Part 3 of the night of the party (Yes, it never ends… I'm lucky I'm enjoying it!)
Evidence
Chapter 18: Dealing
Niles stayed frozen and wide eyed, looking at CC, and she couldn't help but smile at his expression: he was confused, and clearly hoping it was her who had spoken in a nasal voice, just to mock him.
'Niles, this is serious. If you don't come here, I'll go to your door and knock until you talk to me'.
(As if she could mimic that voice.)
Now he looked at the intercom, and he was shocked that the interruption was real.
'Yeah', CC told him, 'There's someone bursting our bubble again'.
He looked at her: now reality dawned on him and he frowned painfully.
She shared the feeling: the situation was so absurd it seemed impossible to deal with it with something much different from despair.
'Answer her', she whispered to him, caressing his back with her hands in a consoling gesture.
(This is the kind of supporting person she has been, lately.)
He shook his head and stammered, 'I-I don't think I can'.
She knew he was referring to the position they were in, with him nestled between her legs and their bodies touching intimately. There was no other place they would rather be, right now, but there was no gain in pretending there was no world outside.
(Especially when the world outside was a nosy Nanny.)
And she knew he was referring to the fact they were so close, and not just physically, that it was horrible to admit anything could separate them.
'I'll help you', she whispered and moved to be closer to the intercom on the wall, getting to an almost sitting position.
Fortunately, the intercom was close enough to the bed; so, when she moved a bit behind, he supported some of his weight on his knees to be able to keep their bodies still together and follow her moves, and soon it was enough that one of them stretched the arm to press the button and talk back to Fran.
Unfortunately, each move they did rubbed something on something, and Niles moaned exactly when the brunette opened the channel to talk again.
'Sweetie? Are you sick? Should I go there?'
'Talk to her', CC coaxed, lowly, on his ear.
He nodded and breathed deeply, preparing for the conversation.
While he did it, he followed the blonde with his eyes: CC was pulling the covers of the bed around them, and adjusting her legs, so she was able to caress his with hers.
When she felt comfortable enough, she rested her hands on his chest, and stayed looking at him, waiting for the scene in front of her to develop.
Niles found it confusing that she would tell him to communicate with a person who was asking him to go to another room, while acting as if she was so comfortable she intended to keep him there.
Confusing and lovely, as he found her all the time.
He reached out and pressed the button, 'Miss Fine', he greeted in the grumpiest voice both women had ever heard, even from him, 'Stay where you are. I'm all right'.
'Finally! I've forgotten what a heavy sleeper you are'.
He closed his eyes for a moment, because CC raised her hips against him as if it was really difficult to move, at Fran's use of the word 'heavy', and snickered. He glared at the blonde, who blew a kiss at him in response. Smiling, he shook his head and pressed the intercom again, 'Can't you wait until morning?'
'Better not. I'll need all the help I can get', her voice went to a stage whisper, and CC wondered if that woman really believed she could manage talking discreetly in any circumstance, 'It's about that purse I lent Val'.
Niles frowned, trying to remember what she was referring to.
'Purse?', CC pulled him to purr into his ear, 'If you need one, you just have to ask me', she backed away enough to see the sideways look on his face at her teasing, and smirked, 'I don't mind your hands on my things'.
He rolled his eyes and pressed the button again, 'I have no idea what you're talking about, Miss Fine, but I'm sure it can wait until I can use my brain decently'.
'But I won't be able to sleep until I have told you what happened! I need advice!'
CC put her tongue out, mocking the worry in the nasal voice.
Niles tried not to laugh, 'Again: I'm not exactly the thinker, right now'.
'I can do something to wake you up. What do you need?'
The mattress started shaking, because CC was laughing too hard, a hand over her mouth to not let the sound escape.
Niles looked at her in amusement.
He gave up and pressed the button, 'Give me five minutes, Miss Fine. Prepare some tea. And this time, use the microwave, to not burn yourself again'.
'He-he! You're already sounding like yourself! Thank you, Sweetie. I'm waiting!'
When the intercom went silent, the butler just stayed looking at the socialite. She was starting to calm down, with a lingering smile still on her face.
