The funny thing is, I'm not quite sure I remember where I was originally going with this story (if I ever had any definitive plans at all), but it does seem to have potential, so I thought I'd give it another try.

Chapter 7

"If you don't stop stuffing your face," C.C. snapped, swatting Niles' hand away from the large bowl of freshly popped buttery popcorn positioned between them, "we're going to be all out of popcorn before the movie even starts!"

Niles grunted at her and dodged her next move as he dove for another fistful of popcorn. She huffed in exasperation as he stuck his tongue out at her tauntingly before tossing another popped kernel into his mouth.

"Very attractive, Niles," she commented sarcastically as she rolled her eyes at him.

"I knew you'd think so," he quipped.

"Shhhhh," she hissed. "The movie's starting."

It was Niles' turn to roll his eyes as she pulled her legs under her to sit cross-legged on the sofa, ignoring his mumbled complaint about her choice of movie. "It's a classic," she had assured him.

Niles was fast asleep in less than an hour, his head tilted back on the sofa cushion, the occasional snore escaping from his slackened jaws. C.C. sighed audibly as she tore her gaze from the television screen to glare at the snoozing, pathetic excuse for a butler.

"Wake up, old man," she said, giving him a sharp blow to his ribcage with her elbow. "You're going to miss the best part."

He groaned, snapping his eyelids back shut.

"The best part? You mean the end?"

Niles released a yelp as she elbowed him once more.

"Okay, okay!" he pleaded, shielding himself with his hands. "I'm awake."

"Good," she replied with a satisfied grin.

Despite his previous protests, Niles found himself making a conscious effort to appear unimpressed with the rest of the movie; he could not, after all, give her such satisfaction to know he was enjoying himself after making so many initial complaints. By the time the credits were rolling, it was C.C. who was softly snoring. She had somehow found herself resting on Niles' shoulder, holding to his arm as if he were her favorite pillow. As the television screen faded to black, Niles knew he needed to wake her, but he had to fight the temptation to simply allow her to continue her slumber. She looked so peaceful and content, and he was certain that he had never seen her look more angelic than she did while fast asleep. He took a slow, deep breath, her head shifting slightly as his chest expanded with the shaky inhale of air.

"Wake up, old man," he teased, poking her more gently in the ribs than she had done to him before.

C.C. sniffed but then buried her face further into his chest as she stirred.

"I wanna stay here," she nearly whimpered, holding tighter to him.

"No, you don't," he laughed.

"Why not?" she whined. "It's comfortable here."

It took everything within him to refrain from gasping as her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin of his neck as she nuzzled him in her drowsy state. He cleared his throat in a nearly desperate attempt to regain control over his own body.

"The… movie's over," he commented lamely, gently trying to readjust her to recline on the cushions of the sofa instead.

C.C. raised a hand to stifle a yawn as she slowly opened her eyes again.

"You're a good, soft pillow," she teased, patting him on the chest.

Niles tightened his jaw and stood, quick to remove himself from her sight before she realized how wrong she was about him being "soft."

To be continued