valkyrie's POV.
I awoke the next morning groggy. Skulduggery stood looking at me, hands in his pockets. "You're up? Good. Tanith will be here soon. Help yourself to whatever you like in the kitchen, though I admit there isn't much, and get ready." He turned to leave.
"Skulduggery, did I do something wrong? Was it wrong to kiss you?" I asked helplessly. He froze, not speaking. Then he nodded, his back still to me and left the room.
Although I usually liked Tanith being so bouncy and hyper I wasn't in the mood for it and as we headed for the basement filing room where old case files were kept I ignored her happy chatter. A musty damp smell and broken down cardboard boxes greeted us. The room was lit by a lone dim bulb and looked like the set of a horror movie. Nothing, I realized sadly, was sorted into anything more specific than solved and unsolved.
I told Tanith what we were looking for and she shook her head in distaste. I ended up picking out case files one by one, from the boxes I'd set on the room's lone table while she drummed her hands on the table, beating out a good version of 'Wipeout'. I was finding some small pattern to the dusty old boxes. Then I realized I didn't even know how long the killer had been operating and put my head in my hands. What would Skulduggery do?
Assume it was a new killer and look at recent cases? Or would he have recognized something in the crime scene photos and solved the case already? I went to pick up my mobile and stopped. I could do this, or he thought I could.
Tanith, rocking her chair on two legs and unable to bear the quiet spoke. "Well? Did he kiss you again?"
"He said it was a mistake." I said dully.
"He what? He kissed you, right?"
"Yes, but he knew I wanted him to. I think it was out of pity." I put the file down, ignoring her look of surprise. " Oh God, Tanith. I started in the wrong filing room. We have to go upstairs and look in the filing cabinets. I hate those things more than boxes, but they might have the serial killers listed."
Several hours later and nothing. It finally occurred to me that Skulduggery had sent me there as punishment.
I guessed I was supposed to head to his house, and Tanith dropped me off close to the Bentley. I was glad he was home as it had occurred to me that I had no key. Skulduggery met me at the door, a bemused expression on his face. "Did we enjoy our exciting day in the room of magical filing cabinets?"
"You knew I wouldn't find anything, didn't you?" I grumbled, following him into the living room.
"Yes, but as a detective you should be familiar with past cases and major criminals. Now may I assume that you are?" He chuckled at my silent nod and drew me into his embrace. His skeletal hand stroked my hair fondly, but he made no move to kiss me.
"Skulduggery?"
"Yes?"
"Do you love me?" I asked felt him freeze. Apparently not the right thing to say. I craned my head back to look up at him. He looked away, not meeting my gaze.
"It doesn't matter if I do, Valkyrie. I'm far too old for you. I am a skeleton, I am dead. You can do far better than me without even trying."
"But I love you. You Skulduggery, and nobody else. When you kissed me, I thought you felt the same way."
He stepped out of my embrace, folding his arms. The cold expression was back on his face. "Kissing you, kissing you was a mistake. It should never have happened. You are far too young to even know what real love is." That hurt.
"I'm twenty four, Skulduggery!" I said angrily. "I know I love you, I know you love me. Is this about something I said or didn't say? Something I did or didn't do? Be as angry as you want, but don't punish me like this."
I sensed him blinking again. "Punishment? My dear, this is just common sense. Now if you're done being overly emotive, we do have a case to solve."
We went over the files again, Skulduggery pointing out that we would be visiting each crime scene in the following days. Luckily the killer seemed to be following a lunar pattern and the next killing would be on the dark of the moon. That gave us nearly a month to prepare. "Why the dark?" I asked, confused. At least among most killers the full moon was the time to strike.
"Maybe our killer is trying to be special. Maybe he thinks the dark of the moon has unique magical powers. I honestly don't know. I do know however that it is late and you should get some sleep." He waved me off like the night before.
It hurt to be dismissed, but I went and got a shower, then decided to sleep in the bed he'd brought in for me. Skulduggery had done so much for me over the years. Still we had our routine. If I slept on the couch that meant I wanted to talk and we used to, for hours, before he'd meditate and I'd sleep. But now, so much of that seemed gone forever. With one kiss I had managed to put a distance between us. Way to go, Valkyrie. I thought sourly. I tried not to think of the fact that I did love him, was in love with him, and curled up under the covers.
I had a feeling this would be our last case together. That he'd send me away, or he'd go away, and I didn't want to disappoint him. Maybe Madam Lovegate was right, maybe he couldn't love me in return.
I woke up screaming and to the feeling of skeletal hands shaking me hard. Skulduggery was calling my name. I opened my eyes to see the fear written on his bony features. He pulled me deep into his embrace, rocking me back and forth. "Shh, shh. It's just a nightmare. I'm here, I'm here now. There now, there, don't cry. I'm sorry if the case is upsetting you. I wouldn't think any less of you for not continuing, you know." He said as he stroked my hair gently.
"It isn't the case, Skulduggery. Im terrified I'm going to loose you. That this is the case where you do die, where I never get to see you again." My breath was hitched with sobs, and I only clung tighter.
"That would upset you this much, Valkyrie? You'd go into mourning for me? For me?" He asked sadly.
"Of course I would, Skulduggery. I love you. I don't even care anymore if you love me in return or not. But I do love you, and I want to be with you. I'll never mention," my breath hitched, "I'll never mention loving you again, if that's what you want, but please don't send me away after this case. I can't stand the thought of loosing you." I felt humiliation flood over me at the weak, pleading tone in my voice.
He pulled away slightly to look at me. "You mean that, don't you? You do love me and would actually mourn loosing me? I've never had anyone say that since, well, ever. Nobody mourns a man who is already dead. All I am is bones, that's all I'll ever be. I'm dead, not even a corpse. Just a collection of bones held together by magic and willpower. I'm not going to change into some flesh and blood prince if you kiss me. I can never give you children, I can never show my face in daylight. You deserve so much more that I can ever give you." He looked at me, drew me close again, and continued.
"But if it means that much to you..."
"Yes?" I asked, hopeful.
"Then we will remain partners at least. But don't ask me for more than I can give. You are so young, Valkyrie. In a hundred years, if that, you'd regret choosing me. You'll meet a young man, your age, he'll be able to provide you with a normal life. It will happen. You had Fletcher once, as your first love. That tells me all I need to know about your true taste in men."
"But I didn't love him, Skulduggery. It's you that I love." I said helplessly and felt him brush my cheek lightly with his teeth.
"I know. I know. I wish that I could-" He broke off, pulling me into his embrace once more and kissing me, his teeth hesitant on my lips. I cupped his skeletal face gently in my hands, trying to encourage him without frightening him off again. When at long last we parted, he smiled at me. "All right then. Go to sleep. I'll be here." I shut out the light and he went to the wall opposite my bed, hat down low on his skull, his head tilting down as he slipped into meditation.