Risenfromash: I will be updating the last chapter to reflect that the motorcycle has been dubbed, Brunhilde by Maka and Soul. I had contemplated giving it a name, but didn't end up doing it until this chapter…anyways, I'm sure in Soul's note to Maka he would have used the bike's name… so, I'll go back and change that.
Chapter 11: When Things Were Simpler
It's been a while since I've gotten to go on a long ride, but I find it hard to enjoy it without Maka. Usually when I'm riding, Maka's right behind me, her arms draped around me, her face occasionally leaning forward to speak into my ear over the noisy, clunky purr of the engine.
It's hard to believe there was a time when she was frightened of Brunhilde, but I can't say I blame her considering that our first ride was a total spur-of the-moment thing and neither one of us had ever before been on a motorcycle.
We had been pursuing a particularly elusive demon for several days and Maka and I were both tired and grouchy after unsuccessfully trying to corner the bastard multiple times. Maka was getting so frustrated she had even confided in me that she was considering returning to Death City to tell Lord Death that we weren't experienced enough to take on a demon of this skill level, but my pride wouldn't let me agree to giving up especially since part of the problem was he rode a motorcycle so he could cover a lot more ground than we could. For days we wandered the desert using Maka's Soul Perception ability trying to figure out where the demon was hiding himself.
When we finally cornered him and finished him off I was all too happy to swallow his soul and be done with him. Seeing that his soul was no longer in existence, Maka collapsed onto the ground to relax for the first time in what seemed like forever.
"Oh, thank Death. I thought we would never be done with that damn demon."
"Made a tasty desert," I commented sucking the last little bits of demon soul from between my teeth.
"Lucky you, I'm starving. These rations aren't cutting it." Maka stretched out on the ground digging through our backpacks for something else to eat. "Ugh. We barely have anything left. Oh well, at least we can start heading home now. I say we order pizza as soon as we get back." She flopped onto her back looking up at the endless blue sky above us.
"I second that motion! With extra anchovies!"
Maka cringed, "Only on your half."
"Half? What are you talking about? I'm gonna eat a whole one myself…" My voice trailed off as I noticed something unexpected. Our assailant's motorcycle had not disappeared. It was by no means a hog to be especially proud of, yet it looked like a well-maintained vehicle. I walked up and poked it with my pointer finger.
"Funny. I thought this thing was ethereal."
Taking her eyes off the sky, Maka rolled over to see what I was talking about. "Oh, it's not, huh? I kinda thought that, too. I guess I should have known it was real 'cause no part of his soul was hanging out over there with it, but I didn't really think about it."
I threw my leg over the seat, positioning myself on the bike the way the Harley riders do outside of Death City's biker bar. It felt good to be seated on something with that kind of power. I grinned. I could imagine myself flying across the hot desert, my unruly hair thrown back by the wind, the sunlight gleaming off the motorcycle's shiny silver workings. It would be a nice change from slogging on foot and with a bike we could actually bring more gear on our little hunting parties in the future. I could think of a million reasons we needed this bike.
"Soul, what are you doing?"
I thought the answer was pretty obvious. I was having a mangasm over this piece of automation, but I replied with a simple, "Nothin'," so as to not lay all my cards on the table at the beginning of the negotiation with my meister.
"Un huh. It doesn't look like nothing. What it looks like is you think it's Christmas morning and Santa just visited."
I grinned from ear to ear. She knew me so well.
"Well," I began the negotiation. "The responsible thing to do is not to allow this motorcycle to sit here abandoned. The oil and gasoline will eventually leach into the soil. It would be very bad for the environment. Wasteful. And since it doesn't have an owner-"
"It does have an owner. At this point it's property of the DWMA."
"And conveniently I happen to be a representative of the DWMA." I can only imagine how demonic I must have appeared with my eyes glimmering with desire as I ran my hand over its shiny chassis.
Maka tipped her head. "We're supposed to notify the administration of any abandoned property of defeated witches or demons. Then Lord Death decides what is most appropriate to do with it. Maybe the demon has a family it should go to."
I blinked. This chick could not be serious! "That asshole hasn't had anyone who cared about him for a long time…but I'll be honoring his memory every time I ride on it."
I knew that appealing to Maka's sentimental side was a long shot, but I had to try every angle I had because I was bound and determined we would be riding, not walking, home and it can be really challenging to get her to deviate from DWMA standard operating procedures.
"Well…" She said, considering it. I was wearing her down for sure! Time for the most persuasive argument of them all!
"Come on, Maka. Your feet are tired and so are mine. We've been hoofin' it for days and this way we could save our feet and get back to school sooooo much faster. Besides, I know you pocketed that history of witchcraft book from that werebeast we defeated last month and I didn't say anything when you didn't hand it over to Lord Death."
