Sorry it took me so long to update and sorry for the short chapter. Things have been happening and claiming my attention. I'll try to update quicker. Leave me some love.
xxx
"Wow, it feels great to help them!" Maka gasped as they were leaving the town. She giggled in spite of herself.
"Yeah, it does," Soul nodded keeping close to her side.
"And we've got money," she held up the sack filled with money. She kept it close to her chest.
"We do," Soul nodded with a smirk. Needless to say, they chatted the entire way home. He's only known her a couple days and he can talk to her this easily. A question bubbled up to his lips.
"Maka, what's a 'tennis'?" Soul spilled forth the question that was brewing.
"What?" she looked at him. Like really looked at him.
"What's a 'tennis'?" he repeated. What was so hard about this question?
"What makes you ask?" she still hadn't answered his question. Was it something bad, a touchy subject, perhaps. He hoped not.
"My dad called my shoes, 'tennis shoes', but he never told me what a 'tennis' is," Soul blinked as Maka began to laugh.
"Tennis is a sport," she smiled up at him, Soul was vaguely aware of their feet creating a soft crunch in the grass, "your shoes are called tennis shoes because those are usually used to play tennis."
"But what is tennis?" Maka stopped, Soul stopped a few feet ahead of her.
"Okay, you have these racquets. You can play singles—which is one on one, or doubles—which is two on two. There's a net between you and you have to hit this bright yellow ball—called a tennis ball—over the net. There are a whole bunch of rules that I don't know. But basically you hit the ball over the net until one of you messes up and that's whoever's point," she acted all of this out. Soul smiled at her.
"Thank you for clearing this up," Soul chuckled, swishing his tail and flicking his ear, "let's get back. I miss my bed."
"You've slept in it once," Maka laughed, throwing her head back. Soul smirked.
"I miss it," he whined, leaning forward, letting his arms hang. Maka patted him on the shoulder.
"Don't worry, we're almost there," she smiled, her pigtails swished with her movements. Soul smiled, his teeth gleaming.
xxx
"Lord Death, we have returned," Maka smiled softly at the reaper. He clapped his giant hands together, this time, Soul did flinch at the noise.
"Sorry, Soul. That noise must be hard for your ears," Lord Death apologized.
"No, that's okay, Lord Death," Soul quickly reassured him, holding his hands up, palms facing Lord Death.
"Alright, then. Great job, you guys! I will give you a call when another mission comes in," Death reported, a smile in his extremely annoying voice.
"Thank you, Lord Death," both Maka and Soul said simultaneously. They looked at each other. Maka smiled when Soul smirked.
"Oh, Lord Death, are Kidd and Black Star out on missions also?" Maka spun on her heel. They hadn't gotten far, a good couple of feet away from the door.
"No. Kidd is sulking at home, because I gave the only mission to you two. And Black Star, as far as I know, anyways, should be at home," Death answered immediately.
"Thank you, Lord Death," Maka sounded grateful and relieved. Once they got out of the room, that's when Soul will ask what her ulterior motive was.
The heavy door shut noisily behind them. They continued down the hallway, turning around a couple corners before Soul finally asked his question.
"What was that about?" Soul basically demanded of the girl. Maka blinked up at him, a smile highlighting her face.
"I'm going to teach you a sport," Maka said, her voice rising a couple octaves.
"A...sport?" Soul tilted his head to the side, confused beyond belief.
"A game of sorts," Maka shrugged, "you'll love it."
"Like tennis?" Soul's tail sped up.
"Something like that," Maka nodded consent, "but it's not tennis."
"What's it called?" Soul wanted to learn about these sports. Wanted to learn everything there was to know about this city.
"It's called basketball," she said never turning her head. They were headed in the direction of their house.
"Then why are we going home?" Soul asked, looking up at the house they call their home.
"We have to change first. You don't want to play basketball in jeans," she made a face, "hello dehydration."
"De—what?" Soul blinked following Maka in the front door. They both peeled off their shoes.
"Dehydration. It's basically where your body goes funky because you don't have enough water in you," Maka explained, waving him back to hall.
"Oh," Soul said with enthusiasm. Maka giggled.
"Make sure you wear shorts. You know the ones that go to about here," she pointed to her knees, "and maybe a lighter t-shirt. If you need help, I'm right here."
"Thanks," he disappeared into his room, opening his closet doors again. He found the shorts without trouble it was the 'light t-shirt' he had a problem with. He picked up each and every t-shirt he had, they all felt about the same weight, "Maka?"
