James was only half-awake when he rolled over onto his side to cuddle closer to his bedmate. He wriggled up behind Rose and nuzzled his nose into her neck as he molded his body around hers.

She shivered in his arms, but it didn't feel like her regular shivers, the ones she usually let out when he kissed the sensitive patch of skin where her shoulder met her neck.

"M'cold," Rose mumbled, scooting backwards to put more contact between their bodies.

James stifled a groan as her bum wiggled against his morning stiffie.

"Let me sleep another ten minutes and we can take care of that," she promised, letting out a sigh as she relaxed back against him.

James glanced over at the clock. "Ehm, you're actually running late, love. It's quarter after."

"Can't be," she said, lifting her head to verify the time. Bollocks… She had class in just forty-five minutes. But her entire body seemed to be aching with lethargy.

James tugged the duvet away from them, about to suggest they share a shower, and frowned when he saw her tighten into a ball as goosebumps prickled across her skin. His frown deepened when she only managed to push herself half-way into a sitting position before flopping back down again.

"Just a bit of vertigo," she assured, rubbing her fingers into her eyes.

But James saw that her cheeks were flushed and her voice still hadn't cleared of its morning rasp. He touched the backs of his fingers to her forehead and his brows pinched together when he felt the heat radiating off her skin.

"You're burning up, love," he said, brushing her hair away from her face as he tucked the duvet tight around her neck. "I think you might've caught something. You should stay home and sleep it off."

"Hand me my phone?" she asked, hugging the blankets to her chest. "Gotta email my professors."

"I've got it," he said, reaching over her for her mobile. "I'll take care of it. You just rest now."

"'Kay."

Once James emailed her professors, he glanced over at his phone. Should he stay home with Rose?

"You're gonna be late," she said, blinking up at him.

"It's fine," James said. "I can take the day."

"No need. I'll just be sleeping, I think. Very boring. Go on to the lab, James."

James bit his lip. He really hated leaving Rose like this, but he also needed to get a few things done at work.

"Go," Rose urged. "Besides, I don't want to get you sick, too. Can't miss our first Valentine's day together."

James sighed and eventually moved to crawl out of bed.

"It's not me I'm worried about," he said, tucking the blankets snugly around her shoulders.

"I'll be fine," Rose promised, her eyes fluttering shut. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."

oOoOo

However, when Valentine's Day rolled around three days later, Rose had only gotten worse. Not only was she still exhausted, she'd developed a double ear infection and a respiratory infection.

Rose sneezed into her wad of tissues and gingerly wiped her red, raw nose, chapped as it was from the tissue abuse it had endured. Of all the weeks for her to get sick…

Despite what she'd told James that morning, she wasn't sure if she'd be actually well enough to go out to dinner with him that night. Her ears and nose were still clogged, and she could hardly go ten minutes without coughing up a lung.

She glanced at the clock and reluctantly sat up to reach for her dose of antibiotic and decongestant. After taking the pills and sipping at her water, she flopped back down on the couch and covered up with more blankets before falling asleep.

When James came home that afternoon and saw Rose asleep on the sofa and surrounded by tissues, he knew that their dinner plans would have to be put on hold.

Frustration coiled in his stomach—couldn't anything go right for them this year?—but it was soon overrun by concern. It wasn't as though Rose tried to be sick for their first Valentine's Day. And she really looked and sounded poorly.

With a sigh, James pulled his phone out of his pocket and called the restaurant to cancel their reservation, while tentatively making another reservation for the following weekend, hoping Rose would be well enough then.

He then crept up the stairs and into their bedroom, where he changed into a pair of pajamas, prepared to spend the rest of Valentine's Day as Rose's pillow and space heater.

As he descended the stairs, he could hear the tail end of one of her coughing fits, and he winced at how awfully it sounded.

"Still not feeling any better?" he asked, crouching in front of her. Her eyes were glassy and her cheeks were still red.

"When did you get home?" she croaked, carefully dabbing a tissue around her nose.

"A few minutes ago," he answered.

Rose reached down and pushed a button on her phone to check the time.

"Oh, blimey, I've got to get ready," she said, pushing herself up. James's heart clenched when he saw her swaying a little bit as she closed her eyes, overtaken by a dizzy spell.

"No need, love, you're not well enough for dinner," James said. "Lay back down and get some rest."

"No, no, I'll be fine," she insisted. However, when she stood, she nearly tripped forward as her dizziness returned and she got tangled in her blankets.

James caught her around the waist and held onto her as she rested her forehead on his collarbone.

"Rose, you're still very ill," he said gently. "You'd be utterly miserable if we went out. You look utterly miserable now, and that's even with you in your pjs in our home. I've cancelled the reservation. We can try again later when you're better."

Rose sighed into his chest but nodded. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, love," he said, giving her waist a little squeeze. "Nothing you could've done to prevent this."

"I was really looking forward to dinner," she mumbled. "You were so excited about it, and now I've ruined our first Valentine's Day together!"

James carefully sat down on the sofa with her and pulled her blankets off the floor to at least cover her lap.

"If I'm not allowed to take the blame for ruining anything in our relationship, then neither are you," he said firmly. "Remember what you're always telling me?"

"Memory's a bit fuzzy right now," she mumbled, leaning against him and tucking her head into his neck. "Try again later."

James chuckled and pressed his lips to her sizzling forehead. "I guess I can take it easy on you today. Just this once, mind."

"How generous of you," she said dryly.

"Anyways, you're always telling me that even if our plans don't go as we'd hoped, they're still perfect because we're together," he said. "Same applies to this. I never envisioned my first Valentine's Day with you would involve so much mucus—" Rose smacked his chest lightly even as she tugged her blankets around her shoulders and nuzzled closer. "—But nevertheless, we're together, and that's all that matters, yeah? Being able to spend time with you, Rose Tyler, is the best way to spend any day."

