Following The Map that Leads To You

Paying Dues

...Oh look, I haven't updated this story in like two years

Oops.

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Liesel sat on the front steps of the Burgermeister's home, pondering over how her life had ended up this way. Once, she had had her brother. Werner. Now he was gone. She had had her mama. Now she was gone. And then she had had Papa and Mama and the rest of the Stieners and the house on Himmel Street. Now that was gone too.

The world was a very strange place, Liesel decided. Once she had thought of it as an ugly stew, with terrible things in it and hideous creatures, but not she wasn't so sure. Her fingers rested on a book in her lap, occasionally stroking over the hard cover. Yes. Strange indeed.

"Are you going to sit there all day, Saumensch?"

She looked up to see Rudy at the front gates, hair shining in the afternoon sun. His lips were curved up into a grin, and Liesel felt her stomach twist with a feeling she couldn't quite place. "And what would be wrong about sitting here and reading?" She replied.

Rudy shrugged, casually strolling past the bushes and flowers. "Nothing. Except it seems boring as hell to sit there and read while we could be playing soccer." Liesel rolled her eyes. "We're not children anymore, Saukerl."

He took another step closer, grinning down at Liesel. When had he gotten so damn tall? "No. But I've been dead for three years and you've been working all week. We can go down to the riverbank and pass the ball around."

Liesel stared up at Rudy, studying the look on his face, and - was that longing in his eyes? Or something else? "What makes you think I'll leave my library for you?" She challenged. Rudy shrugged, still grinning. Liesel stood, lips twitching.

Then she bolted into a run.

She laughed as she felt the wind and sun on her face, the feeling of adrenaline rushing through her veins and pumped her legs even faster as she heard Rudy's yelp of surprise and the sound of his feet crunching against the gravel. They neared the bridge, and Liesel leapt over shrubs and thorns, landing in the grass. She placed her hands on her knees and took a long, staggering breath as Rudy stopped beside her. "When did," he panted, "when did you get so fast?"

"Deal with the fact that I won, Saukerl," Liesel panted back. They both laughed.

They skipped rocks, passed the soccer ball around and talked, never mentioning the kiss, never daring to bring it up. Of course, they were thinking about it- they thought about it constantly, wondering if it was safe to talk about it.

A LOOK INTO THE MINDS OF RUDY STIENER AND LIESEL MEMINGER

"I wonder what it would be like to kiss her again."

"I wonder what it would be like to kiss him again."

But they are teenagers- stubborn, afraid, seventeen year old teenagers, and neither of them can find the courage in them to ask if they can kiss the other again.

It's quite sad, and pathetic, if you ask me.

But you didn't ask me, did you?

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The sun was just beginning to set, and Rudy and Liesel were walking down the path back to the Burgermeister's home, not saying a word to one another, enjoying the silence and the sound of grasshoppers chirping and their shoes crunching against the gravel. The pair listened to the sound of the world around them, and the other's breathing. They made it to the front gates of the large mansion, and Rudy turned to Liesel. There was so much he wanted to say, things he itched to tell her, to ask her! But the words were caught in his throat, leaving him with his mouth hanging open as Liesel stared at him in amusement. He cleared his throat. Damn these words!

Liesel took the opportunity to speak away from him as she began to move through the front garden. "Good night, Rudy."

Rudy blinked. "Good night, book thief."

The book thief stopped, feet firmly glued to the pavement. She heard her blood rage on through her veins and turned back around, reaching out for Rudy who was turning to walk him, and clamped a hand down on his shoulder, turning him around. Rudy widened his eyes in surprise.

Now it was Liesel's turn to be speechless.

Damn these words, she thought.

"Rudy," She heard herself say. "I'm... I'm so glad you're alive."

"So am, I, Saumensch." Rudy smiled. Not a grin, or a smirk, but a true, genuine smile. Liesel watched as her hand lifted up to touch the side of his face, and felt herself rise up to press her lips to his cheek. She felt the blood rush to Rudy's face as she kissed it, and smiled against his skin. Her other hand ghosted along the strong plane of his shoulder, and Liesel lowered herself back down onto the ground.

One might think that she would bat her eyelashes at him, or blush ferociously as Rudy swooned.

She did neither.

Head high, Liesel Meminger stared at Rudy Stiener, and grinned. "I've paid my dues," she announced.

Rudy Stiener watched, in awe, as the book thief walked back inside the Burgermeister's mansion, oak doors swinging shut behind her.

We can leave what he was thinking to the imagination.

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well here i am actually updating again

I havent been updating because I've been working on another story, one that i thought of around two years ago and started working on, and it's taking a lot of time and cleaning up and processing. So yes

But i hope you guys enjoy this chapter!! If it's too cheesy, please tell me. Please.

And i might change the title. Not sure what to yet, but for now, welcome back to Following the Map That Leads To You, everyone!