Author's Note:Usual disclaimer applies. Many thanks to BaronessBlixen for writing her story "Read Me a Little Love Story" and not minding my rather shameless pilfering! ;) Also thanks to Andrea (iloveromance) for some help w/ hangover symptoms. Last but not least, Leigh Ann (leighann415) for suggesting this title. Thanks, and please R&R! :)
Niles knocked on his brother's door. He silently prayed that Daphne would answer. One smile from her could warm his heart for days. And with Maris spending more and more of her time taking expensive trips around the world without him, he could use all the warmth he could get. In a moment, the door was indeed opened by Daphne. Niles immediately smiled at the sight of her.
"What do you want?" Daphne asked, annoyance evident in her tone.
"Um, did I come at a bad time?" Niles asked, stunned by her response. He'd never known Daphne to be anything but kind.
Daphne smiled, embarrassed. "No, I'm sorry. That was terribly rude of me. But you see, I went out with me girlfriends last night, and I guess I had a bit more to drink than I should have. Thankfully your father and brother both chose to spend the day elsewhere, because me head is pounding."
Niles reached over and gently took her hand. "My God, what are you doing answering the door?" he asked, guiding her back to the couch. When she was seated, he asked, "Is there anything I can get you?"
"No, I'll be all right. I just need to rest for a bit, and I'm sure I'll be just fine by the time your father and brother get back."
"Well, I hate to think of you suffering like this until they get back!"
"It's not that bad, Dr. Crane. I've nursed me brothers through quite a few hangovers. I'm sure you need to be running home to your wife," Daphne said.
"Actually, Maris is away at the moment. Now, just lie down on the couch here, and I'll go make some tea," Niles said.
"All right, but I'm not sure tea is the best thing right now. Me stomach's rather upset."
"Some water, then," Niles said, heading off to the kitchen. First, he reached into the freezer and took out a handful of ice cubes. He wrapped them in a towel, then filled a glass with water. He began opening and closing cabinet doors, looking for where the aspirin was kept. Thankfully it wasn't hard to find. He took one of Frasier's silver tea trays and put all the items on it, taking it out to the living room, where he found Daphne lying on the sofa, still clearly in pain. The sight of her lying there in such obvious distress broke his heart.
Her eyes fluttered open, and she realized he was back. "Oh, thank you, Dr. Crane."
"Here," he said, gently placing the towel on her forehead.
Daphne reached up to reposition the towel. Their hands touched for an instant, causing Niles to blush.
"Does that feel better?" Niles asked.
"A bit," Daphne answered.
"Good," Niles said. "Do you want to take something for your headache?" He held up the bottle of aspirin.
Daphne smiled. "It was awfully kind of you to do all this for me. Especially since it's probably me own fault I'm feeling this way."
"Nonsense, Daphne! In all the time I've known you, I've never seen you drink to excess. Anyone can get a little carried away once in awhile."
Daphne reached over and squeezed his hand. "Thank you, Dr. Crane."
Niles couldn't help himself, he gasped lightly at her touch. But if she noticed, Daphne didn't show it. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"
"You've done plenty for me already," Daphne answered. The smile she gave him made Niles lightheaded for a moment.
"It's the least I can do, considering all you do for Dad and Frasier." He noticed a book lying on the coffee table. "Is this yours?"
Daphne nodded. "It's me romance novel. I was trying to read, you know, to take me mind off how I was feeling, but it's awfully hard to read when the room is spinning." She laughed.
"Well, I could read to you...if you like," Niles said. He picked up the book, thumbing through the pages.
Daphne tried to sit up, which seemed to make her dizziness worse. Worriedly, she grabbed Niles' hand again.
"Maybe you shouldn't try to move," Niles said, gently pushing her back down onto the couch. "And you probably should take something." He opened the asirin bottle, taking out two pills. He handed them to her, along with the glass of water. Daphne very carefully took the pills and swallowed them with a drink of water.
"You should be feeling better soon," Niles said. "Now, would you like me to read to you?"
"Oh, Dr. Crane, you don't have to do that. I know this isn't exactly your cup of tea!"
"On the contrary, Daphne. I don't mind a bit of...escapism now and then."
"Well, if you're sure you don't mind. The bookmark's where I left off."
Niles nodded, opening the book to the page she'd marked. He began reading. The story was about a brave knight risking everything he had in order to save the princess, who he was secretly in love with. At first, Niles thought the book was pure mindless drivel. But he soon found himself caught up in the story. He read page after page, growing more excited as the knight battled dragons, witches and nearly every other mythical creature in search of his beloved princess. When he reached the end of a chapter, he looked up. To his surprise, Daphne lay there with her eyes closed.
"Daphne?" Niles asked.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Dr. Crane. I guess I must've dozed off. Would you mind reading that page again?"
"You're obviously tired. Maybe I should leave and let you rest," Niles replied.
"But I was really enjoying the way you were reading!" Daphne said.
Niles blushed, touched by her compliment. "Well, thank you. But you probably should get some sleep. It'll make you feel better."
"Perhaps you're right," Daphne said, suddenly realizing she didn't have the energy to argue.
"All right, then," Niles said, putting the book back down. Then he stood up.
"Where are you going?" Daphne asked.
"To get you a blanket and a pillow," Niles replied. "If you're going to sleep, you should at least be comfortable!"
"Oh...all right," Daphne replied. Normally, she would've offered to help him find the blankets, but walking around wasn't the best idea at the moment.
"I'll be right back," Niles said. He went off to her room and grabbed the items from her bed. He paused for an instant, intoxicated by the way the room smelled. It was the same scent of cherry bark and almond that he so often smelled in Daphne's hair. Then he remembered his angel, lying there on the sofa. Quickly, he returned to her. "Daphne?" he asked, once again waking her.
"Oh, you're back!" Daphne said, surprised to see him standing there.
"Yes," Niles said. "Just let me put this behind your head," he said. Daphne managed to lean forward a bit, giving him room to place the pillow behind her on the couch. After fluffing the pillow a few times, he picked up the blanket. Gently, he covered her with it. As he did so, he realized that Daphne had, once again, drifted off. "There you go, Daphne. I'm sure you'll feel better soon."
Daphne moaned softly in her sleep. Niles watched her intently, making sure she was all right. What she did next nearly made his heart stop. "Thank you...love you..." she murmurred.
When the initial shock wore off, Niles reminded himself that she was asleep, and still suffering the aftereffects of alcohol. Her words could never be taken seriously, no matter how much he wanted to believe them. Still, he could not resist reaching down to gently touch her cheek. "I love you, too," he whispered. Without saying another word, Niles turned and left Frasier's. He knew that when Daphne awoke, she would likely have no idea he'd ever been there. But Niles knew. And right now, that was enough.