Part threezies.
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Niles Crane didn't sleep much that night. What little sleep he did receive was restless and light. Even after Daphne's desperate attempt to console him, he only tossed and turned in his bed, before giving up altogether and staring at the ceiling, thinking of Frasier's last words to him.
He had apologized. Even after Niles had reacted so rashly. Obviously, his brother knew something was wrong, and knew how it had affected Niles. So, he apologized, hoping for Niles to accept it with some sort of understanding. But he hadn't, well at least not then. Now, with his guilt level through the roof, Niles realized that he had to get to the root of Frasier's problem, for his own sake, and Frasier's.
And so, the next morning, Niles sat pouring over his physcology books with tired eyes. Yet he failed to see why Frasier might have done something so strange. Perhaps he was lonely, or depressed, or both. It could be a woman, but Niles doubted this, considering the kind of women Frasier dates. But still, there was a chance.
Niles thought about the last woman Frasier had been with. Her name was Endolynn, and seemed to be the same stuffy, sophisticate lady as...well...anyone Frasier had a relationship with. But there was something strange that Niles noticed about her, the way her eyes looked, or the way she acted sometimes that set him off.
And after a while, he decided the best way to sort this out would be to ask Frasier personally.
If he ever got the chance...
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A few hours later, Niles returned to hospital. Upon entering his brother's room, he automatically turned to look at Frasier. Noticing that he was awake, Niles let out a sigh of relief.
"Frasier?" He questioned cheerfully.
Frasier, who was staring out the window with tired, cloudy eyes slowly, turned in the direction of his voice. He smiled softly, "Hey Niles."
Niles pulled a chair over to his bed and sat down, "How are you?"
"Fine I guess. Although this thing is annoying as hell." He responded, looking pointedly at the IV in his arm.
The other man laughed softly. Then silence filled the room, as they looked at each other slowly.
"Why Frasier?" Asked Niles finally, "Why did you do that?! God, do you know how much that hurt me...and Roz?!" He added staring into the light blue of Frasier's eyes.
Frasier looked down slowly, "I didn't want to..." he said gently, sighing. Then he rolled over on his other side and sighed again, "Niles, I didn't mean to hurt you or Roz... I wouldn't even think of doing that if it weren't for..." he trailed off, realizing he had said too much.
Niles' eyes softened a bit, as did his voice, "Endolynn?"
Suddenly, Frasier seemed to clench up a little, and rolled over on his back. Niles noticed a rather large bruise on his chest where he had kicked him.
"How did you know?!" He questioned, fearfully.
Niles stood up, "Frasier I didn't know before, and it was just a guess. But now you seemed to have confirmed that! Frasier...I just don't get it!"
They were both silent as Niles rubbed his temples and Frasier looked at the floor uncomfortably.
"Just don't tell her that you know..." said the older one quietly.
Their eyes met slowly, and upon seeing the terror in his brother's eyes, Niles felt a pang of fear stab his heart.
"Frasier...why?" He questioned softly, already knowing the answer, but hoping, praying to God that his suspicions would not be confirmed, "Oh God, she isn't...Frasier? What is she doing to you?"
"Nothing." He muttered, turning his head so he wouldn't have to meet Niles' painful stare. But the younger sibling could tell by the hurt look in his eyes, that something was wrong.
"Frasier, please tell me."
"I can't."
"Please." The tears stung the back of his eyes as he spoke.
"Niles, I can't....."
"Frasier, I'm begging you...please tell me...."
Frasier took a deep shaky breath, and closed his eyes. A single tear fell from his eye and ran down his cheek slowly, "Niles...she...she...oh God, Niles...." He whimpered.
"Frasier...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you...I didn't know you went through all this... I'm so sorry..." Niles looked hopefully at Frasier, who looked back and squeezed his hand tightly for support.
"It's ok..." he whispered, "You were just scared, that's all. I am too."
"I still feel awful though..."
Frasier looked up at his brother and smiled softly, through tear stained eyes.
"Don't."
