the room was on fire

the flames consumed all

racing up the curtains

embers blew in the smokey haze on now visible currents

yet

in the center of the room

immune to the heat and falling rafters

we danced cheek to cheek to the crackling timbers

as the blaze took the piano in the corner, the strings snapped and the legs gave way in a tinkling cacophony

yet we never sped up

she rested her head on my shoulder and our swaying slowed a half step

the bookshelf combusted

pages of written genius floated like butterflies of smoke

one landed on my opposite shoulder and i felt the gentle scorch on my skin

all i did was pull her in closer

the heat of her against me hotter than any licking burn

and as the ceiling collapsed

the wooden floor warped

we were immune even as the inferno consumed us

the song in our chests louder than the sirens outside

as the torrents of water sprayed through the shattered glass like diamonds in the waves of heat rising

it didn’t matter

none of it

her touch more intense than any gout of flame

and all i wanted was to stay like this

her arms around me

her head on my shoulder

our hearts beating in unison as the building falls down around us

lost in the music and each other

our love swept throughout like the smoke billowing out the charred supports into the night sky