This is fanfiction, not the series. That's why we don't have to deal with this unresolved situation for long.
Thanks for the reviews, people. Let's have some fun!
Evidence
Chapter 7: Challenge
CC was furious, when she reached the office.
She wanted to get back to work and pretend that conversation never happened. It would surely be the best. That was what they usually did, and it had never gone wrong until now.
But she couldn't.
She kept walking from the table to the glass doors, like a furious animal.
There were so many things she should have told him.
(The first of all being she was not the type who goes around saying all the bullshit that comes to mind, destroying the possibility of having a nice and fun afternoon together.)
But she hadn't said anything, because the topic of conversation was delicate and she had been afraid to say too much.
Well, he was right, then. She was not able to be spontaneous around him.
(And yes, she knew she followed patterns. They made her feel safe. Especially around him. He didn't need to remind her of that.)
Niles was the one who made strange unpredictable things.
He had come to lay with her to keep her warm, creating the situation for the Little One to take that damned photograph and send it to them in order to stress how Niles was always there for her.
He now wanted to talk about it, as if they were suddenly the psychologically healthy adults they had to be to be prepared to discuss such a thing as their twisted relationship.
And he was hurt because she didn't want anyone to know about it, even if he was the one who had gone away before everyone woke up – including her.
Wasn't it enough that he surprised her daily with pranks that were the most absurd things on Earth? That he kept giving her wrong directions, not telling her important information, saying her name wrong to reporters, making her cluck like a chicken, calling her a brunette...
Oooook, get out of that line! Remembering that fateful night will not help, here.
CC stopped pacing.
Why couldn't she simply face it? What was the problem of remembering that night?
That kiss?
That effervescence of good feelings that she felt for him daily, and that had exploded when their lips met and their bodies reacted?
God, I'm sounding like a cross between a cheap novel and a Chemistry book.
Oh, well, I have to admit chemistry is something we have...
CC huffed. It seemed she was craving for some good feelings, and she had turned to Niles, of all people, to give it to her.
She had to get those things out of her head.
She took a look at the contracts on the green sofa.
And to her purse, within she knew was the envelope.
She felt repulse for the workload, and desire to take another look at the photo.
She bit her bottom lip in concentration.
She had gone to the kitchen to have a break and, truth be told, she didn't have it.
It meant she needed her dose of Niles 'goodness' before she could accomplish any work, here.
If she was honest with herself, all she wanted to do right now was to seek him and have some good time, doing whatever it was they did when they had time for themselves.
And what was stopping her?
What could happen if she threw caution to the wind and just did what came into her head, as he had so not subtly suggested?
Maybe she should prove to him she was able to.
(She smiled at the thought.)
Better than that: maybe she could show him that he was not able to be spontaneous around her.
(She grinned at that thought.)
CC walked out of the office, not wanting to prepare or plan anything (spontaneity was the keyword, after all).
She stopped just by the door of the office, breathed deeply and started yelling his name to the empty corridor.
She felt like calling him in the most preposterous way possible. It would be great for, at least, breaking the ice.
And, as a bonus, it would show him she was not shaken by their previous encounter.
(Being spontaneous had the advantage of making you realize the positive points of your actions just after you did them.
CC thought it was a refreshing thing.)
Niles appeared from the back of the house, almost running, 'What is it, you mad woman?! What happened?!'
She took her time to look at him.
She noticed he was not wearing his full suit – in fact, he had just some fancy pants, a white shirt, suspenders and a tie (that he was adjusting while he waited for her to answer, not noticing it made obvious he had run to her as soon as he heard her calling his name).
CC had to admit she found him very yummy, like that – a bit disheveled and anxious about her, and wearing something that showed off the shape of his torso.
Not that she would tell him...
Well, why not?
'You took the coat off', she commented, pointing languidly at him.
He looked at himself, confused, 'I was feeling hot', he made a face at her smirk and added, 'Because you annoyed me'.
'I like it', she said sincerely, getting close enough to play with the suspenders with both her hands, showing where her focus was.
'What are you doing?', he asked, giving a startled step back to escape her.
And founding himself against the door across the office one, that was closed since the family had gone out.
'I'm accepting your challenge', CC answered, approaching enough to put one hand in the hair over his ear, 'I'm being spontaneous and saying what comes to my mind... and doing what I feel like doing, around you...', she caressed the outside of his ear, saw him flinch and said, softly, 'Stop it'.
'Stop what?', he asked, weakly, while his eyes darted nervously from her lips to her eyes, 'You're the one harassing me'.
'Was it harassing what you did to me that night at the Fines'?'
'Of course not'.
'Then, this is not, either'.
'I'm not sure the circumstances are the same', he murmured.
'Why did you do that?', her hand got lower, and her fingers reached the side of his neck with feathered touches.
He felt menaced and seduced, and made an effort to say something that made sense, 'I was... trying to help'.
'Uhum… And so am I', she smiled, her hand reached the shoulder and stayed there, feeling the strength and heat in it, 'It's just another way of pointing things out. I'm using gestures, here, and what you did in the kitchen was like this – you were trying to help me while saying I was not able to be sincere and spontaneous, wasn't you?'
