Traffic [Valduggery, Skulduggery Pleasant Fanfiction]

Motorcycles

Once, Valkyrie had been afraid of motorcycles. She was afraid of the way they bit into the road with two wheels, bent at impossible angles, weaved like they were alive through traffic. Once, Valkyrie had been afraid of a lot of things.

Now, Valkyrie loved to ride. It thrilled her to kiss the ground, soar over the pavement. It was a lot like horseback riding; she and the machine became one. It was a lot like flying—what she remembered it to be. Freedom.

Of course, not quite to the extent that flying had been like. Never like that.

Flying had been something else. She had danced like a god above the heads of everyone, suspended by nothing. She could remember, vaguely, the feeling of swooping and diving and ducking. Usually she had been trying to kill someone.

Now she was bound by more earthly powers. Gravity kept her there, and she didn't even have her elemental magic to bolster her anymore. She wondered if this was how adepts felt all the time. A fence needed climbing, a ditch a running start.

Someone tapped her on the shoulder. Valkyrie nearly steered off the road.

She looked over and Skulduggery was flying next to her, and she laughed, revving her engine. He tilted his head and kept pace with her, until she veered off the road. She let out another shriek of laugher as she kicked up dirt, leaving Skulduggery behind.

But then he was there again, dodging trees and staying even with her. And it was like old times again.

River.

She braked hard, letting out a yelp as she came to a stop. Her bike nearly fell, but she braced her leg and gritted her teeth, keeping it upright through sheer leg strength alone. She panted, watching the water swirl, and then watched Skulduggery touch down next to her.

"Are you getting slower?" she asked, dismounting the bike and throwing down the kickstand.

"Maybe you just like to speed. That's illegal, you know. I could arrest you."

"Arrest me?"

Skulduggery adjusted his hat. "Yes."

"You have literally driven on the wrong side of the road."

"But I didn't speed."

Valkyrie just sort of stared at him. Skulduggery, for his part, managed to distract himself by adjusting every damned button on his suit until he had nothing else to do but meet Valkyrie's eyes.

"Well, I only sped a little."

Valkyrie laughed, then sat down on a rock. Skulduggery stood nearby, and they stayed that way in silence.

Valkyrie looked up at him.

"Take me flying."

He hesitated. "I'm not sure that's a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Well, for one thing, you will be leaving your very expensive, very nice motorcycle in the middle of the woods. Now, I don't think there are many motorcycle-thieves in these parts of the woods, but there might be bears."

"Bears?"

"Or sharks. We're right by the water; they might be attracted to your shiny motorcycle."

Valkyrie stood and stepped over to him. "You're stalling."

"Am I?"

And he wrapped his arms around her and then the Earth drifted away from them. Valkyrie grinned, feet kicking off into nothingness. She whooped as they swung through the air, as he almost dropped her because she wanted so badly to just let go and float along with him.

The world was a quilt. Little squares of farms or houses. The roads that could be rivers that could be streets that cut across the green in winding paths. The sky that couldn't seem to decide if it was the ground as they twirled. The air, so sharp and cold and clear it hurt her lungs and stung her eyes.

Eventually, Skulduggery slowed, and Valkyrie looked at him. His arm tightened around her and he tilted his head. Valkyrie smiled, a little unsure.

"I love you."

And then he dropped her.

Valkyrie screamed, twisting in the air to find Skulduggery falling with her, by her side. Valkyrie kicked her feet, managing to get close enough to him so she could grab onto him...

Valkyrie reached out and knocked off Skulduggery's hat.

Immediately, the wind snatched it away.

She laughed in triumph as Skulduggery's whole body jerked, trying in vain to grab the hat before it flew too far.

Skulduggery looked at her, and once again his arms encircled her. Their decent slowed until the wind no longer snatched away Valkyrie's laugher. She held onto him, face buried in his suit as giggles racked her body.

"My hat."

Valkyrie's laugher renewed itself, and her body wanted to curl up.

Skulduggery spun with her in his arms. They danced in the air until Valkyrie couldn't feel her fingertips and they talked about everything and nothing, and Skulduggery teased her motorcycle was probably gone and she asked him where his hat was.

She craned her head back and she closed her eyes and his hold on her almost loosened.

Almost.

No, Valkyrie had lost her wings. But she could almost—