Authors Note: This is a fill-in-the-blank story for the episode "The Nose Knows" from The Nanny. There are certain scenes and dialogue taken directly from the episode, which I'm sure you'll recognize. There will be a second M-rated chapter, so be on the look-out for that! Enjoy!
Our Love is Here to Stay
Niles is promptly sweeping the circular rug in the foyer when C.C. strides in. She's wearing a sexy pencil skirt and a rather smart-looking blazer with shining buttons. Every article of clothing is black, save for the rust-colored scarf tied around her head, hiding her blonde locks. She clicks into the vestibule with her black heels, holding a beige clutch. He glances up from the floor to drink in the sight of her.
"My, look at you. You look very sixties." He halts his work to watch her move to stand beside him.
"It's a Dolce and Gabbana." She does a twirl to show off her outfit and slides her black oval sunglasses off her head.
"I was talking about your face." He quips, returning to his cleaning. "Oh, by the way, this came for you."
He shows her a bleached envelope and she takes it from him. Her fingers trace over the letters on the front before turning it over to extract the letter.
"What are all those big creases in it?" she questions, withdrawing the note from its confines.
"It was stuffed in the mailbox."
"I was talking about your neck." She quips, scanning the first few lines of the inked writing.
"Oh ho ho, things are heating up with Chandler! He sent me the key to his apartment!" she squeaks excitedly and dangles the key in front of her.
Niles voices a sound of mild interest and C.C. continues reading her lover's letter aloud.
"Dear C.C. – you're suffocating me, here's your key back!" Her voice quickly turns from enthusiastic to confused, and then to irate.
"Oh, you poor thing. No date for your big awards ceremony Saturday?" he harasses her as she reads over the rest of the wretched note.
"That ungrateful – I waited on him hand and foot! Every morning at 6:30 I brought him a hot latte. I called him forty times a day to make sure he was eating right. How can he say that I was suffocating him?" she crinkles the paper in her fist as her face turns into an abysmal scowl.
"You poor thing; I can't imagine anything more humiliating." He stares at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Oh yeah? How's this? What are you doing Saturday night?" she looks at him in discontent, drawing a chuckle from his gullet.
"What makes you think I'd be caught dead at an awards ceremony with you?"
"Two hundred and fifty bucks?" she offers.
No sooner had the words fallen from her painted lips does Niles answer her eagerly.
"Pick me up at 8 and buy yourself a corsage – I don't want to look chintzy."
Both, servant and socialite, continue throughout their days with a sense of normalcy. Little do they know that they're both hiding behind this shroud to conceal their uneasiness over Saturday night.
Soon enough, the much anticipated night has finally arrived. Niles is adjusting his bowtie in the foyer mirror when he hears the rapping on the front door. This is it, old man. He inhales swiftly, filling his lungs completely and trying to calm his shaking nerves. He pulls the door open to reveal a superbly dressed Ms. Babcock. His eyes widen at the stunning creature standing before him. She's wearing an ankle length glittering slate-grey dress that sparkles with every movement she makes. These glints draw attention to the steady rise and fall of her chest which, in turn, draws attention to her amble bosom. Her hair is swept up into an austere and lady-like bun, set high on her head. He fights the urge to smile at her.
"Are you just going to stand there, Hazel?" she growls at him.
He fumbles a bit, and then moves aside to let her strut past him, but she doesn't. She grabs him by the lapel of his tux and pulls him out into the cold Manhattan streets with her. His jaw drops as he eyes her long legs peeking out from the dramatic slit the back of her dress.
"Come on, Butler Boy. We're getting drinks first."
He has no choice but to oblige and they soon find themselves at a small dive-bar, seated at a sturdy wooden table. The lighting is very dim and the tables are accented by flickering red candles. The walls are comprised of muddy bricks and Niles leans his back against the cold barrier to soothe his quivering guise. Unlikely to ever admit it, even to himself, he's terrified of being here in this bar with the Bitch of Broadway.
"Babcock, this is hardly the bar I'd imagine you haunting." He tells her smoothly, despite his shaking insides.
She chooses not to respond, but takes a sip of her White Russian, prompting him to follow suit with his Jack and coke.
"I'd better win. God knows I worked my ass off for this." She grumbles, finishing off her drink.
He grins at her boldness - he's always loved her for that – and gulps down the last of his drink as well. They stand together and somehow Niles convinces her to let him pay for their tab, so long as she pays for their taxi to the banquet hall. During their ride, Niles notices how she nervously fiddles with her purse and toys with her fingers. He smiles at her, noting how cute her apprehension is to him. He timidly placing his hand on one of hers and squeezes it lightly.
"I know you're going to win." He tells her in confidence and she finds herself believing him, somehow.
She lets his hand remain on hers for the rest of the cab-ride. She closes her eyes, relishing the feeling on a man's heavy hand on hers once again. She begins thinking of Chandler. She silently confesses that the only reason she stayed with him was because he reminded her so much of someone else she harbored feelings for: a certain feisty and demanding domestic. They had the same sense of humor, but Chandler never allowed her to get a snip in. Their relationship revolved around him berating her, forcing C.C. to make cracks at her own expense. Sure, he was handsome, and she was desperate enough that one night when he asked her out to dinner, but it all seemed to spiral out of control from there. She was so overwhelming with her lavish attention because she was desperate to keep him around. At least then she could feign a relationship with –
She's quickly drawn from her ponderings as the cab pulls up to the banquet hall. Oh, god.C.C.'s stomach is in knots and Niles hurriedly pays the driver before C.C. can collect herself to retrieve her money clip.
"Dammit, Bellboy! I said I was paying for the cab!" she spits at him and pushes through the taxi door.
