Disclaimer: Don't own WR or anything of that kind. Wish I did.
A/N: This is a request from another author I have an awful lot of respect for, and since she went to the effort of reading one of my oldest fics all over again, I thought I could give this a go. Lil, you're amazing – and I hope you like this.
Summary: Sequel to 'Dancing To Their Tune' How would their first evening together as a couple have gone? Established Reddie.
Gentility
The evening was drawing to a close, the curtains having been pulled gently across by her own hands earlier and the daylight outside the windows having faded, leaving a warm night behind. The atmosphere was quiet, but comfortable, and there was the faint murmur of music coming from the kitchen door which drew Rachel to it like a moth to a flame. Ever since the community disco the week before, Rachel had been rediscovering her love of music that she had lost somewhere along the path of her life, and she was embracing the opportunity to explore a little part of her past that was not painful.
So far their first evening together following the disco, and the revelations it had brought, had been gentle, warm, enjoyable – Eddie had brought the ingredients and cooked them both cannelloni – she'd spent half the meal teasing him about being able to cook something that sounded so fancy. Their conversation had wandered where they willed it – hobbies, family, friends, she felt like she knew Eddie much better after tonight.
When they'd finished, he'd insisted on washing up as well – she'd protested, after him cooking she didn't see how it was fair that she simply take her leisure in front of the TV and wait for him, but he'd explained it was the equivalent of paying for their meal at a restaurant, and not to worry herself, ushering her towards the door of the living room with a gentle movement of his arms. She'd paused by the door and watched as he made himself easy in her kitchen, putting the plates in piles and starting the water running for the washing up.
She'd been unable to shake the smile from her lips at how comfortable he was in her home, how easily he fit into her life as a partner rather than a Deputy and the whole time she'd been aimlessly searching through channels for something to watch, her thoughts had remained with the wonderful man in her kitchen. She loved Eddie, she was comfortable with the knowledge now, and she knew he loved her – he'd assured her of it enough in the past few days.
She was convinced she must have been a saint in a previous life, because there was no other way she could have possibly deserved a man like him – he'd been gentility itself with her, never pushing, never complaining when she backed out of dinner for a meeting, which had been necessary twice before tonight, much to her own irritation as well, always making sure she was completely comfortable before he pressed a kiss to her lips.
It was from these thoughts she had been disturbed by whisper-like strains of lilting sound coming from the kitchen and she'd happily abandoned the sofa for the kitchen door, intrigued to find out what Eddie had put on her stereo. The music was soft, lyrics sung in a low, calming female voice and she smiled before turning her attention to Eddie. He was elbow-deep in bubbles, humming along with his CD and seemly happily finishing the chore he'd set himself.
The sight made Rachel want to giggle – it seemed so natural, she adored seeing him in her home, and he seemed content to be there. Smiling with a joy the like of which she didn't think she'd felt until Eddie came into her life, she snuck into the kitchen and padded softly towards her love. He was absorbed in the music, smiling to himself and tipping his head slightly to the beat and Rachel had to bite her lip to stop herself laughing at his slightly off-tune but heart-warming murmur.
Rachel positioned herself behind him and raised her arms, grazing his sides with her fingertips before slipping her arms around his waist. She chuckled as she felt him tense slightly, but then a contented sigh emitted from him and her name slipped from his lips in a caressing whisper. His hands stilled and lay the plate he'd been washing in the bowl, and she could see he was fighting the urge to turn around and face her. Carefully, she leant up on her tiptoes and pressed a deep kiss to the bottom of his neck, leaning a little of her weight on his sturdy frame to help with her balance.
"I love you, Eddie." Rachel whispered the words they'd scarcely had chance to repeat since the night of the disco against his neck, and found the words are even more pleasant to say a second time. She could tell he was grinning and she leant back down as he turned slightly, his eyes alight and shining with happiness that took her breath away.
"And I love you, Rachel Mason. More every day, it seems." Rachel bit the side of her bottom lip to hide just how wide her smile had grown at his words, before leaning forward again and pressing a sweet, short kiss to his mouth which he returned, before parting their lips and nodding towards the drying board.
"Would you like some help?" She smiled, and he didn't get the chance to answer before she had picked up a drying cloth from the end of the counter and began wiping off a plate. He shrugged, knowing it was useless to try and protest now she'd started, and resumed his old routine, washing up the last of their cutlery and cooking pots, his gaze constantly flicking up to watch her. Rachel swayed slightly to the music entwining around them, her mind loosing focus on the scene in her kitchen as the impulse to go to that place she only thought about when she was dancing rose within.
Watching with wide-eyed fascination, Eddie saw Rachel's movements begin to smooth out, the sway of her body becoming a movement of her hips and her hands abandoned reached for another dish, instead moving outwards, the lithe lines familiar and yet still incredibly exciting to the man regarding them. Her eyes were focussed in a far-away distance, some memory perhaps, and she began to gravitate away from him, into the middle of her kitchen floor.
