Author's Note:Thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) and Mary (Jan2StaMuse) for their "Mixed Doubles" stories, which helped inspire this one. And to Leigh Ann (leighann415) for reading drafts of this. I had to make this story AU because of one line that I just couldn't rewrite to make it fit w/ the scene. Anyway, enjoy, and please R&R!
"I love you, too, Daphne." Niles was amazed at how easy it was to say those words. But it was far more difficult to make her understand he wasn't just saying them in passing. He looked over at her and saw that once again, she was lost in thought. "Daphne?" he asked.
She turned and looked at him. There were tears in her eyes. Niles' heart broke when he saw them. Obviously she was still upset over losing Rodney. Immediately he reached over and took her hand. "I'm sorry," he said softly.
Daphne looked surprised. "You have no reason to be sorry. This isn't your fault."
"I know, but...I'm just sorry you're so upset," Niles said gently.
"I'm not really upset with Rodney. I guess I'm just angry at meself," Daphne said.
Niles squeezed her hand. He wanted to say something to make her feel better, but he couldn't think of anything. When a person was hurting like this, words often offered little comfort.
"I don't know how I could've been so stupid, to think a man like Rodney would ever be interested in a girl like me," Daphne said.
Niles leaned over, making sure she was listening to him. "You are not stupid," he said firmly.
"Well, thank you, Dr. Crane. That's very nice of you to say, but I know you're just being polite. What on earth have I got to offer a man like that?"
Where do I start? Niles thought immediately. "I think you're being much too hard on yourself."
Daphne smiled at him. It made Niles' heart beat faster. "Thanks. You really are good at this sort of thing, making people feel better."
"Well, it's pretty much what I do," Niles said with a slightly embarrassed smile.
"You're a good friend," Daphne said.
"Thank you," Niles replied. "At least we've got each other, right?"
Daphne nodded. "Right. And you've got your brother and your father, too. You're not alone."
"Neither are you," Niles reminded her. "Dad and Frasier love you."
"I know," Daphne said. "I don't know what I'd do without them."
Niles took a sip of his drink, suddenly nervous at the thought of being here in public with Daphne.
Daphne noticed the look on his face. "Here I am, going on about me broken heart, when you've just lost the woman you loved. Well, two, if you count Mrs. Crane."
Niles looked up. Suddenly, he couldn't help himself. Before he could even think about what he was doing, he heard himself say, "Daphne, I haven't lost the woman I love at all." His heart raced as he waited for a response.
"You haven't?" Daphne asked, confused.
"No," Niles replied, now nearly breathless. "She's right in front of me."
For a moment, Daphne stared at him in disbelief, trying to figure out if she'd heard him correctly. "What?" she finally asked.
Niles took her hand in his. "Daphne, when I found out that Rodney was seeing Adelle, I didn't even care about Adelle dumping me. All I thought about was you, and the way Rodney hurt you. You don't deserve that."
Daphne gasped, moved by his words. "But...you didn't say anything. I don't understand."
Niles took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of her perfume. He sighed. "When I said, 'I love you, too, Daphne,' I didn't mean it the same way you did, as a friend. I meant that I love you."
Daphne looked into Niles' eyes. He could tell she was looking at him differently, in light of this new revalation. "You're serious, aren't you?" Daphne asked, still a bit bewildered.
"I'm very serious," Niles said as he touched her cheek. When Daphne didn't pull away, he carefully leaned down and kissed her. It was not a long, dramatic kiss, but it caused his heart to skip several beats.
Daphne looked at him again, her head still spinning from the kiss. "Dr. Crane, can I ask you something?"
"Of course," Niles replied. He could hardly believe he had actually kissed Daphne.
"Would you like to walk me home?" Daphne asked.
"I'd be delighted to," Niles replied, kissing her hand. He paid for their drinks, then began walking her towards the door of the bar.
When they were outside, Daphne suddenly turned to face him. Her heart beat faster as she looked into his eyes. "Just for the record, I love you, too...Niles." She kissed him.
Niles let out a gasp at the sound of his name. He'd been waiting so long to hear those words. And now, as they walked towards Frasier's, he noticed just how beautiful the city was at night. Or maybe it was just that everything seemed better, as long as Daphne was at his side.