#there's also a possible third christmas fic that I don't think will be done on time but we'll see

[vanmarkus]

Inspiration Saturday 🎄

Aaand this would be the aforementioned second christmas fic; the rough draft is already done and it's just over 2k so I expect it to total out somewhere around 3-4k. Anyway, please enjoy this tiny snippet:

Buck sat in the waiting room, his eyes vacantly following the line of fairy lights running under the edge of the reception desk. They flickered every now and again.

Well, not just every now and again, but every thirteen seconds. Buck counted it out 67 times already.

He just started again, but he only got to six when he heard the voice he was waiting to hear for nearly 15 minutes now.

tags under the cut 💛

I was tagged by the lovely @daffi-990 @thewolvesof1998 @watchyourbuck @disasterbuckdiaz @giddyupbuck thank you my dears and for all the bunch of people tagging me for FIF too mwuah 💛

✨no pressure tagging: @malewifediaz @spagheddiediaz @jesuisici33 @jeeyuns @ladydorian05 @steadfastsaturnsrings @eowon @heartshapedvows @nmcggg @rainbow-nerdss @jamespearce9-1-1 @evanbegins @eddiebabygirldiaz @theotherbuckley

[jongbross]

Hiiiiiiii 👋

Can you write a Baekhyun fic? I'm not exactly sure what I want, but... While listening to Demi Lovato's song, something came to mind...

But you make me wanna act like a girl

Paint my nails and wear high heels

Yes, you make me so nervous that I just can't hold your hand

I don't like school fics so maybe a best friend au.

She and Baekhyun are best friends, and the reader thinks she's far from his ideal type. She's been in love with him for years but she's insecure and either Baekhyun is too blind to see her feelings or the reader is a good actor.

She's a great girl, but she struggles to see her own potential... Baekhyun is everything to her, and she to him. Baekhyun had noticed her jealous behavior for a while and became suspicious. He even caught her crying once. When he put the pieces together, he understood everything. After faced her, the reader tried to run away from him, but Baek was fast enough to catch her immediately.

pairing: byun baekhyun x reader word count: 1256 genre: fluffy but also angst? warnings: swearing, jealousy, reader getting on beakhyun's nerves a/n: i'm back at writing requests!! thank you so much for your patience, i hope you enjoy this <3

"i think she's flirting with you", you told baekhyun, looking at the waitress that just walked by the two of you and shot baekhyun the prettiest smile she could manage.

"she's not", he denied, not even bothering to look back. "she's working on christmas eve, so i bet she's just trying to get a nice tip."

it was a tradition, at this point. you and baekhyun had spent the last four christmas together, as a sign of how strong your bond with each other was - either it was at bucheon with his family, abroad with your family, or just the two of you, like that moment.

for this one, sick and tired of being single (in baekhyun's words), he decided to take you too for dinner on the night before christmas. 'i won't be able to go to bucheon this year, so we should have a date night, and then sulk and eat leftovers while we open our presents at my house the next day', he had said, a month previous.

and of course you accepted. not only was baekhyun your best friend, but also the one you loved; like, actually loved.

there wasn't much you could do about it, to be honest. baekhyun had always seen you as a sibling, and that alone was enough to end any hope you could possibly have. on top of that, came the fact that he was just so... ethereal; baekhyun was the definition of a keeper, and any person who could have him was literally the luckiest person in the entire world.

"you can possibly think that every single person that smiles at you is just being polite, baek", you chuckled. "that's why you're single again..."

"does it bother you that i'm single?"

you tried your best not to choke on your drink as your brain screamed 'no, i actually love it' as an answer.

"i mean, i can call her over and ask her out...", he said, teasingly. "but you would spend christmas alone."

you just rolled your eyes at him, going back to your food and pretending like you weren't holding back a smile.

baekhyun kept the conversation going, as well. he told you about his family, how sad his mom was that she wouldn't see you that christmas; you told him about your plans for the next year, what you wanted to achieve.

cause, you see, talking to baekhyun was so easy, feeling seen was the biggest problem here. he could repeat every single word you had just said for the last hour, but could he see that you were wearing a new dress just for him? could he see that you got your nails done in his favorite color just for him? could he see that you were there, dying for him to love you back?

over your third glass of wine, the waitress came back to your table, the same pretty smile on her face.

"would the couple like to order some dessert?"

"we're not a couple", you instantly said, facing your glass.

taken aback by your answer, the waitress hesitated to turn to baekhyun, only to see him as surprised as her.

"um... no, not for now", he politely said. "can we get some water though, please?"

she hummed in response, before turning around to leave.

"wow, that was quite harsh", baekhyun faked a chuckle. "are you okay?"

"sure."

"are you really sure?"

"yes, baekhyun", you rolled you eyes. "she was just trying to check if you're single so she can keep flirting with you. all i did was give her the answer she was looking for."

baekhyun frowned, leaning into the table to take a good look at you.

"are you drunk already?", he laughed. "i mean, she just wondered if we were a couple, it's not that deep, y/n. we're together on christmas eve, it's-"

"no one would mistake us for a couple."

"what? why not?"

"because!", you exclaimed. at the corner of your eyes, you saw the said waitress coming again with a jar of water. she placed it on the table in front of baekhyun, and then proceeded to smile at him again before walking away. defeated, you sighed. "i am me, and you are you. nobody could ever think about us as a couple, so... i don't know, you can just give in and ask her out if you want to."

baekhyun scoffed at you, watching you as you took another big gulp from your wine. he silently took in your moves, the way you poured yourself some water and avoided his gaze.

"why are you jealous?", he finally asked after a minute or two of silence.

"i'm not jealous", you defended yourself.

"then look at me", baekhyun waited for you to finally look him in the eyes. "now tell me you're not jealous."

it was your turn to scoff, grabbing your glass of water and drinking a bit of it.

"this is stupid."

"yes, it is stupid", baekhyun agreed. "i think it's so stupid that even at christmas eve you won't admit why you're being jealous, that you'll only be petty and try to push me onto other girls. i don't want them."

you looked at him, damning him mentally for the way he was sitting at his chair, for the way his angry eyes made your heart flutter.

"i'm giving you the chance to be true to both of us, y/n. please, take it, and tell me why you are so jealous. i need to hear you say it."

"why?"

