A part of Barney felt, probably completely unrealistically, like he was being let in on some large secret, some hidden club. And for all he knew, maybe he was. Maybe there was some honour here that he was missing. But at the same time... it felt a little like this was a courtesy Dad would have extended to anyone in a similar position. And far from making Barney feel inadequate, or even lowering the meaning of the offer, it somehow made Barney feel all the more special. Like he was being singled out for a reason.
It was a good feeling, but it was also an uncomfortable one, solely because it was a feeling Barney hadn't had in ages. It felt rusty and disused in his head, undeserved and unearned, but it was still there. Which made what happened next all the more surprising.
Barney stared down at the teddy bear, and then back up at Dad. Birthday. Right. It was his birthday tomorrow, he remembered all of a sudden. With everything that had happened the last few months, Barney had completely and honestly forgotten.
He meant to say thank you, but the words got garbled, and what came out instead was "How did you know?" How did you know when even I...
Jumping straight from faery to angel? Ghastly couldn't quite hide the surprise flickering across his face, surprise not just at the assumption, but at the fact that his immediate instinctive response was 'Of course.'
Friends. With an Archangel. It didn't feel so strange until Ghastly put the sentiment into words like that - into those exact words - and then, again, it felt like some form of blasphemy. Particularly with God Himself standing so close by.
God, Ghastly told himself sternly, is perfectly fine with Skulduggery and Gabe ending up in what might become a romantic relationship. If it hasn't already. Why would He object to this?
And then the full realisation of what he'd just admitted to, even silently, hit him and Ghastly burst out laughing. Vaguely aware that Allie might think he was laughing at her, he made an effort to stop, failed completely, and finally just tried to answer anyway. "Yes. Yes, I am." He swallowed hard and looked at her. "Only just met him yesterday, too."
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It was a good feeling, but it was also an uncomfortable one, solely because it was a feeling Barney hadn't had in ages. It felt rusty and disused in his head, undeserved and unearned, but it was still there. Which made what happened next all the more surprising.
Barney stared down at the teddy bear, and then back up at Dad. Birthday. Right. It was his birthday tomorrow, he remembered all of a sudden. With everything that had happened the last few months, Barney had completely and honestly forgotten.
He meant to say thank you, but the words got garbled, and what came out instead was "How did you know?" How did you know when even I...
Jumping straight from faery to angel? Ghastly couldn't quite hide the surprise flickering across his face, surprise not just at the assumption, but at the fact that his immediate instinctive response was 'Of course.'
Friends. With an Archangel. It didn't feel so strange until Ghastly put the sentiment into words like that - into those exact words - and then, again, it felt like some form of blasphemy. Particularly with God Himself standing so close by.
God, Ghastly told himself sternly, is perfectly fine with Skulduggery and Gabe ending up in what might become a romantic relationship. If it hasn't already. Why would He object to this?
And then the full realisation of what he'd just admitted to, even silently, hit him and Ghastly burst out laughing. Vaguely aware that Allie might think he was laughing at her, he made an effort to stop, failed completely, and finally just tried to answer anyway. "Yes. Yes, I am." He swallowed hard and looked at her. "Only just met him yesterday, too."