And It Went Up In Smoke

Chapter 19: Falling Harder Than Ever Before

Isadora POV

"Izzy..." a soft voice murmured. "Izzy, wake up." I groaned and buried my head further into the shoulder I was lying on. A hand came up and brushed hair out of my face, gently tucking it behind my ear. I hummed contentedly, and put an arm around the waist of the person I was lying on.

I heard a small gasp, and opened my eyes slightly. The truck had stopped moving, and it was turning dark outside. The front seat was empty. Sunny was gone. I was alone with Klaus.

I sneaked a peak at him. His face had turned red. I grinned up at him and he pouted. "What?" he asked.

"You look adorable when you're embarrassed."

"Oh, shush." he grumbled. "Violet says we can stay here till she comes back with Duncan and Sunny, then we have to go stretch our legs because she's not stopping again any time soon."

"Smart of her."

He hummed, and pulled me closer. My head rested on his chest, and I could hear his heartbeat. He was painfully thin, like Violet. Duncan and I had been fed well even in captivity. I reached for a packet of chips we'd taken and handed it to him. "Finish. Now."

"Yes, ma'am." he said. He sat munching, as I lay on him and looked out the window for Duncan, Violet and Sunny. 

He finished the packet, and then began running his hands through my hair. I sighed contentedly.  We lay together for a few minutes, breathing in sync, when Duncan opened the door and poked his head in. "Your turn, love birds. Make it quick."

Klaus pressed a kiss to my head, and slid out the door. He held out his hand as I jumped down from the truck, and we began walking towards the woods. 

The air was chilly. I shivered slightly, and Klaus wrapped an arm around me. We walked on in silence, enjoying the sound of the crunch of gravel and leaves beneath our shoes, and the chirps of the last birds before they settled for the day.

A memory began tugging at the back of my mind. Me, sitting by the fireplace in our living room. Duncan was watching the news. Quigley was trying to remember all the countries on the globe. And I was reading a book of poems. One in particular had always stuck with me. 

"I think that I shall never see, a poem as lovely as a tree."

"Joyce Kilmer?" Klaus said.

"How?"

"What?"

"How do you remember every single thing you've ever read, and who wrote it?"

He shrugged. "I only remember important things."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

"What's your most treasured memory then?"

"Yesterday, when I confessed to you."

I couldn't believe it had only been a day since we'd become official. It felt like 20 seconds...but it also felt like 20 years. Klaus made time go by way too fast, and then he made it stop at just the right moments.

I had stopped walking. Klaus stilled beside me. "Izz? Hello?"

I hadn't known him for very long. 3 to 4 months, tops. But I'd seen a lot, these past 15 years. I'd met a lot of people. And none of them had made me feel the way he did. Klaus wasn't my first boyfriend. But could he be my last?

"Isadora? Izzy?" his voice rose.

He'd risked his life for me multiple times. We had almost the same taste in poetry and literature. He knew my passions, and dreams. He supported them. He was always with me, by my side. He always made me laugh. He was always caring, understanding, respectful. Not to mention he looked really cute too. I loved his sense of humour. I loved his personality. 

"Isadora? Are you okay?"

I loved...him.

"Isadora?"

"I love you."

"I...what?"

"I love you, Klaus."

I looked up into his eyes. They were blown wide, and looked more enlarged behind his glasses. His face displayed pure shock. I lowered my head.

"You...love me?"

"I do. You don't need to say it back. But I love you."

"I love you too."

I raised my head again, and smiled. Widely. Klaus grinned back at me, then reached down to press a kiss to my lips. His own were cold from the air. He drew back. "We're...in love..."

I laughed, and he joined in. I kissed him once more, then grabbed his hand as we trudged back to the truck. We're in love.