Chapter 18


Niles slept poorly that night. As with the previous evening, Daphne seemed to take over the bed. Not that Niles minded too much - it seemed to be a small price to pay to be sharing a bed with Daphne. At one point, however, she accidentally kneed him in the stomach as she rolled over, waking Niles out of the light slumber he'd fallen into. At that, Niles went to get himself a drink to walk it off, feeling wide awake.

Upon returning, Daphne had taken over his side of the bed again, her face buried into his pillows. As Niles had done the previous night, he slid back into her original side of the bed, and made himself as comfortable as he could. Unlike last night, falling asleep again was a difficult task as the position he was now in gave him the most wonderful view of Daphne's nude body sprawled out on top of the sheets. The memory of their time together earlier that evening returned, and Niles found himself getting aroused again. He rolled over to check the time, then sighed frustrated, deciding it was probably too early to try and wake Daphne up to instigate something.

Rolling back towards Daphne, Niles contented himself with spooning her, burying his face in her hair against her neck. The smell of her hair was intoxicating. He moaned softly, wondering what time would be acceptable to wake Daphne up. He snuggled down a bit more, trying to settle back to sleep despite what the rest of his body wanted, when he felt Daphne stir. Niles tensed slightly, unsure if she was going to try and roll over, or accidentally knee him again, when she moved her head to look at him, eyes blinking blearily.

"Niles? What time is it?"
"It's 3:30 in the morning. Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."
"It's okay..." She yawned, rolling back into his embrace, her naked body now pressed firmly against his. "S'nice..."

Niles shifted slightly, trying to get comfortable, suddenly conscious of how turned on he was at this moment, and how painfully obvious that was.

Daphne was about to settle back to sleep when she noticed Niles carefully adjusting his position behind her. It didn't take much to work out exactly why. She smiled, suddenly wide awake.

"Well, I see someone else is up."

Niles was confused for a moment, before he realised what she was referring to. He let out an awkward, giddy laugh.

"Er, yes. It's... uh..." He trailed off as Daphne took his hand and moved it down towards her hips, pressing herself against him.

That was all the encouragement Niles needed. He pulled Daphne closer, kissing along her shoulder and neck as his hand trailed along the curves of her body. Daphne leaned into the touch, encouraging his exploration. Niles' hand moved further down the curve of her behind, squeezing and caressing her, parting her cheeks slightly as he did so. Daphne moaned as Niles touched her, now totally aroused as Niles continued to play with them, enraptured by how they felt in his hands.

Niles ran his fingers up and down the back of her legs and along the inside of her thigh, noticing Daphne's reaction when he ran his fingers just below the curve of her ass cheek, where it met the top of her leg. He moved closer to the spot where both legs met, trailing his fingers along the crack as Daphne writhed under his hands, voicing her pleasure at his touch.

Niles pressed his hand against Daphne's thighs and she parted her legs to give him access. He slipped his hand between, finding her wet entrance. His fingers slipped easily inside and he started to move them in and out, as Daphne tightened herself against him, letting out a gasp at the sensation. Unable to contain himself, Niles started to rub his erection against her ass, a low groan escaping his lips, which he pressed against the nape of her neck, the vibrations of Daphne's own groans vibrating against his mouth. Niles continued to thrust himself against the curve of her behind, driving himself crazy just by the thought. Daphne pressed herself harder against him, a pleading moan now escaping her lips, wanting more, needing him, please.

In one movement Niles pulled Daphne towards him, onto her back. He positioned himself above her, and kissed her deeply. Daphne pulled him closer, wrapping one of her legs around his waist as her hand moved down and found his throbbing cock. Niles thrusted against her hand, his need as urgent as hers.

Daphne guided him into her, and Niles groaned, thrusting against her as Daphne raised her hips up to meet him. Her other leg wrapped around him and pulled Niles down against her, tightening against him, her arms around his shoulder. They moved together like that, both lost in the sensation, Daphne moaning that she wanted him, needed him, deeper, harder, when Niles pulled back slightly. He grabbed Daphne's legs and pulled one over his shoulder. Daphne turned to the side slightly as Niles did so, allowing him to fondle her ass as he thrusted. The change in position now allowed Niles to penetrate deeper with his thrusts, and Daphne cried out as she came, trying to catch her breath as she kept up with his movements. They continued at this pace for a few more moments until Niles came, unable to hold out any longer. He collapsed against her, panting slightly from the exertion.