"because it's christmas eve, i'm at this beautiful restaurant with the most beautiful girl. you're wearing a new dress, wearing my favorite perfume, and you did your nails yesterday thinking about me, didn't you? don't think i didn't notice", he sighed, leaning into the table once again. "if we can't confess to each other right now, right here... then i truly don't think we ever will."

you kept staring at him, trying your hardest to keep your tears at bay so they wouldn't ruin your makeup. you felt like you were glowing, like your chest was now swallowing you deep into an ocean of something that you couldn't quite describe what it was, but if you had to take a shot, you would call it love.

"how long did you know?", you whispered to him.

"since your birthday", baekhyun replied. "but you're a good actress, i'll give you that."

you chuckled, shaking your head in disbelief.

"i'm sorry...", you told him. "i'm so sorry. i'm pathetic."

"yeah, kind of", baekhyun joked, making you both laugh. "i'm just kidding. you don't have to sorry, if anything i should be the one apologizing. i've known for so long now, but my pride didn't let me say shit. i just kept pushing away every girl that came around, and praying that you would do the same to anyone who got close to you, waiting for you to confess. everyday felt like i was gonna have a heart attack."

you rolled your eyes. "who's pathetic now?"

he laughed out loud, eyes turning into big heart emojis as you looked at him. just as you were ready to speak, the waitress came up again, smiling at baekhyun.

"do you guys need anything?", she asked.

"yeah, um... could you bring me some chocolate ice cream, please? and for my girl...", baekhyun looked at you. the waitress followed his gaze, smiling at you just the same and, maybe, baekhyun was right all along - she wasn't flirting. "anything she wants, please."

[thisbuildinghasfeelings]

Weekend WIP Game

Thank you for tagging me @welcometololaland @alrightbuckaroo and @lemonlyman-dotcom!

Rules: List your WIPs below (if you only write one fic at a time, feel free to include future WIPs/ideas!) then answer the following questions. Then, tag as many people as you have WIPs (or more).

WIP List:

I have A LOT of ideas. As for things that are actually in progress, I have 4:

TK Project: My project for TK Strand Turns 30. I've been working on this for a few weeks now and should be wrapping up either this weekend or early next week. I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out!

A special project that I'm not going to say anything more about here but will be posted in the first week of November.

TK Babe/Baby, a project using my comically large hoop that will feature quotes of every time TK calls Carlos babe or baby--this one has a complete pattern, a hoop all ready to go, and even a single letter stitched in the center so I know where to start. I'll probably start working on it in earnest over the holidays.

Lone Star Christmas Ornaments--so far I've created one pattern for "Catan is spicy." I want to make at least 2-3 other ones.

Then I also have a variety of ideas, some fairly concrete, others vague notions that require more development and simply exist in a list in the notes app on my phone:

Wise Ass/Lollipop--a Gwyn quote from 2x01, heavily inspired by suggestion from @lemonlyman-dotcom--I haven't made the pattern yet, but it's pretty much fully formed in my head.

The third in my Loft Series--so far I've done one involving the bedroom and one involving the dining area. The third will be the same level of detail as the dining area one but involve the loft entrance, couch, table behind the couch, etc. I need a quote for it and I'm thinking possibly "Welcome home, TK" but I have a couple other ideas too. This pattern will likely take a few hours to create and it's something I'm excited to get working on either in November or maybe during the time off I have at the end of December.

A Carlos Project that would be a companion piece to my current TK Project. I have a list of ideas for it on my phone, but that's as far as I've gotten.

A Lou the First cross stitch with the quote "You brought a flesh-eating reptile into our home?!"

Another Lou one that's kind of ridiculous but I would love to do it if I could pull it off. It would be "He wasn't eating it. He was just...hanging out" with a little Lou poking out of a leg 😂

The fourth in my Loft Series--I want something involving Carlos' punching bag and TK's salad from 3x11. That's as far as I've gotten.

Then I have a variety of quotes that just feel like they should be cross stitches but I haven't thought of solid ideas to go with them (and if anyone has ideas, I would love to hear them!):

Marjan's quote "I'm allergic to poor leadership."

Judd's quote "I wasn't even me 'til I met you."

"Hi. You're TK. I'm Carlos. And we're soulmates." (this one is part of the TK Project, but I think it also deserves its own)

"If I'm your friend from work, then what we did this morning was very unprofessional."

"When you're in yoga clothes, I'm not a very good talker."

"In this house, we Catan."

"Tyler, can I say yes now?"

2. Which WIP is your most complex?

Of the ones I'm actively working on, the TK Project is the most complex. Of the planned future WIPs, it would probably be the third in the loft series, as it's intended to have the same level of detail as the loft dining area piece I recently finished. That one was definitely the most complex I've done up until this point.

3. Do any of your WIPs involve you using a technique/style that you haven't used before? What inspired you to try it?

The ones I've listed really don't, but I do have some vague ideas of branching out into some Lone Star embroidery. I'd need to come up with the right idea for it, but it's something I might try working with when I have time off over the holidays.

4. Which WIP do you expect will take you the longest?

Of the ones I'm actively working on, TK Babe/Baby will definitely take the longest. It will probably take at least 4-5 weeks to complete once I really get going with it.

5. Which WIP are you finding the most enjoyable to create?

I'm really loving the TK Project. It's made up of a bunch of little images and quotes, so it's really fun to see it come together as I complete each individual section.

6. Do you have a favourite character to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

The majority of my projects are TK/Carlos/Tarlos related due to the fact that I often think of little else.

7. Which WIP do you experience the most self-doubt about. Why?

The loft entrance/third in my Loft Series definitely gives me the most self-doubt. Mostly because it will be a detailed pattern. I'm still fairly new to pattern creation on that level.

8. Have any of your WIPs been struck by the curse of creator's block?

I haven't had any stitcher's block yet, thankfully. I've been stitching non-stop since April and, as I've made clear here, I still have more ideas than I can handle!

9. Do any of your WIPs contain characters outside the main ship? How are you finding creating those?

My first two projects were the Lone Star logo and an Owen quote. Every other one, including the WIPs that I'm actively working on, has been TK/Carlos/Tarlos related. So I guess I don't branch out from that main ship much! I would like to in the future, and a couple on my ideas list do involve quotes from other characters.

10. What emotions are you hoping to convey through your WIPs?

Mostly the joy and love I experience through Lone Star and Tarlos.

11. Are there any features/details you are finding challenging in your WIPs?

A challenging element of TK Babe/Baby will be the use of the comically large hoop. It has a 23 inch diameter so I can only stitch with it while sitting on my bed because I need somewhere spacious to rest the hoop otherwise my arms get too tired.