She was in such a good mood she glowed. For a moment, Niles wondered (not for the first time) if that was the kind of beautiful she would be when they finally made love. He had seen her glowing in fury, in sureness, in determination, and now he was seeing the glow of comfort. He wanted to be the one responsible for her joy, and not just because she found him funny – he wanted that inner shining he fantasized about seeing in her satisfied face.
CC noticed his loving gaze and raised a brow, 'Five minutes, Niles? After so much waiting, that's all the time you'll want with me?'
'Never, Babcock', he kissed her cheek, 'To be fair to a woman like you I will need a lifetime'.
She looked at him back for some moments, having noticed the verbal tense and feeling a bit too much excited about it. She pulled him to her, so she could hug him tight, 'You should stop blurting this kind of thing', she pushed him by the shoulders, to glare at him, 'It's scaring'.
'I'm sorry', he pecked her lips and changed his face to be more of a cheap charmer, wriggling his eyebrows, 'To be fair to a woman like you, I surely will need at least a whole night'.
She smiled approvingly. She loved that he knew when to let things go, 'I hope so, Hazel', she sighed and let a finger caress his chin and got serious, 'And that's why I'm going to my room'.
He pouted half-jokingly, 'But I have at least four minutes, yet'.
She threw her arms over his shoulders, 'And you intend to spend them like this?'
'Uhum', he shrugged and snuggled closer to her, 'What else can I do? You're irresistible when you're like this'.
'Almost naked?'
'Yes', he pecked her shoulder, 'And relaxed', her cheek, 'And, especially, in my arms', her lips.
She smiled at him while they stayed locked in a longer kiss.
Her hands went again to his back, lowering until they reached his ass (very accessible in this new position), things got heated again, and his hands covered her breasts in a delicate caress.
With a deep sigh, she brought her hands to his and stopped them. She didn't take them away, but she stilled his movements, just maintaining him in place, 'You'll have to calm down before going to the kitchen. I don't want you all up while talking to Nanny Fine'.
(She knew she suddenly sounded jealous, and for a moment she desperately searched for a way out, preparing for him to rub it in her face…)
'I don't want to go', he said seriously, kissing the hands that covered his, 'And I really don't want you to go'.
(He didn't seem to notice her slip, or just didn't take the idea seriously.
CC found it interesting that he would not even think of the possibility of being aroused in the presence of the crazy nanny; he was worried just about the fact he would have to get out of her arms, and that it would send her away.)
Taken by a wave of tenderness, she put her hands on the sides of his face and brought him closer for a new round of kisses.
He relaxed his body against hers again, taking his hands from her breasts to caress her hair and neck in something that was more tender than sexual, and both sighed in unison.
She broke the kiss, 'I don't want you to go, too, but she is what you normal people call a friend'.
'Yes, but you're a friend and way more than that'.
(Oh, well, CC thought, there's no point in arguing over it.)
They kissed again, in an attempt to put a hold in that familiar suffering over separating.
This time, when CC broke the kiss, she made sure to maintain him close to her, cheek to cheek, 'I can't take any more interruptions, Niles. I'll kill her if she knocks on that door'.
He kept his eyes firmly shut, knowing she was kind of serious. Then, he opened them and looked at her, 'You're right'.
CC knew they had an understanding, and that he would not insist, because she was really on edge about the family – and especially Fran – getting between them.
She nodded at him in thanks and he nodded back, smiling.
(He made it even more difficult to part when he was sweet like that.)
Niles pecked her lips and started slowly disentangling himself from her, making a point of being all clumsy and overly unhappy about it.
CC started laughing at his shenanigans, making him drop the pretense and smile, too. He stood by the bed and held out his hands to her, now seriously helping her to get up.
She accepted it in her terms: she took his hands, got to her knees and went closer to the edge of the bed, so she could pull him for a kiss.
She felt when he took his hands out of hers and waited to see what he was going to do. She was certain he would make some gesture sexual in nature – he was still quite aroused, as if what she was feeling against her thigh was any indication.
