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Chapter Text

Just before 2 a.m., the phone rang and jolted Niles from a deep sleep. Blindly, he reached for the phone on the side table and groggily answered it, “Hello?”
“Niles.”
“Dad?” 
Something in the tone of his father’s voice was like a splash of ice water. Suddenly, his eyes were wide open and he sat up in bed.
His dad didn’t answer him and… was that… sobbing? No, it couldn’t be. 
“Dad?” he asked again, worry creeping into his voice. 
“Niles, it’s your brother,” Martin said, voice strained, “He’s-- he’s gone.”

And so, for the second time in just over a year, Niles and Martin found themselves sitting at the front of a funeral service. Yet, unlike the last time, they found themselves more concerned with someone else’s well-being than their own. 
Fifteen-month-old Freddie wiggled on his grandfather’s lap. He didn’t understand what was going on and why he couldn’t get down on the floor to toddle along the pew. 

The only time that it seemed like Freddie understood anything that had happened was the night before the funeral. Niles was in bed when the toddler began to cry. Martin was out of bed in an instant while Niles pretended to continue sleeping. He didn’t know what to do, didn’t know what his nephew needed, and was content to let his father handle it. 
Huddled beneath the blanket, he could hear Freddie crying in the front room. 
“Where Mama?” he sobbed, “Where Dada?”
Niles cried himself to sleep.
Ever since they had arrived in Boston, there had barely been a single waking moment that Freddie wasn’t in Martin’s arms or within arm’s reach. 
Niles, meanwhile, hadn’t held the boy even once. He barely ever had before, but now… 
He didn’t know what to do with a baby. Didn’t know how to hold one or what to say to one. Just being around one made him feel awkward. Even if the baby was his nephew, he just didn’t…  

Niles was trying to hold in his emotions, he knew his father was doing the same, because they didn’t want Freddie to pick up on their feelings. Everything they’d done from the moment they got to Boston had been done with the toddler in mind. 
Frasier’s Boston friends had been there almost constantly. They were obviously also very worried about Freddie.

In a blur, the funerals passed and soon Martin and Niles were joined by other family and friends for the reading of Frasier and Lilith’s wills. Once again, Freddie was on Martin’s lap, now playing with the buttons on his grandfather’s shirt. 
Niles zoned out watching his nephew; he wasn’t even listening until he heard the lawyer discussing the topic of Freddie’s guardianship. 
“With regard to our son, Frederick Gaylord Crane, we entrust his care to Frasier’s brother, Niles Martin Crane,” the lawyer read. 
Niles’s head immediately whipped back around to look from his father to his nephew and back again. 
Him? Freddie was-- he was going to raise Freddie? He didn’t know anything about children. Certainly not how to raise one. And with the trauma that Freddie would be coping with? Oh god. Oh god. How was he supposed to handle this? How was he supposed to take care of a toddler? He’d never even been around a toddler and now he was supposed to raise one? How was he supposed to explain this to Maris? He began to hyperventilate. 
Martin looked over at his younger son with concern. 
Weakly, Niles excused himself and stepped into the hallway. He leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor, putting his head between his knees as he worked to calm his breathing. 
It didn’t feel like he had been out there that long when he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up to see his dad with Freddie on his hip.  
“You okay, son?” Martin asked. 
Niles almost lied and said that he was, but he couldn’t do it, so instead he responded, “I don’t know.”
“Let’s go back to the hotel,” his dad suggested. 

The entire ride back to the hotel, Niles couldn’t meet his father’s eyes and he couldn’t look at his nephew. He still felt so lost in his worry. Right now, all he wanted to do was to get back to the hotel and make the most frightening phone call of his life. 
As soon as they got to their room, Niles went into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. 
Pulling out his phone, he took a deep breath before calling Maris. 

“Where’s Maris?” Martin asked as Niles opened the door to get into the car with his father. 
Niles looked at the floorboard, “Oh, uh-- she’s… she’s recovering from surgery and can’t make it.”
His father gave him an incredulous look, “It’s your brother’s funeral and your fiancé ‘can’t make it’?”
Niles looked up at his dad with a defeated look in his red-ringed eyes, “Dad, please…”
Thankfully, Martin dropped the issue. 

When Niles returned to the front room, he looked like a scolded child. 
“You okay?” Martin asked, watching as Freddie scribbled on a drawing pad.
Niles sank onto the couch beside his father, “I just got off the phone with Maris.”
“You tell her about Freddie?”
He nodded.
“How did she take that?”
Niles sighed, “She asked me if I was sure about taking him in. Told me that she had no interest in raising a child, especially one that wasn’t even hers.”
“Niles…”
Niles stood and walked over to the window, staring out in silence for a moment.
Martin frowned, feeling sorry for his son, but not sure what to say. 
“You know, I may not always act like it, but you guys-- my family-- has always been the most important part of my life,” Niles spoke, still facing out the window. 
His dad watched Niles’s back and listened. 
He continued, “I’ve always wanted to… you know… to be a father. Have children of my own. When Maris accepted my proposal, I thought that I was on the right track to have that. I guess I thought wrong.”
Martin closed his eyes, “I remember when you were a little boy, barely older than Freddie, and we went into a toy store. There was a shelf of baby dolls and you wouldn’t leave the store without them. You just kept saying ‘I daddy, I daddy.’ I didn’t want to get you a doll, but your mother said that it was good for interpersonal development or something. Watching you play with that doll… I knew then and there that you were gonna be a great dad, Niles.”
Niles wiped a tear from his cheek before turning to look at his dad, “If Maris is going to make me choose between her and Freddie, I’ll choose Freddie in a heartbeat. I’d choose him every time.”
“You’re a good man, Niles,” Martin said with a nod. 

A week later, they were back in Seattle. Niles put the car seat in the back of his car and Martin strapped Freddie in.
“Remember you can always come stay with me,” Martin said, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder.
Niles nodded, really hoping that it wouldn’t come to that. 
Arriving at the home he shared with his fiancé, Niles took a deep breath. Steeling his nerves, he went to the back of the car and removed Freddie. 
Somehow, this was the first time since the entire situation began that he had actually held Freddie. He easily moved the sleepy toddler to his hip and, opting to leave his luggage in the car for now, walked into the house. 
For the first time he could remember, Maris met him in the front room as he entered. 
She fixed Freddie with a stare so pointed that Niles almost felt the need to shield the little boy. 
“So,” she began with ice in her voice, “you took him in.”
“Maris, he’s my nephew,” he said, looking at her in disbelief. 
“I made my position very clear, Niles.”
He couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “What are you saying?”
She had given him an ultimatum over the phone, but he thought that once she had time to calm down, she’d retract that. He thought that, once she saw the little boy, scared and alone, she would see reason.
“I will not raise someone else’s child, Niles.”
His throat felt terribly dry and, when he went to speak, it felt as though his esophagus was tearing, “You really mean that?”
“It’s him or me.”
He looked at her in disbelief, “Maris-- he doesn’t have anyone else.”
She continued to glare at him.
“It’s him. It will always be him,” Niles said, suddenly letting himself feel the anger building in his throat. 
In a snap of motion, Maris removed her engagement ring. A sharp sound rang through the cavernous house as she placed it on the table in front of her. 
He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. 
“Have your things out by the end of the week.”

And so Niles, at the age of 35, moved back into his childhood bedroom. 
He and his father managed to turn Frasier’s old room into a room well-suited for Freddie. 
They found a daycare for the little boy and, despite the last wishes of Frasier and Lilith, Martin spent more time taking care of Freddie than Niles did. 
Though, to be fair, it was impressive that Niles managed to take care of himself. He was basically catatonic in the fallout of his breakup with Maris.
Then another late night phone call.

Chapter Text

“Is this Niles Crane?” a voice on the other end of the line asked. 
Niles yawned, “It is.”
He looked at the clock. It was just after midnight. 
“Is your father Martin Crane?” 
Niles flashed back to the last middle-of-the-night phone call he got. His mind went into overdrive.
“This is Sergeant Liao with the Seattle Police. Your father’s been in an incident.”
Niles jolted upright, “What happened? Is he okay?”
Sergeant Liao’s voice was calm as he responded, “Your father was shot responding to a robbery tonight--”
“My dad was shot ?!”
“The injury was not life-threatening. He’s been transported to UW Medical Center in stable condition,” Sergeant Liao continued, “We’ve been informed that he was rushed into surgery to remove the bullet.”
Niles was already out of bed and changing his clothes into something slightly more presentable in public than pajamas. He didn’t even really process anything that Sergeant Liao said for the rest of the call. Honestly, he couldn’t even fully explain how he managed to get himself and Freddie into the car. 
He drove to the hospital with his mind on autopilot, only thinking one thing-- he couldn’t lose someone else. 

“Your father will be in surgery for another hour at least,” a nurse told him, “you’re welcome to sit in the waiting room. We’ll let you know the moment we have any news.”
It wasn’t what Niles wanted to hear, but he also knew that getting angry at the woman wouldn’t solve any of his problems, so he retreated to the waiting room. 
It was the middle of the night and they were in some back corner of the hospital. The waiting room was empty. Just fluorescent lights reflecting on linoleum tile floors and uncomfortable chairs ringing a room. Old magazines on the tables. Things Niles couldn’t imagine anyone actually buying for themselves. Sailboats and golf tips and love after 65… The art along the walls was no better. Generic abstract art in muted color palettes. Nothing anyone would buy for their own home, but the same sort of thing that you would find in every waiting room and hotel lobby across the country. 
He took a seat on one of the uncomfortable chairs and held Freddie in his lap. The little boy was sound asleep and would almost certainly be more comfortable lying down on the chair next to his uncle, but Niles couldn’t let him go. He suddenly felt as though Freddie was his lifeline. The only thing he had left. The only connection to his family. 

He must have fallen asleep at some point because he was gently shaken awake. 
Niles looked up and, through sleep-fogged eyes, saw an angel. 
“Are you alright?” she asked. 
His vision began to clear and he saw that the angel was, in fact, a woman. A seemingly normal human woman. No less beautiful than an angel, though. 
She asked him again, “Are you alright?” and he could immediately tell from her accent that she was English. If his brain was working a bit better, he would almost certainly be able to tell what part of England, but he was still half asleep. 
“Do you know something about my dad?” he asked, assuming the woman to be a nurse. 
She shook her head, “I’m sorry, I’m not a nurse. But my friend is, I can go ask if you’d like.”
This time it was his turn to shake his head, “No, that’s alright. I assume he’s still in surgery. What time is it?”
She checked the clock on the wall, “It’s almost 2.”
Niles nodded. That was well within the amount of time a normal surgery took, right? Everything was still fine, right?
“You looked so uncomfortable over here,” she said, “I was wondering if you and your son knew that there was a couch in the waiting room next door.”
“He’s my nephew,” Niles said, seeming to have only heard one thing she said.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. 
Niles pulled Freddie closer to him, “It’s okay.”
There was a beat of silence before he comprehended what she had said to him, “A couch, you said?”
She nodded, “Right. In the next waiting room over.”
Niles looked worriedly at the nurses’ station. 
“My friend is one of the nurses. I’ll make sure that she knows where to find you,” the woman assured him.
He had no reason to trust her. She was a perfect stranger. But there was something about her that… he couldn’t help it. It just came naturally. 

Niles stood and adjusted Freddie on his hip, “Could you show me where it is?”
“Of course,” she said before extending a hand, “I’m Daphne Moon, by the way.”
Niles swore he felt a little jolt of electricity as their hands touched, “Niles Crane. This is my nephew, Freddie.”
She smiled as she escorted them from the room, “He’s a very beautiful boy, your nephew.”
Niles smiled proudly, “He is, isn’t he?”
“Do you take care of him?” she asked before immediately blushing, “I’m sorry. That’s a bit invasive, isn’t it? I shouldn’t have asked that.”
If he wasn’t half-asleep and if it wasn’t Daphne Moon, Niles might have been offended, but he just didn’t have it in him right now, “It’s okay. Yeah, I… my dad and I are raising him.”
“Your dad,” she said, “that’s who you’re here for?”
Niles nodded, “Yeah. He’s a detective. Apparently he got shot tonight. Now he’s in surgery and I haven’t heard anything in over an hour.”
“What’s his name?” she asked.
“Martin,” Niles responded, “Martin Crane.”
They had arrived at the couch. Daphne told him, “You stay here and get Freddie comfortable. I’ll go see if I can find out anything about your dad.”
Niles nodded, “Thanks.”

Niles laid Freddie down on the couch and took his place at one end, reclining in the corner and stroking the toddler’s soft hair. It was light, like his own, coloring that came from Niles and Frasier’s mother. She had light hair, like Niles. Frasier’s hair was darker, like their father’s. However, Frasier’s hair was wavy, like their mother’s, while Niles’s was board-straight like their dad’s. Freddie’s brown eyes, though, those were all Lilith. 
“Mr. Crane?” a voice called. 
He looked up and saw Daphne standing next to him. He must have completely zoned out for her to get that close without him noticing. 
She was holding a pillow and blanket. 
He looked up at her and she gave him a reassuring smile.
“Your father’s surgery is going well. He should be done in just over an hour,” she said, “In the meantime, I thought you and Freddie might like these?”
Niles smiled at her, taking the pillow and blanket from her hands, “Thank you, Ms. Moon.”
“Daphne,” she corrected with a little smile.
He nodded, “Right. Daphne.”
As she walked away, he slid down on the couch, pulling Freddie up onto his chest and sliding the pillow beneath his own head while draping the blanket over them both. 
It took only minutes for him to fall into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Chapter Text

“Mr. Crane? Mr. Crane?” a voice worked its way through the haze of sleep. 
Niles opened his eyes and felt something not unlike disappointment to see that the person waking him was not Daphne Moon, but a nurse. He sat up, moving still-sleeping Freddie to lay down on the couch. 
“Your father just woke up in recovery,” the nurse told him, speaking in hushed tones. 
Niles nodded, still half-asleep, and looked at the clock on the wall-- 5:45 a.m.. 
“If you’d like to see him…”
He looked at Freddie, worried about waking the sleeping boy.
Just then, a familiar voice spoke up, “I can watch Freddie if you’d like.”
Niles looked up and saw Daphne Moon standing just behind the nurse. He couldn’t help but smile, “I couldn’t ask you to--”
It never even entered his mind that she was basically a stranger. Something in him just instinctively trusted her. 
She waved off his concerns, “I’ll just sit here with him. If he wakes up, I can take him down to the cafeteria for breakfast.”
Niles’s heart filled with gratitude for this woman who had been taking care of him all night and continued to offer her help now that the sun was rising. He gave her his phone number and told her to let him know if they went to the cafeteria or if she needed anything. She assured him that she would and he allowed himself to be escorted away by the nurses. 

At the doorway to his father’s room, Niles paused. His dad looked so small and pale and weak in the bed with the monitors attached to him. When did he start to look so old? He didn’t remember seeing that before. 
His dad was sleeping, facing away from the window where the warm light of sunrise was beginning to glow. 
Niles’s feet felt like lead as he walked to his father’s bedside. He couldn’t help but remember being in a very similar space barely more than a year ago. Only back then he had his dad and Frasier with him, now… 
He took a deep, steadying breath and sat down in a chair next to the bed. Niles reached onto the bed and took his dad’s hand, careful to avoid the IV tube attached to the back of it. 
He didn’t know what to say, so he didn’t speak. 
Slowly, his dad began to rouse. His eyes opened and Niles watched them focus and adjust to the light.  
“Hey, son,” Martin spoke, voice rough from intubation, he grimaced in pain. 
Niles jumped from his seat, reaching for a pitcher of water on a small table by the bed. 
As his dad adjusted the bed so that he was sitting more upright, Niles poured a cup of water and handed it to him. Gratefully, Martin gulped down the water, relishing the relief of ice water on his sore throat. 
“How are you doing?” Niles asked, returning to his seat.
His dad laughed sardonically, “Like I got shot.”
Niles winced, “What happened?”
Martin shook his head, “About halfway through our shift, Frank and I decided that we wanted a snack. So, we stopped in at this little convenience store we’ve been to a couple times. When we got in, there was a guy robbing the place at gunpoint. He turned and saw us standing there-- obviously cops-- and fired a shot at us. I don’t think he was really trying to hit us, just scare us away or something. Got me in my hip. I think it startled him because Frank was able to jump him and take the gun. I must’ve passed out because the next thing I remember, I’m in the back of an ambulance.”
Niles didn’t even notice that he had begun to cry.
His dad did, though, “Aw, come on, Niles. I’m okay. It’s not even that bad. I’ll probably be back at work in a couple weeks.”
“I was so worried, Dad,” Niles said, voice shaking, “So scared.”
Martin grimaced and nodded, “I know, son. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t--” Niles started, reaching for a tissue to wipe his eyes, “I’m just… so glad you’re okay.”
Martin put his hand over Niles’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. 
“Where’s Freddie?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood. 
Niles appreciated his father’s attempt at levity, “He’s… A-- uh… A friend is looking after him.”
Martin raised his eyebrows. Niles knew he had just created more questions than answers. He didn’t have many friends. Even fewer after his relationship with Maris ended… not that they were really his friends anyway. 
They continued to talk-- about where he went from here in recovery, how long he would be in the hospital, what he would do when he went back to work. After a long while, a nurse came into the room with a tray of food and told them that they had an actual room available for Martin and told him that they would have him moved up to it after he finished breakfast. 
Martin told Niles that he should go take care of Freddie and get some breakfast for himself. Niles left, promising his father that he would be back that evening. 

As he left the recovery area, Niles checked his phone and found a message from a number he didn’t recognize, but quickly realized that it must be Daphne. She had sent it just a few minutes ago, telling him that she was taking Freddie down to the cafeteria for breakfast. 
Seemingly in response to the thought of people eating, his stomach growled loudly and he realized that he was famished. 
When he got to the cafeteria, he quickly located Daphne and Freddie. 
As he approached the table, his heart flooded with warmth. She was holding the toddler on her lap, helping him to eat a bit of oatmeal. The little boy appeared to have some egg on his shirt and a bit of yogurt on the tip of his nose. Niles couldn’t help but smile at the scene. 
He took a seat at the table next to them and Daphne turned her head to look at him, seeming to make sure he was alright. Niles nodded at her and she seemed relieved. 
“I’m sorry, I should have told you what he usually eats for breakfast,” Niles said, sheepishly, watching the toddler slap the oatmeal with the back of his spoon. 
Daphne smiled, “I think we managed, didn’t we Freddie?”
The little boy looked up at Daphne and smiled brightly. 
“Why don’t you get some breakfast while I’ve got him?” she suggested. 
Niles was about to decline her offer when his stomach growled once again, loud enough for her to hear it, making her giggle just a little. 
Realizing that there was no sense in arguing, he returned to the serving area and got himself a bit of food. 

“How’s your father?” Daphne asked as he returned to the table. 
Niles nodded, “All things considered, he seems to be doing pretty well. They’re moving him into a regular room.”
“That’s good news,” she said, smiling at him. 
“It is,” he agreed. 
He ate in silence for a bit, watching as Daphne continued helping his nephew eat breakfast while sneaking bites of her own food every now and then. 
“I can’t thank you enough for helping with Freddie,” Niles said.
She smiled at him, “It’s no trouble at all.”
“Yeah, but…” he thought about what he was trying to say, “you’ve never even met us. You don’t know anything about us and you just… jumped in. That’s not something that most people would do.”
Daphne blushed a little, “I just like helping people, I suppose.”
“Well, I appreciate it, we all do,” Niles said, placing a hand over the one of hers that wasn’t helping Freddie with his spoon, “and if there’s ever anything I can do for you, just say the word.”
“It’s really no trouble.”
Niles wasn’t going to drop this, “Well, think on it. You have my number.”
She nodded, “I do.”

After breakfast, Daphne returned Freddie to Niles and bid them both goodbye. 
Niles thanked her again, reminded her of his promise, and said goodbye. 
He was glued in place as he watched her leave, feeling as though he was watching someone he knew very well walking away from him. It left a bit of hurt in his heart that seemed far too strong for her to be someone that he had only just met. 
Nevertheless, he returned home with Freddie. Thankfully, the night’s excitement and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements had left the toddler just as exhausted as his uncle and they both fell asleep within moments of laying down in their own beds. 
Niles woke up just before lunch and found Freddie sitting in his bed, playing with his teddy bear. The little boy stood up against the bars of his crib when he saw his uncle enter. 
“Ready for lunch, Fred?” Niles asked, pulling the little boy out of his bed. 
“Fish! Fish!” Freddie said, smiling. 
“Alright, alright,” Niles smiled at him, “How about a grilled cheese, some tomato soup, orange juice, and Goldfish?”
“Fish! Fish! Fish!” his nephew answered. 

After calling his office again to check on everything, Niles spent the rest of the afternoon playing with Frederick. They stacked blocks (well, Niles stacked them and Freddie knocked them down), played with Freddie’s dinosaurs, and drew a ‘get well soon’ card for Martin. 
Checking the clock and seeing that it was just after five, Niles asked Freddie, “Do you want to go see Grandpa?”
“Pa! Go Pa!” Freddie said excitedly. 
“I thought so,” Niles smiled, “Get your picture.”
The little boy grabbed the drawing from the table and ran for the door, leaving Niles to chase him down with a pair of shoes. 

By the time they got to Martin’s room, Freddie’s patience had been almost exhausted. This was the most time he had spent away from his grandfather since moving to Seattle. Niles understood his impatience as he, too, had missed Martin’s presence in the apartment that evening. 
“Pa!” Freddie shouted as Niles carried him into the room.
“Hey!” Martin exclaimed, “Look who it is!”
Niles carried Freddie over so that he could hug his grandfather and noticed that his dad seemed to hold the little boy just a bit tighter than he usually did. 
They talked for a little while and listened patiently as Freddie used the breadth of his toddler vocabulary to explain the drawing he had made for Martin. Proudly, the grandfather placed the picture on the table next to his bed, propped up on some flowers that Frank’s wife had sent. 
“Color?” Freddie asked, turning to look at Niles. 
“Oh, yeah, okay,” he said, pulling some paper and crayons from his bag and holding the little boy so that he could use Martin’s lap desk as his work surface. 
Niles and Martin continued to talk. Discussing what needed to be done at home, what errands Niles could run for his father, the news the doctors had given him during the day, and all sorts of things like that. 
“Whatcha coloring, Freddie?” Martin asked the little boy who was in deep concentration.
“Color for Dah-nee,” he replied. 
Martin looked at him confused, “Color for who?”
“Dah-nee,” Freddie repeated.
Martin looked up at his son, “Is he saying Danny?”
Niles thought for a moment, trying to decipher his nephew’s words. Then he remembered the last time that he was at the hospital. Daphne. He was saying Daphne.
His epiphany must have been reflected on his face because his dad asked, “What is it?”
“‘Daphne’, he’s saying ‘Daphne,” Niles explained. 
Martin was even more confused, “Who’s Daphne?”
Niles didn’t know how to answer. No matter what he said, there would be follow up questions, and how was he supposed to explain to his dad why he was so comfortable turning over the toddler to a perfect stranger. 
He said the only thing he knew to say, “Daphne is… she’s the friend who watched Freddie this morning.”
“I didn’t know you had a friend named Daphne,” Martin said, looking curiously at his son, “Is she from work?”
“N- no, she’s… well… a new friend,” Niles said, growing nervous. 
“How new?” 
Luckily, the nurse entered Martin’s room just then, carrying his dinner. Niles decided that it would be best for Freddie and himself to also leave and find dinner. Martin reluctantly let the Daphne issue drop and bid them good night. 

As they walked down the hall, Freddie asked, “Where Dah-nee?”
Once again, Niles was asked a question he didn’t know how to answer, “Uh, well… I’m not sure where Daphne is, Freddie.”
“Give Dah-nee color,” Freddie whined, holding out his drawing. 
Niles nodded, not sure what to say. Then he remembered that Daphne had told him that she was friends with one of the nurses in the ward where he had been the night before. 
“Why don’t we go ask if someone knows where she is?” Niles offered, which seemed to cheer the little boy up.
They made their way back to the small waiting room where they had spent several hours the night before and saw a nurse at the station that Niles remembered. 
Shyly, he approached the station and said, “Hi, I was wondering if you knew where I could find Daphne Moon?”
The woman turned and took a moment to recognize him, “Sorry, Daphne doesn’t work here. She just came in last night because my car broke down and I needed a ride. Is something wrong?”
Daphne didn’t work at the hospital? So she just happened to be here when Niles and Freddie had needed her most. 
Niles answered, “No, nothing’s wrong. It’s just… my nephew drew a picture that he wanted to give to her and I was wanting to make sure she got it.”
The nurse smiled, “I can take it to her, if you’d like.”
“That would be great,” Niles responded.
After Niles explained everything to Freddie and he handed the drawing over to the nurse, she said, “She was really worried about you guys, you know?”
Niles looked up, surprised, “She was?”
“Yeah,” the nurse nodded, “she was supposed to just drop me off and then come back in the morning to pick me up, but she ended up staying here all night.”
“B-- because of us?”
“She’s like that sometimes,” Daphne’s friend said, “She likes to take care of people. Especially when she can tell they really need taken care of. You guys must have looked pretty rough last night.”
Niles chuckled in spite of himself. 
Before the conversation could go any longer, someone called out to the nurse. She held up the drawing and said, “I’ll get this to Daphne next time I see her, okay?”
Niles nodded and Freddie smiled.

Chapter Text

Niles and Freddie continued visiting Martin in the hospital, visiting at least once per day. While their main objective was to check in on him and deliver him the drawings and little gifts that Freddie had gathered for him, Niles would be lying if he said that he didn’t always have the tiniest hope of seeing Daphne Moon again. 
One evening they were sitting in Martin’s room, watching Freddie show off all of the gifts he had brought his grandfather-- a leaf, a little yellow wildflower, a plastic dinosaur, a small stuffed rabbit, two toy cars, and some sort of squishy hamburger toy that he saw in a vending machine and begged Niles for-- when the nurse entered with some good news. 
“Looks like they’re gonna let you go home Thursday, Mr. Crane,” she said with a smile.
Martin lit up and sat up in bed, cringing a little as he did, “You mean it?!”
The nurse nodded, “I think your doctor should come by before he heads out and let you know all the details, but it’s looking pretty likely.”
“You hear that, Freddie?” Martin asked looking at his grandson, “Grandpa’s coming home!”
Now it was Freddie’s turn to light up, “Pa home! Go home!”
Niles just smiled and shook his head. 

Before Niles and Frederick left for the evening, Martin’s doctor did come in. He explained that, while Martin would be allowed to return home on Thursday, he was not under any circumstances to return to work and that he should begin physical therapy immediately. The doctor provided them with a list of physical therapists who made house calls and were covered by Martin’s insurance. Unsurprisingly, there weren’t many names on the list. 
After the doctor left, Martin looked over the list and shrugged, “I don’t know anything about this. Why don’t you take this list and look ‘em up for me?”
He handed the list to Niles who began reading it. About halfway down, he read a name that made his breath catch.
Daphne Moon .
It couldn’t be… but what are the odds that it wasn’t? Occam’s razor, right? How many Daphne Moons could there possibly be in Seattle? She liked to help people and her friend was a nurse… 
Even so, he couldn’t choose her for his father’s therapy just because he wanted to see her again. What if she wasn’t actually that good at her job? How would he ever explain to his dad that he had overlooked her poor reviews just because he thought she was pretty and Freddie liked her?
He was putting the cart before the horse. Right now, not only did he not know if this Daphne Moon was a good physical therapist, he didn’t even know for sure that it was the same Daphne Moon.
“ Niles! ” his dad’s voice interrupted his spiralling thoughts and, judging by the look on the older man’s face, this wasn’t the first time he had called out to his son.
“Sorry,” Niles apologized, “I was… lost in thought.”
His dad shook his head, “I think it’s probably time to go get Freddie some dinner and to bed, what do you think?”
Niles looked at the boy who was lazily rolling one of his toy cars across the table beside Martin’s bed and realized that it was definitely time for them to be going. 

Niles began making his way out of the hospital with Freddie perched on his hip. At least until the elevator when Freddie began squirming and whining about wanting down. His uncle acquiesced, holding Freddie’s hand as they exited the elevator. 
“I run?” Freddie asked, as they continued walking toward the door. 
Niles wanted to tell him no, but Freddie looked up at him with those big brown eyes and he didn’t say anything. This part of the hospital was closed at this time of the evening. The only person around was a janitor changing the trash in the far corner. What was the harm?
“Okay,” Niles responded.
Freddie grinned and ran a little ways in front of him before pausing, turning, and saying, “Catch me! Catch me!”
Niles shook his head, not believing that he was actually about to do this. Luckily, Freddie’s run was more of a clumsy trot, so to seem like he was chasing the boy, all Niles had to do was walk a little bit faster.
“I’m gonna get you,” Niles taunted as the little boy dashed through the room on his little toddler legs. 
Freddie squealed and giggled and the sound made Niles break out into a smile, too. 
They were approaching the front door and he knew that he really did need to catch Freddie before the boy had a chance to make a break through the sliding doors. 
Luckily, Freddie stopped just before he got to the door. Niles didn’t question why and chose to pretend that it was because the boy was learning not to leave rooms without his caretaker (though he definitely knew better than to trust this belief). 
“Dah-nee! Dah-nee!” Freddie chanted, bouncing on his feet.
“Oh my goodness! Freddie!” a voice answered that stopped Niles dead in his tracks. 
It couldn’t be…
Standing in front of the door, having entered only just before Freddie ran up to them, was the very person Niles had secretly been hoping to see for days. 
Stepping to the side of the doorway, she crouched down, closer to Freddie’s level. “Did you draw a picture for me?” she asked.
Freddie smiled brightly and proudly stated, “I color for Dah-nee.”
“You did,” she said, smiling back at him, “It was beautiful. I put it right up on my fridge.”
Freddie giggled, “Color more?”
She nodded, “You can color me as many as you want.”

Niles still hadn’t moved. His feet felt as though they were rooted to the floor. 
Finally Daphne looked up at him and offered him a smile just as warm as the one she had given Freddie.
“Ah, and there’s your uncle,” she said, standing and taking Freddie’s hand. 
“D-daphne,” Niles stuttered, “I didn’t expect to see you here.”
She shrugged, “Janelle forgot something at home and asked if I could bring it to her.”
Niles nodded; Janelle, the nurse, Daphne’s friend.
“How are you?” she asked.
Now it was his turn to shrug, “I’m alright, I suppose. Given the circumstances.”
She frowned, “How’s your father?”
“He’s… he’s good,” Niles began, “He’s getting to come home on Thursday, but he’s got to start physical therapy, you know? And I don’t think he’s looking forward to that… or to not going right back to work.”
She nodded, “I understand how that can be.”
Niles paused for a moment, weighing whether or not he would sound insane if he just came out and asked her if she was the Daphne Moon from the list of physical therapists. Taking a deep breath, he decided to just jump in.
“You don’t… happen to know any physical therapists, do you?” he asked, “They gave me a list, but I don’t know anything about it and you seem to know some of the people here, so I thought you might have some insight.”
She chucked, “As luck would have it, I do know a physical therapist.”
Niles pulled the list out of his breast pocket and unfolded it, “They gave me a list of therapists who can work with Dad.”
“May I?” she said, reaching out for the paper.
He handed it to her, “Please.”
She quickly scanned the list before turning it back to him, pointing to a place about halfway down the sheet, “I may be biased, but I’ve heard that she’s quite good.”
Niles looked at where she was pointing. 
Daphne Moon .
“I mean, I still expect you’ll want to check my credentials and all that,” she said, handing the paper back to Niles. 
He nodded, but gave a half-smile. Part of him knew that he would have to find something particularly damning to even consider anyone else on the list at this point. 
He refolded the list and returned it to his breast pocket, then pulled out one of his business cards. He offered it to Daphne with a soft smile, “I’ll be in touch.”
She smiled back at him, pausing to look down at the card, “Thank you.”
He shook his head, “Thank you.”
“Well,” she said, as if suddenly remembering why she was there, “I should probably get this up to Janelle.”
Niles nodded, “Right. I’ve… I’ve got to go get Freddie dinner and a bath… work stuff... laundry…” He shook his head as if knocking the thoughts from his brain. Why had he even said all of that? It was just sort of like the words had fallen out of his mouth.
He decided it was best to end the conversation before he had a chance to say anything dumb… well, anything else, “Good night, Daphne.”
“Good night,” she said with a little smile.
He took Freddie’s hand and told the little boy, “Tell Daphne ‘good night’.”
“Ni’ night, Dah-nee,” Freddie said with a yawn.
“Good night, Freddie,” Daphne smiled and gave him a little wave. 

They were almost out the door when he heard a voice call from some distance away, “Dr. Crane?”
He turned and saw Daphne standing in front of the elevators.
“I know it must be hard for you, having all this work, taking care of your father and nephew…”
He waved it off, “It’s no problem, Daphne.”
She nodded, “Well, all the same… if you ever needed someone to help out… maybe watch Freddie for an evening or help with some of the housework, please give me a call.”
Niles was so touched by her offer that he felt little pinpricks of tears in the corners of his eyes. He couldn’t recall the last time that someone other than his father had actually offered to help with any of this and now this woman-- this basic stranger-- was offering so much. It made his heart ache with… something… affection-- no-- appreciation. Appreciation. 
“I’ll keep that in mind,” he said, softly but loud enough for her to hear him, “Thank you, Daphne.”
The elevator dinged its arrival on their floor and Daphne gave one last smile before she stepped into the car. Freddie tugged on Niles’s hand. 
It really was time to go.
They offered one another a small wave and two sets of doors slid closed between them.

Chapter Text

“Dad, you have to at least look at this list!”
“I told you, I don’t want to think about that right now!”
“You’ve been home for over a week now!”
“I’ve had a lot to do!”
“Dad!” Niles said, finally snapping, “You can’t do anything right now! You’re barely able to walk to the bathroom. I’ve had to take care of you and Freddie and the house and I haven’t even been able to go into the office in almost five days. I’m neglecting my patients. We’ve got to do something.”
Martin, who was sullen and angry, snapped back, “Well then, why don’t you do something, then?!”
Niles sighed, collapsing onto the couch. He ran a hand over his face, exhausted, and said in as calm of a voice as he could manage, “Because I don’t want to choose someone that will be working with you so much and not allow you the chance to offer your opinion.”
His father was obviously still angry, but he began to see reason. He snatched the list off of the table beside his chair and said, “ Fine . I’ll look, but I don’t know how I’m gonna know any better than you do.”
Niles exhaled forcefully and gave his head a little shake. He stood, “I’m going to pick up Freddie from daycare.”
His father grunted a reply. 

Once out of the house, Niles took a deep breath and let the fresh air fill his lungs. He felt his stress level get lower with every step he took. 
When Martin came home, they had decided to continue sending Freddie to daycare. Despite the fact that both of his caretakers were at home, Niles had (correctly) predicted that taking care of his father would be difficult enough without the toddler around all the time. 
After the first two or so days, Niles was very happy that they had made this decision. The moments in the car on the way to the daycare were often the only real time that Niles had to himself.
He understood his father’s reluctance to select a physical therapist. Taking that step was deeply symbolic of a lot of things-- the fact that he actually couldn’t do something on his own being paramount. Things had only gotten worse after he spoke to his superior at the police department. 
They were encouraging Martin to retire. He had enough years in for full retirement and was one of the older guys on the force. Most of his academy class had retired several years ago.
There was reasonable concern that he would never regain the range of movement necessary to perform his job. 
Niles, for one, thought that retirement was an excellent option. He had always been uncomfortable with his father being a police officer. It was too dangerous. There were just too many things that could go wrong. It seemed better once he made detective, since he was in fewer dangerous situations, but he always seemed to find a way to get back in the middle of things. Niles knew that it was just who his dad was, always wanting to be at the center of activity, to do more work, to help more people. That was how he ended up in the hospital in the first place. 
Since losing his mother and, even more so after losing Frasier, Niles was desperate for his father to take a less dangerous job. The shooting had only served to underscore how incredibly painful it would be to lose someone else. 
Not to mention Freddie. 
Truth be told, up until the incident, Martin had probably taken care of Freddie more than Niles had. Sure Niles was the one to take him to and from daycare every day. He played with the little boy and read to him and helped take care of him, but it always felt like just that-- helping. 
In many ways, he wasn’t Freddie’s primary caregiver. He felt like he had trouble relating to the child, he wasn’t incredibly comfortable talking with him… he never knew what to say around adults, he knew even less of what to say to a toddler. 
He loved Freddie. Loved him in a way that he had never felt before. Something akin to a paternal love, he assumed. But he knew that he would be hopelessly lost without his father’s guidance. 
For Niles, Martin’s retirement would symbolize relief, finally letting some of the worry slide off of his shoulders. But for Martin, it would only remind him of his age, his new disability, and, in a sense, his mortality. 
So Niles certainly understood the frustration and reluctance.
That didn’t make it any less frustrating, though.

Once Freddie had been gathered from his daycare and successfully secured in his seat, Niles began the journey home. 
The more that he had thought about the psychological reasoning behind his father’s frustration and aggression, the more Niles had felt sympathetic toward him. He needed some way to patch things over. To get his dad in a better mood so that they could actually discuss the issue of finding a physical therapist. 
“Hey, Freddie?” Niles called into the backseat, “What do you say we get some pizza for dinner tonight?”
“Peeta! Peeta! Peeta!” Freddie chanted, almost pronouncing the word correctly, which made Niles smile.
Usually Niles was opposed to greasy junk food for himself and even more so for Freddie, however, greasy junk food was probably one of the most foolproof methods to mend bridges with his father. 

When the pair walked in the doors carrying pizza (well, Niles was carrying pizza, Freddie had a handful each of packets of parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes). 
Martin sniffed the air, not unlike a dog, and seemed to reflexively perk up.
“Hey, you guys brought pizza?” he asked, surprised, knowing that the meal wasn’t one of Niles’s favorites. 
Catching a glimpse of the box, he was even more surprised. It was from his favorite place. A pizza parlor known for forgoing the gourmet pizza trend to continue making old-school greasy and cheesy pies. Definitely not something that was a normal part of Niles’s diet and something he would never choose for himself.
It was obvious that his son was trying to make amends. 
Truth be told, Martin had actually looked over the list while Niles was away. He wasn’t sure what he was looking for, but he had looked at the names and read some of the insurance information. 
Niles helped his father over to the dining table and began cutting a slice of pizza into pieces that would be easier for Freddie to handle. 
“I looked over the list,” Martin admitted in a bit of a grumble.
Niles looked up with his eyebrows raised in surprise, “You did?”
He had honestly expected that this would be more of a trade, him giving the pizza to his dad and then using that to get him in a good mood before once again asking him to check out the list. 
Martin nodded, “Yeah, still don’t know what I’m looking for.”
“Well, I highlighted the ones that were the most recommended,” Niles said, “and I attached some information to the list.”
“I read all of that,” Martin said, rolling his eyes at his son’s thoroughness. 
“Did any of them stand out?” Niles asked.
“Aw, I don’t know,” his father answered. 

They ate in silence for a little while before Martin spoke up, “I think I’d prefer a woman.”
Niles nodded, “Okay, that narrows it down.”
He stood from the table and found the list, bringing it back with him when he returned. As with every time he looked over the list, Niles’s eyes hung for just a moment on the name of the kind woman who had taken care of Freddie and himself in the hospital. 
Maybe he should bring her up…
As casually as he could manage, Niles said, “This Daphne Moon comes very highly recommended.”
His dad shrugged and made a noncommittal gesture as he pulled another slice of pizza onto his plate. 
Niles let it drop, returning to his food, deciding that this needed to be taken a step at a time. 
Martin looked deep in thought as he chewed on a bite of pizza, “That name sounds familiar. Why does that name sound familiar?”
Niles looked up, confused, “What name?”
“Daphne,” his dad responded, “I’ve heard that name recently, but I can’t place where. Was that the name of one of the nurses at the hospital?”
Niles pretended to think before responding, “No. No, I don’t think it was.”
Martin continued to think, “I just know I’ve heard someone talk about someone named ‘Daphne’ recently.”
Freddie caught one word of the discussion and his head shot up, “Dah-nee?”
His grandfather turned to look at him and the epiphany was visible on his face, “That’s where I heard it!”
“What?” Niles asked, trying to remain casual, a feat which was growing harder with every passing moment. 
Martin’s attention returned to Niles, “That’s the name of your friend, wasn’t it? The one who took care of Freddie that morning?”
Niles grimaced, but tried to quickly return to a neutral face, “Oh, yeah, it is.”
Martin’s expression soured, “Are you just trying to pass me off to one of your society friends?”
Niles snorted, “As if I still have any of those.”
“Is it a money thing then?” Martin asked, “She make some arrangement to do my therapy on the cheap for you?”
He shot his father a look, feeling offended by the accusations and implication that Niles would care so little about making sure his father had a quality therapist. “I can’t believe you would think something like that,” he said. 
“Well, then, who is she?”
“I-- well… it’s a bit… hard to explain,” Niles stuttered, looking down at his plate. 
Martin leaned forward on the table, “Try me.”
Niles didn’t know what to say. What was there to say? And how could he say it without seeming insane?
His dad gave him a pointed look and he knew that he was trapped. 
“Okay, so… the night that you were… hurt… Freddie and I went to the hospital and I guess we fell asleep in this really uncomfortable chair,” Niles began, “At some point, I was woken up by this… this woman who was worried that Freddie and I weren’t comfortable…”
Niles proceeded to tell his father the story of how Daphne had taken care of Freddie and himself during the night and morning at the hospital. 
Martin looked between his son and grandson, noticing how the little boy looked up every time he heard anyone say ‘Daphne.’ Whoever this woman was, she had certainly made an impact on the two of them. However, he wasn’t quite ready to hand over his recovery to this woman on the spot.
“Hey, Niles?”
Niles looked up, “Yeah?”
“Why don’t you go into the office tomorrow? I can handle myself for the day.”
“Are you sure?” Niles asked, looking surprised.
Martin nodded, “Yeah, I mean… Probably.”
Clearly, Niles was not entirely comfortable with this prospect.
“Okay, fine,” Martin conceded, “You don’t have to go all day. But go in for a while in the afternoon.”
Niles nodded, “I think I can manage that.”
“I’ll think on the therapist thing and let you know something tomorrow evening, okay?”
He gave his father a soft smile, “Alright, Dad. Sounds good.”

Chapter Text

Going to the office had somehow been both a fantastic idea and a terrible one. Niles hadn’t realized just how behind he had gotten on paperwork, even with Mrs. Woodson still at work through all the chaos. 
His afternoon was full of appointments with rescheduled patients, but he was still on track to get out of the office in time to pick Freddie up from daycare. Then all of that went out the window. 
As he escorted his last patient from his office, Mrs. Woodson called out to him and told him that there was an emergency. One of his patients was in the midst of a crisis. It took almost 45 minutes to get them calmed down on the phone and even then that was only getting them calm enough to come into the office to see him in person. 
He looked at the clock as he hung up the phone. 5:37. He was over half an hour late to pick up Freddie from the daycare. 
Shit .
What was he supposed to do?
Usually, he would call his dad to go pick up Freddie from the daycare, but that wasn’t possible right now. He didn’t have anyone else. All of his friends had actually been friends of Maris, which meant that he had lost them when their relationship ended. 
That was when he remembered something.
“If you ever needed someone to help out… please give me a call.”
He couldn’t… could he?
Niles glanced once more at the clock.
Did he have another choice? Didn’t look like it. 
With a sigh, he pulled out his cell phone, found the number he was looking for, and dialed. 

The phone rang.
With each ring, he grew more anxious, worried more about what he would say when she answered, if she even answered. 
Before he could scare himself into hanging up, Daphne’s voice answered, “Hello?”
He cleared his throat, “D-daphne?”
“Yes, who is this?”
“It’s-- uh-- it’s Niles Crane.”
“Oh, hello, Dr. Crane,” she said, voice suddenly a bit more cheerfully, “Can I help you with something?”
“Actually, you can,” he said, “I hate to even ask this of you, but an emergency came up at work and… I was wondering if you could go to the daycare and pick up Freddie?”
“Oh! I hope it’s nothing too serious!” Daphne exclaimed before saying that she would gladly help out by picking up Freddie.
Niles thanked her over and over again, telling her that he would send her the address of the daycare and his home address so she could take Freddie home. 
She assured him that it would be no problem and they said their goodbyes. 
As soon as he hung up with Daphne, Niles called the daycare and explained the situation. He gave them Daphne’s name and told them that she had his permission to pick up Freddie. Then he called his dad and explained the entire situation.
He got off the phone just as his patient walked through his office door. 

A little over an hour later, Niles’s patient had gotten through the bulk of their crisis, made an appointment to return during regular business hours, and left. Niles had finished up his paperwork and updated the patient’s file. He shut off the lights and locked up, then left the office. 
He drove home as quickly as he safely and legally could. When he arrived, he saw an unfamiliar car parked on the curb. Daphne was still here? He had assumed that she would only just drop off Freddie and let his dad take care of the little boy from there. 
As he walked into the house, Niles questioned if he was even in the right place. The air was filled with the smell of dinner cooking and the infectious sound of Freddie giggling. 
Just as he was about to call out to someone, Freddie came barrelling into the room and collided with his legs, nearly knocking him off of his feet. 
The little boy looked up with a deliriously happy smile, “Hiiii.”
Niles chuckled at his nephew, looking down and brushing the little boy’s hair from his face, “Hi. What are you doing?”
“Playing.”
“I see. Playing what?”
“Playing airplanes with Dah-nee.”
Niles picked up Freddie and balanced him on his hip, “And where is Daphne?”
Freddie pointed toward the living room and Niles started walking in that direction. 
As he entered the room, he saw his dad sitting in his recliner and Daphne standing up from the floor. 
“Hey, Niles!”
“Hello, Dr. Crane.”
“Hi, Dad, Daphne,” Niles greeted them as Freddie began squirming to get back down to the floor. 
He released his nephew who ran over and grabbed one of Daphne’s legs, calling for her to play with him.
She tousled his hair, “I’m sorry, Freddie. I need to go check on dinner. Maybe your uncle can play with you for a bit.”
Freddie whined, but Niles quickly moved over to kneel near the little boy and picked up one of the toy airplanes, “Come on, Freddie. Can you show me how the airplane flies?”
The ploy worked and Freddie released Daphne’s leg, taking the toy from his uncle then waving it around while making his approximation of an airplane noise. She gave Niles a grateful look and mouthed ‘Thank you.’
Niles watched Freddie play with the airplane for a while, pretending to be completely amazed by the boy telling an elaborate story about the plane. However, his mind was elsewhere. Thinking about how nice it would be to come home to this more often… someone else helping out around the house, cooking dinner, playing with Freddie, making the house feel a bit more… homey.
“Hey, Freddie?” he said, causing his nephew to stop in the middle of his story, “Why don’t you tell Grandpa the rest of the story? I’m going to go see if Daphne needs any help in the kitchen.”
Once again, Freddie was reluctant to be handed off to yet another adult, but he quickly found that Martin was a much better audience than Niles had been, which allowed his uncle to slip into the kitchen.

