Chapter 14

Niles woke up. It was still dark, and he was feeling very groggy and tired. He tried to roll over, and found Daphne sprawled in the bed next to him. Niles sat up and looked at her, taking in what he was seeing.

Daphne was lying on her stomach, her face practically buried in the pillow. The pillow itself was now vertical as she hugged it against her body. Her hair was a mess, brunette tangles obscuring her face, and a light snore escaped whenever she inhaled. The rest of Daphne was equally chaotic. Lying mostly on top of the sheets, one of her legs was still tangled in the sheet, but the other was drawn up against her body, bent at the knee. The pajama shirt had ridden up her lower back a bit, so Niles was pleasantly reminded that she had abandoned the lower half of the pajama set with an unobstructed view of one of his favorite features.

It was simultaneously the most awkward looking, but most attractive way he'd seen anyone sleep before.

Niles got out of bed, taking care not to wake Daphne as he did so, and headed to the kitchen to get a drink. He had about a dozen new thoughts floating around his head, all related to Daphne. As he crossed through the living room, Niles spotted his coat lying over the back of a chair, where Daphne had left it after Niles had discarded it earlier that night. He quickly checked the pockets, frowning slightly when the search didn't reveal his cell phone or pager. He tried to remember where he may have left them. Not that he needed them right now, but Niles had been positive that Mel would have tried calling him once or twice... or 500 times by now, hour of the night be damned, and he couldn't recall hearing the phone ring once.

Maybe I was wrong. Or maybe I slept through it.

Niles entered the kitchen and switched the light on. Blinking in the bright light, letting his eyes adjust, he grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. As he turned, he spotted why Mel hadn't called. The handset of the landline sat on the bench, off the hook. Next to it was his cell phone and pager. Niles crossed over, and checked his cell. Turned off. Checking his pager, he noted it was full. He sat at the table, and clicked through the notifications, noticing that all of the messages were from Mel. He sighed, placing it down on the table.

He took a few minutes, focusing on drinking the water as he thought about what he'd found. Daphne had clearly wanted to make sure Mel couldn't disturb them last night. When she had come into the kitchen to get Niles a drink, she must have also brought his cell phone and beeper in as well after she fished them from his coat pockets, and took the phone off the hook. This gave Niles pause. On one hand, if Mel had called, Niles knew he would have answered and stayed on the phone as long as she yelled at him. Even though he wasn't in the right mindset last night to deal with that. On the other, he was grateful that he didn't have to deal with Mel, instead just focusing on himself and Daphne. It allowed Niles to sleep, and even though he was still quite exhausted, it was a vast improvement over how he would had felt if he had needed to deal with Mel.

Did Daphne do this so we could rest uninterrupted? Or because she wants to control when I speak to Mel...

To Niles, this, coupled with the confrontation after the opera, was a clear message from Daphne that she was no longer willing to stand aside passively. No longer wanted to share him. Daphne had essentially dictated how things here will move forward. Not that he faulted Daphne for it, but things being taken out of his hands made Niles uneasy.

Though, I guess things have never been in my hands, or my control, to begin with.

It was an unfortunate pattern. So much of his marriage to Maris was controlled by Maris - Niles almost a bystander to that relationship. With Mel, there was a lot more intimacy, but again, so much of the why, the when, and the how was dictated by Mel. And now, with Daphne... well, they didn't really have anything to compare so far. Mel has still been in control for the majority of their relationship so far.

Clearly I should have drawn better boundaries with Mel from the start.

It would be interesting to see how his relationship with Daphne would change once Mel was out of the picture. To date, they hadn't been able to fully embrace what they had, though not for lack of trying. In the short time since Niles had finally committed to no longer letting Mel call the shots, things had already started to change. And the last 12 hours had changed things the most. Changed the way Niles saw Daphne. Not that it was a bad thing, although it did shake him a little.

Niles thought he knew Daphne better than anyone. So he didn't expect Daphne to challenge him on how he'd be trying to appease Mel. Didn't realise that she wouldn't run from potential rumors about their relationship. Never considered that she would draw a line on when Mel could contact him about his relationship. Or even realized that there were still yet undiscovered scenarios that even seven years' worth of daydreams and fantasies never conjured up.

Who would have know that there would be so many new ways still left to love her.

That was the thing that surprised Niles the most - discovering that he was still falling in love with Daphne. Even the sprawled out, disheveled, snoring version currently lying in his bed. Especially that version. That version of Daphne was a million times better than any other he had fantasized about in the same spot in his bed.

Niles knew, if only on a subconscious level, that the image of Daphne he had created in his mind wasn't entirely accurate. That he had obfuscated certain aspects of Daphne's personality, and invented other parts. Essentially creating a version of her in his mind that fitted his idea of her. Not intentionally - some things were unknown and needed filling in. Other parts were discarded as not necessary for his imaginary purposes. But Niles had felt he knew enough about Daphne that he knew everything about her, and that the things he had invented, would have been true because of this.