She approached me and the bike cautiously wincing with every step. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that our feet were killing us. We'd worked hard. We deserved a ride.
"Soul, you don't even know how to ride a motorcycle. It takes people a long time to learn the control necessary-"
I turned the key that the demon had carelessly left in the ignition. I revved the engine and away I went. I flew forward but quickly got a feel for the bike's power. I eased into a curve and came back pulling right up in front of her. I smiled and reached out to her with my right hand.
"Come on, Maka," I said leaning over so as to whisper into her ear. "Live a little. I know you want to."
She let out a little "eep" and blushed like she often does when caught giving in to her rebellious side which, I must admit, often has something to do with me luring her there.
"You trust me, don't you?" I asked her.
Her nod was slow and deliberate like she was in a trance. She was probably considering if it was a good day to die or not, but I just smiled wider and gave her arm a little yank to pull her up to join me on the bike. She situated herself with her hands on me and her feet finding comfortable resting spots on the side of the bike and then I slowly drove over to grab our gear. I cut the engine, hopped off and collected our packs and tied them to the back while Maka sat watching me never saying a word.
She still looked frightened, but I suspect she had made a deliberate decision not to voice any of her concerns, because she had decided to trust me. If I said it would be fine she must have figured it was her duty to give me the opportunity to prove it to her. I smiled at her.
"It's gonna be ok," I said mounting the bike in front of her. "I promise. Just put your hands around my waist here," I took her hands and guided them to my waist rather than to my chest where she had been clinging to me. "We'll be back to Death City in a jiffy."
I took off like a bat outta hell and Maka lost her resolve to remain quiet. She let out a scream I swear could be heard all the way to California.
"Soul, slow down! Please, you're gonna get us killed."
"You're funny. You can face horrible monsters and witches, but riding this motorcycle is really freaking you out."
"Don't make fun of me. I have a long life ahead of me."
"It's ok, Maka. I promise I know what I'm doing. It's not that different from playing an instrument, it's about rhythm and timing. It's just got a little more power to it and it doesn't sound as nice." I turned my head slightly so she could see how calm and self-assured I was, but all she did was scream at me to look where I was going.
After about ten minutes in which I had successfully not killed either one of us I told her, "You don't have to hold on so tightly."
She said something I couldn't make out over the sound of the engine and eventually her hands clutching me relaxed a little.
It even seemed like Maka was beginning to enjoy herself so I made the executive decision of taking a scenic route home rather than the more direct route. I wanted to get to savor the moment because it wasn't just the bike that was making it a great day. I was enjoying being able to do this for her. So often she was the boss, but this time I got to have her sit back and relax and trust that I was capable enough to see that everything would be ok.
That day I was in charge and besides, it's not every day you get a free motorcycle and a cute girl to ride on it with.
"Hey, Soul," she leaned forward to talk to me. "Thanks. This is really nice. My feet were killing me," and she kissed me behind my ear and it was that kiss that confirmed for me something I had been noticing recently. I was beginning to thrill at her touch, just that little peck sent shivers up and down me in a way no human contact ever had. It was official, I was totally digging her.
"I told you when you bought those damn shoes that they would give you trouble."
"Yeah, I know, but I couldn't help it. They look so cool."
"You sound like me," I chuckled.
Maka laughed. "Maybe you're rubbing off on me. I mean, I am on a stolen motorcycle without a helmet with a juvenile delinquent."
"I am not a delinquent."
"Did you or did you not graffiti the alley by the bakery?"
Crap. I hadn't known she knew about that. I decided it was best to stay quiet and admit nothing.
"Did you or did you not try to cheat on our midterm by writing crib notes all over your body?"
Again, I said nothing.
"And did you not 'accidentally' come into my room the other day when I was changing?" It was then that I blushed.
"I told you I was sorry about that. I swear it wasn't on purpose," I mumbled and she hugged me tighter and rested her cheek on the back of my shoulder.
"It's ok. Just promise me you'll never do anything too stupid. I don't think I could survive without you."
I grinned. That's a pretty awesome thing to have the girl you like say to you. I wanted to take her hand and hold it, but both of mine were on the handlebars so I tipped my head and rested it on hers, instead.
"Don't worry, Maka. I'm not going anywhere without you. Promise."
My heart aches. I remember telling her that. How many times have I assured her I wouldn't vanish like her mom or Crona yet that's exactly what I'm doing. It sucks that I couldn't live up to my promise to her, but it goes to show that she was right.
I'm a bad influence. She can do a lot better and I hope she does. I hope someday I hear that she has a great new partner and an awesome boyfriend, who treats her great and never hides things from her and communicates with her in an open and honest fashion, but I'm not that guy and I never will be.