Beep, beep, beep,

"Shut up stupid alarm clock." Anti mumbled wearily, flailing his hand in the direction of where the sound was coming from, only to find that his bedside table wasn't there.

Anti abruptly sat up to scan his surroundings, surprised to find himself laying in a hospital bed dressed in a crisp hospital gown that felt uncomfortable.

The walls and floor was sterile white, his room empty except for his bouquet of flowers Dark had given him before the date.

Dark.

Anti's felt his heart construct with guilt for ruining the date Dark tried so hard to make perfect by being over dramatic.

Dark would surely kill him now.

"You're lucky your friend found you, you would've died from blood loss otherwise." A doctor wearing a white lab coat with black hair and a clean shaven goatee stated as he entered the room.

"And he'd like to apologize to you." The doctor removed his coat to reveal a black suit.

"Dark?" Anti blurred in bewilderment.

"That's Doctor Iplier to you." Dark smirked at him, although it did nothing to disguise the concern glimmering in his eyes.

"What are you doing here?" Anti asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Dark raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Won't you get caught by the cameras?" Anti countered.

"I already took care of them. To the cameras, you're sleeping soundly." Dark stated, sounding somewhat proud with himself.

"I'm sorry."

Anti and Dark apologized simultaneously.

"You go first."

They both blushed in embarrassment.

"Anti..." Dark trailed off, searching for the right words to say.

"I didn't mean what I said at the restaurant. But I do mean what I said back at the hotel, about being afraid and the plans I have. I just...snapped. I tried so hard to be brave for you since I knew how scared you were. I wish I could be there so you don't have to be brave." Dark spoke softly, his dark eyes boring into Anti's.

"I overreacted. I ruined the perfect first date you had planned for us, and I shouldn't of done what I did. You don't have to be brave for me, I just want someone who won't break my heart and will love me with all of theirs." Anti felt tears prick his eyes as he remembered Dark screaming and crying from the other side of the bathroom door.

But he hadn't cared.

About the Shadows.

About Murphy.

About Dark.

About anyone or anything.

Dark quickly crossed the room and hugged Anti tightly in his arms as if anchoring him to Earth before smoothing Anti's faded dark green hair back and pressing a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"I love you." Dark admitted in a whisper, resting his forehead against Anti's, causing his hair to fall in front of his eyes.

"I love you too." Anti confessed, moving Dark's hair aside to look into his eyes before kissing him on the mouth for the first time since Dark had snuck them outside during their time in Sweden.

He knew that he meant it, no matter what would happen now or in the future.

Anti and Dark sat in comfortable silence, enjoying every moment they spent together as they held each other in their arms.

"Care to tell me why you're dressed up as a doctor?" Anti finally spoke up with a smirk.

"The doctors wouldn't allow me to see you since I'm not family, so I snuck in." Dark explained casually as if it was normal.

I guess for us it is normal, Anti thought in wry amusement.

"I gotta go do I don't get caught, I just came to make sure you were okay." Dark reluctantly retracted from Anti's arms, standing up and giving Anti a dramatic bow as he kissed Anti's hand before shrugging the lab coat on again and slipping out the door.

A moment later a new doctor entered.

"Ah, good to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" The doctor questioned.

"Amazing." Anti smiled genuinely, the warmth of Dark's lips still lingering on his own.

"What the hell happened?!" Murphy burst into the room.

Oh boy.

"Murphy-"

"Why would you do something stupid like that?!?" Murphy demanded, storming over to him with fury burning in his eyes.

"Do whatever you want to me, I deserve it." Anti mumbled without looking up into Murphy's eyes, shame burning in his chest.

Instinctively Anti shrank back, flinching as he expected to feel a punch to the face at any moment.

Instead, he felt Murphy's big arms wrap around Anti in a bear hug, nearly choking him to death.

"I forgive you. Just...don't do that again." Murphy sighed, sitting on the end of the bed.

After what felt like hours of paperwork, Anti was finally given his clothes back and allowed out of the hospital that was beginning to feel like a prison the longer he stayed inside.

"I talked to the judges and told them what happened, they agreed to move your competition time to tomorrow after America's team." Murphy informed Anti as they got into his car.

"I totally forgot the competition was today!" Anti realized aloud.

"Make sure you get some rest when you get to your room." Murphy instructed as he stated driving Anti home.

"Yes Dad." Anti teased.

Anti caught a spark of fatherly love in Murphy's eyes as he pulled to a stop in front of the hotel.

"Can I ask you something?" Murphy blurted as Anti reached for the door.

"What's up?" Anti turned back around.

"Why? Why did you do it?" Murphy asked quietly.

"I've done a lot of bad things that I wish I could explain to you." Anti somewhat lied with a sad sigh before leaving the car and walking up to his room.

The first place he went to was the bathroom, wrinkling his nose in disgust at the bloodstained white bandage wrapped around his neck.

He carefully unwrapped it to find his scar re-stitched, making him look like Frankenstein.

Anti tossed the bandages in the trash, heading towards his bed.

Until he heard a knock on the door.

He paused halfway towards his bed, internally groaning as he walked over and opened the door.

Dark was standing in the doorway with two bottles of Mt. Dew and a large bowl of popcorn.

"Hey, I came to give this date thing another try-I mean, this is our first date." Dark recovered.

"Got you a present too." Dark presented Anti a stack of DVD's of Supernatural seasons that he had tucked under his arm after handing him a bottle of Mt. Dew.

"C'mon in, I can't wait to start out first date." Anti played along, taking the DVD's as well before placing his drink in his bedside table. He tore open the DVD for season one and put it into the DVD player, jumping into bed and opening his drink as Dark crawled in next to him, protectively wrapping his arms around Anti as he snuggled closer to him.

Anti took a sip of his soda before eating a handful of popcorn, feeling himself drift off in the comfort of Dark's arms despite the gruesome scenes playing on the TV.

He knew Dark would take care of him, whether he wanted him to or not.