12. Which WIP has the most complex shading/colouring?

Probably the loft entrance, the third in my Loft Series. The thing that I think will be the most challenging is the couch, particularly managing to show the shape and dimensions of it properly. I'm not sure how I'm going to get it to look right, but I'm looking forward to messing around with it with my pattern making software. I'm not particularly skilled or experienced with using color gradients to show shadows/dimensions, but I guess I'm going to have to learn!

13. Which WIP has the most complex background?

Same as the last answer, since pretty much the whole thing will be background.

14. Which WIP do you have the highest expectations for?

Again, same answer. I want it to meet the expectations set by the loft dining area piece I recently finished. I was thrilled with how that one turned out, so I really hope I'll be equally satisfied with this one.

15. Do you dream about any of your WIPs?

I don't think I've ever dreamed about cross stitching. I spend so much time doing it that it seems like I would have by now, though.

16. Do any of your WIPs have particular complexities that your other art doesn't?

The TK Project involves several French Knots, which is a different type of stitch that can be very finicky. @reasonandfaithinharmony knows what I mean!

17. Are any of your WIPs commissions?

I haven't done any commissions so far. It's not something I'm necessarily opposed to, so if someone is interested, feel free to dm me and we can talk about it! I just have a lot of my own ideas to work through and cross stitch generally takes a pretty long time to complete, so anyone looking for commissions would need to be ok with waiting a while. Also, I might be willing to mail some of my previously finished pieces to anyone who's interested (due to the unfortunate cost of shipping, this is probably going to have to be limited to people in the US and Canada). There are some that I'm not willing to part with, but I think I've almost reached display capacity, even with many finished projects stored in a box under my bed, so it might be nice for some of the others to find a home.

18. Do you have a character that is more difficult to draw/stitch/paint/depict? Are they in many of your WIP projects?

The majority of my projects so far have been centered on quotes. I don't think any one character is more or less difficult to depict in that way. However, I have run into one issue like that...one of my future ideas is for a Carlos Project that's a companion to my current TK Project. I'm finding it a lot more difficult to come up with ideas for little images and quotes to represent Carlos than it was for TK. One problem might be that I'm reluctant to go stitching a bunch of cop imagery.

19. Tell us one thing we don't know about one or more of your WIPs.

The stitched portion of TK Babe/Baby will be about 16 inches x 15 inches in size.

If the third in the Loft Series is anything like the loft dining area piece, it will probably take me somewhere around 80-100 hours of work to complete.

I feel like everyone has been tagged, but I'm going to follow the directions and tag 11 people, one for each of my listed WIPs: @tellmegoodbye @ladytessa74 @im-overstimulated-and-im-sad @carlos-tk @inkweedandlizards @rosedavid @thebumblecee @reasonandfaithinharmony @redshirt2 @louis-ii-reyes-strand @carlos-in-glasses

(And here's the original post that has the questions for writers if you need that!)

[mirjam-writes]

What about you? What writing are you happy about this year?? Is there anything you want to brag about?

Happy Yule, solstice, Christmas, Festivus, (belated) Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Doctor Who Day! And anything else you might celebrate, or happy Monday if you don’t!

Thank you so so much for asking 🧡🧡

This was quite a writing year for me. I wrote only four stories, but I'm quite proud of all of them. To Love Somebody was my first foray in rare pairs. An angsty backstory for Shadwell, and what made him the way he is. It has an hopeful ending, and I'm quite proud of the structure, and how much I managed to squeeze into the small word count. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun is a short and wholesome outsider pov story I wrote for an event. I was surprised how much people liked it! It was also my first attempt on present tense, which continued in A Stable Relationship, one of my FTH stories for this year (the second one will probably be a bit late, and be completed in January). I had fun writing it, and it turned out to be a good one, and the only one of these oneshots that was Explicit. It was set in horse riding world.

The reason why I wrote only three oneshots, and why my second FTH piece is late, was of course my favourite story of all time: Be Still My Soul trilogy. A human AU story set in the sad moments of Finnish history.

Despite the class differences, landowner Azirafel Fjäll and sawmill worker Anton Crowley have been friends since childhood. The Great War rages over Europe and the Empire of Russia is in the firm grip of a revolution. The echoes of these fateful events carry over to the Grand Duchy of Finland, vaguely sauntering towards independence. Azirafel and Crowley find themselves on the opposite sides of a conflict that will eventually lead to a bitter civil war, tearing the country apart.

Is there a possibility for them to find their own side, or will this be the end of their budding love story?

I started writing the third part in January, and finished it just before S2 aired in July. It finished posting in October, and it's now complete and done, though I'm still commissioning art for it. This story took over my life for over two years, and it's my baby. I've had such a hard time to let go of it! It also has its own blog @be-still-my-soul-fanfic where I posted dozens of posts about historical and cultural facts. The story is written in a way you don't need to know anything of the Finnish history beforehand (my American betas made sure of that). It's a lovestory, not a history lesson, BUT if you want to learn more, there's a lot of extra info available 😅

I think it's the best story I've ever written (and probably ever will). Many readers have agreed, but it's angsty with very heavy themes until the happy ending, so it's not for everyone and I think posting it just when S2 aired cut some of the potential readers. The third part of the trilogy is now five kudos shy of 100 kudos, and I'm hoping it could get past that milestone before new years. 😂 So yeah, my own personal favourite gets the least interaction of them all. Oh well.

I'm gonna sound a bit self-absorbed, but I'm proud I finished it and it turned out even better than I hoped. My dream would be to print a physical copy or to record a podfic of that, but both might be a bit too much work.

For the next year I have two zine fics to finish, and I have applied to a third one. I have one event fic in the works as well, but the FTH story will be the one I'll concentrate until it's done. It's an oneshot human AU which somehow grew limbs and now it's 7.6k words and nowhere near done 😱 That's my holiday project.

Thank you for asking!! I was so delighted to get a chance to ramble myself 🧡 There's never enough chances for writers to gush about their own work because it always feels a bit self centered. That's why I like to wander around Tumblr and give people the perfect excuse to do that! Peek at the #writer's favourites tag if you want to see other fanfic writers sharing their favourites! And feel free to use the tag yourself if I forgot to ask someone (I was very much not organised when going through the blogs and I'm not good at matching blog names with writer names 😅)

I hope you'll have a magnificent new year 🧡

[necromancers-incorporated]

Fic Writing Update!

As you may well know, I write fics and have been away for ages, so I thought you deserve a little update on where current and future works are currently. They will all be posted on Ao3 under the name Chaotic_god123 if you want to find them. Here is the complete list of fics, both present and future!