Niles brushed Daphne's hair out of her face, kissing her.

"I love you, Daphne."
"I love you, Niles."

They finally untangled themselves, and got settled back into bed, drifting off again blissfully happy in each other's arms.


The rest of the weekend saw them unable to keep their hands to themselves.

They woke up together, and enjoyed most of Saturday morning in bed, not leaving for more than a few minutes at a time. Daphne, who originally planned to head back that afternoon for Martin's exercises, decided to instead stay, reasoning that one weekend without her wouldn't hurt them.

Not that Niles was arguing. He had been deliriously happy since their argument had broken whatever walls they had unknowingly put up between them. He noticed idly that Mel hadn't attempted to contact him once that weekend, and decided that their conversation Friday morning really did signal the end of things. Honestly, Niles was relieved. He had been worried that Mel would have tried something else after she received the divorce papers, but her resolution must have been genuine.

Which meant Niles had more time and energy to devote to Daphne. Oh, Daphne. Niles didn't think his love for her could grow greater than it already was, but that weekend had proved him wrong. Daphne, who Niles now realized had been holding herself back, was now completely open and honest around him. With every passing hour, Niles found something new to appreciate, something more to love.

And Daphne, already aware that she was in love with Niles, found herself falling for him even more. Her initial worry that Niles was holding onto a fictitious version of herself was now completely gone. She could tell, in the way he looked at her, talked to her, he was now seeing and appreciating the true version of herself. Niles no longer seemed to be adjusting his behaviour and thoughts to what he thought Daphne wanted, and she'd never seen him be so open, honest and vulnerable with anyone before.

It was incredibly attractive.

As they spent more time in each other's presence, talk became banter, banter became impassioned debate, impassioned debate became sex, before turning back to talk, and the cycle began again. Affectionately they called out each other's flaws and idiosyncrasies, their better qualities and traits, before being unable to resist each other again.

By Saturday night, they had worn themselves out enough to be content lying on Niles' bed, watching a movie on TV. Niles wasn't really feeling the movie, which was some romantic comedy that Daphne had him stop on while they were flicking through the channels. Starting to get hungry, he turned conversation towards what they wanted for dinner instead.

"Hungry?"

Daphne nodded, her attention still on the movie.

"I could eat. What did you have in mind?"
"I can try and get a table somewhere tonight. Chez Henri or Le Cigare Volant can usually squeeze myself or Frasier in at short notice."

Daphne pulled a face.

"I don't much feel like going out. Too much effort. Besides, I don't think I packed anything fancy enough to wear for those places."
"Okay. I could cook?"
"Mmm? What did you have in mind?"

Niles thought for a moment, before grinning sheepishly.

"Not a clue. I'd have to go see what I have ingredients for."
"Does that involve you getting up?"
"Yes."

They were quiet for several moments, neither of them making a move from the tangled embrace they were currently in, the movie reaching some sort of penultimate moment as they watched.

"Well?"

Niles groaned exaggeratedly.

"I'm getting there. Give me a minute."

Daphne chuckled and planted a kiss on his cheek, which was the only place she could reach without moving too much.

"Should we just order takeout?"
"I guess..." Niles didn't seem to enthused.
"Pizza?"
"Mmm..."
"Chinese?"

Niles frowned.

"I could order takeout from Perisse?"

Now it was Daphne's turn to frown.

"No."
"Well, that was productive." Niles sighed, frustrated.
"Sorry you didn't like my choices."
"Sorry you didn't like mine."

Daphne kissed him again.

"Let's both get up and raid the fridge." She suggested.
"I suppose so, if we have to." Niles sighed, as if getting up was the last thing he wanted to do.

They dragged themselves out of bed and down to the kitchen, just wearing robes. Daphne playfully shoved Niles as she squeezed past him and headed down the hall ahead of him. Niles grinned, and sped up to catch her.

