We'll Make the Rules as we go

A/N: I hope you give this story a chance. If I had to categorize it, I'd say it's Niles/Roz/Daphne. There once was a very promising story about niles and Roz dating after "Decoys". Unfortunately, it was never finished. My story is probably inspired by it, but I hope the author doesn't feel like I stole anyting. I just wanted to write something different for a change.

His first thought was how soft her lips were. They made him forget about Daphne; he knew her lips as well, but as he kissed Roz he could no longer recall what hers had felt like. His eyes were shut tightly. He didn't want to see who he was kissing, because seriously, it was ridiculous. The whole plan had been one stupid idea. Yet, as he kissed her, as he felt her tongue slip into his mouth he couldn't help but feel… couldn't help but feel something.

„Daphne!" Her name brought him back to reality. Suddenly Roz was heavy in his arms and she felt wrong there. His heart called out for Daphne, the woman he had done all of this for. As so often, she didn't have eyes for him. She only saw Donny. What was it about him? Both Roz and Daphne seemed to have a thing for him and Niles just couldn't see it. There was nothing special about this small lawyer with the curly hair. In all of this, Daphne didn't look at him twice. He had become a bystander in her life. Nothing more than a stranger one says hello to. He thought they were at least friends. As he watched the happy couple leave to spend their first night together, his heart broke into a million pieces.

„That worked out well." Roz complained after everyone was finally gone. The house seemed particularly quiet; as if someone had died recently. Niles felt all the energy leave his body and he had to sit down.

"I can't- she left with him."

"Did you really think this would work?" Roz had gone with Niles' plan, because a small part of her had believed he could do it. She had wanted to believe it, because it would have been like a fairy tale. Donny and her, reunited and with a baby. A family. Yes, Roz couldn't deny that she had wanted to believe. But there had been another reason: Niles. The way his eyes sparkled when he talked about Daphne was a beautiful sight (not that she would ever tell him that). Roz had wanted him to have this, too. Two happy couples in love. She should have known better. She did know better.

"I-I… yes." Niles hung his head, almost in shame. He had truly believed it. When it came to Daphne, he suddenly turned blind and deaf. All he saw was her and the slightest possibility that they could be more than merely friends. For him there was no doubt that they belonged together. Daphne just hadn't realized it yet. Thinking of her with Donny made him feel sick. He could have blamed himself for never telling Daphne how he felt, but at the moment he solely blamed the small man for taking away the love of his life.

"Wanna get drunk?" Roz grinned at him. Maybe for just a second he remembered their kiss. Instead of keeping it simple and innocent, she had really kissed him. It had been a demonstration of her talents, for sure. So far she had been the only one to truly let him forget about Daphne, albeit for only a short moment. He was thankful so he nodded. Roz got up to retrieve some kind of booze. How she knew where to find it was beyond Niles. Maybe she instinctively knew where alcohol was hidden. Like a truffle pig. The thought almost made him smile, but his heart was still too heavy to let in any humor. The moment he saw that Roz had picked the most expensive bottle of wine, Niles felt angry. He had wanted to drink this with Daphne once Donny was out of the picture. Lost in his thoughts for too long, Roz had already opened it before he could stop her. She poured them both a glass and drowned hers at once. Niles just watched her.

"Sorry, I don't feel like a lady tonight." She said and poured another glass. This time she simply took a big gulp. Niles did the same. The wine was as exquisite as he had hoped. The company just wasn't the one he had expected or hoped for.

"I'm sorry it didn't work out." Niles said. The alcohol made him pensive. It rushed through his blood, gave him a funny feeling. He realized he should have eaten something beforehand. Now it was too late and part of him didn't care anymore.

"It's fine. It's really lovely here after all."

"I'm not the man you want to be with though." For a moment they were both quiet and considered what Niles had just said. He wasn't the one Roz wanted to be with; neither was she the one he wanted to have by his side. Many, many times Roz and Niles' lives had been merged together, because she worked with Frasier and had developed a friendship with him. She was Daphne's friend, too. No matter what they did, no matter how often they didn't want to spend time together, someone made them.

"I'm not Daphne." Roz giggled. Daphne was an angel and she herself the devil. She had never told her friend that she thought so. No one needed to state the obvious. Niles knew it, too. Still he turned to look at her. She couldn't read his expression. Then again both Niles and Frasier were mysteries to her. She didn't belong to their world.

Niles' thoughts revolved around something else as he looked at Roz. There were moments he didn't like this woman. Many times in the past he had considered her to be a nuisance factor in his life. All their teasing – all in good fun, right? He looked into her eyes. They were the same color as Daphne's, but they weren't as deep. They weren't as soft or as innocent. Roz was definitely something different. He remembered that her kiss had distracted him earlier. It had made him feel something. Not many things did; his thoughts were always filled with Daphne. All he wanted now was to forget – at least for a short moment. He sat his glass down. He hadn't had too much alcohol, but enough.

He was more nervous than he thought possible when he closed the distance between them. Roz didn't shy away, but neither did she kiss him back. She was too confused, too uncertain about what was happening. Niles closed his eyes, tried to make himself forget about Daphne. As Roz slowly opened her mouth, Niles couldn't think anymore. Roz knew what she was doing – and he let it happen.

TBC