If We Had Me Before

Still being updated, not abandoned. I know where it's going and what will be happening when, all I need to do is sit down and actually write the damn thing. I'll probably go back and edit slowly after it is published entirely, third chapter is almost done and will hopefully be up soon and the rest will follow shortly after.

Steve Rogers as Percy Jackson Au - Series

The third part of this series is currently in the works and pretty close to be being done, hopefully it'll be up by the end of November, but it will be done at the latest before Christmas, I can assure you of that. This was a request sent in and I love all the ways I can take it, certainly gives way to a lot of creative freedom and expression. Can't wait for this part to be up, I'm really liking how it is so far.

Perhaps

Don't know if I will actually continue this, if I do it will be on the back burner as other fics take precedent over it at this time. Hope is not completely lost, but it's pretty hard to see at this point.

In The Name of War

Part one is all up and done with, and part two is currently under way. This took me so long to write and edit, and I'm assuming that part two will aswell, especially since its going to be a lot more complex and twisty and that the first. It will be picked up at irregular intervals with updates probably going to be few and far between, but it is being worked on in the background.

Unnamed Inheritance Cycle Fic

Super excited about this one, I haven't quite got a name down for it yet but there are ideas floating about. The actual hard writing for this is yet to be laid out, but I'm stringing ideas together slowly but surely. As this was a request as well it may also take longer as I want to make sure the person who requested it is fully satisfied with the work. Given it is a full fic rather than a one shot like I normally do, it will take some time for the full thing to come out and is also currently on the back burner, apologies for that aswell. Not abandoned, just resting for now.

Requests!

I said a while ago that my writing and general posting on here was going to be put on hold until about late spring/early summer of 2023 due to all my exams being this year. I didn't think I'd have time to work on other requests but now that I have a much better system in place I am happy to announce that requests are now back open!! Please understand though, that I am still having to revise and sort out placements for next year and finding a job soon so that I can support myself. I take both one shots and full fic requests, but full fics will take much longer to get done. For a full list of fandoms look at my pinned post on this account or just shoot me a message on here. You could also just reply to this post, I don't mind.

Non fic

Just as a heads up, I'm also working on an actual book series at the moment which is taking up a bit of my time. It's one I do hope to publish one day and I am super excited about it.

Thank you all for your patience and sticking around through this. I love writing and I'm a bit sad that it got interrupted because of exams. Send me a message about any of this stuff and I'll get back to you as quick as I possibly can.

[mdverse]

its never enough vb au no matter what </3,,

to honour the third chapter and to bring back something i have not done in a WHILE! here is a vb au ask : what colour would their bed sheets be? - as always, space :)

listen i am right there with u... every day i wake up and i sigh bc there is never enough vb au content out there and almost all of the existing content is just stuff i've made like a gremlin frantically trying to bring my vision to life while it's still constantly changing akdjfhsk. but i am working on multiple vb au drawings (most of which will only be on my patreon ksfdks sorry for the plug-in i have to advertise it somehow) but i am working on a drawing i will actually post) and ofc the fic will come together slowly but surely. i hope.

anyway bed sheets! what a random question i love it

finn: i feel like he would have star wars bed sheets. idk he seems like the kind of guy who would have fun lil fandom bedding? for like,, star wars and pokemon and stuff like that,,, still a child at heart yknow? and he has christmas sheets too bc why wouldn't he

santana: finn bought her volleyball bed sheets as a joke and once in a while she'll pull em out but usually she'll just go for sth simple like black or plaid

kurt: listen this boy has such fancy bedding all of his sheets are silk and he would murder santana if she got stains on it for any reason. that has nothing to do with the colour but i feel like it's still important. anyway probably light blue? though i could see him having a variety of colours

britt: i like the thought of britt choosing pastel colours, mainly yellow and blue, but like,,, patterned. lil cartoon cats or unicorns or whatever. not all of her sheets have patterns but some of them do and it makes her happy

sugar: i feel like sug has a lot of pink in general. just everywhere in her room. so much pink in every shade u could possibly imagine. possibly also some red somewhere in there but it is buried in the pink

quinn: tbh i don't think quinn pays much attention to the sheets she buys? i'd say she aims for floral tho, not super bright colours

tina: hers would probably be similar to quinn's, but i reckon vb au tina also went through a goth phase and still has the black sheets to prove it

[kassandra-lorelei]

I don't ever remember reading a dummy twins continuation where Niles go after C.C. Do you know of any? Anyways can you write one where he decides to go after her and try one more time? I have always thought he would regret what he said to her on the stairs and would go find her, even just to apologize before he leaves or else he wouldn't be able to live with himself that that was the last thing he ever said to her. Take your time, I know you are busy and have other requests. Thanks!

I’m so sorry I’ve only just finished this! I have got to do all of these prompts and my fics, and try to carve out some time every day after work so that they get done quicker. I’ve also been feeling a bit down recently, which I suppose hasn’t helped, but today was better - I passed my probation at work! Let’s all read fics to celebrate

@missbabcocks1 @holomoriarty

“You’re going to be saying “Merry Christmas” to your friends in rehab and wondering what might’ve been!”

Niles cringed as the words from not-too-long-ago echoed in his head, and he shoved another folded cardigan into his suitcase. He was sure to try and make that shove as hard as possible. It had originally come from the thought that maybe the more he focused on packing, getting away from the Sheffield mansion and finding a new place to start over, the less he’d be able to hear himself in his head.

Not that he’d had any luck. The sound of his own cruelty kept returning and said cardigan was only about the third item he’d managed to put away, so far – the adrenaline from the…well, the argument (he might as well call it what it was)…was wearing off and winding down into shock. Even thinking about it was leaving him almost paralysed.

He was stuck there, frozen in his own shame and the knowledge of what he’d done.

