Author's Note: Many thanks to Melinda (melinda08) for writing "The Love of His Life." That bit of fluff got some wheels turning for me, and this resulted. :)
"This is the happiest day of my life," Niles said as he and Daphne walked out of the cafe. He still couldn't believe what had just happened. He'd been talking to Frasier about wanting to propose to Daphne, sharing all the words he would say to prove how deeply he loved her. Unbeknownst to Niles, Daphne had overheard everything and accepted his proposal. Suddenly, the entire cafe had erupted into cheers. Baristas came over to offer congratulations. Niles had never seen anything like it.
"All those things you said about me, I can hardly believe it," Daphne said. She found that she couldn't stop smiling, no matter how she tried. Not that she wanted to.
"Daphne, I meant every word. From the very bottom of my heart. I can promise you that."
Daphne kissed him. "I know. And I love you, too. I wish I could be as good with words as you are. I don't know how to tell you how much I love you."
"You don't need to tell me in words. I can see it in your actions. But we can discuss all of this later. Now I think we need to get to the jewelry store."
"Niles, I don't need a fancy ring to tell me that I'm going to marry you." Daphne hugged him around the waist.
"I want you to have all of the traditional things that go with a proposal, and that includes a ring." Niles kissed the back of her hand. He couldn't wait to put a beautiful ring on her finger. It would be a symbol of the love he had for her, and to commitment he was now ready to make.
Just a few minutes later, they were walking through the doors of one of Seattle's most elegant jewelry stores. "I've never even set foot in a place like this," Daphne gasped. She was nearly blinded by all of the jewels on display.
"Believe me, Daphne, the most beautiful thing in this store right now isn't even in one of the cases. It's the person I'm looking at right now."
Daphne kissed him. She was still amazed that she was actually going to marry this handsome, wonderful man. Niles led her by the hand to the counter. "My fiancee would like to look at your rings, please."
"Wonderful." The saleswoman smiled at them. The love surrounding them was clearly visible. She quickly pointed to the display case right in front of her.
Once again, Daphne found herself overwhelmed. Jewelry was not something she was used to thinking about, especially not anything like this. "I don't know. They're all so beautiful."
"Would you like to try one of them on?" the saleswoman asked. "I can show you something simple, just to give you an idea."
"Well, all right," Daphne agreed.
The saleswoman nodded and opened the case, taking out a rather modest gold band. In the center sat a single, perfect diamond. "May I?" Niles asked. He took the ring and gently placed it on Daphne's finger, just as he'd planned to do when he proposed. "I can't wait to marry you."
Daphne found herself blinking back tears. When she had composed herself a bit, she glanced down at her hand. That one single diamond now seemed to be the most beautiful stone in the world. "I love this. I'll take it."
"Daphne, are you sure? This ring is lovely, but there are so many others here."
"Oh, Niles, I don't really need something fancy. This diamond alone is already more than I've ever had in me life."
Niles looked at Daphne in silence for a moment, falling more in love with her than ever. "If this is what you want, then we'll take it." He kissed her. It didn't take long for him to hand over his credit card. "Now, let me take you home so that I can make you a gourmet meal to celebrate our engagement."
A little thrill of excitement went through Daphne at that. Niles really did want to make this night special for her, and she loved him for it.
Daphne followed Niles into his apartment a few minutes later. She still could not take her eyes off the ring that now sat on her finger. "Make yourself at home, my love. I'll get you a glass of wine while I go and prepare your meal."
"Thank you," she replied kissing him once again. Niles nodded at her and went off to pour the wine. Daphne sat on the familiar fainting couch. A moment later, Niles returned with a glass. He handed it to her, then took a moment to caress her cheek. "You have no idea how happy you've made me."
For once in her life, Daphne was at a loss for a witty reply. She loved Niles so much, and she often had no idea how to put into words how she felt. But Niles didn't seem to mind. After looking into her eyes for a moment, he went into the kitchen to begin preparing the meal. Daphne sipped the wine, unsurprised to find that it was delicious. As she sat there, she looked around the room. She'd been here so many times. Almost everything in this room was unmistakably Niles Crane's style. A long time ago, Daphne might've felt intimidated in a place like this. After all, she was still a poor girl from Manchester. But as she took it all in, Daphne felt a sudden jolt from her psychic powers. The details were sketchy, which was common with her visions. But one thing was very clear: the future she and Niles were about to share would most certainly be happy.
The End