Black.

A/N: I'm not entirely sure that this chapter gets an M rating, but it's probably on the racier side of 'Teen,' so just be, you know, warned. There are boobs and bones, don't read it if you're not comfortable with these things. There's no plot here, just half-way smut. Okay? Nobody's going to be accidentally scarred by my writing because they didn't expect it? Good, let's go.

Venice is a beautiful city. It is, quite possibly, the most enchanting place in the world. The sound of water follows you everywhere you go, and the streets near downtown are made of cobblestones. You can hear your shoes click over them as you walk. That night, the sky was black, and so was the water in the canals, smooth and clear as glass. You could see the stars reflected in it, like underwater lights sparkling up at us.

I walked hand-in-hand with Valkyrie, down towards the inn that was our destination. Even the hours in the airport and on the plane hadn't dulled her eagerness. She was humming with it, bouncing along beside me. I could feel her energy through our rings, which magnify every emotion, every sensation, and bind us together. She was happy, a little nervous, and full of anticipation. I honestly didn't know what she was getting from me. I could feel her heartbeat, and my gloves against her skin. It was a good feeling. We reached the inn, and I paused to check my façade. Then I led her inside, up to the front desk.

"Mr. and Mrs. Pleasant Cain," I told the sour-faced woman at the desk. Pleasant Cain. Wasn't that just poetic? Didn't it just seem right? The receptionist handed me the room keys silently, looking us up and down. I could feel Valkyrie's annoyance at being stared at, and I tugged her along to the elevator before she did something stupid. Her annoyance briefly turned to me, but the overwhelming joy drowned it, pushing it aside for later.

I handed one of the room keys to her, and she slipped it down her dress into her bra with a coy smile. I tilted my head at her, but decided not to comment. The elevator dinged open, and the old wood décor of the inn's hallway stretched before us. Valkyrie ran down it, leaving her suitcase behind. I picked it up in my free hand and trailed behind her at a more reasonable pace.

"Found our room!" she called back to me, and disappeared inside. A second later, she poked her head out. "Hurry up!" Shaking my head fondly, I kept walking at the same speed. With an irritated huff, she went back inside, dark hair spinning out behind her. By the time I reached our room, she was standing on the balcony outside, looking out at the canal below. She was still bouncing slightly, and the emotions coming through the link were mischief and nerves. I know that combination, and it's usually bad news for my hat.

Sure enough, once I closed the door behind me, she spun around and came at me, lips closing on the façade's. First, she grabbed my hat and tossed it to one side. I didn't really care where it landed anymore. Her fingers made quick work of my tie and top buttons, and she tapped the symbols on my collarbones, lips continuing their assault on my bared teeth.

"That façade tastes like sawdust," she mumbled against my mouth.

"So sorry," I replied, and she took the opportunity to explore the inside of my mouth with her tongue. Curiosity-happiness-satisfaction-joy came through the rings from her as I leaned back against the door for support. She drew away from me, and looked me over carefully.

"A-ha," she said, and grinned. "Ready to see what I can do with that aura of yours?" She sounded eager, and somewhat dangerous. The words made something burn inside my bones, like her feather-light touches always did. "Interesting," she commented.

"What?" I managed, still leaning against the door where she'd trapped me earlier.

"The black is spreading," she answered, and then curled her fingers in until they touched my top rib.

Pleasure is like pain, it doesn't stay in one spot. It shoots through my bones, filling the spaces in-between, blurring my vision and making my thoughts stutter. Or so I learned that night. I am very rarely speechless, but the first time she touched me like that, I couldn't manage a word. She didn't say anything either, just breathed out sharply. The rings transfer both emotional and physical sensations, especially for the first few days, so I had no doubt she'd felt it too. Suddenly I felt a more intense demand that was not my own. Valkyrie's need-fire-want came through the rings, doubling my own.

"Shit," she gasped. "So, this is what they mean when they say it's a 'magical honeymoon,' huh?" Usually I preferred talking to anything else, but in this situation, I was done with words. I waved my hand and she went flying backwards, to land on the double bed in the middle of the room. I followed, feet not touching the floor. I fully intended to land on top of her, taking charge of this situation. I was, after all, the experienced one here, no matter how old that experience was. But as soon as I landed, Valkyrie twisted us around so that she straddled my hips, very much in charge.

