A/N: Since it's Valentine's Day and all, I decided to write something… a bit different, and cute. (grins) This idea popped into my head out of nowhere and wouldn't leave.

WARNINGS: SLASH, FLUFF, some weirdness… Meh, I'm stopping here before I manage to scare you all away. (grins sheepishly)

DISCLAIMER: If only…! Let's say that if I did own 'CM', the world of the series would be a little bit different… (winces) It hurst to write these things, ya know?

Awkay, before you get all bored with me, let's go. (takes a deep breath) I REALLY hope you'll enjoy this lil' piece!

'And a good heart, these days, is hard to find (a good heart)
True love, the lasting kind
A good heart, these days, is hard to find
So please be gentle with this heart of mine'

(Feargal Sharkey: 'Good Heart')

Valentine's Day Fever

Dr. Spencer Reid had always hated Valentine's Days. In his opinion the entire day was nothing but a conspiracy of several companies to improve their sales.

Not having a Valentine of his own until he was almost thirty didn't help matters, either.

This year, however, he truly tried to change his attitude. Because this year, for the first time, he actually had someone to spend Valentine's Day with. Unfortunately fate seemed to have other plans.

As soon as he woke up that morning he recognized the symptoms with disheartening certainty. Scratchy throat, cough, dizziness, headache… It wouldn't have taken even one tenth of his IQ to realize that he'd managed to catch a nasty case of flue. Any sane person would've decided to call in sick but Spencer, apparently, was a stubborn masochist. Ignoring the fact that he was barely coherent he made his way to work and did his best to ignore the worried looks and questions sent his way.

And that's what led to Spencer pouring his day's eighth cup of coffee in the safety of the unit's break room, desperately trying to numb his intensifying headache with caffeine and feeling rather sorry for himself. He was so deep in his gloomy thoughts that he jumped and emitted a utterly humiliating, squeaking sound when hearing steps behind him. "Sorry. I didn't mean to startle you", Aaron Hotchner's familiar voice spoke.

Spencer took a deep breath that made him break into a coughing fit while turning around.

Aaron frowned. "Are you alright?"

Spencer nodded, fighting to get his voice back into his own control. He almost sighed with relief when the bout of coughs finally subsided. "I… I'm fine", he assured the older man although his voice was far from convincing. He then licked his lips and ran a hand through his hair, growing alarmed by the expression on the other man's face. He'd never seen that look before. "Is… something wrong?"

Aaron shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that."

Spencer swallowed thickly and felt his eyes widen when the other man locked the room's door. "What… are you doing?"

"I've been waiting to get some time alone with you all day. I don't want anyone to interrupt us." Aaron took a deep breath, his eyes straying. And it wasn't until then it occurred to Spencer that the unit chief was nervous. It was something he'd only seen once before, at the beginning of their very first date. (Spencer, at least, thought their first date was seven months earlier, when they'd spent a night on the rooftop of his block of flats with a picnic basket. They'd spent almost the entire night out there stargazing, eating and… well, doing quite a bit of other things that made Spencer blush when he remembered them.) "I've… been thinking about doing something for a while now. Today feels like the right time."

Spencer's heart thumped painfully while he watched how Aaron pulled something from his pocket. He blinked twice when the older man showed him a bracelet that'd been made of three wool threads – blue, orange and purple blended together, forming a perfect circle.

For the following thirty seconds heavy, loaded silence lingered in the room before Spencer finally found a hint of his voice. "What… What is that?"

Visibly bracing himself Aaron met his gaze. There was a hint of something indescribable in the man's eyes. "Jack made it for you, when he put together that you're my Valentine this year. He told me that with this he wanted to ask you to be a part of our family." The unit chief swallowed, and his Adam's apple moved restlessly. "And I'd like to ask you the same thing."

Spencer's head began to spin as his chaotic thoughts tried to piece things together.

Aaron and he would never be able to make their relationship official without getting fired or being placed to separate units – they'd discussed that early on. So Jack's bracelet, accompanied by Aaron and Jack's invitation… was the closest thing to a proposal they'd ever get.

Spencer opened his mouth but never got the chance to utter a sound. Because just then the spinning of his head intensified, making standing upright impossible.

And then he collapsed quite unceremoniously into Aaron's arms.

