Apocalypsis 02 - Warpaint

be anything else. Their roughness combined with their tender meaning made my pulse quicken in more than one way.
    “You know, dat means in English dat I luff you for all times. It’s a true thing.”
    I didn’t know what to say. It’s the first time anyone but my dad had ever said that to me. It scared me, thrilled me, and freaked me out, all at once.
    “Bodo … I …”
    “No, it’s okay. You don’t haff to say it to me. Dat’s not a problem if dat’s not da truth for you. Da way I feel is not becausse you say dat to me. It’s chust my heart talking to me, so I say it to you.”
    When he put it that way, it made it feel less stressful for some reason. I wasn’t sure if I loved him, but I was sure about some things. “I think you’re awesome Bodo. You make me laugh, you make me feel safe, and you’re the most gorgeous guy I’ve ever known. And you’re a decent fighter.”
    He kissed the top of my head. “Dat’s a good compliment from you … da fighting part. Do you think your dad would like me? Back before when he was alife?”
    “Yeah,” I said, turning and squeezing him to me tightly, trying to keep from crying, “my dad would have loved you a lot.”
    “Well dat’s good. Because I know you really respect him and so if he can luff me den so can you someday.”
    I smiled. His logic made sense. “I just need more time, I think. To know how I really feel and stuff.” I looked up at him. “I hope that doesn’t make you mad. Or hurt your feelings.”
    He frowned at me. “Who me? Dis is Bodo you are speaking to here. I don’t run from da challenches. Dat’s what I like about you, Bryn. You are a ferry difficult woman to know and to convince. I will eventually wear you down, dough. Dat’s a fact for me. You will luff me before my life is over. I will be sure of dat.”
    I laughed. He was so goofy and serious at the same time, it was impossible not to smile. “Okay, whatever you say, Mr. Bryn.”
    He squeezed me tighter. “Dat’s right. I am Mr. Bryn. And now I say dat you haff to giff me anudder kiss. Right now. Don’t make me wait.”
    I reached up onto my tiptoes to kiss him and drown a little more in the heat that he so easily brought up into my body, setting me on fire with need. I couldn’t ever imagine getting enough of him, and that made me both excited and scared at the same time. It seemed like only a dangerous thing, in this world, to be so weak and dependent on another person.
    ***
    I woke again the next morning in Bodo’s arms, and this time I also had to contend with his heavy leg that had wrapped itself over me, pinning me down and making me sweat. Jesus , when winter comes I won’t even need a blanket . I pushed him off with more than a little effort, bumping into and waking Peter in the process. Bodo kept up his gentle snoring after only a few-second pause.
    “Ready for the big day?” Peter asked, yawning and scrubbing his face.
    “Yeah. As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, standing and stretching. I was a little sore from yesterday’s activities but probably a lot less sore than I was going to be over the next few days. “Come on, let’s go. Maybe I can get some stretching and yoga in before everyone gets there.”
    “Yoga? I didn’t know you did that stuff.”
    We walked towards the outhouse together.
    “Yeah, sometimes. It’s good for flexibility. I just use it as a way to help me with the krav maga.”
    “Well, whatever you’re doing, it seems be working.”
    I changed the subject. “So what have you been up to, other than organizing my life?” I hated that whenever we were together, all we seemed to do was talk about me. Peter probably thought I had a head bigger than our hut.
    “Oh, I’ve been learning the art of bread-making. It’s pretty cool, actually. All my work in chemistry class was apparently not wasted.” He seemed surprised.
    “Really?”
    “Yeah. And biology class, too. Making bread includes all kinds of things about wild yeasts and sugars and the build-up of gases as everything interacts. They really know their stuff here.”
    “How did they figure it all out? Do they have books like us?”
    “Yeah. But mostly their families prepared them before they died. There was this indian village thing out here somewhere, where they did all kinds of indian crafts and stuff for tourists; but once everyone knew they were going to die, I guess the parents all talked to the old-timers here, and on other reservations around the country, and