When he entered the room, he saw Daphne mixing a salad in a large bowl and, once again, couldn’t believe this was really happening. She, someone he barely knew, hadn’t just agreed to pick up his nephew from daycare, but took him home, played with him, and started preparing dinner. Who was this angel and how was she possibly real?
“Daphne, I can’t thank you enough for doing all of this,” he said, walking over to the counter where she was working.
She chuckled, “It’s not all that much. I just stopped after picking up Freddie and picked up a frozen lasagna and salad mix.”
Niles shook his head, “It’s more than enough. Truly. This is… above and beyond anything I could have expected or asked of you.”
“Dr. Crane, really,” Daphne said, “I told you that if you needed, I would be more than happy to help you with anything. I meant that.”
“You probably had plans--”
She gave a little laugh, “I didn’t. Don’t worry about that.”
He opened his mouth to say something else, but she put a finger to his lips to silence him, “Not another word.”
Suddenly his mouth felt dry. He gulped down the comment he had been preparing to make.
“Why don’t you check on the lasagna in the oven?” she suggested.
Niles nodded silently, moving to do just that. 

Once all the food was out and on the table, Martin and Freddie joined them.
“Well, now that’s all done,” Daphne said, moving to pick up her purse, “I’ll be going.”
“Wait,” Niles called out, causing her to freeze and turn to look at him.
“Why don’t you stay for dinner?” he asked with a bit of shyness creeping into his voice.
She smiled a little, but shook her head, “I really couldn’t… I don’t want to impose any more than I already have.”
“‘Impose’?!” Martin scoffed, “What part of any of this was an imposition?”
“Dad’s right,” Niles said, “You did all of this for us-- even bought the food and prepared it. The least we could do to thank you is ask you to eat it with us.”
Daphne began to walk away from her purse, “Well… I suppose, I could…”
Martin and Niles both cracked a smile. The younger man gestured to the fourth seat at the table, pulling it out for her.
She smiled warmly and took a seat, “Thank you.”

Daphne really did leave after dinner, bidding goodbyes to all three Crane men, including a tight hug for little Freddie. 
After she left, Niles started work on getting Freddie ready for bed. 
Once the little boy was mostly asleep, Niles returned to the living room.
His dad was back in his recliner with his feet up, watching some television show that Niles vaguely remembered having seen before. 
He must have been paying just as much attention as Niles was because he soon said, in a casual tone, “So, that’s your friend Daphne, huh?”
“Oh. Yeah.”
“She’s the physical therapist, right?”
“Mm-hmm.”
Neither of them were looking at the other, staring idly at the television through the entire conversation. 
“I suppose she might be alright as a physical therapist,” Martin said.
“You do?”
“Yeah.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Martin shut off the TV and put down the footrest, turning to look at his son, “Hire her.”
Niles looked back at his father, “You’re sure?”
“She was great here tonight. Offering to help me out with anything I needed. Not to mention that she’s great with Freddie and the kid adores her,” Martin reasoned. 
Niles gave a little smile.
His dad smirked, “You’re clearly pretty fond of her, too.”
Niles scoffed, “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Come on, Niles, I’m not blind. I saw the way you looked at her all night. And when you two interacted there were… I don’t know… sparks.”
“ Dad ,” Niles said, rolling his eyes.
“Can’t blame you,” Martin said with a teasing grin, “She’s not too hard on the eyes, huh?”
Niles shook his head, standing, “I’m going to clean up from dinner.”
He tried not to think about how his evading the topic would only make his father even more sure of his assumption. 
“We’re hiring her, right?” Martin called after his son.
Niles sighed, suddenly not sure that this was such a good idea after all, “I’ll call tomorrow.”

Chapter Text

The next day, Niles had once again scheduled appointments in the afternoon, so he intended to call Daphne in the morning after taking Freddie to daycare. 
Unfortunately, Freddie had a rough morning. It was all Niles could do to get him out of bed and dressed. By the time he had left the cranky toddler at daycare, he had almost entirely forgotten about the phone call. 
Over their lunch, Martin asked, “So, what did Daphne say?”
Niles choked on his drink and cursed under his breath.
“What?” his dad asked.
“After all the difficulty with Freddie this morning, it completely slipped my mind,” Niles said, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Before his dad had a chance to say anything else, Niles stood from the table and rushed off toward his room.

Niles knew that this phone call should be less stressful than the last time he called Daphne. This one was a business call, related to her work-- a transaction.
However, his anxiety was in overdrive and he could only think of all the ways that the phone call could go wrong. 
Maybe she wouldn’t have an opening to work with his dad. 
Maybe she wouldn’t be interested in working with them.
Maybe he had asked too much of her the other day and she saw them as taking advantage of her.
Maybe she didn’t like his dad.
Maybe she didn’t like him.
Maybe… maybe… maybe--
“Hello?”
She had answered. 

“H-hello,” he responded, “Daphne?”
“Oh, hello, Dr. Crane,” she said cheerily, “How are you?”
Niles’s mouth was suddenly dry, “I-- I’m fine. How are you?”
“I’m doing very well. How’s your father? And Freddie?”
He chuckled a little, “Freddie had a rough morning, but I think he’ll be fine. As for Dad, that’s actually why I called you.”
She didn’t say anything, so Niles took that as a sign to continue talking. 
“I mentioned to you recently that Dad was going to need physical therapy and that we were looking for a therapist, right?”
“You did.”
“So, we were, uh… we were wondering if maybe you would be available for his physical therapy?”
“ Really ?!” she asked, sounding much more excited than Niles had anticipated.
“Um… yes?”
“Oh, Dr. Crane, I would love to,” she said, “My last job ended just last week and I’ve been hoping that another patient would come along soon.”
“So, is that a yes?”
“Yes, of course! Honestly, I had hoped that you would ask me for this. I know it’s probably mad, but I feel like it's all meant to be. You know? That I happened to be there when your father was in surgery, then running into you at the hospital. It just feels like it’s all been lined up--”
“Daphne--”
“--I know that someone like you probably thinks that I’m just being silly--”
“Daphne--”
“--I’m sure you’d probably know some sort of psychological explanation for all of this, but--”
Niles raised his voice just a bit more, “Daphne!”
She stopped rambling, “Oh, I’m sorry, Dr. Crane. I’m just so excited.”
He smiled, “We’re very excited, too. I’m sure Freddie will be very excited to have you as a regular visitor.”
“I’ll certainly enjoy seeing him, too.”
Niles glanced over at the clock and realized how late it was, “Oh, damn. I’m sorry, Daphne, but I really need to go.”
“No problem, Dr. Crane,” she said, “I can send you an email later about setting up everything, like appointments and insurance and all that.”
“That sounds perfect, Daphne,” he said with a smile, “You still have my card.”
“Of course.”
“Excellent,” he said, “Goodbye, Daphne.”
“Goodbye, Dr. Crane,” she said, “Oh! And thank you so much.”
“I should be thanking you.”
She giggled, “Bye.”
“Bye.”

Niles sat for a moment, letting himself bask in the warmth of her voice and especially her giggle. It was the cutest sound he could ever remember anyone (other than Freddie) making. 
He was so lost in the sound that he almost forgot what he was actually supposed to be doing. 
A look at the clock, sent him leaping from the chair as though it was on fire. 
He still had time to make it to his first appointment, but it was going to be much closer than he preferred. 
As he rushed through the house toward the door, his dad called out to confirm that the call to Daphne went well. 
Niles answered in the affirmative and promised to tell him the rest once he returned to work. 
Martin waved off his son and turned back to the television. 

A few days later, the next Monday, was Martin’s first appointment with Daphne. 
They had arranged for her to not only work with him, but to spend the day with him to help him get more used to moving around the house and performing errands (and to also allow Niles to finally return to work full-time). 
Just in time, Niles heard a knock on the door. He went to answer it as he finished tying his tie and smiled when he opened the door and saw Daphne standing on the other side.
“Good morning, Dr. Crane,” she said with a cheery smile as he invited her into the house. 
He couldn’t help but feel that her good mood was infectious, “Good morning to you too, Daphne.”
Just then, Freddie charged into the room, bare feet slapping against the wood floors. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Daphne. Then, with a shout of “Dah-nee!”, ran full-force into her legs. 
She stumbled just a little before reaching down to tousle the little boy’s hair. 
He looked up at her with a bright smile that she mirrored, “Good morning, Freddie.”
Niles smiled at the sight, but that turned to a frown when he realized that Freddie was no longer wearing the socks that he had helped him put on not ten minutes earlier.
“Freddie, where are your socks?” he asked. 
The little boy shyly hid behind Daphne’s legs.
Niles shook his head, “ Freddie , where are your socks?”
Freddie reached into his pockets and pulled out a pair of tiny green socks that perfectly matched his sweater. 
Niles groaned, “Buddy, we’ve got to get you to day care. You can’t take off your socks.”
Freddie frowned, looking up at his uncle with a guilty expression.
“Freddie,” Daphne said, crouching down to the toddler’s level, “why don’t you let me help you with your socks and shoes while your uncle finishes getting ready?”
He looked from Daphne to his uncle and back again before nodding.
She nodded in the direction of the couch and said, “Go get on the couch and I’ll be right there.”
Freddie smiled and ran over to the couch.
Daphne stood back up, returning to eye level with Niles who was smiling just as brightly as Freddie had been. 
“You’re a lifesaver,” he said, looking at her with genuine gratitude shining in his eyes.”
Seemingly without a second thought, Daphne reached over and straightened Niles’s tie. 
He couldn’t breathe.
When she realized what she was doing, she pulled her hands away quickly. Daphne averted her eyes from his and a blush colored her cheeks.
Based on the warmth of his face, Niles was certain that he wore a matching one.
“I-- uh-- I should go-- um-- get my-- uh-- my coat,” Niles stuttered.
“Right,” Daphne said, “Don’t want you to be late.”
Niles nodded, “Freddie’s shoes are on the shelf by the door. Probably the brown ones.”
She nodded.

Only when he walked away did he fully appreciate just how heavy that moment had gotten.
Where did that come from?
Surely he had imagined the blush on her face.
This… this wasn’t… he wasn’t… they weren’t…
It was barely six weeks since his relationship had ended with Maris. 
He certainly wasn’t ready to move on so fast. 
Besides, that wasn’t even the nature of his relationship with Daphne. 
Relationship .
They barely knew one another. You could hardly even call it a relationship at this point. 
But even if you could, they were…
She was his father’s physical therapist. 
She probably didn’t even think of him as… anything. 
He was just… just a guy. 
A woman like Daphne could have any guy she wanted. She wouldn’t even give someone like Niles a second glance. 
Niles was just… just a… not good enough for someone like her.

Chapter Text

Like he had suspected, Niles very much enjoyed coming home to Daphne’s presence every day. 
He told himself that it was just the fact that she was taking care of some of the chores that he usually would have to do himself. Caring for his dad full-time had been more tiring than Niles had realized and he had missed being able to do his actual job. Daphne had insisted that she help out with some chores around the house and refused both Niles’s and Martin’s attempts to pay her extra for the extra work. 
Even though it had only been a week, Niles had noticed slight improvements in his dad’s mobility. He must have been feeling better, too, because he seemed to be much less grumpy in the evenings.
All of this, however, paled in comparison to seeing how surprised and excited Freddie was when he came home from daycare to find Daphne there. Every day since, he had beaten Niles to the front door each evening and waited impatiently for his uncle to open the door, before throwing himself full-force through the doorway shouting, “Dah-nee!”
On Wednesday, when Freddie arrived for his second day of greeting Daphne as soon as he got in the door, Martin was sitting in his chair and just looked at the little boy. “What am I? Chopped liver?” he teased his grandson.
Freddie didn’t hear him, but Niles did and snorted a little laugh, “Evening, Dad.”
“At least someone appreciates me,” Martin smirked. 

On most days, Niles’s return was shortly followed by Daphne’s departure. She would tell him about his father’s progress, anything that they had done during the day, if she had started anything like laundry or the dishwasher, give him a smile and a “have a good evening, Dr. Crane”, then she was gone. 
But on Friday, he came through the door with arms loaded with grocery bags. 
Daphne gave him a look of confusion, “Dr. Crane? I thought your father and I got the groceries yesterday?”
“Oh… um… yes, you did, but this morning I decided that I wanted to make something rather specific for dinner, so I had to stop at the store again for some ingredients,” Niles explained, carrying the bags into the kitchen.
“Do you need some help with that?” she offered, following him.
He smiled, “I’ve got it. Thank you, though.”
Martin raised up in his chair, “What’re you making?”
“Poulet chasseur,” Niles called back from the kitchen.
“It’s always gotta be something fancy and French with you doesn’t it,” his dad grumbled. 
Niles ignored him.
“I didn’t know you cooked, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said.
Martin once again spoke up, “He’s damn good at it, too, even if it is always some sort of froufrou dish I can’t even pronounce.”
Niles blushed, recognizing the statement as a genuine compliment from his father, “Thanks, Dad, but I’m not that good--”
“Aww,” his dad said, making a wave of dismissal, “You should stay for dinner, Daphne.”
“Oh, thank you, Mr. Crane, but I couldn’t--”
“ Come on, ” Martin said, “if you don’t stay, I’ll have to eat more of that pooley shasso or whatever.”
“ Poulet chasseur ,” Niles corrected, despite knowing that it was an exercise in futility. 
“Yeah, whatever,” Martin waved him off just like Niles knew he would and turned back to Daphne, “So, why don’t you stay?”
She made a non-committal noise and shrugged.
“Dad, you can’t make her,” Niles said, “She probably has other plans.”
Daphne spoke up, “Actually, I don’t have plans.”
Martin smiled, “So you’ll stay?”
“I could probably stay for a little while,” she conceded.
Martin’s smile got brighter and he looked from Daphne to Niles who was now frowning. 
“Um, Dad, can I speak to you in private for a moment?” Niles said.
“I’ll just go to the kitchen and unpack those groceries,” Daphne said, excusing herself to the kitchen. 

Once he was sure that Daphne was out of the room, Niles turned to his father, “ What are you doing ?”
Martin looked gobsmacked, “What am I doing? I’m just inviting Daphne over for dinner. She’s been a big help around the house and I thought it was the least we could do.”
Niles rubbed his fingertips over his closed eyes, “It’s just… she didn’t seem like she wanted to stay, Dad.”
Martin shifted in his seat, “Do you not want her to stay?”
Niles sat on the edge of the coffee table, “It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Niles sighed, looking at the floor, “I… I don’t know… it’s… I don’t know…”
His dad gave him a sympathetic look, “Niles, I know you don’t have a lot of friends, especially not friends around your age. Daphne’s a really nice person and you seem to get along really well. I just thought that you guys could be… you know… friends.”
Niles ran a hand through his hair. He couldn’t argue with his dad. He didn’t have many friends and he would very much like to have Daphne in his life in some capacity-- friend seemed like an absolute best case scenario. 
But the nagging voice at the back of his head that he had become all too familiar with was insistent, “I’m not good enough to be Daphne’s friend.”
“Niles,” his dad said, “you don’t really believe that, do you?”
He looked up at his dad and, judging from the change in the older man’s expression, he must have communicated his feelings of inferiority with the look on his face.
Martin sighed and slumped back into his seat. “She really broke you,” he mumbled.
Niles pretended that he hadn’t heard him. 
“Just… trust me, Niles,” his dad said, “You deserve a friend.”
“Dr. Crane?” Daphne’s voice interrupted from the kitchen.
Niles turned to look from his father to the doorway, “Yes?”
“I was wondering if I could help you out with dinner in any way,” she said.
Martin nodded in the direction of the kitchen, encouraging Niles to join Daphne. 
He took a deep breath, steadying himself, and did just that.

“How can I help?” she asked with a smile as Niles entered the kitchen.
“Um… if you could just, uh, wipe off those mushrooms and peel the onion and two cloves of garlic?” he asked, walking over to the sink to wash his hands. 
He pulled two knives from the block and two cutting boards from the shelf and sat them down on the counter near where Daphne was working. Then he walked over and grabbed something else from the back of the pantry door. He offered it to her.
She looked at it, “What’s that?”
“An apron,” he said, “I… I wouldn’t want you to get anything on your clothes.”
Daphne took it and gave him a little smile, “Thank you. I appreciate that.”
While she put on the apron, Niles put some parsley on his cutting board and took the now clean mushrooms.
“If you could chop the onion and mince the garlic, please,” he asked. 
She nodded, taking one of the knives. 
“I can’t say that I’ve eaten much French food,” she said, above the sounds of their knives clicking against the cutting boards.
“Really?” Niles asked, not looking up from the mushrooms he was slicing, “It’s my favorite cuisine to cook.”
“It suits you, I think,” Daphne responded.
“Does it?”
“Oh yes. It's all… proper and refined, but underneath all the fanciness, it’s… comfortable.”
Comfortable. She called him ‘comfortable’. She thought he was comfortable. What did that even mean? Was it good? Judging from the warm smile on her face, it was good. 
“How did you end up liking French food so much?” she asked, “It doesn’t seem like something you find that often in Seattle.”
“Well,” Niles thought, “It’s probably because my mother liked it.”
She smiled at him and returned to chopping.
“Mom was the one who introduced me to French food. It never really was Dad’s thing, so whenever Mom wanted French food, she would take me and… and, um, my brother to the restaurant with her. So, I guess I just started to associate French food with Mom.”
Niles gave a sad smile, “Sometimes when I cook French food, it makes me feel like Mom’s still with me.”
He quickly brushed a tear from his eyes, hoping that Daphne didn’t notice. 
She looked up at him and smiled, “That’s a very sweet sentiment, Dr. Crane.”
Niles nodded with a sigh, closing his eyes and trying to recenter himself. He felt a warm sensation on his hand. Niles opened his eyes and his voice caught in his throat when he saw that the feeling of warmth was Daphne’s hand covering his. 
“Your father told me about your mother and your brother,” she said quietly.
Niles nodded, not sure what to say.
“The past few years must have been very hard for the two of you.”
He ran his free hand over his mouth, nodding again. 
“I just want you to know… I know you’re a psychologist and all, but,” Daphne said, “if you ever need anyone to talk to… I’m around.”
He looked up at her, suddenly not caring if she saw the red in his eyes.
“I’m not as smart as you. I… I don’t know the scientific or… or philosophical things that you know, but… I can listen.”
“Daphne…” he said, voice barely above a whisper.
Her eyes met his. How had he not noticed the warmth in them until now? They reminded him of a cup of coffee on a winter’s morning-- warm, inviting, comforting… home.
Without another word, she wrapped him in a tight embrace.
He froze. Not sure what to do with his hands, but he eventually settled them against her back and nestled his chin in the bend of her neck. 
Her embrace made him feel something he hadn’t felt in so long. He felt grounded. Strong… Loved.
As she pulled away, she reached a hand up to gently pat his cheek and gave him a smile. 
“Let’s get this food cooked before your father gets too hungry,” she said warmly. 
He nodded and turned back to the cutting board.

Chapter Text

Daphne ended up staying long after dinner. Well after the food was gone, she remained at the table, taking in the stories Martin was sharing about the craziest cases he had worked on the force. 
Niles had heard all of the stories many times before, but seeing Daphne react to them and hearing her laugh at all the right times made it all feel new and exciting to him, so he laughed too. 
He began to gather the dishes from the table and Daphne leapt up, “Oh, let me help you with that, Dr. Crane!”
Niles waved her off, “That’s alright, Daphne. You’re our guest; don’t worry about it.”
“But you cooked everything,” she reasoned, “you shouldn’t have to clean, too.”
“It’s not really a big deal,” he countered. 
“At least let me help you carry some of those into the kitchen,” she said, reaching for a platter on the table. 
This no longer felt like an argument worth having to Niles, so he simply shrugged and took his stack of dishes into the kitchen. He had already started scrubbing one of the plates when Daphne entered with the remaining dishes and, without a word, took the sudsy plater from his hand and began rinsing it.
“You really don’t--” he was cut off by a look from her.
“Dinner was wonderful, Dr. Crane,” she said, continuing to rinse dishes, “You really are a very good cook.”
Niles blushed, looking down sheepishly, “Thank you, Daphne, that means a lot to me.”
She smiled at him, taking another plate.
“Cooking might be my only real hobby,” he mused. 
“It’s good to have something you’re passionate about,” she nodded.
“What about you?” he asked, “What are you passionate about?”
“Well, I enjoy helping people.”
Niles smirked, “That’s your job, though. What about something that isn’t your job?”
Daphne thought for a while, long enough that Niles thought she might have been avoiding his question, but then she answered, “I like to dance.”
“Dance?” he asked, surprised by her answer.
She nodded, “I used to go dancing with my friends all the time back in Manchester, but I really enjoyed those fancy parties with the formal dancing.”
“ Really ?” he questioned again.
“What?” she asked, turning to him, “Do you not think I can dance?”
“No, no, no,” he said with a chuckle, “I just can’t imagine anyone actually liking those parties.”
She looked confused, “Your father said that you used to go to fancy parties all the time.”
“I did.”
“Why did you go if you didn’t like them?”
He shrugged, “I don’t know… networking, I guess. Not to mention that my… well… I… I used to be in a very different circle than I am now.”
“What do you mean?” she asked with genuine curiosity.
Niles didn’t really know what to say. Did he tell Daphne about his ex-fiance? Was that too much? Would she even care about that? Do you bring stuff like that up to people who you hope will be your… friend?
“It’s a long story,” he sighed.
Daphne let the subject drop and turned back to the plate in her hands, “Well, remember what I told you earlier-- about me being around if you ever need someone to talk to.”
He gave her a warm smile as he handed her the last dish, “I appreciate that very much, Daphne. I really do.”
She reflected his smile back to him.

Niles glanced at the clock and bit back a curse.
“Is something wrong?” Daphne asked.
“I’ve got to go give Freddie a bath,” he said, reaching for a towel to dry his hands. 
“I can finish drying these,” she offered.
He argued, “Daphne, I couldn’t ask you to--”
“You’re not asking,” she said, “I’m offering. Now go.”
With a little smile, he did as he was told. 

Once Freddie was bathed and dressed in his pajamas, Niles told him to go tell his grandfather ‘good night’.
The little boy walked sleepily down the hall and into the living room. 
As Niles straightened the bathroom, he heard Freddie say, “Dah-nee still here?”
He couldn’t hear an answer, but assumed that it was a negative. Then he heard Freddie run down the hall to his room and quickly run back toward the living room. 
Putting away the last of the bath supplies, Niles walked out the door and down the hall. With a curious look, he peeked into the living room and was surprised to see that Daphne was, in fact, still there.
“Dah-nee read story?” Freddie asked, climbing onto the couch next to her. 
She smiled at him, “You want me to read you a story?”
Freddie smiled and nodded.
“Freddie, you know it’s time for bed,” Niles said with a hint of scolding in his voice.
His nephew whined and looked between Daphne and Niles with big, sad eyes. “Pease?” he asked. 
Niles warned, “ Freddie .”
He gave his uncle a look that he knew he couldn’t resist, “Okay, okay. If Daphne wants , you can stay up for one story. Alright?”
Freddie nodded excitedly.
As Daphne cracked open the book, Freddie gave a big yawn and she looked up and met Niles’s eyes. 
He knelt beside the couch, “Hey, why don’t we go to your room and Daphne can read that to you while you’re in bed, okay?”
The little boy nodded sleepily and held out his arms, silently asking Niles to pick him up. 
Niles picked Freddie up and nodded for Daphne to follow them as he led the way to the toddler’s room. 

Niles sat in a rocking chair with Freddie in his lap and Daphne sat in the window seat next to them. 
She opened the book and began to read the story, showing the pictures to Freddie on every page.
Niles couldn’t tell you what the story was, couldn’t even tell you what it was about, because he was completely lost. The comforting weight of Freddie on his lap, breathing slowed as he had dozed off, and Daphne’s voice, soft and warm, as she read. 
Suddenly, a feeling washed over him. 
Something he had not felt in ages.
This.
This right here.
This is what he wanted.
This was comfortable and comforting and warm and lovely and beautiful and this moment… this moment felt like home. 
He couldn’t remember the last time that he felt like this. Not since losing his mother, that was certain. Maybe not since he was, himself, a little boy listening to his parents read stories while they held him in their arms. 
“Dr. Crane? Dr. Crane?” Daphne asked softly, trying to get his attention.
“Hm?” he said, looking up to see her. The soft light through Freddie’s bedroom window somehow made Daphne look even more angelic than she usually did.
“I think he’s asleep,” she whispered.
Niles looked down at Freddie, sound asleep in his arms. He couldn’t help but smile. 
“Let me help you,” she said, standing and gently picking up his nephew.
She carefully placed the sleeping toddler in his bed while Niles stood and watched with a warm expression on his face. 
He stepped up to help her, tucking the little boy in and tenderly brushing the hair from his face.
Niles looked up to see Daphne watching him with an expression on her face that he couldn’t quite place, “What?”
She smiled at him in a way that made his heart feel as though it would burst, “You’re so good with him.”
He chuckled, “I was going to say the same to you.”
She blushed and looked away, “Oh, no… I’m… I’m not…”
He scoffed, “You should have seen me when I first started taking care of him. You. You would have blown me out of the water.”
Daphne gave a little giggle as she followed him out of the room, Niles clicking off the light as they went.

“I really do need to leave now,” Daphne said as they reentered the living room.
Niles nodded, but Martin spoke up, “You sure? We’re not kicking you out.”
She laughed, but shook her head.
Niles glanced at the clock, “It is getting late isn’t it.”
“It is,” she said.
He nodded to the door, “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Daphne smiled, “Let me get my coat.”
As she pulled her jacket on, Martin called, “Night!”
She waved to him and bid him a good night as well.
Niles held the door open for her and followed her out into the chilly night.
When she reached her car door, she opened the door, but instead of getting inside, leaned on it and smiled at Niles. 
“I had a lovely evening tonight, Dr. Crane,” she said.
He smiled, “Anytime, Daphne.”
“You’re too kind.”
“I mean it,” he said with a lazy half-smile. 
“I’d like that.”
“So would I.”
They stood for a while-- Niles wasn’t sure if it was five days or five milliseconds-- smiling at one another across the hood of her car. 
“I should probably…”
“Oh, right, yeah, it’s… you were…”
“Thank you again.”
“No, no. Thank you.”
She sighed with a smile, shaking her head before looking back up at him, “Good night, Dr. Crane.”
He sighed happily, “Good night, Daphne.”
She got in her car and started the engine, waving at him through the window before driving away.
He returned her wave and stood on the curb, watching her drive away until her taillights had faded from sight. 
When he returned to the house, his father was sitting in his chair with a satisfied look on his face.
“What?” Niles asked, silly smile dropping into a frown.
Martin smirked, “Still upset that I asked her to stay for dinner?”
All Niles could do was roll his eyes.

Chapter Text

Monday evening, Niles and Freddie returned home. As always, Freddie dashed into the house to greet Daphne. Even if his nephew was unaware of it, Niles noticed that some of her usual cheer was lacking from her standard greeting. 
When she looked over to welcome Niles home, her smile almost seemed sad. 
Before he could ask her about it, though, she excused herself to put away some things in the kitchen. 
Niles sat on the arm of the couch and turned from the kitchen door to his dad, “Hey, Dad, is Daphne okay?”
His dad grimaced slightly, “I don’t know. She’s been like that since lunch. Didn’t say anything, though.”
“Hm,” Niles said, pursing his lips in thought. 
Martin sat there, seemingly waiting for his son to say something, before rolling his eyes and nodding toward the kitchen, “Why don’t you go check on her?”
Niles almost fell off the arm of the couch, “ What ?”
“Come on, Niles,” his dad said, “It’s only polite.”
“Then why don’t you ask?” he challenged.
His dad rolled his eyes again while shaking his head. 
Niles sighed, then stood up and started toward the kitchen.

Before he walked in the door, he stopped and took a deep steadying breath, then he rapped his knuckles on the doorframe, “Daphne?”
She turned to face him, looking surprised, “Oh! Dr. Crane! I’m sorry I’ve taken so long with this. I’ll be done in just a moment.
“N-no, Daphne, it’s-- you don’t need to--” Niles stuttered, caught off guard that she thought he was upset with her, “Can I help you with anything?”
Daphne shook her head, “No, I’m almost finished putting this away.”
She still had a full bag of groceries sitting on the counter. Niles reached over and took some things from it and began putting them in the pantry.
She sighed when she noticed that he was, in fact, helping her. “You don’t have to do that,” she said.
“I know,” he said, “but you do so much around here. It’s literally the least I could do.”
Daphne was uncharacteristically quiet while they finished their work and eventually Niles couldn’t take the silence for one more moment.
“Daphne,” he said, getting her attention, “is something wrong?”
She didn’t look at him, “What do you mean?”
“You’re… quiet and… you seem… sad,” he said, trying to choose his words as carefully as possible. 
Daphne sighed, putting the last grocery bag away and turning to face him. The look on her face made it clear to Niles that she hadn’t intended for him to notice her poor mood.
“You spend all day listening to other people’s problems,” she said, “You shouldn’t have to listen to mine when you get home.”
Niles shook his head, “Daphne, believe me, I would be incredibly honored to listen to your problems.”

Daphne must have realized that Niles meant what he was saying, because she took a seat on a barstool at the counter. 
Niles leaned on the counter, facing her, and tried to give her a look that said he was listening to her, but not the same as the look he gave to his patients.
“It’s silly, really,” she sighed.
He smiled a little and continued looking at her, nodding to let her know that he didn’t care how silly it might be.
She gave up on getting out of the conversation, “Oh, Dr. Crane, I’m sorry. I was just excited about some plans for this weekend and they fell through.”
He frowned, mostly with empathy for her, but there was something else that he didn’t… quite… feel like digging into right now. 
“I’m sorry, Daphne,” he said.
She continued, “I was supposed to go to a party with Janelle on Saturday, but her schedule changed and now she can’t go. I’d feel strange going alone, so I guess I just won’t go at all.”
Niles gave her a sympathetic look, “I’m so sorry, Daphne. I know you’ve been wanting to go to a party.”
Daphne sighed deeply and shrugged, “It’s okay. I guess it just wasn’t meant to be.”
That answer broke Niles’s heart. He hated that Daphne had gotten excited to do something that she very much enjoyed only to have it taken from her. 
“I can go with you,” he said, mouth seemingly speaking without his brain’s consent. He immediately pursed his lips, terrified that he had overstepped his bounds or said something that he shouldn’t have.
Daphne looked at him as though she couldn’t believe what he had said.
The look definitely didn’t help him decide if he had said the wrong thing or not. If anything, it only made him more unsure. She looked at him as though a second head had sprouted from his shoulders. 
“Dr. Crane…” she said, voice quiet.
He smiled weakly, still not sure where this was going.
“I-- I couldn’t-- you-- who would take care of Freddie?”
He almost dropped to the floor-- she actually had been considering his offer. Though she did make a good point. He hadn’t thought about that. Hadn’t thought about anything at all, actually.
Daphne shook her head, “You’re too kind, Dr. Crane. I’ll be fine, I guess I’ll just wait for the next party.”
Niles sighed, still upset for her, “Okay, it doesn’t have to be the party. What about the four of us go out for dinner next Saturday evening?”
“Dr. Crane--”
“You can still get dressed up.”
“Dr. Crane--”
“We’ll go somewhere nice.”
“Dr. Crane!”
He stopped talking and looked at her sheepishly, only just realizing how he had been talking over her.
She gave him a soft smile, “You don’t have to do this for me.”
Niles shook his head, “I don’t have to, but I want to.”
“ Dr. Crane .”
“I mean it. You’ve… it’s… we just appreciate having you around so much,” he said, “I just… you… I… If you don’t want to go, that’s okay, but… I want to offer.”
Her smile was warm as she continued to look at him. It made his stomach feel as though it was filled with restless butterflies. He couldn’t remember the last time someone made him feel like that. 
“Thank you, Dr. Crane,” she said, “Your offer really means a lot to me. I appreciate it, I really do, I just…”
He was terribly nervous and suddenly felt as though he might throw up at any moment. He didn’t dare open his mouth to speak. Instead, he just gave her another empathetic look. 
She sighed, not a sigh of defeat or resignation, but a sigh that Niles couldn’t quite place. The smile and warm look in her eyes never faded.
“So, where were you thinking of taking us?”

Chapter Text

Niles teetered on the edge of a panic attack for almost the entire week. In fact, the only time he wasn’t one word away from hyperventilation was when he was with a patient and distracted from his thoughts about the weekend ahead. 
Somehow, before he knew it, Saturday had arrived. 
When the doorbell rang, Niles was fighting one of Freddie’s feet into a tiny suede loafer. Leaning on his new cane, Martin hobbled to the door and opened it, letting Daphne into the room.
“I don’t know why you insist on making him wear that thing,” Martin griped, “he’s only gonna get hot and want to take it off at dinner.”
Niles just sighed as he continued fighting with the shoe.
“Well, I think Freddie looks very handsome,” Daphne spoke up, drawing Niles’s attention.
When he turned to look at her, his mouth went completely dry. She was beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking. 
There was a little thud as he involuntarily dropped Freddie’s shoe to the ground. 
“D-daphne…,” Niles said, standing and brushing his sweaty palms on the front of his trousers, “You look… fantastic.”
She giggled, shyly, and said, “You look very handsome, yourself, Dr. Crane.”
“Shooooooooe,” Freddie whined, kicking his feet over the edge of the couch. 
Daphne jumped into action while Niles was still stunned. “Here, let me help you with that,” she said, kneeling in front of the little boy and picking up the dropped shoe. 
“And don’t you look handsome in your sweater,” she complimented Freddie, “You look so grown up.”
Freddie giggled while Daphne slipped the little boy’s foot into his shoe, making it look much easier than Niles had. 

The restaurant was an Italian place, somewhere upscale enough to justify getting dressed up, but not so fancy that Martin would whine about it. 
Somewhere with an extensive wine list that Niles approved of, but also somewhere with a decently priced steak for his father and appropriate food for a toddler. 
“This is a lovely wine, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said, sipping from the glass that he had recommended for the meal she had chosen, “I suppose I never realized how much of a difference the different kinds made with different food.”
Niles opened his mouth to speak, but his father interrupted him, “Don’t get him started on wine. If you do, we’ll never get to leave.”
He rolled his eyes at his dad, but took the hint and only said, “Thank you, Daphne,” and returned to his work, cutting up pieces of grilled chicken and broccoli for Freddie. 
The little boy grunted and impatiently grabbed for the plate and Niles brushed his hands away. Daphne saw that he needed a distraction for the hungry toddler and called out to him, “Freddie?”
When he turned to her, she asked him if he would like to try a bite of her food, then offered him half of a piece of penne with red sauce. 
The little boy gladly took the proffered bite and made a happy noise, so she offered him the other half of the pasta piece. 
“Be careful,” Martin said with a laugh, “he’ll eat your whole plate if you let him.”
Luckily, before Freddie had a chance, Niles finished preparing his food and returned the plate to his nephew who began clumsily feeding himself with a spoon and his fingers. 
Niles looked like he wanted to intervene, but his dad cleared his throat and made the younger man look away from the toddlers' mess-in-progress.

For an unusually neat person, the messes that came along with raising a toddler had been among the biggest challenges for Niles. 
Even thinking about some of the things he had seen, smelled, and touched since he and his father took in Freddie… it almost made him retch. 
Thankfully, his father had been around to handle some of the biggest messes. 
His father might not have completely understood all of Niles’s… well… his dad called them ‘quirks’-- Niles knew they were sensory hypersensitivity issues related to his obsessive-compulsive disorder, but that was beside the point-- even though his dad didn’t understand these issues, he still was considerate of his son. 
Once again, Niles was struck by how lucky it was that his dad was around and able to take care of Freddie with him.

His thoughts were interrupted by the waiter offering him another glass of wine. 
“You have a lovely son, Dr. Crane,” the waiter said, glancing at Freddie, “he looks so much like you and your wife.”
‘ Wife ’? Did… did the waiter think that… he really thought that Niles and Daphne were… and Freddie was their… 
He looked at Daphne and froze. She looked back at him with a similarly blank expression. 
Niles didn’t know what to say, but was struck by the urge to apologize to her, though he couldn’t put a finger on exactly what he would be apologizing for. 
Martin snorted a laugh, breaking both Niles and Daphne from their trance-like state as their heads whipped around to look at the older man. 
He looked between the two of them, grinning at their shocked faces.
“What’s so funny?” Daphne asked.
Martin shrugged, “I see why he’d think that Freddie was you guys’ kid. Never thought about it before, though.”
“What are you talking about?” Niles asked. 
“Well, he’s got brown eyes like Daph and his hair looks just like Niles’s did when he was that age,” Martin said, gesturing toward his grandson. 
Niles and Daphne both turned to look at the toddler who was currently looking at a broccoli floret in his hand. 
Daphne chuckled a little, drawing Niles’s attention to her.
“What?” he asked.
“He’s not wrong, is he?” she responded, looking from the child to his uncle.
Niles cracked a nervous smile, “Well… I guess not.”
“Not to mention that Freddie’s such a handsome boy, I’m flattered that anyone would think I’m related to him,” Daphne said, reaching over to wiggle Freddie’s foot, drawing a giggle from him. 
She didn’t mention anything about the part where the waiter had assumed she was Niles’s wife and he didn’t know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
His brain had apparently settled on both-- relieved up front because it avoided any awkward situation, but a bit disappointed because… what? What did he want? Her to joke with him the way she was joking with Freddie? Wanted her to say something that hinted that she actually wanted to be his wife? That was insane. 

After finishing their mains, Martin expressed interest in having a slice of chocolate cake. Initially, Niles wanted to refuse, saying that it wasn’t good for him. But then Daphne spoke up, saying that she would like some tiramisu and he couldn’t say no. 
He had promised himself that he would give her anything that she wanted tonight, since it was all to make up for her not being able to go to the party she had wanted to attend. 
So, instead of arguing with his father, he looked over the dessert menu. The tiramisu here was very well-reviewed and he had been looking for an excuse to try it, but he also knew that whatever he got, Freddie would want to try, so he would probably be better off eating something that he could share with the toddler. 
There was a bit of hesitation in his voice when he ordered the chocolate cake and, while his dad didn’t appear to have noticed it, the little look Daphne gave him seemed to indicate that she had. 
When their desserts arrived, Martin wasted no time tucking in to the rich cake. 
As expected, Freddie almost immediately began whining for a bite off of Niles’s plate. He cut off a small portion of the cake and moved it onto Freddie’s plate. 
Daphne made a sound of happiness as she took a bite of her tiramisu, drawing Niles’s attention away from the little boy who seemed to actually be trying to avoid making a mess of his cake. 
“This is delicious ,” she said in a voice dangerously close to a moan, eyes closed as she savored the taste. 
Niles didn’t manage to look away before she opened her eyes and, judging from the empathetic look she gave him, she must have understood his expression. 
“Would you like to try a bite, Dr. Crane?” she offered.
He waved her off, “I couldn’t possibly…”
“You really should,” she insisted, “it’s wonderful.”
“It’s okay, Daphne.”
Rather than give another argument, she scooped up a bite of her dessert and held her fork out toward him and gave him a look that killed any refusal Niles might have voiced.
However, he wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do now. He was close enough to just lean over and take the bite off the fork, but would that be weird? Maybe he should try to take it with his fork? No, that couldn’t possibly work. Maybe he’d offer his plate for her to place the piece upon. Or should he just take the fork? 
While he was frozen, she leaned closer with a little laugh, “Dr. Crane, it’s going to fall off my fork if you don’t eat it soon.”
Okay, that seemed to be a hint, right?
He leaned over and ate the bite off of her fork. 
It really was incredible. Just one bite and he instantly knew why the tiramisu was so highly regarded. It was delicious. Just the right balance of sweet and bitter and all the flavors married just so that you could taste all of the elements, but none of them too prominent. He couldn’t help the little moan of delight that escaped him before he caught himself, blushing deeply. 
“I told you it was good, didn’t I?” she said with a laugh, taking another bite of it for herself. 
Suddenly Niles was overwhelmed by the rather childlike thought of how his lips had touched something that had touched Daphne’s lips and now her lips were once again touching it after it had touched his and… he was a little lightheaded. What was going on? 

By the time they got back home, Freddie was sound asleep. 
Of course, Martin invited Daphne to come inside for a nightcap, but she declined. However, she did linger after the older man had gone inside, but only to help his son gently remove the sleeping toddler from the back of the car. 
Once Niles was securely holding Freddie against his chest, the boy’s head settled on Niles’s shoulder, Daphne stepped toward her car, smiling at them.
“I had a very lovely evening, Dr. Crane,” she said. 
“I’m glad to hear that, Daphne,” he said, returning a shy smile, “I know it probably wasn’t as exciting as a party with your friends, but--”
She cut him off with a little laugh, “It was much better than any party.”
He chuckled a little, not sure what to say.
Luckily, she continued, “I can’t remember the last time I had dinner at such a lovely restaurant. You really didn’t have to pay for all of that.”
“Nonsense,” he waved off her concerns, “it was my pleasure. It’s nice having such good company at dinner.”
Silence hung between them. Not awkward or uncomfortable, but heavy nonetheless. It felt like a thousand unsaid things were simmering just below the surface. 
“I should probably…” Niles began, gesturing toward his sleeping nephew.
“Oh, right,” Daphne said, “shouldn’t keep him out here in the cold too long.”
“Yeah,” he nodded, “I think we’ll have to skip bathtime tonight.”
She gave a little chuckle, “Right.”
“So, I’ll just…” Niles started, but didn’t move anywhere.
“Yeah, I should…” Daphne said at nearly the same time, but also gave no indication of moving.
“I-- um-- thank you for joining us for dinner, Daphne,” he said.
“Thank you for inviting me,” she returned.
He smiled, “Anytime.”
Finally, Daphne moved, though not toward her car, but rather, towards Niles and Freddie. Once close enough, she reached out her hand. Niles thought that she was going to touch him, but at the last second, her hand moved down and brushed over the soft hair atop Freddie’s head. 
She leaned down and pressed a featherlight kiss to the top of the sleeping boy’s head and whispered, “Good night, Freddie.” Then her hand moved up to gently pat Niles’s jaw. His eyes fluttered closed and he leaned into her touch. 
“Good night, Dr. Crane,” she said softly.
His eyes opened and he found himself eye-to-eye with Daphne, close enough to feel her breath on his skin.
His voice was barely audible when he replied, “Good night, Daphne.”
She gave his jaw another pat before stepping back and walking to her car.
Daphne gave a smile and a little wave as she drove away. Niles returned the small wave with the heel of his hand still pressed against Freddie’s back.
After she left, he was still standing by his car, his own lips against the same spot on Freddie’s head that she had kissed and unsure if he really could still detect the her scent or if it had just been etched into his memory.

Chapter Text

Whenever Niles was around Daphne, he felt as though he was walking on air. Even at the end of very stressful days, his mood seemed to lift the instant he walked through the door and heard her greeting him and Freddie (however, Martin would argue that his mood immediately went back to sour the second that she walked out the door). 
In fact, the only one to match Niles’s excitement to see Daphne was Freddie, who continued bursting through the door every evening, shouting for her even before greeting his grandfather. Most days, he would have something to show her, a scribbled drawing or project from daycare. 
Daphne always acted as though he was showing her a precious work of art. Seeing her knelt beside the little boy, hanging on his every word, and oohing and awing over his work never failed to warm Niles’s heart. 

One day, as Niles was hanging up his coat, he heard Freddie saying something to Daphne, but the only word he could even remotely understand was “Hah-ween.” 
Niles glanced at the calendar-- Halloween was, in fact, one week away. He hadn’t even thought about it. Freddie was a toddler, he had no memory of the previous Halloween and probably didn’t really understand much about the holiday even now. Since Niles had never mentioned the holiday and he couldn’t recall his father having done so either, Freddie must have heard about it at daycare. 
As Daphne watched him pointing out features of the paper jack-o’-lantern his teachers had helped him to make, Niles’s mind began to run in overdrive. 
He hadn’t ever been especially fond of Halloween as a child. Not that he didn’t enjoy dressing up in costumes. No, he didn’t need an excuse for that (much to his father’s chagrin), but all of the haunted houses and scary movies… not to his taste. 
Especially not as a nervous and sensitive child. Older kids would always delight in startling him. His dad, who saw it all as good fun, would sit back and let Niles and Frasier go up to the most spookily decorated homes while he waited on the sidewalk. Of course, Frasier would go right up to them and tease Niles for being so anxious. 
However, Freddie wasn’t him. He deserved to have standard childhood experiences, even if those experiences brought up… less-than-pleasant memories for his guardian. 
So, now it was a week before Halloween and he had a toddler who would probably want to do the whole costume and trick-or-treating thing and Niles had no idea what he was doing. 
Where did he get a costume? Would there even still be any good costumes left less than a week before the holiday? He knew some of the things that Freddie liked, but were those things liked by his classmates? Or would they tease him for his costume choice? Or what if Niles bought the wrong costume? Then Freddie’s friends would mock him and it would be all Niles’s fault. 
Oh god. 
There were just too many ways for this to go wrong. 
He felt the room spinning around him.
His breathing got shallow.
His peripheral vision dimmed and eventually went completely dark.

“Dr. Crane? Dr. Crane?” a voice called out to Niles through the darkness. 
Who was that? What happened? Where was he?
“Dr. Crane?” the voice-- Daphne’s voice-- called again, “Are you okay?”
His eyelids felt heavy when he lifted them and the world slowly came into focus around him. How had he ended up on the floor?
“There you are, let’s sit up a bit, shall we?” Daphne said, helping Niles to sit upright. 
The room lurched forward and his eyes fluttered and he began to fall back only to feel Daphne’s arms reach out to catch him. 
“Don’t sit up too quickly, Dr. Crane,” she said, brushing hair from his forehead. 
He began sitting up once more, slower and more carefully this time. 
“Th-- thank you, Daphne,” he said, “I’m not sure what happened.”
“You fainted,” she explained, “I didn’t see it happen, but you hit the floor pretty hard. How’s your head?”
He ran a hand over his scalp, feeling for any tenderness, “I think it’s alright.”
“Are you feeling well?” she asked, “Do you know what made you faint?”
Niles sighed, running his fingers through his hair, “I-- I’m not sure. I was just thinking about Halloween and how Freddie might want to participate, but what if I can’t find the right costume or what if his little friends tease him about it--”
“Dr. Crane! Dr. Crane!” Daphne called out, placing a hand on his arm as he started to hyperventilate again, “Don’t worry about all that. Your father and I will be able to help you out with all of that, you know.”
His breathing began to return to normal and he nodded, putting his hand atop hers and giving it a pat, “Thank you again, Daphne. I appreciate it very much.”

