Chapter Text
"Shadow, do you know what a kiss is?" asked Maria.
"Ah yes, like the ones you give to the doctor. On the cheek," Shadow signaled to his own cheek.
"I wasn't exactly talking about those..." Maria shyly pulled her gaze away from Shadow.
"What kind of kisses, then?"
"Kisses... On the lips. Romantic kisses."
Shadow blankely stared at Maria and blinked.
"Now that you mention it, I might have read it in one of the doctor's books that I've borrowed. You know, the ones he brings us from Earth from his travels?"
"Oh, do you remember what it was about?"
"It was a story about a man and a woman and how they fell in love with each other. I liked it, I could tell they cared very much about each other." Shadow nodded while he remembered.
"Have you ever kissed someone, Shadow?" Maria sat down on the bed next to him.
"I don't think I have." Shadow eyed her, confused at what was happening. "What's with all this kissing talk anyways?"
"I would like to try it with you," Maria looked into Shadow's eyes, intently.
"Why?" Shadow thought Maria was acting very strange. He had never seen her like this before.
"Shadow... Do you love me?" Maria leaned into him. He leaned backwards, taken aback from her sudden intent to get closer to him.
"I've never been asked that before...how will I know if I do?" Shadow looked back into Maria's eyes, suddenly strangely comfortable with the situation.
"Maybe if you kiss me... You'll find out," Maria slided her hand towards Shadow's on the bed.
"Okay... If you say so. What do I have to-"
Maria held Shadow's face with both her hands before he could say anything more and kissed him.
Shadow stared at Maria while she kissed him, not knowing exactly what to do. He saw she was closing her eyes, so he decided to do the same as her.
When he closed his eyes, he found it was easier to concentrate on the kiss itself. He started to feel some sort of warmth coming from somewhere. Was it coming from himself, from Maria? He had no clue.
Almost instinctively, he also took Maria's face into his hands.
"Be careful, make sure not to hurt her," a voice ringed inside his head.
Shadow paid attention to the voice and carried on. After a while, Maria was the first one to pull away.
"Shadow... How did you feel?" Her cheeks were a light red, still bewildered at the fact that she just got her first kiss.
He was still holding onto her face when she asked him that.
"...it felt good," he chuckled. "I think this means... I love you."
Maria gave him a smile that he had never seen before in his life. She wasn't just smiling, she was gleaming.
"I love you too, Shadow."