"Ah, whatever," Gilbert scoffed, rolling his eyes and fumbling through the pocket of his thick black jacket. "I'll find them somewhere," he muttered, not finding the keys he was looking for. Atop his head, a small bird peeped in agreement, nesting in his thin white hair.

"Hurry up!" Elizabeta whined, stamping her feet impatiently on the snowy ground.

"Uh…" Gilbert stammered, reaching to put his arm around her shoulders, "How about we walk?" Her short laughs made small clouds of steam in the frozen air.

"What a gentleman!" she teased, playfully kicking him in the shin. He laughed with her, a smile back on his face. The streetlights lit their path as they started down the driveway. He felt a pang of guilt, after all, they were leaving for their third date but he pushed it out of his mind, dropping his arm.

"It's so cold," she stated blankly, staring at the snow-covered scenery. Their feet crunched on the white blanket of a sidewalk, making two lines of foot prints.

"Don't complain! It's more time with the awesome me!" he grinned widely.

"Lucky me," she rolled her eyes, grabbing his hand as they walked.

Gilbert could almost feel his face warm up. Even the most awesome people can be forced to blush, he thought to himself.

They walked on for ten or twenty minutes, not really going anywhere anymore. Shockingly enough, they got on very well together. Scooping up little piles of snow and chucking it roughly at each other, playfully kicking and punching- just generally messing around.

One particular snowball happened to have just a little too much ice in it and it connected with Gilbert square in the face.

"OW!" he screeched, falling into the soft snow of an unknown yard.

"Oops!" she laughed heartily, practically tackling him on the ground, "Where'd it hit you?"

"Everywhere!" he whined, rubbing his cheek and pouting. Smiling, she gingerly moved up and pecked him on the nose. His ruby red eyes widened and his cheeks deepened in color.

"Y-You know, you hit my lips too!" he winked, regaining most of his composure.

"Oh really?" she beamed, leaning down close "Guess I'll need to fix them too." She pressed her cold lips on his, much rougher than the one on his cheek.

Luckily, Gilbert was prepared this time and gently kissed her back. When they finally parted, they were both smiling widely.

She hopped up first, straightening the flower in her hair. He slowly unfroze himself from the snow entrapment, picking up the small yellow bird that had been thrown into the yard next to him. She outstretched her hand, pulling him up.

"What're you smiling at?" she rose her eyebrows, very amused. He kept walking, not replying. "Uh, hello?" she laughed and stuck her tongue out at him.

They stopped at the corner, waiting for a couple of cars to pass. The evening air was still as Gilbert silently pushed back Elizabeta's long sable hair and leaned in.

"I love you," he whispered quietly, his smirk replaced with a gently smile. Now it was Elizabeta's turn to be shocked.

"Gil, I-"

"Stop," he laughed, "I don't wanna know."

She smiled sweetly at him, "It'll be my secret then." The 'WALK' light blinked on and they crossed it happily, now on their way home. He jogged a little in front of her, turning and walking backward.

"Okay, I changed my mind. Tell me."

"Gil! No!" she chuckled. "Hmmm, well," she started, "if you insist. Then-"

The sound of tires interrupted her and the next thing he knew, he was on the ground. Close to the side, Gilbert was thrown off of the road, landing in a thick layer of black ice. Elizabeta was not so lucky.

The driver quickly jumped out of his car and rushed over to the girl, but Gilbert didn't see him. His vision spun and his body ached with scratches and bruises… But he was still alive. He felt so blessed in that very moment until he glanced out to the road in front of him. His heart dropped and a feeling of total despair washed over him in a split second. Without thinking, he sprinted to the body laying in the road, eyes full of panic. The adrenaline replaced his pain and he felt as if he wasn't in his own body anymore.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," the driver sobbed vociferously, losing his balance and falling on the ground.

He smelled strongly of alcohol.

"Liz!" Gilbert screamed, falling to his knees next to her. Her head had hit the ground pretty hard and good amount of blood gushed from it. "Liz! Please!"

"I'm so sorry!" the man yelped again, weeping into his hands.

With a quick turn of his head, Gilbert screamed. "Then don't just fucking sit there! Call a goddamn ambulance!" He had never been so furious in his life.

The man shook, dragging himself backward on the ground. He nodded in compliance and fear, running toward his car to retrieve his phone.

Elizabeta coughed, a bit of blood dribbling down her cheek. She was barely conscious but she knew she'd have to stay that way. She was so terrified of dying.

"Liz, please. Are you okay!?" he called, but it felt like a quiet echo in her head. She felt his hand press on hers and for a second, she almost felt okay about death. As long as he was there.

The ambulance showed up minutes later and scooped them up, rushing them to the nearest hospital.

She was quickly dealt with but, in a few days, the doctors were almost positive of the outcome.

He came to visit her that day; she had tubes hooked up everywhere. Her emerald eyes were glazed and just barely open.

"Hey, Liz," he smiled, his eyes feeling wet. She blinked slowly in response.

They both knew that this would be the last time they would see each other. She overheard the doctors. He was sullenly explained. The feeling plagued the small room and the air felt chokingly still.

Her mouth moved slightly under the mask and Gilbert moved closer.

"Hm?" he tried to smile, shaking.

So very slowly, she moved her arm up, the tubes tightening. He quickly grabbed her hand as she opened it, lightly pressing something into his hand.

Her arm weakly fell down as he opened his hand. Her soft pink flower laid in his palm, the very same one she wore that night.

He glanced up at her, tears escaping from his eyes. Her lips curled into a light smile and for the first time, she looked content.

Gilbert held the flower tight in his hand. It said exactly what she wasn't able to.

"I love you too."