He couldn’t believe he’d just let Miss Babcock have it like that! It’d been more ruthless than he’d ever imagined himself to be, and there was no justification! It didn’t even matter if the part of him that still wanted to be angry kept trying to say that she’d deserved it.Nobody really and truly deserved what he’d said. It’d been the heat of the moment, and it’d all come straight from the hurt and the anger he’d been burning with the moment she’d scoffed at the idea of marrying him.He could still hear her in his head as clearly as he heard himself.“You are a pathetic excuse for a man!”That time, he felt himself flinch, gripping tightly at the edge of his case as he let Miss Babcock’s voice make a natural exit from his mind. He’d never once imagined that he might agree with the producer (out loud and in the open, anyway), but how could he do anything else now? What kind of a man did the things he did, to the woman he knew in his heart that he loved?He’d always tried to justify it, before now. He’d told himself that there was no other possible means of getting her attention – not while he was a servant and she was…everything he’d ever dreamed of, really. And he didn’t just mean that she was rich – in fact, that was one of the things he least cared about when it came to how he saw her, deep down.To him, she was the height of sophistication. The sharpest wit. The most fun and exciting adversary-slash-partner-in-crime. It was her intelligence that kept the business alive and her strong personality that kept ego-driven backers, actors and senior crew members from eating Mr Sheffield alive. And that wasn’t even getting started on how stunning she was, from her golden hair and sapphire eyes, to her statuesque frame and curves only the finest marble craftsmen could ever hope to replicate.Had he ever told her how much he’d admired her, for any of that? Only once for some of it, after twelve glasses of scotch, and even then, not very well.At least they’d had a dance out of it. If he’d known that it would be their last, he’d have tried to make it go on a little bit longer. He might’ve even tried to have an actual conversation with her about what they might or might not (most likely not; from the brief flashbacks his mind had surrendered afterwards, he didn’t remember anything happening successfully) have done after the wedding was over and everyone had left the reception.He didn’t know what it would have achieved, but it might’ve left them in a different position. Figuratively thinking, of course. He knew there was no way she would’ve ever considered changing her mind about him – why would she? She had no reason to even think of giving him a chance and every reason on the planet to laugh in his face.Just like she had done, when he’d blurted out those fateful words at the opening night party.He tried to distract himself by quickly turning and grabbing another few of his shirts, which hastily went into the case, but it wasn’t enough. It would never be enough – he could pack up his whole life (he resisted the urge to let Miss Babcock’s voice come in and remind him how pathetically empty the suitcase would be if he did that), and he’d still be thinking about it. About all of the things that had happened – that he’d done, that she’d done, that they’d both done…It filled him with shame, knowing how much of it could’ve been avoided, if he’d simply treated her the way a man should treat a woman he cared about. Granted, not much else might’ve come of it, but at least his conscience would be clear.He needed to clear it now. Or, at least attempt to. And that meant only one thing.He had to apologise to her, before it was too late.Of course, that didn’t necessarily mean forgiveness. He just needed her to know that he had seen the error of his ways. He’d leave her alone after that and return to finish up his packing. A flight back to London was calling, with promises of a new life attached.A new life, but no new love. He knew he’d never find anybody else that made him feel the way she did. But he’d get used to the loneliness – he’d been carrying it around in his heart for twenty years already, anyway.It might hurt less, being an ocean apart and not having to see her every day.But that was enough of standing around, just thinking about it. He actually had to get down there and do it, if he had a chance of feeling any better.If he was lucky (and he doubted it at this point, but it wasn’t like he had much left to lose), she might still be downstairs. Perhaps taking refuge in the kitchen, or the office. If he knew anything at all about Miss Babcock, it was that she could either bury herself in work to escape the things that bothered her, or she could take her frustrations down one of two pathways with food – neither of which were completely healthy.Cringing again at how he’d played more than a minor role in that particular aspect of her beliefs about herself, he left his unfinished suitcase, steeled himself with a few calming breaths for whatever was about to happen and went to head downstairs.…………………………………………………………He’d been right – she was in the kitchen, when he got there.She didn’t notice him at first. It looked like she was hunched over at the kitchen table, focusing almost furiously on something she had in front of her. One of her arms was twitching, as though she was writing something down, but it was only a few words at a time.The look was a familiar one. She was trying to word something correctly. He’d been right again – she was distracting herself with work, even if it wasn’t coming to her as quickly as it normally did.There was a strange mixture of tension and lightness in his chest, even at seeing her. Lightness, because she was still there, and he hadn’t missed his window.But there was tension for the same reason.He wasn’t sure he knew what to do – how to begin, at any rate. She didn’t seem to know he was there, and he didn’t want to startle her by suddenly speaking…Feeling anxious, he quietly shuffled his feet. It was rare for him to not know what to do or say, especially around the producer, but now his mind was completely at a loss. It was making him uncomfortable. Dreadfully uncomfortable, like he could spontaneously combust if he didn’t move, or do something, or say something – at this point, he wasn’t even sure if what came out would make a difference, but it had to be better than just staring at the back of her head.It might lead into him being able to apologi-“I know you think you’re being quiet back there, but I’ve had twenty years of you creeping around. You can’t hide that easy anymore.”The words came like a blow to his middle, winding and nearly sending him stumbling back. He should’ve realised that she’d know he was there – they’d played games like this before, amongst the abundant variety of things they did to shock, startle, humiliate or hurt the other. But it had caught him off-guard, not knowing what to say, and that had sent his mind into a kind of panicked state that threw off everything else, as well.He was thrown off again, when she turned around to look at him. Even from the stairs, he could see that her eyes held that glare he’d once been so proud of causing…He could see that they were watery and red, too, like they had been overflowing with the tears he now felt awful for causing.“What do you want?”It was a simple enough question, but the answer was so terribly complex, Niles thought he might explode again. Where did he even begin?By saying that he was sorry, for the way things between them were ending?That he wanted to travel backwards, right to the very moment he’d opened the mansion’s door and had seen her for the very first time, all in the hopes of starting afresh and trying something other than the most hurtful pranks and insults to get her attention?That all he really wanted, more than anything else (even if he knew it was impossible), was for her to forgive him and to allow him one chance to redeem himself?He didn’t even mind anymore if he couldn’t get past simple redemption. She wasn’t obliged to love him, or even to want to be friends. But if he could apologise, let her know that he’d changed and would never try to prank another person, or ever darken her doorstep again, then he supposed he could feel satisfied with that.He had to be. It wasn’t like they’d ever see each other again, when this was finally over and done with.Well, with that sarcastically wonderful thought in mind, the conclusion to just get it out there came quickly. It was like ripping off a band-aid.