Freddie was very much excited about Halloween and he spent several evenings excitedly chatting with his grandfather about the holiday… Well, mostly Martin chatting and Freddie reacting excitedly. During those chats, Martin managed to piece together a costume that his grandson would like. 
Friday evening, when Freddie barrelled through the door, he was greeted by the results of one of Martin and Daphne’s errands-- A firefighter costume, complete with a little yellow plastic helmet, little black rain boots with a red St. Florian’s cross on the side of each, and a small foam hatchet. 
Freddie froze when he saw the costume, pointed at it, and shouted for Niles to look at the costume. 
Once Niles had assured him that he saw the costume, Freddie squealed in delight and ran over to it. Martin began excitedly showing Freddie all the features of his costume and let the little boy try on the jacket and helmet. 
While they were occupied, Niles turned to Daphne, “Thank you so much for helping with this.”
She shook her head, “It was mostly your father.”
“Yeah, but he wouldn’t even be able to go to the store without you,” Niles countered. 
She just shrugged, continuing to watch as Martin showed Freddie a jack-o’-lantern bucket. 
“He looks so excited, doesn’t he?” she commented.
“Who, Freddie or Dad?” Niles joked with a little smile.
Daphne chuckled a little, returning his smile. 
“So, are you actually going to take Freddie trick-or-treating?” Daphne asked.
Niles grimaced, “I suppose so. Not sure where we’ll go, though.”
“You could always come by my place,” she said casually, continuing to watch Freddie’s excitement.
Niles couldn’t help but do something of a double-take. He could go to her place. Her place. He had never seen where she lived. He wasn’t even sure if he knew where it was. And now…
But it was just trick-or-treating. Just Freddie. Just Daphne being kind to Freddie like she always was. 
Still-- ow! 
His thoughts suddenly interrupted by a giggling toddler smacking his legs with the foam hatchet while Martin guffawed from his chair. 

“I just wish I could go,” Martin whined as he tried to get a good photo of Freddie in his costume.
“I wish you could, too, Dad,” Niles responded, trying not to let on that he meant that he wished Martin could take Freddie trick-or-treating instead of him, “but you know that you can’t be in the car for that long with your hip.”
His dad grimaced, “Well, you got the addresses, right?”
Niles checked his phone and the list of addresses his father had given him, several of his old cop buddies and some of the guys he used to grab drinks with at the bar. 
However, there was one address that Niles was actually excited about and that was the one at the very top of the list-- Daphne’s place. Their first stop and the only thing Niles was actually looking forward to about the entire night. 
Once Martin had taken a satisfactory number of photos of his grandson, Niles led the boy out to the car and wrestled him into his car seat, then they were off.
Niles followed the directions to Daphne’s place and pulled up outside a row of newish condominiums. He took a moment to steel his nerves before Freddie started whining from the backseat and he knew that he could delay no longer. Not to mention that he had sent Daphne a message letting her know that they were on their way, so she would be waiting on them.
One more deep breath and he was out of the car and at the backseat, freeing Freddie from his seat. As Niles lifted him out of the car, Freddie began squirming and kicking at the ground, so Niles sat him on the ground. 

As soon as Freddie’s feet were on solid ground, the little boy was moving toward the doors. 
His uncle locked the car and, rather than picking up his nephew, followed on Freddie’s heels like a border collie. 
“Where go?” Freddie asked, looking up at his uncle. 
Niles smiled and took Freddie’s little hand and guided him toward Daphne’s front door. Once they had reached it, he picked Freddie up and showed him the doorbell and asked him to push the button.
A few moments later, the door opened and Niles had a split-second of concern that Daphne’s roommate would be the one on the other side, but that fear was quickly relieved. 
“Dah-nee!” Freddie shouted, causing Daphne to smile at the boy.
“Look at the big strong fireman!” she exclaimed, reaching out to pat Freddie’s arm. 
He answered with a shrieking giggle.
Niles couldn’t help but smile at the interaction between the two people who were fast becoming the best parts of his life. 
He bounced Freddie just a little, “Remember what we practiced saying?”
Freddie looked from his uncle to Daphne with a bright smile, “Tri-tree!”
“Close enough,” Niles chuckled.
“Very good!” Daphne praised the toddler, who looked quite proud of himself. She then held up a small package of cookies, “I know these are your favorite.”
“Cookies!” he shrieked, reaching for the package.
Niles held up Freddie’s pail, “Let’s put those in here for now, okay?”
Freddie looked from his uncle to Daphne who gave a nod. That was seemingly enough to convince him and he dropped the package into the purple jack-o’-lantern.

Daphne smiled, “You’re going to get a lot more sweets before the night’s over.”
Freddie giggled again.
That was when Niles seemingly suddenly remembered that the purpose of the night hadn’t just been to see Daphne. No, there was still an entire list of people who were expecting to see Martin’s grandson before the night was over. Which meant that they probably needed to leave.
Against his own wishes, he told Freddie, “Alright. We’ve got to go get you some more candy, okay? Say ‘bye bye’ to Daphne.”
Freddie’s face fell, reflecting how Niles felt. “Dah-nee come?” he whined. 
“Not tonight, Freddie,” Niles responded, “Daphne’s got things to do here.”
Niles saw Freddie’s face scrunch up and knew that tears were soon to follow. “Dah-nee come,” he whimpered. 
“Freddie, no, come on,” his uncle said, turning to carry Freddie back to the car.
Freddie sobbed, “Dah-nee come!” over Niles’s shoulder, reaching out toward the woman. 
Niles had almost made it to the car with the upset toddler when he heard footsteps rapidly approaching him from behind. 
“Dr. Crane, wait,” Daphne said.
He turned and saw her standing not far behind him. “Daphne?” he asked.
She wrung her hands, “I hate to see Freddie upset like this and I really don’t have any plans tonight, so…”
Niles couldn’t believe what she was saying… Was she saying what he thought she was saying?
Freddie’s sobs had died down once he saw Daphne. “Dah-nee come?” he asked, still sounding sad. 
Daphne looked from Freddie to Niles, “I wouldn’t mind coming along, you know, and lending a hand… if that’s alright with you, that is.”
Niles floundered, mouth opening and closing without forming words, “I-- uh-- oh-- you-- that’s-- ye-- yeah, no, yeah, that’s-- that’s-- we’d love to have you join us.”
Daphne smiled warmly and moved to help Niles get Freddie into the car.

The evening was fairly uneventful; mostly just couples around Martin’s age cooing over Freddie. 
Occasionally, one would comment on how much Freddie looked like Niles had at that age and crack a joke about something that Martin had told them about when Niles was a toddler. These stories would inevitably end with Daphne covering her mouth while a giggle escaped and Niles’s ears turning red with embarrassment. 
A few of Martin’s friends mentioned something bittersweet, expressing sympathy for the loss that the Cranes had experienced over the past few years. Niles tried not to linger on those thoughts-- not tonight. Once or twice, he felt Daphne’s hand flat against his back or on his shoulder, seemingly willing her strength into him.
With the little touches and glances between the two of them, it shouldn’t have been surprising when one of the people they visited said, “Marty didn’t tell me that his younger son had gotten married.”
Again, Niles felt the tell-tale heat of embarrassment blaze over his ears and across his cheeks. He didn’t dare look at Daphne, but if he had, he would have noticed that a similar blush colored her face. 
“Actually-- uh-- I’m-- we’re--” Niles sputtered, not sure what to say.
Daphne’s hand found his back once more and she spoke up, “I’m actually Mr. Crane’s physical therapist. Dr. Crane and I are just… friends.”
Niles had turned to her when she began to speak and at her last word, his face lit up with a brilliant smile. ‘Friends.’ Daphne had said that they were ‘friends.’ He didn’t have a lot of friends and now… now he had Daphne as a friend. He couldn’t speak. What was he supposed to say?
The couple in the doorway were giving Niles and Daphne a very skeptical look. However, Freddie yawned rather dramatically at that moment, which provided the perfect excuse for Niles and Daphne to bid them a good evening and head back to the vehicle. 

By the time they returned to Daphne’s place, Freddie was sound asleep. Niles looked at the toddler in the rearview mirror and smiled. To think that he had been so worried about all the ways that this night could go wrong and now… well, it was certainly Niles’s best Halloween. 
“It’s sweet isn’t it?” Daphne asked, interrupting Niles’s thoughts.
He looked at her with a quizzical look.
She nodded back at Freddie, “He looks so peaceful when he’s asleep.”
Niles nodded, “I know. I almost wish I didn’t have to move him. Afraid it will disturb his sleep.”
Daphne gave a little chuckle, “It didn’t seem to bother him after dinner last week.”
“That’s true,” Niles replied, smiling as he thought of that evening. 
When he turned back to Daphne, she was smiling warmly. He liked to believe that she was thinking of that evening, too. 
“I should probably be going,” Daphne said, nodding toward her house.
Niles nodded, “Right, yeah. I need to get Freddie home and try to get him out of those boots before bed.”
She gave a little laugh, “I hope he had a good time tonight.”
“I know he did,” Niles assured her, “Thank you for coming with us. I’m not sure how I would have gotten through it without your help.”
“Why do I get the feeling that you’re talking about your father’s friends, not Freddie?” Daphne teased.
Niles grinned, looking away sheepishly, “Well…”
A beat passed. He could hear Freddie’s slow deep breaths from the backseat. 
“Good night, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said, opening her car door.
He gave her a warm smile, “Good night, Daphne.”
After exiting the car and closing the door, she gave him a wave through the window. He waved back at her and then it was her turn to be the one standing on the sidewalk as the taillights faded away.

Chapter Text

Long after returning home, Niles found himself filled with warm and cozy feelings whenever he thought of his evening with Freddie and Daphne. 
Of course, in true Niles fashion, he couldn’t help but analyze the entire thing to death. However, unlike almost anything else he had worried this much about, he found his feelings only growing more warm and cozier as he thought over the night. 
One night, just before he fell asleep, he clicked a puzzle piece into place– it was the domesticity. That was what was making him feel so good about the whole thing. 
And, yeah, maybe he should have picked up on that when his dad’s friend assumed that he and Daphne were a married couple, but that mistake was becoming so common when he and Daphne were doing anything, that– Oh. 
Oh.
Suddenly, it all started making sense for him. All of it– the way he felt when he came home and found Daphne helping his dad with chores, when Freddie threw himself at her and she wrapped the little boy in her arms, when she stayed for dinner and helped him cook and tidy up– it was all tied into that feeling of domesticity. 
Niles felt like he was a part of a family, the way he hadn’t felt since he was a young boy. It was satisfying this little part of him that he had basically given up on satisfying. Something he couldn’t even imagine when he was in a relationship with Maris. 
Even though his relationship with Daphne was strictly platonic, it felt like… they felt like… partners. She was always willing to help him out and any time that she asked him for help, he jumped at the opportunity. They were friends. She had said so herself. 
But… sometimes he did get a little niggling thought in the deepest recesses of his mind that he wanted… more than friendship with her. 

He was in the midst of deep thoughts like these one evening when he was jolted from his bed by the sound of Freddie groaning and whimpering from his room.  
Niles quickly made his way into the boy’s room and found his nephew tugging on his ear with his face scrunched up in discomfort. 
“Hey, buddy, what’s going on?” Niles asked, gently brushing Freddie’s hair with his hand.
Freddie whined and Niles could see tears leaking out of the toddler’s tightly closed eyes, “Ow! Ow!”
Niles frowned, “Can you show me where it hurts?”
His nephew whimpered and tugged on his ear again. 
Niles picked the boy up from his bed and moved over to the rocking chair and turned on the lamp as he sat down with Freddie on his lap. 
“Can I see?” he asked, Freddie just answered with a whine. 
When Niles looked at the boy’s ear, he found that it was red and irritated. The little boy seemed to have a low fever. 
Unfortunately, the symptoms were all too familiar to Niles as he had spent many childhood nights feeling the same pain– an ear infection. Yet another trait his nephew had inherited from him, it seemed. 
Freddie cried against Niles’s shoulder and he could feel the boy’s tears soaking through his pajama shirt. He tried to think if there was anything he could do that might actually help soothe the toddler.
Niles stood, holding his nephew on his hip and made his way to the bathroom and the medicine cabinet where he found some children’s ibuprofen. Hopefully it would ease Freddie’s pain enough that he could sleep some tonight and Niles could call the pediatrician first thing in the morning. 
Convincing Freddie to take the medicine was one of the more challenging things that Niles could recall having done, but it did happen.
However, it would take time for the medicine’s effects to set in and, until then, the toddler was still in pain and quite upset. 
They returned to Freddie’s room and Niles, once again, sat in the rocking chair with Freddie seated in his lap. His nephew continued to sob against his shoulder and Niles began to rock the chair. He rubbed a hand up and down the little boy’s back and hummed softly.
Eventually, the sobs began to subside. Niles wanted to be absolutely certain that Freddie was asleep before leaving, though, so he continued to rock. Little did he know that uncle would soon follow nephew into dreamland. 

Niles awoke to his name being called. 
That was strange. Had his alarm not gone off? Or was it before his alarm?
Something felt off, too. His back felt stiff and uncomfortable, there was an unexpected weight in his lap, and was he… sitting up. 
Slowly, the events of the night before started coming back to Niles.
Luckily, Freddie was still asleep on his lap.
His dad was in the doorway of Freddie’s room, trying to keep his voice low as he called out to Niles. 
Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Niles turned to look at his dad, who had begun to creep into the room.
“Something wrong?” Martin asked quietly.
Niles nodded, “Freddie woke up last night crying and tugging on his ear. I think he may have an ear infection.”
Martin grimaced, “Poor kid.”
Niles looked at the clock and saw that it was, in fact, about 20 minutes after the time he usually woke up. He cursed under his breath, which drew his dad’s attention.
“What?”
“I still need to call Freddie’s pediatrician before I go in to work,” another thought struck him, “With Freddie this sick, I probably can’t go in to work anyway.”
He sighed. There were appointments today that he really needed to make. Some patients that had time-sensitive issues that he really needed to be there for today, but Freddie was his priority. He couldn’t leave him here when his dad wasn’t capable of taking care of him. 
“Why don’t you put him in his bed and go make that call?” his dad suggested. 
Niles nodded, standing on stiff knees and wobbly legs and gently placing his nephew into his bed and pulling a blanket over his sleeping form.

The call with the pediatrician had been mercifully short and had been reassuring to Niles. The doctor assured Niles that he had done the right thing and, the best thing he could do would be to continue monitoring Freddie’s fever and giving him ibuprofen as needed, and if the boy was still sick in two days, bring him to the office. 
After hanging up, he walked into the living room and found that Daphne had arrived for the day. 
He suddenly felt very improper, standing in the middle of the room wearing his pajamas and slippers. However, neither his dad nor Daphne seemed to give it a second thought. 
“What’d the doctor say?” Martin asked. 
Niles shrugged, “Just to monitor his fever and give him medicine if he needed it. Wait and see if it passes.”
Martin frowned. Niles understood. They both hated to see the toddler going through this; Martin, no doubt, remembering when Niles had gone through ear infections as a little boy.
“How is he now?” Daphne asked.
As if on cue, Freddie cried out from his room. 
Niles dashed into the boy’s room with Daphne right on his heels and Martin limping along behind them. 
When he reached Freddie’s bed, he found the little boy sobbing and tugging his ear again. Niles reached over the rail and picked the little boy up and held him to his shoulder.
“Your ears still hurt?” Niles asked.
“Uh-huh,” Freddie answered, nodding as he continued to sob. 
“I’m sorry, buddy,” Niles said, rubbing a hand up and down Freddie’s back, “I know it hurts. I’m sorry.”
“Dah-nee,” Freddie called out and Niles realized that the boy must have raised his head and noticed the other people in the room. 
Sniffling, the toddler held his hands out toward Daphne and, without hesitation, she walked over to him. Niles passed the little boy into her arms and she held him, bouncing him on her hip and trying to soothe him while he continued to sob.
“You go take a shower, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said, “I’ve got him for now.”
Niles wanted to argue, point out that Daphne wasn’t being paid to do this type of work– that it was way beyond what she should be expected to do– but the way she leaned her head against Freddie’s sapped his will to comment. 

Showered and dressed, though not in his typical business attire, Niles returned to Freddie’s room where Daphne was rocking the boy and his sobs had almost subsided. 
“Did you give him more medicine?” Niles asked, apparently taking Daphne by surprise if her little jump was any indication. He gave her a look of apology. 
She shook her head, “I wasn’t sure when you gave him medicine last night.”
He nodded, “Sorry, I should have told you or Dad.”
“That’s alright,” Daphne said, “I think he’s almost cried himself to sleep.”
Niles frowned. He really did hate to see Freddie going through this. 
“Are you going to work today, Dr. Crane?” 
He shrugged, “I’m not sure. I shouldn’t leave Freddie, but I do have some patients that really need to see me today. I’m not sure what I need to do.”
“Is it just one or two appointments?”
“Two.”
“I think I can handle him for two hours,” she said with a soft smile.
“Daphne, you really don’t have to–”
She gave him a look that stopped his refusal immediately, “Your patients need you, Dr. Crane. And it’s only two hours. It’s really no trouble.
Niles sighed. He really didn’t want to give in to her, but she was right. It wouldn’t be too big of a problem for him to call in and cancel all of his appointments except for the two time-sensitive ones. 
“The appointments are from 10 until noon. I can bring lunch home for you and Dad.”
Daphne smiled, “That sounds good.”
He gave her a shy smile in return.

True to his word, Niles returned home from work as soon as possible.
While it wasn’t his preference, he knew that chicken nuggets were one of Freddie’s favorite foods, so he stopped and picked some up on the way, along with some food for the adults. 
When he walked in the door, he found Daphne and his father on the living room floor working on his exercises while Freddie laid on the couch with fingers in his mouth and heavy eyelids looking toward the television which was showing a cartoon. 
Niles sat most of the food down on a table, but carried Freddie’s food over and took a seat on the couch.
“How’re you feeling, Freddie?” Niles asked, gently shaking his nephew’s foot.
Freddie looked at his uncle, but didn’t answer.
“He woke up crying just after you left,” Daphne said, looking over at the two, “but we got him some medicine and he seems to be doing a little better now.”
Niles nodded, looking between Freddie and Daphne. 
Turning back to Freddie, Niles held up the container of lunch, “Guess what I got for you, buddy.”
Freddie perked up just a bit when he saw the lunch, his eyes opening wider.
“It’s your favorite,” Niles said.
His nephew rose halfway up, “Chicken?”
Niles nodded, “Chicken nuggets.”
Freddie sat up on the couch and began reaching for the food, but Niles kept it just out of reach. Instead, he helped the little boy over to the dining table and sat the food out for him. 
Soon, Martin and Daphne joined them, Martin commenting how rare it was that Niles brought home fast food, making allusions to how much he missed the greasy burgers. 
Niles bit back a retort, instead choosing to focus on eating his own lunch. 

Freddie returned to the couch after finishing his lunch, though he seemed more awake now; rather than laying in a catatonic state, he was sitting up and playing with a stuffed bunny. Martin had joined him in the room, helping the toddler find the cartoon he wanted to see. 
Meanwhile, Daphne helped Niles tidy up the remains of their lunch. 
“You know, Daphne, since I’m here, you can leave early,” Niles said, wiping off the table, “I should be able to handle both Dad and Freddie.”
She reflected his smirk, but argued, “I don’t mind, Dr. Crane. It is my job, after all.”
“Yes, but caring for a cranky toddler certainly goes beyond the scope of your job,” he countered. 
Daphne shrugged, “Don’t worry yourself about that.”
They worked silently for a moment before she spoke up again.
“Truthfully, it was a bit scary when he woke up screaming.”
Niles stopped in his tracks. He remembered the way he had felt when he heard Freddie crying out last night. How many things ran through his head. Terrible, terrifying things.
Daphne must have taken notice of his silence as he heard her softly call out to him. 
He turned to look at her, suddenly feeling a little lost.
“Are you alright?” she asked.
“I… I was so scared,” he mumbled.
“Dr. Crane?”
“Last night… last night, when I woke up to Freddie’s crying… all I could think… all I could think about was all the things that could be going wrong,” Niles choked out. 
She just looked at him with soft eyes. 
He continued, “And then… when I got to him… holding him and… knowing there was nothing… I could do. I… I couldn’t help him. Wasn’t even sure if what I was doing was helping… Just thinking about how… how I could be doing the wrong thing… that… that I might… hurt him.”
Niles felt Daphne’s hand on his arm and looked up to see her standing in front of him. Her hand gently reached up to wipe away a tear that he hadn’t even noticed falling. 
He shuddered slightly at her touch. 
“You’re such a good man, Dr. Crane,” she said, voice barely above a whisper, “Such a good, kind, loving man.”
His heart was thundering in his chest. Unsure what had earned him such praise from Daphne.
Her hand reached to cup his jaw, gently turning his face to look her straight-on, “You’re doing such a wonderful job with Freddie. Don’t forget that.”
“S– sometimes I need r– reminded,” he said, voice quivering. 
“Just let me know when,” she smiled at him, “I’ll always remind you.”
Without another word, she enveloped him in the warmest embrace that he could remember. He felt so warm and safe and… and… loved.

Chapter Text

The days passed and, thankfully, so did Freddie’s illness. Chilly days soon began to outnumber warm ones and November marched on.
One evening, Niles and Freddie arrived home to find Martin and Daphne in a discussion of the holidays and her plans for Thanksgiving.
“You know, this will be my first Thanksgiving,” she said, “Since I moved here in January.”
Sometimes it still surprised Niles to remember just how recently Daphne had emigrated to Seattle. 
Martin smiled broadly, “You got any plans?”
She shrugged, “Well, I thought that I would do something with Janelle, but last week she let me know that she’s going to Bellingham for Thanksgiving with her boyfriend’s family.”
Martin raised an eyebrow, “Sounds like they’re getting pretty serious.”
Daphne chuckled, “They’re practically inseparable.”
“Well, if you don’t have any other plans, why don’t you do Thanksgiving with us?” Martin offered. 
Niles’s eyes opened wide, surprised that his father would invite Daphne when they hadn’t even discussed their plans for the holiday. 
Then again, Niles thought, it might be nice to have a buffer in place. This would be the first Thanksgiving that he had spent with his dad without his mom. The first Thanksgiving without Maris for several years. The first Thanksgiving without Frasier…
“Dr. Crane?” Niles’s thoughts were interrupted by Daphne calling his name. 
He looked up to see her giving him a quizzical look and realized that he had completely missed her saying something to him. “I’m sorry,” he apologized, “I was… lost in thought.”
She smiled at him, “I was just saying that I would love to join you all for Thanksgiving, if that’s no bother to you.”
Niles smiled, looking between Daphne and his smirking father, “No, no, that sounds wonderful, Daphne. We’d love to have you join us.”

For the next several days, Niles meticulously planned the menu for Thanksgiving. A couple of times, he had discussed dishes with his father who kept telling Niles, “Just as long as there’s a turkey, some mashed potatoes, and maybe some green beans, I’ll be fine.”
However, Niles also knew that Martin would absolutely be the first person to complain about the meal if he thought the dishes were too elaborate.
Eventually, he settled on some recipes that he thought were suitably gourmet for his tastes without being too ‘out-there’ for his father. 
Truth be told, he was as worried about what Daphne would think of the meal. He wanted to impress her, but also to make her feel comfortable. 
A few days before the holiday, Niles and Freddie stopped at the grocery store on the way home. Fighting through the crowds and scavenging the almost-bare shelves, Niles still managed to find all the ingredients that he would need for their Thanksgiving. 
When they got home, Daphne immediately began helping Niles put the groceries away in the kitchen. His dad hung around, watching as they unpacked items, sneering at anything he hadn’t heard of before.  

After stressing to his father the importance of mise en place , Niles was awake late into the night on the evening before Thanksgiving. 
He was also awake with the sun, pausing his cooking only long enough to fix bowls of cereal for his father and nephew. 
Martin chose to just let his son go and, instead, spent the morning watching the parade with Freddie.
The next time Niles took a break from cooking, he swept through the living room, taking Freddie to get ready for the day. 
They had barely made it back when the doorbell rang. Daphne was here early. 
Niles, still holding Freddie, answered the door and found her standing there, holding a bottle of wine.
Freddie saw her and shouted, “Dah-nee!” and held his arms out towards her. 
“Trade?” Niles offered.
She chuckled as they swapped what they were holding, Niles taking the bottle of wine while Daphne perched Freddie on her hip and followed Niles into the house.
“Happy Thanksgiving, Daph,” Martin greeted when they walked into the living room.
She returned the greeting. 
“Hey, Freddie, look,” Martin called, “It’s time for the dog show!”
Freddie craned his neck to see the television and Daphne laughed, sitting the little boy down on the couch.
“Is there anything I can help with in the kitchen?” she asked, turning to Niles. 
He waved her off, “Daphne, you don’t have to–”
She shook her head, “I think the kitchen is much more to my taste than watching the dog show with your father and a toddler.”
Niles smirked, leading her into the kitchen.

As they walked into the kitchen, Daphne sniffed the air, “Oh, Dr. Crane, it smells delicious.”
He blushed just a bit, looking for a corkscrew in a drawer. After opening the bottle of wine that Daphne had brought, he pulled two wine glasses from the shelf and poured some for each of them. 
“How can I help?” she asked, accepting the glass he offered her. 
Niles took a sip of wine before answering, “Well, I’m still working on the turkey, but we probably need to get the root vegetables in the oven soon so that everything will be done at about the same time.”
“Okay, so you need me to do that?” she asked.
He nodded, showing her the recipe and the collection of root vegetables on the table. 
As he turned back to the oven, she began cleaning, peeling, and slicing the veggies. 
They moved around the kitchen like practiced professionals, seeming to instinctively know where one another was at all times. Sharing tools and utensils, working in one another’s space without ever getting in each other’s way. 
Niles was usually a bit territorial in the kitchen. He liked things a certain way and had trouble overlooking people who wouldn’t play by his rules. 
But he didn’t feel that with Daphne. It didn’t feel like two people competing for space, it seemed like they were truly sharing the space. 
It was almost a dance. 
They would offer tastes to one another, suggesting what might be done to improve the flavor.
Daphne seemed a bit less comfortable with cooking, tending to stick tightly to the recipe. Niles, meanwhile, instinctively knew what flavors played well with one another and used the recipes as merely a starting point or suggestion upon which he could build. 
Even when an answer seemed simple, Daphne would always ask him to confirm it. Every time, he did so with a smile, happy that someone respected his cooking ability. 
Cooking clearly wasn’t something that Daphne had much experience with and Niles found her somewhat uncharacteristic timidness endearing. It was… cute. 
Niles found himself wanting to be the person who held her hand while she felt her way around the kitchen. He wanted to be the one to teach her about flavors and seasonings and everything that he knew about cooking. 

Eventually the meal was complete– far too soon for Niles’s liking, but if his father’s whining was any indication, not soon enough. 
Niles and Daphne carried the food out to the table while Martin got seated. Freddie toddled over, grabbing the legs of his chair and waiting for someone to help him up. Once in his seat, he looked around, seemingly happy to be placed between Niles and Daphne.
The meal went over better than Niles had anticipated. Not only did his dad not make any complaints, he had multiple plates. Freddie also seemed happy with his food and the fact that more food ended up in the toddler’s mouth than on the floor was a reward in and of itself.
Martin opted to relax a bit before dessert and went to the living room. Moments later, Niles heard the sound of a football game on the television. Freddie began squirming in his seat and Niles helped him to the floor where he toddled after his grandfather. 
Taking advantage of the break, Niles began to gather up the plates and things and carried them into the kitchen. After dropping off the first load on the counter, he turned to go back for another and almost ran into Daphne who was, herself, carrying a load of dishes into the room. 
He took the dishes from her hands, adding them to the stacks he had begun, “You really don’t have to help with this, Daphne. You’re welcome to go sit down in the living room with Dad and Freddie.”
She waved off his protests, “It’s no bother, Dr. Crane. Besides, I’m not that much of a sports fan.”
“Still,” Niles countered, “you’re my guest. You already helped with the cooking, you shouldn't have to help with the cleaning, too.”
“I don’t have to,” she said, “I want to. Besides, you did most of the cooking. It isn’t fair that you should have to do all the cleaning as well.”
“Truthfully, I don’t mind the cleaning that much,” he said.
Daphne fixed him with a strange look, “Sometimes you’re a real odd duck, you know.”
Niles didn’t know how to respond. Did she really think he was weird? Would that push her away from him? Had he said the wrong thing?
He was shaken from his thoughts by a playful swat to his arm, “I suppose that makes two of us, eh?”
Oh thank god. She didn’t mean it in a negative way. 
Niles raised an eyebrow, “Are you saying that you’re odd, too?”
She bumped him with her elbow and gave a wink that made his stomach do a little flip, “That’s what your father says.” 
“Oh,” Niles said, giving her a little smile. 

They worked in comfortable silence for a little bit with Daphne carrying dishes into the kitchen while Niles packaged all the leftovers into containers, including fixing a small container of everything so that Daphne could take some home with her. 
Once that was done, he began to fill the sink so that he could wash dishes. Daphne re-entered the room and offered to help. He suggested that she could rinse and dry the dishes after he scrubbed them. 
Soon, they were standing shoulder-to-shoulder and working like a well-oiled machine. 
“The meal went very well,” she commented lightly.
Niles nodded and sighed, “Thank god.”
“You were afraid it wouldn’t?”
He shrugged, “I wasn’t sure how it would go.”
“Does Thanksgiving usually not go well with you and your father?”
“Well…,” Niles hesitated, “this was actually the first Thanksgiving I’ve spent with my dad in a few years.”
She raised her eyebrows, giving him a curious look as she took a plate from his hand, “Where do you usually spend Thanksgiving?”
That was when Niles realized that he had led the conversation right to a topic that he wasn’t sure how to discuss. He felt as though he had been hiding his relationship with Maris from Daphne, but he also realized that was completely illogical. He had no obligation to discuss his romantic life with her;  she hadn’t ever offered up stories about her past romances, so he had never found a need to reciprocate. Also, there was the fact that they were in a platonic relationship, so… what did it even matter?
Niles knew why it mattered. 
It mattered because every day he yearned a little more for his relationship with Daphne to grow beyond simply friendship and he knew that, if they did begin a romance, she would need to know how close he was to marrying another woman. 
Since he had led the conversation to this point, it seemed like the perfect time to go ahead and tell her about Maris. Just get it over with. 
Slowly and carefully, he began to talk, “I’ve spent the last few Thanksgivings with… um… with my fiance.”
The plate Daphne was rinsing fell into the sink with a clatter, “Your fiance?”
He quickly glanced at her before returning his attention to the dish he was scrubbing, “Y– yeah. I… um… I was… engaged.” His breath cracked on the last word and he prayed that she hadn’t noticed.
A heavy and tense silence filled the space around them. He didn’t know what to say. If he was supposed to say anything at all. Maybe she didn’t want to continue this conversation. Maybe she didn’t want to talk to him at all. Maybe she wanted to just finish washing the dishes and she would leave. Maybe she would leave and not come back. Maybe she–
“You were engaged?” Daphne asked, interrupting his thoughts, and Niles noticed the emphasis.
He nodded, “I was.”
Taking a dish from his hands, she asked softly, “What happened?”
Niles paused to think, as he tried to decide how he would tell this story. 
She must have mistaken his pause for reluctance, because she quickly said, “Oh, Dr. Crane. I’m so sorry. That’s a terribly invasive thing to ask. You– you don’t have to answer.”
He shook his head, finally turning to face her, “No, no, Daphne. It’s– it’s okay. I mean… it’s… I…”
He turned back to the sudsy water, finding it easier to look at that than Daphne’s face, “Her name was Maris. We started dating shortly after I arrived back in Seattle and started my practice…”
Niles told the whole story. About Maris’s wealth. About her family’s prestige and place amongst the upper echelon of Pacific Northwest society. About how she hated his hand-me-down car and forced him to get one that suited her lifestyle. How she had done the same with everything from the clothes he wore to the food he ate. While he couldn’t blame all of this on Maris, as Niles had always been a bit particular and snobbish, she had definitely fed that side of him to the detriment of his more down-to-earth and family-oriented nature. Speaking of family, Maris thought that Niles’s working-class family, especially his blue-collar cop father, were not befitting a couple of their status. So she had pressured Niles to spend less time with his parents, insisting that he join her family on all holidays, sometimes traveling to far-flung locations where he could barely even manage to call his family and wish them a happy Thanksgiving or merry Christmas. 
At the time, Niles was in over his head. He loved Maris and, as such, was willing to cast a blind eye to all of the ways in which she was manipulating and controlling him. 
He told Daphne about how Maris tried to make him feel guilty for going to the hospital to care for his mother. How she was unsympathetic toward him when his mother had passed away and how she scheduled a trip to Marseille during the week of her funeral and pressured Niles to join her. 
Then how he had told her about losing Frasier and her response was to tell him that she was tired and they could talk about it in the morning. In the morning, when he thought they would talk, he found her on the phone with her plastic surgeon, finalizing a surgical appointment for later that week. 
Despite him telling her that he was going to Boston for the funeral, no matter what, she still spent the next several days telling him how he was going to be a terrible husband if he wasn’t even willing to stay and care for her after her surgery. 
“That’s not even the worst of it,” Niles sighed, “After… after the reading of the will… when I found out that Frasier had left Freddie in my care… I called Maris. I… I thought she would be sympathetic… I don’t know why I thought that.”
He steadied himself against the counter. The next part haunted him. Would haunt him forever.
“She… she told me that she couldn’t believe that I would even ask her something so ‘foolish’. That she had no intention of ever raising a child, especially not one that wasn’t even hers. Told me that I should find someone else to take Freddie or to not bother coming home… I thought maybe I would give her some time… by the time I got back to Seattle, she would have come around and realized that… that Freddie was my family… that he had lost everything… that… that Dad and I were all he had… but she didn’t. She looked at him like he… like he was some sort of disease. She was disgusted that I had dared to bring him into her house… into our house. She made me choose between Freddie or her… when I chose she… she kicked me out. I had to move back in with Dad, which… turned out to be the best choice I could have made, but still, I just–”
“Oh, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said and, before Niles could react, she had thrown her arms around him in an embrace. “I’m so sorry to hear that someone you loved hurt you like that,” she said, resting her chin on his shoulder and squeezing him tightly.
Niles’s hands were still sudsy and he didn’t know what to do with them, so he just held them up, trying to avoid dripping dishwater on Daphne’s clothes.
“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I think you’re better off without her,” Daphne said and he could feel her voice against his chest, “A man like you… you deserve much better.”
“Th– thank you, Daphne,” he stuttered, stunned by her reaction.
She stepped back from him, placing a hand on each shoulder and holding him tightly while looking him in the face, “You’re a good man, Dr. Crane. A good, kind, loving man. You’re a good son, a good guardian for Freddie, and the best friend I’ve ever had.”
It was good that Daphne was holding him because that last point would have otherwise made Niles drop to the floor. She… he was… she thought of him as her best friend? 
“One day you’ll make someone a wonderful husband to a woman who deserves your love,” she said, still holding him.
He felt tears welling up in his eyes. She– she really– he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 
“Daphne,” he said softly, reaching up to brush his slightly-less-wet fingers along her jaw. He was probably imagining it, but he almost thought he noticed her shiver slightly at his touch.
“I mean every word,” she responded, equally soft. 
They were staring into one another’s eyes and the air felt thick with potential.
“Hey, is that pumpkin pie in there?!” Martin called out and the moment cracked like an egg dropped on a tile floor. 
Niles smiled and rolled his eyes at his dad, stepping back from Daphne so he could wash his hands.
Daphne retrieved the pie and began cutting it.
She placed a slice on a plate and handed it to Niles.
He gave her a smile as he took it, “Thank you, Daphne. For everything.”

Chapter Text

November faded into December as the air grew chillier and the rain continued to fall. Holiday displays and lights began to appear around town. Martin began pestering Niles about bringing the Christmas decorations down from the attic and, even though he dragged his heels, Niles did notice that the decorations began to pop up around the house (his father had, no doubt, badgered Daphne into helping him).
As the house became more festive, his dad began to nag him about buying a Christmas tree and having Freddie’s picture made with the Santa at the department store. Niles dreaded both of these tasks, albeit for very different reasons. 
“Dad, I’m not putting a tree on top of my Mercedes,” Niles argued.
“You could borrow my car, Dr. Crane,” Daphne spoke up and, for once, he had wished that she would have stayed silent. 
Martin’s face lit up, “Hey! Yeah! That’s great! Daph’s vehicle is perfect!”
Niles grimaced, but it was true that Daphne’s used SUV would be much better suited to hauling a tree than his car.
“I’ll even come with you, if you’d like,” Daphne offered. 
Normally, Niles wouldn’t dream of turning down time with Daphne, but he really didn’t want anything to do with this whole tree situation. 
“Hey, you can go to the lot over by the school,” Martin suggested, “and since you’ll already be over there, you could take Freddie and get his picture with Santa!”
Niles wanted to throw his head back and groan. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that he didn’t want to make an ass of himself in front of Daphne. 
Daphne bumped his arm with her elbow, “Come on now, Dr. Crane. It won’t be that bad.”
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before plastering on a fake smile and agreeing to the plan. Better to get it all over in one fell sweep than to draw it out even further.

Saturday dawned cloudy, but thankfully, it wasn’t actually raining. 
Niles fought Freddie into clothes that the little boy clearly wasn’t interested in wearing (or at least not so soon after waking up) and, just as they were finishing breakfast, Daphne arrived. 
Between the two of them, Niles and Daphne managed to move the car seat from Martin’s unused vehicle into the backseat of Daphne’s vehicle. It also took both of them to coerce Freddie into the seat.
Their first stop of the day was the department store.
As far as Niles was concerned, the greatest thing that the internet had ever done was give him the means to avoid going to big stores like this in December. It was crowded and loud, even more so when they reached the ‘Santa’s Village’ area. That particular area not only featured the crowds and chattering present in the rest of the store, but also the shrieking and sobbing of excited and terrified children and Christmas carols played much louder than other parts of the store. 
It was almost sensory overload for Niles, but he wasn’t here for himself. He was doing this for Freddie and for his father. He couldn’t back out now. 
Balancing Freddie on his hip, they took their place in a long line. 
Unfortunately, not only was the line long, it was also slow-moving. As one should expect, trying to get a never-ending stream of toddlers to take a good photo was time-consuming. 
The closer they got to Santa, the louder and more crowded it seemed. Niles felt uncomfortable. He squirmed, trying to get a breath of fresh air, but there wasn’t any to be found. The room was warm and there wasn’t moving air. 
“Do you want me to hold him for a while?” Daphne asked.
Bless her.
Niles nodded and moved his nephew into her arms.
That helped. He felt a little less crowded, but it was still warm. He shouldn’t have worn a sweater. If only there was a way he could take it off for a little bit. Just long enough to cool down and catch his breath. His cheeks felt hot.
“Dr. Crane, are you alright?” Daphne asked. 
When he looked at her, he saw genuine concern in her eyes. His anxiety must be obvious. 
“I– I, um… I think I need to sit down,” Niles mumbled. 
She nodded, “I can stay here with Freddie if you need to go get some air.”
He closed his eyes and steeled his nerves, then nodded, “Th– thank you.”

Niles made his way out of the line and through the crowds, eyes scanning for the restrooms. When he finally found them, he made his way into a stall and immediately pulled the sweater over his head. He fanned himself with the neck of his undershirt, trying to cool down his face, which currently felt hot enough to fry an egg. When that didn’t work, he left the stall, still holding his sweater, and went to the sinks. He ran a paper towel under cold water and pressed it to his cheek. It seemed to almost immediately become warm. So he did it again. And again. And again. 
He needed air. Just had to get some air.
In a testament to how bad he felt, Niles didn’t even don his sweater before leaving the bathroom and, instead, walked through the store carrying it in his arms. Honestly, everything was a blur at this point. All he could think about was getting outside. If he didn’t get outside and get some fresh air, he thought that he might stop breathing.
Walking out the doors made Niles feel as though he might just survive. He found an unoccupied bench to the side of the entrance, sufficiently out of the way, so as to not draw any more attention, and took a seat. 
He leaned his elbows on his knees and bent over at a 45 degree angle. Then, he forced himself to take slow deep breaths until he no longer felt as though he was suffocating. 
Slowly, the heat in his face began to fade and he began to feel a slight chill. 
Soon the chill turned to a shiver. It was barely 15 degrees above freezing and he was sitting outside in a thin short-sleeved shirt. Niles scrambled to pull his sweater back over his head and sighed happily as he began to reach a comfortable temperature once again.
He felt terrible about leaving Daphne in the store, especially when she was doing something that he was supposed to do. He should be able to do things like this. She must think him a fool or a coward or… or… mentally unstable or something. 
Some friend he was.

Before he had a chance to get too deep into those thoughts, he heard the unmistakable sound of Freddie calling out to him. He looked up to see his nephew hurrying toward him with Daphne following close on his heels. 
Freddie threw himself at Niles’s legs and he helped the boy climb into his lap.
“Did you get to meet Santa?” Niles asked.
Freddie nodded with a big smile.
“Did you tell him what you wanted for Christmas?”
Freddie nodded again.
“Did you have your picture taken?”
Freddie giggled and nodded.
“He was a very good model for the photographer, weren’t you, Freddie?” Daphne said, standing nearby, watching uncle and nephew interact, “They only had to tell him what to do one time.”
“Wow,” Niles said, giving Freddie an impressed look, “I’m so proud of you, Fred.”
Freddie put his arms around Niles’s neck and hugged him, Niles returned the gesture. 
As they began to walk back to the car, Niles once again held Freddie on his hip with Daphne walking on the other side of him.
“Are you feeling alright?” she asked.
Niles nodded, “Much better. I’m so sorry about that, Daphne. I– I should’ve– I don’t know why I– I’m–”
She shook her head, “Don’t worry about it, Dr. Crane.”
“I mean, I just left you there in all of that chaos and I was supposed to be the one who–”
“Dr. Crane, really–”
“And you probably had to pay for the photos, didn’t you?” he realized, just before they got to the car, “I am so sorry, Daphne. If we stop by an ATM I can pay you back.”
“Please, you don’t need to–”
“Daphne, I…”
“No more of that, okay?” she said, opening the door to the back seat so that he could load Freddie into his car seat. 
Once he was in the car and the door was shut, Niles turned back to Daphne, “I mean it. I’ll pay you back, just tell me what I owe you.”
“Dr. Crane, it’s not a big deal,” she said, “You don’t need to worry about it.”
“I’m so sorry, Daphne,” he apologized once more.
She rolled her eyes, “Stop apologizing, would you?”
“Sorry,” he responded sheepishly, “Force of habit.”
Daphne chuckled, then looked away. “I was really worried about you, you know,” she said shyly.
“I’m sor–” she cut him off with a look, so he took a different tack, “It’s just my anxiety, you know? I’m not the best in crowds.”
She nodded, then reached out a hand to take his and give it a light squeeze, “I’m just happy you’re alright.”
He gave her a small smile, squeezing her hand back, “Thank you, Daphne.”

The Christmas tree lot made Niles feel foolish in a completely different way. 
Thankfully, the trees were all cut, so that was one less thing to worry about. However, once a tree had been chosen (which took longer than expected because Niles had never realized the great variation in the shape of Christmas trees), he really didn’t know what to do. 
One of the tree lot employees had carried the tree over to the machine that wrapped it up in a protective mesh, then a couple of them strapped the tree to the roof of Daphne’s vehicle. 
Unfortunately, the employees were not available to unload the tree at the Crane house. 
While Martin stood in the doorway, holding Freddie’s hand and shouting instructions, Daphne and Niles fought with the straps holding the tree in place.
Once they were finally free, Niles felt simultaneously like running a victory lap around the block and passing out for the next 16 hours. 
Lowering the tree to the ground was somewhat easier, but only just. 
Thankfully, Martin had readied the stand for the tree while they were away, so carrying it in and setting it up wasn’t nearly as much trouble. 
“You’re doing everything else by yourself, old man,” Daphne jabbed at Martin with a hint of teasing in her voice. 
Martin rolled his eyes and waved off her comment.

Despite Daphne’s comment, she and Niles did help Martin decorate the tree. 
Freddie also wanted to be involved, so every now and then, they would hand him an ornament that he would put on the tree. Subtly, Niles worked to secure and redistribute some of the toddler’s efforts. 
Once it was all decorated, Martin hobbled over and shut off the lights in the room, leaving it pitch black. Then he instructed Niles to turn on the tree’s lights. Niles fumbled around in the dark for a moment before finding the switch.
Suddenly, the room was filled with warm, twinkling light. 
Daphne actually gasped, “Oh, Mr. Crane, it’s beautiful.”
“It is, isn’t it?” Martin said, proudly. 
Niles looked and saw the lights reflecting in Freddie’s wide eyes. He knelt beside his nephew and asked, “What do you think, Freddie?”
“Pretty,” the boy said, transfixed by the sight of the fully decorated Christmas tree.
Niles wrapped an arm around Freddie, pulling him gently against him in a sort of half hug. When he looked up, he noticed Daphne watching the two of them with a soft smile on her face. He couldn’t help but return it. 

Martin convinced Niles to order pizza and basically insisted that Daphne stay to join them for dinner. 
It seemed that with every meal she shared with the Cranes, she became more amicable to sharing another. By this point persuading her was less presenting a valid argument and more simply suggesting that she stay. 
None of them seemed too upset about this change, though, so Niles thought it was for the best to not even bring it up. 
“So, when are you going back to England?” Martin asked, reaching for a slice of pizza. 
Daphne didn’t answer right away, seeming to be carefully choosing her words. She finally did speak, saying, “I’m actually not going back this year.”
Martin looked surprised, “Is your family coming over here?”
She shook her head, “I’m… not… spending Christmas with my family.”
“Is it a time thing? Because we can give you more time off,” Martin said, putting his slice of pizza on his plate and giving her his full attention.
“It’s not,” Daphne said, avoiding his eyes.
“Money?” Martin asked, “Because we could probably help out with that, too.”
Daphne sighed, “It’s not money, either. It’s just… it’s personal.”
The older man’s curiosity was clearly not sated, but he knew better than to continue his pursuit, so he dropped his line of questioning. 
“Well,” Martin said, “you’re welcome to spend Christmas with us.”
Daphne and Niles both looked up at the same time, neither one seeming to believe what Martin was offering. 
“Mr. Crane, you don’t have to— I don’t— I wouldn’t want to—”
Martin silenced her with a look, “No one should be alone on Christmas, Daph.”
She looked from Martin to Niles who simply nodded, expressing silent agreement with his father.
Daphne paused for a moment and Niles began to wonder if they had pushed her too far this time, but she finally answered, “I’ll think about it and let you know.”
This seemed to satisfy Martin who gave her a fatherly smile and let the issue drop.