The first immediate sensation that came over Spencer when he woke up was intense headache. He emitted a moan, bringing one hand to his face.

What the heck happened?

"Hey, are you awake?" Aaron's voice inquired, carrying a easily detectable edge of worry.

Spencer swallowed, wincing at the rotten taste and pain in his throat, then struggled his eyes halfway open. As soon as the fog covering his vision faded he met Aaron's worry-filled eyes. Guilt rose in Spencer and he took a breath. "I… I'm fine, okay?" he tried.

Aaron's eyes hardened. "No, you're not fine. You have a fever of almost 103 Fahrenheit and you exhausted yourself to the point of collapsing. I wouldn't call that fine." The man's eyebrows knitted together. "You should've stayed in bed today."

Spencer fought the urge to wince, feeling like a five-year-old who'd been caught with their hand in a cookie jar. "I'm sorry", he attempted feebly.

Aaron took a deep breath, finally seeming to calm down a little. "According to the doctor you'll be alright, but he wants to keep you here overnight for observation." Did… one corner of the man's lips twitch? "You managed to cause quite a hassle, you know? I think the rest of the team is still gathered to the waiting room. Garcia keeps asking me what in the world I said or did to make you pass out on me like that."

Finally Spencer remembered what happened before he blacked out. He looked away, feeling extremely embarrassed and sorry all of a sudden. He swallowed thickly, pleased to discover that his throat wasn't as sore anymore. "I'm sorry", he muttered for the second time and bit his lip. "I ruined your surprise, didn't I?"

His eyes widened for a second when Aaron placed a surprisingly tender kiss to his forehead, making him feel warm all over. "Stop worrying about everything", the older man ordered. When he looked his lover's way Spencer found something that struck him completely stunned. The unit chief had a slight smile on his face. "It was kind of flattering to sweep you off your feet like that."

Spencer blinked several times, too stunned to speak, then found himself melting into a smile as well.

With apparent reluctance Aaron began to get up. "I'll go and see your doctor, to let him know you're awake", the man explained. "I'll be back in a bit."

Spencer nodded, trying to find a comfortable position in the ridiculously hard hospital bed. And suddenly his hand gained a life of its own. Aaron looked at him with a surprised blink when he took the man's hand and squeezed.

Spencer wasn't sure how much fever had to do with the strange, warm pulsating sensation in the pit of his stomach. Honestly, he didn't even care. "Happy Valentine's Day", he murmured, feeling ready to fall asleep any given moment.

Aaron didn't quite smile, but the unit chief's usually stone hard eyes softened considerably while the man returned his squeeze. "Happy Valentine's Day, Spencer." With that the older man let go of his hand as gently as possible and left the room.

Spencer looked at the room's closed door for a couple of seconds before turning his gaze towards the tiny nightstand beside his bed. He couldn't help smiling at what he found.

There, placed to the table, was the most adorable teddy bear he'd ever seen. And on the stuffed animal's neck was the bracelet he'd never had the chance to accept.

Suddenly he came to think that perhaps, just perhaps, Valentine's Days weren't so bad after all.

When Aaron opened the room's door again ten minutes later his whole body filled with something he couldn't explain at the sight that greeted him.

Spencer had fallen asleep with a slight smile on his face, one of his hands placed tenderly on the teddy bear that now lay beside the genius in the bed. And on the younger man's pale wrist was the bracelet Jack had made.

As he slumped to the chair beside the bed and took Spencer's unoccupied hand Aaron found himself smiling freely.

He wondered if he should tell Spencer later on that it was the best Valentine's Day he'd ever had.

'You know when you have found your prince because you not only have a smile on your face but in your heart as well.'

(Author Unknown)

End.

A/N: (chuckles) Ah, I can't believe I just wrote something THAT soft and romantic. The Valentine's Day must be getting to me.

BUT, the question goes… Was that any good, at all – or should this one be demolished and laid to eternal rest? PLEASE, leave a note to let me know your thoughts! It'd be fantastic to hear from you. (gives puppy's eyes) (You know… I have some Valentine's chocolate to coax you with…)

Thank you so much for reading! Who knows, maybe I'll c ya guys around later. (glances hopefully)

Take care! And, of course…

HAVE A GREAT VALENTINE'S DAY!