As they walked out of the Elliot bay Towers, Daphne leaned against Niles' chest, sighing when he rubbed her shoulder and kissed her cheek.
It certainly had been a strange day... Strange and wonderful, that is.
Had it not been for Frasier and his ridiculous theory of February 29th being a gift, she would never have taken Martin's advice to get her hair cut.
What a disaster that turned out to be!
But little did she know that her disheveled hair would lead to the most wonderful day of her life.
For instead of sitting in Frasier's condo, crying over her hideous appearance, she was walking down the street on the arm of the most incredible man. How was it possible to feel so much love for someone so quickly?
Only two hours ago, she'd considered Niles to be her best friend. Now she felt such a rush of love for him, that she wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
She'd never felt this way before and she'd never forget the look on his face when he saw her for the first time that afternoon. Unlike Frasier's appalled expression, Niles' face was filled with genuine concern.
"You're beautiful, no matter what anyone says."
The words filled her mind like a sweet memory and she was barely aware of the tears that were sliding down her cheeks. Not surprisingly he noticed her crying and, in the most romantic gesture she could imagine, laid his palm on her cheek, and brushed the tears away with his thumb.
"Oh Daphne, you're not still crying about your hair, are you? Because I meant what I said. You're beautiful."
"I love you, Dr. Crane." Daphne said, smiling at the astonishment on his face as she said the words that had been trapped inside her heart. To show that she was sincere, she kissed him tenderly; smiling as she slowly drew back and stared into his eyes.
"Daphne..."
"I-I know it's ridiculous, fallin' in love so quickly and people are bound to think that I'm crazy, but isn't it your brother who always says the heart never lies?"
"Yes he does. But Daphne-."
"Look, I'm sorry if I'm makin' you uncomfortable but you said all those lovely things to me in your brother's living room. It was only fair to-."
When Niles kissed her once more, she instantly forgot what she was going to say.
"It's so beautiful out." Daphne observed as she stared at the cloudless sky that was streaked with rays of sunlight. "It's like a dream come true."
"What?" She asked; laughing when she noticed him staring at her.
"If this is a dream, I don't want to wake up."
Niles sweet words caused her to pause on the sidewalk and kiss him again.
"I could do this all day." She sighed, unable to stop staring at his handsome face.
"Y-you could do what all day?"
She laughed at the nervousness in his voice.
"Kiss you." She explained. "I had no idea that your lips were so soft and the way you kiss me... No one has ever made me feel this way before."
When she laughed once more he smiled at her, suddenly intrigued by her comment.
"It's silly." She said, quickly looking away. "You'll just laugh at me."
His expression turned serious. "Daphne, I would never laugh at you."
"Thank you, Dr. Crane. That means a lot to me."
"Niles." He corrected.
"What?"
"Call me Niles... Please."
The request caught her off-guard.
"Oh, but-."
"Please? It would mean so much to me."
"All right... Niles..."
His name sounded strange on her tongue; like pronouncing a beautiful foreign word for the first time.
"So, what would you like to do... Niles?" She asked as they neared the busy intersection of Pike and Third Avenue.
"Well, Café Nervosa is right across the street and I would love nothing more than to sit at a table with our drinks and stare into your beautiful brown eyes while we enjoy this glorious sunshine."
Daphne smiled and squeezed his hand. "That sounds heavenly."
As they crossed the street, her heart sank when she saw that the outdoor seating area of Café Nervosa was already crowded with patrons.
"Seems like we weren't the only ones with this idea." Niles said as his eyes scanned the terrace.
"Why don't you order and I'll find us a table?" Daphne asked.
"All right. What would you like?"
"Surprise me." Daphne replied.
Niles squeezed her hand and walked into the café. He was barely in the door when she called out to him.
"Niles?"
he turned in surprise and rushed toward her.
"Is something wrong, my angel?"
Daphne's heart warmed at the sweet name.
"What is it?" He asked when she didn't reply right away.
She blushed, suddenly feeling shy. And then wordlessly she slipped her arms around him and kissed him deeply.
"I love you."
Niles smiled and rested his forehead against hers.
"I love you, too."
She watched as he walked into the café and then turned around to find that the crowd on the patio had disbursed, leaving several tables empty, including a secluded table that was shaded by trees.
The sight made her smile and as she hurried to secure their spot she could feel her heart beat faster.
Perhaps Frasier was right... This day truly was a gift.
A/N: Thank you for reading Chapter 1. Reviews are appreciated!