After dinner, Martin and Freddie settled in for some television while Niles and Daphne cleared the table. 
Niles was putting the leftovers into a container when Daphne entered the room with their plates. 
He turned to her, taking the dishes from her hands. “I’m sorry about Dad,” he apologized. 
She shook her head, “It’s nothing, I just… haven’t really talked about why I left home and I was caught off-guard.”
“You don’t have to talk about anything that you aren’t ready to talk about,” he assured her. 
Once again, they settled into work cleaning dishes, one beside the other, working as though they had been doing this their entire lives.
Daphne sighed. “I feel like I owe you the story,” she said, “since you told me about your problems with your fiance.”
“Sharing personal traumas isn’t supposed to be a tit-for-tat exchange, you know,” he said with a little grin, before his expression became more serious, “You don’t owe anyone your story.”
She nodded, “Thank you, Dr. Crane, but all the same, I… I think I need to share this with someone and you’re the person I trust the most.”
Niles almost fainted. She trusted him the most. She trusted him the most. He didn’t know how he could have earned that honor, but it made his chest feel as though it would burst with pride. 
“You can tell me anything,” he assured her, “as long as you’re really certain that you’re choosing to tell it, not feeling like you are obligated to do so.”
Daphne nodded as she dried the last dish and put it away. 
He nodded toward the barstools on the other side of the kitchen island and she followed him around to take a seat.
She took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself, before she spoke, “You aren’t the only one of us who was previously engaged.”

Chapter Text

Daphne took a deep breath, seeming to steady herself, before she spoke, “You aren’t the only one of us who was previously engaged.”
Niles tried to internalize his surprise and confusion at what she said, instead he just nodded.
“I suppose I should start further back than that, though,” she said, looking at her hands, “You should know a bit about my family. I have eight brothers. All but one of them are… loud… boorish… drunken…” Daphne paused for a moment, seemingly gathering herself.
Niles reached out to tap the back of her hand with his, just letting her know that he was still there for her. 
She shook her head, “My father is a good man deep down, but he spends a lot of time at the pub. Though, I suppose I would too if my other option was being around my mother.”
He tilted his head, trying to be an active listener without looking too much like a psychologist. 
“My mother is… well… she’s overbearing. To her, my brothers can do no wrong, but my father and I… we could do no right,” Daphne continued, “Nothing I ever did was good enough. If I did well in school, she wasn’t proud of me, she would ask me why I hadn’t helped my brothers. If I did well at sports, she said that the other competitors had just felt sorry for me because I was so ungraceful and awkward. Everything was like that.”
“Oh, Daphne, I’m sorry,” Niles said, once again covering her hand with his own.
She shook her head, “She stuck her nose into my business all the time. Especially my romantic life. Chased off at least three boyfriends. Especially went after the ones I was really fond of. She said that if they were willing to be with me, there must be some reason that no other woman had them. She would dig in and nitpick everything about them.”
She took another steadying breath before continuing, “Even when I went to university and got started working as a physical therapist, it wasn’t good enough for her. By then I had decided that I couldn’t take it anymore. I ran away from Manchester, went to London. Things were better there. She called from time to time, but she couldn’t be bothered to come down and harass me in person. My career was going well, I was finally making real friends, and I met a guy, Clive.”
Niles nodded, giving her hand a little squeeze. 
“Clive was… he was wonderful. Kind and considerate. He didn’t have the best job, but I didn’t really care about that then. We dated for about a year and a half or so and then he proposed. I was so excited. I’d never had a relationship last this long without my mother ruining it,” Daphne said, “We were engaged. Started planning our wedding, the whole thing. Then it happened. It was like… one day, I woke up and started questioning what I was doing. I realized that I wasn’t sure if I really wanted to be with Clive for the rest of my life and thought that I may have rushed into the engagement. For several months I tried to make it work, told myself that it was just nerves over the wedding, but… I knew it wasn’t. I had… I wasn’t… I didn’t… love him anymore.”
Niles nodded softly, holding her hand tightly. 
“I told him the whole thing. We broke up, but… I just felt like I needed a clean break,” Daphne said, “I wanted to go as far away as possible, so… here I am.”
He gave her a little smile, “Well, at least one good thing came of the whole ordeal.”
Daphne smiled back at him, turning her hand over so that she could squeeze his in return.
“So… I’m not planning on going back to England for Christmas because I wouldn’t want to stay in London and have to deal with seeing the things that would remind me of my relationship with Clive and I wouldn’t want to go to Manchester and have to deal with my mother,” Daphne sighed.
“Well,” Niles said, giving her a tight lipped smile, “Like Dad said, you’re more than welcome to spend Christmas here with Dad, Freddie, and me… if you want, that is. No– no pressure.”
Daphne nodded and gave a little smile, “Thank you, Dr. Crane. I appreciate that very much.”

When Daphne asked them if she could join them for Christmas, Niles was excited, but definitely had expected it.
What he hadn’t expected was when she showed up on the next Saturday to take Freddie and Martin to go Christmas shopping.
However, Niles knew better than to question something that would work out in his favor and used the time to wrap the Christmas presents that he had been hiding in his room for the past few weeks. 
He was pretty satisfied with what he had purchased. His dad hadn’t been that difficult, he’d all but taped a picture of this… fish… sonar… thing… to Niles’s bedroom door. With the addition of a couple pairs of wool socks, he called the gift complete. 
Niles was desperate to give Freddie the best possible Christmas, so he had probably spent too much money on all the toys and books he had purchased for the toddler. Though, he reasoned, some of the gifts would be from ‘Santa’.
Daphne, though, was the most difficult person to shop for. He wanted to get her something perfect. Something that would be special, but not too forward. He wanted her gift to communicate how much she meant to him, but also to not be outright romantic, so as to give him the cover of plausible deniability. Checking it once more before he wrapped it up, he nodded. This was definitely the right choice.
By the time Freddie, Martin, and Daphne returned, Niles had all the gifts wrapped and everything except the Santa gifts were set up beneath the tree. 

Over the next several days, Niles came to realize that seeing Christmas with Freddie was almost as good as he remembered Christmas when he was, himself, a child. 
Martin gave Niles a little grief over hiring a service to put Christmas lights on the house, but even he couldn’t argue with the results. Every night since then, Freddie had made them take him outside to see the lights before he would go to bed. 
They went on drives through the neighborhood so that Freddie could see the lights on other houses. 
Martin made sure that Freddie never missed a Christmas cartoon— A Charlie Brown Christmas , Frosty the Snowman , Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer , The Year Without a Santa Claus — shows Niles hadn’t watched in years, decades maybe. And he found himself on the couch watching every minute… well, he watched at least half of each of them. He spent a lot of the time watching Freddie’s reaction to the shows. 
Christmas Eve found Niles in the kitchen, helping Freddie press cookie cutters into sugar cookie dough spread out on the counter. The little boy was so excited to help with cooking that he could barely contain himself. 
Once the last batch were in the oven, he just stood bouncing on his little feet as he stared into the little window on the front. 
Martin called out to his grandson to let him know that he was about to start another Christmas movie and the little boy looked torn. He looked up at his uncle with a worried expression. 
Niles gave a little chuckle, “You can go watch movies with Grandpa and I’ll keep an eye on the cookies. I’ll let you know when they’re ready for sprinkles, okay?”
Freddie smiled brightly before padding away into the living room. 
With the room to himself, Niles began doing prep work for Christmas dinner. He hadn’t planned it quite as meticulously as he had Thanksgiving dinner, but it still was more complicated than meals that Martin had planned in years past. 
The cookies cooled while Niles finished the preparations and mixed up some icing for the cookies. 
“Freddie?” Niles called into the living room, peeking through the doorway, “Are you ready for sprinkles?”
“Yeah!” Freddie shouted, clambering down from the couch and hurrying into the kitchen.
Niles helped him onto a chair so that he could reach the counter. He picked up cookies and iced them, then helped Freddie to spread different colors and shapes of sprinkles over them.
By the time they were done, Freddie was yawning and wobbling on his feet. 
“I think it’s time for a bath, then you’ve got to go to bed so that Santa will come, okay?” Niles said to his nephew.
The little boy nodded sleepily and held his arms out to his uncle. Niles picked the boy up and carried him out of the kitchen. 
After Freddie had been bathed and was dressed in his Christmas pajamas, Niles carried him back into the living room.
“Gonna leave out your cookies and milk for Santa?” Martin asked, looking up from the TV.
Freddie nodded sleepily, head resting on Niles’s shoulder. 
Niles let the little boy pick out the cookies he wanted to give Santa, then they sat them on a plate with a carrot for the reindeer. “We’ll leave Santa a note letting him know that the milk is in the fridge,” Niles assured the toddler.
Once that was secured, they shared their goodnights and then Niles put Freddie to bed. 

When morning came, Niles found himself still exhausted. Probably because he had spent the better part of the night assembling a small plastic slide and a kitchen playset. 
Thankfully, Freddie wasn’t quite old enough to come barrelling into his room, screaming at the top of his lungs. He felt like he should appreciate this Christmas because, by the time the next one came around, Freddie would almost certainly be more energetic. 
He heard his dad moving around the house, no doubt preparing his morning coffee, so he decided it was probably time for him to get out of bed, too. 
Niles got up and put on his dressing gown before going to Freddie’s room. The toddler was awake, but only just, sort of squinting in the morning light. 
“Hey, buddy,” Niles called, drawing Freddie’s attention, “ready to go see what Santa brought?”
He picked the boy up from his bed and carried him into the living room. Freddie’s eyes grew wide when he saw all the gifts spread across the living room floor. 
“Mine?” he asked.
“Some of them,” Niles chuckled. 
Freddie began wiggling for the floor. Just as Niles sat him down, Martin came into the room.
“Hey, guys! Merry Christmas!” Martin called.
Freddie had already begun rushing toward the small slide decorated with a bow, “Sli! Sli! Sli!”
Niles tiptoed around the gifts, going to help his nephew up the short ladder. He helped the little boy go down the slide with Freddie squealing as he did so. 
This process repeated three or four times before Niles reminded Freddie that he had lots of other gifts to open.

By the time Daphne arrived, Freddie had opened his kitchen playset and all the toy pans, utensils, and food he could possibly want; a wooden train set; a toy vacuum cleaner; a scooter that could be turned into a tricycle; a stack of books; and a pile of clothes.
Martin had his fishing sonar and socks, as well as the jacket and gloves that Niles had given him “from Freddie”. 
Niles had a new sweater, socks, and umbrella from his father, as well as a new wallet “from Freddie.”
“Merry Christmas, Dr. Crane,” Daphne greeted cheerfully as he opened the door for her and beckoned her into the house.
He smiled brightly at her, “Merry Christmas, Daphne. Do you need any help carrying things?”
“If you don’t mind,” she said.
He took some gifts from her hands and she returned to her car to collect a dish.
Niles looked at it quizzically.
“I was going to bring a Christmas pudding, but it didn’t turn out to plan, so I threw together a trifle last night,” she explained, “Hope you don’t mind.”
He shook his head, “It looks lovely. Thank you for bringing it.”
“I’ll just go put it in the fridge,” she said. 
When she joined the group in the living room, Martin was talking to Freddie about the gifts he had given his grandson. He had a Mariners t-shirt made to look like a Ken Griffey Jr. jersey, a toddler-sized Kraken jersey, and the item he was currently showing Freddie, a little Seahawks jersey with the number ‘14’ on it.
“Now, you remember who this is?” Martin asked, “Who do we watch on TV?”
Freddie smiled brightly, “DK!”
Daphne looked at Niles who only shrugged. 
“Dah-nee!” Freddie shouted, noticing the new occupant of the room. He rushed over to her and threw his arms around her legs. 
“Merry Christmas, Freddie,” she greeted with a smile, “Have you gotten good presents today?”
The little boy looked up at her with a wide grin and nodded.
“Would you like another gift?”
“Yeah!”
“Freddie, what do we say?” Niles scolded. 
“Peese?” Freddie amended.
“Very good,” Daphne praised him, taking a seat and handing Freddie one of the gifts from the stack that Niles had carried into the room.
She watched with a smile as the toddler unwrapped a box of new blocks and another box containing a game that would help him learn the alphabet. 

While Freddie amused himself with the myriad gifts scattered around the living room, Niles, Martin, and Daphne exchanged their gifts. 
Daphne unwrapped the gift from Martin, finding the pair of rainboots that she had told him she wanted during one of their trips to the department store. He was equally happy to unwrap the slippers he had told her about. 
She thanked Freddie profusely when she opened a cute mug decorated to look like a gray kitten and which came with a card telling her that she was signed up for a monthly tea sampler.
Niles could have sworn that she was blushing a little when she handed him his gift. Carefully, he unwrapped the present and found a gift that took his breath away. It was simple, but something that showed how well she knew him. 
It was a fountain pen. A high quality one at that. One that he had looked at several times, but couldn’t justify purchasing for himself. Not only that, but there was also a leather-bound portfolio with his initials embossed on the cover. These were things he would use every day and, any time that he did, he would think of Daphne. 
“These are… wow. Daphne, they’re…” Niles was at a loss for words, “I love them.”
She smiled shyly at him and he almost lost himself in it enough to forget that he hadn’t given her the gift he had purchased for her. 
He handed it over to her and watched with bated breath as she opened it.
When she got a look at the contents of the box, she actually gasped. 
“Oh, Dr. Crane,” she said, voice hushed, “it’s beautiful.”
Niles blushed deeply and watched as Daphne lifted the necklace from its box. It was a simple silver chain with a teardrop-shaped opal pendant. In the light from the Christmas tree, it shimmered with every color of the rainbow. 
“W– would you like me to help with that?” he offered.
She nodded and handed him the necklace. Turning to face away from him, she lifted her hair, exposing her neck. Niles took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet floral scent of her shampoo. He draped the necklace around her neck and fastened the clasp.
Daphne turned back to him, silently toying with the pendant, “You didn’t have to get me such a… a…”
Niles cut her off before she could finish her thought, “I didn’t have to. I wanted to.”
She smiled brightly, throwing her arms around him and enveloping him in a warm embrace that he gladly returned. 

Once again, the meal went over very well. Even Daphne’s spur-of-the-moment trifle proved popular enough that all of them had just a little more before leaving the table. 
After dinner, Martin resumed the Christmas movie marathon that he had begun the night before and the other three joined him. Martin in his recliner, Niles and Daphne on the couch, and Freddie on the floor playing with some of his toys while glancing up at the television every now and then. 
Before long, the sun was long gone and Freddie had dozed off. 
“If you can carry him to bed, I’ll make us all some hot chocolate,” Niles suggested, turning to Daphne. 
She nodded, standing up and gently picking Freddie up from the floor. 
Niles smiled watching them leave. 
“When are you gonna ask her out?” Martin asked, causing Niles’s head to whip around to face his father.
“What are you talking about?” he questioned.
Martin rolled his eyes, “Come on, Niles.”
Niles stood up, “I’m going to go make that hot chocolate now.”
As his son walked away, Martin snorted and Niles did his best to ignore the older man.

Daphne returned to the living room just before Niles reentered carefully carrying three mugs of hot chocolate. She took one of the mugs and sat back down on the couch. Niles gave another mug to his father and sat the third on the coffee table in front of his seat, then he went back in the kitchen, returning a moment later with a platter of the sugar cookies he and Freddie had made the night before. 
The three of them sipped hot chocolate and ate cookies for the next several hours.
Eventually, Niles was the only one awake. Martin had dozed off in his recliner and Daphne… Daphne had fallen asleep and leaned against him. Her head was on his shoulder and he watched as she breathed slowly and deeply. She looked so peaceful… so beautiful. He didn’t want to wake her.
Unfortunately, the silence at the end of the movie was enough to wake both of the sleepers. 
Martin excused himself to go to bed while Niles helped Daphne gather her things to carry them out to her vehicle. 
Once everything was loaded, they both lingered outside the car. 
“I can’t thank you and your father enough for inviting me over tonight,” Daphne said.
Niles shook his head, “It was our pleasure, Daphne, really.”
She smiled warmly, “I just never imagined that I’d find people who would take me in the way that your father and I have.”
“Well…” Niles said, scratching his neck, not sure what to say.
“I never thought that anywhere would feel like home, but… Seattle feels more like home than even Manchester did,” Daphne confessed.
“I’m glad you feel that way, Daphne,” Niles said, “and I’m very glad that we could be part of that.”
“You know, this might seem strange, considering my… role here, but…” she hesitated, seemingly planning her words before saying anything, “I really do love the three of you.”
Niles felt as though he was going to float off the ground. 
She loved them.
She loved him .
Even if she meant it in a platonic sense, it… it was nice to be loved. In any way. 
“W– we love you, too, Daphne,” Niles said with a soft smile. 
Daphne’s fingers found the pendant of her necklace, “And I really do love this gift, Dr. Crane.”
Niles blushed, looking away. Worried that, if he looked at her, she would see the silly expression on her face. 
That meant that he had no way of knowing that Daphne had stepped closer to him. Not until her hand was brushing his jaw.
He looked up to see her eyes so close to his. So, so close. 
Before he could really process what was happening, Daphne leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his cheek, just up from the corner of his mouth.
He couldn’t believe it. 
Was this real?
Was he dreaming?
Had that really happened?
It couldn’t have happened. 
She stepped back and ran a hand over her cheek where she had just kissed him.
He gave a soft smile and his brain wasn’t sure what to do. Luckily, his brain didn’t have to know what to do, because something else in him did. 
Niles leaned over and reciprocated the kiss with a gentle peck on her cheek.
He brushed her jaw with the back of his hand. Her skin was so soft…
Her eyes looked uncharacteristically shy when he looked at her. With a little smile, she stepped back from him and said, “Merry Christmas, Dr. Crane.”
He smiled back at her, “Merry Christmas, Daphne.”

Chapter Text

This Christmas had been one of the best that Niles could remember. Between the joy of watching Freddie enjoy his gifts to the elation of the little kiss on the cheek Daphne had given him at the end of the night, it was like all his holiday wishes had come true. 
He didn’t even mind the return to work on the following Monday because he felt completely recharged and refreshed. Seeing Daphne in the morning before he left only made those feelings stronger. 
There was still a spring in his step when he and Freddie returned home in the evening. 
Freddie charged into the house— much to Niles’s frustration, the toddler had recently begun making short sprints that seemed to get faster and faster every day— and, as always, immediately found Daphne and began asking her to play with him.
Niles was about to remind the little boy to mind his manners, but Daphne beat him to the punch. Once Freddie had added “peese” to his request, Daphne followed him over to his new toy kitchen. 

Niles hung up his coat, but just stood in the doorway of the living room, watching Daphne and Freddie with a warm smile on his face. He didn’t even notice his father walking over to him.
“She’s good with him, isn’t she?” Martin asked.
His son nodded, “She really is.”
“She’s good for him, I think,” the older man said with a nod, “Good for you, too.”
Niles looked at his dad out of the corner of his eye, “What do you mean?”
Martin shrugged, “You’ve just been… happier ever since Daphne’s been around.”
“Happier than what?” Niles asked, “Happier than when I was trying to take care of you, Freddie, and the house by myself?”
His dad rolled his eyes, “Don’t be a smartass. I mean… you’re the happiest I’ve seen you since, you know, your mom.”
Niles took a deep breath and nodded, “Y– yeah, I get… I know… I… I am happier.”
Martin put a hand on his son’s shoulder and gave it a light squeeze. Niles gave a tight smile. 
A beat of silence passed with the two men watching Daphne and Freddie play. 
The little boy was putting toy food in a pan and stirring them while Daphne pretended to smell it cooking.
Just loud enough for his dad to hear, Niles said in a strained voice, “I think I love her.”
His dad squeezed his shoulder once more, “I know you do, son.”
Niles couldn’t believe that he had confessed that thought aloud. Sure, it had been in the back of his mind for a while, but he told himself that it was too soon. That it wasn’t right to feel this way about someone so soon after meeting them— so soon after ending a long-term relationship. 
But saying it out loud… it felt right. 
It felt true. 
It was true. 
Maybe it was crazy. 
Maybe it was improper.
But denying it didn’t make it less true, it only kept him awake at night trying to convince himself that he wasn’t really feeling the way that he was feeling. 
Saying it to his dad made him feel just a little bit more free. He felt lighter. He felt a smile spread across his face. He loved her. He loved her, he loved her, he loved her. 

Daphne stayed for dinner that night, much to the delight of all the Cranes. 
Something seemed on her mind during the meal, though. Niles wasn’t sure if he had imagined it, so he didn’t want to say anything. However, about halfway through, Martin shot his son a look and he realized that his father had picked up on the strange mood, too. 
After dinner, as always, Daphne joined Niles in the kitchen to clean up. He decided that would be the best time to ask her if something was wrong. 
While Daphne packed up the leftovers, Niles began scrubbing a pan.
When she joined him at the sink, he decided to start the conversation as casually as possible. 
“How’re you doing today?” Niles asked.
“Hm?” Daphne said, seemingly deep in thought as she rinsed the pan he had just scrubbed, “Oh. I’m alright. How are you?”
Niles nodded, “Still riding the high of Christmas, I think.” He chuckled as he handed her a plate.
She gave him a little smile.
“Is something on your mind?” he questioned, not wanting to pry too much, but really worried that something was wrong.
“I’ve just been thinking about something that I wanted to ask you,” she responded.
His breath caught in his throat and the plate in his hands slipped through his sudsy fingers and landed in the sink with a small splash. 
What could she possibly have to ask him?
Was something wrong? 
Did she have to leave?
Oh god. 
Daphne gave him a concerned look, first because he had splashed water on his shirt and then because he didn’t immediately react to getting water on his shirt, “Dr. Crane?”
Niles shook his head quickly, “Oh– uh– oh, I’m… I’m sorry. What?”
She held out a dry towel to him, “Your shirt’s all wet.”
He looked down at himself and realized that she was right. 
As he was still slow to react, Daphne continued giving him a concerned look. She gave up on him taking the towel from her hand, so she stepped forward and began to dab the towel on the wet spot on his stomach.
Niles’s face and ears grew warm. He knew he was blushing. However, whether that was due to the fact that he was acting like someone who couldn’t take care of himself or because Daphne’s hands were touching his torso. 
It felt as though fire erupted on his skin at every location that she touched. A shudder ran through his body. He was reacting very strangely to this and he needed to stop it. 
“Th– thank you, Daphne, I… I can handle it,” he stuttered, taking the towel from her hands and continuing to dab at the moisture on his shirt. 

Once his shirt was sufficiently dry, Niles returned to washing dishes. 
Daphne was silent as she rinsed and dried dishes, making Niles realize that he was going to have to bring the topic up once more because, for whatever reason, she was reluctant to do so herself.
“You had something you wanted to ask me?” he said, leaning a bit toward her. 
She hesitated for a moment before saying, “Well, you see… um… Janelle and her boyfriend are having a New Year’s Party and I, um, well— you’re welcome to say ‘no’ if you don’t want to, but… I was wondering if maybe… you wanted to go with me?”
Niles floundered, unsure of what to say. This was absolutely not what he expected to hear when she had told him that she wanted to ask him a question. 
Of all the scenarios that had gone through his mind, none of them had involved her asking him to go to a party with her. 
Wait— with her?
Did she mean as a date?
Was this a date? 
Was she asking him on a date?
His silence while thinking had clearly caused Daphne to worry, “It’s okay if you don’t want to go, Dr. Crane. I understand. It’s such short notice and… and maybe you already had plans or… or…”
“Daphne,” he called, for once him being the one trying to calm her down, “Daphne, no. It’s… It’s okay. I– um– I’d love to go.”
A bright smile blossomed across her face, “You would?”
He couldn’t help but smile back at her, “Of course.”
She threw her arms around him and began thanking him profusely, over and over. Niles chuckled and returned the embrace. 
As she released him and stepped back, she paused for a moment. “This means so much to me, Dr. Crane,” she said before leaning in to give him a quick kiss on the cheek, “Thank you so, so much.”
Once again, Niles’s face grew warm with a blush, “It’s– I’m… I’m happy to join you, Daphne.”

After Daphne left, Niles helped Freddie with his bedtime routine, which delayed Martin’s interrogation of his son. 
“She seemed a lot… different when she left,” he commented.
Niles nodded, not saying anything as he took a seat on the couch. 
Martin refused to back down, “Was something wrong?”
“No,” Niles said, shaking his head, “she just wanted to ask me something.”
“ Ask you something ?” he questioned, raising his eyebrows, “What’s that about?”
The younger man sighed, not sure if he really wanted to have this conversation with his father, “She just wanted to know if I would go somewhere with her.”
Martin continued fixing his son with an expectant look and Niles knew that he would be better off just telling his father now rather than let the man continue to snoop around until he found the answer himself. 
Niles shrugged, “Her friend is having a New Year’s Eve party and Daphne wanted to know if I would go with her.”
Martin’s curiosity turned to a bright grin, “Hey! That’s great!”
Niles gave his dad a little smile and nod, turning to the television and hoping that the conversation was over. 
“Guess I should have expected that Daph was the kind of girl who’d not wait around for a guy to make the first move,” Martin commented.
Niles choked on air. Did his dad… Really? He also thought that this was… Maybe if his dad thought that it was, then it might really be… 
No, he couldn’t let himself think that. Couldn’t let him build up his feelings because if it turned out to not be, then he would be hurt so much more. 
That having been said, Niles couldn’t help but ask, “Y– you think it’s, uh… a d– date?”
Martin chuckled, “I mean… I don’t know why it wouldn’t be. It’s a New Year’s Party. Those are usually the sort of things that you take dates to, aren’t they?”
His dad was right, but still… Niles couldn’t let himself believe that. Not yet.

The rest of the week passed with Niles having moments of remembering the perfectness of Christmas and other moments of panic, thinking about his possibly-a-date with Daphne this weekend. 
Meanwhile, the strange mood that had hung over Daphne on Monday had lifted. In fact, she was positively happy. 
She greeted the Cranes brightly every morning and, in the afternoons, she happily played with or read to Freddie for a little while before leaving. Every day, she would tell Niles how much she was looking forward to the party. On Thursday, she was especially excited, telling Niles that she had found the perfect dress and that she couldn’t wait for him to see it.
On that day, he shut the door after her and turned to his dad with an almost panicked look on his face.
“Niles, what’s wrong?” Martin asked, very concerned about his son. 
Niles tried to catch his breath and calm his rapidly beating heart, “I– I think this might be a date.”
All Martin could do was roll his eyes. 

On New Year’s Eve, Niles was dashing around the house like his feet were on fire. 
“You’re sure you and Freddie will be alright without me tonight?” Niles asked, finishing buttoning his shirt as he walked from his room to the kitchen.
Martin rolled his eyes behind his newspaper, “We’ll be fine.”
Niles reemerged from the kitchen, now tying his tie, “Dinner’s in the oven. It should be done in 45 minutes.”
“Yep,” Martin answered, still not putting down his newspaper as Niles rushed past him, going back to his room.
“I don’t know when I’ll be back, so you’ll have to put Freddie to bed,” Niles said, walking out of his room while pulling on a cardigan.
“I raised two kids, Niles,” Martin said, rather annoyed with his son, but he knew that Niles was only doing this because he was nervous.
Niles finished buttoning his cardigan and stood in front of a small mirror, checking his hair for the fifteenth time in the past half hour, “Do I look okay? You don’t think this is… too much or… or not enough?”
Martin finally put down his paper, “You look fine, Niles. You’re gonna be fine.”
Niles opened his mouth to ask another question, but before he could speak, there was a knock on the door.
“That’ll be Daphne,” Martin said, nodding toward the door.
“R– right,” Niles said, already feeling his palms begin to sweat. 
“You’re gonna be fine, son,” his dad assured him.
Niles nodded and opened the door. 
On the other side of the door stood Daphne and, despite the top half of her dress being hidden beneath a black coat, her appearance still made Niles’s jaw drop.
“Daphne, you– you’re– I–” Niles stuttered.
Martin looked over, “Wow, Daph! You look great!”
Daphne blushed, “Thank you, Mr. Crane.”
Seeing that Niles was still frozen, Martin said, “You kids have fun, alright?”
“We will,” Daphne said with a smile, wrapping an arm around one of Niles’s. 
It was Niles’s turn to blush. 
“You’re certain you’ll be alright?” the younger man asked one more time as he allowed Daphne to lead him out the door.
Martin sighed and shook his head, “Have a good night, Niles,” and then he shut the door behind the pair.

Chapter Text

As they walked into the party, Daphne’s arm once again wrapped around Niles’s. He turned to her, a bit surprised, and gave her a shy smile that she returned. 
Janelle’s boyfriend, Colin, had a fantastic place. There were several people there, definitely no one that Niles knew (and it seemed only a few that Daphne knew), but the room didn’t seem crowded. A glass wall looked out on one of the best views Niles had ever seen and the party was obviously being catered by a fairly high-end service. 
They spent a little while talking to Janelle and Colin before the hosts were called away to talk to one of Colin’s colleagues and they excused themselves. Niles and Daphne enjoyed a drink and some hors d'oeuvres while they chatted with a few more of her friends. Most of them made polite small-talk with Niles and at least a couple dropped very obvious hints that Daphne had mentioned him before. Any of those hints made Daphne blush a little while Niles glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and gave a little smirk. 
She talked about him with her friends. 
That seemed like a good sign, didn’t it?
Maybe she really did like him, too.

Light music filled the room and couples moved to an ersatz dance floor near the center of the room.
Daphne, a twinkle in her eye that Niles wanted to attribute to the cocktails she had been enjoying, turned to him and said, “Dance with me, Dr. Crane.”
He dragged his feet, “Oh, I’m… Daphne, really, I’m not…”
She looked at him with big eyes and he felt pain that was almost physical at the thought of turning her down, “I don’t really know much about dancing.”
“Don’t worry about that,” she said, “I’d really appreciate it.”
Niles remembered her telling him about how much she loved dancing, but that she didn’t have many chances to practice it lately. How was he supposed to refuse?
“On one condition,” he said with a little smile.
She raised her eyebrows curiously.
“Please, call me ‘Niles’,” he requested.
She looked like she was about to say something and he cut her off, “Just for tonight, at least. Please?”
Daphne gave a little sigh and smiled a little, “I suppose I can manage that, Dr. Cr– Niles.”
His heart soared when he heard her say his name. He loved the sound of it on her tongue. She made it sound so beautiful and melodic. It wasn’t even her accent, it was just… the fact that Daphne was saying it. He wanted to hear it every day for the rest of his life.
Niles was shaken from his thoughts by her hand sliding into his and pulling him gently toward the dance floor. 

As they found a place near the edge of the floor, she turned to face him.
Niles gave a nervous chuckle, “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. Wh– where do I put my hands?”
Daphne smiled warmly at him. She took one of his hands with hers and moved it to her hip. He felt as though his palm was going to burst into flames. She took the other hand in her own, then placed her free hand on his shoulder.
“Now what am I supposed to do with my feet?” he asked.
“We’re mostly going to just sway in place, I think,” she said.
He knew that she was going easy on him. Something in him could just sense it.
Niles tried to listen to the music and move in time with it as best he could, carefully shifting his weight and moving his feet slightly.
“You’re tense,” Daphne commented.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop worrying so much.”
He chuckled dryly, knowing that wasn’t possible.
“Really,” she said, “Just do what I do. I won’t let anything bad happen to you.”
Those words.
She may have just been referring to this dance, but Niles felt that they were true on so many levels. Daphne made him feel safe and, as someone with strong anxiety, that wasn’t something he felt often. 
He exhaled deeply and relaxed his shoulders.
“There we go,” Daphne said, a smile evident in her voice. 

Niles lost track of time as they swayed to the soft music.
Slowly, their positions changed. 
Their held hands dropped. Daphne moved her other hand to Niles’s shoulder and his to her waist.
Without either of them seeming to notice, they had gravitated closer to one another and now there was basically no room between them.
Daphne’s read rested on his shoulder and he leaned so that they could speak and hear one another over the music. 
They talked as they swayed— not about anything in particular, just little comments about things that had happened recently, Martin and Freddie, their work, how their days had gone, little jokes that drew smiles and chuckles from one another. 
Intimacy hung over them like a comfortable blanket and they were truly in their own little world, seemingly unaware that anyone else was in the room. 
They would have remained like that forever had the music not faded out. 
Reluctantly, the pair separated, but they remained close, hands now clasped together.

“It’s almost midnight,” Daphne observed.
Niles turned to the screen showing a countdown to the new year and nodded, “It is.”
Neither of them realized just how much time they had spent dancing in one another’s arms. 
A waiter appeared, offering the pair flutes of champagne, which they accepted. 
People around them began turning to focus on the screen and they could hear the countdown begin— 3… 2… 1… 
“Happy new year, Niles,” Daphne said close to his ear.
He smiled, “Happy new year, Daphne.”
They clinked their champagne flutes together and drank deeply, Daphne finishing her entire glass.
He smiled at her and she blushed. The light in the room sparkled in her deep brown eyes and he couldn’t remember her ever looking more beautiful than she did right now.
Niles was so caught up in her eyes, that he didn’t really notice her moving closer to him until he realized that he could feel her breath on his face.
What was happening?
Was she?
Were they?
He could smell the champagne on her breath mingling with the general Daphne scent that he had come to appreciate so much. 
Her voice was barely above a breath when he heard her say, “I’d like to kiss you right now.”
His throat completely dried up and he couldn’t form a word. His brain basically shut down. She… she wasn’t really saying that, was she?
He knew he needed to answer immediately or the chance would be gone and he might never get another, but all he could do was nod vigorously. 
Without another word, her lips were on his. 
The champagne smell turned into a champagne taste as well as a flavor that he had never had before, but it immediately became his favorite taste.
Her lips were incredibly soft, but also firm and determined. It was unlike any kiss he had ever had and it was how he wanted every kiss to be from now on.
As she pulled away from him, it took every fiber of his being to refrain from making an audible whimper. Instead, he just stood there, completely awestruck. 
Daphne had kissed him.
She had really kissed him.
This was…
They were…
Were they?

Guests began to filter out as the night wore on and, soon, Niles and Daphne were among them. They bid goodbyes and thank yous to Janelle and Colin and Niles just assumed that he had imagined the silent exchange between the women that ended with Daphne wrapping her arms around his. They returned to the car, standing closer than they had when they arrived. 
Daphne drove Niles to his place and they lingered for a moment in the car. 
Neither sure what to say.
Not sure how to address the events of the night and how their relationship may have changed within the span of a few hours. 
Eventually, Niles cleared his throat just a little and turned to her, “I had a wonderful night, Daphne.”
“I can’t remember a better one,” she responded.
He gave a shy smile, “Neither can I.”
“I’ll see you soon?” she asked.
Niles nodded, “Of course.”
“Good.”
She leaned over the console and pressed a light kiss to his cheek, “Good night, Niles.”
His hand went to cover the place where she had kissed him and he smiled as he fumbled for the door handle, “Good night, Daphne.”

That night, Niles fell into the most comfortable sleep of his life, drawn into deep sleep by dreams of Daphne— the feel of her in his arms, the scent of her flooding his senses, and the taste of her kiss on his lips. 
He couldn’t remember ever being happier.
The happiness carried over to the morning and, while he kept the details to himself, it was obvious to Martin that his son had a good night out. 
By the next night, the anxiety and doubt began to seep in. 
Sleep that night was as restless and uncomfortable as the previous had been the opposite. 
By Sunday morning, he had convinced himself that he had misunderstood the entire event. 
Daphne had invited him because she couldn’t find anyone else.
The dancing— she had just wanted to dance, she would have done that with any man who happened to be there, that wasn’t just for Niles. 
And the kiss? It was an obligation. She knew that it was expected that one kissed their date at midnight on New Year’s. It wasn’t personal. It wasn’t special. If Niles hadn’t been there, she would have kissed another man. Any other man. Not to mention the fact that she had been drinking. Her inhibitions were lowered. Had she been completely sober, she never would have kissed him. 
How could he have ever thought that she would have?
A woman like her and a man like him?
What a foolish dream.
Daphne could have any man in Seattle and he had really let himself believe that she chose him?
He was such an idiot. 

Niles woke up earlier than usual on Monday and had Freddie out the door well before Daphne arrived. At lunch, he called his dad to ask if he could pick up Freddie from daycare because he was going to be at the office late that evening. 
If his dad thought that was unusual, he didn’t say anything. 
He arrived home just before time to put Freddie to bed, long after Daphne had left.
Niles didn’t speak much, mostly just letting Martin know that he would be working late for the remainder of the week and he wouldn’t be able to pick up Freddie.
Martin grimaced, but agreed. 
He hated lying to his dad, but he just… didn’t want to say anything right now. 
It was just… he couldn’t bear to see Daphne right now and she probably didn’t want to see him either. 
Why would she?

They made it to Thursday before Martin snapped. 
After Freddie had been put to bed, he cornered his son in the kitchen, “Alright. What’s going on?”
Niles looked up at his dad with eyes weighed down with dark bags, but he still tried to act as though he didn’t know what Martin was talking about, “What do you mean?”
Martin rolled his eyes, “Come on, Niles. Don’t act like I’m an idiot.”
The younger man opened the refrigerator and began picking through containers, looking for some leftovers to eat, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Dad.”
“You and Daphne.”
“What about Daphne and me?”
Martin sighed deeply and Niles could hear the frustration in the sound, “Ever since New Year’s it’s like you’ve been avoiding her. You leave early and come home late. When you do come home, you’re in a terrible mood.”
“I’ve got a lot of work to do, Dad,” Niles said, still lingering in the fridge, “There’s a lot of stuff to catch up on from the holidays.”
“She’s in pretty rough shape, too,” Martin said. 
Niles froze in the fridge, but didn’t say anything.
“It’s like… every time she comes in and you’re not the one answering the door, her face falls. I swear, I think she was about to cry today when she said bye to Freddie.”
Niles’s heart broke. He hadn’t meant to upset her. All this over a kiss. He should have said no. He shouldn’t have even gone with her. 
“I don’t know what happened between the two of you, but—”
He couldn’t take it anymore. Niles slammed the fridge shut, “She kissed me, alright? That’s what happened.”
Martin looked at his son with a deeply confused expression, “What?”
“At the party,” Niles explained, “We danced and… and then at midnight… she kissed me.”
“And you’re upset about that?” Martin said, still not sure what was happening. 
Niles waved his hands helplessly, “She didn’t mean it. Didn’t even mean to.”
His dad’s jaw dropped, “She told you that?”
Niles leaned against the counter and sighed deeply, “She didn’t have to.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean,” Niles began, looking away, “how could she? How could someone like her like someone like me?”
Martin rolled his eyes, “Come on, Niles.”
“I mean it, Dad,” Niles responded, “Does she even… I mean… does she really like me or just the idea of me?”
Martin huffed, “I don’t understand why you act like you’re just some… tragic mysterious figure or something.”
Niles looked up at his dad, desperately fighting the tears in the corner of his eyes. 
“She knows about Maris. She knows about Freddie— hell, she loves Freddie. She’s seen you pass out. She’s been there when you had an anxiety attack,” Martin said, counting off on his fingers, “I don’t know why you think that she still doesn’t know the ‘ real you ’.”
Niles didn’t know what to say. He couldn’t really argue because his dad was absolutely right.
She had been there through all of that. 
Martin continued, “You’re not helping anything by avoiding her. You’re just making both of you miserable. Not to mention the fact that you’re barely spending any time with Freddie. He can tell something’s up, you know?”
Niles felt ashamed of himself. 
He really had messed up. 
He hadn’t thought of that… he didn’t think that Daphne would be upset by him not being around. He certainly hadn’t thought about how all of this would affect Freddie. 

Sheepishly, Niles looked up at his father and said in a broken voice, “What should I do?”
Martin’s shoulders sagged and he gave his son a sympathetic look, “You need to talk to Daphne.”
“I just… I’m afraid of being hurt,” Niles confessed.
Martin shook his head, “You can’t keep this up, Niles. It’s killing you.”
Niles sighed and nodded. His father was right. It was killing him.
“I’ll talk to her,” he conceded.
His dad clapped a hand on his shoulder, “For what it’s worth, I don’t think she’d ever hurt you.”
Niles prayed that he was right.

Chapter Text

The next morning, Niles woke up early and he and Freddie were, again, out of the house before Daphne arrived. 
The optics of the early departure didn’t even occur to him until mid-morning when he fired off a message to his dad, letting him know that he would pick up Freddie and dinner that evening. 
His dad sent back a message that said, “I’m proud of you.” 
Niles smiled warmly at his phone just before he tucked it away in his desk and went to greet his next patient. 

He had missed the sound of Freddie shouting as he launched himself at Daphne— that was one of those little things that he hadn’t even realized that he had gotten used to until he heard it again and realized how happy it made him feel. 
Daphne looked up at Niles with a fragility that made him feel incredibly ashamed of himself. 
His father hadn’t been exaggerating. She looked as broken as he had been feeling over the past few days. 
“Good evening, Dr. Crane,” she greeted him in a soft voice.
He remembered the sound of his given name on her lips and sighed just a bit. That ship had probably sailed, hadn’t it?
“G– good evening, Daphne,” he said, taking a step closer to her, “Would– um– would you like to stay for dinner?”
She bit her lip and her eyes looked away, clearly hesitant. 
He held up the bag of carry out that he had brought home, “I’ve got almond chicken.”
Her eyes returned to his and the barest hint of a smile quickly flashed across her face. However, he could tell that she was still nervous.
“You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” Niles said, “But, if you don’t stay, at least take this. Please?”
She looked up at him with doe eyes and his heart skipped a beat. 
“I’ll stay,” she said quietly.
A massive weight that he didn’t even realize that he had been carrying was suddenly lifted.

The Cranes plus Daphne gathered at the dining table and Martin began investigating the contents of the take out containers. 
Niles, determined to prevent his nephew from growing into the picky adult that he was, had been trying to give Freddie little bits of several dishes, hoping that the toddler would be used to flavors that Niles had to convince himself to try as an adult. So, while he had bought chicken nuggets as a back-up, he put little bits of several dishes onto the plate on Freddie’s high chair tray. 
While reaching for another container, Niles caught Daphne’s eye and saw how she looked at him with a softness that filled his chest with butterflies. He blushed and quickly looked away, hoping that she hadn’t noticed the pink tinge to his cheeks.
Dinner passed with less tension than Niles had feared. Had it not been for the unusual amount of silence, it would almost seem like a dinner that they had shared before New Year’s Eve. 
Most of the conversation flowed through Martin, who seemed to be actively trying to diffuse the tension and pretend that nothing strange was happening.

Once dinner ended, Niles and Daphne fell into their regular post-meal routine. However, this time there was a strange uncomfortable feeling over it. 
They made small talk as they worked, both seeming to tiptoe around anything that could go too deep. 
Niles knew that, unless something happened soon, this dinner would not have its intended effect. If anything, it currently seemed even more tense than it had before. 
Finishing tidying up, he turned to her, “Daphne?”
“Hm?” she said, putting away the final dish.
“I… um… I was wondering if maybe you’d like to go on a walk with me?”
She studied him for just a moment, perhaps trying to see if she could suss out his intentions. 
Whatever she found in his expression must have been satisfactory because she gave him a short nod, “Let me get my coat.”
He followed behind her, taking a moment to call out to let his dad know where they were going. 
Niles held the door for Daphne and followed her to the sidewalk. 
For a few moments, the only sound between them was their footsteps on the pavement. 
Some of the houses in the neighborhood still had their Christmas lights up and they twinkled in the dark winter night, somehow making this moment seem even more somber.
“Did you grow up here?” Daphne asked, breaking the silence.
Niles nodded, “Yeah. We moved into this house when I was… ten, I think. Just before Frasier and I started at Bryce Academy.”
“It looks like a nice place to grow up,” she commented.
“It was,” he answered, “really quiet. We weren’t really… outdoorsy kids, but there’s a park nearby and Dad used to take us there sometimes. I think he was hoping that one of us would show some sort of interest in playing a sport or something, but I just liked to watch the birds.”
“Did you have a favorite?” she asked.
He gave a little smile, surprised that someone was actually asking him this, “The cedar waxwing.”
She looked at him curiously, “I’ve never heard of that.”
Niles pulled out his phone and opened an app, tapping around for a moment before presenting her a picture of a rusty-colored bird with a black mask and yellow-tipped tail. “Do you see the tips of its wings?” he asked, pointing at the photo.
She looked closer as he pointed out several feathers on the end of the bird’s wings that looked as though they were tipped with a drop of red wax, “Oh, I see.”
He nodded, “That’s why they’re called waxwings.”
“It’s a very cute bird,” she commented.
Niles nodded again, as he put his phone away. 

By this point, they had reached the little park. Niles hadn’t even realized that they were walking toward it, but now he was standing on the edge of the small grassy area where he had reluctantly spent many sunny afternoons. 
It was a bittersweet feeling. 
He hadn’t been to this park in years, probably not since he was a young boy.
Daphne stood beside him, seeming to let him take in the scene. 
“It looked a lot bigger when I was a kid,” he commented.
She nodded.
He pointed at a couple of trees, “That’s where I’d watch birds.”
Niles chanced a glance at Daphne and noticed that she had a warm smile.
“Do you ever take Freddie here?” she asked.
Niles shook his head, “N– no. I’ve… I haven’t.”
“Why not?” she asked, not prying, but very gently.
He took a deep breath, “It’s… hard… reminds me too much of… back then. You know? Mom and Frasier.”
She nodded, silently letting him know that she understood, but then she said, “If you ever want to… I’ll… I’d gladly come with you.”
Niles blinked away a few tears that he hadn’t noticed growing in the corners of his eyes. She couldn’t possibly know how much that meant to him. To help him forge new memories in a place where he had spent so many days as a boy. Maybe Freddie would take an interest in sports or playing on the playground or maybe he would just watch birds like his uncle. Either way, the thought that Daphne would be joining them made Niles feel like he could handle anything. 
He felt her hand gently reach over to squeeze his and he returned the gesture.

