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lastmafagafo · 2 years

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Cigar Bar

When C.C. and Niles meet outside of work, they discover both of them like smoking cigars. What else they might find if they stay long enough in each other's company?

Author Notes:

Sadly, I'm not the creator of The Nanny, and none of the characters of the show belongs to me. That said, I'm a big C.C. and Niles fan, and I still ship them, so why not share some of my fics?

As you can see, English is not my first language. I tried to make sure you really say "Cigar bar", but if I got it wrong, don't let me embarass myself and tell me, please! Same for any other mistake you might find in the fic.

Rated Teen and Up because of the consumption of alcohol and cigars.

**One shot**

C.C. liked going to that cigar bar. Even though Nanny Fine or Val never accompanied her there again, there was something about the characteristic male ambiance, or maybe the power that came with holding that cigar, that made her feel empowered and even attractive.

She sat on her usual couch, cigar at one hand, a glass of brandy in the other, as she took turns between one and another. With the first puff she could feel her concerns vanishing into thin air. That was good. She could say she was really enjoying her time out, if not that unsettling feeling that something was wrong. She looked around, trying to find out what was bothering her so much, when she saw the last man she hoped to find there, the butler.

Niles was feeling like the man he was meant to be. Classy, smart, a complete gentleman, while holding his cigar. He liked that nasty thing, and not only because his boss Maxwell was always smoking one around the house. He liked to fantasize about himself as that successful lawyer, working in his own office, being the boss. Holding a cigar always made him feel the closest he could ever be to achieve that dream. But his perfect dream life was disturbed by a very familiar gasp not too far from him.

There she was, Miss Babcock, sitting right next to him on the couch. Startled, he almost dropped the cigar and stood up. But his quick mind reminded him that he was doing nothing wrong, just enjoying a cigar in a bar. What also reminded him, what the heck that demon woman was doing there, besides ruining his night off, of course?

“I see you got tired of smoking Maxwell’s cigars,” she said, cleaning her throat.

“I could tell you the same. What are you doing here, woman?”

“Smoking, like you. But of course, I have much more class,” she smiled, blowing some smoke over him.

Niles smirked. She wasn’t wrong, Miss Babcock seemed quite classy smoking her cigar, just like a pro. That was something quite sexy about that, but Niles didn’t want to overthink it.

“I’m on my night off, so don’t expect me to do anything for you,” he said.

“Please! Don’t make me laugh! You’ve never done anything for me!” she scoffed. “Besides, I’m also here to relax.”

“Then let’s pretend we don’t know each other,” he proposed, and Miss Babcock agreed.

“Seems good to me.”

Both C.C. and Niles looked away from each other, but of course, after they acknowledged the presence of the other, things couldn’t be quite the same. Still C.C. made her best to keep her comments to herself, and so did Niles. They didn’t need to talk. They weren’t friends anyway.

“Excuse me, ma’am,” said a man, who sat between Niles and C.C. He smiled at her, interested, and leaned closer, a bit too close to C.C.’s taste. “Is this seat taken?”

“Yes,” she said, her dangerously “get out of the way” voice tone.

“You seemed so alone. Do you like nice guys?” he asked, ignoring her answer completely. Niles was considering stepping in, when he heard her voice, a bit lower than usual.

“Yes, I used to be one,” she smiled.

The man excused himself and practically ran away from her, while Niles did his best to hold his laugh. He couldn’t believe Babcock really said that. Even more unbelievable was that her trick worked.

“Go on, Beula. Say what you want,” she told him, not looking directly at Niles.

“Are you finally admitting you are a man, Babcock?”

“Well, I’m more of a man than you are,” she said, rolling her eyes.

He smiled. “You must admit that being in a cigar bar, smoking and drinking some brandy, is not a very feminine trait.”

“Who said that, Niles? You are such a caveman! Besides, I’ve been here before with Nanny Fine. I bet you wouldn’t say that of her.”

“Ms. Fine smoking a cigar? Did she manage to hold it?”