He doesn't reply, but loops his arm into hers as they carefully walk into the crowded entrance hall. Niles peers into the grand ballroom in front of them. A few couples are dancing and there's a skillful sounding band playing some jazz. Elaborately decorated tables are set up throughout the room, but leaving space for the dance floor in the middle. There's an open bar in the corner and he can see lanky men in shiny suits bustling around with trays of hors d'oeuvres. He can't decide what he wants to tackle first – dancing or dining, but the blonde answers for him.
"I'm starved. Let's track down those appetizers." She pulls him in the direction of a tall figure clutching a serving tray.
"Fine, fine. Lead the way, Shamu." He grumbles, tagging along behind her.
After eating a few canapés and some popcorn shrimp, Niles convinces her to join him on the dance floor. The band is still playing light jazz and Niles is thankful for it; something easy to sway to. Naturally, he makes some comment about watching where she puts her hooves and C.C. laughs. She allows him to pull her close and wrap his right arm around her slim waist. Her dress is glistening with each turn they make and they are soon lost in the warm company of one another. Niles can't fight the faint smile spreading across his face. C.C. brings her hand down from his shoulder to palm his chest, her breath catching in her throat when she realizes the weight of muscle there. Her heart starts to pound and she hopes that he doesn't notice. Niles wonders the same thing, praying that she can't feel his heart leaping from the confines of his chest and into her hand.
The lights flicker once, signifying the start of the awards ceremony. Niles and C.C. pull away from each other almost begrudgingly and take their seats. The ceremony is succinct and C.C. wins the award she was nominated for. Niles pats her dotingly on the leg when her name is called and grins at her. He mouths a "told you so" as she rises to collect her trophy. He laughs hysterically when she finishes her acceptance speech, her phrases still ringing in his ears. "I'm very happy to accept this award. I worked hard enough for it and I deserve this thing. It's going right on my mantle when I get home." And that was all. No thank you, no tears, no nothing. It was purely C.C., and she definitely deserved it.
When she makes her way back to the table, she tugs at Niles' collar, forcing him to stand up.
"Let's get out of here. I got what I came for."
She doesn't wait for an answer or an argument, but begins striding away from him, clutching her award with a death-grip. He smirks and follows close behind her, leaving the remaining winners to be announced in their wake. Their cab-ride back to the mansion is peaceful. They make a few jokes and talk about the ceremony. Niles compliments her dress and she blushes.
"You know, Niles…you're quite the dancer."
"Thank you. You're pretty light on your feet as well."
"I'd never expect you to say that." She snorts.
"I'd never expect you to admire my dancing."
C.C. dares to look at him and sees that his eyes are glowing. There's something there that she can't quite place from the absence of light in the taxi. She shifts to gaze through her window at the colorful lights that swirl past them outside. Shortly thereafter, the cabbie comes to a stop in front of the mansion and Niles steps out into the night.
"You know…you could come inside and we might dance some more."
They peer at one another in a strange silence, neither saying another word, nor taking the initiative to move.
"Come on." He extends a hand and, for some reason, she takes it.
C.C. pays the driver and gathers up her things. She shivers slightly from the cold city air and Niles places an arm cautiously around her shoulders to keep the brisk wind at bay. She leans into his touch lightly, chastising herself for this, but enjoying his embrace nonetheless. They enter the mansion together and C.C. tosses her belongings onto a chair. Niles moves away from her to turn on some music. C.C. rubs her hands up and down her arms to stimulate her chill-bumped skin, watching Niles skillfully start a fire. Soon, the flames are crackling and dancing just as they are to the relaxing music.
"What a night. I don't know how I had the presence in mind to keep my acceptance speech down to thirty seconds." She chuckles, twirling in his arms.
"You didn't thank anyone." He draws her closer to him.
"Oh right."
They share a devilish laugh as they spin around the room together.
"Niles, thank you for escorting me. You know, you're actually almost charming when you're not being a mean, miserable old man." She smiles at him wickedly.
"Funny. I was going to say the same about you."
C.C. laughs heartily at him, trying to catch her breath. They revolve around each other again, their hands clasped securely.
"You know, I'm really glad that this little fling between you and Chandler is over."
"Oh?"
"Yes, he was beneath you."
"Not anymore." C.C. teases and they snicker together, quite darkly.
Her comment makes Niles tremble inside. The manner in which she is so lightly tossing out sexual innuendos has his heart racing. He yearns to be the man beneath her.
"Oh! I almost forgot…" she declares, waltzing over to the couch. "Here's your check." She hands him the rectangle of numbers and letters.
He rapidly rips it up into a few small shreds and tosses them thoughtlessly into the air behind him, sending them fluttering to the floor. She watches him with a glint in her eyes.
"This one's on me." He croons to her and proceeds to gather her into his arms again.
They beam at each other and Niles gracefully dips her low with the expert of an accomplished dancer. She throws her head back and is entranced by his arm winding snugly around her waist. He lifts her back up to face him and their eyes meet. C.C. is lost in her emotions and brings her arms around to grip his neck. She leans forward and presses her lips against his. Their bodies mold to one another and Niles deepens the kiss. C.C. pushes away slightly.
"Niles, you've been so nice to me tonight." She begins.
"So, what's the problem?" he inquires, his brow furrowing.
"Well… I don't understand."
The butler sighs and ruffles his hair with a hand. His eyes swim in her beautiful blue orbs and he chuckles.
"The truth is…I've been quite enamored with you for some time now. I didn't know how to tell you." His gaze drops to the floor, waiting for her reply.
"I'm glad you told me now." She raises his head with her hands and kisses him soundly on the lips. "Don't be nice to me all the time now though, we have too much fun when we bicker."
Niles kisses her deeply and strokes his hands down her back. He nibbles along her bottom lip and she sighs against his mouth.
"Show me your room Butler Boy."