"I sink like a stone that's been thrown in the ocean
My logic has drowned in a sea of emotion
Stop before you start
Be still my beating heart"
--Sting, Be Still My Beating Heart
Niles knew she was only trying to be nice. He knew that she didn't want him to go home and have to sit by himself, and that was why he came in. She could have let him leave -- heaven knew that she had plenty of reason to be uneasy in his presence -- but she invited him inside for a drink, all of her worries thrown behind her in an attempt to make someone else's life better. It was typical Daphne.
And one of the many reasons why he loved her.
She pleasantly lead him into the kitchen where she proceeded to make their tea, although her entertaining chatter was absent today. He supposed she had reason for that, too... but he wasn't extremely disappointed. He liked watching her as much as listening to her; all grace and fluidity as she went about her various jobs, her lips turning up into a beautiful smile when she'd accomplished something particularly unnerving...
When the tea was ready, she handed him his cup and saucer, ushering him to the dining room table. She took a seat across from him.
Niles wasn't expecting conversation, but Daphne spoke.
"So... six years?"
His heart skipped a beat, and he looked up from his tea to see her staring at him, a casual sort of tone to her voice.
"Er... yes."
She nodded, and then turned her head back to her drink, a few strands of hair falling into her face. His heart sped up and he had trouble swallowing when he saw this... he was overwhelmed with a sudden need to smell her hair. Cherry bark and almonds... peach blossoms, lavender and vanilla.
She started the next bit very slowly, "Your... your brother said that you know quite a bit about me." She carefully raised her eyes. She looked so meek, glancing up at him with nervous anticipation in her eyes.
"Only what I could gather for myself," he replied, his voice shaking horribly. This was not going very smoothly...
Daphne drew a breath, took a sip of tea, and then continued the conversation. Niles could tell it was not one she wished to be having, but there was an echo of resolution in her eyes. He expected she wanted to know how he had gone about loving her from behind. Now that he was next to her, she probably thought him ridiculous.
"Your father also mentioned that you had a habit of... of smelling my hair,"
He eyed the piano as his spine straightened -- something that always seemed to happen when he was about to begin hyperventilating or having a panic attack.
"Yes."
"How on earth did you manage it? I don't believe I ever caught you..."
Piano... piano, piano.... "Well, -- er... I mostly did it whilst you were in the process of turning around... And you nearly caught me, once. The -- the first time."
His lungs were burning, and Daphne's eyes were widening. He didn't want this to be happening. This wasn't the way things were meant to work....
"Dr. Crane, are you alright?" Her voice soft with concern, her eyebrows raised in alarm... It was barely a second before she was by his side, helping him hold his head between his knees and insisting that everything would be fine.
When they had slowed his breathing and he was able to sit upright, she went to get him a glass of water. And, absolutely exhausted and terrified, he went to the piano.