Chapter 11

The Hangover

Niles awoke slowly as the first tendrils of sunrise began slithering down the gauzy curtains and pooling onto the floor. His first coherent thought was that he should have known better than to have so much to drink the night before. His second was that something or someone was weighing heavily upon his side.

He uncovered his head and peered down at the sleeping figure dozing peacefully on him. Her blonde hair was mussed about her head which lay just at the bend of Niles' side. She was curled in a near fetal position perpendicular to his body. He couldn't quite remember how or when she had moved that way and wasn't sure how it would be best to move her from it now. Niles watched as her chest rose and fell with each deep breath she took. He marveled at how she, drunk and dozing, could still manage to be the most beautiful creature he had ever known. He cringed at his sappiness and chose to simply blame it on the aftereffects of the alcohol.

Gently, Niles smoothed down her hair around her face, fearing how she would react upon awakening. Still caught in the light wave of sleep, C.C. wrapped her arm around his and tugged it across her chest. He held his breath. Surely she would awaken and begin shouting at him. Any moment now…

"Niles?"

Her voice was weak and hoarse. Her eyes struggled with the brightness of the morning sunlight as they fluttered open.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, making too sudden of a movement as she tried to sit and grimacing as she did so.

"Well," he replied, his voice low. "It is my bedroom."

C.C. groaned.

"That's why it reeks of butler in here," she complained, shutting her eyes but making no effort to move off him. "How did I get here?"

"You said you heard a noise during the night," he explained, stifling a yawn. "You insisted you were sleeping here."

She looked at him as if she were going to argue but, having no recollection of the night at all, seemed to suddenly change her mind. C.C. made an effort to move again, and he carefully helped her to a slouched sitting position. She held her head and whimpered, and sympathy coursed through Niles' body as he knew the pain she was feeling.

"Take it easy," he spoke gently.

"Why did I do that?" she whined, and he knew she was referring to her glutinous alcohol intake the night before.

"In all fairness," Niles said, stretching under the covers, "I started it."

"So it's your fault," she teased, a small smile breaking through the pained look on her face.

"Isn't it always?"

"Mmm, I can't argue there," she chuckled.

It wasn't lost on Niles that C.C. had made no real attempts to flee the room immediately as he would have expected. She seemed to be taking her time to move from the bed at all.

"I'll get us something for this headache," he offered, "and we can have coffee and some breakfast."

C.C. made a face.

"I don't think I can eat…"

Niles sat up in bed, turning away from her to dangle his legs from the edge.

"It'll be good for you," he said quietly but with no room for argument.

"Are you sure you know what's best for me?" she asked, a playful tone hinting at her voice.

He turned over his shoulder to flash her a sly smile.

"You bet I do."

To be continued