Dexter flinched hard the moment Ghastly moved, fully expecting the fist to be coming for him and still standing his ground. He knew why. The Dead Men had been very thorough in making sure he knew exactly why he had the regular and unthinking urge to be someone else's scapegoat. Knowing where it came from had never really helped stop the urge.
Instead he heard the crunch of mortar and looked up to find Ghastly's fist was buried in the wall. For a moment he could only stand numbly, until Skulduggery spoke.
He'd had a century to get used to the idea that Skulduggery might be Vile. A century for the idea to worm its way through the denial into acceptance. He'd stopped flinching, even mentally, at Skulduggery's voice a long time ago. Except that he did now, physically, not because it was Skulduggery but because of the careful control in his voice.
"After," Dexter said. "I don't know if that's the same for Hopeless." He managed a smile then, a brittle, mirthless smile. "You know how he kept the universe in his head and all."
He tried to laugh and it came out a half-sob. Distantly he heard movement, and Merlin say quietly, "Time for school, Valkyrie."
Dexter stood still, blinking hard and breathing slow, as the others moved out of the shop, but he didn't expect to find Gabriel suddenly at his shoulder. He didn't expect to see tears in the Archangel's eyes. He certainly didn't expect the Archangel to pull him into a sudden, fierce embrace. He also didn't expect to feel a warm body press itself up against his leg, and heard Rafe whine.
That did it. Dexter's whole body shuddered once, and without thinking he hugged Gabe back, his breathing hard and fast as he tried to control those tears. He wasn't usually worried about crying in front of people, but this wasn't exactly a situation where it would help him be articulate. At all. Not that he was good at that anyway.
After a moment, or maybe a million, Gabe gave him a squeeze, then pulled away and turned to leave through the door Merlin was holding open, Rafe trotting beside him. Dexter sniffed, dug in his pocket for a handkerchief to wipe his eyes, and then stuffed it back away so he could go to try and pry Ghastly's fist loose from the wall.
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Instead he heard the crunch of mortar and looked up to find Ghastly's fist was buried in the wall. For a moment he could only stand numbly, until Skulduggery spoke.
He'd had a century to get used to the idea that Skulduggery might be Vile. A century for the idea to worm its way through the denial into acceptance. He'd stopped flinching, even mentally, at Skulduggery's voice a long time ago. Except that he did now, physically, not because it was Skulduggery but because of the careful control in his voice.
"After," Dexter said. "I don't know if that's the same for Hopeless." He managed a smile then, a brittle, mirthless smile. "You know how he kept the universe in his head and all."
He tried to laugh and it came out a half-sob. Distantly he heard movement, and Merlin say quietly, "Time for school, Valkyrie."
Dexter stood still, blinking hard and breathing slow, as the others moved out of the shop, but he didn't expect to find Gabriel suddenly at his shoulder. He didn't expect to see tears in the Archangel's eyes. He certainly didn't expect the Archangel to pull him into a sudden, fierce embrace. He also didn't expect to feel a warm body press itself up against his leg, and heard Rafe whine.
That did it. Dexter's whole body shuddered once, and without thinking he hugged Gabe back, his breathing hard and fast as he tried to control those tears. He wasn't usually worried about crying in front of people, but this wasn't exactly a situation where it would help him be articulate. At all. Not that he was good at that anyway.
After a moment, or maybe a million, Gabe gave him a squeeze, then pulled away and turned to leave through the door Merlin was holding open, Rafe trotting beside him. Dexter sniffed, dug in his pocket for a handkerchief to wipe his eyes, and then stuffed it back away so he could go to try and pry Ghastly's fist loose from the wall.