Author's Note: Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for encouraging me to continue her "Compassionate Angel"! I mentally went through several "drafts" of this story, trying to figure out what would be the best way to do this. I hope what I've come up with lives up to the original story!
Niles turned around to face Daphne. "Thank you for the massage. My back feels better than it ever did!" He kissed her gratefully.
"Are you sure?" She hoped he was not just saying this to spare her feelings.
"I promise you, Daphne, the relief I'm feeling now is far more genuine than my so-called injuries." He pulled her close. They lay on top of Daphne's small twin bed. There wasn't much room, but neither minded.
Daphne could hardly believe this was real. Was it really just a couple of hours ago that they'd sat at Cafe Nervosa, confessing their feelings to each other? "I'm sorry we had to do this here in me room," she said, looking around. She'd always loved having this space to call her own, but suddenly it felt small compared to what she knew Niles was used to.
"I'm not. I rather like this place."
Once again, Daphne eyed him skeptically.
Niles smiled. "I love this room, simply because it's yours." He kissed her again.
For a moment, both were speechless. "What would you like to do now?" Daphne asked finally.
"Well, we could just stay right here." Niles' grin became mischievous.
Daphne responded by shoving him playfully. "I do think we might need to get to know each other a bit before we rush into anything."
"You're absolutely right, my angel. I would never make you do anything that made you uncomfortable. So what would you like to do, then?"
Daphne glanced out the small window of her room. Despite Seattle's reputation for being rainy, sunlight streamed in. "Well, we could go for a walk." She couldn't look at him as she suggested it. It wasn't very exciting or romantic. She only hoped he wouldn't laugh at her.
"That sounds like a lovely idea." He got up from the bed at once, then helped her up.
Ten minutes later, they found themselves outside. They walked along the sidewalk, hand in hand. Neither spoke, and they aimlessly made their way, nearly oblivious to tourists and commuters hurrying in all directions. Their walk soon brought them to a row of small shops. They catered mainly to tourists. Neither had stumbled across this particular area of the city before. The buildings were charming, even rather quaint, as if they existed in another time.
Niles walked along, glancing in the window of each store they passed. Soon they came upon an old-fashioned toy store. He turned to Daphne. "I'll be right back."
Before she could even ask what was going on, Daphne watched in disbelief as he rushed into the small shop. Niles emerged a few moments later, a shopping bag in hand. He held it out to her.
Daphne gasped. "Oh, Niles, you didn't have to do this!" She looked inside the bag, and there sat the cutest, softest stuffed dog she'd ever seen. "It's not me birthday!"
"I know, but he looked like he needed a good home." He took the dog out of the bag. He "barked" excitedly, making the dog "kiss" her cheek. "Look, he likes you!"
Daphne couldn't help laughing. "He is rather adorable. But I can't really accept a gift from you, when I haven't a thing to give you."
Niles reached out to caress her cheek. "Daphne, I love you, and I wanted to find a way to show you that. I know that giving you a gift so soon is a bit unorthodox. But knowing that you love me just makes me feel like every moment is worth celebrating."
Daphne kissed him then, more passionately than she ever had before. "Oh, Niles, I don't know what to say! But all this time, I've been wishing that I could find meself a man half as sweet and caring as you, and now that you're here, I feel like all me dreams have come true."
"As wonderful as it is, being here with you, this is only the beginning. I'd like to give you everything you've dreamed of, and more!" He knew it was a bit soon, and perhaps a bit crazy, to be making such a promise now. But in his heart, he had no doubt that they would be together forever. For most of his adult life, he'd merely been existing. Just trying to get from one day to the next. But suddenly, he could see his future ahead of him, and he couldn't wait for it to start.
Ever since she was a little girl, Daphne's parents and brothers had always told her not to get too carried away. She'd often talked of wanting to get out of Manchester and make something of her life. And she'd done it by applying herself and becoming a healthcare worker. She'd even flown halfway around the world in search of something more. But those old warnings would not go away easily. Life sometimes had a way of disappointing a person unexpectedly. So she'd learned to set her sights lower, to simply be glad she had a job she enjoyed and people around her who cared about her.
If someone had asked her yesterday, Daphne would've said that her life was just fine. What more could a person ask for? But now she wondered how she had ever felt complete before now. Looking into Niles' eyes made her feel a hundred things that she'd never experienced before. It was intoxicating. Suddenly, Daphne felt as if she could do anything, no matter how risky or outrageous. She took a deep breath. "Niles, I love you so much. I wish that I could give you something that would let you know what I'm feeling right now. But I wouldn't even know how to begin to find something like that. Even if I did, I probably couldn't afford it." Shelooked at the sidewalk, desperately trying to ignore the tears that were forming in her eyes.
Niles once again reached out to touch her cheek. He gently wiped away a tear. "Daphne, I love you, and that has nothing to do with what you do or don't have. You have no idea how much you've touched me. Why, when you thought I was injured earlier, you showed me such kindness. I knew it was wrong to mislead you like that. But, unfortunately, I haven't seen much of that in my life. I guess maybe that's why I was so reluctant to tell you the truth right away. I could hardly believe it when you went up to the counter and came back with my latte, with that hint of cinnamon. You knew exactly what I wanted, without even having to ask! The fact that you would pay that much attention to me means more than any treasure you could ever find."
Daphne blushed at his words. "Of course I paid attention to you. I'll admit your brother can be rather charming, with his fame, and all those fancy words he uses. But you...you were always noticing me outfits, or me hairstyle. I guess that made me start watching you, although I didn't quite know why. I guess me heart could see something that I didn't. Even when I didn't realize it, you were always here." She placed her hand on her chest. Her heartbeat felt somehow different, as if it were a reminder of how right all of this was.
He took her hands in each of his. "Then, Daphne, can I ask one thing of you? I mean, since you said you wanted to give me something in return?"
"Of course." She nodded. Though she had no idea where he was going with this, she knew that she trusted him completely. How could she not?
"Just keep me there, in your heart. It's all I've wanted since the first moment I saw you."
Tears were falling once again down Daphne's cheeks. She could do nothing to stop them. Niles took her in his arms at once, rubbing her back gently. He was completely bewildered by this change in her behavior. He wondered how he could've upset her. "Whatever I've done, please forgive me," he whispered.
Daphne pulled out of the embrace, smiling despite her tears. "You haven't done anything. It's just that I don't think I could get you out of me heart, even if I wanted to."
Niles kissed her deeply. "Thank you, Daphne. You could never give me a better gift." He knew he would always regret the stunt he'd pulled at the cafe. He'd made a fool out of himself, and lied to the person he loved most in the world. And yet, it had led to a miracle that Niles never would've dreamed possible.
He'd loved Daphne for such a long time, and now he would spend the rest of his life making sure she understood that.
The End