Relief spread, crested, broke and washed over him. Part of it, Skulduggery knew, was Gabe's, but most of it was his. Pure, and relieving in itself. Seeing Gabe in as much pain as he was, flickering as much as he was, even his mind broken as far as it was... Skulduggery made it a point never to give up, because until there was no one left to question or resist, there was always something worth fighting for.
Even so, Gabe's condition, sprawled in the bottom of the crater with his surface tension just gone... Skulduggery had felt something very close to defeat.
Not anymore. It was most definitely Gabe who responded, Gabe back in some form of control, Gabe being healed. Still scattered, but... more an exhaustive kind of scattered, bound and familiar, something unimaginably powerful flowing and reaching back out towards Skulduggery. Far from overwhelming him, that obvious power increased the relief. Skulduggery could sometimes forget just how powerful Gabe really was. Powerful, and strong. He'd make it. He'd pull through.
With the relief came a gentle wash of thoughts and sensations, love and gratitude chief among them, but multiple others Skulduggery couldn't quite place. Blizzards, a foundation. Something about a kitten. Skulduggery didn't understand most of it, except that Gabe wasn't currently feeling any pain. Discomfort, maybe, but not outright pain.
'Are you going to listen from now on when I say not to strain yourself?'
There was a gentle amusement behind the question, surprising even Skulduggery. He wasn't used to that. It wasn't that he didn't feel any anger at all, exactly, because he did. Seething somewhere deep, just like always, it was there. The thing was, he couldn't focus on it even if he wanted to. It was buried by everything else, by the relief and the love and everything Gabe felt for him.
Probably for the best, Skulduggery reflected. Not because of Davina Marr - he didn't care what happened to her. And after today, he doubted anyone would object too strongly if he did hunt her down. No, it was more because a small measure of that anger was over the fact that he might be being controlled.
It was the kind of thought he would have squirreled away for much later, if he'd been able to. At least now, it wouldn't get in the way. It didn't get in the way. He would never have been able to manage amusement if it was.
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Even so, Gabe's condition, sprawled in the bottom of the crater with his surface tension just gone... Skulduggery had felt something very close to defeat.
Not anymore. It was most definitely Gabe who responded, Gabe back in some form of control, Gabe being healed. Still scattered, but... more an exhaustive kind of scattered, bound and familiar, something unimaginably powerful flowing and reaching back out towards Skulduggery. Far from overwhelming him, that obvious power increased the relief. Skulduggery could sometimes forget just how powerful Gabe really was. Powerful, and strong. He'd make it. He'd pull through.
With the relief came a gentle wash of thoughts and sensations, love and gratitude chief among them, but multiple others Skulduggery couldn't quite place. Blizzards, a foundation. Something about a kitten. Skulduggery didn't understand most of it, except that Gabe wasn't currently feeling any pain. Discomfort, maybe, but not outright pain.
'Are you going to listen from now on when I say not to strain yourself?'
There was a gentle amusement behind the question, surprising even Skulduggery. He wasn't used to that. It wasn't that he didn't feel any anger at all, exactly, because he did. Seething somewhere deep, just like always, it was there. The thing was, he couldn't focus on it even if he wanted to. It was buried by everything else, by the relief and the love and everything Gabe felt for him.
Probably for the best, Skulduggery reflected. Not because of Davina Marr - he didn't care what happened to her. And after today, he doubted anyone would object too strongly if he did hunt her down. No, it was more because a small measure of that anger was over the fact that he might be being controlled.
It was the kind of thought he would have squirreled away for much later, if he'd been able to. At least now, it wouldn't get in the way. It didn't get in the way. He would never have been able to manage amusement if it was.