Author's note: This story was SUPPOSED to be a one-shot, but looks like that's not going to happen now! *Grumbles under breath* Anyway, happy reading!
Niles' pen was poised above the page of his notebook, his ears completely tuned out to the speaker on stage. All around him were psychiatrists in their own form of heaven, sitting and listening to a detailed lecture on what they all did best. He had paid lots of money to be here and had been looking forward to this for weeks, yet now that he was here, all he could think about was Daphne and the remarkable dream he had had about her the night before. In it, she had told him that she loved him and then she had kissed him passionately. He would never forget that glorious dream for as long as he lived. Now that he and Maris were divorced, he knew that he had never been this in love with any woman, and that Daphne was the one that he was meant to be with. If only he could tell her that…
He glanced down at his notebook, where he was supposed to be taking notes, and realized that he hadn't been paying attention for the last fifteen minutes. He twisted his lips and stared down at the white page, not having the slightest idea what to pen. Suddenly, his thoughts reverted to their previous state and he found himself writing Daphne.
The sight of her name made him happy, and he smiled at the page, adding two words next to it.
I love Daphne
He ran his fingers over the ink and allowed them to stir inside of him. He wanted to write more now. His poetic side began to arise, and he put his best effort into what he wrote next.
Her lips surely taste as fire
Daphne is my heart's desire
He grinned at his effort, closed his eyes and remembered the kiss he had received from Daphne in his dream. Fire, yes, he thought. And honey. Warm honey. And maybe even cool water, running into me. Inspired again, he wrote more.
Skin like lavender and eyes like sun
Daphne is the only one
His face flushed, his heart raced. He was so in love with her he could barely stand it.
It certainly is a sign of fear
Merely wishing she were here
But perhaps she'd say no
And then what might I do?
No love, no dream, no Daphne.
Niles frowned with dissatisfaction, seeing as how the final stanza of his poem didn't rhyme. It was, however, painfully true. His face fell visibly, and he was no longer happy and pleased like he had been. Clearing his throat, he flipped the page and began to take notes.
That night, while Niles was lying in bed reading in his hotel room, he remembered what he had written about Daphne. His thoughts when back to when he had left Seattle only yesterday. He had gone over to Frasier's apartment to say goodbye. While he bid farewell to his father and brother, Daphne had stood at the table, folding clothes. When he had approached her to say goodbye, she had only smiled and waved at him. "Have a good time," she had said, when all he had wanted to do was take her in his arms and tell her how much he'd miss her and how he'd be thinking about her and how already he couldn't wait to see her because he loved her so much and…
He squeezed his eyes shut tight; then grabbed his notebook from the bedside table and flipped to the page to where he had written about her. Looking at the pages was bittersweet. Everything there made him think of her, yet it also made him think about how much he missed her. He would love to see her face, right now. A soft moan escaped his throat.
Curse this, curse it all. Curse my cowardice, he thought.
He looked at the half-full page and got an idea. He took a pen and set to work.
"Good evening, Daphne."
"Hello there, Dr. Crane. My, everything looks lovely. Where did you get all these candles?"
"I bought them all…or rather, my personal shopper did. Please, Daphne, sit down."
"All right. I was wondering, Dr. Crane, is there a reason you've asked me here tonight?"
"Well, actually, yes, but I think I should serve you your food first."
"Oh, thank you, Dr. Crane, this all looks so delicious. You outdid yourself for me."
"It's nothing, really. Daphne, there's something of…importance I need to discuss with you."
"Really? Is it serious, is something wrong?"
"No, no, everything's fine."
As Niles wrote, his hands began to tremble with nerves.
"Are you sure, Dr. Crane? What is it?"
"Oh, Daphne…you know, since you moved in to help with Dad, my live hasn't been the same."
"That's very sweet."
"You…always brighten up my day. Daphne, you…are breathtaking."
"Dr. Crane, I don't know what to—"
"I've thought that from the moment I first saw you. You're so beautiful, and I need to say this now because if I don't I never will. Daphne, I love you. I need you. It's agonizing every moment I'm not with you, and I can't stop thinking about you and your beautiful face and what it might be like to have you as my own. My, Daphne, I can't imagine my life without you, and I don't want to."
Niles lifted up his pen, having no idea what to write next. He had always wanted to say these things to her, but what would she say back? The thought made him tremble, and he put his pen down on the blanket.
What would he do if Daphne rejected him? He'd be lost, broken. He wouldn't have any hope left; he wouldn't have any more dreams. He had thought about this before, but now, suddenly, they seemed so real.
Niles put his pen and notebook on the bedside table and turned off the light.