Niles finished off his water. He picked up the handset, and looked at it for a moment. He put it back down on the bench, deciding against putting it back on the hook. He'll speak to Mel tomorrow on his own terms. Niles had to call his secretary in the morning anyway and reschedule his appointments, he'd planned to call out sick.

Daphne had the right idea. Hell, I should have trusted her opinion on this more.

Niles shut off the light, and made his way back upstairs. Reaching the bedroom, he stopped, and had to stifle a laugh. Daphne had since rolled over to his side, his pillows now claimed as hers. Niles stood for a moment, trying to work out what he was going to do, before shrugging and climbing into her now vacant side of the bed, too exhausted to do anything else. Sleepily, he contorted himself around Daphne, who laid akimbo across the bed, somehow managing to occupy 80% of the space. Niles snuggled up against her as best he could. Daphne stirred slightly, saying something indecipherable in her sleep, before rolling over. As comfortable as he was going to get, Niles drifted back to sleep, more content than he thought possible.

Daphne awoke, the sun shining through the crack in the curtains landing directly on her face. She scrunched up her face and rolled over away from the offending sunbeam, nearly colliding into Niles as she did so, who was curled up against her back. Daphne opened her eyes and looked around, slightly disoriented, before recalling the night before. She collapsed back onto the pillows, suddenly realizing they switched sides at some point in the night, although she wasn't sure how. Daphne watched Niles for a moment as he slept. He seemed peaceful, the hint of a smile on his face.

Daphne had enjoyed falling asleep in Niles' bed. With Niles. He'd been so tired, that he had fallen asleep almost instantly, only staying awake long enough to let Daphne snuggle up against him. It was wonderful to be held by Niles like that, enveloped in his arms. She'd been trying to catch his smell on his pajamas before they'd gone to bed, and Daphne discovered that she didn't need to do so. The minute they were in bed together, Niles pressed against her, his face burrowed against her neck, the smell of him was everywhere. Daphne had drifted off, not as fast as Niles, but before she did, she wondered if she should just give in to her lust. It has been consuming her thoughts a lot lately and, last night in particular, it had become almost difficult to ignore. If Niles hadn't been so exhausted, she was sure she would have caved the minute they were in bed together.

Her internalized concerns about Niles being obsessed with the fantasy version of herself were not as strong after last night. There were several times he seemed to genuinely see her, the real her. Daphne had noticed once or twice that when Niles looked at her, he seemed to be seeing a different version of herself. Daphne couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was a certain look in his eye, as if he was looking through her, not at her. There was none of that last night.

Niles stirred slightly, and Daphne reached out, brushing an errant strand of hair off his forehead. His eyes flickered over, and he smiled sleepily at her, the hint of a smile from earlier blooming into the full thing. Daphne's heart felt like it missed a couple of beats as he looked at her.

This is something I could get used to.

"Mmm, morning, Daphne."
"Good morning, Niles."
"Did you sleep okay?"

Daphne nodded.

"We seem to have switched sides."

Niles chuckled.

"I got up for a drink, and you'd taken over the bed when I got back. I had to try and squeeze back in."
"Well, you could have woken me up, reclaimed your side."
"You looked much too comfortable."

Niles reached out, and ran his hand down Daphne's arm, before leaning forward and kissing her. Daphne leaned into it, only vaguely self aware about how her breath might smell, before they broke apart.

"Did I tell you how sexy you look in my pajamas?"

Daphne blushed.

"You might have mentioned it once or twice last night."
"Well, let me say it again. You are incredibly sexy in my pajamas. Especially when you're only wearing half of them."

Daphne laughed.

"I'm glad you think so." She rolled onto her back, and stretched her arms above her head, realizing she seemed to have most of the bed. "You're right, I really did take over the bed."
"All's fair in love and sleep," Niles sighed happily. "And you won both battles."

Moving towards her, Niles slid under her arm as she stretched, head resting on her shoulder as he cuddled up against her. Daphne lowered her arms and wrapped them around him. Niles kissed her on the spot just under her ear where her jaw met her neck. It earned him a small moan as reward.

"Careful, I could get used to waking up like this." Daphne warned, knowing Niles would happily agree to doing so for the rest of their lives.
"Mmm, me too."

Niles nuzzled her neck again, pressing another kiss against her throat, his fingers trailing along her jaw. Daphne's breath caught as he did so, the action fanning the already smoldering flame of her desire. She didn't think she could resist him. Didn't want to resist him.

And yet...

"Niles..."

The tone of her voice stopped Niles. He propped himself up, looking down at her. She saw the hint of frustration behind his eyes, and Daphne couldn't blame him. She felt the same frustration herself, even though she was the cause of it.

"Why don't you tell me what's on your mind." He looked at her, curiously. "I feel like this... hesitance is about more than Mel, or waiting for my divorce." Niles had started to suspect this, unsure what exactly it was. But it made him feel guilty, and slightly annoyed, that there might still be some unspoken barrier.
"There is... but I don't know how to explain it."
"Is this something you've been talking to Gloria about?"