Satisfaction radiated from her, and although I could have turned the tables back, I stayed where I was. Her first order of business was to remove my gloves and toss them aside. One hand interlaced with mine, and the other one went to the zipper at the back of her dress. In one graceful movement, like a butterfly finding its way out of a cocoon, Valkyrie pulled off her dress and kicked it off the side of the bed, settling back onto me. I stared. I had previously insisted that most clothes be kept on, citing my 17th century upbringing. As such, this sudden exposure had caught me off-guard, woefully unprepared.

Her skin was pale and glowing in the room's dim lights. There were blemishes, of course, but they only completed the picture, the scars across her chest a reminder of who she was, and her bravery. Her eyes shone down at me, a playful smirk decorating her lips. Confidence had replaced her nerves, and a mischievous fire came from her. I let my focus drift down, curiosity finally getting the better of me.

Her bra was tight and black, cupping the perfect swells of her breasts, but not padded enough to hide the little hardened nipples that practically begged to be touched. The rim was lace, showing her creamy skin through the gaps. Her stomach was defined with the muscles she'd worked so hard for, and her underwear was black shear fabric over a red silk lining, rimmed with black lace as well.

She laughed then, and I realized I'd been staring with my jaw slightly open. Lost in the perfection of her body and the shock of the lace, I'd almost forgotten that this was Valkyrie, my precious Valkyrie that was showing herself to me like this, offering everything, and trusting me so implicitly. It made everything even more unbelievable, like a dream, except I couldn't dream, so it must be real. I closed my mouth and reached out, trailing bare bone fingers over her skin, over the hard nipples, savoring the echo of pleasure through the rings, and the gasp I got from her.

Then she batted my hands away and went for my remaining shirt buttons. I surprised both of us by flinching and grabbing her hands. Her eyes, dark with want and shadow, drifted up to my empty eye sockets, questioning.

"I…" I hesitated, unsure of how to phrase this. "Valkyrie, you've never seen my without my suit before. I'm not… a man."

"I know, I've seen enough of you to realize that." She shrugged, sounding dismissive. She didn't understand what I was trying to say. Valkyrie was beautiful. Caelan had been handsome, and Fletcher had been 'hot'. But I could never be any of those things. I was something dug up from a grave, white bones and empty space.

"I'm a skeleton," I said. "I just didn't want you to expect something wonderful. I'm just a dead man, held together by magic." I knew my voice was bitter, but I didn't care. I just wanted her to understand. By the surprise-sadness-anger coming from her, it was dawning on her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and glared down at me.

"Skulduggery Cain Pleasant," she said in the voice she reserved for bad guys being stupid. "What happened to your ego? Of course you're something wonderful. Beautiful, handsome, and idiotic. You're not just a dead man, you're more than that, you're Skulduggery." She said the word as though it explained everything. I suppose she didn't know what it meant.

"Exactly. Trickery, deceit. I can pass as a man, with my suit and my intelligence, my facades and my wit. But I'm not. I just don't want that to… surprise you." Scare you, disgust you, drive you away. Valkyrie took a deep breath, closing her eyes and holding it for a moment. Then she let it out and looked at me again.

"I love you," she said. "And I've never seen you as anything other than what you are. Yes, you're a skeleton, but that doesn't mean that you're not a man. And I love every part of you. I love your eye sockets, and your never-changing smile, because they look good on you." She kissed my teeth lightly. "I love your cheekbones, and I love your skull because it makes an awesome sound when you flick it," she continued, and did just that.

"Ow," I complained, so she kissed the same spot before moving on.

"I love your collarbones because they're delicate, and your ribs because they're smooth, just perfect for sliding your hand along." She removed my tie and unbuttoned my shirt, illustrating her point by following her words, bringing a gasp from both of us. "I love your hands because they're beautiful, and your arms because they've caught me so many times, but I hate your elbows because they're way too sharp." She slid off my shirt and gave them a kiss anyways. "I love all of you, and you're handsome, and perfect, and an idiot, but I don't care because I love you. Can I touch you now?" Her voice took on the petulance of a five year old, giving me an expectant look. Still trying to process her words, I didn't respond.

She kissed my mouth again, lips sliding over teeth, tongue lightly teasing. My jacket and shirt were lying somewhere on the floor, getting wrinkled, but for once I didn't care, because I could feel Valkyrie's bare skin against my bones. My head was filled with her, my body burned for her.

"Yes," I said, and my voice was unfamiliar. It was rough, the usual velvet rubbed the wrong way, the word almost pleading. Valkyrie heard all this, and her satisfaction came through the link.