“To say sorry,” he admitted, feeling the sudden need to gasp in air, but trying to be as silent as possible about it because even in his head the notion sounded pathetic. Had he really been holding his breath that whole time? “I…I came down here to say that I am sorry.”It wasn’t really surprising that he was met with stony silence. But it didn’t make it any less awkward.He tried descending the steps, to come a little bit closer, “I really didn’t mean those things that I said earl-”“Oh, spare me, Niles. We both know what you meant,” the producer said sharply in return, halting him in his tracks. She then turned back to whatever she had on the table, muttering more quietly. “Must’ve been a long time coming, too, with the way it burst out of your mouth like it’d been trapped there for centuries…!”He wasn’t going to argue with her about whether or not he’d been holding onto what he’d said for some time. It was obvious that she wouldn’t believe him. On another, less serious occasion, he might have even conjured up some sort of remark about her and centuries’ worth of aging. But even attempting it right at that moment felt wrong.The entire situation felt wrong.And it all seemed to do with the thing she was concentrating on, hunched over and with her back turned to him.He took a few steps forward and craned his neck to get a better look, “What are you working on?”Miss Babcock hunched over more and he heard a piece of paper sliding across the table’s surface.“None of your business.”“Well, I suppose not, but I can’t help being curious,” his feet slipped gently and quietly over another kitchen tile. “It isn’t often that you work so late. Especially not in here.”And especially not after how the rest of their awful, dreadful, humiliating night had gone…Clearly frustrated, the producer twisted in her seat, snapping, “This isn’t work, I’ll have you know. Not that I have to let you know, considering the fact that this is still none of your goddamned business!”The butler flinched, a little chastised but feeling the need to defend himself, “If it isn’t work, then why are you doing it here?”It was so tempting to just slip back into bitterness and tell her that she could do whatever she was doing in the comfort of her own penthouse, away from the butler that she clearly had no intention of ever forgiving. Then he could get back to his packing and they could go about their lives without ever seeing or speaking to one another again.But he didn’t finish it there, and not just because it hurt too much to even contemplate. His curiosity was also getting the better of him – even more than it had done just previously.“Is it really so urgent that it has to be done right away?” his voice was quieter that time, still a bit defeated from her biting retort.Miss Babcock didn’t turn around. Not immediately, anyway.“If I wanna get on the job market by nine o’clock tomorrow morning,” she said matter-of-factly. And then she turned, showing him what appeared to be a handwritten letter. “Congratulations, Scrubbing Bubbles – you’ve done it. I am done here. I’m quitting working for Maxwell!”Niles felt his jaw drop, as did his heart – straight into the pit of his stomach.“You’re what…?!” the exclamation was out, and his feet were carrying him in her direction before he could stop himself. “You can’t be serious!”The producer nodded, signing her name at the bottom of the paper, “Oh, I am!”“But why?!”He couldn’t help sounding distressed at this point. The thought of Miss Babcock leaving the company – the mansion, maybe even Broadway itself – was…well, unthinkable! No matter what they felt or thought about each other, the idea of her not being where she was and doing what she did, every day of the working week, was as absurd and wrong as all the stars disappearing from the night sky, or the oceans suddenly turning into savannahs! He’d decided to leave, because he knew that she’d stay. Or, at least he’d thought that she’d stay. It would’ve been easier on them both – he’d get a fresh start and probably find a new career (although he wondered if he was kidding himself – how many employers were looking for someone his age?), while she could continue her life and her work, without having to look at his stupid face every day.His stupid, sorry face.Not that that would get any sympathy from her.“Because, as it turns out, you were right all along! And maybe, once upon a time, it would’ve killed me to admit that, but guess what? I’m going to let it go,” she tucked her letter away and smartly sealed the envelope with a couple of tight pinches, before smacking it down on the table. “Just like everything else that I haven’t in the past, as you oh-so graciously reminded me tonight! I’m not gonna hang around somewhere that I’m not wanted anymore. I’m cutting ties, and this is the best and quickest place to start!”“But…I never meant for you to quit your job!” he cried out in return. “You’re the whole reason Mr. Sheffield’s company is even still standing!”Miss Babcock scoffed, turning fully and looking up at him, “Yeah? Well, I don’t exactly see you sticking around, and you’re probably the only reason the whole place didn’t burn to the ground years ago!”“You…” the resolve and willpower to argue died on his lips as the counterpoint settled and got comfortable in his brain. “Actually, you might have a point about that…”The producer rolled her eyes, “After twenty years, he finally admits it…!”She sounded as sarcastic as ever, but her muttering was far from up to their usual standard. It was more along the lines of someone finally hearing what they had been wanting to hear, only it had been so long that they had long since assumed they never would and had given up.It was certainly less creative than “Well, guess who just poked his head out of Maxwell’s derrière to announce it’s spring?”. But it sounded less angry, and he supposed that was a start.A start of what, he wasn’t sure. But it definitely felt like something better than the screaming match they’d performed for the Sheffields earlier, so he was going to bite the bullet and attempt to find out where it could be going.That didn’t involve another attempt at an apology, but it did involve a peace offering.“Coffee?”…………………………………………………………..He never expected her to say yes. Well, maybe not “yes”, per se; when it finally came out, it was more along the lines of a begrudging “screw it, I might as well”. But soon enough, they were both at the table (Niles having taken his time taking his seat, almost over-aware of the notion that she might not want him to sit next to her), nursing mugs of hot coffee. Miss Babcock had hesitated again just before taking the cup, clearly fearing some sort of drawn-out revenge prank, but once he’d informed her that there was no sour milk mixed in and that the cup was clean, everything started to settle.They started to settle, too. It took less time than he had imagined it would for them to begin talking – it had never taken long for them to talk, but his mind had already accepted the idea of that jumping clear out of the window the minute he’d accidentally…well, said the thing he really shouldn’t have said.Luckily, they didn’t talk about that. But they did end up on the subject of their joint-but-separate decisions to leave the mansion.At one point it would’ve killed the butler not to make a cow joke at Miss Babcock calling it “seeking out greener pastures”, but he more than managed to hold his tongue. It was simple enough to do, when the conversation was so serious.Serious, and probably a long time coming.It certainly felt the latter, once the next words the producer spoke came out of her mouth.She settled her cup back down on the table, having just taken another sip, “You know something? After letting his butler and his business associate both go at the same time, it’s safe to say that Maxwell Sheffield is just as oblivious now as he was twenty years ago.”Niles raised an eyebrow. They’d shared moments before over the innate lack of common sense Mr. Sheffield often displayed, but he didn’t think he’d ever heard Miss Babcock talk about it so…frankly, and so openly.And especially not in terms of their jobs, or career decisions that their employer had made. Not that she was wrong, of course.His eyebrows raised momentarily, and he lifted his cup to have a drink, “At least we can agree on the most important basics…”The producer didn’t speak for a moment after that. The only thing that left her lips was a sigh, and even though she didn’t turn her head, Niles could just about see that her gaze had fallen on her cup. It didn’t look like it intended to move, but it gave the implication that she had something important on her mind.