Reaching the kitchen, Niles and Daphne stared at the contents of the fridge, trying to muster up enough energy to actually prepare something.

"Looks like we already ate everything that didn't require preparation." Niles sighed.
"Pizza is looking pretty good right now." Daphne looked at Niles. "Just give in and eat cheap takeout with me, Niles."
"Oh, all right. But tomorrow, I insist we go out somewhere to eat. My choice."


True to his word, Niles and Daphne managed to drag themselves away from the Montana long enough for lunch. They had to park a couple of blocks away, and the weather had turned so it was raining. Niles had lent Daphne one of his trench coats, and they shared an umbrella, holding hands and standing close to try and keep themselves dry. Something about this scenario excited Niles, who enjoyed every second of the walk.

Throughout lunch, Niles couldn't get over how lucky he was. While waiting for their food, Daphne had reached across the table and held Niles' hand while they talked. The small gesture was everything to him. He found himself running his thumb across the back of her hand affectionately.

After a couple of glasses of wine with lunch, Daphne was in a playful mood on their way back to the car. She was still wearing Niles' trench coat, but the rain had stopped so they didn't need to press against each other under the umbrella. They held hands again, and Daphne cheekily tried to drag Niles towards various puddles as they walked. She never quite pulled him through them, not actually wanting him to get his shoes wet, although she did pull Niles close enough that he had to sidestep or jump over a couple. Daphne's mood seemed to be infectious as Niles willingly played along. They bumped against each other as they shoved and pushed back and forth as they walked, dissolving into giggles as they tried to see how close they could get the other to disaster - or at least, wet shoes.

Niles noticed a couple of people that they passed staring at them, but for once he didn't care. He was having fun, and anything at this moment was worth hearing the woman of his dreams laugh. The sound was like music, and Niles was addicted to finding new ways to draw that sound out.

Back at the apartment, they immediately fell against the fainting couch again, sex once again at the forefront of their minds. Daphne had discovered Niles had rather limited experience with anything beyond missionary. Instead of this being a disadvantage, if anything it improved the sex between them. They explored various positions that weekend, finding out together what they liked, or what they liked slightly less. Daphne noticed that Niles was becoming more bold, more confident in his actions, his first and foremost goal always seemingly to ensure Daphne was satisfied.

And she was. Daphne was surprised by the fact that sex with Niles was the best she'd ever had. His attentiveness, his willingness to listen, they way he remembered what she liked - all that combined meant that Niles was fast becoming an expert in what got her off. And Daphne loved the attention. The fact that Niles treated her like she was the centre of his universe made her feel incredibly sexy and desirable. And she enjoyed being able to please him too. It didn't seem to take much, but it was a wonderful feeling to be the reason that Niles was so happy, so open, so free.

Dinner on Sunday night was a little more thought out, and they prepped something while they weren't too distracted or lazy. Daphne enjoyed cooking with Niles. He was a better cook than she was - as much as she hated to admit it her skills were somewhat rudimentary, more focused on quantity over quality, honed by years of cooking for 11 (sometimes 12) people on a tight budget. Nothing wasted, everything stretched as far as it could be, taste sacrificed for nutrition, nutrition sacrificed for cost.

But Niles, who had only started really cooking for himself again a few years ago when he separated from Maris, had developed a passion for it in a way Daphne never did. Watching him was always a joy for Daphne, to see him so focused and dedicated. Cooking with him seemed to transfer that energy to Daphne, and it no longer felt like a chore as she found new ways to appreciate what they were preparing.

For years, Daphne had noticed it was one of the few things Niles did where he relaxed enough to let his true self show through. But that didn't seem to be an issue anymore. Friday night had fractured whatever façade that Niles had up to protect himself, and the same could be said for Daphne. They seemed to be open and honest with each other in a way they never were before.


The weekend was over too soon. Before long, Monday morning was shining through the window.

The sun fell across Niles face, through the gap in the curtains. He scrunched up his face and rolled over towards Daphne. She had buried her face between the pillows to escape the same sunbeam, so all that showed was her tousled hair. Niles swept some of her hair back to reveal her neck and cheek, and he peppered a few kisses there. Daphne groaned, still sleepy, and moved her head so she was looking at Niles.

