It would soon be time to say goodbye, I knew it … but I desperately didn't want to believe it. I would do anything to change his current situation … to change our situation. I'd take his place in a heartbeat.

I looked at our perfectly entwined hands, resting on his chest. His breathing was much too weak to signify a person who was well and alive. I cringed at the thought.

How could this happen? It was so utterly wrong. For the past few weeks we saw it happening around us, to our neighbors and friends. It was a plague that just wouldn't stop spreading; its purpose to seek out and destroy. I never thought that it would affect us, especially him. The disease preyed on the young and healthy … and it made me absolutely sick to my stomach.

He coughed, uncontrollably, yet his eyes remained shut. I sighed. I hadn't seen his lovely, knowing emerald eyes in so long. I longed for just one last chance to look into them, to get lost in them, before he had to go. If he could offer me just one more smile … one more heartwarming, crooked smile. Maybe it would ease the pain of having to let go. 'No,' I thought. It would only remind me of the injustice in the fact that he was going to be taken away from me.

He said that he would fight for me, that he'd be okay in no time. 'I'm Mr. Infallible, remember,' he told me, trying to cheer me up even when he was almost too sick to utter the words. I had smiled, remembering the time we had given each other superhero names. I sighed, again. Our happy memories seemed like many lifetimes ago, when in reality they weren't even in the distant past. I could no longer smile.

So pale, he looked now, his skin seemingly translucent. I touched his face carefully with my fingertips, brushing his unkempt, bronze hair aside. He was too cold. It was like touching ice.

I could feel the tears welling up, ready to flow down my cheeks. I had already cried today, not even an hour ago. Unwilling to let the tears escape once again, I closed my eyes and gently laid my head to rest beside my love's pillow, our hands still grasped together. I allowed myself to sleep, praying, as I always did, that I'd wake up to find him happily smiling at me, ready for a good-morning kiss.

A/N: Hey there, people! Hopefully it was interesting and not too 'emo'. Don't worry, the rest of the story isn't going to be this depressing, for the most part, so please give it a chance! ... please? --attempts to do illegally persuasive Alice pouting face--

Thanks for reading! Toodles for now,

- RandomSmiles ;)