A/N: Thank you guys for the reviews, I love hearing what you have to think! I've been a bit busy so I know it's been a bit since I updated but, voilà!
The flight home was uneventful and as pleasant as travel could be. Alice glued herself to the plane's window watching the clouds pass by and by while Roz and Frasier talked about nothing of consequence. Martin was waiting at the airport to pick them up, happily offering to drop Roz and Alice off at their place first. She was glad for it, it had been another long day and the last thing she wanted to do was hail a cab with a sleepy kid in tow. Frasier took her bags up as Roz carried a slumbering Alice. In the threshold of the doorway they stood silent for that seemed like an eternity. It was an unspoken question; Frasier answered, leaning down brushing her forehead with his lips and smiling goodnight.
The first day back in Seattle they had to work on promos. That had quickly turned in to coffee at nervosa leading to dinner out then back to Frasier's for a quick but satisfying dessert that had litte do with food at all before Roz had to head home to relive the sitter.
The second day back in Seattle Frasier stopped by Roz's apartment to drop of some papers and lunch that he had picked up at a farmer's market he had wandered through on his way over. ( The lavish bouquet of flowers, he insisted, were for his own apartment but they would surely wilt by the time he got home so why not put them into a vase here? They matched her decor better anyways he assured.) Alice asked if he wanted to watch The Beauty and the Beast with her. Telling himself it would be a shame to miss a retelling of a classic work of literature he stayed, one thing leading to another and returning home early the next morning.
The third day back in Seattle Frasier prepared a quaint dinner party for the five for himself his father, Niles, Daphne, and Roz. All of them had not had a chance to catch up together in a while, everyone having been gone, and dinner flew by. After everyone had finished their quiche Frasier collected the their plates and brought them into the kitchen.
"Just wait till you all taste what I've made for dessert. After months of unsuccessful trials I have finally created the perfect crème puff!"
Roz shared a look with Martin who was rolling his eyes before standing up and following Frasier into the kitchen carrying more plates, which she quickly set down on the counter. She advanced on an unsuspecting Frasier who was putting last minute touches on dessert on the far side of the kitchen's island. Completely enthralled in applying just the right amount of powdered sugar to the crème puffs he had made earlier, he was an easy target. She approached form the side, leaning against him and pressing a kiss to his neck. The importance of properly dressing pastries surpassed a lot of things in Frasier's book, but it stood no chance to Roz's amorous advances. He turned around almost immediately, returning the gesture by dipping his head to kiss the crook of Roz's neck and working his way up to her mouth. Once he reached it, Roz doubled her enthusiasm, pushing him back up against the counter.
Unfortunately that's exactly where Frasier had left his antique tin sifter, filled to the brim with powdered sugar.
A loud crash echoed out of the kitchen followed by a fine white cloud of powdered sugar. Having been at ground zero, Frasier was covered with the stuff, a smattering on his face, even more on his hands which had gone up when he heard it fall, trying to shield both of them.
Martin called out from the other room, "You two alright in there?"
"Yes it's fine… I just … dropped… a thing." He sputtered through the sugar that still clouded the air.
Roz tried to resist but she couldn't help but laugh. Frasier effectively silenced her by kissing her, pulling her closer to him. They broke the kiss fairly quick, nervous that someone would wander in wanting to see what the noise had been.
She grinned at him, "It looks like you've got a little something on your face there Frasier."
After dessert, which had been a success despite the excess of powdered sugar on, well everything, they decided to call it a night, saying thier goodbyes.
Roz and Daphne headed out to call for the elevator while Niles finished up inside.
"Is that a handprint on your arse?"
"WWhat?" Roz stammered.
"Now go on, turn around."
Seeing no way to avoid it Roz turned, while also turning her own head to take a peak. She cringed trying to rapidly think of a way to save face, as there was in fact a set of large white handprints in powdered sugar on the back of her black pants.
Daphne gave her a knowing look, which she rebuffed, " I slipped in the mess. Frasier just… uh … caught me before I fell."
"He caught you by your arse? Oh what a gentleman Dr. Crane is."
Roz gave her a look of warning that screamed 'shut up before Niles gets here'
"Okay okay, it's none of me business." She threw her hands up in the air before adding in a suggestive whisper, "But I will be expecting a phone call later."
Niles, grabbing his trench coat as Daphne and Roz waited for the elevator looked out to the hallway where they stood then turned to Frasier. He squinted his eyes in suspicion, " You and Roz sure have been spending a plethora of time together lately."
"Not really, no."
"Oh I'm sure of it.
He backtracked quickly, " Well we work together, we're friends, of course we spend time together."
He tapped his finger insightfully on his chin, "Fourberie does not suit you Frasier."
Before Frasier had a chance to come up with a suitable reply Niles was already out of the door.
Martin was in his chair working on his beer, "Does he know you two slept together?"
"No he does not Dad! In fact you're the only one who knows so ferme la bouche!"
Martin set his empty beer can on the table next to his chair and put his hands up in surrender, "I'm not going to say anything...but…"
"But what."
"Niles did have a point, you two have been spending an awful lot of time together." A small smile worked it's way across Martin's face, "Roz's place wouldn't happen to be where you were coming home from this morning would it now?"
Flustered, Frasier didn't know how to answer, "So what if it was?"
"If it was, I'd say congratulations, but I'd also say I don't know why you two are sneaking around."
"We're not together, we're just…" Martin lifted his eyebrows in anticipation, waiting for the rest of Fraiser's response, "… I believe the layman's term is 'friends with benefits.' "
"Well that's a stupid idea."
"I beg to differ. Anyways it's none of your business, and I always thought you liked Roz."
"I do! That's the problem. I can personally guarantee that if you two continue this one of you is going to develop deeper feelings at some point. And then what happens?"
Frasier averted his father's gaze, turning around and busying himself pouring a glass of sherry from his decanter.
"Oh Frase…"
"Leave it alone dad.
Frasier started walking towards his room with his glass of sherry but stopped short of the hallway turning back to his father, "It's just…Roz is my best friend."
"Your mother was mine." he paused, wanting to tread lightly on such a delicate subject, "Do you love her?"
"I've loved Roz for years now dad, she's part of my family here in Seattle as much as you or Daphne or Niles."
"That's not what I ment Frase."
"Am I in love with her you mean then?" Frasier turned back around starting to head down the hall sighing deeply, his quite voice still filling the apartment, " I suppose I am."