(She should have known better than misunderstand her Butler Boy.)
He started buttoning her shirt.
She stopped the kiss to look at him.
She knew she had a foolish smile on her face at the seriousness he had while doing such a mundane task, but his little delicate gestures made her enjoy being with him even more than his usual teasing did.
(In fact, she loved it that he could offer both things to her – the rudeness in the zingers and the tenderness of the gestures.)
She waited until he finished and went to his arms, hugging him fiercely, 'We'll have other opportunities'.
He just nodded. She knew of the knot in his throat by the way his breath faltered when he tried to answer and didn't manage.
He parted from her, looked at her seriously and took her hand, resting it open over his heart.
She was surprised by the gesture. It was the closest to I'll leave but my heart will stay with you she had ever received from anyone, and it didn't seem fake or cliché.
CC smiled tenderly at Niles, showing she knew what he meant and appreciated it.
'You can still stay here, if you want', he whispered, 'I just don't know how much time I'll take to be back'.
'I could, but waiting on your bed while you chat with Nanny Fine is a bit too much. I'll end up going to the kitchen, pretending I just woke up and wanted a snack, and I'm sure I'll say something horrible to her'.
He just nodded again. He was sad, but he understood her reasons. There was a limit for frustration, and they had already had their share.
And it was nice of her deciding not to be rude to his friend.
'I can't believe I'm saying this, but… Just go to her'.
He made a miserable face.
'Don't be like that', she said, grabbing his face and kissing him.
He responded with such a feeling that CC felt the walls around her heart crumble. Moments like this made her feel like she was being invaded by the good things he felt for her.
It made her wish to make him happy.
It was different from the relationships in which she felt like she was always in debt, and had to be around the guy, pampering him with attention all the time. With Niles it felt natural, and she had pleasure over the possibility of being responsible for his happiness.
She lowered her voice and added, looking him straight in the eyes, and knowing exactly what she was offering, 'I'll still be thinking of you, Love'.
He had that awed face at her words.
She winked at him.
Niles groaned and got out of her arms in a huff, turning his back to her and adjusting his shorts.
CC kept looking at the beautiful muscles on his back and chuckled at his need of hiding the volume in his shorts. She licked her lips at the possibilities.
He turned partially to her, his hands in front of him, 'Really, I should go'.
She got out of the bed, 'Where do you keep your clothes?'
He pointed with his head to a side door, 'I have a closet in that room. Why?'
'You can't get out wearing just that. May I enter there and find something?'
Niles let his mouth hanging for a moment. The thought of CC Babcock searching through his clothes was really enticing.
He cleared his throat, 'Thank you, but I have a nightshirt, here', he had to look around for the chair where the piece of cloth was, as if he didn't recognize his own room, 'However, you're welcome to enter there when you wish. It's probably not as interesting as your closet, I guess. With all the secret identity thing going on for you, I can only wonder what kind of thing you have in there'.
She smirked at him, 'Curious to see if I have any outfits that match your fantasies?'
'Oh, stop it', he groaned, 'Now I'm stuck with a thousand images...'
She chuckled, passed by him to take the nightshirt and opened it for him to wear, 'Here. Let me repay the favor'.
He stepped into the nightshirt, not exactly getting what she meant.
She stood in front of him and started dealing with the long line of buttons.
He smiled at her. He felt strangely cared when she wished to do things for him. It was different from her usual behavior and made him think if it was her way of showing him she appreciated his gestures: he had gone to her at Sylvia's, tonight she had come to him; he had adjusted her shirt, she was helping him with his…
She was not exactly in a hurry, as if she was really enjoying the task, and Niles had a sweet smile on his face at her gestures.
He had to control shivering when her knuckles grazed the skin of his chest and, even if he agreed with her that he had to calm down, he would never complain.
Suddenly, she let go and walked to the bed.
She sat down and called him to her with a curled finger.
He obeyed and she resumed her task, reaching out for the buttons in the middle, a smirk on her face and the dirtiest glances at him, once now she had her mouth very close to the center of his body.
Niles gulped down and wondered if that would be the expression in her face when she...
Toc, toc, toc.
