The Book Thief | Don't Leave Me

A Proposal

A bit longer this time. This one might well be my favourite, so let me know.

I f you have any ideas for a Book Thief story, I'm happy to write it!

"Here are the keys, you know where everything is." Alex Steiner said to the new owner of the tailor shop. Liesel was standing in the doorway of the shop holding a suitcase heavily packed in each hand; with Max and Rudy behind also holding luggage.

Alex came out of the shop, turning to take one last look at it. "Should we look?" Alex asked them – they knew what he meant. "Ja." Liesel replied adding a sniffle. Alex turned from the shop and took hold of a trolley. "Here, put the luggage up on here, I'll handle it." Alex offered, taking suitcases one by one from Liesel, Rudy and Max.

They walked without a word to Himmel Street, nothing to be heard but the heavy trolley on the road and the distant chatter of people.

Today Rudy was going to make his promise to Liesel true.

Himmel street had been cleared of the rubble, but the charcoal burnt houses had been left. It was just the streets that had been cleared. Alex moved to a corner in the street and closed his eyes in front of a sign that read all the lost souls.

Max stuck with Liesel and Rudy, looking down at number thirty-three. Max stepped across a plank of wood and bent down to take a brick from a pile that had stacked up from the basement floor. It was blue on one side, with a faint yellow in the corner that formed the sun he'd painted.

He turned when he heard a sob burst, and saw Liesel with her head buried in Rudy's chest, forcing her sobs to be silent. Max came back across and stood with the two.

The Liesel and Rudy went over. Rudy jumped in the basement and took Liesel's arm to help her down. Rudy kept his arm around her the whole time, looking at Liesel's face for a sign of anything. Liesel's tears were wiped away by Rudy, but left a stain on her cheek.

To describe the new basement better, what bricks that were left untouched were stacked against walls and corners. It was dust filled with a new strong wood scaffolding to make your way in and out.

Rudy left Liesel's side and walked to an old paint can, taking a small velvet box from his pocket. He felt his heart beating in his chest, much like someone trying to break through a door.

"Still haven't found any rings lying around have you?" Rudy asked her, now standing by the wood scaffolding where Max was sitting. Liesel smiled remembering when he first asked her to look for one. "I know what you're doing." Max whispered to Rudy for Liesel not to hear. Rudy lost his cocky grin as the blood drained from his face. Max is like Liesel's brother.

"I trust you Rudy. Just promise me Max is like Liesel's brother.

"I trust you Rudy. Just promise me you won't ever hurt her." Max said. "Why would I?" Rudy assured him. "I made a promise to her that we would get out of here." Max had his hand on Rudy's shoulder, and quickly dashed out to get Alex knowing that he wouldn't want to miss it.

Rudy walked back to Liesel, seeing she had not yet noticed the box. By now Alex and Max were on the scaffolding, watching them in silence.

"Will this one do?" Rudy asked Liesel, collecting the box as he walked in front of her. Liesel's eyebrows rose as she saw him drop down on one knee. "Liesel Meminger; when I first saw you as your new mother called me an arsehole, I told Tommy 'I will marry that girl'. When you stole apples with me, you made me feel lucky. Just spending time with you made me feel happy. Every time I asked for that kiss, I always thought of it as a joke, but when I saw you panicking the time I fished your book from the Amper River, I felt you cared more than just a friend would and I came to realise Ich liebe Dich. Will you marry me, Book Thief?"

Liesel's heart swelled as Rudy spoke, watching his cocky grin that begged for that kiss each time. Instead of speaking yes, she spat on the ground...

Once.

Rudy stood and hugged her, before pulling away and slipping the ring on her finger. "Is that still one spit yes, and two spits no?" Liesel turned looking up at Max and Alex with a tear in the corner of her eye. "Oh Papa, don't cry." Rudy said to Alex. "My boy's grown up." Rudy and Liesel stepped out of the basement and Max pulled Liesel into a hug, resting his chin on her head.

"Now I expect I have nieces and nephews by the time you're twenty-five." Max said sternly.

"Max!" Liesel yelled pulling away. Max chuckled at her reaction, plus the way Rudy looked away to hide his blush.

"Okay now, to Australia we go!" Max lead them out the street, taking his turn pushing the trolley.

"But no doing anything until we're in Australia." Max joked. They all laughed at that. "I'm serious -and no kissing!" He added when he saw Rudy deeply kissing Liesel on the lips.

"Oh, leave them alone!" Alex smiled.

Like how this is going? I like it! I Hope you did