Them Bones

By: Sugar Skulls

Author's Note: Just some drabbles that pop into my head whenever they please. I know I'm not the only Valduggery fan out there. :D Not all of these will be romantic. Some will be just friendship, some will be pure silliness.

Mesmerize

Valkyrie sat on the window seat, listening to her iPod. She gazed at her own shadow cast upon the floor by the moonlight spilling in behind her. She was waiting, but she was losing hope. It had been over a month. When would he be back? Would he be back?

Just as she was preparing to give up for the night, she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her heart swelled enormously, and then she pushed it down. Ice frosted over her happiness. Valkyrie shut off her music without turning to look at him.

"So," she said coldly, "you're back?"

His voice was quiet. "Yes."

It took several moments until Valkyrie could speak again. "You know, I didn't mean to make you leave."

"Don't apologize."

"Did you think that was an apology?" Valkyrie said icily. "Because it wasn't." He said nothing. "You picked a bad time to run out on me."

"Did I?" he murmured.

"Yeah," Valkyrie said. "You ditched me just as my dad left on business. He's been gone just as long as you have. It all took a toll on me."

"I'm sorry," he said, and Valkyrie felt his fingers touch her hair.

"Yeah, right," she said, moving away from his touch. Her voice was clogged. She sniffled and took a few deep breaths. After a minute of silence, she asked, "Are you staying?"

"If you'll have me," he whispered. Valkyrie laughed an angry, tearful laugh.

"Why should I?" she demanded. "After all, I said 'I love you' for the first time, and you just left for a month without a word!" She whirled to face him, snarling, "I took the hint, so why did you even come ba—" She broke off, staring up at him in shock. The man—the live man in the familiar pinstriped suit and hat—smiled a small, apologetic smile down at her.

Valkyrie gaped at the smooth skin stretched across the familiar high cheekbones, took in the shiny black hair peeking from beneath the hat, observed the deep brown eyes set beneath the hat.

"Hello, Valkyrie," he spoke in the velvet voice Valkyrie knew so well, the voice that made her go weak in the knees.

"Skulduggery?" she whispered. He nodded.

"In the flesh," she said quietly. "Literally."

Valkyrie could only stare. "How—"

"Your dad left on business, you said?" Skulduggery cut in cryptically.

"My dad did this?" Valkyrie said in disbelief. Again, Skulduggery nodded. "This is what you've been doing the past month."

"Yes."

"But why—"

"Because I love you, too," Skulduggery said. Valkyrie's eyes were huge as he stepped closer. "The moment you said you loved me, I knew I loved you too. Having decided that, I knew I had to find a way to make this happen, so I could finally do this properly." He took another step closer. He took Valkyrie's stunned face his hand and bent his head down to press his warm, soft, human lips to hers.

Author's Note: Awww. :D