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Niles Crane didn't sleep much that night. What little sleep he did receive was restless and light. Even after Daphne's desperate attempt to console him, he only tossed and turned in his bed, before giving up altogether and staring at the ceiling, thinking of Frasier's last words to him.
He had apologized. Even after Niles had reacted so rashly. Obviously, his brother knew something was wrong, and knew how it had affected Niles. So, he apologized, hoping for Niles to accept it with some sort of understanding. But he hadn't, well at least not then. Now, with his guilt level through the roof, Niles realized that he had to get to the root of Frasier's problem, for his own sake, and Frasier's.
And so, the next morning, Niles sat pouring over his physcology books with tired eyes. Yet he failed to see why Frasier might have done something so strange. Perhaps he was lonely, or depressed, or both. It could be a woman, but Niles doubted this, considering the kind of women Frasier dates. But still, there was a chance.
Niles thought about the last woman Frasier had been with. Her name was Endolynn, and seemed to be the same stuffy, sophisticate lady as...well...anyone Frasier had a relationship with. But there was something strange that Niles noticed about her, the way her eyes looked, or the way she acted sometimes that set him off.
And after a while, he decided the best way to sort this out would be to ask Frasier personally.
If he ever got the chance...
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A few hours later, Niles returned to hospital. Upon entering his brother's room, he automatically turned to look at Frasier. Noticing that he was awake, Niles let out a sigh of relief.
"Frasier?" He questioned cheerfully.
Frasier, who was staring out the window with tired, cloudy eyes slowly, turned in the direction of his voice. He smiled softly, "Hey Niles."
Niles pulled a chair over to his bed and sat down, "How are you?"
"Fine I guess. Although this thing is annoying as hell." He responded, looking pointedly at the IV in his arm.
The other man laughed softly. Then silence filled the room, as they looked at each other slowly.
"Why Frasier?" Asked Niles finally, "Why did you do that?! God, do you know how much that hurt me...and Roz?!" He added staring into the light blue of Frasier's eyes.
Frasier looked down slowly, "I didn't want to..." he said gently, sighing. Then he rolled over on his other side and sighed again, "Niles, I didn't mean to hurt you or Roz... I wouldn't even think of doing that if it weren't for..." he trailed off, realizing he had said too much.
Niles' eyes softened a bit, as did his voice, "Endolynn?"
Suddenly, Frasier seemed to clench up a little, and rolled over on his back. Niles noticed a rather large bruise on his chest where he had kicked him.
"How did you know?!" He questioned, fearfully.
Niles stood up, "Frasier I didn't know before, and it was just a guess. But now you seemed to have confirmed that! Frasier...I just don't get it!"
They were both silent as Niles rubbed his temples and Frasier looked at the floor uncomfortably.
"Just don't tell her that you know..." said the older one quietly.
Their eyes met slowly, and upon seeing the terror in his brother's eyes, Niles felt a pang of fear stab his heart.
"Frasier...why?" He questioned softly, already knowing the answer, but hoping, praying to God that his suspicions would not be confirmed, "Oh God, she isn't...Frasier? What is she doing to you?"
"Nothing." He muttered, turning his head so he wouldn't have to meet Niles' painful stare. But the younger sibling could tell by the hurt look in his eyes, that something was wrong.
"Frasier, please tell me."
"I can't."
"Please." The tears stung the back of his eyes as he spoke.
"Niles, I can't....."
"Frasier, I'm begging you...please tell me...."
Frasier took a deep shaky breath, and closed his eyes. A single tear fell from his eye and ran down his cheek slowly, "Niles...she...she...oh God, Niles...." He whimpered.
"Frasier...I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to hurt you...I didn't know you went through all this... I'm so sorry..." Niles looked hopefully at Frasier, who looked back and squeezed his hand tightly for support.
"It's ok..." he whispered, "You were just scared, that's all. I am too."
"I still feel awful though..."
Frasier looked up at his brother and smiled softly, through tear stained eyes.
"Don't."
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