After a moment of stunned immobility, Skulduggery decided to stop over-thinking things when it came to simple hugs, and returned it.
They'd both earned the comfort, after all. The level of pride in the room was quickly reaching dangerous levels, and Skulduggery instinctively knew it wasn't all his. Whatever their souls did back at the safehouse, he hadn't needed to ask to know that there would be permanent effects. Of course, he asked anyway. "Is half of that you?"
The air shifted on the other side of the door, warning Skulduggery a little too late that someone was about to open it. "Hello?" Erskine called as the door was shoved open wide. "Anyone in here? Corrival just called, and - "
In the split second of silence Skulduggery knew he would have, he tried to figure out what the best course of action would be. The answer he arrived at was absolutely nothing. There was absolutely nothing he or Gabe could do or say to stop Erskine from at the very least commenting on this, and more likely relentlessly teasing.
So Skulduggery stepped away, unhurriedly and unconcerned, and turned to face Erskine. "What does Corrival need?"
Erskine stood blinking in the open doorway, and then abruptly grinned. "I can come back in a few minutes."
Skulduggery inwardly groaned, but he kept his face perfectly level. "That really won't be necessary."
"Are you sure? You might want to be careful about what potential Elders walk in on, you know."
Skulduggery took the new information in stride, and aimed Erskine's grin right back at him without missing a beat. "The day there's anyone who could replace me as Prime Detective is the day any Sanctuary Elders would get to successfully intimidate me."
"I don't know, Skulduggery. Gabe's pretty good at this. What do you say, Gabe? Decent pay, horrific hours. Not that it would matter."
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It wasn't entirely unwelcome, though.
After a moment of stunned immobility, Skulduggery decided to stop over-thinking things when it came to simple hugs, and returned it.
They'd both earned the comfort, after all. The level of pride in the room was quickly reaching dangerous levels, and Skulduggery instinctively knew it wasn't all his. Whatever their souls did back at the safehouse, he hadn't needed to ask to know that there would be permanent effects. Of course, he asked anyway. "Is half of that you?"
The air shifted on the other side of the door, warning Skulduggery a little too late that someone was about to open it. "Hello?" Erskine called as the door was shoved open wide. "Anyone in here? Corrival just called, and - "
In the split second of silence Skulduggery knew he would have, he tried to figure out what the best course of action would be. The answer he arrived at was absolutely nothing. There was absolutely nothing he or Gabe could do or say to stop Erskine from at the very least commenting on this, and more likely relentlessly teasing.
So Skulduggery stepped away, unhurriedly and unconcerned, and turned to face Erskine. "What does Corrival need?"
Erskine stood blinking in the open doorway, and then abruptly grinned. "I can come back in a few minutes."
Skulduggery inwardly groaned, but he kept his face perfectly level. "That really won't be necessary."
"Are you sure? You might want to be careful about what potential Elders walk in on, you know."
Skulduggery took the new information in stride, and aimed Erskine's grin right back at him without missing a beat. "The day there's anyone who could replace me as Prime Detective is the day any Sanctuary Elders would get to successfully intimidate me."
"I don't know, Skulduggery. Gabe's pretty good at this. What do you say, Gabe? Decent pay, horrific hours. Not that it would matter."