When I opened my eyes, I was in the clinic. I could recognize some of the nurses walking in and out of the room, but I pretended to still be asleep as one walked by. I figured I would get a lot more peace without my grandfather running in and telling everyone to come see me or something. That didn't really sound like him, but I just didn't have the energy to deal with anyone right now.

Then I noticed Shadow.

I turned my head to the left and heard the cardiac monitor spike. It went from a steady beep, beep, beep to a sudden beepbeepbeep when I saw him lying on top of the blankets, fast asleep. I could hear his steady purr and turned my body so I was facing him. For a spontaneous explosion victim, I felt an immense tranquility at this moment. Even though he was fast asleep, it didn't sound unlike him to want to stay by my side and "protect" me.

I lifted my right hand to stroke his face and saw that my hand was covered in small cuts from debris and had cords protruding from it. That lifted me from my peace for a second because it was a rather grotesque sight, but I soon sank back into the covers and proceeded to caress Shadow's soft cheek. I watched as he lifted his heavy eyelids and whispered my name.

"Maria, you're okay." He said it with a lazy smile on his face.

"I'm absolutely fine. What happened anyway?" I asked, realizing I hadn't even wondered before now.

"Apparently Della was leading a research team on some sort of new bomb. That's what the fancy suits were for. Sadly," He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Elizabeth walked right into the room, passed out from the sudden exposure to harmful chemicals and hit the table where the bomb sat. The rest is pretty self-explanatory."

"Oh." was all I could say. All I could think. I didn't even get to know this person before she was gone. She could have shared so much more with us about Earth, and she was so young too. But then I remembered that she was still luckier than me. I knew for a fact that I was going to die young from my disease. At least she didn't have to live with that fact for the whole of her life. "At least she had the bliss of ignorance." I whispered.

"At least." Was all he said in reply, reaching an arm out to hug me. I put an arm around him in response, and we laid like that for a while, holding each other and listening to our breathing. Every once in a while he would kiss me on the lips and chuckle as the monitor stirred in a frenzy of beeps. After about ten minutes had passed, he suddenly sprang out off of the bed and bolted out of the room. "Be right back!" He yelled, the sound reaching me after he was already out of sight. As I waited for him to return, I wondered if he was getting the poem I had seen him writing the night before. The thought of him reading me a poem seemed so cute, so enchanting. I wished I could give him something for Valentine's Day.

Then it hit me.

I didn't get him anything! Anything! I felt my cheeks turn red and I began to burn with heat.

What do I give him? I've already gotten him worried about me and destroyed that beautiful flower! I thought to myself. Oh, I know! I'll write my own poem! In an attempt to find some paper and a pen, I ransacked every nook and cranny of that room that was in arm's reach. I pulled out all the drawers and moved everything off the tables near the bed until I found the writing supplies I was desperate for. I knew he would be back any minute, or even any second, so I mindlessly just started scribbling down words. This is what I came up with.

When I'm alone in the dark

That's all I had. Quickly, I thought of a word that rhymed with dark. Then I had this:

When I'm alone in the dark,

you are my spark.

It sounded good enough to me, so I tried to think of something else. To no avail, though, because I just went completely brain-dead after that. Think, Maria. Think! I told myself. After some useless brainstorming I decided to take a second to calm down. I closed my eyes and rested my head against the backboard of the rickety metal bed. I heard the springs cry out in agony whenever I moved, and it let my mind wander to the agony I used to be in before I met Shadow. I thought about the days of my life without him. The years of him watching me from afar, never bothering to introduce himself. Me never bothering to introduce myself. Then, I thought about the day I met him and we decided to be friends. Then the day after that, when we had that crazy fight, and I had to go searching for him before the party started. And then the foolish, naïve kiss. That silly, meaningless, everything kiss. I told him I loved him that day. The day after I met him? Was I crazy? I thought to myself. Obviously I didn't mean it then, but my perspective of him definitely grew overtime.

Then I thought about the party, where all he seemed to be was protective and proud of having me with him. I giggled, remembering when he broke down my door, then later when he kissed me with such passion I felt lightheaded. The months of happiness with him. The rose. Izzie, then the bomb...

And then looking over and seeing him sleeping next to me. I imagined him fighting with the doctors and nurses not to have to leave my side. I imagined him laying down at my left and feeling comfortable enough in my very presence to fall into a blessed sleep.

Finally, I had caught myself up to the current point.

And I began to write,

and write,

and write.

- XXX -

By the time Shadow came back into the clinic, I had finished my poem and was lying back down in the bed. I was right about him fetching his own literary artwork, because I could see a crumpled piece of paper in his hands as he smirked at me from the doorway. He leaned against the open door, watching me. Standing there in front of me, I admired how mature and masculine he looked. He may not have been truthfully very tall, but I imagined him towering over me, whispering romantic words into my ear.

"Welcome back!" I said a little too excitably. He just snickered and sat in a wooden chair next to my head.

"Don't worry about the rose if you're thinking about it at all. It was nothing anyway. My real present is this." He waved the paper in front of me and flashed his sharp dagger-like teeth. I couldn't help but blush at the gesture.

"Come here." I motioned for him to lean closer to me. When he had leaned in a few inches from my face, I strained my neck up to kiss him powerfully and he was caught a bit by surprise. For better convenience he climbed back onto the bed and leaned over me on his hands and knees as we kissed. After a while his knees gave out and he let himself fall over me as we continued to kiss. I wrapped my hands around him and he weaved his fingers through my hair. This was our most amazing kiss yet.

But then, of course, a nurse had to walk in.