"Yes, Soul?" she popped her head in the doorway after a few seconds.
"Light t-shirt?" he repeated her words, showing with his hands that he was weighing them.
"No, no, silly goose. Here," she pulled out a white t-shirt, "feel it."
"It feels like cotton," Soul said watching the t-shirt.
"Soft or rough?"
"Soft," he answered, looking at Maka.
"Does it feel like air or heavier?" she countered.
"Air," he said softly.
"Good job. This is what is considered a 'light t-shirt'," she appraised, rewarding him with the shirt.
"Thanks for the help," Soul smirked, shooing her from his room, muttering "cool guys don't strip in front of girls," he closed the door and quickly got dressed in his new clothing. Soul emerged from his room, to find Maka in a green t-shirt and shorter shorts than his. Her hair was in her normal ponytails.
"Welcome back," she giggled, leading him throughout the house, "we need to get you new shoes."
"Yeah," he chuckled, scratching the back of his head, "I've had them for three years."
"You said your dad gave them to you. Are you willing to give them up? They are pretty ratty, but if they mean something special to you, I'll buy you new ones but you can keep the old ones," Maka watched him, waiting for his answer.
"No, no, that's okay. They are pretty ratty. I can get rid of them," Maka stared at him. She nodded a smile playing on her lips.
"Come with me and let me buy you new shoes," Maka said in a singsong voice. Soul smirked at her, following behind her.
xxx
They were walking for sometime, when Maka turned to Soul, "Soul, tell me about your parents."
Soul sweat dropped. She completely caught him off guard, "well I look a lot like my mother, her red eyes, sharp teeth, white hair, but I inherited my ears and tail from my father," Soul started, "my dad was a burly man, his hair, eyes, ears and tail were all a chocolate brown. He was really nice and super protective. See, they were both runaways. My mother and father left their village and ran away together.
"My dad always said 'you and your mother are one of the same.' Which was mostly true. My mother and I did everything together. We'd get up at dawn to hunt together," Soul smiled at the memory, "but my mother was taken by scientists. And my father was murdered by hunters. It makes me shudder to think what they did with him," Soul murmured, shivering. Maka patted him on his shoulder.
"I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have asked," she said softly, turning to the right. Soul began to shake his head.
"It's fine," Soul smiled down at her. She returned it, turning instantaneously in a small building.
xxx
They were playing basketball, Soul finally getting the hang of the sport, when Maka's hologram thing went off. Maka didn't hear it, so Soul had to inform her that she was vibrating again. Maka once again glared at him as everyone burst out laughing. Even Kidd was laughing at his not so joke. He didn't get what was so funny.
"Yes, Lord Death?" Maka stood with her hands clasped firmly behind her back. Her spine was straight and formal, he noticed, when she was talking to Lord Death.
"I have a mission for you," he said unenthusiastically. Maka perked up instantly, obviously not hearing the malice in his voice. She smiled wide, not saying a word, Death continued, "It's two towns after the neighboring one you were at today. There are two Kishin there and they have plagued this village tremendously. I don't prefer this village, much less sending you two but the only reason I'm asking you to do it is because they were begging for help.
"After you two put an end to the Kishin I want you to come straight back. Doesn't matter how bad the village looks I don't want you staying, you understand?" Death demanded of them.
"Understood Lord Death," Maka spoke for the both of them. Soul nodded in agreement. Death nodded apprehensively.
"Be careful, you two," he said and with that the transmission was cut. Maka hid the device back in her jacket, turning to their company.
"Sorry, you guys. We have to go," Maka pivoted back to Black Star, Tsubaki, Liz, Patty and Kidd. Black Star grimaced and growled.
"Fine, we'll play all by our selves," Black Star swiped up the basketball and passed to Tsubaki. Maka smiled at the game and tugged Soul by his arm. He staggered after her.
"Uh—we're leaving now?" Soul spluttered, his new shoes crunching in the small stones.
"We have to prepare," Maka spoke without looking at him, but she did let go of his wrist. He stood up straight and followed quickly after her.
"Prepare?" Soul tilted his head to the side. What did they have to prepare for?
"Yes, Lord Death said it's three towns away. It will take us at least a week to travel there on foot. So we need to pack. We'll head out first thing tomorrow morning," Maka seemed rigid, Soul wondered why.
They trekked home in silence, Soul could feel the tension in her body and he didn't want to push it. His ears and tail lowered, his head tilted down, between his shoulders. He was afraid to speak.