They made the block and, soon, the Crane house was back in sight.
Niles sighed as he realized that he hadn’t brought up the topic that he had meant to discuss— the entire point of this evening.
However, he was currently walking down the sidewalk with Daphne’s fingers interlaced with his own, so he thought that they were making progress. 
“Um… Daphne?” he said, voice a bit unsteady.
She turned to look at him, raising her eyebrows questioningly. 
“I… I think we need to talk,” he said, “A– about New Year’s.”
Daphne stopped walking. 
They were just in front of the house.
He nodded toward the front porch and the swing on it. She got the hint and they walked up to it and took a seat.
“First of all,” Niles began, “I’m… I’m so sorry for my behavior over the last week.”
She opened her mouth to speak, but he held up a hand to silence her.
“I… it was immature of me to avoid you rather than just… discuss the issue,” he continued, “I’m– I’m a psychiatrist, you’d think I would know better.”
She gave a little giggle, which he counted as a small victory.
“It’s just that… I… you… when we—”
“The kiss, right?” she asked, interrupting him.
He nodded.
Daphne cringed, “I am so sorry, Dr. Crane.”
As she began her apology, Niles’s heart sank. He was right. She hadn’t meant to kiss him. 
He knew it. He knew it, he knew it, he knew it. 
And it still hurt. 
But she was still talking, “It was improper of me. I mean, I’m practically your employee. I… I… just… You’re so nice and so sweet and kind and considerate and handsome and I just… just wanted to believe that… that you… you and I…”
Wait.
What?
What was she saying?
She…
It wasn’t…
“W– wait,” he said, “Daphne, you… are you… it… you meant to kiss me? Me ?”
Daphne looked at him with surprise across her face, “Of course I did. Wh– you thought that I didn’t ?”
Niles ran a hand through his hair, “I just… you’re… you’re… you and I’m me and I’m just… I’m not… not good enough for… for you.”
Her face looked as though someone had slapped her, “Why would you say something like that?”
“B– because it’s true,” he sputtered. 
Daphne took his hands in hers and looked him in the eyes, “It isn’t true. It’s… it is far from true. You– you’re such a beautiful person, Dr. Crane. How could you believe that anyone is too good for you, let alone me ? I’m… I’m just… you’re a well-regarded doctor and I’m a…”
“An angel,” he finished for her, “You’re an absolute angel, Daphne. No one’s taken care of me like you have since I was a child.”
“You deserve to have someone take care of you sometimes,” she said.
He smiled warmly. He loved her. God, he loved her.
“I haven’t believed that in a while,” he said.
Daphne looked at him with… care— Niles told himself that it was care (because the alternative was absolutely impossible) in her eyes.
He felt like he needed to get something off his chest, so he said it, “I tried to break up with Maris once… a while ago. And she told me… told me that I was too needy. That no one else would take me and that I… that I should be grateful that she had taken me in…”
“Oh, Dr. Crane,” Daphne said, reaching a hand to stroke his jaw gently, “I’m so sorry. So, so sorry that she hurt you like that. It’s not true. It’s absolutely not true.”
Niles turned to look Daphne in the eyes and said in a voice barely loud enough for her to hear, “I know that now.”
Without a moment’s hesitation, Daphne wrapped him in a tight embrace. He returned the gesture, holding her tightly and trying to channel all of his feelings into the hug. 
The embrace didn’t really end, it just morphed. Daphne’s hand moved to Niles’s chest and she leaned her head against him. He wrapped an arm around her, holding her close to him. 
“Tell me more about the birds,” she said.
He smiled and happily gave in to her demand. The longer they spoke, the more comfortable he felt. With a little hesitation, he began gently running his fingers through her hair. She leaned into his fingertips, urging him to continue.
He wasn’t sure how long they sat there in the cold on the porch, but it must have been a while because his dad quietly stuck his head out the door.
Spotting them, Niles quietly talking about the birds of his childhood while Daphne rest her head on his chest, the older man retreated back into the house (though not before Niles caught him give the pair a little smile).
Niles wasn't quite sure what things were between Daphne and himself right now, but they were better. And for the time being, that was all that mattered.

Chapter Text

Niles would say that things returned to, more or less, normal after the night with Daphne on the front porch. 
He greeted her at the door every morning (though he and his father had long ago given her a key to their house) and arrived home every evening escorting a toddler who would run into the house shrieking “DAH-NEE!” 
It was comfortable. 
So comfortable that Niles decided it would be best to not rock the boat by doing anything like… ask her to define their relationship.
Right now, he decided that it would be best to just enjoy the easy domesticity that they had settled into. 
Daphne joined them for dinner more evenings than not and she had become Niles’s near-constant kitchen companion. The more she helped him with the cooking, the more comfortable she seemed to become. Anytime Niles caught a glimpse of her modifying the recipe in any way, his heart felt a little more full (though he had to admit that not all of her modifications worked out for the best, but it was never enough to ruin a dish). Not to mention how much faster the after-dinner clean-up went with a second pair of hands. With the time saved, they were able to spend more time with Freddie. The toddler had come to expect that Daphne would take part in their bedtime ritual.
The knowing looks from Martin had become more frequent, but Niles forced himself to ignore them and if Daphne noticed them, she never let on that they bothered her. 

“Hard to put him to bed tonight,” Daphne commented one Friday evening after Freddie had gone to bed. 
Niles nodded, “He’s been so full of energy lately.”
“The weather’s supposed to be nice this weekend,” she said, “have you thought about taking him to the park?”
He shrugged. Honestly, he hadn’t thought about the park much since the night they ended up there while on their walk. 
“Maybe we could go tomorrow,” she suggested. 
‘We’? 
It was one thing for Daphne to join them in typical family tasks when she was already in the house. It seemed like a completely different thing for her to join them on her day off. For an activity that had nothing at all to do with his father’s therapy. 
Just something she was doing because she wanted to spend time with Niles and Freddie.
He felt as though he might just float to the ceiling. 
Niles gave her a warm smile, “I’d like that.”

Saturday dawned sunny and relatively warm, an ideal day to go to the park.
After dressing Freddie and having breakfast, Niles and his nephew set out for the day. It was close enough that Niles decided that it would make for a nice walk. 
Freddie was excited and it was all Niles could do to hold on to the toddler’s tiny hand as he hurried down the sidewalk. 
When they reached the park, Daphne had yet to arrive, but there was no keeping Freddie from the playground. 
The little boy immediately ran over to the swings and began reaching for them. Niles took the hint and lifted Freddie into the seat and began pushing him, which elicited a shriek of laughter from his nephew.
He wasn’t sure how long they had been at the swing set before he felt something touch him gently on the shoulder and turned his head to see Daphne standing next to him and looking as lovely as ever in her emerald green jacket. 
Niles smiled at her and received a smile in return. Daphne moved around to the front of the swing, causing Freddie to shout out “DAH-NEE!”
Niles slowed the swing to a stop as the boy began waving his arms toward Daphne.
Once he was mostly still, Daphne pulled Freddie from the swing and wrapped him in a big hug.
Soon Freddie was wiggling again, urging Daphne to put him on the ground where he began running toward the toddler-sized playground equipment. 

“It’s nice to see you,” Niles said as he and Daphne followed Freddie.
She smiled back at him, “You, too.”
Niles waved at Freddie who had climbed up on a step and was waving at them.
Daphne giggled, “He looks like he’s having fun.”
“Oh yeah,” Niles said, “he couldn’t wait to start playing.”
“Maybe it’ll be easy to convince him to take a nap today.”
“Fingers crossed,” Niles said, holding up the appropriate gesture. 
They took a seat on a nearby bench, watching as Freddie played. The park was surprisingly empty this morning— probably because it was the middle of January. Whatever the reason, it was to the benefit of the trio.
Freddie squealed with delight as he went down the little slide. He clapped excitedly once he reached the bottom before standing up and running around to go down it again.
“I’ve never seen a child so obsessed with slides,” Niles chuckled.
Daphne smiled, “I don’t know how you ever get him off his little one at home.”
Something in Niles’s chest fluttered when he heard Daphne say ‘home’ referring to the place where he and Freddie lived. It only added to the domesticity of it all. 
Encouraged a place in the back of his mind to pretend that it was her home. 
To an outsider looking at the three of them, they looked like people who shared a home. The two of them and the toddler— they looked every bit like an actual family. 
Somehow, that thought made his heart swell with pride. 
To think that passersby would think that Daphne was with him. That she was really with him. That they were together and that Freddie was… That they had… That they were… parents… together. 
He found contentment in the feeling. He felt… he felt… he felt happy.
What a simple thing to feel.
But, Niles realized, it was something he hadn’t felt in the depths of his heart in… years. 
Before losing Frasier.
Before losing his mother.
Before things got so bad with Maris. 

Freddie ran over to the bench and tugged on Daphne’s hand, pointing to the larger playground equipment nearby and chanting, “Big sly! Big sly! Big sly!”
Daphne chuckled and turned to Niles, “I think he wants to go to the big slide.”
Niles looked from the toddler to the playground and grimaced. It looked so big compared to the little boy, but there were smaller slides on the playset.
They walked over and encouraged Freddie to start with the smallest of the slides on the big playset. It was still bigger than the slide on the toddler playset, so for now it satisfied Freddie’s desire to go on a bigger slide. 
Then it was on again with Freddie sliding over and over again. 
Eventually, he took a break to climb up some rock-shaped steps on all fours. Daphne commented that he looked like a little bear, which drew a chuckle from Niles, who couldn’t help but agree.
Unfortunately for the adults, Freddie soon noticed the other slides on the playset. 
“Big sly! Big sly!” he shouted again, pointing toward an enclosed tube slide. 
He set off up the stairs to the taller slide, wobbling a bit. 
Daphne and Niles both sprung into action, rushing toward the tottering toddler. 
She made it onto the playset first and Niles backed down to let her handle the situation. 
Looking on in awe and with enough love to cause his heart to feel as though it would burst, he watched as Daphne reached Freddie and gently encouraged the boy to let her help him go down the slide. With Freddie on her lap, they disappeared into the tube before reemerging moments later at the bottom.
Freddie was in fits of giggles and, immediately upon standing, began tugging on Daphne’s hands again, urging her to join him again. 
Niles lost count of how many times Daphne and Freddie went down the slide. 
To her credit, Daphne never seemed anything less than thrilled to be playing with the toddler. 

After several trips down the tube slide, Freddie noticed the biggest slide on the playset.
Daphne tried to join him, but the toddler refused and instead called for his uncle.
Niles was reluctant. He couldn’t remember the last time he was on a playground, especially considering that he wasn’t particularly fond of them even as a child. But as Freddie continued to call out for him, he realized that he didn’t really have much of a choice in the matter. 
Besides, if Daphne could go through a slide a dozen times for a child she wasn’t even related to, then surely Niles could do the same for his nephew.
At the entrance to the playset, Niles met Daphne who gave him a smile and a little wink before he began the climb up to where Freddie was waiting.
Niles tried to not think about the number of people who had been on the slide or when it was last cleaned or what animals had possibly climbed on it… or worse. Instead, he focused on holding Freddie on his lap. 
The toddler shrieked with excitement as they went down the slide, probably the longest and tallest that Freddie had ever encountered. 
Looking up from his nephew, Niles saw Daphne watching the pair with a warm smile.
There was some other emotion behind the smile, but Niles couldn’t place it… or maybe he just couldn’t believe it.
He didn’t have too much time to think about that, however, because Freddie was already tugging at his hand and calling for him to join him on the slide again.
Niles lost count of how many times he went down the slide with Freddie. The happy sounds of the little boy and the look on Daphne’s face kept him smiling the entire time. 
He couldn’t remember ever having this much fun on a playground, even as a child. 

However, as the morning faded into midday, Freddie’s mood began to sour. 
Following one particularly grumpy outburst, Daphne turned to Niles and commented, “I think someone might be tired.”
Niles nodded in agreement.
They managed to convince Freddie that it was time to leave the park, though not without some tears and foot stomping. But considering how much the boy had done so far today and how it was quickly approaching his normal nap time, Niles figured that it could have gone much worse. 
About a block away from the Crane house, Freddie sat down on the sidewalk and refused to get back up.
Not even sure what came over him, Niles crouched down and offered the toddler the opportunity to climb onto his back. 
Freddie gladly did so, perhaps encouraged by the novelty of the piggyback ride, something that Niles had only given once or twice since Freddie came to live with him.
The ride seemed to cheer the boy up some. Niles’s walking speed and gait changed several times while they were making their way home, each time drawing some sort of reaction from Freddie.
Daphne watched them with a bright smile. 
Niles realized that this was probably the first time she had seen him in such a… relaxed setting. 
She had no idea that this casual, playful side of himself wasn’t even someone he knew until after Freddie arrived in Seattle. 
The two of them– Freddie and Daphne– were bringing out a different man in Niles. 
While he had always tried to feel accomplished in several fields, he had never felt quite as well-rounded as he did earlier, drawing laughter from his nephew and his… Daphne… as he played on a playground.
When Daphne smiled at him or when Freddie called out to him, Niles felt more secure and sure of himself. He felt needed and loved. He felt happy and fulfilled in ways that he had never felt before. 
This was how he wanted to feel for the rest of his life. 

Chapter Text

Niles felt as if his feet were made of lead, so it shouldn’t have surprised him when his father beat him to the front door one morning. 
He made it into the room just in time to hear Daphne asking his dad where he was.
“M– morning, D– daphne,” Niles mumbled, walking into the living room while struggling with the buttons on his shirt. 
Martin rolled his eyes as Niles sniffled.
“Would you take a look at yourself?” his dad said to Niles with a frustrated tone in his voice.
“I’m fine , Dad,” Niles insisted as he pushed a button through the wrong hole. 
Martin huffed and said, “Daph, would you tell him that he has no business going to work?”
When Niles looked up, he saw Daphne looking at him with concern in her eyes, “I’m afraid your father’s right, Dr. Crane.”
Had Niles not already felt so terrible, that would have deflated him.
Martin gestured at Niles’s improperly buttoned shirt and said, “Come on, Niles. You can’t even dress yourself.”
He sighed. They were right. His head felt as though it was filled with cotton and every muscle in his body ached. 
Daphne’s hands were on his shoulders gently pushing him toward the hall, “Why don’t you go back to bed, Dr. Crane?”
Niles literally dragged his feet, insisting that he call the office first. They allowed him this, but as soon as he hung up, they were urging him to bed again.
“Someone has to take Freddie to daycare,” he said with his last ounce of fight.
“Don’t you worry about that,” Daphne said, patting him on the shoulder as she urged him toward his room. 

He changed into some comfortable pajamas and was asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. 
It could have been 5 seconds or 5 days later when he felt something moving around his head and slowly began to stir. 
Niles's eyes opened and the dim light of the room made his head ache. Someone was sitting on the bed next to him and, whoever they were, they were running their hands over his head, fingers through his hair, nails gently scratching his scalp. It was almost identical to the way his mother would rub his head as a small child while she held him and rocked him to sleep.
His vision focused and he realized who was comforting him, his breath caught in his throat.
“D– daphne?”
She smiled at him, “There you are. How’re you feeling?”
Niles groaned in response and she gave him a look of concern.
“Would you like some lunch?” she asked, using the back of her hand to check his forehead for fever.
He shrugged.
“Why don’t you try?” she suggested, helping him to sit up in bed before putting a tray on his lap. Niles gave a little smile as he looked at the tray that contained a bowl of chicken noodle soup, saltines, a cup of tea, and a glass of water.
“You’re a saint,” he said with a rough voice.
She giggled and blushed, looking away, “It’s not that much, really.”
His stomach grumbled and he reached for the spoon and took a tentative slurp of the soup. It felt warm and heavenly slipping down his aching throat. 
“Let me go get you some medicine,” she said, excusing herself for a moment, returning shortly with a pill bottle. 
She shook out two capsules and handed them to Niles who took them with a drink of water. 
After lunch, he felt a bit… less terrible, but his eyelids were still heavy and it was all he could do to keep his vision focused. 
Daphne reached out a hand and patted his cheek, “There there, Dr. Crane. Why don’t you get some more sleep.”
As she took the tray from his lap, he slid down under the covers and quickly fell back to sleep.

The next time he woke, it was of his own accord. 
He moved to sit on the side of his bed and rest there for a moment, waiting for the room to stop spinning around him. 
Slowly and carefully, he stood and began walking toward the living room. 
He leaned against the wall, looking into the living room, not sure if he could continue any further on his own. 
Luckily, Daphne glanced up and noticed him. 
“Dr. Crane!” she gasped, jumping up and dashing to his side. He leaned against her and let her support a great deal of his weight as she helped him into the living room and onto the couch. 
“Th– thank you, Daphne,” he said as he sunk into the cushions. 
“How are you feeling?” she asked.
In response, he just groaned.
Daphne gave a little chuckle, “That bad, huh?”
She lifted a hand to check his forehead and nodded, “At least your fever seems to have gone down.”
He leaned his head against the back of the couch. 
“Let me go get you something to drink,” she said, standing, “You need to stay hydrated.”
Daphne returned shortly with a glass of ice water. 
He took a drink and closed his eyes, savoring the soothing sensation of the cold liquid running down his sore throat. 
She ran a hand over his hair and he leaned into her touch.
“Why don’t you let me run you a warm bath?” she offered.
Niles wanted to turn her down, tell her that he didn’t need her to do all of this for him, but he just didn’t have the energy. His body was too exhausted to argue.
She took his lack of response as an answer and left to go run a bath.

Niles must have dozed off because the next thing he knew, Daphne was gently shaking his elbow, “Dr. Crane? Dr. Crane?”
His eyes fluttered open and he looked into hers.
“Would you like to go take a bath?”
Niles nodded weakly and allowed her to help him stand. She assisted him with reaching the bathroom and started to follow him into the room.
He turned to her with a little smirk, “I think I can handle it from here.”
Daphne blushed, seeming to have realized what she had almost done, “Sorry. Just used to helping my patients.”
He nodded as she backed out of the room.
“Leave it unlocked, please,” she requested, beginning to shut the door, “just in case.”
“I will,” he assured her.
Slowly and carefully, Niles removed his clothing and lowered himself into the hot water. The scent of menthol, lemon, and ginger began to fill his nose— the first thing he had smelled all day.
He smiled, realizing that Daphne had added his special cold and flu salt blend to his bath. 
Taking a moment to dry his hands, he reached for his phone and found an album of Yo Yo Ma playing Bach and turned it on at a low volume. 
With the soft music, the warm water, and the relaxing scent wrapping him up like a blanket, Niles sank low and allowed himself to relax into a state of near-sleep. 

The bath had gone from hot to warm when a knock on the door drew him from his haze.
“Dr. Crane?” he heard Daphne ask, he raised his head, but couldn’t really speak. His brain was in a fog. 
With no answer from him, she had opened the door slightly and stuck her head into the room. 
“Are you alright in there?” she asked.
He blinked up at her then gave a little smile.
She smiled back at him.
Thank god he was not completely in his right mind, otherwise he would have died of embarrassment. He was sitting in a bathtub, wet hair plastered to his head, completely naked… and Daphne was right there .
She reached her hand into the bathroom and hung a towel on the doorknob before backing away and shutting the door. 
With great care, he began lifting himself from the tub. 
However, the soak had sapped him of strength and he slipped, falling back into the water with a splash.
“Dr. Crane?!” Daphne called, opening the door again and looking toward him.
“I– I’m fine,” he said weakly, “Just– just a little slip.”
“Do you need any help?” she asked.
Niles really wanted to say ‘no.’ He really, really, really wanted to say that he didn’t need help. But… he realized that there was no way that he could lift himself out of the bathtub. Not right now with his arms feeling like they were made of jelly.
He just looked at her, feeling totally helpless.
She must have understood, because she carefully made her way into the room, “I– I promise I won’t… er… won’t look at– at a– anything.”
A deep blush colored her face and he knew that he wore one that matched— well, he would have if his face wasn’t already red from the warmth of the bath.

Daphne couldn’t believe what was happening. She couldn’t believe that she was in the same room as a completely nude Niles Crane. 
She kept her eyes on his face as much as she could, but that only helped so much. Her heart hammered in her chest whenever he looked up at her with those beautiful blue eyes. 
She glanced down a bit to grab his arm and made the mistake of allowing her eyes to linger on his chest. 
While she would never admit to having imagined how Dr. Crane looked beneath his clothes, she knew that she hadn’t imagined he would look like he did. 
He was slender, no defined muscles, but his chest was still broad. His chest was basically covered in dark hair, which gave him a bit more masculine of an appearance than he might have had otherwise. 
Quickly, she returned her gaze to his face and hoped that he hadn’t noticed her wandering eyes.
He gave a shy smile, but she couldn’t tell if that related to anything specific or if it was just because of the general situation. She returned a similar smile.
His hair was much darker when it was wet and it was plastered to his forehead, water dripping onto his face. Gently, she reached out to brush it back, out of his eyes.
Daphne took his arm and helped him to sit on the edge of the tub. She handed him a towel and told him that she would go get him something to wear.
He reached out and took her wrist, “Thank you, Daphne.”
She felt herself blush again.

Daphne had returned to the living room when Niles emerged from the bathroom. 
He was moving slowly and carefully, wearing the shorts and slippers she had brought him along with his cotton bathrobe. Despite being cinched tightly around his delicate waist, the robe was open across his broad chest. He was using the towel to dry his hair, which was slowly returning to its usual light color. 
Niles took a seat on the couch near Daphne and gave her a little smile, “Thank you, Daphne.”
“Of course, Dr. Crane,” she said, returning his smile. 
The moment was broken when Martin entered the room, asking for Daphne’s help getting something from a shelf in his bedroom.
After she had finished that task, it was time to pick up Freddie from daycare, a task she was glad to complete. 
While out, she picked up dinner for the Cranes and returned to their home where she found Martin relaxed in his recliner, watching a basketball game. Niles, meanwhile, seemed to be barely holding his own head up.
She rushed to his side and checked him once more for fever. He was a little warm, but not quite as bad as he had been in the morning. 
“Let’s get some dinner into you and then off to bed,” Daphne insisted. 
Niles whined a bit, but was silenced by a glance from Daphne. 
Martin certainly didn’t have any complaints about an early dinner and, between him and Daphne, they managed to convince Niles to consume a decent amount of food and water. 
“I’m just gonna go sit down on the couch,” Niles said, standing from the table with a noticeable wobble.
“Why don’t you just go to bed, son?” Martin asked with concern evident in his voice.
“I– I’m– I’m fine,” Niles said in a way that wasn’t at all convincing. 
“I think your father’s right, Dr. Crane,” Daphne added.
He sighed and gave a little nod.
“You go get settled into bed and I’ll bring you some medicine,” she said.
Niles gave a nod before stumbling toward his room.

When Daphne entered his room, he was in the bed, not completely laid down but not sitting up either. 
He had removed his robe and was apparently only wearing his shorts. Based on the smell in the room, he had applied salve to his chest. 
She sat on the edge of the bed, drawing his attention to her. 
Daphne handed him the medicine and a glass of water and gestured for him to take it. 
He did as he was told, finishing the glass before handing it back to her.
“Thank you, Daphne,” he said, looking at her with eyes that were so big and innocent. Those eyes… she didn’t know how his parents could have ever refused him anything he asked for, not with those eyes.
He took her breath away. 
Truthfully, she had been attracted to Dr. Crane since their first meeting. Even without really getting a good look at him, just seeing him caring for Freddie that night in the hospital… she could see the sensitivity, kindness, and gentleness in him. To her, that was far more attractive than looks could ever be (though he had those going for him too, as far as she was concerned). 
“It’s no problem,” she answered.
“No, really,” he said, taking her hand, “I… I don’t know how I would have gotten through the day without you.”
He was obviously exhausted.
“Why don’t you lay down,” she suggested.
Niles nodded, allowing himself to sink into the bed.
He was looking at her with an expression that she had seen in his eyes several times before, but one she didn’t dare name.
Niles’s eyelids looked heavy. She reached out and began rubbing his scalp the way she had earlier in the day. As his eyes closed, she hummed softly to him, hoping to soothe him to sleep.
“Mmm…” he hummed, “Daph—”
“Go to sleep, Dr. Crane,” she said softly.
His next words were so quiet that Daphne barely heard them, “Love you.”
Her breath caught in her throat. 
Had he really said that?
Had he meant it?
Surely it was the illness.
Surely.

Chapter Text

Even after returning home, Daphne couldn’t get Niles’s words out of her head. 
She refused to let herself believe that he meant them— not in a romantic sense, at least. 
He was feverish. Exhausted. Ill. Not in his right mind. 
Surely someone like him couldn’t… with someone like her…
No. No, that wasn’t possible. 
But that look in his eyes…
The first time she noticed that look was probably the night she went out for dinner with him and his family. His eyes lingered on her and they held such warmth, such affection. At the time, she thought it was… well, she didn’t know.
Maybe even then she knew, but she didn’t want to allow herself to believe it.
He was… not the typical man that she would find herself attracted to.
Her boyfriends in the past had been blue-collar, strong, conventionally masculine. Men with hard calluses on their hands— mechanics, dockhands, fishermen. 
But Niles… Niles had soft hands. Gentle hands. Far from conventionally masculine. 
She had never dated a man with a favorite opera, who could cook French food, who had degrees from prestigious universities on both sides of the Atlantic. She’d never been with a man who owned a cashmere shawl neck cardigan or a bespoke suit. 
However… he never made her feel like she was below him (and, if he ever had, she was certain that his father would have been swift with the reprimand). Niles had never made her feel unwelcome or like she was anything less than a respected professional, but also a member of the family. 
Sometimes she allowed herself to imagine being part of their family. Just the idea of getting to come home to Freddie every day… for those evenings when she lingers late enough to help tuck the toddler into bed and read him a bedtime story to be expected rather than occasional delights. 
Other times she would torture herself by remembering that, eventually, Martin would be well enough that he wouldn’t need her assistance. Her relationship with the Cranes wasn’t something… permanent. She wouldn’t get to see Freddie grow up. One day, she would have to say goodbye to the three of them.
She tried to not linger on those thoughts too long. 

Another thing she tried to not linger on too long was the feeling that prompted all of these thoughts. 
The reason that Daphne didn’t dare think that Niles meant what he said. 
She had to protect her heart. 
She couldn’t let herself get hurt again. 
But…
She thought about Niles more than she cared to admit. 
There were mornings where she would wake up in an unusually sunny mood, remembering dreams of time spent with him. 
Many of the dreams were just… soft, warm, loving. She dreamt of holding him in her arms and of being held by him, spending lazy mornings in bed with him and the way that the soft sunlight would make his hair shine and his eyes sparkle. 
His eyes. God, his eyes. 
They made her weak at the knees. 
When he looked at her with laughter in them, with questioning, with mirth, with concern. That vulnerable look he would give her when she could almost read his feelings written in them. 
She wondered if he could see the same in hers. 
Daphne didn’t want to say it. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to feel it, but she just didn’t want to… open herself up and make herself vulnerable. She was too scared. Absolutely terrified.
Not that she honestly thought that Niles would hurt her. Not intentionally. 
But what if she was wrong?
What if he didn’t mean it the way that she meant it?
Oh god, how could this happen?
But she… she… she loved him.
She loved him.

Returning to the Crane house the next day felt a bit strange. 
Niles greeted her at the door, clearly still a little under the weather, but much better than he had been the day before. 
He didn’t treat her any differently, there was no mention of anything said. 
He didn’t remember. 
Of course, he didn’t remember. 
Maybe he really didn’t mean it.
But his eyes. 
As soon as he opened the door for her, she saw it in his eyes.
Every time he looked at her, she saw it in his eyes. 
No, he might not remember saying it, but she knew that he had.
And more than that, she knew that he meant it. 
It made her heart sing.
However, if there was one thing that she had learned about Niles Crane in the months that she had known him, it was that he was not going to be the one to bring any of it up. 
He was almost painfully shy. While it was frustrating at times, it was also another trait of his that she found adorable and sweet. 
After years and years of falling for bold, brash men who were almost aggressive with what they wanted, it was nice to fall for a meek, gentle man. 
She had fallen for him. 
Every time she said it, it felt easier to say. It made her shoulders feel a bit lighter. 
Daphne knew that she was the one who was going to have to make the next move, but she also knew that she had to be very careful. Niles was skittish, like a stray cat or a fawn, if she moved too quickly, he would scare him. She needed time to think on the next move. 
As she helped Martin through his exercises, she glanced at the calendar on the wall and realized how close it was to the end of January. 
Valentine’s Day.
Of course. 
That’s the ticket.
She would invite Niles to join her for dinner on Valentine’s Day. He would shyly demur, she already knew, but he would want to go and quickly give in to the invitation. 
She wouldn’t have to ask him then about what he said, but… at least they would be one step closer. 

Niles was well enough to return to work the next day. His head was still foggy and his joints ached, but his fever was gone and he made it through work.
He was immensely grateful that Daphne was still there when he returned home because he knew that he didn’t have the energy to play with Freddie. 
Martin saw the exhaustion on his son’s face and suggested that they order delivery for dinner, then, as soon as Niles agreed, called out to invite Daphne to join them. 
Things were settling back into the pattern that they had set before New Year’s. 
Daphne was joining them for dinner almost every night, sometimes staying late enough to help put Freddie to bed, sometimes even lingering even later, just talking with him and his father. 
The comforting domesticity had returned, maybe even stronger than before. 
The way she had cared for him when he was sick had been… he had never felt more loved by someone outside of his family. He couldn’t imagine any of his previous girlfriends— even his ex-fiance— caring for him in the way that Daphne had. 
It was something that he would have normally tried to fight off, believing that he wasn’t worthy of her effort, but… if there was one positive thing about his illness, it was that he allowed himself to let her take care of him. 

He watched her across the table, helping Freddie with his dinner and he knew that he had the dopeyest smile on his face, but he also knew that he no longer wanted to fight it.
He couldn’t if he tried.
The night before, he fell asleep while thinking ‘I love you, I love you, I love you.’ He had a dream that he had actually told her, but he didn’t remember how it ended. The warm feeling in his heart when he woke this morning seemed to let him know that it was a happy ending. 
Her eyes looked up and met his and he could have sworn that she was wearing a look that matched his own. It couldn’t be. 
Daphne helped him get Freddie bathed and dressed for bed, then helped to tuck him in and read him a story while Niles sat, stroking the boy’s head. 
After Freddie was asleep, he walked her to the front door and helped her with her coat. 
“I’m very glad you’re feeling better, Dr. Crane,” she said with a small smile.
He returned the smile, “It’s all thanks to you.”
She scoffed, “I didn’t do that much.”
“You did exactly what I needed someone to do,” he responded.
Daphne wrapped him in a hug and he held her tight, closing his eyes and melting into the embrace. He wanted to stay in her arms forever. 
Then the moment passed and she was bidding him a good evening and was out the door.

“You two are gonna make me barf,” Martin said, not looking up from his television.
Niles turned to his father and raised an eyebrow, silently questioning what he meant. 
Martin rolled his eyes, “You two spent the entire dinner making… goo-goo eyes at each other.”
Niles huffed, “We did not.”
His dad snorted a laugh, “Yeah, you did.”
Niles knew that he was looking at Daphne like that, but he told himself that he had imagined her giving him the same look in return.
“I don’t get why you two don’t just date or something,” Martin continued.
He looked at his father, confused.
“I mean, the way I see it, you two are either going to start dating, end up making out on the dining room table, or spontaneously combust.”
Niles blushed deeply.
Martin shook his head, “For my sake, I hope you go with the first one.”
“D– do you really think Daphne likes me?” Niles asked.
Martin let his head fall back and seemed to be pleading with the ceiling for a moment, “Are you kidding me?”
Niles looked confused.
His dad pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with you, Niles.”

Niles arrived home from work the next afternoon and watched as, just like every day, Freddie threw himself at his favorite person.
Martin had long since grown accustomed to his grandson’s preference for Daphne and just chuckled as the toddler wrapped himself around his physical therapist’s leg. She knelt down, letting Freddie babble excitedly at her while she worked on removing his hat, coat, and shoes. She nodded and made all the right expressions, never looking away from the little boy, but still managed to hand all of the items off to Niles. 
The older man shook his head, he couldn’t remember the last time he saw two people as in sync as Niles and Daphne. It was like they just intuitively knew what the other was doing and where the other was. As far as he was concerned, it didn’t make sense at all that they weren’t actually a couple yet. 
“Pa!” Freddie shouted, drawing Martin’s attention away from Niles and Daphne. The little boy had made his way over to the side of his recliner and was holding up a toy toward him. 

“Are you staying for dinner?” Niles asked Daphne once Freddie was otherwise occupied. 
She smiled at him, “If that’s no trouble.”
“Of course not,” he responded, returning her smile.
“Cooking?”
He nodded, “We’ve got some asparagus that needs to be cooked tonight before it gets too wilted.”
Daphne followed him into the kitchen. She watched the way he moved confidently around the room— perhaps the only place she ever saw him express such assurance. It warmed her heart. She felt as though this was the true Niles Crane and, while she wanted him to feel such spirit all the time, right now she loved being one of the only people who got to see him this way. 
“Could you help me with the rice?” he asked, breaking her from her thoughts.
She stepped toward him, taking the container of rice from his hand, “Of course.”
By the time they were finished, the two of them (though mostly Niles) put together a beautiful meal of salmon, rice, asparagus with hollandaise sauce, and a salad. 
“This looks wonderful, Dr. Crane,” Daphne complimented, taking a plate from him. 
He blushed deeply, “Well, you helped.”
She gave a chuckle, waving off his statement before she carried the plate out to the dining room table. 

After dinner, Daphne once again joined Niles in the kitchen to clean up. 
She carried in plates and he began to scrub them. Once everything had been brought into the kitchen, Daphne took her place next to him to rinse and dry everything before setting it aside for him to put away. 
They settled into their usual comfortable rhythm, making small talk and laughing at one another’s little jokes. 
Daphne bit her lip. She knew that this was her best chance to ask Niles about making plans. 
That didn’t make it any easier, though. 
It had never been this hard with any of her boyfriends before. She’d never had trouble asking a man out. 
Why was it so different with Niles?
“Daphne?” she heard him ask.
He was looking at her strangely, with a sudsy pan in his hands. She realized that she had been rinsing the same dish for almost a minute, much longer than was needed. 
“Sorry,” she said with a blush coloring her cheeks. 
He smirked a little, “Are you alright? You seem a little… preoccupied.”
This was her chance. 
She took a deep breath, “Actually, I was wanting to ask you a question.”
He took off his kitchen gloves, the last dish now scrubbed, and turned to give her his full attention. 
Daphne placed the final rinsed dish on the counter and made a silent prayer for fortitude, “I was wondering if you– er– had plans on Valentine’s Day?”
Niles slipped from where he had been leaning against the counter and just barely managed to catch himself before hitting the floor.
“Dr. Crane!” she gasped, reaching for him.
He looked up at her with wide eyes, breathing way too fast, “A– are you—”
“Oh, forget I said anything,” Daphne said, feeling incredibly embarrassed, “You— It’s— I’m so sorry, Dr. Crane—”
“D– daphne—”
“That was so forward of me. I didn’t mean to upset you—”
“Daphne.”
“I’ve really gone and fouled this all up now, haven’t I—”
“ Daphne ,” Niles said, raising his voice enough to break through her rambling.
She stopped talking and turned her attention to the man brushing dust from his trousers. He took a deep breath and made eye contact with her, “Are you asking me out on Valentine’s Day?”
She couldn’t speak, so all she did was nod.
Niles’s face broke into a childlike grin. He couldn’t believe it. Was this real? Was it really happening?
“Like, a date?” he asked, voice cracking just a little bit.
Daphne smiled at him, feeling a warmth spread through her body, “If– er– if you’d like it to be.”
He gave a couple little laughs that seemed somewhere between disbelief and elation, “I— Oh my god. I’d love it to be.”
Her smile grew even brighter, “So would I.”

Once everything was put away in the kitchen, Niles escorted her to the door. 
He felt like he was walking on air. Everything almost felt like a dream. It was like he was a boy again getting his first date with the girl he had silently admired all year.
“I’ll– um– I’ll see you tomorrow?” Niles said, unsure of what to say.
Daphne giggled, “Of course. It’s Wednesday.”
“Right,” Niles said with a goofy grin on his face— a lovestruck grin. 
She shook her head with a smile. “Good night, Dr. Crane,” Daphne responded, leaning forward to press a gentle kiss against his jaw.
His breath caught in his throat as he watched her walk away, “Good night, Daphne.”
Niles stepped back from the threshold and shut the door behind him, then leaned against it and sighed happily— still looking as goofy and lovestruck as ever.
“What was that about?” Martin asked with a knowing look on his face.
The younger man couldn’t fight the expression of pure and utter happiness that spread across his face before he answered, “She asked me on a date.”
Martin chuckled, shook his head, and returned to his newspaper.

Chapter Text

By the time Valentine’s Day arrived, Daphne’s kisses on the cheek and jaw had become the standard way that she bid goodbye to Niles. 
Surprising only to people who weren’t familiar with the man’s neurotic tendencies, this did nothing to quell his anxiety about the date. He had been in front of a mirror in the living room for almost thirty minutes, tying and retying his tie, obsessively checking his hair and teeth, and brushing nonexistent wrinkles and lint from his clothes. 
“Isn’t it about time for you to be going?” Martin asked from his chair, not even bothering to look at either his son or the clock. Honestly, he wasn’t sure at all if it was time for Niles to leave, he was just ready to get his son out the door because it was making him experience second-hand anxiety just watching Niles fidget.
Niles checked his watch and gasped, “Oh my god, you’re right.”
“You’re sure you’ll be alright?” Niles asked, rushing through the room and grabbing his coat.
“We’ll be fine, Niles,” his dad said, returning his attention to his newspaper, “I’ve already got a pizza order in.”
Niles fought with his coat for a little bit, not seeming to have heard what his father had said. Once it was on, he looked at Martin, “Well… wish me luck.”
Martin rolled his eyes and shook his head, “As if you actually need luck.”
Niles mouth opened and closed a few times, but no words came out. 
“I won’t wait up,” Martin called, basically chasing his son out of the house.
Just after stepping out of the house, it occurred to Niles that his father seemed to basically imply that he would be spending the night with Daphne tonight and it took all of his willpower to not return to the house and make his dad walk those words back. However, he didn’t have time for that, so he just went to his car and began the drive to Daphne’s place.

Niles took a deep breath to steady himself and glanced down at the bouquet in his hands. It wasn’t roses (much to the relief of his preferred florist), but he had taken great care to select the flowers. It ended up looking just as beautiful as he had hoped, perhaps even more so, with bright yellow and pale purple blossoms, all surrounding a pair of perfectly shaped white gardenia blossoms. 
He knocked on the door and closed his eyes, fighting to remain calm, as he waited for Daphne to answer. When she did, she took his breath away. 
Her hair was pulled up, showcasing the graceful line of her neck. She was wearing a dress that he had never seen before, one that fit her perfectly, in a lovely shade of Valentine’s red. The color complimented her complexion and her hair and her eyes and Niles couldn’t imagine her looking any more beautiful than she did right then.
“Wow,” he said, jaw dropping.
Daphne blushed and giggled, “Dr. Crane. You’re too kind.”
He was still at a loss for words when he presented her with the bouquet of flowers. She gasped, taking them from him. “Let me go put these in a vase before we leave,” Daphne said, stepping back into the house and leaving Niles waiting at the door. 
He took another deep steadying breath, shaking out his hands as he tried to settle his nerves. She was back moments later, stepping out the front door and closing it behind her.  
“Shall we?” she asked, linking her arm with his as they made their way down the walk toward his car.

Though Daphne had been the one to ask him out on the date, she had entrusted Niles to make all the arrangements. As soon as they stepped through the door of the restaurant, she was very glad that she had done so. 
Daphne gasped, squeezing Niles’s arm more tightly, “Oh, Dr. Crane, it’s lovely.”
He smiled. While this was one of his favorite restaurants, he didn’t think that he had ever been to it when it was decorated for their Valentine’s Day dinner. A small ensemble played music in one corner of the dining room where space had been cleared for a dance floor. Candles and lights twinkled around the room, lending a romantic ambience to the entire restaurant. 
It was perfect.
Well, almost perfect. 
There was still one thing that he wished was different.
“Daphne?” Niles asked softly as they followed the hostess through the dining room to their table, “I was wondering if, maybe, just for tonight at least, you could call me Niles?”
She gave him a warm smile, “Of course, Niles .”
His heart leapt in his chest when he heard her say his given name. It somehow made everything feel so much more intimate. It suddenly struck him that he was actually on a date with Daphne Moon .
Luckily, they had arrived at their table and Daphne had already taken her seat, so Niles was free to collapse into his chair. 
“Are you alright, Dr. C– I mean, Niles?”
His breath caught in his throat, “I— I’m— yes. I’m fine. More than fine, actually.”

Dinner passed with small talk quickly fading into casual conversation, laughter and jokes, easy smiles. 
Niles couldn’t get over how beautiful Daphne looked with the candlelight flickering in her eyes. She was gorgeous. The most beautiful person that he had ever seen. She was a goddess on Earth and, somehow, she was interested in him . She had asked him out. 
He didn’t know what he could have possibly done to deserve this. 
Honestly, there were several times throughout dinner when he realized that he had no idea what she was talking about. He had gotten caught up in her eyes and the melodic sound of her voice. 
Was it wrong that he had been engaged, but this was the most he could ever remember loving anyone? He couldn’t imagine ever feeling this way about anyone else. 
He wanted this feeling to last forever.
He wanted to spend every Valentine’s Day for the rest of his life staring into Daphne’s perfect eyes.
I love you, I love you, I love you .

Niles noticed couples gravitating toward the dance floor and saw the way that Daphne watched them, eyes twinkling and a longing smile on her face.
He felt a sudden surge of confidence, “Where are my manners?” 
Niles stood and offered his hand to Daphne, “Would you care to dance?”
She smiled warmly at him and took his hand, allowing him to help her to her feet, “I would love to.”
He escorted her to the dance floor and found a place that wasn’t too crowded. 
They turned to one another. Their fingers interwoven while her other hand rested high on his chest and his on her hip, near the small of her back.
As they began to sway to the music, they were in their own world. Everything else— everyone else— melted away.
They rested their temples against each other, speaking softly, breath warm against the shells of one another’s ears as they talked about everything and about nothing at the same time.
He closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of her. Cherry bark and almonds and something that was uniquely Daphne . It was the scent that filled his dreams. 

Over time, they moved closer to one another. 
Daphne’s arms were around his neck and Niles’s were around her body.
His eyes were closed and he allowed himself to just savor this moment and the way that she felt against him. It was the most perfect feeling he could remember experiencing. 
“Niles,” Daphne spoke softly and Niles could feel her breath against his neck.
“Hmm?” he said, not opening his eyes and continuing to sway.
She took a deep breath and he smiled, “This is the best Valentine’s Day that I can remember.”
He sighed happily, so, so happily, “I feel the same way, Daphne.”
Daphne moved away from him only slightly and, for a moment, he was disappointed by the loss of contact with her, but then the world stood still. 
Her hand moved to cup his jaw, her skin was so soft and smooth against him, and she gently turned him to face her. 
His eyes opened and he saw something in her eyes that he knew was reflecting the look in his own. His breath caught in his throat, but it didn’t matter.
She leaned forward and gently pressed her lips against his own.
The kiss was soft but a bit firm. Intentional. Very intentional. 
Unlike New Year’s, there was no way for Niles to deny that Daphne meant this one. 
They were both stone-cold sober, having only had a little wine with dinner, so he felt no qualms about returning the kiss, matching her passion and movement.
When they separated, Niles’s eyes fluttered open and he was staring directly into Daphne’s beautiful eyes. 
He hadn’t thought it possible to fall any more in love with her, but… oh god, he had. He absolutely had.

They returned to their table and something felt different. 
Something monumental. 
It was like an earthquake had occurred and displaced everything. 
He looked in her eyes and saw the thing he had been telling himself that he didn’t see. 
Maybe his dad was right.
Maybe she was…
Maybe she…
“Niles?” Daphne said, looking around the room.
“Hm?”
“I don’t want to ruin this evening,” she said, “but I think the restaurant’s closing.”
He suddenly realized that the music had stopped and most people were making their way to the exit. Niles nodded and stood, helping Daphne from her seat. She took his arm and they made their way out of the restaurant. 

The valet line was long when they reached the front door and Niles grimaced.
“Why don’t we take a walk?” Daphne suggested and he nodded in agreement. 
The restaurant wasn’t far from the waterfront and they were soon walking along while reflections of the city lights shimmered on Elliott Bay. 
“It’s a lovely night, isn’t it?” she said, moving to entwine their fingers.
He couldn’t keep his eyes from her, “Beautiful.”
A breeze blew in from across the water and he couldn’t help but notice her give a little shiver. 
“Here,” Niles said, unlinking their hands to remove his coat and drape it over her shoulders. 
She blushed a little, looking at him with a smile as she pulled the wool garment closer around her, “Thank you.”
At some point, they stopped walking and stood, watching the water, shoulders touching only just.
“Dr. C– Niles,” Daphne said, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes.
“Hm?” he said, continuing to look out over the bay.
She took a deep breath, “I was wanting to… er… to ask you something.”
Niles closed his eyes and gulped, steeling himself for the worst, “Y– yes?”
“Would you like to… maybe go on… another date sometime?” she asked, seeming to consider her words carefully.
He smiled, “I’d love to.”
A moment passed with the two of them in comfortable silence before Niles spoke, “So… does that mean we’re…”
“Dating?” she finished his question.
“Y– yeah.”
Daphne took a breath and nodded, “D– do you want to?”
Niles gave a little chuckle and looked at her with wide eyes and a boyish smile, “Uh, yeah .”
She closed her eyes and began to laugh, his response catching her off guard. It was a bit out of character for him. A lot more up front than she had expected him to be about this. 
Niles reached out to help her remain upright when she wobbled a little. Daphne threw her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. 
Her laugh was infectious and they rocked back and forth, laughing happily. 
He leaned back just a little, so that he could get a better look at her face, “So, we’re dating?”
Daphne smiled brightly at him, moving her hands to cradle his face, pulling him toward her and pressing a chaste kiss against his lips. Niles laughed against her and she swatted his chest.
“ Niles ,” she scolded with a teasing tone in her voice.
He just sighed dreamily, looking at her with a goofy smile, “I love the way my name sounds when you say it.”
She shook her head and buried it in his neck, “You’re an idiot.”
His nose burrowed into the juncture of her neck and shoulder and he chuckled, “I may be an idiot, but I’m your idiot.”
Now it was Daphne’s turn to sigh dreamily, “Yes, you are.”