"Morning..." She smiled sleepily at him.
"Good morning." Niles returned the smile.

He loved waking up next to her. In his mind, Daphne was at her most beautiful in the moments after her eyes opened. The way she looked at him, with such love and affection, as if she was just as glad to see him made his heart feel like it skipped several beats.

He attempted to brush some more hair out of her face as Daphne rolled against him, wrapping her arm across his chest, nuzzling under his arm and resting her head against his shoulder. Daphne kissed him in the spot just under his jaw, and Niles sighed, completely content.

They had both admitted the night before they were a bit sore from the exertion of the weekend, so they were more than content to lie there together, doing nothing more than basking in each other's company. Niles had started to get used to Daphne's erratic sleep habits, and he had collected a couple of small bruises from the weekend. Not that he minded.

Daphne's hip had blossomed a decent sized purple bruise from their first time together, when she had landed on the floor. After it had appeared, Niles would make an exaggerated show of 'kissing it better', before moving on to kissing other, more intimate parts of her body. It made her laugh each time, which Daphne suspected was why he did so.

"How long can we lie here?" Daphne snuggled closer to Niles, hoping it would be a good while longer.
"Not too much longer, unfortunately." Niles sighed. "I have to go to work."
"And I have to go home to your brother's."
"I miss you already." Niles pouted slightly.
"I haven't even left yet."
"I know. But, in a couple of minutes we'll get up and get ready for the day. Then we'll have to leave, and go out separate ways. The weekend will truly be over then."

Daphne kissed him.

"There will be other weekends."
"But this was our first. Our first weekend spent completely together. No one else, no other interruptions. Just you, and me..." Niles trailed off as he returned Daphne's kiss, deeper this time. They broke apart, and he continued talking. "The real world will return. The one full of other people and expectations and responsibilities. This weekend... this weekend is the best I've spent with anyone, ever. It was long overdue-"

Daphne laughed, as she pulled him closer.

"We were getting a bit sexually frustrated, weren't we?"
"No, no... well, yes - but I'm not just talking about the sex... though I will say, the sex was..." He trailed off, exhaling contentedly at the memories.

Daphne chuckled again, kissing his cheek to bring him back from his thoughts.

"I agree. But you were saying?"
"Oh, yes. It was long overdue that we spend time together like this. To find out who we are together as a couple, and as separate people. I've told you things about myself this weekend that no one else knows. And... I no longer feel like I'm going to lose you if I misstep."

Daphne nodded, feeling a wave of emotion hit her.

"I feel the same way, Niles. I fell for you, over several years it seems, without knowing it. Then, I found out you felt that way about me. Then suddenly, we were together, confessing our feelings. It was exciting, but scary at the same time." She traced her finger along his jaw as she spoke. "I discovered that even though I fell in love with you, I didn't really know you. You know? We were friends - good friends, but..."
"There was a barrier."

Daphne nodded, agreeing.

"There was a barrier. Societal expectations which kept us from truly being close. So, I started to worry. What if this didn't work out? I didn't want to disappoint you, to have the risk we took, the lives we upended, be for nothing. And I didn't want to lose you. So, I think I tried to be the person I thought you wanted."

She kissed Niles again, and he pulled her closer.

"But now..."
"Now, we can be ourselves, together." Niles finished her sentence.
"Yes. I love you, Niles."
"I love you too, Daphne."

They laid in bed together a little longer, until they could no longer avoid the inevitable. So they got up, showered, changed. Made coffee, ate some breakfast. Then, unable to delay leaving any longer, they walked hand in hand out of the apartment to the parking garage.

They kissed, lingering, wanting to stay, but knowing they had to return to their day-to-day lives. It was difficult to think about their jobs and having to interact with other people. People outside of the bubble they had created for themselves together that weekend. Eventually saying goodbye, they finally parted and headed to their separate cars, both smiling at the thoughts of one another.

There was something different about venturing out after that weekend. They had discovered so much about one another, grown as a couple, and come out of everything stronger and more in love.