A/N: Have plot bunny, will write. In this case, it's some Niles/CC fluff. Bit AU, set during the first Christmas after CC came back from "the place." As usual, I own nothing related to The Nanny. Thanks for reading!
Ever since returning from "the place," CC Babcock hated to be alone. She also hated being around happy people. And the Sheffield family (because they were happy). And the theatre (because they faked happy). Maybe part of her hating happy people at the moment was because it was Christmas time and she was, yet again, alone. Noel was off somewhere having a wonderful time (he had called, sounding very happy). Her mother and DD were gallivanting around the world, completely forgetting about her other than a cheerful message on her answering machine. CC had tried to get into the holiday spirit with her socialite "friends" who had thrown a Christmas Eve party. No joy. Well, her so-called friends were joyful, but CC felt none. Leaving her champagne half finished, CC walked out of the swanky party eventually to find herself at the one place she felt the least annoyed even if there were happy people present.
Having returned from midnight mass with the Sheffield family, Niles wandered around the house making sure all was as should be before he went to bed. The children had gone up as soon as they got home, their coats discarded on the couch. Fran and Maxwell were putting the final touches on a few things before they, too, would turn in. As Niles approached the door, thinking he ought to put the coats away, he noticed movement outside. Odd. No one should be out there at this time of night. He cautiously peeked through the glass of the door. He proceeded to open the door with a shooing motion.
"Go pick at someone else's trash," he said.
'Bah humbug to you, too, Scrooge. CC was sitting on the little bench, wrapped tight in her overcoat.
Niles turned to her. "I was talking to whatever has made a nest on your head."
"You don't like my hat?"
'No," he said. "What are you doing out here? I thought you had some fancy shindig to haunt." He let the door close knowing it wasn't locked. No point letting the outside cold into the warm house. Niles sat next to CC, glad he had thought to leave on the sweater Sylvia Fine had given him as a gift earlier in the evening. The night air was quite nippy, and the green and red trimmed sweater was surprisingly comfortable and warm despite being something of a cliché.
"I did," CC said. She pulled her coat tighter around her. "I couldn't take all those people wanting to know why I was alone. Again."
"So you came here?" Niles asked. "Perhaps we need to institutionalize you again," he mused. She slapped his arm. He feigned hurt. "Honestly, Babcock, if you I didn't know better, I'd say you're a glutton for punishment."
'You're one to talk," she spat back. He shrugged at the comment. She was correct after all. They sat side by side in silence, both staring at the opposite wall. Niles sighed. CC leaned and put her head on his shoulder. "I started toward my apartment, took a wrong turn, and ended up here."
Niles wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer to him. He felt the fuzziness of her hat on his neck. He was glad she was to his right because his heart rate increased slightly at the nearness of her. Niles was unsure he could ever explain the reason why if she were to ask him about it. "There are worse places to take a wrong turn," he said. "That corner near Sylvia's for instance. You'd be lucky to get fifty bucks in this getup. Even the lascivious Santas wouldn't go near you in that thing you call a hat."
"Ha!" CC let out her trademark exclaiming laugh. Then Niles felt her sobbing into his shoulder. "I don't want to be alone, Niles." He let her continue to sob. While he held her with his right arm, he dug out his handkerchief with is left hand. He gently maneuvered them so that they were facing each other but still maintaining a bit of contact. He noticed the cold start to seep into his right side as she moved away. "What are you doing?" CC asked, confusion mixing with the sadness in her eyes.
Niles blotted the tears from her face, careful not to ruin her makeup. He hated seeing CC Babcock this way. He had missed her terribly while she was gone and desperately wanted to keep her from needing to go away to "the place" again. "I'm helping a friend," he said in all seriousness. As far as Niles was concerned no one messed with Babcock but him.
They stared at each other a moment.
"Well, your hands are freezing," she said as she gently batted away his touch, though she felt as if a fire was spreading from where they made contact. "What are you, Frosty the Husky Butlerman?" Niles put that handkerchief away as he rolled his eyes. She stood as if to leave. Niles moved toward the door to the house, reaching for the doorknob but stopping short. He noticed she was looking up. "There's no mistletoe?" she asked.
"What would be the point? Miss Fine and Mr. Sheffield would be out here all the time if there was, and even then someone would try to take advantage."
"Kiss me, Niles."
The way Niles heart rate increased at the sudden request made him wonder if he was about to have another heart attack in CC Babcock's presence. There was a surprising lack of desperation in her voice and expression, as if the request was a wish. He turned and managed to pull her toward him. His hands were at her waist. CC rested her right hand on his chest near his heart. There was no way she failed to notice his pulse increasing now. Her left hand snaked around the back of his neck and came to rest where his hair met the collar of his sweater. She absently twirled a lock of his hair.
They looked into each other's eyes as their foreheads came to rest together. "I don't need mistletoe for that," he whispered.
:P :p :P
"Where is Niles?" Maxwell Sheffield asked Fran Fine. "I told him to turn off these lights before he went to bed. And he's left the kids' coats out."
"I'm sure he's busy taking care of things for the morning," Fran said. "Give the guy a break. He takes care of all of us with hardly any reward and almost no thanks." She took the coats in hand and walked them toward the closet. "Huh, there's someone outside."
"At this time of night?" Maxwell asked. He went to Fran. "Is that Niles?" he said as he peeked through the door.
"And a woman?" Fran asked. They shared a look and a shrug. Fran opened the door, Maxwell standing protectively behind her in the event of invaders.
:p :P :p
Niles was the first to lean in for the kiss. CC had asked him, after all. What kind of gentleman would make his lady do all the work? Their lips met in a tender embrace. He felt CC Babcock's tension release as she relaxed in his arms. And she was smiling. Niles shivered. She put a little pressure on his neck with her hand to keep him close as they continued to exchange kisses, moving from tentative to more confident with each moment.
"Miss Babcock?!" Fran Fine's voice cut through the haze.
CC looked into Niles' eyes as they pulled apart. There was affection and frustration in those blue depths that mirrored her feelings. "Nanny Fine. Maxwell," CC said with authority as she entered the Sheffield residence. "Merry Christmas." She pulled her gloves off and placed them on the table with her purse and her fuzzy hat.
"Sir," Niles said as he entered, shut, and locked the door. "The fish look isn't particularly becoming." He stalked past everyone to finish his rounds of the house.
CC followed. "You kept me out there for hours. Do you have any idea how cold it is? I could have gotten frostbite!"
"Please, Miss Babcock. As if your heart isn't already trying to pump ice," Niles responded over his shoulder.
Fran and Maxwell needed a moment to pull themselves together. Fran looked to her future husband. "Do you think they… you know?"
"I'd rather not think about it," Maxwell said. "We should probably go to bed. Leave them to whatever it is they're up to." He led Fran up the stairs. "God I hope they're not… you know."
Fran shuddered. "Niles and Miss Babcock. What a Christmas Eve. I can't imagine what they would get up to for Hanukkah"
Niles put the kettle on in the kitchen. His hands were, in fact, a bit frozen. CC had followed him and was getting the mugs. Their hands brushed as they reached for the tea bags. As Niles pulled CC to him again he said, "There ain't no need for mistletoe, baby," then planted one on her. He reluctantly let go of her to pour water in the mugs. "Now, where were we?" he asked.
"You were showing me how useless a holiday bauble was," CC said as she pulled him halfway across the counter to pick up where they had left off. Maybe Christmas this year wouldn't be as bad as she thought it was going to be.
"Merry Christmas, CC," Niles said between kisses.