Don't You Have a Diary?

One could honestly say that Niles Crane had no sense of boundaries when it came to discussing his relationship to Daphne Moon with his brother. Over the seven years of having her working for Frasier and living under the same roof, he had begun to think of her as the one woman closest to him that he did have a good relationship with. Sure there was Roz but Frasier was in the presence of Daphne day and night. He was never able to get along with his aunts or female cousins to that degree. Frasier grew to regard Daphne as his little sister and friend. Somewhere along the line she became more than just the hired hand. He loved her. And Niles as his brother needed no explanation. Quite frankly, he had no desire to have disturbing images of those two doing the nasty in front of, how did Niles put it, a curious grouper fish planted in his head. That was why Frasier felt the need to tell his brother to get a diary.

That's just what Niles did unbeknownst to Daphne as she sat with the leather bound journal in her lap, not reading it but just dreadfully curious. She wanted to read it and she had those sticky fingers about her. Her mind tried to rationalize the reason that it might be right to sneak a peak.

'He did leave it right on the coffee table right in the open.' Daphne thought to herself while gazing down at the gold print of the word journal written across the front. She ran her fingers across the leather feeling the pleasant bumps of the lines that were printed in the smoothness. She loved leather bound books as they reminded her of a luxury she didn't have much of as a child. The first one she received was from Grammy Moon when she turned 20 and she treasured it. This one reminded her of that. And bloody hell she just wanted to read it so bad! She was just about to give into her not so good temptation just as Niles strolled in the living room of the Montana from the kitchen.

He saw that she was very still in fact he saw the book on her knees and he stopped in his tracks. It wasn't that he minded her reading it. It's just that there was the fact that he owned a diary for all intents and purposes. Most men his age didn't have a diary and it wasn't normally acceptable. He found that out in school as he was consistently teased and bullied about it. Yes, Niles Crane did have those little insecurities within him that he carried into his adulthood. He forgot sometimes that he wasn't that awkward little kid in school anymore.

"I didn't read it, I promise!" Daphne rushed out in a very defensive tone.

"It's quite alright." Niles expelled a nervous breath. "Sometimes I still have it in my head that someone's going to mock and tease me for that. I'm not worried that you'll see the content."

"Oh, that's no big deal." Daphne smiled in relief. "I keep one meself."

"I'm a man, Love." Niles explained. "By social norms I am not supposed to own one by any means."

"Oh, Posh!" Daphne explained. "I have no problems with a diary if me man wants one. I think it's sweet. So, I can read it?"

"Of course." Niles answered. "Just bear in mind that I have things in here from when I first met you and my thoughts were very promiscuous. It might be a little….naughty."

"Oooh." Daphne grinned playfully. "A bodice ripper?"

"Possibly." Niles giggled slightly.

Niles was tired and needed to go to bed but Daphne sat up just itching to get her fingers in the inked pages of that journal. When she was alone she fetched it and began with the first page.

'My brother did tell me that he hired an English woman but I only imagined a stout old lady trotting about the apartment. He failed to tell me that she would be the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on. I was married and thinking carnal thoughts only within an hour of meeting Daphne Moon. Oh! And the accent. I could only think of how she would sound as we made passionate love. Then my thoughts drifted to her face. Those deep soulful eyes and plump lips that were made for kissing. I imagined her tall and lean body nude as the day she was born. Her whole body a form of art in my imagination. The beauty and grace. Shortly, I realized that I wanted those long legs around me. I had to shake those thoughts because I had to go home to my wife.

It wasn't long before I started to look for reasons to visit my brother after years of not doing so, mainly to be in her presence. Any morsel of attention she handed me, I gratefully accepted. I suppose you could say I was much like a puppy that followed her everywhere. I'm surprised that she didn't attempt to put me on a leash with Eddie.

I remember the time she tried to teach me to blow smoke rings without success. Hardly a surprise. I almost died as she gave me the chance to come so close to her. If I would have so much as tilted my head I would have kissed her. For the first time the scent of her cherry almond hair permeated my senses. If Frasier hadn't arrived when he did I'm certain I would have made a fool out of both of us.

My male tendencies reared up and devised such concoctions all for the pleasure of spending time with her. I would buy clothing and jewellery under the guise for Maris only to see Daphne in them. I broke a champagne flute when she told me she had to take off her panties so she wouldn't get them stuck in a dress zipper. One time I even smacked my head in the overhead fan in the kitchen trying to sit on the cupboard beside her. Like a fool I fell to the floor in an ungraceful heap. I would have stayed on the floor all day if that meant keeping my head in her lap.

Eventually the clumsiness left me and I started to focus on other things in the midst of her presence. Like her stories and her interactions with my father and Eddie, and how she got along amicably with my brother. I even grew to adore her pointless and silly humour whereas normally I would have found it insipid and annoying.

The time that I remember to be momentous was when she decided to prepare a romantic dinner for Maris and me to help rekindle our relationship. The rain was coming down in gales and Maris stayed where she was while Daphne and I were all alone without power. We swapped stories of ourselves for hours and I don't recall ever being so close to another person. That night I believe I almost made a mistake. I felt that familiar pull stronger than ever and the desire was overwhelming as she lay beside me on the floor. She had her eyes closed resting and I was moving closer, ready to kiss her. Suddenly, the glockenspiel that I purchased for Maris sang like the day that I bought it. I felt like such a cad. It was then I promised that I would never turn Daphne into 'an affair'. She deserved to be shown to the world not to be kept like a dirty little secret. I still carried a torch for her with my hidden glances at her rear every time she bent over in front of me. I always had to look away guiltily wondering why I felt so darned flustered by a set of buttocks.'