"Flatterer," she whispered.

"Always." He kissed the top of her head. "Get some more sleep, love."

"Actually… since you claim to like spending time with me, even in my mucous-y state, care to help a soulmate to the loo?"

James chuckled and stood up before pulling her to her feet and guiding her to the bathroom.

Once he'd settled Rose back on the sofa with more water and blankets, he trekked to the kitchen and started on dinner. He called for Chinese for himself while he reheated the vat of chicken soup he'd made for her the day before.

"Bon appétit, ma chère," James said affecting an awful French accent as he cradled a steaming bowl of soup in a towel.

Rose smiled up at him and readjusted herself before taking the bowl from him.

"Aren't you gonna eat?" she asked, frowning at him.

"I am," he promised. "I ordered takeaway." Serendipitously, the doorbell rang at that moment. "Aaaand I'll bet that's it. Go on. Pick us out something to watch."

Several minute later, they were both slurping on their respective meals and continuing their marathon of The X-Files. More than once, James caught Rose side-eyeing his lo mein, and he casually scooped out a few of the noodles and half an egg roll into her empty soup bowl.

"You're the best," Rose said with a grin.

"Don't you forget it," he teased, pressing a kiss to her temple.

After they finished eating, James set his empty dinner box and Rose's bowl onto the coffee table before he scooted closer to her and wrapped himself around her.

"No, I don't want to get you sick!" Rose protested.

James snorted into her hair. "Honestly, it'll be a miracle if you haven't infected me yet. But you're cold, and I want a cuddle. Two birds, one stone, et cetera. C'mere."

Rose sighed and relaxed into James's embrace, nestling her cheek into his chest.

"If you get sick, don't come crying to me," she murmured, feeling full and warm and sleepy.

"No promises. But I'm sure you'll take such good care of me."

"I'll share my leftover soup," she allowed.

"Feel the love," James pouted.

"Maaaaybe I'll make you your own," Rose teased. "If you ask nicely. And if you're really, truly ill. And I mean ill. Like, ear-exploding, lung-coughing, goopy-eyeballs ill."

James grimaced. "No, ta. Let's just cross our fingers that I stay completely healthy, yeah?"

And miraculously, James did manage to avoid catching whatever plague Rose had come down with.

Finally, nine days after Valentine's Day, they were both ready to resume their romantic holidays plans.

"You are the most stunningly beautiful woman I've ever seen," James murmured appreciatively as he stepped up behind her, looking her over through the full-length mirror.

She was wearing the new black dress that had appeared in their closet three weekends ago when she'd gone shopping for their Valentine's Day date, and it looked as sexy as James thought it would when he first saw it hanging on the rack. The skirt fluttered around her knees and the three-quarter-length sleeves would hopefully offer her some protection from the February chill, even if the plunging neckline wouldn't.

"You look quite dashing too," Rose complimented with a grin. "I like the new suit."

"Yeah, I've been looking for an excuse to break this one in," he said, taking a look down at his blue pinstripes. "It looks okay, doesn't it?"

"You look great, James," she promised. "Pinstripes really suit you. And… if you want, I have something for you to help finish off the new look."

James removed his hands from her hips to let her skip towards her chifforobe and grab a long, skinny box.

"Oh, you didn't have to get me anything!" he protested.

"I wanted to," Rose said simply, handing him the box. "Happy Valentine's Day redo."

James grinned as he lifted off the lid to the box to reveal a new tie. It was made of navy silk with burgundy roses twining around the fabric in thin vines.

"Oh, this is perfect!" James said, already undoing the tie around his neck.

"Yeah?" she asked happily.

"Oh, yes!" he crowed, dropping his old tie and the box to the floor as he swiftly knotted up his new tie. "What do you think?"

Rose smiled softly at her soulmate before she stretched up to press a kiss to his cheek.

"Handsome, as always," she proclaimed. "Right, are we almost ready to go?"

"Well, you're still missing a piece," James said, tracing his fingertips around her collarbone. "Found a necklace yet?

Rose's breath hitched, recognizing his failed attempt at nonchalance. "Not yet. Have any suggestions?"

"Well, you're in luck. How about this?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a square black box. He flicked it open with his thumbs, and Rose gasped when she saw the necklace within. A rectangularly-cut opal sat as the center piece and diamonds framed the perimeter of the gem, and Rose could see a thin silver chain disappearing behind slats in the velvet cushion.

"Oh, James, this is beautiful!" she whispered, carefully touching her index finger to the opal. It was even smoother than it looked.

"You like it?" he asked hopefully.

"I love it! Put it on me?"

Rose spun around as James carefully lifted the necklace out of the box and draped the chain around her neck. He clasped it and let it come to rest against the bare skin of her chest.

"Diamonds for your birthstone," he murmured, adjusting the pendant so it hung just right. "And opal for mine. Happy Valentine's Day redo, Rose."

"This is perfect," Rose murmured, turning in his arms to press a kiss to his lips.

James sighed against her mouth and automatically opened for her. Her illness had put the brakes on their intimacy, and James's belly flipped over in desire and anticipation as he could finally kiss her with intent.

But far too soon, Rose eased them out of the kiss.

"We're going to miss our reservation," she said when she saw his pout of displeasure.

James sighed. As much as he wanted to stay here and continue snogging Rose, he really was looking forward to dinner with her.

"After?" he asked hopefully.

"Definitely," she purred, trailing her fingertips down his new tie.

"Well then, Rose Tyler…"

Rose shuddered at the huskiness in his voice as he said her name. James took her hand and pressed a long kiss to the backs of her fingers before he murmured, "Dinner awaits."