Valentine's Day
Tony reached into his pocket to fish out his keys as he walked down the hall to Abby's apartment door, being careful to not drop what he was carrying. Sliding the key into the lock, he pushed the door open quietly and frowned when he saw that the lights were off.
"Abby?"
Her voice came from the bedroom. "In here."
A deep cough followed, and the sound of it made him cringe in sympathy. Glancing down at the suit he was wearing, he tugged the jacket off and draped it over the back of the couch with one hand while loosening his tie with the other.
Picking up the roses he had laid on the dining room table, he tucked them behind his back and walked into the bedroom. "Hey there," he said, offering a small smile. "Not feelin' too good?"
She forced her eyes open and released a quiet gasp when she noticed his suit. "I completely forgot about tonight. I'm so sorry."
He shook his head, moving to sit next to her on the bed. "Don't worry about it. It's just Valentine's."
"Exactly!" She groaned, dropping her head back against the pillows miserably. "The hardest reservations to get all year, and I had to go get sick."
"I've known Fabio for years, Abs. I can get us a table there whenever, you know that," he explained, leaning in and kissing her forehead before handing her the roses. "That being said, Happy Valentine's."
She smiled, accepting the flowers from his hand. "Thank you," she said, resting the bouquet on the comforter next to her. "You shouldn't stay, Tony. You're just gonna get sick."
"Me? DiNozzo's don't get sick."
"You're such a bad liar," she teased, allowing him to press her back against the pillows and tuck the blankets around her. "What are you doing?"
"I'm gonna make you some homemade soup," he grinned, standing up. Walking over to the closet, he unbuttoned his shirt and hung it up before pulling a tshirt and a pair of jeans from the drawer of clothes he kept at her place. "Then we're gonna relax and enjoy our Valentine's night in."
"This is a bad idea," she said, a loud cough erupting from her dry throat.
"I'll be fine, baby," Tony assured her, heading for the kitchen. "Just let me take care of you, huh?"
She shook her head, settling back against her pillows as he exited the room. "Bad, bad idea."
-----
After running to the grocery store to shop for the items he would need to make the soup, Tony headed back to her apartment and got cooking. It took him almost an hour, and by the time he entered the bedroom carrying a steaming bowl of chicken noodle soup, Abby had dozed off. Her dark bangs were stuck to her forehead, and when he reached out to brush them back, he was surprised to feel how warm she was.
"Abs, sweetheart, wake up," he whispered, shaking her shoulder gently. "C'mon, dinner's ready."
She swatted his hand away sleepily and reached up to rub her eyes. "You didn't burn my kitchen down, did you?"
"Just because I don't use my kitchen doesn't mean I don't know my way around one," he said, helping her to sit up before handing her the tray. "I learned this recipe when I was a kid."
Smiling, she leaned forward, eating a spoonful of the soup. "That is amazing."
"Told you so," he smirked, running a hand over her back. "You feel like you're running a fever."
"Do I, Dr. DiNozzo?"
"Am I this much of a smartass when I'm sick?"
She chuckled, regretting it as soon as she coughed. "Do you really want an answer to that question?"
He considered it momentarily before standing up. "Nah, I guess not. I picked up some cold and flu stuff at the store, want me to grab it?"
"I'll be fine," Abby insisted, continuing to eat her soup. "Just sit back down."
"I'm pretty sure that when you say you're 'fine', you don't really mean it."
She cocked an eyebrow at him. "Says the man who's middle name is 'fine'."
"So who better to know when you're lying than me?" He said, dropping another kiss to her hair. "I'll be right back, do you need anything else?"
Abby shook her head, returning her attention to the soup. "Hurry back, okay?"
He ducked out of the room only to return a few seconds later carrying a bottle of TheraFlu. "Alright," he said, studying the back of the bottle carefully. "This is supposed to help with just about everything."
She sat her empty bowl aside and reached for the bottle. "What would I do without you to take care of me?"
"Well, you'd probably cough yourself to death. And there wouldn't be any soup."
"Can't forget about the soup," she smirked, taking a healthy swig from the bottle of medication. "You know this is gonna make me pass out, right?"
Tony shrugged, sliding between the sheets next to her and patting his chest. "C'mere. I've heard that I make a great pillow."
"Oh really? And who told you that?"
"Well, she had dark hair and a tattoo on her neck... oh wait, that was my other girlfriend."
"Cute," Abby said, nuzzling his chest with her nose as she yawned.
"That didn't take long to kick in," he teased, combing his fingers through her hair.
Her lips turned into a smile against his shirt as her eyes fell shut. "'M tired. You gonna go home tonight?"
"You crazy?" Tony asked. "Who's gonna get you soup when you wake up at three AM if I go home?"
"Who's gonna get me soup at three AM if you stay? You know you'll sleep through it if I do wake up."
He laughed, the vibration of his chest making Abby grin. "Yeah, you're probably right. But you could always wake me up."
"We'll see," she mumbled, her voice thick with sleep. "Night, T."
"Night, Abs," he whispered, smiling down at her. "Happy Valentine's Day."