Soon, they were swaying. Dancing to music that only they could hear. 
Every now and then, they would part only to just smile giddily at one another, giggle a little, or trade a gentle kiss. 
Niles was living a dream.
This didn’t even seem real.
Daphne was in his arms. She was dancing with him. She was kissing him. They were… they were…
Oh my god.
She was his girlfriend.
They were a couple. 

Eventually, they realized how late it had gotten and that they needed to get back to the valet stand before it was abandoned and they were stuck without Niles’s car.
He drove her back to her place, taking advantage of every stop sign and red light to glance over at her and smile. She returned every single one. 
Niles parked his car on the curb outside of her condo and rushed around to her side of the car to help her out. 
She unlocked the door, but before opening it, she turned back to Niles. 
“I had a wonderful time tonight, Niles,” she said, “The best date I’ve ever had.”
Niles smiled brightly, “Me too. On both counts.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow?” she said, reminding Niles that the next day was, in fact, a work day. 
He nodded, “I can hardly wait.”
She shrugged out of his coat, offering it back to him. He thanked her as he took it and draped it over his arm.
Without another word, Daphne leaned forward and kissed Niles once more. 
“Good night, Niles.”
“Good night, Daphne.”

When Daphne walked back into her place, she lingered by the front door, just thinking about her date. 
“Have a good night?” Janelle asked, interrupting her thoughts. 
Daphne was surprised to see her roommate and her boyfriend sitting on the couch, watching a movie.
Colin gestured toward the bouquet on the side table, “Was it with the guy who got you those flowers?”
Daphne rolled her eyes, “It was. And it was the best date I’ve ever been on.”
“Aww,” Janelle said, teasing her friend, “Looks like Daphne’s in love.”
Before Daphne could respond, Colin spoke up, “Unusual flowers in the bouquet. Makes me wonder if your guy knows about the Victorian flower language.”
Daphne cocked her head to the side, confused. She was certain that, if anyone knew something like that, it was Niles. 
“What are you talking about?” Janelle asked, quirking an eyebrow at her boyfriend.
Colin shrugged, “I was wondering what kinds of flowers those were, so I looked them up and found all of them listed in the Victorian flower language.”
“What are they?” Daphne asked, suddenly intrigued as to what meaning Niles could have been trying to communicate with the flowers.
“Well,” Colin answered, “the yellow ones are yellow acacia and the purple ones are lilies of the Nile, both of which symbolize secret love. Then the big white one in the middle is a gardenia, which can mean something like pure love, sweet love, or ‘you’re lovely’.”
“Oooh,” Janelle said, raising her eyebrows, “Sounds like you’re not the only one who’s in love.”
Daphne just shook her head and rolled her eyes, but deep down, she couldn’t help but wonder…

“You’re back late,” Martin commented as Niles walked through the door.
“I thought you said that you weren’t waiting up,” his son responded, hanging his coat up on the hook. 
Martin scoffed, “Who said I was staying up for you. I’m watching a movie.”
Niles glanced at the television, “Of course. How could I forget your long-standing appreciation for Japanese superhero movies?”
His dad rolled his eyes and reached for the remote to turn off the television, “Okay, so maybe I did stay up to see how your date went. Is that so bad?”
Niles sighed, “I guess not.”
“So, how did it go?” Martin asked, sitting up straight in his chair and giving Niles his full attention.
Niles’s face broke out in a broad smile, “Best date of my life.”
“Yeah?” his dad asked, smiling at his son, feeling relieved to hear that everything had gone well.
“Yeah,” Niles answered, sinking into the cushions of the couch, his mind a thousand miles away, “We’re— uh— we’re— um…” 
He suddenly felt a bit silly, here he was in his mid-thirties and he was about to tell his dad that he and Daphne were officially dating as if he were in the 10th grade. 
Then again, the last time he could remember being this excited about a girl agreeing to date him, he was a teenager, so maybe it was fitting.
Niles cleared his throat a little and finished his sentence, “We’re dating now. Officially.”
Martin chuckled, but smiled at the younger man, “I’m happy for you, son.”

Chapter Text

Niles had just left when Freddie came into the room shouting for his uncle.  
“Hey, bud!” Martin called out, “Niles just left. What’s wrong?”
“Ba’pa! Ba’pa!” Freddie shouted, pointing at the coat hooks in the entryway.
“Hold on, hold on, I’ll be there in a second,” Martin made his way over to the rack and looked for what Freddie could be shouting about.
The boy’s voice grew more desperate, “ Baaaa’paaaaa !”
“Kid, I’m just not sure what you’re— Oh! Backpack!” Martin realized, “You want your backpack?”
Freddie nodded and held his hands up. His grandfather pulled the backpack down from the hook and handed it to the toddler. The little boy fought with the zipper for a moment before Martin leaned down and offered to help him. Freddie held his backpack up for his grandfather. Martin unzipped it and handed the bag back to the boy who began rummaging through the bag, pulling everything out and dropping it onto the floor. His grandfather moved as quickly as he could to grab everything that Freddie was dropping, hoping to make it easier to refill the backpack once… whatever was happening had finished.
“Ah!” Freddie said, pulling a big piece of pink paper from his bag and holding it up triumphantly.
“Whatcha got there, kiddo?” Martin asked, picking up the backpack and beginning to put everything back into it.
Freddie waved the paper toward his grandfather who took it from the little boy’s hands and took a look at it. He unfolded the paper and saw that it was a large pink paper heart with red and purples scribbles all over it. 
“Oh!” Martin said, realizing that this must have been a craft that they had made at daycare today, “Is this a Valentine?”
Freddie nodded, looking up at his grandfather expectantly. 
“Did you make this for me?” Martin asked.
The toddler giggled, but shook his head.
“Is it for Uncle Niles?”
Another round of giggles and head shakes ensued. 
Martin thought for a moment, “Ohhh. I think I know who it’s for.”
Freddie grinned up at him.
“Is it for Daphne?”
The toddler squealed with delight and nodded his head.
“She’s gonna love it, buddy,” Martin smiled at his grandson, “but why don’t we go write something special on it?”
Freddie tilted his head confusedly, but followed his grandfather back into the living room. 
Martin spread the heart out on the table and looked over at the boy who was anxiously awaiting his grandfather’s next action. 
“Can you bring me the black marker, Freddie?” Martin asked.
Freddie nodded and ran over to the box of markers on the bookshelf, rummaging through them before running back to his grandfather with a black marker in his hand. 
“Thanks, bud,” Martin said, taking the marker from the boy’s hands. 
He uncapped the marker and began to write on the heart in bold block letters.
“What say?” Freddie asked, pointing at the words.
Martin smiled, “It says ‘Happy Valentine’s Day.’”

Unfortunately, by the next morning, the excitement of Niles and Daphne’s date had pushed the Valentine’s card from Martin’s mind and Freddie had certainly forgotten it.
The older man watched as, just like every morning, Niles opened the door for Daphne. 
There was some residual awkwardness that Martin would grudgingly admit was cute. They both blushed a little and giggled before they gave one another a shy kiss. Martin shook his head and opened his newspaper.
Before they left, Daphne gave Niles a chaste kiss and Freddie a little peck on his forehead. 
He’d never admit it, but it warmed the old man’s heart to see how happy Niles was and how seamlessly Daphne had become a part of their little family. 
That was when Martin remembered the Valentine card. He looked over at the coffee table and found it beneath yesterday’s paper. Working fast so that Daphne wouldn’t have time to notice, he folded up the pink paper and gently stuffed it into a book that was sitting on the table beside his chair. 
“Alright, Mr. Crane, time for your stretches,” Daphne announced, walking into the room with a mat under her arm.
Martin groaned as he stood up. He had hoped that she would be in such a good mood from her date that she would go easy on him.
Unfortunately, that did not seem to be the case.
No, Daphne still worked him through all of his usual stretches and exercises, only now he had to do them all while listening to her rambling on about how romantic and kind Niles was.
As far as he was concerned, the real exercise was refraining from puking.
Yeah, he was very happy that Daphne and Niles were together and he especially delighted in knowing that he had been right when he told Niles that Daphne was as interested in him as she was in her, but… there were some things that a father just didn’t need to hear. And, while their dinner had been perfectly innocent, something about this conversation was still venturing too close to that territory. 

Daphne was putting groceries away in the pantry when she heard the door open and her heart fluttered in her chest. 
“Dah-nee!” Freddie shouted from the other room, no doubt desperately squirming away from his uncle who was trying to remove the little boy’s coat and shoes, “Dah-nee?”
“I’m in the kitchen,” she called back, unable to resist the smile that appeared on her face any time that Freddie said her name.
The drumming of little sock-clad feet on a wooden floor was shortly followed by Freddie calling her name from the door of the kitchen.
“There you are,” she said with a smile, scooping up the toddler who dissolved into a fit of giggles as she carried him back into the living room.
Martin was watching a basketball game… or highlights of a basketball game… or… something basketball-related, she didn’t pay that much attention. 
How could she when Niles was standing behind the couch looking at her like he was? His eyes were warm and soft and full of… full of love. 
She sighed happily just seeing him looking at her with that expression on his face. 
“Good evening, Daphne,” he spoke, unable to keep a smile from his own face, “How was your day?”
She chuckled, “Well, your father’s probably tired of hearing my voice. I’ve been talking his ear off all day.”
Martin gave a dry huff of laughter, but his attention never seemed to waver from the television. 
“How was your day, Niles ?” she asked, loving that she now felt free to call him by his given name (not that he had ever been insistent that she call him anything but his given name, it just never really seemed proper for their relationship before).
He clutched the back of the couch, seemingly needing something to keep him from falling over. She giggled a little. Niles was nothing if not dramatic— even when it was completely unintentional. 
In lieu of answering, he just stepped closer to her and gave her a little kiss.
She could certainly get used to this as a regular part of her evening greeting. 
Freddie, however, was not interested in this development and began squirming. Daphne pulled away from Niles— her boyfriend , she reminded herself, stirring the butterflies in her stomach all over again— and sat the little boy on the ground. 

“Dah-nee,” Freddie called out, walking over to Daphne with some sort of folded pink paper in his hands.
She tilted her head, “Oh? What’s this?”
Martin smiled from his chair, “Just a little something that Freddie made you at daycare yesterday.”
She looked from Freddie to his grandfather before turning her attention back to the piece of paper. 
Carefully, she unfolded it, revealing its shape to be a rather large heart. For a moment, she traced her eyes over the red and purple squiggles and lines almost covering the shape.
“Is this a Valentine?” she asked, “For me?”
Freddie smiled brightly at her, “For Dah-nee.”
Looking back at the card, she noticed the words.
It was written plainly in handwriting that she recognized. 
Martin’s handwriting was neat, plain, and proper, in a lot of ways, it reflected the older man’s personality. While Niles’s writing sometimes looked as though he barely let the pen make contact with the paper, Martin’s always looked solid and steady. 
There was no doubt that Martin had written the words on the card.
Tears formed in Daphne’s eyes. She couldn’t help it.
“You mean it?” she asked, looking over at her patient. 
Martin gave a warm, fatherly smile and shrugged— leave it to him to act like this wasn’t a big deal. “Of course,” he said easily.
Daphne picked Freddie up, wrapping him in a big hug while she held him in her lap. When she pulled away, the little boy’s hand went to her cheek and followed the wet line of a tear, “Why Dah-nee cry?”
That only made her tear up even more. Freddie was such a gentle and kind child, so much like his uncle in that way.  
“I’m just very happy, darling, that’s all,” she said, smiling at him. 
He reached out and clumsily patted her head, running his still rather baby-like fingers over her hair while saying, “No cry, Dah-nee. No cry.”

Niles looked on as all of this was happening, but had no idea what was going on. 
Despite picking Freddie up from daycare yesterday, he hadn’t seen the card and certainly didn’t know what could have drawn this level of response from Daphne.
For a moment, he hesitated, not sure if he should look at the card. It was for Daphne and seemed to be something very special between her, Freddie, and his dad. 
But his curiosity got the better of him and he leaned over to look at the big pink heart now sitting on the coffee table. 
He smiled at the swirls of color that Freddie had certainly been responsible for. Thinking back to those first days with the little boy, it was impressive to see how he had steadily gained more control over his scribbling. 
Eventually, Niles’s attention was drawn up to words in black marker. For a moment, he assumed that one of Freddie’s teachers had written it, then he realized that he recognized the handwriting— his father’s. 
Gently turning the card toward him, he could read it plain as day.

‘Happy Valentine’s Day,
Auntie Daphne!
Love, Freddie’

‘Auntie Daphne’ his father had written. Niles looked up and smiled at his dad who squirmed a bit in his chair before standing and heading toward the kitchen.
Niles knew that emotional moments like this one often made his father uncomfortable and he gave a little chuckle before following the older man.

“That really means a lot to her, you know,” Niles said, walking into the kitchen and finding his dad pulling a can of beer from the fridge.
“Yeah, didn’t know she’d get all weepy about it, though,” Martin responded, “You know I hate seeing women cry.”
Niles shook his head a little, but didn’t say anything.
“Freddie brought that to me yesterday and said it was for Daph, I just… wrote what I thought he would want me to write,” Martin explained, leaning against the counter and opening his beer.
Niles nodded.
His dad continued, “She’s talked to me about her family and how she ended up here and all that and I just wanted to let her know that she doesn’t have to worry about it.”
He gave his father a curious look, hoping that he would continue.
He did. 
“Just wanted her to know that she’s got family here now.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Niles said, feeling a sting of tears in the corner of his eyes. He quickly reached to wipe them away before they could fall.
“Oh, not you, too,” Martin groaned, but Niles knew that deep down, the older man felt the same way.
Martin started back toward the living room, but paused and turned back to his son, “I’m happy for you, son. You did a good thing, convincing me to hire Daphne. She’s… she’s good for all of us. I hope you two have a long and happy relationship.”
Niles gave an unsteady smile, blinking back tears. He clapped his father on the shoulder, a gesture as meaningful as an embrace to Martin, and responded, “I hope so too, Dad. I really, really do.”

Chapter Text

“I was wondering if you’d ever come back!” Janelle exclaimed, meeting Daphne in the living room of their condo..
Daphne was confused. It was a typical workday and, like most of those days with the Crane men, that had carried over to dinner and even later. She tried to remember if she had made plans with Janelle, but nothing came to mind. 
“I— I’m sorry?” Daphne said, puzzlement evident in the tone of her voice.
Janelle rolled her eyes and, rather than reply, extended her left hand toward Daphne. A glimmer caught her eye and she gasped, “Oh my god! Are you serious?!”
Her roommate grinned giddily and squealed excitedly.  
Daphne wrapped her friend in a tight embrace, so happy for the development in Janelle’s relationship. 
“Tell me everything,” she insisted as they separated. 
Janelle began her story, “Well, you know Colin and I went out to dinner last night…”
Daphne listened, rapt, as Janelle recounted the date and the proposal. They squealed, laughed, and teared up while they discussed what had happened and the plans that Janelle and Colin had already made so far. Then Janelle brought something up. Something that hadn’t occurred to Daphne at all. 
“You know… I’m going to be moving in with him in a couple weeks,” she said, treading carefully.
It was like a punch to the solar plexus for Daphne. She had completely forgotten that Colin had such a nice place. Honestly, it was surprising that Janelle hadn’t moved in sooner. Of course she would be moving there now. But…
The rent on this condo was higher than Daphne would care to admit. While, between the two of them, it was quite manageable, there was no way that she could pay for this place herself and continue to live the semi-comfortable life she was used to. 
Which meant…
Daphne was going to have to move.
This was the only place she had lived in the States. She didn’t even know where to begin looking now. Everything was so expensive and there were so many places that looked nice up front, but then you lived there for a few months and realized that it was actually terrible. 
The idea of being cast into that particular sea made her head spin.
“You’ll be alright, won’t you, Daph?” Janelle’s concerned voice broke through the fog. 
She didn’t want to worry her friend or cast a shadow over such a happy occurrence, so Daphne just smiled, nodded, and said, “Of course. I’m just so excited for you.”

Daphne told herself that she wasn’t going to tell Niles and Martin about her dilemma. 
They were both far too kind and considerate and would certainly turn her problem into their problem and she just didn’t feel like adding that burden to them. 
Besides, Martin was already in a bad mood, having recently finished the procedures to formally retire from the police department. Which, of course, only added to Niles’s seemingly perpetually high levels of stress and anxiety. All of which was topped off by the fact that they were only a couple weeks away from Freddie’s second birthday and to say that the Crane men had a difference in opinion about the best way to recognize that event would be putting it mildly. 
No, it was best that she kept this particular problem to herself. 

“I just don’t know why he’s so uptight about all of this,” Martin said over lunch before correcting himself, “Well, I mean… yeah, I do. It’s because he’s that way about everything.”
Daphne gave him a sour look and he shrugged.
“Better you know it now,” the older man said, as if that justified the way he was talking about Niles.
“I’m just saying, Freddie’s turning two . He won’t even remember this birthday— hell, he doesn’t even know what a birthday is,” Martin continued.
“That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do something nice,” Daphne countered.
Martin shook his head, “I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do something nice. I’m just saying that, if Niles has his way, he’s gonna turn it into some sort of… extravaganza. Completely blow it all out of proportion.”
She grimaced, that did seem in line with some of the arguments that she had heard over the past few days. And, though she would likely not say it, she had to admit that she was on Martin’s side this time. It seemed like overkill to throw a massive birthday party for someone who would be happier with fast food and a few trips down the slide than most adults would be with… well, anything. 
“You’re having dinner with him tonight, right? Like, you guys are going out?” Martin asked, tone making it abundantly clear that he was trying to recruit Daphne to talk to Niles. 
She gave him a pointed look, “Oh no you don’t. You’re not dragging me into this. This is between you and your son.”
As Daphne stood, taking their plates back into the kitchen, Martin followed after her, continuing to make his case, “Aw, come on, Daph. I just don’t want to see him get hurt.”
“And his girlfriend telling him that his idea of a birthday party for his nephew is awful won’t hurt him?!”
Martin rolled his eyes, “That’s not what I mean.”
“Well, then,” she countered, “what do you mean?”
He sighed, “It’s just… you know how Niles can be. He gets these really… big ambitions and builds them up in his head and he genuinely wants to make other people happy, but… Freddie doesn’t understand any of this, so…”
Martin paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, “I just know that if things don’t work out the way that Niles envisions them, he’ll get really depressed.”
Daphne’s expression softened. The older man really did have his son’s best interests at heart (he tended to, she supposed, but he often liked to cover that up with less affectionate motives).
She relented, “I’ll talk to him.”
He gave a half-smile that reminded Daphne very much of his son, “Thanks, Daph.”

Daphne had honestly hoped that the topic of Freddie’s birthday wouldn’t come up over dinner, that way she wouldn’t have to tell Niles what she really thought, but she would also have an excuse for when Martin inevitably asked her how the discussion went. 
Besides, who talked about a toddler’s birthday party on their second date?
Niles.
Apparently, Niles did.
They made it almost through to dessert before he spotted a cake on the menu and that reminded him of the cake he was thinking of ordering for the birthday. Honestly, she zoned out a bit, trying to decide how best to address the topic, so she had no idea what he was asking about when he said, “What do you think?”
“I– I’m sorry, what?” she asked, blushing just a bit, “I was caught up in my thoughts.”
He gave a shy smile and nodded apologetically, “The cake. I was asking if you had any preferences as to which bakery I ordered from.”
She shook her head, “No, I really don’t. But, um… what about you?”
“Do I have a preference?” he looked puzzled.
“No, I mean… why don’t you make the cake?” she clarified.
If anything, he only looked more confused, “Me? But… I can’t decorate a cake to look like a fire engine.”
“Why does it have to look like a fire engine?” Daphne asked.
Niles floundered for a moment, opening and closing his mouth wordlessly before speaking, “Dad got to you, didn’t he?”
She shook her head, “We did talk about it over lunch, but really, Niles—”
“I just want everything to be perfect,” Niles interrupted, “is that so much to ask?”
Daphne took a moment to let his words sink in before responding, “Yes. It is.”
He looked stunned. 
“Things will never be perfect, Niles,” Daphne went on, giving a little smile before adding, “especially not when one of the factors at play is a two-year-old.”
Niles looked deflated, but didn’t argue. He didn’t respond at all, instead choosing to stare silently at the table in front of him. Daphne reached across the table and placed her hand atop his own. He didn’t react to that either. Just continued looking defeated and sad.
Finally, he spoke, “I know that long-term memory formation doesn’t really occur until children are 5 or older, but… I just… worry that all of Freddie’s childhood memories are going to be terrible. I mean, he lost his parents earlier this year, had to move away from all the people he knew… he had to hear Maris kick me out and explain that he was why. I… I guess I just wanted to make sure he had some good memories of this year.”
“Oh Niles,” Daphne said softly, giving his hand a little squeeze.
He sighed, still looking away, “It’s probably just more worries that I’m not able to really be a guardian for him. I’ll… I’m not his father, I’ll never be his father— I don’t want to replace Frasier, but… I don’t want him to miss out on things.”
“Niles, look at me,” Daphne softly commanded. 
Slowly and shyly, he complied, looking up at her with red-ringed eyes that looked as innocent as a child’s. He took her breath away. Steadying herself, she began, “First of all, you’re doing a wonderful job with Freddie. Even if you aren’t his father, you’re giving him all the love and compassion that a father could. Between you and your father, Freddie will never go without a good male role model.”
Niles cracked the slightest smile.
Daphne continued, “And you think that he won’t have good memories about this time? What about all those presents on Christmas morning? Or going to the park and going down the slides over and over again? Even all the little things, like when you play with him or read to him? Those are the things he’ll remember. And those are very good memories that you gave him . Freddie’s very lucky to have you, Niles.”
She allowed herself a moment to get caught in his beautiful eyes, before adding in a voice barely over a whisper, “And so am I.”
He looked at her with such intense love glowing in his eyes that she almost forgot where they were. Niles’s hand turned over beneath hers and he returned the comforting squeeze. “Thank you, Daphne,” he said softly.
She just smiled at him, hoping that her eyes reflected even a tenth of the amount of love that she felt for the big-hearted man across the table from her.

Their desserts arrived, effectively breaking the spell of the moment and they each sat back in their seats. 
A moment later, Daphne tiptoed back onto the topic, “So, you’ll make the cake?”
He smiled, “I was thinking maybe strawberry?”
“Wouldn’t he prefer chocolate?” Daphne questioned.
Niles chuckled, “Probably so, but the dining room rug would prefer he had strawberry.”
She chuckled and rolled her eyes, “How many people are you inviting?”
“You know, now that I think about it, it might be nice to have a birthday with just the four of us,” he responded.
Daphne smiled, feeling relieved.
“His birthday is on a Tuesday,” Niles continued, “I’ll take the day off, you come over and we’ll pay you like you’re working.”
“Niles,” she said with a bit of a warning in her voice, “I can’t do that.”
“Sure you can,” he argued, “It’s a paid holiday– Freddie Day.”
She rolled her eyes, “If you insist.”

Chapter Text

In the future, there will be a day when Frederick Crane can appreciate having the opportunity to sleep in.
That day was not his second birthday.
Niles had just finished making pancakes when he heard the toddler calling out for him. 
“When he’s that strict about following a routine, I start to understand why people think he’s your kid,” Martin snarked, not looking away from his newspaper as Niles went to help his nephew out of bed. 
While he might not have understood why he wasn’t out of bed earlier or why he and his uncle hadn’t left the house yet, Freddie still seemed to appreciate the small toddler-sized pancakes that his uncle put on his plate alongside some blueberries and scrambled eggs. How much of that was due to liking the taste of the food and how much was because he could eat everything with his hands, the adults couldn’t say. 
“After you finish breakfast, we can go to the park,” Niles said, causing Freddie to begin bouncing in his chair, chanting, “Park! Park! Park!”
Niles shook his head and pointed at the last few bites of egg, “Finish your breakfast first.” 
Freddie responded by shoving a handful of egg into his mouth and grinning at his uncle. Niles made a face somewhere between a smile and a grimace. 
Niles cleaned up from breakfast while Martin dressed Freddie for the day.

“You sure you’re good to walk to the park, Dad?” Niles asked as he folded a blanket and packed it away in the wagon. 
Martin smirked at his son, “Doubting your girlfriend’s job, huh?”
Niles blushed and looked away, packing more things into the cart, “No! Of course not! I just want to make sure you’re comfortable.”
“I’ll be fine, son,” his dad said, handing Freddie’s bag to Niles then turning to call out to his grandson.
Niles thought that the wagon would be an improvement over their last walk to the park. The pillow and blanket that he had packed away would hopefully give Freddie a place to take a nap, even if he didn’t, loading a grumpy Freddie into a wagon would certainly be easier than carrying him back to the house. 

Martin did make it to the park, but he was very clearly exhausted by the time they arrived and immediately went to sit on the bench. Niles was not afforded the same opportunity, though, as Freddie immediately began calling out for his uncle to push him on the swing.
Hearing Freddie’s shrieks of excitement sent Martin off into old memories. 
It had been a long time since he came to this park. 
Both of his boys were much older than Freddie by the time that they moved to this neighborhood, so they hadn’t spent too much time on the playground. However, he could certainly remember some ill-fated attempts to teach them sports taking place in the open area on the other side of the swingset. 
He remembered trying to teach them to catch and throw a baseball. Mostly it was a lot of running after missed catches and Martin trying to remain patient when their throws would go wildly off course. But he remembered how excited Frasier was when he finally caught a ball. One catch and he was suddenly Babe Ruth, giving tips and instructions to his brother. Unfortunately, Niles had been so distracted and frustrated with Frasier’s directions, that he had completely looked away from the ball. Frasier took absolutely no credit for his brother’s black eye. 
The football… the football was even worse. There’s a certain aerodynamic quality about a football. You have to throw it in just a certain way or else it doesn’t go at all where you want it to. If you can’t get that spiral down, there’s really no way of aiming the football. Martin probably should have known that neither of his sons would possess the talent to throw a football well, but that didn’t stop him from trying. Every American boy needed to at least try to learn to throw a football, he reasoned. After about five missed catches and throws that rarely went further than about a foot in front of him, Niles had basically given up, choosing to instead sit off to the side and watch birds. To his credit, Frasier had kept trying; not doing well, but trying. His throws were harder than Niles’s and went further, however they also went wildly off course. Unfortunately for Niles, he wasn’t even paying attention to them when one of Frasier’s attempted passes made a beeline toward him. At least Frasier had the decency to feel bad about his brother’s black eye this time. 
He thought that he was onto something with soccer. It wasn’t his idea of a sport, but it was worldly and he thought that his boys could appreciate the international origins of the game. Surprisingly, they weren’t the worst at it. Sure, they couldn’t dribble the ball without looking at it and, yeah, their passes never really went exactly where they intended. But they weren’t falling on their asses trying to kick the ball and Martin saw that as an improvement. There was a soccer field on the edge of the park and he decided that they should try to shoot some goals. He managed to convince Frasier to be the goalkeeper first, arguing that he was taller than Niles so he should be a natural for the position. However, Frasier proved this to be untrue. Though that isn’t to say that Niles scored several goals. No, most of his shots were fairly off the mark, sometimes dinging off the posts, but often completely missing the goal. Even if he was on target, his kicks were pretty weak and the ball moved slowly or strangely. But Frasier still managed to be off the mark with his keeping every time, which made Niles very happy. “If you think you’re so good at this, why don’t you try goalkeeping?” Frasier had challenged his younger brother and, surprisingly, Niles had agreed. In all fairness, Niles did manage to stop Frasier’s shot, however, that proved to be little consolation to Hester when she saw her youngest son once again return from the park with a black eye.
After that, he was told not to take sports equipment to the park with the boys. But they proved that sports equipment wasn’t even necessary for injury to occur. He remembered a time when Frasier had been flying a kite, suddenly the wind changed direction and the kite began plummeting to the ground. Poor Niles didn’t even have a chance to react. Well, at least his mother had learned that the sports equipment wasn’t the reason their youngest always came home with black eyes.

“Good morning, Mr. Crane,” he was interrupted from his thoughts by Daphne’s chipper voice. 
He turned to see her standing next to the bench, “Morning, Daph.”
“Swings today?”
“Yep.”
“Did you walk here?” she asked, a bit suspicious.
He puffed up just a bit, “I did.”
An almost smug sort of pride suddenly appeared in her body language, “So those exercises are working, hm?”
Martin rolled his eyes, “Don’t get cocky.”
She gave a chuckle, but didn’t say anything else. 
Daphne watched Freddie and Niles for a moment before speaking again, “Niles told me that you used to bring his brother and him to this park.”
Martin gave a dry laugh, “Yeah, probably not the best memories for him, I’d imagine.”
“Actually,” she began, “he seemed rather fond of them.”
He had trouble believing that and gave Daphne a look, thinking that maybe she was only saying that to make him feel better. However, her body language didn’t betray anything of the sort.
“Really?” Martin asked with a little chuckle, “I don’t think we ever came here that he didn’t go home with a black eye.”
She looked at him, a bit surprised, “He didn’t mention that.”
“Really?” Martin asked again, raising his eyebrows, “What did he say?”
“Mostly just talked about watching the birds,” Daphne answered.
Martin nodded and gave a little smile, “Yeah, he really did like those birds.”

Freddie’s squeal of “DAH-NEE!” interrupted the adults’ conversation and she crouched down to capture the charging toddler in her arms.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart,” she greeted him, kissing his little pink cheek.
Freddie giggled and responded, “Ha’ bir’day!”
Daphne just laughed at the boy’s response. She looked at him and grinned, “Did Grandpa dress you today?”
The toddler looked down at his own shirt and smiled brightly.
“Aw, come on, you can’t tell that,” Martin said, waving off Daphne’s comment. 
She raised an eyebrow in defiance, “I can always tell which of you dressed Freddie.”
Martin scoffed, “You’re just saying that.”
“To be fair, Dad,” Niles chimed in, “He is wearing a hockey jersey and pants that don’t match.”
His dad rolled his eyes, “It’s called a hockey sweater .”
Niles spoke up, “But it’s not—”
“I brought lunch, if anyone’s ready,” Daphne interrupted the argument threatening to begin
Freddie, meanwhile, was already snooping through the fast food bags that Daphne had brought with her. Triumphantly, he held up the spoils of his search, “Chi’en!”
“Freddie!” Niles admonished, eyes wide when he saw the toddler waving the box of nuggets.
Martin guffawed, “Come on, Niles, it’s his birthday.”
Niles rolled his eyes, and began trying to coax his nephew into placing the box on the picnic table before he spilled the food all over the ground— easier said than done.

After lunch, Freddie ran around the playground for a few minutes— literally. He seemed to just be going for the sake of burning off energy. Every now and then, Niles or Daphne would make a move as if they were going to chase the boy, which drew out a peel of laughter as he continued on his route. 
Finally, however, it seemed that he ran out of gas. He was practically wobbling on his feet when he made his way back over to the table and Niles helped him onto the bench beside him. Immediately, the toddler burrowed into his uncle’s side, nestling as closely as possible. 
“Ready for a nap?” Niles suggested. 
There was the tiniest hint of challenge in Freddie’s gaze when he looked up at his guardian, but that was driven away by a big yawn.
Niles shook his head and returned to his conversation. A few moments later, Daphne nodded toward him with a soft look in her eyes and mouthed, “Look.”
He cast his eyes toward Freddie and found that his nephew had fallen into a deep sleep with his head pressed against Niles’s hip. It was absolutely adorable, but for at the time, all Niles could think about was how he would get the boy moved into the wagon without disturbing his nap. Carefully and slowly, he maneuvered the toddler into the wagon, atop one pillow and with his head resting against another, then draped the blanket over his sleeping form.
“Good thinking with the wagon,” Martin commented.
Niles snorted a half-laugh, “Well, after he gave us the dead-weight treatment the last time we came to the park, I thought it might be fairly useful.”
The weather had turned out beautiful— an unusually sunny and warm day for early March— and the adults were just as keen to enjoy it as any child would have been, so the three of them remained at the picnic table making small talk and chatting. Of course, Martin couldn’t help but tell some stories from Niles’s childhood that turned his ears pink with embarrassment. Daphne just laughed and chimed in with stories of her own childhood in Manchester. They didn’t even realize how long they had been talking until Freddie began to stir and slowly woke from his nap. 
After a quick snack to refuel, the toddler was back to the playground and was seemingly ready for the slides. He shouted for Daphne and Niles to join him a few times, but seemed mostly content with them catching him at the end of the chutes. This continued for quite some time until the sky clouded over a bit and the air took on a little chill. 
To say that Freddie was reluctant to leave would be an understatement, but they still managed to get him into the wagon. Daphne had parked her car at the Crane house, so the four of them walked back together. 

Dinner was more of Freddie’s favorite foods— namely, pasta— luckily, Niles had already braced himself for the mess that would be coming with the cake, so the bits of penne that didn’t make it into the toddler’s mouth didn’t bother him quite as much as it might have done otherwise. 
Cake came after dinner and, as Daphne had suggested, Niles had made the cake himself. It wasn’t anything extravagant, but she was confident that it was entirely homemade. It had white icing, but the top was decorated with chopped strawberries, rainbow sprinkles, and a large birthday candle shaped like the number 2. 
He sliced the cake before lighting the candle, something that confused Daphne until she watched the toddler sputter out a particularly messy attempt to blow out his candle and she was grateful that the mess was confined to the slice of cake that Freddie would be enjoying.
While Freddie made a mess of his cake trying to eat it without the use of a fork or spoon, Martin and Daphne did their best to keep Niles’s attention off of the chaotic scene.
“This cake is delicious, Niles,” Daphne complimented.
“Yeah, how’d you get it to taste so much like strawberries?” his dad added.
Still watching Freddie out of the corner of his eye, he answered, “I used a powder that I made from freeze-dried strawberries. That way I could get all the flavor without having to use any artificial— nope, that’s just too much— Freddie, please, you can’t eat that…”
Martin and Daphne shared a shrug as Niles could no longer restrain himself and began struggling to stop the toddler from biting into the base of the candle.

They decided to give Freddie his presents after dinner, hoping that he would get so excited playing with the new toys that he would work off the sugar high of the cake and crash right around time for him to go to bed. 
That turned out to be an excellent strategy. Each of the gifts that the boy opened brought excited yells from him. He insisted that the adults join him in playing with each of them, basically shoving chalk into Niles’s hand after he unwrapped the chalkboard easel that his uncle had given him. After he had giggled at Niles’s attempts to draw a kitten, he made his grandfather play ball with him, taking turns dropping a foam basketball through the hoop on a combination basketball/soccer goal. Daphne got off much easier, simply having to sample all the “food” he “cooked” on the toy grill she had given him. 
When Niles announced that it was time for Freddie’s bath, he began whining and protesting. Luckily for all parties involved, Martin pointed out that he had also given Freddie a new toy boat for the bathtub, so he needed to go play with that toy too. 
By bedtime, it was all Freddie could do to keep his eyes open. He was crashing hard from the excitement of the day. With what little fight he had in him, he insisted that he wanted one of his toys to come to bed with him. Niles grimaced, looking at the gifts and realizing that very few of them were things that were capable of that.  
“Gill,” Freddie said, pointing to his toy grill.
Niles shook his head, “No, Freddie, your grill can’t get in the bed with you.”
The toddler appeared to think before saying once more, “Gill.”
It was all Niles could do to refrain from laughing because he knew that would only cause Freddie to continue saying the same answer, just to draw out the response.
Finally, the toddler came to a stuffed animal, something that actually was suitable as a bedtime companion, “Booey?”
Niles nodded, “Yeah, Bluey can go to bed with you.”
This answer seemed to satisfy Freddie, who grabbed up the plush dog and ran toward his room. 

When he returned from putting Freddie to bed, he found his dad picking up the wrapping paper and moving the toys out of the middle of the floor. 
“Where’s Daphne?” Niles asked.
Martin nodded toward the kitchen and Niles frowned.
When he got into the kitchen, he saw Daphne standing at the sink scrubbing dishes. He took the place beside her and said, “I think you’re in my spot.”
She chuckled a little at him and handed over a sudsy plate, in a reversal of their usual cleaning routine. He returned a lazy smile, taking the plate and beginning to rinse it.
“You didn’t have to… well… do any of this,” he said, continuing his work.
She didn’t look up, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” he began, “getting lunch, buying Freddie such a nice gift, cleaning up the dishes…”
“I wanted to,” she shrugged, “Do you have a problem with it?”
He shook his head, “No, I just wanted you to know that you don’t have to do it… Which is why I very much appreciate that you did do it.”
She glanced over at him, a shy but warm smile on her face as she handed over another dish.

After cleaning all the dishes, Daphne helped Niles to clean off the dining table, Freddie’s chair, and the rug under the table. All of that and he still hated to see her leave. She must have felt the same way, because she asked if he wanted to watch a movie. Of course he agreed. He would watch paint dry if it meant that he got to spend more time by her side. 
They must have fallen asleep pretty early in the movie because he couldn’t remember anything about it. However, waking up stretched out on the couch with Daphne asleep on his chest— that was a memory that he would treasure.  
“Hey,” he said, softly, giving her just a little shake.
Her eyes fluttered open and it took just a moment for her to get her bearings, “What time is it?”
He looked toward the clock and, through the dim light of the TV’s glow, he could just barely manage to read it, “Almost three.”
“I should go home,” she said, beginning to stand up.
Losing the feeling of her against him almost made him whimper audibly, but he held it together to say, “You shouldn’t be on the road this late.”
A moment passed between them as they both processed what he was suggesting.
“I suppose I could stay on the couch,” she said.
He shook his head, “I won’t hear of it. You can take my bed. I’ll take the couch.”
“I can’t possibly kick you out of your bed,” she countered.
Niles furrowed his brow, trying to come up with a good argument. However, that task was made much more difficult due to how sleepy he was. 
Finally, he came up with something that… he probably wouldn’t have said had he not been basically dead on his feet, “You know, we could both…”
Even with his delirious courage, he couldn’t bring himself to actually say what he was thinking.
“You mean the two of us?” Daphne said cautiously.
He held up his hands as if to show that he had nothing to hide, “Just sleeping.”
Her eyes lingered on the door for a moment and he was certain that she was about to suggest that she just leave, but instead she turned back to him and said, “Okay.”

Chapter Text

Martin stepped outside the front door and was surprised to see Daphne’s car was outside. It was Saturday, she didn’t work today, so it wasn’t like she had gotten here early for the day. No, it was more like she hadn’t left the night before. 
As he shut the door, he checked the couch, just making sure that he hadn’t overlooked her sleeping there. No Daphne. 
He furrowed his brow. Maybe Niles gave her a ride home last night or she got a ride home from someone else. It didn’t really make sense, but… what was the alternative?
But he couldn’t leave it like that. No, Martin was a dad after all and it was a dad’s prerogative to worry about his kids (and, though he wouldn’t admit it to anyone’s face, he had come to see Daphne as one of his children). He peeked into Freddie’s room, just to make sure that the toddler was still asleep, then made his way toward Niles’s. 
The door of Niles’s room was pulled to, not completely shut, but mostly. Honestly, Martin expected Niles to already be awake— the man was a creature of extreme habit and, even as a child, had woken up earlier than Martin. 
“Niles?” he called softly into the room, rapping his knuckles on it lightly. On the off-chance that his son was still asleep, he didn’t want to disturb him. After all, it wasn’t a real emergency or anything like that. Even as gentle as the knock had been, it still pushed Niles’s door open just a bit. With no response, Martin stuck his head in the room only just, hoping to see if his son was still asleep. What he saw made a big smile blossom on the older man’s face.
Well. That explained why Daphne’s car was still outside. 

Niles couldn’t recall the last time he had woken up with a woman’s head on his chest. Maris had never been much of a cuddler, so the last time it possibly could have been would have been when he was a graduate student. It was a wonderful feeling, maybe one of his favorites. 
He hadn’t known that Daphne was a cuddler either, but he hoped that he had many more mornings like this in his future. 
When they had gone to bed the night before, he had offered her a set of his pajamas and an unopened toothbrush from the cabinet in the bathroom. He had done his best to be a gentleman and make it abundantly clear that he wasn’t trying to pressure Daphne into doing anything that might possibly make her uncomfortable. That wasn’t to say that they had given each other a wide berth in the bed, but they had each slept on their own side… well, at least they had started out on their own sides. Sometime during the night, apparently, they had gravitated toward one another. Now Daphne was right against his side with her head and one hand on his chest, his arms were around her, and her other arm was around his. Their legs were intertwined and Niles didn’t think he had ever slept so well in his entire life. 
He snuggled back down into the blankets and inhaled deeply, breathing in the scent of Daphne’s hair. Maybe he died in his sleep and went to heaven. This certainly felt heavenly. He never wanted to leave this bed.
Daphne began to stir and he committed the sight of her slowly waking to his memory, hoping that he could hold onto that image for the rest of his life. She was awake, he could tell because her breathing had changed, but she hadn’t opened her eyes and was making no effort to move. 
He chuckled a little, puffs of air from his nose blowing against her hair.
“What’s so funny?” she mumbled, still not moving or opening her eyes.
Niles smiled, enjoying the sound of her voice, rough from sleep, “You.”
She opened one eye and looked up at him, “Why’m I funny?”
“You were pretending you were still asleep.”
“And you weren’t?” she said, giving him a little grin. 
He laughed again, “I… might’ve been.”
Daphne raised up slightly, leaning over him, “Just admit that you wanted to spend a lazy Saturday in bed with your girlfriend.”
Niles lost the ability to form words, all he could do was look up at Daphne with an awestruck look. 
She chuckled, “What?”
“You’re my girlfriend,” he said dreamily.
Daphne smiled softly at him and leaned down to press a gentle kiss to his lips. 
Yeah, Niles definitely wanted many, many more mornings like this one. 

Niles had never been able to grow facial hair, not well, at least. While he was capable of getting sufficiently stubbly, his collegiate attempts to grow out beards had always ended poorly. It was patchy, inconsistent in texture and color, and just… unpleasant. However, the way that Daphne’s hand was moving over the stubble on his jaw almost made him want to give it another try. 
“You’re so handsome, Niles Crane,” she said, running the tips of her fingers across his cheek, from his temple to his chin. Her actions sent a shiver up his spine. 
He couldn’t find words to speak, but luckily, she wasn’t looking for words from him. Daphne leaned down once more, pressing another kiss to his lips. This kiss was different from those that they had shared before. 
Her fingers carded through his hair as the kiss deepened. His fingers tangled in the hair at the back of her head, meeting her with just as much passion. Daphne mumbled something against his lips, but he couldn’t understand it and didn’t bother trying. Her hand was against his chest, fingers playing with the top button of his pajama shirt. Niles’s free hand moved to her hip, holding her close to him as her tongue gently slid between his parted lips. She drew a little moan from him and he could feel her smile against his mouth. 
The sound of something heavy crashing to the floor unfortunately ended the moment. They looked at one another, concern over the sound overpowering pretty much any other thought in their heads. 
“Dad?” Niles called, “Is everything alright?”
“Just dropped a pan,” Martin called back, voice muffled through the walls.
Daphne snorted a laugh as she nestled her head against Niles’s neck. He shook his head and ran a hand up her back. 
Before they could settle back into anything, though, Freddie called out for Niles. 
“I guess we can’t hide out here and ignore the day anymore, huh?” he asked, pressing a feather-light kiss to Daphne’s temple. 
She smiled, “I suppose not.” 

By the time Niles got Freddie out of bed and into the dining room, Martin had breakfast on the table. While Niles was fussing with Freddie’s breakfast, his dad took a seat and began putting pancakes on his plate. 
“Sleep well?” Martin asked. 
Niles felt his ears warm and knew that they had probably taken on a pink tinge. He pretended to be too focused on cutting up Freddie’s pancake to have heard his father’s comment. When he heard the newspaper shake open, he felt as though he had escaped. That is, until he heard the bathroom door shut and realized that Daphne was still in the house.
His eyes went over to his dad, but the older man merely turned pages in his paper. Maybe he hadn’t noticed the noise.
Good. Niles still had a moment to gather himself and figure out how he was going to handle this. 
He heard footsteps in the hallway and looked up to see Daphne was wearing his dressing gown over the pajamas he had loaned to her. She looked cautiously between Niles and Martin as she stood on the edge of the room.
Niles looked at her, then glanced at his dad. She shrugged and continued into the room.
“Morning, Daph,” Martin said, not even looking up from his paper. 
Niles looked between his father and his girlfriend with confusion written all over his face. However, before he could say anything, Freddie’s head whipped around and he shouted out, “DAH-NEE!” 
To his credit, this shout did wonders to diffuse the tension. 
“Well,” Martin said, putting down his paper, “come get some pancakes.” He offered a plate, which was when Niles realized that his father had brought enough plates to the table for the four of them. 

Daphne arrived home a few hours later and found Janelle and Colin working on packing her things away into boxes.  
“Well, well, well,” Janelle said, stopping her work to give Daphne a look with raised eyebrows, “Look who’s coming home in the morning wearing the same clothes she wore yesterday.”
Daphne rolled her eyes at her friend, but didn’t say anything. 
“Have a good night, Daph?” Janelle called as Daphne hung up her coat and purse. 
“I was at a two-year-old’s birthday party, Janelle,” Daphne answered.
“Two-year-olds party all night?” Colin asked, joining in his fiancee’s teasing. 
Daphne gave the two of them an annoyed look.
Janelle huffed and tossed another item into the box, “You stayed the night with your boyfriend, though, didn’t you?”
Daphne sighed and leaned against the wall, across from her friends, “Nothing happened.”
Janelle raised her eyebrows suspiciously and gave a little chuckle, “I’m sure.”
“So, you’re almost done packing?” Daphne asked, changing the subject.
Her roommate shrugged, “Well, the lease is up at the end of the month.”
Daphne grimaced, that was true and the date was approaching much more quickly than she had anticipated. 
“Have you found anywhere to move yet?” Colin asked.
She didn’t want to answer, but knew that she couldn’t ignore them, “Not yet.”
“If you need help finding a place, we’d be happy to lend a hand,” he offered. 
Janelle chimed in, “Why don’t you just move in with your boyfriend?”
Daphne gave a dry chuckle, “We are definitely not there yet.”
“Taking things slow?”
“He recently got out of a bad relationship,” Daphne said, not wanting to say much more about Niles’s private life, “Not to mention that he’s raising his nephew.”
“Oh, yeah, the baby from the picture,” Colin said, gesturing toward the fridge where one of Freddie’s drawings was held in place by magnets alongside a photo she had surreptitiously taken of Freddie and Niles going down the slide at the park. “Cute kid.”
Janelle hadn’t been distracted by her fiance’s sidebar and was, instead, giving her friend a very intense look. The look was intense enough that Daphne felt a bit exposed. 
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” she asked, “Like… really in love with him?”
For the first time in the conversation, there was no teasing in Janelle’s voice, just genuine questioning. 
Daphne shrank away from her friend’s question, choosing to look at the floor. Sure, she had told herself how she felt about Niles, but saying it out loud was a different matter entirely. Saying it out loud made it… made it real . And real things had to be dealt with. Real things were frightening. 
But Janelle was like a dog with a bone. “Daphne,” she called softly, drawing her roommate’s eyes back to hers.
In a voice as timid as a child’s, Daphne answered, “I am.”
Janelle’s reaction was almost the polar opposite of Daphne’s answer as she shrieked happily and clambered around moving boxes to engulf her friend in a colossal bear hug. “I’m so happy for you, Daphne,” she said, “So, so happy for you.”

