I love Shadow and Maria, and the dynamic between the two. It is not romantic, but they share a deep love. They are the best of friends, they are the closest of siblings. They would do anything for each other, though the means would be difference. Maria would tackle any problem with love for everyone, while Shadow would split the world in two for her.

I always feel kind of sad when people approach their relationship as something as superficial as physical attraction. I say "superficial" in this case because it is so much more than that. People can love each other and not be romantically/intimately involved.