Niles sat at one of his favorite tables in Cafe Nervosa. He was going over the speech he'd prepared for Daphne. This was it, the night he would finally ask her to be his wife. He had to make it perfect, had to make her see how much she meant to him. The words he'd written were beautiful, certainly some of the best writing he'd ever done. But still, they didn't seem to do justice to her. He doubted that any words could ever capture everything he loved about her. He read it over once more. By the time he'd gotten to the part where he'd compared her to a rose, or rather, to three different roses, he could feel tears beginning to form in his eyes. Soon, he was crying openly. Here he sat, in his favorite coffeeshop, where the baristas were practically family, with tears streaming down his face. How was ever going to deliver this speech if he couldn't even read it without breaking down?

Just then, he felt a gentle hand on his back, and he heard the voice of his angel. "Niles? What are you doing here?"

He looked up into her beautiful brown eyes, ashamed of himself. He wanted so much to be strong, so that he could protect her and keep her safe no matter what. But who was he kidding? He'd never been brave. Not once.

Daphne sat down next to him, immediately pulling him close. "Oh, darling, what is it?"

Niles rested his head on her shoulder as she rubbed his back. "My love...I was just reading something, and it made me think of you. I love you so much." He chose his words carefully, not wanting to reveal his surprise.

Daphne kissed his forehead, hating to see him so upset. "But, why were you crying?" she asked. He often mentioned being concerned about a particularly troubled patient, but he'd never been this distressed before.

Niles sniffled once again, reaching over to caress her cheek. "I started to think of how empty my life was before I met you. I don't deserve you, Daphne."

Daphne looked around the cafe. Several people seated at nearby tables were now staring at them. Normally, Niles would hate the thought of making such a scene in public. But at the moment, he didn't even seem to notice. "Oh, shh, my darling. You're the sweetest, kindest man I've ever met. Don't put yourself down that way." She said the words as soothingly as she could.

Niles looked into her eyes and took a deep breath. Gradually, he felt himself relax. Daphne always had that effect on him. He lifted his head off her shoulder and sat back up. He did his best to pretend as if the past few minutes had never happened. He casually returned the papers to his briefcase before Daphne could look at them. "Are we still on for dinner tonight?" he asked.

"Of...course," Daphne said, a little taken aback by the question. "A romantic dinner with the man I love. What more could I ever ask for?" She sighed at the thought.

Niles took her hand, gently kissing the back of it. "I have a feeling tonight will be a night neither of us will ever forget."

Daphne smiled. This was the Niles she was more used to seeing, not the one from a few moments ago. He was always buying her gifts, planning elaborate dinners for her, and doing all sorts of things to make sure she knew how he felt. She could only imagine what sort of surprise he'd planned for her. "Are you sure you're all right?" she asked, still a bit concerned about his earlier outburst.

Niles took hold of her hand once again, looking straight into her eyes as he spoke. He'd learned long ago that love was the most powerful force in the universe, and somehow, he felt sure that he would find the strength to say the right words tonight. "Yes, my love," he answered. "As long as I have you, I'll be fine. Always."

The End