Monday came too quickly for Daphne’s liking, although it wasn’t without its benefits. For one thing, she had spent her Sunday dodging moving boxes at home, which was beginning to feel uncomfortably like a metaphor for how she kept dodging the matter of figuring out where she was going to live after the end of the month. 
If Martin could tell that she was distracted through their chores and exercises, he didn’t let on. Bless him for that. His son, however, was another matter entirely. 
It was as if Niles could sense her distress from the moment he walked through the door in the evening. In typical Niles fashion, though, he was being excessively cautious about how he brought up the issue. 
Finally, Daphne had it with the sword of Damocles hanging over her head and, while Niles was trying to convince Freddie that the Brussels sprouts on his plate were the same as the ones on the toddler’s plate, she brought it up herself. 
“Janelle and Colin got engaged,” she said lightly, cautiously dipping her toe into the matter.
Niles looked up, but only for a moment before Freddie was grabbing at his plate again. “Good for them,” he said, “Be sure to pass along my congratulations.”
“I will,” she nodded, pausing before bringing the actual topic into the conversation, “She’s moving out.”
“Are you gonna try to get another roommate?” Martin asked.
She shook her head, “Well… I’m not sure. The rent on our place is rather expensive and the lease is up at the end of the month…”
Niles’s head popped up, giving Freddie the opportunity to swipe a sprout while his uncle was speaking, “So where are you going to live?”
Daphne looked at the table, really unsure of the next part because she wasn’t even sure what she was hoping to gain from this conversation, “I… I don’t know, actually.”
She was still looking down, so she missed the silent conversation between father and son that took place across the dining table. 
“Why don’t you stay here?” Martin suggested.
Her head snapped up and she looked from Martin to Niles, who seemed equally stunned, back to Martin, “Here?”
The older man shrugged, “Sure, why not? It’ll save you the commute, the place is paid for, so I won’t charge you rent or anything. Just pitch in more on stuff around the house, buy groceries and stuff every now and then.”
“Move in here?” she asked again, still in disbelief. 
“It’s no different than Niles,” Martin argued. 
“Niles is your son,” she countered.
Martin squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, a tell-tale sign to Niles that there were emotional reasons behind his father’s motives. However, he didn’t voice that, instead he said, “Yeah, well… you’re his girlfriend.”
Daphne was taken aback, “We’ve only been dating a month and you’re suggesting we move in together?”
“No,” Martin said, waving off her comment.
“Well then, where would I stay?”
Again, Martin looked away, less squirming this time, but equally uncomfortable, “The basement—”
“The basement ?!” Daphne questioned, “You mean the laundry room? Mr. Crane, I can’t—”
“I don’t mean the laundry room,” Martin interrupted forcefully. 
He rarely spoke with such authority in his voice, especially to Daphne, and it silenced her instantly. A heavy atmosphere suddenly settled over the dining table, even Freddie falling silent. 
Finally, Niles spoke, “Dad. I think maybe you should just… show her.”
Daphne looked from her boyfriend to his father, confusion plain on her face. 
Martin looked from his son to Daphne and gave the smallest of nods before grumbling, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
She couldn’t help but wonder what they were talking about and why it seemed to be such an emotional trigger to the elder Crane, but she sensed that this was a topic that needed to be handled with kid gloves, so she didn’t say anything. This had to be done on Martin’s terms.

Chapter Text

Martin was missing for much of the rest of the evening, when Daphne and Niles emerged from the kitchen after they finished cleaning up, he quickly excused himself from the room, 
Daphne looked at Niles with concern and he just shook his head, so she didn’t press the matter. 
It wasn’t until Freddie had been put to bed that Martin reappeared. 
“Daph?” he called out, prompting her to look up, “Can I show you something in the basement?”
She looked from Martin to his son, who, this time, nodded. So, she followed the older man with Niles at her back. 
Nothing was immediately noticeable as different in the basement. It was the same as it always was. The same washer, same dryer, same shelves filled with the things that a family collected over 25 or so years in a home. 
But, no, there was something different. A door in the side of the room was open. Daphne had always assumed that door led to a storage area or maybe utilities like the furnace or hot water tank. She didn’t expect a mostly finished area on the other side of the door, but that’s what she found. 
Martin led them through the doorway and while there was certainly plenty of storage space, there was another doorway. The older man paused in front of it, looking into the room with a somber expression on his face. 
“Dad?” Niles spoke up, drawing his father’s attention, “You okay?”
Martin nodded, still looking into the room. He nodded toward Daphne, “I told you that you could stay here and I meant it.”
She felt Niles’s hand at her back and stepped forward so that she could look into the room that, until moments ago, she hadn’t known existed. 

The room was fairly large and brighter than she would have expected for a room in a basement. One of the shorter walls was lined with bookshelves, some filled with books while others were empty, the books apparently now filling the boxes in front of them. 
The end with the shelves was painted a rich burgundy while the other end was a tranquil green. It looked as though someone had been in the process of painting it green, but stopped with the job halfway done. In fact, cans of green paint were still present in the room and there were drop cloths covering the floor near the transition. 
Overall, the entire room looked like it was frozen in the process of changing from one thing to another. 
She stepped into the space fully and took it all in. The lighting was warm and bright. It was plenty of space, probably bigger than the room she had at her condo. 
“I could stay here?” she asked, looking back to Martin, standing in the doorway. 
He nodded, still looking a bit uncomfortable, “Yeah. There’s a bathroom across the hall that you’re welcome to. Just don’t move any of my stuff in the storage room.”
“Oh, thank you so much, Mr. Crane,” Daphne exclaimed, rushing over to wrap him in a tight hug. 
Martin held his hands up and backed out of the embrace. “Ah geez,” he said, clearly uncomfortable, “it’s just a room.”
He gave the room an uncomfortable look, then excused himself to return upstairs. Niles stepped into the room with Daphne and his expression didn’t look much more comfortable than his father’s had. 
“Niles,” she said, “what was this room?”
He was looking at the shelves and spoke without looking at her, “Well, when we moved in, this was a guest room. That’s why there’s a full bath across the hall.”
She watched him as his eyes scanned the titles. He paused and reached out a hand, letting his finger trace the spine of a book. He looked wistful. Sad, even.
She placed a hand on his shoulder in what she hoped was a comforting manner, “Niles?”
There was a quiver in his voice when he answered, “This was my mother’s office.”
Oh.
That certainly explained the Crane men’s reactions to this space. 
“When she started getting sick, she wanted to change this into a space that she and Dad could share. I guess she wanted to make the most of their time together,” he continued, “She gave a bunch of her books to Frasier and myself. Most of them are in storage. Her desk is at my office now…”
Niles looked at one of the boxes and found a framed photograph that he pulled out and gave a sad little smile, “Mom and Dad liked watching baseball together. I think she mostly liked the people watching and keeping the statistics… well, and spending time with Dad. I think that she was hoping that this would be a place where they could keep watching games even when she was too sick to go to the stadium.”
He propped the photo up on the shelf and Daphne got a look at it. It was Martin and his wife at a baseball game. They were wearing matching uniform shirts and wide smiles. 
Niles’s hand fell beside the frame, “She… went… a lot faster than we expected.”
Daphne wrapped her arms around him, embracing him from behind. His hand clutched at hers, holding it as though his life depended on it. 
“Would you be comfortable with me staying here?” she asked, suddenly feeling the need to check to make sure that she wasn’t overstepping any boundaries in moving into a room that he associated so strongly with his mother. 
Niles nodded, “I am.”
He turned to face her and she could see a tear running down his cheek, she reached out to gently wipe it away, which drew a small smile from him. 
“I want you to live here,” he said, voice steady, “Because I want you to have a stable place to live. I’m tired of this room sitting here as a perpetual reminder of what we’ve lost and I can’t think of anyone better at making a space feel full of life than you.”
She sighed happily and gave him a smile. It was a thousand wonders that she didn’t tell him that she loved him right then and there. Instead, she just pulled him into a tight embrace, resting her cheek against his own. 

Bit by bit, Daphne began moving her things from her condo into the basement of the Cranes’ home— her new home. Martin had told her that she was welcome to paint the room any color she’d like, but she told him that it seemed a shame to waste all that beautiful green paint. 
The next Saturday, she came to the house in the mid-morning with a carload of her things, but was surprised to find the living room of the Crane house empty and relatively silent. She looked around suspiciously, wondering if they had gone somewhere and didn’t tell her— not that they were obligated to tell her anytime that they left.  
“Niles?” she called out, but received no answer. 
She sat the box she was carrying down and walked around. Something was making noise, but she couldn’t place what it was. It sounded like it was coming from the basement. 
Daphne stood at the top of the basement and listened. There was definitely sound coming from the basement. Talking and music. 
“Niles?” she called again, this time shouting down the stairs. 
“We’re in the basement,” he called back and she felt a little relief, but mostly confusion. 

Home maintenance was not something that Niles considered his forte. In fact, it was something that he wasn’t very good at and tended to avoid if at all possible. However, this particular chore was something that he had actually been looking forward to for a few days. 
He woke up early on Saturday, eager to get a head start. He threw on clothing that he had forgotten that he even owned and all but jogged down to the basement. 
Once there, however, he was surprised to find that the lights were already on. Stepping into the room that was soon to be Daphne’s he saw why— apparently, he wasn’t the only one who had this great idea. 
“Dad?” Niles questioned.
His father looked up from where he was stirring a can of paint, “Niles?”
“What are you doing down here?”
“What does it look like I’m doing?”
Niles didn’t know what to say and stood in silence for a moment.
His dad simply said, “If you’re here to help, grab a roller. There’s plenty of work to go around.”
Well. That was simple enough. 
Eventually they did have to take a break so that they could take care of Freddie and eat breakfast, but afterward, they were right back at their task. This time, the toddler joined them, playing with some of his toys and watching cartoons on Niles’s tablet. 
After a sufficient amount of whining and begging, they even let Freddie try his hand at painting. Handing him a brush, he splattered paint around on a section of the wall that either Martin or Niles would have to paint over to smooth out the toddler’s work. 
Of course, he managed to get paint on his hands, which he tried to wipe off on his shirt and, when that didn’t work, tugged on the leg of Niles’s pants to get his attention. Without thinking, Niles picked up his nephew, who promptly placed his paint-smeared hands onto Niles’s chest, leaving two green toddler handprints on the front of his shirt. 
“Freddie!” Niles half-scolded, looking down at the mess. 
Freddie only giggled and reached for Niles’s face. Even though Niles tried to evade them, his fingers found their target and left a smear of paint across Niles’s cheek. 
“Alright, we’re gonna go wash your hands and then you’re done painting for today, okay?” Niles said, carrying the little boy out of the room.

By the time Daphne called down the stairs, Niles and Martin had made great progress on painting the room. Meanwhile, the paint smears on Freddie’s clothes had managed to dry and he was driving a toy truck along the floor while a cartoon about trucks played on the tablet. 
“Oh my god,” Daphne said, stepping into the room and looking around. 
“What do you think?” Martin asked.
“Did the two of you do all of this this morning?” she said, awestruck.
Niles nodded toward the distracted toddler, “Well, Freddie helped some.”
“And you,” she said, turning to him, “Are you… wearing a tee shirt and sweatpants?”
He looked down at his clothes, which had green paint smudges that he had to admit weren’t all Freddie’s doing, then he looked back up at his girlfriend and shrugged.
Martin laughed at the scene. He honestly couldn’t remember the last time that he saw Niles dressed so casually. Hell, even his pajamas had buttons and collars. Daphne and Freddie were bringing out a side of his son that he barely knew existed. He was slowly moving out of his comfort zone and into a role that Martin honestly felt he had been tailor made for. This sort of… fatherhood-partnership role fit Niles like a glove. The formality and fussiness was still there, that was ingrained far too deeply to ever leave, but this new layer was just as Niles as anything else about him. 
The constraint, timidity, and fear that he had watched take over his son as the relationship with Maris had progressed seemed to be long gone now. Niles had always been so sensitive and had a tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve, so Martin had likewise always been wary whenever his son claimed to have fallen in love. So many girls in the past had taken advantage of Niles’s good heart and then left him cold and broken. And boy did he hurt. Broken hearts hurt everyone, but he swore that he’d never seen anyone get as heartbroken as Niles. The depths of depression that he could fall to… sometimes really worried Martin and certainly had always worried Hester. 
He had been a bit worried when he realized how hard and fast his son had fallen for Daphne, but the more he saw of them together and the more he got to know Daphne, it seemed like his son had finally found someone who wasn’t going to hurt him the way that so many had before. 
Daphne had picked Freddie up and she was laughing as the little boy pointed to the paint streak he had left on Niles’s face. This drew a smile from Daphne as well and, in spite of himself, Niles even gave a little grin before gesturing toward the handprints on his shirt. They really did look like a little family— practically were one, honestly. 
The past two years had been some of the most painful days of Martin’s life, but moments like this one, seeing his youngest son so happy and so comfortable with himself were the moments that kept him going.

They spent most of the day helping Daphne move her things into the basement, breaking only for lunch. As going up and down the stairs was difficult enough for Martin without carrying a heavy box, he ended up spending most of the time keeping Freddie occupied and out from under Niles and Daphne’s feet. 
By early evening, Niles was exhausted. Helping Daphne carry her mattress down the stairs had taken every ounce of his strength and once it was on her bed frame, he couldn’t help but collapse atop it. He didn’t even raise his head when he heard her chuckling.
“You’d better not be getting paint on that mattress,” she warned teasingly. 
He responded, but even to his own ears it was too muffled to understand. 
The bed dipped as Daphne laid down beside him. He turned his head to look over at her. She rolled her eyes at him and shook her head, “You’re so dramatic.”
He grinned, “Forgive me, it’s been a little while since I’ve had to move someone down stairs… like… more than a decade.”
Niles still couldn’t believe that this was happening. That Daphne really was moving in with them. That she was going to live here. With him. Even if it wasn’t with him , it was a hell of a lot closer than he could’ve imagined even two months ago. 
Daphne leaned over and pressed a kiss to his lips, smiling against him. He chuckled into the kiss. Dissatisfied with his angle, he rolled over onto his side and pulled her into his arms. She hummed happily into their kiss. 
In a fit of boldness, he rolled onto his back, pulling her with him— atop him. She was clearly just as surprised at his action as he was, judging by the little gasp she made before smiling into another kiss. Her lips moved from his to begin kissing along his jaw, drawing a little laugh from him before he burrowed his nose against her neck and peppered kisses there. 
Her fingers moved to his hair and wove through the fine strands. One of his hands tangled in her hair while the other moved to her back, holding her tightly against him. 
She hummed his name against his skin and he chuckled against her skin, which must have felt good to her because she gave a little moan. The feeling of the sound vibrating through her neck against his lips sent a shudder down his spine. 
Nothing with Maris had ever been this passionate. Nothing with anyone had ever felt this passionate. Daphne just made everything feel so much more meaningful and real. 
Moments like this one made him question if he was living in a dream, but her weight atop him kept him grounded. 
So engrossed were they in this moment, they didn’t even notice Martin calling down to them or the sound of him walking down the stairs. In fact, they didn’t hear much of anything until his voice broke through their ardor.
“Aw geez,” the older man’s voice came from the doorway. 
Daphne rose slightly from Niles’s chest, just enough that they could both crane their necks to see Martin standing there with a disgusted expression on his face.
“It’s my room, remember,” Daphne responded, teasingly. 
Martin shook his head, “Doesn’t mean I need to see… that.”
“Did you need something, Dad?” Niles asked with a little annoyance in his voice. 
His father rolled his eyes, but answered, “Yeah, I was gonna say that I’m ordering pizza. If the two of you can keep your hands off of each other long enough, it should be here in about half an hour.”
Daphne hummed as if she was thinking before she leaned back down, “Is keeping our hands off of one another a requirement? Because I’m not sure I can go that long without this.” Then she pressed a kiss to Niles’s cheek, playing it up to annoy Martin.
He threw his hands up in frustration, “That’s it! I’m leaving!”
As Martin stormed away, Daphne collapsed against her boyfriend, laughing. Niles couldn’t help it, he laughed, too, burying his nose in Daphne’s sweet smelling hair. They stayed like that until Martin called down to them that the pizza had arrived.

Chapter Text

Any concern that they might have had over Freddie getting used to the change in routine caused by Daphne now living in the house proved to be terribly misplaced. Instead, it was the adults who struggled with the new presence. 
Martin’s morning routine of turning on the coffee pot before going out to pick up the paper had clashed with Daphne doing the same before taking a shower. On multiple occasions, one of them had only served to turn off the machine, not realizing that the other had already turned it on until they found grounds already present in the machine upon attempting to load it themselves. For Niles, the bothersome changes were much smaller. Little things like the handle of the milk container being turned in a slightly different direction or the toaster setting being just a bit off. While Martin and Daphne sniped at one another about their differences, ultimately managing to work things out in their own way, Niles internalized all of his frustrations. 
Despite knowing how unhealthy his choice to do so was, he just couldn’t bring himself to get angry at Daphne over something that he objectively knew was trivial. 
Then it finally happened— he went to grab a box of cereal and it was just slightly out of place, just enough for him to bump it with his hand rather than grabbing it. The little bump knocked the box from the top of the refrigerator and, though he clumsily tried to catch it it was to no avail, the contents scattered all across the kitchen floor. 
“Argh!” he bellowed with frustration, finally letting his emotions boil over as he threw a punch with all his strength, fist impacting the door of the refrigerator. He wasn’t expecting the recoil and fell back against the floor, landing hard on his backside, and tipping over just enough for the back of his head to hit the cabinet door with a loud thud. Sitting on the floor, the pain overwhelmed the anger he had been feeling. His head hurt, his ass hurt, but more than anything, his hand hurt. His knuckles were in intense pain, a pain that radiated through his hand and wrist, up his arm, through his elbow, and into his shoulder. 
“Niles?!” Daphne called out, echoed by his father. 
All Niles could do was sit on the floor, surrounded by cereal, and hold his own hand. 
The two other adults in the house rushed through the kitchen door. From his vantage point, Niles could only see their feet. Both had frozen just inside the room, no doubt taking in the mess. 
“Niles?” Daphne asked, voice a little softer, peaking around the counter and looking down at her boyfriend. He looked up at her with big eyes and a sheepish expression. 
“Oh, Niles,” she said, rushing to him, crouching in front of him and looking him over. He still didn’t say anything, but felt a wave of intense foolishness wash over him. 
Gently, she reached for his hand, running her thumb over his knuckles, drawing a sharp breath of pain from him. “What happened, darling?” she questioned, still looking at his hand, seeming to be checking that he didn’t break anything. 
He looked away from her and mumbled, “I dropped the cereal box.”
She could tell that he wasn’t telling the whole story, he knew from her expression. 
Niles sighed and continued, “I just got so frustrated about it, so I…” He didn’t want to say the next part. It was foolish. He was a grown man— he was a grown man whose job was to help people process their emotions in a healthy manner and what had he done? 
Daphne’s hands paused their inspection and he knew that she was waiting on him to continue. He took a deep breath and decided that he needed to just say it, “I… punched the refrigerator.”
She tilted her head, “Why would you do that?”
“Well…” he paused, not sure if he wanted to tell her how he had been feeling lately, not even entirely sure how he would tell her.
“All of this over a box of cereal?”
He looked at his hand and noticed the bloom of a bruise beginning to form, “It’s just… It was in a slightly different place than where I usually put it, so when I went to get it, I knocked it down. It wouldn’t have happened if it had been where I always put it.”
“ Oh ,” Daphne said, standing and moving to the freezer, “I’m sorry, Niles. I didn’t know that it wasn’t in the usual place.”
She returned to him with an ice pack in her hand, wrapping it in a kitchen towel, she gently placed it on his knuckles. He flinched and grit his teeth. The pain really was overwhelming.
Niles took a deep breath, “It… it’s not just the cereal.”
“I thought not.”
“It’s… lots of little things. The milk not being in the same place and the settings on the toaster. I’m just…. I guess I’m just used to having things a certain way and it throws off my routine when they aren’t that way,” he explained, still not looking at Daphne, “and then that makes me frustrated.”
She sat down beside him, still gently holding the ice pack over his hand, “I’m sorry, Niles. I know you like things a certain way. You’ve got to let me know things, though, so that I can fix them.”
“I know,” he said, staring at a piece of cereal between his knees, “I just felt like most of them were little and silly and I didn’t want to nitpick.”
Daphne chuckled, “You don’t seem to have trouble nitpicking your father.”
“Well,” Niles said, letting a little laugh out, “that’s a little different.”
He finally looked up at her and saw no annoyance or anger, no frustration, only concern. “I’m sorry, Daphne,” he said, “I was… an idiot.”
She gave him a little smile, bringing his injured hand up to press a feather-light kiss to his bruised knuckles, “Just promise me that you’ll tell me next time, okay?”
Niles smiled back, “Promise.”
Then she leaned over and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips before moving away, “Now, let’s get this cleaned up, shall we?”

After that incident, things seemed a lot smoother. Yes, Niles and Daphne still differed on their preferred toaster setting, but he supposed that they could live with that. 
One evening, after Freddie had been put to bed, the three adults relaxed in the living room. Martin had the television on, watching a rerun of some sitcom from the 90s, and had leaned back in his chair to watch it. Niles sat on one end of the couch, reading the novel he was currently working through. Daphne laid on the couch with her head in Niles’s lap, half watching the tv as he ran the fingers of his bandaged hand through her hair. Niles relished having the ability to do this. Daphne’s hair had entranced him since the first time he saw her. Getting to learn that it was, in fact, just as soft and silky to touch as it appeared, was a dream come true. 
“Isn’t it funny to think how many of the conflicts in these shows would just completely go away if they had smartphones?” she commented idly, drawing a small ‘hm’ from Niles. 
Martin, meanwhile deemed this a subject worthy of discussion, and it became progressively more difficult for Niles to keep his focus on his book. Especially considering that Daphne became more animated the longer the conversation went on. 
Finally, he replaced his bookmark and sat the book aside so that he could watch her. Niles had no idea what they were talking about, but the faces she made as she mimicked scenes from some television show he wasn’t familiar with still managed to draw a smile from him. Martin laughed along with Daphne and built on the story she had created. Niles was completely lost, but found that it really didn’t matter. He just loved to see Daphne smile and hear her laugh. 
Eventually, their discussion came to a natural end and Niles thumbed the pages of his book, unsure if he should start reading again or call it a night. 
“You guys got plans for Niles’s birthday?” Martin asked.
Niles looked away. He hadn’t discussed his birthday with Daphne, wasn’t even sure that he had ever told her when his birthday was.
She gave him a little swat, “Why didn’t you tell me your birthday was coming up soon?”
He shrugged, “Guess I wasn’t thinking about it. You didn’t tell me when yours was, either.”
“We weren’t dating at my last birthday,” she countered. 
He supposed that she did have a point. 
“It’s the seventh,” Martin answered. 
“That’s just a week from now!” Daphne exclaimed, giving Niles a look of disbelief. 
“It’s really not a big deal.”
“Oh, come on, Niles,” his dad cajoled.
“Really.”
“Why don’t we go somewhere next weekend?” Daphne suggested.
“Like dinner?”
“Like a little weekend trip.”
Niles looked up at his father who only rolled his eyes and looked back to the television.
“Just the two of us,” Daphne further explained. 
A shudder of excitement ran up his spine. They really hadn’t had much time that they were alone together. 
“Dad, would you be able to handle Freddie for a whole weekend?” Niles asked, looking up.
“I raised two children to adulthood, Niles,” his dad said dismissively. 
Now it was Niles’s turn to roll his eyes, “Thirty years ago and with two good hips.”
“We’ll be fine, Niles,” Martin assured him, “Go on. You guys should have some time to yourself.”
Niles looked down at Daphne who was smiling up at him. How could he refuse?

The next day, Daphne went to the grocery store in the evening, leaving the men at home alone. Freddie was playing with his toy kitchen while Niles sat on the couch watching him and occasionally playing along. 
Martin walked into the room as Freddie was carrying a basket of toy produce over to his uncle.
“What this?” Freddie asked, holding up a toy.
Niles took it from his nephew and looked at it, “Um, a cucumber, I think.”
“What this?”
“Asparagus.”
“What this?” 
“Um, a plum.”
“What this?”
Niles looked at the toy and gave Freddie a skeptical look, “You know what that is.”
Freddie grinned and shook his head, still holding the toy up for his uncle.
Niles continued giving the boy the stare, which made Freddie giggle even more. “What is that, Freddie?” he asked.
“Uhhh,” Freddie smiled, “A ‘nana?”
Niles chuckled, “Banana, that’s right.”
“I make ‘nana burger,” he said, putting the banana back into his basket before running over to his kitchen.
Martin chuckled, sitting down in his recliner, “Don’t know that he inherited your cooking skills.”
Niles snorted a laugh, watching as the toddler worked at his task.
“You excited about your weekend with Daphne?”
Niles suddenly seemed very concerned with his knuckle, “Oh, uh, ye– yeah.”
He didn’t have to look up to know that his father was giving him a strange look, he could feel Martin’s eyes on him. 
“Alright,” his father said with a bit of force, “What is it?”
“I don’t know if you really want to know,” Niles answered, wringing his hands. 
“Come on, Niles, I’m your dad. You can tell me anything.”
Niles grimaced, “I’m just… well… a little… nervous.”
“What about? You guys practically live together,” his dad said, confused. 
Niles really wasn’t sure if he wanted to have this conversation. He didn’t really talk about this type of thing with anyone, talking about it with his father of all people filled him with a flavor of embarrassment he hadn’t felt since he was a teenager. He suspected that if his dad knew what was troubling Niles, he wouldn’t be so eager to have this conversation either. 
That having been said, his father was obviously not letting him off the hook, so he decided that it was in his best interest to just go ahead and voice his concern. However, he was still going to tread as carefully as possible.
“Well… we may basically live together, but there’s still… something that we haven’t done together,” Niles said, not able to look at his father.
Martin didn’t say anything for a moment and Niles felt certain that the conversation was about to be dropped, but then his dad surprised him, “Really?”
Niles quirked an eyebrow, but didn’t completely look up.
“Well,  I mean… I guess that makes sense,” his dad said.
Now Niles looked up, very confused as to what his father was saying, “What do you mean by that?”
Martin shrugged, “I mean, I know you guys never spent much time at her place and you don’t get much privacy around here, so I just figured…”
Niles felt his ears grow warm and knew that he was blushing. Why had he started this conversation with his father of all people? 
“So, you’re… worried about that ?” his dad asked.
Niles shrugged, “I– I don’t know… I’m just… I guess… I just don’t want to mess this up.”
Martin chuckled, “You’re worried that that will mess up your relationship?”
“Well,” Niles realized that he had made it sound like he was… unsure of his ability… which… wasn’t the bulk of his concern, “I mean…”
“Listen,” his dad said, “You love her, right?”
“Yes.”
“And she loves you.”
“You can’t possi—”
“ Trust me . She does.”
Niles closed his mouth tightly and nodded.
“That’s what matters, isn’t it?” Martin asked.
Niles nodded, but didn’t say anything.
“Then, the way I see it, you’re worrying yourself over nothing.”
Niles nodded, trying to convince himself that his dad was right.
“Besides, I’ve seen enough of what the two of you have done and I think you’ll be fine. Could be a bit more discrete, but fine,” he smiled at his son who smiled back.
“Thanks, Dad.”
“‘Nana burger!” Freddie announced, interrupting the moment between father and son, as he held a toy up to his uncle.
“Oh, boy ,” Niles said, looking at the toy banana sandwiched between toy hamburger buns, “Looks delicious.”
Martin just chuckled and opened his newspaper.

Chapter Text

“Are you sure we’re going the right way?” Niles asked, looking out the window at the seemingly endless expanse of trees going past. 
Daphne looked at him out of the corner of her eyes, “Which one of us made the reservation, again?”
He smirked at her and returned his gaze to the forest. Truth be told, he was still quite nervous about this trip. Not that he didn’t trust Daphne to plan it or that he didn’t trust his father to care for Freddie. He was just a bit reluctant to hand over control to someone else. Of course, he knew that wasn’t really a healthy way to handle things, but… well… 
They stopped at a grocery store and Daphne graciously allowed Niles to choose foods for their meals, offering a few suggestions that he assumed must be based upon her knowledge of their destination. He didn’t think much of the marshmallows that she placed in the basket, but when she suggested they buy a bundle of firewood, he did get a bit concerned. 
There wasn’t much more time on the road after that. When they left the main road to go down what, to Niles, appeared to be a dirt logging road, he was very thankful that they had taken Daphne’s vehicle rather than his. 

The road led them into deep forest with trees taller than Niles had seen in years. Beneath the canopy of green were all manner of ferns and shrubs. There were so many shades of green. More shades than there were names to describe. 
He was so lost in the scenery that he barely noticed that the car had stopped. Daphne had parked beside a humble looking split-shingle cabin. 
“We’re here,” she announced looking at him with what appeared to be a bit of nervousness. 
He suddenly felt a bit ashamed of himself. He had made his pickiness well-known. She was certain to be worried that her choice for their weekend away would not be up to his standards. All he could do was give her a smile and reach over to give her hand a little squeeze. 
They unloaded the vehicle and carried their things to the house. Daphne unlocked the door and pushed it open so that Niles, arms laden with groceries, could enter the house. 
The entrance to the cabin led into a narrow hallway with wood paneled walls and doors on either side. 
“The kitchen is on ahead,” Daphne said, so Niles pushed forward, coming to the end of the hallway where a well-appointed kitchen spread out before him. 
“Wow,” Niles said, setting the bags down on the marble countertop, “this is definitely a step up.” His eyes roved over the appliances, all top-of-the line and brushed stainless steel. Suddenly, he could barely wait until dinner so that he would have the opportunity to use this gorgeous kitchen.
“Oh my…” Daphne said and Niles heard the sound of her dropping her bags.
He looked up and saw her looking out into the rest of the house beyond the kitchen.
If the kitchen had been beautiful, then… there weren’t words for the rest of the house. It was a lovely living room with an open floor plan, which was complimented by the mid-century furniture and decor of the room. However, what really made the room breathtaking was the wall opposite the kitchen. It was almost completely glass and overlooked the tranquil turquoise waters of the Hood Canal. Mountains towered in the distance and bright late-winter sun filled the room with a natural warmth.
Breathlessly, Niles stepped forward, unable to look away, “Oh, Daphne… it’s beautiful.”
“It’s even better than the photos,” she commented.
He hadn’t seen the photos, but he agreed. There was no way that photos could adequately capture the stunning beauty of the view that they were currently taking in. 
Eventually, he did look away, just long enough to put the groceries away. Once that chore was done, he looked up and saw Daphne leaning on the counter and smiling at him. He smiled back.
“Want to see the rest of the cabin?” she asked, reaching for his hand.
He took her hand allowing her to pull him from the kitchen, “Lead the way.”
There wasn’t much more to see in the living room, but there was a bathroom on the ground level with beautiful tilework and a clawfoot bathtub, both of which seemed perfectly suited to the era of the house.
A cast iron spiral staircase was tucked into one corner of the room. Daphne led Niles up the comfortably-worn stairs to the loft bedroom. The warm sunlight of the massive windows also filled this space, making the mid-century walnut platform bed and its fluffy duvet look even more comfortable. Even though this weekend was supposed to be romantic, he suddenly felt a strange urge to curl up under the blankets and take a nap in the sun like a spoiled housecat. 
Daphne, however, had other plans. She led him back down the stairs and out onto the deck. It was wide, treated cypress and well-built. She pointed out a hot tub on one end of it with a mischievous look in her eyes. Below the deck was a flagstone patio with a firepit and Adirondack chairs. A narrow dirt trail led from that patio in the direction of the water.
He inhaled deeply, savoring the feeling of the fresh forest air filling his lungs. 
“It’s perfect, Daphne,” he said with a warm smile. 
She wrapped an arm around his, leaning into his side, “I’m so glad that you like it.”
Niles pulled his arm from hers, instead putting it around her waist and pulling her against him, “I love it.”
He felt her lips against his jaw and turned to capture them with his own. The kiss soon deepened, Niles gave a little nervous laugh against her mouth as she gently trapped him between her body and the railing of the porch. 
“I suspected… that you might… have… had some… ulterior motive… for taking me out here,” he said between kisses.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Daphne answered with a smile before kissing her way along his jaw while he pressed kisses to her neck.
“Maybe we should move this inside,” he suggested, hands finding the hem of her shirt and slipping beneath the fabric, holding her close to him.
She laughed a bit and he could feel her breath on his skin, sending a jolt of electricity through his body. Without another word, Daphne took his hand and led him back into the cabin.

The afternoon sun made Daphne’s hair shine like a new penny. She seemed to glow as the sunlight glimmered on skin slicked with perspiration. 
“You’re so beautiful,” Niles breathed, looking at her with reverence.
She reached over to run her fingers along his jaw, turning his face to better look into his blue eyes, “So are you.”
He blushed and, sheepishly, averted his eyes. 
Daphne’s fingers carded through his thoroughly mussed blond hair. 
“Would it be… improper to say that that was… absolutely the best I’ve ever had?” he asked, unable to meet her eyes. 
She laughed a little, the sound ringing through the open space, which brought a bright smile to his face. 
I love you hung in the air, just out of Niles’s reach, but he hoped that she could feel it in the tips of his fingers as he ran them through her silky hair. She sighed happily, closing her eyes and leaning into his touch. 
By this point, the sun had sank low on the horizon and the light in the room had grown dim and orange, but neither of them seemed too worried about any of that. Daphne had laid her head on Niles’s chest, tracing shapes across the hair-covered plain of his chest. They talked about nothing at all, just content in one another’s presence until the moment was interrupted by the growling of Niles’s stomach. 
Daphne gave a laugh, poking him in the ribs, “Work up an appetite, did you?”
He smiled at her, “Probably should get started on dinner, shouldn’t I?”

The fact that they made it through dinner at all was a testament to their willpower. In fact, any plans for the evening were completely abandoned in favor of spending the next several hours in bed.
Later, how much later, neither could say, they lay together with Niles wrapped around Daphne from behind, nose nestled into the junction of her neck and shoulder. 
She sighed happily and he could feel her breath moving his arms around her abdomen. Her voice was as thick and sweet as honey when she said to him, “Happy birthday, darling.”
Niles pressed a kiss against her, tasting the salinity of her sweat and the unique flavor of Daphne on his lips, “This has been the best gift I could ever receive.” 
They fell asleep with matching wide smiles on their faces.

Niles woke up before Daphne the next morning, in fact, the sun was just beginning to peek over the trees. He carefully extracted himself from the bed without waking Daphne. Surveying the room in the cold light of dawn, he managed to at least find his underpants. Donning those, he crept down the spiral staircase. He found a soft, warm robe in the bathroom before making his way into the kitchen to make himself a cup of coffee and start breakfast.
Niles only made it through one of those tasks before the lovely pastel pink heralded the arrival of the sun over the top of the mountain. It took his breath away. Abandoning his coffee on the counter, he scrambled upstairs, intending to wake Daphne. However, once he saw how peacefully she was slumbering, he didn’t have the heart to do so. There would be other sunrises, he reasoned. 
He made his way back downstairs to the kitchen and began work preparing breakfast. Sausage links sizzled in a skillet on the stove while French toast soaked and Niles carefully sliced strawberries.
“Smells delicious,” came a voice behind him causing him to jump, dropping the knife to the counter with a clatter.
Daphne laughed a little and Niles quipped, “So you think it’s funny to scare people holding kni—” The comment died on his lips as he turned and saw her standing at the edge of the kitchen. She was wearing his shirt… almost only his shirt. It was a button-down shirt that was a bit baggy on him; on her, it came down to around her hips, seeming to make her already long and shapely legs seem even more so.
She smirked, relishing the effect that she had on him, stepping close to him to reach the punnet of strawberries on the counter and take one of them. There was no question that she knew exactly what she was doing when she ate the strawberry while holding eye contact with him. He felt his knees buckle and just managed to put his weight on the counter before collapsing to the ground. A timer going off was probably the only thing that kept them from letting breakfast burn on the stove. Daphne stepped back, giving him a little wink as she walked around and perched on a barstool across the counter from him.

By late morning, they managed to get dressed. Daphne announced that she wanted to walk down to the beach and Niles grimaced, but couldn’t refuse her. 
He followed her out the door, down the deck steps, and across the patio. Once they got to the narrow trail toward the water, he hesitated. It looked muddy and slippery. He had intentionally worn shoes that could be easily cleaned, but there was still so much potential for injury and embarrassment on this voyage.
Daphne turned to him, giving him a puzzled look, “What’s wrong?”
“I’m just…,” he paused, not sure how to say this without sounding foolish, “not much of an outdoorsman, you know.”
She held out a hand for him, “Don’t worry. I’ve got you.”
How could he argue with that?
They made their way down the path to a steep drop toward the shore. Large weathered stones had been carefully set creating a stairway to the beach. Daphne gently tugged on Niles’s hand pulling him with her as she descended. 
The beach was covered in smooth dark-colored stones and pebbles. A crab scuttled between rocks and Daphne pointed to it, pulling Niles behind her as she followed it along the shore. They reached a rocky outcropping and Daphne released Niles’s hand to walk a bit closer to the water. Something caught her eye and she paused, crouching toward the ground before turning and waving for Niles, calling for him to come see what she had found. 
Cautiously, he made his way over the wet ground toward her.
“Look!” she implored him, pointing toward her feet. She was standing in front of a rather large tidepool. He crouched alongside her and watched her eyes sparkle as she observed the life that the tiny body of water held. 
She grabbed his arm and pointed at something, “Look at that! It’s so beautiful! Looks like a flower!”
Niles nodded, “That’s a giant green anemone.”
Daphne looked at him, surprised, but he was looking into the tide pool so he didn’t notice. 
“Oh, look,” he said, drawing Daphne back to the pool, “shrimp. See them?”
She looked where he was pointing and saw the little shrimp crawling around at the bottom of the pool. They watched the tidepool for a while before standing. Daphne walked around a bit more, finding another tidepool and gasping, “There’s a starfish!”
He joined her, looking into the pool, “It’s a purple sea star.”
“But it isn’t purple.”
Niles just shrugged and smirked a little bit before pointing at a shell in the pool, “That’s a periwinkle and those are acorn barnacles.”
“How do you know so much about all of this?” she asked. 
He merely gave another shrug in response. 
They were so absorbed in the tidepools that they hadn’t noticed the sky growing more cloudy, at least not until the first few drops of rain fell on them. 
Those drops quickly turned into a downpour, causing them to race back along the beach to the stone stairs. If the pathway between the beach and the patio had been muddy and slippery before, it was downright nightmarish by this point. Luckily for Niles, he wasn’t the one who slipped. Unfortunately for him, as she fell, Daphne pulled him down with her. Once they were sure that they were okay, they dissolved into laughter, now soaked in cold rain and covered in mud.
Niles managed to get back on his feet and pulled Daphne up with him. With much more care, they made their way back to the cabin. 
“I think our morning showers went to waste,” he joked, taking off his muddy boots. 
She chuckled, “I think you’re right.”
There was a beat of silence before she added, “It seems a shame to waste water with two more showers.”
He raised an eyebrow, not sure what she was suggesting, “Did you have something else in mind?”
Daphne shrugged, “We could… shower together.”
Niles made a noise of intrigue, “We could.”
“To save water.”
“Of course. Shouldn’t waste water.”
Whether or not their shared shower actually saved water was a matter of debate.

Chapter Text

By the time they finished their shower, put their clothes in the wash, and prepared lunch, the rain had stopped. Water continued to drip from the trees above, making the dense forests surrounding the cabin seem even more green than they had before. It looked like something from a fantasy movie or nature documentary about the rainforest, but it was on the other side of the glass. 
Nature hadn’t ever really appealed much to Niles, not in person at least, but after less than 24 hours here, he could almost understand why people spent time in the forest. Not enough to actually do something as drastic as camping, but it did make a bit more sense. 
“It’s perfect nap weather, isn’t it?” Daphne said, stretching out after they put their dishes away. 
He gave a little hum of agreement, following her from the kitchen toward the loft. 
While the nap did happen, they got a bit distracted before managing to fall asleep. 

Niles couldn’t manage to sleep for a long time, even though he felt that he had sufficiently exhausted himself beforehand. He made his way down to the kitchen and prepared a cup of coffee. Looking up from the counter, he noticed that the scenery outside was just as beautiful as it had been before he went up to the loft. Shoving his feet back into his now-dry boots, he took his coffee out to the porch. A hawk circled overhead and Niles was so focused on the bird that he didn’t even hear the door open behind him. 
“These trees are so tall, aren’t they? I wonder what kind they are,” Daphne mused, looking upward at the tops of the majestic trees seeming to stretch forever around the cabin.
Niles studied the evergreens before commenting, “Douglas fir, mostly. Although that one over there is a Sitka spruce and I think I see a western red cedar.”
She looked at him with a shocked expression on her face, “How do you know that?”
He looked at her, confused, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” Daphne explained, “you’re not exactly a… nature person.”
Niles chuckled a bit, “Oh, yeah, no, I’m not, am I?” He thought for a moment before continuing, “I’m not a nature person, but Dad is, you know? He was always going off hunting, fishing, or camping and he had this massive collection of nature guides. I didn’t like being outdoors, but I did like to read. So, I would read all of Dad’s nature guides. It made me feel like we shared some interest, you know?”
Daphne smiled warmly at him, “That’s sweet.”
Niles felt himself blush and sheepishly looked away.
“It’s just funny to me that you live amongst some of the most beautiful scenery on Earth, but don’t like nature.”
Niles scoffed, “I like nature just fine, I just don’t like being in nature. I prefer watching nature from somewhere warm… and dry… and free of insects.”
She chuckled, “You’re a man of many contradictions, Niles Crane.”
He gave a cheeky smile, “Have I mentioned that I didn’t drink coffee until I left Seattle to go to college?”
She rolled her eyes with a smile, leaning on the porch railing beside him, “Anything else I should know about you?”
“Hmm,” Niles said, making a show of thinking as he turned his mug in his hands, “I can’t ride a bicycle, but I can ice skate.”
Daphne gave a little laugh, “You’re kidding.”
He smiled at her, “I’m not.”
“How did you manage that?”
“Well, I just never managed to learn how to balance on a bicycle.”
“But you could balance on ice skates?”
“Let’s just say that my skating teacher was much more… compelling than my father,” he smirked.
“Ah,” Daphne said, smiling and raising her eyebrows, “a girl.”
“Siobhan Coughlan,” Niles answered, nodding.
She bumped her shoulder against his and gave a little laugh, “So, she got you into skating?”
“Well…”
Daphne smiled at him, “What?”
“So, the hockey arena at Yale was this gorgeous building designed by Eero Saarinen. I was captivated by it and wanted so badly to see the inside. One day I was outside and noticed a lot of people going inside, so I followed them in. Turns out that they were going in for skating classes.”
Daphne chuckled.
Niles smiled and continued, “When I went in, there was this… girl, who I thought was quite beautiful, and she asked me if I was there to sign up for lessons. I was 18 and had basically no experience with cute girls talking to me, so I just went along with whatever she said.”
“Which is how you ended up learning to ice skate?”
“Which is how I ended up learning to ice skate.”
“Was Siobhan your first girlfriend?”
Niles gave a little chuckle, “No, I– um– I later found out that she was dating a guy on the hockey team.”
Daphne made a noise of sympathy, “What did you do?”
He scoffed, “I quit skating lessons.”
“All over a girl?”
“Well,” Niles shrugged, “I also spent six weeks trying unsuccessfully to master the 3-turn, so…”
She gave a little chuckle that made Niles smile, “You’re serious?”
“Yeah, I kept putting my foot down on the transition between edges.”
Daphne rolled her eyes. “Can you still skate?” she asked.
He shrugged, “Haven’t tried in years.”
“Since Siobhan broke your heart?” she teased.
Niles chuckled, “I’ve managed to work through my pain and return to the ice.”
Daphne leaned against him, wrapping an arm around his and putting her head on his shoulder. “You’re so brave,” she said in a mock-fawning voice.
He made a little show of puffing himself up, “You know me, anything for sport.”
She swat his arm as she giggled, and soon they both collapsed laughing against one another.

The sun sank low on the horizon, casting shadows that lent a mysterious air to the forest around them. A chipmunk skittered across the patio below them before disappearing with a rustling of leaf litter back into the depths of the forest. 
It felt like a night-and-day difference from Seattle, even from the suburban parks, to be standing here.
“You know who would love it here?” he asked, letting himself take in the serenity. 
“Your dad?”
Niles nodded, “We’ll have to take him out to a cabin sometime when his hip is a bit better.” The ease with which he suggested that they do something like that together surprised him a bit, drawing a smile to his lips. 
Daphne nodded against his shoulder, “He’s doing much better.”
“Thanks to you,” he said, turning slightly to look at her. She blushed and hid her face in his sweater. He laughed just a little, leaning his cheek against her head. “I don’t know what we would have done without you,” Niles said softly. 
“I’ve just done my job.”
He chuckled a little, “So all this is your job? I don’t think that’s standard for a physical therapist.
She rolled her eyes and gave his shoulder a gentle smack, “You know what I mean.”
He just responded by grinning and pressing a kiss to her hairline. 
Niles wrapped an arm around her waist holding her as close to her as possible, she returned the gesture and he felt so safe and so loved that he almost cried.