“Not really,” smiled C.C. “She Holly Gollightled it, like it was a cigarette.” C.C. said, laughing at her own joke. To her surprise, Niles joined her as well. And to make things worse, she liked that he did. For once, he was laughing with her, not of her. “Can I tell you something? But you must promise me you won’t tell her,” said C.C.

“A secret, from Miss Babcock? Did you murder someone?”

“Just the butler with the candelabra,” she said, rolling her eyes. “I’m trying to be serious here!” “Sorry, you are right. Go on.”

“I envy her, Nanny Fine...” she said.

“Why?” he asked, already knowing the answer. Miss Babcock, being Miss Babcock, would probably say something about Maxwell. She thought that was a secret!

“She is pretty,” said C.C., sighing.

“What are you saying, woman?” he asked, completely confused. Yes, Miss Fine was pretty, but as far as he knew, Miss Babcock was just as beautiful as the nanny. In her sophisticated and elegant way, maybe she was even more.

“Please, Niles! Don’t try to deny it! You are a man! She is gorgeous! She has curves, and is not afraid to show them. No wonder she has no problems with men! And look at me!”

He was looking, and still not understanding what Babcock was talking about. Especially with that outfit of hers. The long back skirt, the long sleeved black blouse, her tiny waist marked by a thin belt, the golden hair on an updo. Her red lips around that cigar. There was not a thing on that woman that wasn’t attractive, and any man could see that. Well any man besides Mr. Sheffield. But the guy really wasn’t the most perceptive man on Earth.

“What about you?” he asked, gulping.

“Are you kidding me?” She showed him the cigar and drank what was left of the brandy in one shot. “I’m part of a man’s world, Niles. I must be hard, I must be tough, I must grab them by the balls if I want some recognition. Maybe I’m really a man.”

“You silly woman! Nanny Fine is a bombshell but you are also a very…” he almost said she was attractive, but he held his tongue. If Babcock knew he felt attracted to her, even the slightest, she would never leave him alone again. “Nice.”

“Nice? Oh, thank you a lot!” she rolled her eyes, feeling even worse.

“Come on, Babs! You are smart, ressorsefull, and determined. You never give up, even when you have little to no changes. Look at Maxwell, for example. It’s clear that he doesn’t love you, and still, you will fight for him until the end.”

“Thank you! I really like being the crazy obsessive woman!”

“That’s not what I meant. Actually, sometimes I envy you, Babcock.”

“Me? Why?” she asked, predicting some cheap zinger at her expense.

“Because at least you fight for who you love,” he said, a sad smile on his lips.

C.C. looked at Niles surprised. So he loved someone? That was new! She had never heard something like that before. Niles in love… That seemed wrong.

“Niles, are you dating someone?” she asked, suddenly feeling a lump on her throat.

He avoided her eyes, blushing. There he was, opening his big mouth and talking more than he should! He blamed the brandy for that.

“No, not dating. That’s nothing, really,” he dismissed it, as nothing much important. He only hoped Ms. Babcock could move on and stop talking about that. But he didn’t have that luck.

“But you love someone, right?” she asked, not letting that go. The blonde was now determined to know who she was, and wouldn’t stop for nothing until she found out. Damn her! Damn him!

“Yeah… Some people could say it,” he smiled, looking at her.

“Who is she?” she asked again. Stubborn woman!

“I’m not telling you!”

“Come on, Niles! Tell me!” she begged, making a cute face. That was so unlike her, that Niles had to stop himself from smiling. She looked completely adorable there.

“Is that Nanny Fine?”

“No! Why would I like Miss Fine?” he frowned. She was like a little sister! Even thinking about it seemed wrong.

“I don’t know! Maybe that’s a servant thing,” she shrugged. “Val then?”

“No!”

She closed her eyes, in deep consideration. Then her jaw dropped, and she looked at him, horrified.

“Yetta?”

“Dear Lord, woman!” Niles cringed, drinking his brandy all at once.

“It’s not Sylvia, is it? Niles, she is married!”

