"I feel horrible."

"You look beautiful."

"Liar."

"No, really. You have such a glow."

"That would the fever."

"No, it's a glow. I told you, you're one of those people that's naturally beautiful all the time."

"Ugh, I need to get better. You waxing poetic is making me feel worse." She reached for another tissue and blew her nose. "I bet I look like Rudolph. Do I look like Rudolph?"

"You ready for some soup?"

"You're changing the topic."

"Absolutely. So, soup?"

"Sure."

He padded into the kitchen, turning up the heat on his way. In the fridge was a pot half-full of chicken noodle soup, left over from his own bout with the same bug.

"I still can't believe it," he shouted into the bedroom. "Sara Sidle cooked for me. And it made me better instead of sending me to the ER."

"Watch it with the insults, buddy. You're the reason I'm sick. Tick me off and I just might cook for you again. And law of averages states that the hospital will be your new sick ward."

He put a full bowl into the microwave and headed back into the bedroom. She had dug further under the covers, only her face and a tissue-clinging hand visible.

"You're the one that insisted on staying," he pointed out, opening a fresh bottle of water and placing it next to the alarm.

"You were too delirious to recognize anything except me and the bed."

"That's not delirium, that's smart planning." Her other hand appeared long enough to whack him. "Besides, you wanted to play nurse."

"And you just wanted to see the Naughty Nurse outfit that you thought came with the job description."

"I was open to alternatives. You could've been Naughty Naked Nurse."

She opened her mouth to retort, but the microwave dinged its completion. "Oooh, soup." She looked over at him with sweet eyes. "Feed me?"

He rolled his eyes but got up anyhow. "I still say this is just a ploy to stay at my place."

"I love it here. I'm not gonna deny it. And at the moment, your bed is the most comfortable thing on the planet."

"Well, the idea of a key was for you to stay as often and as long as you wanted. So no more getting sick, okay?" He carefully removed the hot bowl and reached for a clean spoon. "I'm comfortable finding you in my bed anytime. I won't require a reason, believe me."

"I have a pillow in hand, ready to thwack you the instant you get back in here!"

He appeared in the doorway. "But I come bearing soup."

Her wicked smirk melted into a sweet smile. "I knew there was a reason I loved you."

"I'm hoping there's more than one reason."

"Shh. Food now. Romance later."

He put the bowl next to the water. "One sec. Your medicine needs to be taken with food. I'll go grab it."

"You've got 30 seconds."

"Yes, ma'am." He winked and walked to bathroom, knowing that between both their bouts his bathroom was practically a pharmacy in its own right. He was new at this whole nurse thing, so 30 minutes was probably more accurate.

He impressed himself by finding it in four minutes flat, after mistaking it for chewable vitamins twice. He shook out two gel-tabs and headed back to the bedroom.

She was curled up on her side cuddling his other pillow, sound asleep. After watching for a moment to be sure that she would stay asleep, he slipped a velvet box from his sock drawer and sat beside her on the bed.

"This probably isn't the way girls imagine it," he whispered, opening the box and pulling out the slim band. "But I figure this is way, I can't botch it as much." He reached for her hand and gently slipped the engagement ring on. "Sleep on it," he smiled. "And when you wake up, I'm sure I'll get a very honest reaction."