His mouth went dry by the contact of her hand and the soft voice she was using with him. It was almost as if she had opted for being patronizing, and he felt he had to fight her the usual way, to test her decision, 'I should have known better than try to give advice to someone as hard-headed as you'.
'I didn't take it as an advice, but as a challenge', she took the suspenders off, letting them fall to his sides and palmed his chest with both hands, now that he had nowhere to escape. She went very close, 'I will prove that I can be a lot more spontaneous than you'.
Niles clenched his fists on his sides, and had to concentrate to answer her, 'That's not how it works. You can't treat it like a bet'.
'Afraid, Butler Boy?', she smirked, moving her hands in such a way that her nails grazed his chest slightly through the shirt, 'May I declare myself the winner, already?', she licked her lips at his suppressed moan and went even closer, so she could whisper in his ear, 'You're always game. Don't let me down'.
She backed off and could see he was thinking furiously, weighting the possibilities. She brought up a hand to loose the knot of his tie and brushed her fingers on his pulse point. She couldn't stop her grin when she felt the agitated beat of his heart, 'So much for spontaneity, uhm? I suppose I'll win this easily'.
'As if', he groaned, his brain process heavily affected by her bold gesture.
Niles realized his mistake as soon as the words were out, but it was too late: CC had already registered what passed as an agreement, and palmed his chest with renewed enthusiasm, 'Good boy! You'll see, we'll have fun!'
And she planted her lips firmly on his.
She just wanted to make a point about her own spontaneity, not get lost in the damn chemistry they had; so, she made an effort and gave two steps behind soon after he relaxed against her and tilted his head to increase the contact – the urge to explore his mouth menaced to take over her, and she didn't think she was ready for that, yet.
Yet?
He blinked at her, panting.
She was panting, too, with her hand over her heart.
This must be dangerous, she thought, I don't think it's right, and still it feels damn right.
Niles gulped down and got off from the wall that, both realized, was serving him as support.
They kept looking at each other.
CC noticed Niles started to reach out for her hand.
Slowly, he raised his arm and extended it until he was able to took the hand that was not on her chest and bring it to him.
He kissed it delicately and looked at her softly, 'Just wanted you to know I'm really game'.
He lowered their hands and hesitantly let go of hers.
Both followed their joined hands with their eyes, until they separated.
Then, in sync, they locked stares again.
CC nodded seriously. She was glad she didn't have to say out loud that she knew he wouldn't let her down when their relationship was at stake. She wouldn't find her voice to do so.
Niles nodded back, and his eyes told her he understood.
She looked away, turned her body to the office door, put her chin high and gave firm quick strides to disappear from his sight.
Niles blinked at the open door, not knowing exactly what to do. There was such a myriad of feelings coursing through him that he didn't know if he should feel elated or terrified by the intensity of it.
He pulled the suspenders back and adjusted his shirt and tie, in a desperate attempt on getting in touch with reality. He was pondering over going to the kitchen to have some time alone and think; he had wished for things to get to this point between them for so long that he felt like he was just hallucinating about this.
It couldn't be real. It must be an evil plan of hers.
On the other side, he had told her he didn't believe in her ability of getting rid of her routines. He should have guessed an action like that would have consequences.
If these are the consequences, he thought, licking his lips and grinning as a fool, I can't say I mind them.
Miss Babcock had approached him, touched him, kissed him – knowing it was him.
The weight of the realization that she liked him to a big extent made him feel rooted to the spot.
He didn't feel ready to get out of the place where those astonishing things had happened.
Suddenly, CC came out of the office again, grabbed him by the tie and pressed another firm kiss into his lips.
And again, she made a visible effort to detach herself and give a step back, saying in an awed voice, 'God, I hope we're not doing something unholy, here'.
'Since when does it stop you?', Niles smiled fondly, happy she had come back and made clear he was not the only one craving for more, 'I really count on your expertise in the satanic field'.
She smiled at him, thankful for the well-known territory, 'You're right. But I'll tell you if you cross any line that is not permitted, even in a spontaneity game'.
He raised a brow, 'And I'll warn you if you do something too much out there. Outer than usual, I mean'.
CC smirked, 'There is nothing I could do that would bring a reaction out of that ancient body of yours'.
'And you are not even trying?'
She opened her mouth to answer, but nothing came.
His lopsided grin while throwing such an innuendo at her was too delicious.
She went to him for one more kiss (this time with her hands clenching the back of his shirt, because when she realized, she was pulling him to her to feel their bodies molding together.
The temptation to deepen that kiss was getting stronger each time).
When they parted, she turned and walked away with the firm strides again, yelling just when already inside the office and out of his field of vision, 'For God sake, give me a break! I have a lot of work to do before the savages are back!'
Niles smirked and yelled back, resisting the urge to peek, 'Should I bring your tea?'
'Please, no! I can't stand the sight of you, right now!'
He grinned – she had answered chuckling.
'Then, I'll make a pie. It will give us some time'.
'Good!', she sounded relieved, 'Thank you, Niles'.
'You're always welcome, dumpling'.
And he went for the kitchen snickering to himself when he heard her cursing.