"Yes what?" she asked, sounding so sweet, hands hovering over me, just waiting, teasing.

"Yes, you can touch me now," I elaborated, smoothing my voice back into its usual tones and throwing in a mocking head tilt. Her eyes narrowed, and I could feel her anger-amusement-irritation, then her defiance. She trailed her hands oh-so-lightly over my aura, filling my body with need, and the urge to press up against her fingers. But I kept myself still, not wanting to give in so easily. She paused over one spot and dug her fingers in, just barely, and my body reacted automatically, pushing toward her, trying to find more pressure. She smirked, and I growled at her, irritated. "Valkyrie…" I warned. She shivered slightly, and this time I was the one exuding triumph.

There was no use in teasing each other, though. Our need and pleasure was one and the same because of the rings, and it only frustrated both of us to hold back. I could see her realizing this, and giving in. She brushed one more kiss against my cheekbone, and then bent and undid my belt with surprisingly fast movements. She got stuck on my shoes for a while, but then they were off, and she was tossing them over her shoulder, where they hit the wall with a 'thunk'. The trousers followed, and then I heard her laugh.

"No underwear," she said in response to my head tilt.

"Of course not," I said. She ignored me, trailing her eyes up and down my body. I resisted the urge to freeze, knowing it would only make me look more like a skeleton from a high-school science classroom. Instead, I propped myself up on my elbows, bringing our faces closer together. I could feel her hot thighs against my bare bones, but it wasn't near enough. "Valkyrie," I said again, this time my tone demanding. Her breath caught, and I felt her restraint weakening. "Stop staring and touch me." That did it.

With a near-feral growl, she reached into my aura and twisted. Together, we cried out.

"So black," Valkyrie gasped. "It's everywhere. Your aura…" And then, deciding talking was a waste of time, she dug her fingers in until her hand was wrapped around my lowest rib.

"Valkyrie," I groaned. Her only response was a pensive look and curiosity coming through the bond. That was all the warning I got before she lowered her head and her tongue caressed my rib cage, hot and wet against my cold bones. I clenched my teeth together, trying not to make a sound, but when she bit down, hard, the wordless groan made its way out anyways.

Satisfaction-fire-want came from Valkyrie, and she moved onwards, exploring my body with her fingers first, then covering the same area with kisses and bites, occasionally pausing on an area that sent bolts of pleasure through us, so sharp it was like pain.

At one point, Valkyrie looked up at me, her lips swollen from the pressure on my bones, and spoke in a clear voice, as though commenting on the weather, "Next time, chocolate sauce." Then, with a grin, she went back to my hips, tongue sweeping along the inside in decadent patterns.

The pleasure built up, like a pressure in my bones and in Valkyrie's body. Finally, too full for it, Valkyrie bit down on my hip, and the world exploded around us. The feeling echoed back and forth between us, building with each repetition, until we were both crying with it, twisted up in each other and still trying to get closer. Slowly it faded, and we lay there for a moment, fatigue creeping in. Her skin was slick with sweat, and it slid against my bones easily as she shifted.

"The black is gone," Valkyrie said, breaking the silence. "I guess you need time to recharge, huh?" She sounded almost mocking, and the mischief was back in the bond. Tired as I was, I couldn't stand for that. I flipped us around easily, so that I was on top of her,and she looked up at me with a smile that told me I'd just played right into her expectations. Truthfully, I didn't much care.

"And what should we do in the meantime?" I asked, voice serious. She grinned.

"I think I've got a few ideas."

A/N: Hello, hello, I'm back! And with my first sex scene! Originally, this chapter was actually much longer, and it included a piece after this where Valkyrie gets her due, but I couldn't tell if that made it too long, so I cut it out for now. Also, this is possible to justify as 'Teen', but the other part is definitely M.

My question is this: Should I post the whole thing, or just leave it as is? All feedback is appreciated! Please review with answers, questions, comments, and opinions.

Thank you for the follows, the favorites, the reviews, and the praise! I love you all, even the people who just lurk around silently. You're awesome too, for reading this far and sticking with me! See you again soon.

Also, although ticklethedragon1 has ceased to beta my story, she was still the reason this fanfic got as far as it did, so I think I should probably just remind you of how awesome she is. (I love you, ashal-veh, don't you ever forget that.)

One chapter left! We're almost done!

Coming next-

Epilogue: In which there is a pirate, a knight, a princess, and all the colours of the rainbow.