A/N: Aw, this one is cute too. So, for those of you who haven't read my fic Frozen Out, one of the characters from that makes a reappearance here. She was a nurse in the hospital Neal was in, and since he was there for a while they became friends. In my sort of alternate universe thing I have going, they're dating now. ^^ Enjoy!

Neal Caffrey stretched as he awoke. He'd needed the extra sleep he'd gotten, and was grateful he hadn't had to go to work. He yawned slightly, glancing at the large, old-fashioned calendar on his wall. Seeing the date, he let out a sharp breath and rolled back over, closing his eyes. Images flickered across the backs of his eyelids a flash of pain accompanied them. It was February 14th; Valentine's Day. It was the fourth in a year of particularly painful ones.

The first three had occurred while he was in prison. Kate never failed to visit on those days, to give to him small words of comfort and he to her, but they really hadn't helped. It had felt so wrong, to have his hand pressed against hers through a half-inch of plexiglass while pictures of quiet, close evenings and gifts and kisses were hanging in the peripheries of their minds.

They wished one another a happy holiday while memories of much happier ones were privately put away to avoid worsening the pain. After her visits ended, he'd always be left alone in the cold silence of the prison cell, wanting nothing more than to be out in the world with her. It had been excruciating to sit on the hard cot by himself and try not to think of the remaining days until that could be possible.

This was, in some ways, very much worse. He shrugged off the warmth of the blanket and stood. Cold rushed onto him and he pulled out a book from his shelf. Opening it slowly and pulling a small box out of the space where pages had been cut out, he sat back on the edge of the bed. Quietly, he pulled out several photographs of Kate; the only ones he had left with him. He gently held the edges and sighed. Guilt and pain flooded through him and he closed his eyes for a moment.

"I love you, Kate," he murmured. "I promise, I'll always love you. And... I miss you." After a moment of quiet, he replaced them in the box and carefully put the book back on the shelf. He slowly made his way to the bathroom. Under the hot shower water, some of the tenseness left his shoulders. Yes, this particular Valentine's Day was worse in some ways, but in others it was better. He had lost Kate, and shards of pain from that would be embedded in his chest from that; days like today, when her absence was that much more jarring, twisted them and dug them in deeper.

But he wasn't alone. Unlike before, when he'd had a moment of company then nothing but empty silence, he had people on his side who he cared about. Peter, Elizabeth, Mozzie, June, even Jones and Diana. And he had Miranda.

She was the main thing that made the day more bearable. She made the pain lessen and sometimes almost disappear entirely. He smiled slightly when he pictured her face in his mind. As he finished his shower and began dressing, he glanced at the time. He had about an hour before he was going to pick her up for lunch.

He was just finished straightening his tie when he felt a tap on his shoulder and jumped slightly.

"I can't believe I actually got you that time," a soft, delighted voice said. Neal turned around with a smile on his face.

"I thought I was picking you up," he teased.

"I wanted to surprise you."

"Well, you did," Neal said. "It's good to see you."

"You too," Miranda said. "I missed you this past week."

"I'm sorry I was so busy," Neal said. He slipped a few things into his pockets from the dresser and she linked arms with him.

"That's okay. It makes today that much more special. What should we do first?"

"First," Neal said, picking up a small pink and silver package, "I need to give you this." He handed it to her and watched with an excited smile as she opened it. For a moment she was silent, then she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you!" She cried. "Neal, how did you get this? They've been sold out for months!" Neal smiled, kissing the top of her head.

"A magician never reveals his secrets," he said teasingly. In truth, he had gotten the ticket- which was for a prestigious medical seminar- from a very grateful, very wealthy woman they'd recovered a painting for the week previously. "I'm glad you like it."

"I love it. It's so sweet of you to remember that I wanted to go." She grinned. "Oh! I have a present for you, too." She took out a small, rectangular box and handed it to him, clasping her hands together. Neal untied the red ribbon and pulled out a small, detailed model of the Eiffel tower. "I- I remembered that you said that you'd spent some of your happiest times in Paris, so I thought that would remind you of them." Neal felt his throat tighten slightly and Miranda looked distraught.

"Oh, you hate it," she said. "I'm sorry, I-"

Neal cut her off, eyes shining. "No, it's perfect," he said, closing his fist around it and smiling at her. "Perfect."

"I'm glad," she said, relieved. She twirled one piece of her blonde hair nervously. "Neal, I know today must be hard for you, and I just wanted to say that if you need to talk, or you need some space, or anything, I'm here for you." Neal smiled softly.

"Thank you, Miranda," he said quietly. He leaned down slightly and kissed her tenderly, his hand still enclosed around the Eiffel tower.