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The Big Bang Theory followed Sheldon Cooper (Jim Parsons) and his close, science-loving friends as they navigated life as young adults. And with that came romance, specifically with Amy Fowler (Mayim Bialik), despite that Sheldon wasn’t exactly the romantic type.

Still, fans finally got to see Sheldon and Amy’s “romantic” Valentine’s Day kiss while on a train in season 7 — but the moment that brought the two closer on screen was far from romantic in real life.

Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy (Mayim Bialik)
Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Amy (Mayim Bialik) | Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

Sheldon and Amy’s romance was a long time coming

Sheldon and Amy first met on an online dating site, after Sheldon’s friends signed him up for the site without his permission. Still, Sheldon wasn’t exactly smooth with the ladies, and he never truly considered Amy his girlfriend. She somewhat considered the two to be dating, but there was a lot of confusion surrounding Sheldon’s real feelings for Amy throughout the show.

It wasn’t until season 5 that Sheldon and Amy officially began dating, despite that hints were there all along. Still, the couple’s relationship moved slowly. They didn’t actually say “I love you” until season 8, and the moves they made prior to that were hardly indicative of a relationship. However, they did discuss moving in together prior to telling each other they were in love. Their love lasted the duration of the show, and the two were married in the season 11 finale.

Sheldon and Amy on 'The Big Bang Theory'
Sheldon and Amy on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ | Monty Brinton/CBS via Getty Images

The couple’s first real kiss wasn’t nearly as romantic off screen

Sheldon and Amy technically kissed once in season 3, but the two were not officially in a relationship at the time. In season 7, though, Sheldon and Amy shared their first real, romantic kiss, despite that it was somewhat out of anger. The two were on a train together on Valentine’s Day when Amy finally became fed up with Sheldon’s lack of romance.

Out of frustration, he sarcastically started doing romantic things for her, which led to the kiss — one they both obviously enjoyed. Though it was awkward, there was a romantic air to it, as the two hadn’t kissed throughout the show. But in real life, things were totally different.

Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik discussed the kiss off-screen, and it turns out Parsons had the flu. “You kept swishing around with Listerine or whatever to kill my germs,” Parsons recalled of Bialik’s response, according to USA Today.

“Hydrogen peroxide,” Bialik confirms. “You were sweating. You had a fever. You were very sick.” Parsons then adds that he “would not have kissed” Bialik if he didn’t have to because he was so sick.

Sheldon and Amy on 'The Big Bang Theory'
Sheldon and Amy on ‘The Big Bang Theory’ | Sonja Flemming/CBS via Getty Images
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Jim Parsons and Mayim Bialik have reconnected for a new show

Parsons and Bialik have remained close friends since The Big Bang Theory ended back in 2019. Now, the two are working on a new show together: Call Me Kat. Bialik stars as Kat, a 39-year-old single woman who tries to prove to the world that she can be happy alone.

Jim Parsons is working as a producer on the show, and he’s the one who pitched Bialik the idea. Bialik told Good Day New York that she and Parsons were delayed on production because of the pandemic, but the show’s first episode premiered on Fox on Jan. 3.