“Not just basics, really,” she finally said aloud, in a voice that suggested she was admitting something she’d been keeping to herself.Niles didn’t even watch his hands as he put his cup down on the table. He couldn’t imagine what she meant, nor what she was about to say. They’d always tried so hard to present the opposite view to one another, whether out of spite or something else entirely was a matter of opinion at this point, but the idea that she was clearly open to more than just slightly agreeing with him was…confusing.It was giving him a dry mouth, but he still had to ask.“What do you mean?”Miss Babcock shifted a little bit in her seat, now back to nursing her drink with both hands. He wondered if she’d done that so that she had something to do with them during the conversation.“I…did a little bit of thinking, before I came in here,” she said quietly. She then paused, as though she was expecting something else, before turning towards him with a look of near suspicion. “What, no punchline about how thinking is a dangerous occupation for me?”In his head, Niles admitted that was a good one. But he wasn’t intending on using any insults in this conversation.Especially not when he suddenly felt as though he was closer to Miss Babcock than he had ever been before. Even one little comment would set all of that back, and it could even make her think that maybe talking for as long as they had had been a mistake.He’d salvaged something, when he’d thought he’d ruined everything. He wasn’t about to destroy it all, all over again.“Not this time,” he told her instead, nodding his head just a little in encouragement. “Go on.”The producer seemed almost momentarily stunned, but she didn’t let it bother her for too long.“Oh. Uh, okay,” she dropped her eyes away from him, cleared her throat once and began. “Well, I was sat in my car, and I began to think that if it was so easy, and if I didn’t feel even a little bad about walking away from Maxwell, then maybe it wasn’t Maxwell that I thought I’d be missing by going.”Niles thought he felt his heart stop. Or speed up to the point that he could no longer keep track of how fast it was beating. It was one or the other, at any rate, and suddenly that dryness in his mouth seemed to be spreading rapidly.It got beyond the point where he wished that it would all just calm down, really. Was his body really getting so hopeful, when she’d barely begun to explain? Just because she’d realised that Maxwell wasn’t the one for her, it didn’t mean that her feelings about anything else had changed.He had to know more. It was the only way he could get things back on track, and maybe stop his own nervous system from going into some kind of overload just because it was hearing something vaguely like what it had always hoped it would.“What conclusion did you come to instead?” he asked, trying hard not to sound like his mouth was fast becoming the bodily equivalent of the Sahara Desert.It took barely a moment for the producer to give her answer.“Something I should’ve thought harder about a long time ago,” she said, taking another sip of her coffee. In truth, she looked like she was pretending it was something stronger. “I thought I’d be missing out on the life my mother taught me to want. Rich, powerful husband. Good family, great connections - all that crap that all the mothers in the upper classes of society taught their daughters was the secret to happiness.”Niles felt a sinking feeling in his heart and his gut. He had gathered from what he’d heard (and seen in her daughter) over the years that Miss Babcock’s mother would be the same as so many other snobbish, upper-class women that he’d had the misfortune of meeting (serving) at Mr Sheffield’s backers’ parties. But it was another feeling entirely to have to hear it come from the producer herself.It sounded like she was finally opening up to a reality she hadn’t wanted to admit – not even to herself.And that was just proved further, as she clearly tried to hold back from letting a sob leave her lips.“I wish I’d stopped thinking about it sooner. I’ve wasted too much of my time and now…now, it’s too late,” she hung her head, letting her gaze drop to her lap. Niles thought he saw her lip quiver, but she pursed it tightly and took in a deep, steadying breath before he could really tell. “I’m never gonna get a man who loves me or makes me happy…and that’s all I’ve really ever wanted…”She shook her head sadly, her golden hair falling in front of her face and obscuring Niles’ view. He didn’t think he’d ever seen her so heartbroken. So…hurt. Vulnerable. Not even when she’d complained to him that her life was over, when Mr and Mrs Sheffield had gotten married! There was only despair written in her body language. She truly believed that it was all over for her – that no matter what she did or said, she would never get what she had truly been looking for all her life. It was almost as though he could see into her mind at that moment, and all he could see was an empty penthouse as the seasons changed and years passed by, work piles growing and shrinking every once in a while, and a perpetual dinner for one being eaten alone at the table.It was a life, but even just imagining it felt like there was a large hole, gaping and open like a wound, blown right through the middle. And it felt like it might’ve been there the producer’s entire life, even if she hadn’t always been aware of it.He didn’t really know what possessed him to do it, but he couldn’t keep his hand where it was anymore. He supposed that he felt like being brave and taking a leap of faith. He might’ve lost his chance (never really had one, he actually thought) at what he’d wanted, but she needed the comfort. He reached out and tucked the locks back behind her ear.“You don’t have to worry about finding a man who’ll love you.”The way Miss Babcock looked at him after that, anybody who’d just walked in would think he’d just told her the meaning of life. Only the meaning of life was something surprisingly mundane and ordinary, like making sure you drank a glass of water every day.It halted the tears that were pooling at the corners of her eyes, though. In the light, the glistening added to the glimmer of hope that was faintly appearing.She sniffed, clearly not caring whether he knew she was trying to compose herself or not, “Really…?”Niles swallowed his heart back down his throat before it could get to his mouth, and took another leap by taking her hand.“You’re witty, you’re sophisticated, you’re beautiful, you’re sexy, you have a fierce intellect, you are stronger in character than you even realise, you fight for the things that matter to you and you’re not afraid to go for what you want, either. I see no reason for you to feel like you couldn’t also have love as well,” he said, not an ounce of a lie present, nor a zinger ready to be thrown. This meant so much more than any kind of fun that could come from that. “And before you ask, I’ve had nothing from the liquor cabinet, so all of this is coming directly from me.”Silence descended over them, and the butler watched as the producer studied his face, and then their joined hands. He wondered – panicked – if maybe she was about to take offence at such a gesture; why wouldn’t she? He hadn’t asked, she was upset, and his whole behaviour could be…misconstrued.He wasn’t expecting anything from her, but she wasn’t to know that. As far as she could know, this was all some sort of ploy to get her to agree to go on another date with him. It wasn’t a ploy. He wasn’t some sort of degenerate who took advantage of other people’s sadness.Well, not in the way that his behaviour could currently be implying. And definitely not anymore.But the producer didn’t appear worried about that. She hadn’t even taken her hand back, despite the fact that they’d technically been holding hands for longer than at least a few minutes! It was…oddly comfortable. Like their hands were supposed to fit together the way they were…She seemed to have noticed him staring, at any rate, once he’d come back to the present moment and the real world.But she didn’t yell. She didn’t argue, or pull away in protest. She didn’t even throw a zinger. And for an infinite moment that had…well, had rarely – if ever – actually happened before, the butler had to wonder what it was she could possibly be thinking. For two people who had, practically from day one, declared themselves “mortal enemies”, they were more in tune with each other than anybody else in the house. Possibly anybody else they knew, too.Not that he knew many people from outside of the house…But he was getting distracted. His mind was probably wandering because it was nervous – nervous of the fact that he didn’t have the faintest idea what she was thinking. Nervous of the fact that she could suddenly turn around and decide that she didn’t want to see where any of this was heading.Nervous of the fact that they were teetering on a finely-honed edge, that ran as a border between infinite possibilities and never seeing each other again.And at long last, it was time to see in which direction she was intending to fall.