“No! The woman I love is not married, or dating, or anything!”

Niles was losing his patience with her. In part because she couldn’t let that subject go, but mostly because her complete ignorance was annoying him. How could she name every woman they knew and not think about the most obvious person, the woman he truly loved? Was she stupid or just refusing to accept the truth?

“She must be pathetic,” C.C. laughed, trying to imagine which kind of woman the butler would be in love with.

“You got that right,” he said, a twinkle in his eyes and a smirk on his lips.

“What else? Is she ugly? I bet she is!” the blonde snubbed, smoking some more.

“Oh, no! She is gorgeous. The most gorgeous woman I’ve ever met,” he said, sweetly, drawing C.C.’s attention to him. For some reason, she hated hearing him talk like that about another woman, especially calling her gorgeous, of all words.

“More than Nanny Fine?” she gulped.

“Oh, yes. At least for me,” he said, his eyes sparkling.

C.C. swallowed. If she was more gorgeous than Fran, the blonde was seriously doomed.

“Is she a maid?” asked C.C., hoping to be superior to that woman in something.

“No, she doesn’t work for anyone. At least not the way I do. Actually, she could do whatever her heart wishes for.”

“So, she has a career?”

“For sure.”

“Bitch!” Though C.C. gritting her teeth. So Miss Perfect was gorgeous and had a bloody career. No big deal.

“She must be an idiot then.”

“Oh no! She is anything but an idiot! Actually, she is the most quick witted woman I know.”

That was an insult! C.C. looked away, sad, angry. C.C. knew she wasn’t the prettiest woman in New York, or even the most successful. Working for years for Maxwell, doing the dirty work yelling to choreographers and seducing bankers, while Max posed as the genius… she knew she let her infatuation for him get the best of her. But having Niles, smartass-quick-witted Niles, naming another woman as the most intelligent he ever met instead of her, that was too much! She pouted, and folded her arms, tired of playing that game.

“I bet she is awful!”

“That she is!” he agreed, realizing the change in her behavior. She looked like a little brat, a girl who lost her favorite toy, pouting and turning her face like that. He smiled. Could Babcock feel jealous of him? Even a bit?

“Ha! I knew it!” she smiled brightly.

“She is selfish, self-centered, pathetic, bad-humoured, cunning, petty… And I still love her anyway.”

Babcock’s smile dissappeared, in disappointment. That mysterious woman, who seemed to live just in Niles' imagination, suddenly became human. He wasn’t only infatuated, he truly loved her. And C.C. couldn't do anything about that.

“Did I forget to add something?” he asked her, quite amused.

“How am I supposed to know?” said C.C., defeated.

“Elementary, dear Babcock…” he said, grabbing her chin, and forcing her look into his eyes. “She is you.”

“Me?” her voice was weak and soft. She looked so young and naive. Niles chuckled. “Stop joking! I’m not in the mood.”

“But I’m not joking, Babs! I’m sorry for you, but I love you and there is nothing you can do about that.”

She looked at him for a moment, and a smirk formed on her lips. That was time for Niles to feel insecure. Damn! He was so taken by her reactions - of what he mistook by deception and maybe even sadness - that he completely forgot it was Babcock who he was talking to! And now she would tease him forever! What an idiot he was!

“Are you sure there is nothing I can do, Beula?”

In a split second, Babcock grabbed Niles by the tie, drew him closer and kissed his lips passionately. Taking the rare opportunity and decided to enjoy it as much as he could, he retributed the kiss, making it passionate, raw, full of lust and need. They split apart, still lost into each other.

“Now, who is teasing who?” he asked, still trying to catch his breath.

“Oh, Niles… Don’t you know me already? Since when I’m a woman of teasing?” she smiled, her voice deeper and huskier than he'd ever heard her. “So, mine or yours?”

He smiled. Oh, that damn woman indeed!

#C.C. Babcock #niles the butler #niles/cc #enemies to lovers #bonding #posted on ao3 #secret crush #or maybe not so secret #idiots to lovers #the nanny

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