Daphne nodded slowly.

"What have you told her? Can you tell me?"
"I- it's hard to say."

Niles fell back against the bed. He lay there for a moment, and Daphne felt guilty.

I've disappointed him.

He looked at Daphne. Concern briefly played across his face at what he saw on hers.

"It's okay, Daphne. Whatever it is, we'll work it out." Niles leaned over and kissed Daphne. Passionate, full of desire, Daphne returned it just as powerfully. Niles sighed as they broke apart. "I need to call my office to reschedule my patient appointments for today. I will be back. Please don't get up yet."

Daphne nodded, not wanting to leave.

"I do want to talk to you about... this, Niles. I really do. But-"

Niles interrupted her, pressing another light kiss against her lips, before finishing her sentence for her.

"But, let's just enjoy our morning together for now."

Niles left the room, and Daphne laid there for a moment.

What is wrong with me. Why can't I just say 'I'm worried about being a disappointment because I don't think I can live up to your fantasies'? Is it because I'm worried about hurting him? Offending him? Because it might be true?

Daphne got up, despite what Niles said, and went to the bathroom to brush her teeth. She wandered about his bedroom, snooping a little through some of the drawers. Daphne peeked through a doorway off to the side that she thought might be a walk in closet, and was amazed at the size. It was a dressing room essentially, his suits and ties and other clothes meticulously arranged and displayed. She went back to the bed, taking a moment to fix the sheets up when Niles returned, two coffees in his hands. He handed one to Daphne, and hopped back into bed with her. She sipped it, grateful for the momentary distraction.

They didn't broach the subject again that morning. They did linger in bed together, cuddling and kissing, talking about nothing in particular. Niles mentioned that he had noticed what Daphne had done with the phones last night, and that he was grateful to put off speaking to Mel. Daphne was glad. She didn't know if it was overstepping, but his cell phone had started ringing while she was hanging up his jacket, and Daphne didn't think either of them could deal with it at the time.

Eventually they got up, sooner than Niles would have liked, but Daphne mentioned she had an appointment with Gloria just after lunch. Niles was a little concerned with how often Daphne seemed to be seeing the therapist, but didn't say anything. He hoped she was able to help Daphne work through whatever she was struggling with. Niles just wished he knew what it was so he could help her too. It was frustrating, to feel powerless, and with not knowing if he had done something. Or was continually doing something to hurt Daphne.

While Daphne was in the shower, Niles called Mel back. She picked up on the third ring. He was expecting the worst, and he got it.

"You bastard! You son of a bitch! You absolute-"
"Mel-"
"How dare you! Do you know how embarrassing it is to have people turn up at 11pm, to say they saw your husband out with his mistress!"
"Mel-"
"For them to say that said husband and his whore tried to tell them that your marriage is a sham!"
"Mel-"
"That my friends are hurt to have been lied to if it is true!"
"Mel-"
"Don't you dare, Niles! You- you did the worst possible thing! How dare you! And you ignored my calls! You, you asshole!"

Niles pulled the phone away from his ear as Mel screamed in anger and frustration on the other end, and he thought he could hear something being thrown. Clearly she wasn't at work this morning. He moved the phone back once the screaming ended, although Mel wasn't done with her rant.

"What on earth were you thinking? Allowing yourself to be seen in public with her! We were supposed to go away in a couple of weeks!"
"Mel, I was never going to go on that trip with you."
"Why the hell not? You owe me! YOU hurt me! YOU left me! Why-"
"Mel, shut up!"

Niles didn't mean to snap, but he was frustrated. Surprisingly, Mel did, shocked to silence at his tone of voice. Niles took that opportunity to continue.

"I was going to speak to you this weekend about it. I'm moving forward with the divorce. You've had plenty of time to come up with whatever story you want. I'm sorry that Daphne and I were caught out by your friends, but your plan was always doomed to fail. What did you expect?!"
"I don't know." Mel's voice was quiet, defeated. "I guess I wasn't ready to give you up, just yet."
"I'm sorry, Mel. All this did was hurt us both more."

He thought he could hear her crying on the other end, and it broke his heart.

"Oh, shut it, Niles. You're not the one hurt here. We both know you don't care. You just want to get rid of me so you can move on with that... with her."
"That's not true. I cared about you, Mel. Truly. I still do. I wouldn't have put up with this charade as long as I did, if I didn't care."
"Whatever. You'll get what you want."

Mel hung up.

Niles sighed. He was hurt, and felt guilty. Maybe he should have tried to play her game a little longer. Maybe-

No. It's not fair on Daphne. And, at the end of the day, it wasn't fair on Mel. Or even me.

Niles dropped Daphne back off at Frasier's. Before she got out of the car, he asked her back over that night for dinner, and maybe to talk things through. Daphne seemed nervous, but agreed. Whatever this unspoken barrier between them was, they needed to sort it out. Hopefully soon.