'Dear God!', he facepalmed.
CC got up, pecked his lips, whispered 'Good luck!' and went to hide in his closet.
Niles clenched his fists in a moment of despair, turned and went to the door, taking his time to finish buttoning and getting slowly out of the haze Babcock seemed to put him easily into.
He unlocked the door and opened just a part of it, so Fran could see only his obviously fake smile, 'Which part of Stay in the kitchen was not clear to you?'
'Oy…', she noticed he was in the worst mood possible, 'I just got worried. That tea's been ready for hours'.
He raised a brow at that.
'It felt like it', she answered back and whined, 'I really need you to listen to me!'
Niles nodded and adjusted himself behind the door, before opening it and getting out of the room, 'Let's go talk about the last stunt you've got yourself into, then'.
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CC heard the door closing and turned to the room she was in.
She had never entered Niles' room, and now she had the perfect opportunity: he was not there, and she could explore.
She started looking around the closet. There were racks with his suits, and she got close enough to feel the textures and smell them.
She wondered if he used the same scent in his personal clothes or if he chose the same thing for all the family. If she had to guess, she would say he had something different for himself. It was something she intended to ask him.
She looked at his shoes, opened some drawers, caressed his ties.
He was really neat and organized. That was how he managed to take care of the whole house by himself, a task she could easily despise, thanks to the way she had been raised, but couldn't, once she started paying attention to him.
In the beginning, she paid attention to discover some fault in his work. With time, she discovered that yes, sometimes he was lazy and just plain disrespectful to Maxwell's orders, but never stupid or too insolent. He knew the limits and almost never risked his job or let people doubt his competence.
It seemed the only person he felt compelled to dare and take risks for, all the time, was her, CC. For her, he let propriety and wisdom aside, and did anything that was required to shock and impress.
The more she discovered of him, the fonder she got. How was it that she had started thinking his responsibilities as a butler were endearing? How was it she had finally realized his rudeness to her was so out of his usual character it was a desperate attempt of making her see him as different from everybody else?
This man was highly trained to serve, and he has devoted years to show her he could do it, the opposite of it and a lot more.
CC looked around herself and felt again that safeness the entire house brought to her. She was ready to admit it was not related to Maxwell's presence – it was Niles and the way he did things that created that bubble for the people he cared.
And she was the people he most cared, so it seemed.
It meant he had been taking care of the house and of the million things it took to help her and her business, and still did what was needed to make her furious, everyday…
…so he could offer her everything he had.
That thought was almost too much, and CC went to the main room, again. Maybe she should go to the guestroom and be out of his presence for a while.
She looked around, thinking that she still could explore there, too, but decided against it. This room was probably the only place of the house he considered just his, and she respected that.
In fact, she liked the idea that he would wish to show her his room himself, when she asked.
She noticed he had a desk, in a corner. She guessed he used it to write.
Fiction? Plays? Grocery lists? Personal memories? Good ideas for insults?
Probably all of that.
She knew Niles had a lot of talents and interests, and she liked it immensely.
CC noticed a small notebook on the desk, a pen besides it, and had an idea.
She took a page off, the pen, and started thinking of what she wanted to tell him, and how she could do it.
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When Niles finally got back to his room, he had the slightest hope that Miss Babcock had changed her mind and decided to stay.
It was really a small possibility, because he knew how she got disturbed by the interruptions the family provoked and, especially, by Miss Fine.
(The Nanny had an absurd talent for getting herself into the worst types of messes. He hoped he was able to help her to deal with this last one, or things could get ugly between her and Mister Sheffield.)
He closed the door behind him and noticed something different about his bed.
He got closer and took the note, written in Babcock's calligraphy in a page taken from the notebook he left handy:
Dearest Butler Boy
I took one of your pillows with me. I needed something with your scent. I'll leave it in the guestroom, so you can take it back in the morning.
I took the t-shirt, too. Felt like doing it. Don't know when and if I'll give it back. Deal with it.
Good night, Love
Your Witch
Niles sat on the bed, his heart beating madly.
She was his Witch.
And he was her Love.