Her arms rose, her weight shifting so she could swirl slightly on the spot, her eyes at last slipping closed as she surrendered to the mysterious pull of the tune playing. Eddie couldn't tear his eyes away, the sight before him too beautiful to miss even a second of. She was letting go, the woman he loved had completely let go, absorbed in her thoughts and uninhibited in a way he'd seen so little of in the time he'd known her.
A few minutes passed of her in that half-trance, swaying this way and that, her arms twirling and her expression gradually rising into one of natural and complete contentment. Eddie considered slipping into the semi-dance to join her, but knew he was far less graceful than her and would most likely end up ruining such a beautiful moment; instead, he hurriedly finished the last fork and dried his hands on the drying cloth she'd abandoned, turning to watch her, leaning on the counter behind him.
Slowly, regretfully, the music drew to a pause between the tracks and her moment of serenity faded, until she was no longer moving, merely stood in her kitchen, eyes closed, arms lowering gently to her sides. Eddie was finally able to take a breath, and the sound of it drew her eyes open – he couldn't help but grin at the hope, happiness and pleasure reflected in those gorgeous caramel depths. For a moment, she found his eyes and they shared that incredible smile of hers. Then she flushed prettily and looked away, suddenly a little unsure of herself.
Eddie shifted forward and went to her, taking her hands in his own and brushing a kiss to her temple, muttering words of praise into her ear. She smiled under the contact and flushed even more at his words, and inclined her head to rest on his shoulder, breathing into his clothes, as he buried his nose in her hair, delighting in the scent he could never quite pin down that was uniquely her. His Rachel. His love. His everything.
"I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life than you, especially when you dance." He breathed, feeling her shiver under his breath, and he smiled.
"Flatterer." She muttered and he chuckled, detecting just an edge of breathiness to her voice as she spoke.
"It's true." His voice rose a little with the confidence in their banter and she nodded, her hair brushing his neck.
"If you say so." Eddie was about to tell her he did when the next song chimed in their ears and he felt her shift, the recognition that took place in his mind also flowing through hers. "Eddie, is that the song from the disco..." She murmured, sounding amazed, tipping her head back to find his eyes, wondering whether she had made a mistake. There was a slight red hue to her partner's face as she graced her eyes over him, and he nodded, his eyes skittering down to avoid meeting her questioning gaze.
"Did I Tell You, by Rebecca Lavelle." He confirmed, a smile struggling to tip his mouth's edges upwards, and she knew he was waiting for her reaction. Rachel felt affection for the man in front of her swell even further and she disengaged one of her hands from his to raise it, catching his chin lightly with her fingers and tipping his head back up to hers, making sure he could see her thousand watt smile. He gave a relieved one in return and took her hand back, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Our song." He said, quietly, and she barely kept down her giggle, but he noticed anyway. "What?"
"It's just... I've never had a song before." She admitted, the warmth in her voice dispelling his worry that he'd gone over the top. "Where did you find it? I shouldn't imagine it's part of your music collection." She grinned, having learnt tonight he preferred U2 and the like.
"I, err..." He ducked his head again, wishing she hadn't asked, suddenly embarrassed for the lengths he'd gone to. She tipped her head to the side and inclined it forward, catching his gaze from the floor and drawing it up again. "I got Donte to download it for me, and put it on a CD. Chlo added some other tracks she thought you might like, and voila." He nodded towards the stereo and if possible, the sparkle in her eyes intensified as she realised just how much effort and thought he'd put into this evening.
"Oh Eddie." She murmured, again wondering just how it was possible this man had fallen in love with her. He kept his gaze in hers, waiting for what she thought, still a little nervous.
"I was trying to be romantic. I've not done the whole dating thing in a while, and I thought since you're starting to like music again, maybe..." He shifted on his feet, a little worried that she hadn't said anything more than his name. Her eyes smiled, and she applied a light pressure to both his hands.
"It's the cheesiest thing I've ever heard." She said at last, on the verge of laughing and his entire being dropped a little in disappointment before she leant up on the balls of her feet and brushed a kiss to the edge of his mouth. "But it's also the sweetest thing anyone could have done for me." She dropped the welcome words against his cheek, "So, thank you." She whispered, before applying another kiss to his jaw line, her smile growing even more as he tugged her closer. She untangled their entwined fingers of one hand and reached up, cupping his other cheek in her soft palm, caressing the slightly rough skin her mouth was brushing against.
So far, he'd been very careful, he'd always made sure he never lost control with her, he knew he couldn't rush anything, but with her entire body pressed against him, her skin smoothing against his, he knew he'd lost that fight. He nudged his face towards her and finally captured her lips in his, deeply and breath-taking-ly. She responded immediately, her arms sliding up his arms and her hands curving around the sides of his face to hold him to her, welcoming him closer as he slid his hands around her little body.
Their song mingled around them, sealing them in their own feelings, the only thought managing to surface in either mind being that they never wanted to be anywhere else but with this person, the one they love. The night danced on, both of them finding their place and rhythm with each other, every movement natural and Eddie found there was one other circumstance under which Rachel looked even more beautiful than when she danced.