“Did you…really mean what you said before?” she asked, breaking the silence that had dragged for long enough. There was an awkward pause after that, and if Niles didn’t know any better, he could’ve sworn that the producer blushed slightly. “A-about the apology, I mean.”It took him a moment to understand, but when he did, he realised that she didn’t think he’d grasp that that was what she was talking about. And the only other moment in either of their heads that could have had words that needed meaning attached was the awful, humiliating opening night where he had blurted out everything and ruined it all.Not that this…entirely felt like everything was ruined. She wasn’t asking or saying anything further about the proposal, good or bad. Which was about as much relief as he could’ve asked for, really, considering the fact that he hadn’t even expected her to want to talk to him again only moments ago.In fact, the glimmer of hope he’d been feeling before was starting to ignite, becoming a spark. He knew he had to nurture it, if he wanted this to become anything at all.And he knew exactly how to answer her question. He swallowed to relieve his dry mouth before replying, “To the point where I wished I could go back in time, to start everything over between us.”The producer’s eyes dulled a little, and her gaze dropped away from him to look at their hands with a frown.“Well, we can’t exactly do that…”And suddenly, everything he’d thought could possibly be happening vanished right in front of him. This was truly it then, wasn’t it? She was backing off, just as he’d feared she would. He didn’t really know what else he’d expected to happen. Rivals or not, butler and producer or not, she was still one of the most rich and powerful women in New York, from a family line that wouldn’t cross the street to even so much as toss him a dirty look. What they really felt about each other – whatever that was, on her part – had to come second to that. Why wouldn’t it? He wasn’t worth the hassle it would cause to go against her family’s wishes.He was nothing. He was nothing, and he had been down there long enough. Wasted enough of her time, when she could have easily dropped the letter on Mr. Sheffield’s desk by now and been heading home to start preparing to look for a new job.It was about time that he let go of her hand, got up and-“But we can make the future better, can’t we?” her interruption of his thoughts was as surprising as it was hesitant, as though she were afraid of the answer he could possibly give. “If you’re still up for that, obviously…”For what felt like the longest amount of time anybody had ever gone without speaking in recorded history, Niles stared back at her.Had…had he really heard that right? It sounded like she’d said that the future could be better if they were together, but was it just that his mind had jumped right back into being too hopeful and had conjured up some sort of fantasy in place of what she was really saying?!Was it just a fantasy, though? It seemed too good to be true, but she did look…hopeful. Maybe just like he had been – like she was now hoping that there was still something there.Something that, if they were both hoping it still existed, was quite obviously more than salvageable.She’d really said it, hadn’t she?Was she really giving him a chance? Giving them a chance?! The question that was still just begging to be asked was out of his mouth without another thought.“You…you really want that?”He couldn’t help still being a little bit unsure. Probably from a force of habit and roughly twenty years of telling himself that he wasn’t good enough. But that faded away as she gripped his hand between both of hers, letting their fingers slowly start to entwine.“I want to try being happy, Niles. My mother’s wants and demands haven’t helped one iota. And this little game we’ve had going for years hasn’t exactly left either one of us ecstatic, has it?” the question was so rhetorical in the butler’s ears that it hurt, and the longer the producer went on, the more confident her voice became. “We have fun with our wordplay, but we also have fun when we’re not doing that - the night of the Broadway Guild Awards, the pottery class, heck, even dancing at Maxwell and Nanny Fine’s reception before we got so hammered we couldn’t remember anything!”Niles would have cringed at at least two of those memories beforehand (or, what he had of one of them, anyway), but being told and realising they were some of the producer’s favourite moments that they had shared was…surprising. He hadn’t imagined that she’d ever want to think about them after they’d come down the next morning, or after he had gone back to being friends with Mrs. Sheffield…He’d imagined that they were just two more reasons for her to (justifiably) hate him. But Miss Babcock’s next words simply confirmed the complete opposite.“Those days were the ones that made me happy. Maybe the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. And I…God damn it, it kinda kills me to admit it, but I want more of them! And I want more of them with you!”Niles blinked at the revelation, unsure of what to say or what to do. As much as he’d hoped, longed, and prayed for the day to come, he’d been so certain that it never would that he had no idea what the next step was now that the moment had finally arrived. Out of all the things he’d been prepared to say to the producer, or had even managed to come up with off the top of his head while still sounding clever, how best to tell her how he felt had never been one of them.It was painful, how long he took to even think of something to say, and he could only come to the conclusion that it was having an adverse effect on the producer in turn. She must have thought that her openness was scaring him, because she looked away rapidly, eyes directed at the floor. “I mean, If you want to, anyway. I know I can’t make you change your mind, if you’ve already made it up.”Just seeing her so convinced it had already all been ruined, and clearly even more uncomfortable at the idea of having opened up only for it all to come to naught, made his stomach start to circle the endless pit that was guilt again. He knew now that it hadn’t been ruined, but she needed to know that as well, and be secure in that fact.Perhaps it was time to get back into a little bit of familiar territory. Something that would make them both feel secure, as well as get them back on solid ground.Something that would start them off on solid ground.And she had left just the right angle, by mentioning that she wanted more happy days spent with him.Just like he knew he’d always wanted with her.Taking one last step into new but very inviting territory, he gently placed his fingers under her chin and lifted it up, letting her eyes meet the smirk he was now wearing.“Does this whole awkward way of asking me out on a date mean that you’ve accepted my apology from earlier?”It took a moment, but suddenly the corners of Miss Babock’s mouth began to curl upwards – a mixture of a beaming, joyful smile, and a grin of pure mischief.And the butler found out just how mischievous she intended to get when she gripped at his wrist and he suddenly found himself yanked forwards so hard, they almost ended up sharing a chair.She was less than inches away from his face when she next spoke, eyes darkening and lips nearly brushing his.“Don’t push your luck, Butler Boy.”Had it not been for their lips finally meeting after that, Niles would’ve replied that he wasn’t sure he had to.