Author Note: Hi! Yay for first BMW fics! Anyways, this might work fine as a standalone, but I could continue it, as well. Let me know if it would be better to end it here or to go on.

Chapter 1

The electricity was out. New York had been receiving a barrage of unearthly snow storms lately, and this was the fourth time this week the electrical lines had been affected. Snow and wind pounded the walls and windows of the brick, high-rise apartment, taking it hostage against public view. The skies had turned black before dinner time, and the two feet of snow smothering the ground was more slush than anything else; it was generally an unpleasant evening filled with biting cold and angry heavens. But Shawn didn't mind. In fact, he thought this night was perfect.

The shadows cast by the two lone candles in the room were searing as they moved against each other, each fighting for dominance and the right to claim and possess. There wasn't much room for breathing, because it was like all the air had been sucked from the room, leaving only heat and want and a maybe a hint of pain. One shadow moved this way, and the other would counter; the bedroom was a battle field tonight, but neither shadow seemed to mind because they never stopped playing the game.

Shawn's mind always felt rather clouded during sex; he figured it was because he was male and that lust could take control of him when nothing else could. It surprised him tonight because for some reason, he was seeing the world in perfect clarity as she moved beneath him, clinging to him like she was drowning and he was the last thing that could save her. He had never known that there could be beauty or perfection like her, and the thought of it left him breathless as he kissed his way across her shoulder and her slender fingers found their way into his hair. She titled his head up and caught his eye briefly before she pulled him back down, pressing her lips against his. It went on for a long time and only ended because one of them seemed to remember that air was important.

Shawn watched her face as she closed her eyes and lay her head back, and he knew there was nothing else in the world that could compare to the expression on her face. He just couldn't take his eyes off her. It was no wonder the electricity was out all over town, Shawn thought; they had stolen it, and the crackling energy shimmered violently between their bodies.

It wasn't long before he completed her, and her cry was muffled only a little by her lips being pressed against his neck. He followed her, and the world spun and crashed in the instant of perfect connection. Shawn thought he could go insane from the way this felt, but he knew he would welcome it if somehow, he could feel this way again. Eventually, the world slowed down and stopped spinning, and Shawn's eyes came back into focus. The first clear thing he saw were her eyes gazing up into his, and he felt his heart stop. Their breathing slowed, and the candles melted, but his eyes refused to leave hers for a long, long time. Finally, Shawn broke the gaze and kissed her softly, his lips barely touching hers. He felt her smile slightly against him.

She fell asleep eventually, her eyes shut against the world, but not necessarily against him. Careful not to disturb her, Shawn slid out from between the sheets quietly and went to stand by the window. The candles had gone out long ago, but the heat in the room was not at all diminished. He leaned against the wall and watched her sleep, letting his eyes trace every curve. Almost an hour went by before Shawn left the wall and knelt down beside the bed. He didn't want to sleep because he was determined to memorize her – they way she looked, the way she breathed, the way she felt in his arms. As his eyes settled on her face, Shawn felt a slow burn begin in his heart and spread to every part of his body. She was beautiful, but he couldn't deny the truth. It hurt to look at her, just like it hurt to touch her tonight. He could feel his breathing speed up as he struggled to stay calm and forget what exactly was going on here, because losing himself in this night would only serve to kill him later.

But how was he supposed to feel? What was he supposed to do, knowing – despite the perfection of this night – that in the morning, she would be gone? How could he still his heart knowing that the woman he loved belonged to someone else? Shawn reached out and traced the line of her face with the back of his fingers. She stirred quietly and pressed against his hand in her sleep, and Shawn felt his heart shatter for the fifth time that night. It hurt. It hurt so bad he could barely think, but in the end of it, what could he do? For once, no one in his life could provide him with an answer.

Shawn slowly crawled back into bed. She snuggled against him for more warmth, making him smile. He lowered his head and kissed her temple softly before wrapping his arms around her body; god, how he loved the feel of her skin pressed against his. He forced the pain back and locked it away somewhere, because feeling all that right now was not what he wanted to do. True, tomorrow would come and she would be gone. Tomorrow, the sun would set in his heart, and his world would end; tomorrow was a future promising pain. But it wasn't tomorrow yet, and Shawn banished the idea of any tomorrow from his mind. It was tonight, and tonight – he felt her breathing against him – tonight, she belonged to him.

Or at least he could pretend.