Eventually, and rather unfortunately in Niles’s opinion, they did have to separate. The evening was getting darker and they were both hungry, however, they also wanted to take advantage of the firepit. 
It didn’t take much discussion before they realized that the proper division of labor would be Niles cooking while Daphne prepared the fire. They both laughed a bit over the way that their relationship, once again, turned gender expectations on their head. Just another reason that they were an excellent fit, he thought. 
After sharing a chaste kiss, he retreated to the kitchen so that he could start on the salmon en papillote that he had planned for dinner. His knife chopping scallions, lemons, and asparagus matched the sound of her splitting firewood with a hatchet. He chuckled a little to himself before turning on his playlist of classical music for cooking. 
Niles was checking the temperature of the oven when he heard a rapping on the windows and looked up to see Daphne beckoning him out.
Worried that something had gone wrong with the fire pit or hatchet, he rushed to the door.
“Are you o–” He was silenced by her finger against his lips. 
“What?” he mumbled, raising his eyebrows.
She took his hand and led him to the edge of the deck. “Look,” she whispered, pointing toward the beach. 
He squinted in the dim light of dusk, finally noticing some sort of… mass on the rocky outcropping. “Is that…?”
“I think it’s a seal,” she replied excitedly.
As his eyes better adjusted to the light, he could see that she was correct. A hooded seal had hauled itself onto the large rock to rest. “Wow,” he said, unable to think of anything else to say.
“I’ve never seen one in the wild,” she said, “Have you?”
Niles shook his head, “Maybe at an aquarium.”
Daphne grabbed his arm, “Isn’t it amazing?”
He gave a little chuckle, trying to ignore his memories of leopard seals from penguin documentaries, “It certainly is.”

Chapter Text

“Be careful,” Niles warned.
Daphne rolled her eyes, “I grew up with eight brothers, Niles. I’ve had a bit of experience dealing with fires.”
He raised his eyebrows, “Yes, but not with fire safety .”
She laughed, igniting a piece of paper at the bottom of the firepit. Soon enough, the rest of the pile had ignited and the fire was crackling, adding light and warmth to the cold late winter evening. Above their heads, strands of Edison bulbs added to the oasis of brightness in the deep dark of the forest. 
“Did you get the marshmallows?” she asked.
Niles gave a little grimace, handing the bag over to her. 
“What’s wrong?” she asked, “Do you not like marshmallows?”
“I don’t particularly like getting my hands sticky,” he answered. 
Daphne gave him a small sympathetic smile, reaching into the bag that held the marshmallows and producing a package of hand wipes that Niles hadn’t noticed. 
He laughed just a little, “You know me too well.”
Her smile was warm as she handed a metal roasting stick to him and opened the package of marshmallows. She handed over two of the sweets and he impaled them on the prongs of the stick. 
Their approaches to marshmallow roasting were very different and quite fitting for the two of them. Niles held his marshmallows a measured distance away from the flames, rotating the stick like a spit, allowing the marshmallows to gain an even coating of tan color. Daphne, meanwhile, all but shoved her marshmallows into the fire. They almost immediately erupted into flame. Niles was about to say something, but Daphne pulled the marshmallows out before he could find his voice. For a moment, she watched the blue flames dance along the sweet before blowing it out, leaving a charred black surface in its wake. Niles completely removed the toasted marshmallow from his stick, eating it all in a couple bites. Daphne pulled just the charred exterior from the marshmallow, long sticky strings trailing from the black crust as she did so. Rather awkwardly, she folded the crunchy marshmallow exterior into her mouth. Then she returned the remainder of the marshmallows into the fire, beginning the process all over again. 
“You barely even get your marshmallow brown,” she commented.
“They’re less sticky that way,” he responded, “You burn yours.”
“They taste better that way,” she retorted.
He looked over at her with a little smirk and noticed that a bit of marshmallow remained on her mouth. Niles leaned across and pressed a kiss to her lips, tasting the sweetness of marshmallow perfectly complementing the sweetness of Daphne. So caught up in the kiss was he that he didn’t notice his marshmallow burst into flames. 
When they separated, Daphne gasped, “Your marshmallow!”
He turned and looked at it, giving a little laugh, “I guess I’ll be trying it your way after all, won’t I?”

Having roasted all the marshmallows that they cared to eat, Niles and Daphne leaned back in their Adirondack chairs, looking up to the heavens. 
“You can see so many more stars here than in Seattle,” he marveled. 
Wordlessly, she stood, making her way to the porch and shutting off the string lights over their heads. With only the firelight, it seemed as though there were even more stars than before. 
Daphne returned to her seat and began to search the sky. 
“What are you looking for?” he asked her.
Still glancing above her, she responded, “The North Star.”
He looked around for a bit before he spotted it, “It’s right there.”
“Where?”
“There, see it?” Niles asked, pointing at some point out in space.
Daphne craned her neck to look, but only frowned, “Where? I can’t tell where you’re pointing.”
He chuckled and waved her over, “Come here then.”
She smiled warmly and wrapped a blanket around her as she made her way over to his seat. Niles took her hand, gently tugging her into his lap. She sat across his legs with her back against one arm of the chair and her legs draped over the other.
“Hi,” he said with a goofy smile, looking up at her face.
“Hi,” she smiled back at him, leaning to press a light kiss to his lips. She still tasted like marshmallows. 
Daphne turned her face skyward and asked, “So, where is it?”
“Hm?” he said, having almost forgotten what they were doing before Daphne joined him in his chair, “Oh, right. The North Star.” Niles pointed toward a star and she was able to follow the line of his hand and find the star in question. 
“That’s Polaris, part of Ursa Minor, the little bear. If you go out from it like this,” he moved his finger toward another part of the sky, “you’ll get to–”
“The Plough,” she interrupted.
He smiled, “Well, we usually call it the Big Dipper here, but yes. It’s part of Ursa Major, the big bear. Did you know that the same stars were called a bear by the Ancient Jewish culture, the Romans and Greeks, ancient Finns, the Iroquois, Wampanoag, and Lakota?”
“It doesn’t look much like a bear to me, does it to you?” she asked, tilting her head.
“The Finns said it was a polar bear and the handle of the dipper was its long neck, and the Iroquois said that only the square part was a bear and the three stars of the handle were hunters chasing it,” he said before pausing, “But, no, I don’t see it either.”
She looked at him, “Read a lot of star books, did you?”
He shrugged, “I took an astronomy elective in college.”
“To impress another girl?” Daphne asked with a slightly cheeky grin. 
Niles gave a little chuckle, “No, it’s just because I always liked learning about Greek and Roman mythology, so it just made sense.”
“So you know all the stories of the stars then, hm?”
“Some of them.”
She leaned back, “Tell me one, then.”
“Okay,” he said, scanning the sky and thinking, “see that one? The one that looks like a backward question mark? That’s Leo.”
“The lion, right?”
Niles smiled, “Not just any lion, the Nemean Lion. The Nemean Lion would capture women and hold them hostage in his den; when warriors would come to rescue the women, they’d find out that none of their weapons could harm the Nemean Lion. It killed many brave warriors, but Heracles realized that the lion could only be killed with one’s bare hands. He snuck into the lion’s den and, when it pounced, he grabbed its front legs in one hand and back legs in the other, and bent it backwards, breaking the lion’s back and freeing the captive women. In recognition of Heracles’ act of heroism, Zeus put the lion in the sky.”
“What about those two?” she asked, pointing at a pair of stars.
Niles looked and nodded, “Castor and Pollux, the brothers in the constellation Gemini. Pollux’s father was Zeus, but Castor’s father was the King of Sparta. That meant Pollux was immortal, but his brother wasn’t. He begged Zeus to make Castor immortal, so he put them in the stars together.”
She smiled wistfully, “I’ve never been anywhere I could see so many stars. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
Niles couldn’t even look at the stars, he was so entranced by the woman before him. The moonlight on her face accentuated her features and she seemed to be literally glowing. Nothing could compare to her in this moment and the fact that she was dating him was beyond anything he could imagine. 
Daphne looked down at him, probably hoping to hear another store. The flickering flames reflected in her eyes, making them glimmer like the stars. 
He had a story at the ready, knew every word he wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth it wasn’t the story of Andromeda and Perseus that came out. Instead it was his voice as delicate as a moonbeam, “I love you.”
“Niles,” she breathed. 
Meanwhile, he couldn’t breathe, feeling as though he might shatter into a million pieces waiting for a response. 
Daphne said nothing, she just leaned down and kissed him. The kiss said everything. It wasn’t a soft and casual peck nor was it the deep and passionate kiss that they had especially perfected over the past day or so. 
No, it was a kiss that communicated something beyond words, so filled with emotion and like nothing he had experienced before, but also something that he knew as well as his own name.
Love.
It was love.
She didn’t say it, not with words. She didn’t need to. Her eyes said it. Her kisses said it. The way that their bodies moved together had said it many times this weekend, but he had ignored it out of fear that he was reading too much into things. 
But now…
She said it in the way she said his name, like it had been made just for her voice. 
Daphne’s fingers combed through his hair, looking deeply into his eyes.
“You mean it?” she asked with almost childlike nervousness.
Niles inhaled deeply, eyes big as he looked at her, “I– I do.” 
He felt a weight lift off of his chest, but he still couldn’t breathe. 
“Oh, Niles,” she looked down at him with a smile that he couldn’t read and he almost wished that he had told another story about the stars. They were much safer. And at least then he could have held onto the memory of this moment without the anxiety now clawing at him from the inside.
She was studying his face as though she had never seen it before, as though she was trying to memorize every cell.
Then she said it and Niles almost convinced himself that he had imagined it, but no. 
She said it in a voice that was like the beating of angels’ wings to him, “I love you, too.”
And suddenly he could breathe again.
He pulled her to him and she nestled her head against the crook of his neck, her hand over his hammering heart.
She loved him .
Mirthful laughter fell from his lips. He had never been so happy before.
“W–would you mind saying it again?” he asked shyly.
She smiled, “I love you.”
Another laugh, “Again?”
Now she laughed, he could feel her breath against his neck, causing goosebumps to erupt across his skin. “I love you.”
“One more time?” he asked, adding, “Please.”
She put her hands on his chest, pushing herself up, looming over him with a smile on her lips and playful sparkles in her dark eyes. “I love you, Niles Crane.”
He sighed happily, reaching up to run the back of his hand over the soft skin of her cheek, “And I love you, Daphne Moon.”

Chapter Text

The beams of sunlight on Niles’s face felt a little brighter and warmer than they had the day before. He was in such a good mood that he didn’t even mind that they had woken him on his last chance to sleep in with Daphne at the cabin. Besides, this was actually the second time he had woken up this morning. The first had been hours ago when only the faintest hint of violet tinged the indigo sky. That time he woke to Daphne watching him sleep with a soft smile on her face. They soon managed to work themselves into exhaustion once more.
He carefully removed himself from the bed, pausing only a moment to appreciate her nude form, like a Venus carved from marble by one of the Great Masters, only somehow even more beautiful. As quiet as a mouse, he donned his robe and slipped down the stairs to make himself a cup of coffee. Once having done so, he took the mug to the deck to enjoy one final morning of the beautiful view.
Birds sang in the trees as he stepped out the door, feeling the cold wood decking seep through his slippers. Niles took a seat and looked out over the cool blue water.
Honestly, this entire weekend felt like a dream to him, especially the last twelve hours. It would have been incredibly easy to dismiss it all as a fantasy had he not awoken with Daphne’s body entangled with his own, heard her gasping his name while in the throes of passion, or felt her declaration of love breathed against his shoulder.

Niles’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of something rustling in the forest nearby.
It sounded large and his heart began to race. Clutching his warm mug tighter, a thousand terrible scenarios ran through his mind.
What if it was a bear?
Or worse, a mountain lion? 
They say that if you hear a mountain lion, it’s too late to escape from it. 
Oh god, maybe it was a human. 
Here he was in only a robe and slippers and there could be someone approaching. 
What was it he had heard somewhere? That there were estimated to be 25 to 50 serial killers active in the United States? The rustling could easily be a serial killer, sneaking up to murder people deep in the forest when they were sleeping.
Were there moose in these woods? 
In Alaska alone moose injure nearly ten people each year. If the rustling was a moose, he’d have no way to defend himself. 
The rustling got louder and he cursed under his breath, realizing that there were no items within reach with which he could fend off an attacker… or a moose. 
Luckily, the intruder showed themselves in a clearing between the patio and the beach—it was an elk.
He’d never seen an elk in the wild and it took his breath away. It was enormous and wooly and, honestly, a bit strange looking. The elk nosed around at the ground then, apparently finding nothing to his liking, moved on into the forest on the other side of the clearing. 

The door slid open behind him and he turned to see Daphne with an awestruck look on her face. 
“Was that a deer?” she gasped. 
Niles broke into a smile, happy that she had shared his observation of the creature. “An elk, actually,” he answered.
She gave him a strange look, “No, it wasn’t.”
He reflected her confused look, “Yes, it was.”
“No, no, no,” she said, “elk are different. They’ve got those big funny looking antlers. The ones that look like paddles.” Daphne mimed antlers on the side of her head.
Niles raised an eyebrow, “You mean a moose?”
“What’s a moose?” she asked, looking at Niles as though he was pulling a prank on her. 
“Oh!” he said, suddenly realizing, “That’s—Right, okay, yeah, no. So, what’s called an elk in Britain is what’s called a moose in the US and Canada.”
“...But you have elk?”
“Our elk are… like… very big deer,” his explanation began to falter.
“So it was a deer!”
“No, it was an elk. A North American elk.”
She threw her arms in the air in exasperation, “Why can’t Americans just speak proper English?!”
Niles chuckled, settling back into his chair and tugging her into his lap, “Oh, come on, you know we can’t do that.”
Daphne snorted a little laugh.
“Besides,” he added, giving his eyebrows a teasing raise, “you think my accent is sexy.”
She laughed, unable to resist smiling wide at him, “You silly man.” Her hands went to his neck, pulling his head toward him to press a sweet kiss to his mouth. 
He leaned back in his chair, pulling her to his chest, and they enjoyed the sunrise one last time.

“This trip was nearly perfect,” Daphne said with a smile as she zipped her suitcase.
“ Nearly ?” Niles questioned. 
She sighed, “Well, I’d like to have seen a killer whale, you know? I’ve never seen one in the wild before.”
Niles smirked, a glorious weekend marred only by the absence of an orca. There was still time to fix that.
“You know,” he said, “a very wise woman once told me that nothing was ever perfect.”
“‘Wise woman’, eh?” she scoffed, “Sounds like she’s a right killjoy.”
He chuckled, “I don’t know about that , but I know that she’s my best friend.”
Daphne stepped close to him, taking his hands in her own, “Your ‘best friend’, hm? Is that all she is to you?”
Niles gave a shy smile, “Well, you know, a gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”
She chuckled just a little before pressing her lips to his.
He was still smiling as she carried her suitcase out of the room, quickly pulling out his phone and searching for a website. Suddenly, he was a man on a mission. 

Once their luggage was loaded into the vehicle, Niles had to put the second phase of his plan into action and—unfortunately for him—this phase was much more difficult.
“Hey, why don’t you let me drive home?” he asked, trying to not sound suspicious.
He failed. She raised an eyebrow, “Why?”
Niles shrugged, “I thought you might want to take in the scenery since you were focused on driving on the way out here.”
Daphne was very clearly still suspicious, but she eventually handed her keys over to her boyfriend. 
He was honestly surprised by how far they made it before she questioned him again. “This isn’t the way we came,” she said, looking at a map on her phone.
“I thought we’d take a different route home,” he answered, “see a little bit of a different view.”
She squinted at him, “Are you sure you know where you’re going.”
Niles chuckled, “I know it’s easy to forget, but I have been coming out here since I was a little boy, you know?”
“Yes, but you weren’t driving then, were you?”
He reached over and put a hand on her knee, giving it a little squeeze, “Trust me, sweetheart.”
She sighed, “Alright.”
Niles could tell that she was still concerned about their route. He had been walking a very fine line while discussing his plans, careful to not actually tell a complete lie. Unfortunately, he had been cursed by quite the obvious tell when it came to dishonesty and he knew that a sudden nosebleed would only add to Daphne’s stress. He thought for a moment about side benefits to their reroute that wouldn’t give away their intermediate destination.
“I haven’t taken the ferry to Edmonds in a while,” he offered as an explanation, “I thought that might be a nice way to end the trip and that it would certainly be more fun than sitting in traffic in Tacoma.”
She offered him a little smile, “That does sound better than traffic.”
Flexing his hands around the steering wheel, he said a little prayer that she accepted that reason and seemed to be a bit less on edge than she had been moments ago. 

It wasn’t a lie. They did take the ferry across Puget Sound; however, instead of going in the direction of Seattle, Niles pulled into a parking lot near the ferry terminal. 
“Niles, what are we doing?” Daphne asked, giving him a strange look.
He nodded in the direction of the building that they were parked in front of and she looked toward it, still seeming confused. Niles cleared his throat, “The guy on the phone said that there were more gray whales this time of year than orcas, but I thought it was still worth a try.”
She looked from the building back to Niles who was holding up his phone, showing her the tickets he had purchased for a whale watching excursion. 
Luckily for him, the souvenir stand sold medicine for seasickness. Unfortunately, that meant that Niles was not entirely lucid through their voyage. (Daphne would later show him pictures of sea lions, gray whales, porpoises, dolphins, and bald eagles, several of the photos also featured Niles’s hand or arm, assuring him that he was, in fact, present for it, even if he couldn’t quite remember it.) What he did remember though was when their side of the boat was angled so that they had a beautiful view of the mountains and Daphne tried, unsuccessfully, to take a picture of the two of them with the scenery in the background. An older woman standing nearby offered to take their photo and he thought that he smiled and looked sober, but he wouldn’t know for sure until she sent him the photo later. 
“You’re such a cute couple,” the woman said with a bright smile as she returned Daphne’s phone. Daphne thanked her, but Niles just giggled in a way that he probably still would have done had his brain not been addled by medication, but it certainly didn’t hurt.
The medicine was still in full-effect when the boat headed back toward the harbor. He was a little disappointed for Daphne that they hadn’t seen an orca, but the website warned that they were less common this time of year. 
They were still a good way out when Daphne gasped and grabbed Niles’s arm.
“What?” he said, suddenly worried that something was going wrong.
“Look!” she said, pointing out over the water.
Just then, a voice came over the ship’s intercom directing the occupants’ attention off the side of the ship where an orca had just surfaced. 
Daphne leaned her head against Niles’s shoulder and softly said, “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”
He leaned his head against hers and just nodded, not even entirely sure what she had said. 

Making their way back to the car, Niles realized just how much he was dragging his feet. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the keys. Holding them toward Daphne, he said, “I think it’s probably better that you drive the rest of the way.”
She smiled at him, “Still drowsy from your medicine?”
He nodded and gave a shy smile. Daphne chuckled, taking the keys from his hand and unlocking the car. 
They barely made it out of the parking lot before Niles’s head lolled back against the headrest and he fell into a deep sleep. He was in such deep slumber that he didn’t even notice the car coming to a stop or the sound of Daphne’s door opening and closing. 
What finally woke him was the sound of someone shrieking his name and slamming into his chest.
Niles’s eyes flew open and it took him a moment to orient himself. Meanwhile the shouting continued and the weight that had crashed into him was now bouncing up and down on his legs. 
Freddie. 
It was Freddie. 
They were home. 
He wrapped the boy in a tight hug, pulling him into his chest, then looked out the door of the car and saw Daphne standing there with a playful smirk on her face. 
Their long weekend may have been over, but the look in her eyes told him that their life together had really just begun. 

Chapter Text

“So, how was the trip?” Martin asked once they had all settled back in at the house.
Niles grinned like a schoolboy and gave a dumb giggle, prompting Martin to roll his eyes.
Daphne mirrored the older man’s response, but with a little smile. “It was beautiful,” she answered.
Martin smiled, “Was this your first time out that way?”
She nodded.
“It’s a beautiful part of the country. Used to take the boys out there every summer,” he said, seeming to let himself get carried away in a memory.
“Maybe we can all go out there again when Freddie gets a bit older,” Daphne mused. 
Niles felt his stomach do a little flip when he thought about how Daphne was making long-term plans for the four or them. He had to restrain himself from breaking into another round of giggles.

Freddie came padding into the room carrying a toy that Niles couldn’t recall having seen before.
“ Dad ,” Niles said, “you didn’t buy him a bunch of new toys while we were away, did you?”
“Just the one,” Martin insisted, raising his palms defensively.
Niles was about to further question his father, but was interrupted by his nephew calling, “Pa!”
“What is it, bud?”
“Where shirt?”
“You’re wearing a shirt, Fred.”
Freddie shook his head and exclaimed, “No shirt! K’aken shirt!”
“ Oh ,” Martin said, nodding, “Your Kraken shirt. Sorry, buddy, it’s in the laundry.”
Freddie pouted, “No shirt.”
The toddler looked like he was about to cry and Martin quickly intervened, “Hey, why don’t you show your new toy to Uncle Niles and Aunt Daphne?”
“Oh yes, Freddie, show me what you got while we were away,” Daphne said, leaning toward the boy.
Smiling, Freddie held up his new toy, which appeared to be some sort of foam hockey stick featuring Seattle Kraken logos.
“Whatcha got there?” Martin asked.
“Hockey stick.”
“Wanna show us how to use it?”
Freddie smiled, placing the blade of the stick on the floor.
“ Dad ,” Niles said in a warning tone.
Martin waved off his son’s concern, “It’s just a little foam ball.”
Niles still grimaced, anticipating the worst. Instead what happened was Freddie making a wild swing at the little ball, which then rolled across the floor and between the legs of a chair. 
Martin threw his arms up in a big show of excitement, which was mirrored by his grandson. "Goal!” he shouted and Freddie echoed him, holding his hockey stick in the air as he cheered. Daphne joined in their cheering and, in spite of himself, Niles also applauded. Freddie was all smiles as he ran to retrieve the ball.
“Tell ‘em where you got your new toy,” Martin prompted.
As Freddie returned, he answered, “At hockey game.”
“You took him to a hockey game?” Niles asked in disbelief. Images of drunken rowdy fans and on-ice brawls flashed through his thoughts. 
Martin held out his phone, showing photos to Daphne and Niles of grandfather and grandson at the game. To Niles’s immediate relief, he saw that his father had given Freddie some sort of toddler hearing protectors to mitigate the loudness of the arena. Any remaining anger or annoyance he felt faded away when he saw that each photo showed his father and nephew genuinely happy. 
Neither Niles nor Frasier had ever been interested in sports, something that, though he would never admit it, disappointed their father. Not that he was disappointed in them, but he was disappointed that he couldn’t share something he was passionate about with the people he loved. If Freddie could provide that to his father, who was Niles to stand in the way?
“Tell them what you want to be when you grow up, Freddie,” Martin said.
Freddie giggled, “A hockey p’ayer.”
Niles grimaced, “Ah, fantastic. Concussions and missing teeth.”
Martin shot a dirty look at his son.
Luckily, Daphne intervened, “You can teach him to skate!”
Niles chuckled at her suggestion, “I don’t know about that.”
“He told you about that, huh?” Martin asked with a grin.
“Can he really skate?” she asked, turning to his father.
Martin laughed, “I don’t know. I never saw him try.”
Daphne narrowed her eyes looking at her boyfriend, “I think we need to go skating soon.”
Niles just grimaced. 

“I’m still not so sure about this,” Niles said, sitting on a bench in a cold ice rink on a Saturday morning not long after they returned from their trip.
Daphne took a seat next to him and bumped his shoulder with her own, “You already went through all the effort of finding your skates in storage.”
“And spending the money to get them sharpened,” his dad chimed in from a bench across from them.
“Not to mention these adorable little skates you found for Freddie,” Daphne added, pulling said skates from a box.
Martin smiled, “I still can’t believe they make skates that small.”
“Yeah, well,” Niles shrugged, “it wasn’t easy to find them.”
He pulled the laces tight on his black skates and looked up to see Daphne watching him with a smile. 
“What?” he asked with a slight chuckle.
“You look like you know what you’re doing.”
Niles raised an eyebrow, “I do know what I’m doing.”
“I know,” she said, “it’s just… not… well…”
He gave a little laugh, “More athletic than you’re used to from me?”
She blushed a little and looked away, fastening her own skates.
Niles stood, wiggling his feet around, trying to get used to the feeling of the skates and making sure that they were secure on his feet. 
Daphne stood on her rental skates, wobbling just a bit more than Niles had. He smiled at her.
Martin helped Freddie down from the bench and took the toddler’s hand, “You two go on. Freddie and I will watch from the boards.”

Stepping out onto the ice, Niles was initially struck by how slippery it was. Carefully, he took a few marching steps forward and let himself glide across the ice. Tentatively, he tried to stroke and smiled, letting long stowed-away muscle memory take over. He managed a two-foot turn, holding out his arms as he swayed just a little, and looked back at Daphne. She was standing just inside the door, holding the wall tightly.
Slowly, he skated back dover to her and asked, “Are you okay?”
“You really can skate,” she said, smiling at him.
He felt his cheeks warm and was thankful that the chill of the rink had reddened his face enough that his blush wouldn’t be noticable. 
“How do you do that without falling down?” she asked, still clinging to the boards.
Niles gave a lazy smile, “Practice.”
Daphne rolled her eyes. “Show me,” she said.
He nodded, “You’ve got to let go of the boards first.”
She did, standing with only a slight wobble.
“Okay,” he said, “now march.” He demonstrated a sort of waddle forward and she mirrored him. 
After a few steps, he said, “Now just keep your feet still and glide.” She did, holding her arms out.
A bubble of laughter sounded from Daphne and she looked at Niles with a wide smile on her face and sparkling eyes.
“You’re doing it,” he said, smiling back at her.
They made a few laps of the rink, Daphne growing more comfortable with each passing moment. Niles remembered some things from classes and she begged him to show her. 
He skated backwards a bit, then demonstrated a few of the very basic things he could recall—swizzles and slaloms, even a lunge. He got a little too cocky when he tried a bunny hop and struggled to stay upright for just a bit before falling onto his backside. 
Daphne gave a little laugh as he stood, brushing the snow from the seat of his pants. 
“Oh, is that funny?” he challenged, playfully.
She covered her smile with her hand, “Sorry.”
Niles gave a little smile, catching up to her.

Freddie cheered as Niles and Daphne approached the same way that he had on their every orbit of the rink. Niles came to a stop in front of his nephew and father and Daphne followed his lead.
“Do you want to come out on the ice with us, Freddie?” he asked, prompting the child to throw his arms in the air, begging his uncle to pick him up. 
Martin helped his son lift his grandson over the boards and Niles held the boy on his hip.
Carefully, he pushed off, slowly skating around the rink while holding an awe-struck Freddie.
The toddler squealed with delight and laughed as they made their way around the last curve.
“Hi!” he called out, waving to Martin and Daphne as they approached.
“How was that, Freddie?” Daphne asked, “Did you have fun?”
The toddler nodded enthusiastically with a massive grin splitting his face. 
“Wanna try skating yourself?” Martin asked, “Like the hockey players do?”
Another nod from Freddie and Niles knelt on the ice, setting the boy down.
“Hold my hands, okay?” Niles instructed and Freddie did just that.
“Can you stand still?” Niles asked.
Freddie was a bit wobbly, feet moving back and forth just a tiny bit, but with his uncle’s help, he could stand up.
Niles stood back up, bent at the waist to keep hold of his nephew’s hands. “Can you step toward me?” he asked.
Freddie took a step, then another and another.
“Hey! You’re doing it!” Martin cheered from the boards and Niles looked back to see Daphne filming them with her phone.
Freddie smiled brightly and said, “Wanna go fast.”
Niles almost launched into an explanation of how the boy would have to practice a lot and work hard if he wanted to go fast.
Almost .
Instead, he picked the boy up and began stroking across the ice. Once they had gained a bit of speed, he told the toddler, ''Keep your feet straight, okay?” and dipped down. With Niles holding Freddie beneath the boy’s arms, the blades of the little skates touched the ice, letting Freddie feel as though he was gliding. A shriek of laughter echoed through the large room. Once their speed began to fall, Niles raised up, bringing the boy with him and skated back over to the boards.
“I skate fast!” Freddie called to his grandfather.
Martin was smiling brightly, “I saw! Was it fun?”
The boy nodded and parroted, “Fun!”
Niles helped his nephew up onto the boards and held him there.
“I’m calling it now,” Martin said, proudly, “Freddie’s gonna be the next Wayne Gretzky.”
Daphne scoffed, “Maybe he’d rather be the next Christopher Dean.”
“Aw, come on, Daph,” Martin huffed, rolling his eyes.
Soon the two were squabbling like children, but Niles couldn’t bring himself to care. Not as his nephew wrapped his arms around him as best his little limbs could and asked if they could skate again.

Chapter Text

It was the middle of the night—3:12 a.m., to be precise—and Niles was wide awake. He had been for hours.
All of his usual insomnia cures had fallen flat. He finished a book of crossword puzzles, almost finished the novel he had been reading, watched at least two long-form YouTube videos that he had certainly seen at least three times before, he even stayed awake through an entire sleep sounds playlist. After going through a round of light exercise, he was still just as awake as ever. In fact, now he was wide awake and thirsty.
With a defeated sigh, he began the trudge to the kitchen. When he reached the end of the hallway, he saw that the kitchen light was on. He thought back, certain that the light had been off when he retired to his room earlier. Pausing for a moment to steel his nerves and push aside any thoughts of home invaders (as he would have almost certainly heard them, he told himself), he crept toward the light. Peaking into the room, he saw someone looking back at him—Daphne.
She sighed with relief, “Thank goodness it’s only you.”
“Were you worried that I was a burglar?” he asked as if that very thought hadn’t crossed his mind only moments before.
“It’s the middle of the night,” she shrugged, “makes you assume the worst.”
He nodded, crossing the room to get a bottle of water before turning back to Daphne. She was in her well-worn terry cloth robe, pajamas, and slippers with little ducks on them. A steaming mug was on the counter in front of her and a sniff told Niles that it contained chamomile tea.
“Can’t sleep?” he asked, leaning his hip against the cabinet next to her.
She shook her head, “You?”
He sighed and shook his head as well, opening his bottle of water and taking a sip. She mirrored him, bringing her mug to her lips.
“Honestly, I haven’t slept well in a while,” he said.
Now she sighed, “Same. Haven’t slept well all week.”
“Since we got back from the cabin,” he mused aloud.
Daphne nodded and made a little sound of agreement. 
The room was silent as they each drank their drinks.
“I’ve missed you,” she said, shattering the tense quiet.
He raised an eyebrow, “We see each other every day.”
She was looking into her mug when she said, “The day isn’t when I’m missing you.”
Oh.
Niles swallowed and took a drink of water to soothe his suddenly dry mouth.
They hadn’t talked much about their time at the cabin.
Well. They had , but not about the changes that had happened and what that might mean for their day-to-day life at home.
For Niles, the whole thing had felt a bit like an egg balanced on the point of a pin. He worried that, if he made any wrong move, the whole thing might shatter.
Not that Daphne had given him any reason to think that. It was just his own innate pessimism and scars from years of being in a volatile relationship with Maris. These things had conditioned him, a psychiatrist focused on families and marriages, to forsake the foundation of any healthy relationship—communication.
God knows he had missed sharing a bed with Daphne. Sleeping with her had brought him feelings that he had previously assumed he would never find in a romantic relationship. Having her so close made him feel strong, safe, secure, loved, wanted, and just an overall jittery warmth that filled him every time Daphne smiled at him.
Before he shared a bed with Daphne, he never knew that you could feel refreshed and revived just by being close to another person.
She was a living, breathing weighted blanket for him. Something he never knew he needed until he had it.
He looked at her looking at him and put his hand over hers. 
“D’you wanna go watch a movie in your room?” he asked with a lazy smile as he stroked his thumb over her knuckles.
She smiled back at him.
They were asleep before it was halfway over.

Pancake Sunday had been a tradition in the crane household for decades. Breakfast was one of the few meals that Martin had cooked for the family on a regular basis. Most days that meant things like bacon and eggs, sausage links grilled in a heavy skillet, or omelets. However, Sundays were different. Sundays were always pancake days. Usually just standard pancakes with butter and copious amounts of warmed maple syrup. On special days, or if the boys had been particularly well-behaved, they might be treated to something special—pancakes laden with blueberries, bananas, pecans, apples, or chocolate chips, depending on what their father could find in the kitchen.
When Niles and Freddie had moved in with Martin, the weekly tradition had begun once more. Daphne had settled into the routine quite easily, even if she baffled the men when she passed on the syrup in favor of apricot jam. They soon accepted it as just another of her many eccentricities and, from then on, Martin ensured that her jam was on the table on Sunday morning.

Sunday was also the only day that Martin knew he would wake before Niles as his son made it his designated day to sleep in. So it wasn’t especially out of the ordinary that Martin finished cooking without seeing Niles. 
It was a bit more unusual that Freddie would wake before his uncle. However, Martin hadn’t missed the tiredness in his son’s face as of late, so he figured that Niles deserved a bit more sleep than a usual Sunday.
He was, however, surprised when Niles finally made his appearance, not from the hallway, but stumbling sleepily up from the basement with Daphne in tow.
“Mornin’ you two,” Martin said with a little smirk, reaching for the butter.
Niles and Daphne shared a little glance with Niles mumbling a sleepy, “Good morning.”
Martin gestured at the table, “Pancakes are gonna get cold.”
Another look passed between the two, but they took a seat and began preparing their plates.
“You know,” Martin said, “I understand that you two are… you know… adults in an… adult relationship and you’re gonna… do… adult things.”
Niles piped up, “We didn’t–”
His father cut him off with a wave of his hand, “I’m not saying that I wanna see any of it, but I don’t want the two of you to feel like you need to… you know… sneak around.”
Niles looked down at his plate, blushed as red as a tomato. Daphne, meanwhile, smiled at the older man, “I– we appreciate that, Mr. Crane.”
“Thanks Dad,” Niles mumbled, still embarrassed by this topic of conversation.
Martin chuckled and shook his head, returning to his pancakes.

Sunday went on to be a warm and unusually sunny day, which seemed to trigger a restlessness in Freddie that Martin shrugged off as “Spring fever.”
Daphne and Niles decided to take advantage of the nice weather and took Freddie to the park.
While the toddler was eager to go, it took quite a lot of convincing to get him to leave his hockey stick at home. Instead, they told him that he could ride his tricycle.
The park was beautiful and many people clearly had the same idea as Niles and Daphne. A group of boys was playing basketball while another group tossed a football. The din of voices was occasionally punctured by the ‘ding!’ of an aluminum bat striking a baseball somewhere nearby. A family was struggling with a kite on the other end of the field from the boys with the football. Squealing and laughing children clambered all over the playground and Freddie quickly abandoned his trike to join them.
Niles and Daphne took a seat on a nearby bench. He closed his eyes and stretched his head back, savoring the warmth of the sun on his face. Daphne and Niles chatted idly while Freddie played and they watched him from their bench. The boy seemed to be playing with a little girl. They studied something on the ground before rushing away to gather some leaves and sticks and bring them back to the place they had been looking. On their hands and knees, they seemed to be making some sort of pile of the twigs and leaves. The little girl stood and brushed off her hands then ran to a bench on the other side of the playground and a woman seated there. Freddie stood and looked around for the girl, upon spotting her, he ran over to join her.
Niles watched closely, ready to spring to his feet and dash across the playground in an instant. 
The woman spoke to Freddie and he saw Freddie point back at himself and Daphne. The woman stood and began walking toward them.
“Hey,” she waved, “Are you guys’ Freddie’s parents?”
Niles sputtered, still caught off guard by being asked that.
Luckily, Daphne was quicker on her feet, answering, “He’s his uncle.”
The woman nodded, “I guess he’s been playing with my daughter. I was about to give her a snack and I wanted to know if it was okay with you guys if we shared our graham crackers with Freddie.”
“Oh– um– y–yeah, sure,” Niles stuttered.
She smiled warmly and took a seat on the next bench over and distributed crackers to the toddlers.
“Thank you, by the way,” Niles added, finally recovering from his shock.
The woman waved a hand in dismissal, “No problem. I always bring extra snacks.”
“How old’s your daughter?” Daphne asked. 
The woman smiled, “Alice just turned two last week.”
Daphne returned the smile, “Freddie turned two in February.”
“I’m Roz, by the way,” the woman said, “Roz Doyle.”
“Daphne Moon,” Daphne said, before gesturing at Niles, “and this is my boyfriend, Niles Crane.”
“Do you guys take care of Freddie a lot?” Roz asked.
“Uh, well, actually,” Niles stammered, “I’m Freddie’s guardian.”
Roz covered her mouth, obviously worried that she had put her foot in her mouth, “Oh, I’m sorry. I hope that wasn’t– I’m sorry.”
Niles waved off her apology, “It’s alright. I’m still getting used to it myself.”
“You know, he really does look like he could be you guys’ kid,” Roz said, gesturing between Niles and Daphne.
Daphne just smiled at her boyfriend.
“We haven’t seen you around before,” Daphne said, “Do you live in the neighborhood?”
Roz nodded, “We just moved here yesterday. Had to take a break from unpacking, you know?”
“Did you live in Seattle before?” Daphne asked.
“Yeah,” Roz said, “I lived closer to downtown, but when Alice started getting older, I wanted her to live somewhere where we could have a yard for her to play in. Have you guys lived here long?”
Niles nodded, “I grew up in this neighborhood.”
“I just moved here a few months ago,” Daphne answered.
“I’ve lived in Seattle for about five years now and this is the first time I’ve lived anywhere that wasn’t an apartment,” Roz mused.
“It’s a big change,” Niles nodded, “Where are you from originally?”
“I grew up in Wisconsin,” she answered.
“That seems like almost as big of a change as you had,” he said to Daphne who just laughed.
“Let me guess. From your accent, I’m gonna say that you’re from Texas,” Roz joked.
Daphne laughed, “How did you know?”
Roz chuckled before saying, “Really, though, England, right?”
Daphne smiled and nodded, “Manchester.”
“How did you end up in Seattle?” Roz asked.
Daphne shrugged, “Just wanted to try living somewhere new, I suppose.”
“I get that,” Roz said, “I got a couple job offers and took Seattle because it was the furthest from home.”
Roz’s phone buzzed and she glanced at it and cursed, “I’ve gotta meet one of my friends to get the last of my stuff.” She gathered up her things and called out to Alice. “It was nice to meet you guys,” she said, “Hopefully, we’ll run into each other again soon.”
Niles and Daphne bid Roz goodbye and returned to watching Freddie.
“D–did we just make a parent friend?” Niles asked, staring straight ahead.
Daphne chuckled, “I… think we did.”
“Is that… weird ?”
“Why?”
“Because we’re not… you know… parents .”
Daphne smiled while she watched Freddie scramble up the steps to a slide and waved when he called out for her to watch him. 
Niles watched the exchange and gave a little smile. Maybe it wasn’t that weird at all.

Chapter Text

“You send anything to your mother?” Martin asked over dinner one night.
Daphne raised an eyebrow, looking over at him from where she had been helping Freddie with his carrots. “No,” she said with a questioning tone, “Should I have?”
He shrugged, “Sunday’s Mother’s Day, you know.”
She looked confused and Niles spoke up, “Mother’s Day in the UK was in March, Dad.”
Martin raised his eyebrows and nodded, “Huh. Learn something new every day.” He seemed to zone out with a wistful look on his face.
Niles and Daphne shared a look while Freddie took the opportunity to snatch the fork from Daphne’s hand.
“You okay, Dad?”
“Hm?” Martin said, seeming to return to Earth, “Oh, yeah, I was just… remembering.” He chuckled, “I remember one year—you couldn’t have been older than four—Fras decided that we needed to serve your mom breakfast in bed.”
“I had been teaching Frasier to make pancakes, so he wanted to make them for her. You were too little to really cook anything, so I was gonna help you make toast. Things got out of hand with the pancakes and I had to look away from the toaster—remember that old toaster that would always stick? Anyway, the toast started burning and before I could do anything, you were climbing the cabinet. I barely stopped you before you fried your little fingerprints off. The toast was charcoal and Frasier started teasing you about it. As soon as I had you down, you ran out of the kitchen,” he paused for a moment, “It took me over an hour to find you. You were under the piano in your little plaid robe and matching slippers. I couldn’t talk you out of there.” Martin chuckled just a little, “But your mom could. I think she spent 40 minutes under there with you.” The older man’s eyes shone with unshed tears and he abruptly transitioned to gathering the dishes and making a show of carrying them to the kitchen, do doubt hoping to distract from the emotional display he usually internalized. 
When Daphne turned to him, Niles’s eyes were cast downward toward the plate where he was idly pushing carrots around while wearing a melancholy look on his face. Not knowing what to say to either of the men, she focused her attention on the toddler beside her. As she wiped food from Freddie’s face, she remembered that he too was motherless. Her heart sank.
It seemed that Mother’s Day was destined to be a depressing occasion in the Crane household.

“Hey, Daph?” Martin called, finishing attaching a weight to his ankle.
She looked over at him, handing him the weight for his other ankle, “Hm?”
“I– um– heard you talking to Niles last night before you went to bed.”
She gave him a confused look, still holding the ankle weight.
Martin looked away from her, preferring to continue messing with the weight rather than make eye contact with Daphne, “I mean, I didn’t mean to, you know? I was just going to get something from the kitchen.”
“What did you hear us say?” she asked, confused as to what could have possibly caused the older man to feel the need to make this confession.
Martin grimaced, then decided to bite the bullet, “So he told you how he felt, huh?”
Suddenly, it made sense. He had heard them saying good night, an exchange that now ended with shared ‘I love you’s. Daphne smiled warmly, reflecting the way she always felt when thinking about Niles’s sweet words, “He did.”
Martin gave a soft smile, “I’m really happy for the two of you. I mean, I don’t have to tell you what all he’s gone through lately…”
She nodded sadly, but Martin continued, “I guess what I’m saying is that I’m really glad he found you or, you know, that you found him.”
Daphne smiled warmly at the older man, genuinely touched by what he was saying, “I’m glad that I found him, too.”
Martin reached over and gave her knee a fatherly pat, “We love ya, Daph.”
“I love you too, Mr. Crane,” Daphne responded, putting a hand over his. Then, with a teasing twinkle in her eyes, she added, “But don’t think this means I’ll go easy on you, old man.”
Martin threw his head back with a bark of laughter, “Aw, come on!”

When Niles and Freddie returned home it was with none of the toddler’s usual fanfare. Instead, he all but ignored Daphne and Martin, going to his play kitchen and quietly moving things around.
Niles watched the boy with a furrowed brow. 
“What’s up with Freddie?” Martin asked.
Niles frowned, “I don’t know. He won’t talk to me.”
“What do you mean he won’t talk to you?”
With a confused look on his face, Niles looked at his father, “I mean I tried talking to him and he wouldn’t say anything.”
While the men continued talking, Daphne approached the boy carefully. “Freddie?” she asked, “Is it alright if I join you?”
He looked up at her then away, but said nothing.
“Is everything alright, sweetheart?”
He didn’t answer, but she saw him look at her a bit longer.
“Why don’t you tell me what’s wrong?”
After thinking for a moment, Freddie answered, “No mommy.”
“What?”
“I no mommy!” he exclaimed, frustration evident in his voice.
It suddenly made some sense to Daphne and she sat down beside him. “Oh, darling,” she said, “you do have a mummy.”
“No!” Freddie said, “No. Mommy bye-bye. I no mommy.”
By now, tears were streaming down the boy’s face and Daphne’s heart was breaking.
“Did something happen at school?” she asked.
Freddie nodded, wiping his nose on the sleeve of his shirt. “M– m– make card for mo– mommy,” he sobbed, “I no mommy.”
“You made Mother’s Day cards at school?”
He nodded.
“But you felt sad because your mummy isn’t here anymore?”
Another nod.
“Oh, sweetheart,” she said, ”you can still make a card for your mummy if she isn’t here.”
His sobs had reached the hiccupping phase, “N– n– n– no g– g– give c– c– card.”
“You want to give someone a card?”
Freddie nodded, his face a mess.
Daphne held his hands, “Darling, you can give a card to anyone you want.”
His sobs lessened.
“Is that alright?”
Freddie nodded.
“Feeling better?”
He didn’t respond.
“A little?”
“Little.”
“I got apples at the store today. Would some apple slices and peanut butter make you feel better?”
He nodded, a bit happier than before.

Niles watched the entire exchange between Daphne and Freddie with a hand over his mouth.
He really thought they had a few years before having to deal with this. He should’ve known that holidays like this would run the risk of reminding Freddie of his trauma. 
And what had he done?
He, the psychiatrist, had not known how to handle this.
More damning, however, was that he, Freddie’s guardian, had not known what to do.
He followed Daphne into the kitchen, beating her to the knife block.
“Stop that,” she said, handing him the freshly washed apple.
“Stop what?” he asked, not looking up as he began preparing the apple.
“Beating yourself up over Freddie being upset,” she answered, taking a toddler plate from the cabinet. 
He sighed, removing a seed from a slice with more attention than it really required. 
She gently grabbed his jaw, turning him to face her. Her eyes met his and she ran her thumb along the cleft of his chin, “You’re good at what you do, Niles Crane.”
He grimaced and avoided eye contact.
“I mean it,” she said firmly, “You’re an exceptional psychiatrist and an incredible guardian to Freddie.
Niles looked up at her shyly. Was he this easy for everyone to read or was it just her?
She leaned across and pressed her lips to his. Niles smiled into the kiss, making Daphne giggle a little.
“Mm, I love you,” he said, pulling back slightly.
She smiled, “Love you, too.”
He brushed a loose hair from her face before going back for another, deeper kiss.
However, they were all too soon separated by a cry of “DAH-NEE! APPLE!” from the living room.
“I should be going,” she said with a smile, still close enough that Niles could feel her breath against his lips as she spoke. 
“Hm, right,” he said, not making any show of moving. 
There was no fighting the lovestruck look on his face as he watched her walk out of the room.

As Daphne left the kitchen, Martin entered, catching Niles before he could follow his girlfriend, drawing a little whine from the younger man.
“Hey, I was wanting to ask you something,” Martin said.
Niles raised his eyebrows, silently encouraging his father to continue.
He did, “You know, Daph takes care of Freddie like he’s her own, right?”
“Right,” Niles said with suspicion in his voice.
“Well, I was thinking that maybe we could do something special for her this Sunday.”
Niles was unsure of the idea, but his dad seemed genuinely excited about it, so he thought it best to keep his concerns to himself this time.

Sunday dawned cloudy, windy, and cool. Niles was warm and comfortable sleeping in his bed. At least until he heard a rapping on his door. 
At first, he turned away from the sound, but it persisted
By the time his dad hissed, “Niles,” he had realized that there was no way to avoid starting the day any longer. 
Soon enough, Niles was in the kitchen watching a pan of sausage links sizzling while his dad showed Freddie how to mix the pancake batter.