Thank you all for the reviews. You're getting this chapter earlier than expected as I'm off out today, so probably won't get another chance to post it at a reasonable time :)

Please enjoy x

Chapter 9: Reassurance In Its Best Form

An hour or so later, Eddie remained on Rachel's sofa. She was currently tucked into his side with her head resting on his chest. His arm was wrapped securely around Rachel's waist and to Eddie, it truly felt like this had forever been their circumstances. Maybe not, but this was how it had always meant to be, and would forever be. Sounds from the television were audible, yet Eddie and Rachel were paying little attention. They were simply acquainting themselves with the feel of one another, and how amazing it was to just be this close. Something which both parties had been dreaming of for a significant amount of time.

Eddie was wondering if tonight would be the right time to kiss Rachel. He wanted to more than anything, it was something that was inevitably swimming around in his mind after spending a whole evening with her. The gestures that Rachel had given off suggested that her thoughts were taking a similar approach, but Eddie didn't want to risk what they had just evoked by pushing her too far. He knew Rachel, inside and out; so right now, Eddie gathered that her qualms and uncertainties surrounding their newly revealed love would be prominent. Under any other circumstances, both he and Rachel wouldn't be second guessing taking that next step. And for what felt like the millionth time that day, Eddie berated himself for his recent actions. He was a fool. Had Eddie not gotten together with Melissa, he and Rachel would have most likely reached this stage a significant amount of time ago. Upon realising that it was impossible to alter the past, Eddie reiterated his pact to make up for everything with the future days spent together. If Rachel would allow it, he would spend every day of the rest of their lives making up for the undoubtable pain he had put her through.

It wasn't only his own stupidity that Eddie blamed for this delay in progressing their feelings. He had an immeasurable amount of anger towards Stuart Hordley, and the fire. That morning, Eddie had been terribly nervous upon asking Rachel to go for a drink. But he had meant it, he wanted to take her out to celebrate. Although he believed that they both knew the meaning behind his offer ran far deeper than that. If Eddie had it his way, on the last day of term had the fire not happened, he would have invited Rachel back to his after the pub. To talk even more and to perhaps have another drink. With the light summer nights, they could have sat outside in his garden and laughed and joked to their heart's content. As the sun had been setting, that's when he would have told Rachel. Everything about his feelings would have been revealed, every precious inch. Eddie's love for her was substantially irrevocable, as it had been that evening. If only that had been the outcome. Rachel would still be in his arms now, but under entirely different and more comfortable circumstances. He was an idiot. And he would never hate a man as much as Stuart Hordley.

A hand travelling across his chest readjusted Eddie to his surroundings, and he couldn't help but smile. Rachel's body was practically moulded to his own, somewhere he had longed for her to be practically ever since the day they met. He was fast realising that you only ever get one love like this in your life, and he intended to hold onto it.

Sitting up slightly so that eye contact could be made, Rachel was slightly reluctant to pose this next question, but knew it had to be asked. She wanted to progress in this relationship with Eddie more than anything, and felt that this conversation had to be had before she could wholeheartedly do so.

"Does this feel right to you Eddie?"

He continued to trace random patterns on Rachel's side as he allowed this question to wash over him. Eddie knew that this conversation was imminent, it was still extremely soon after his relationship with Melissa. The thought remained to leave Eddie yet again feeling extremely guilty and foolish. It would forever be one of the biggest mistakes of his life. Having been expecting this though, Eddie felt fairly prepared to answer and reassure any of Rachel's quarms. In recent months he had been a coward and shied away from his feelings, something which in Eddie's mind, had been eradicated the moment he had decided to cut things off with Melissa. Now though, just like he should have been all along, Eddie was willing to fight tooth and nail for Rachel's love and this relationship. Nothing now could get in the way of his priorities.

"How do you mean?"

Eddie didn't necessarily need to ask, he knew exactly what Rachel was referring to. But he wanted to give her a chance to explain her inner musings rather than risk getting the wrong end of the stick entirely. Eddie wanted to fully understand how Rachel was feeling at this moment.

"Well… what with Melissa leaving just a few hours ago… I just feel guilty sitting here with you. Having admitted our love to one another."

Despite the slightly more serious tone set by Rachel in this conversation, Eddie couldn't help but feel pure joy upon listening to her words and thinking back to their earlier declaration of feelings. Another thought soon replaced this though, and suited the current conversation: how could Rachel possibly feel guilty? After everything which Melissa had put them both through, it just reflected how much of a wonderful and genuine person Rachel was. Sometimes Eddie wished that she would put her own happiness before the well being of others, but there was no way he would want her to change. Eddie loved every single part of Rachel, inside and out, so her selfless nature was something that he adored too. Like many other things, it was just a portrayal of how amazing she is.

"I know it must be hard to get your head around Rachel, it's all happened so fast. But for one, it was my mistake, my wrongdoing to get with Melissa in the first place. My feelings for you surpassed platonic a long time ago. And secondly, you should not be feeling guilty. Think about that night at the pub, and what must have been going through Melissa's head. She certainly wasn't feeling guilty."

Rachel still looked uncertain, but Eddie knew her and almost every one of her facial expressions. His words were getting through to Rachel, and she was pondering on them. Hopefully she would listen to him and realise that the guilt and blame is far from compatible with her shoulders. A few seconds passed, and with no response, Eddie lifted his spare hand to caress Rachel's cheek. Her gaze was brought back up to his, and he sensed that she couldn't refrain from giving him a slight smile. Sure enough, Rachel's lips twisted into a small expression. It was small, yet extremely meaningful and sincere. Perhaps she hadn't quite found the words yet, or was too caught up in her own emotion, but Eddie was sure from that signal that the comments he had just made meant a considerable amount to her.

Almost mirroring her earlier action, Rachel tilted her head so that it rested in the palm of Eddie's hand for a moment. This time though, she moved it slightly further so that she was given the ability to emanate a tender kiss onto his palm.

At that moment, for Eddie the whole world stopped. Countless times had he imagined the soft feel of her full lips against his slightly rougher skin. No matter how sensational her mouth against his skin felt in his dreams, nothing could compare to the here and now, to the reality of this situation. Rachel was really here with him now, and her tantalising lips were really pressed against his palm. It was just a reminder that Eddie had finally reached this point that he had once seen as an ambition or a fantasy. Rachel was his and he was Rachel's. Something Eddie would forever thank his lucky stars for.

Rachel tilted her face back to face Eddie's and he dropped his hand ever so slowly, allowing it to linger against the side of her neck for a moment. From the position of his hand, Eddie could feel Rachel's pulse racing, and it only seemed to increase as their eyes met once more. This left Eddie feeling rather gleeful that he was having just as much as an effect on her as she was having on him. That particular thought had become a recurring phenomenon throughout the evening, something which had Eddie's heart soaring out of control.

"Thank you Eddie, for reassuring me. You always know what to say."

He smiled and chuckled slightly, dropping his hand, "that's because I'm always right."

They shared a look as Rachel's lips began to twitch into a smile, "oh… I don't know about that."

Eddie couldn't resist a quirked eyebrow, almost repeating Rachel's own after his earlier admiration.

Rachel was watching Eddie closely as his gaze rotated from her eyes to her lips and back. Almost seconds after noticing this she found herself doing exactly the same. Which is perhaps why Rachel should have second guessed what was coming next.

In an instant she found herself not caring about anything other than the feel of Eddie's lips against her own, or the soft touch of his hand delving into her hip.

As the seconds passed, their exchange became more and more passionate, and their every movement full of further longing than the one previous. Eddie was well aware of Rachel's hand tugging on his shirt, bringing his body as close to hers as possible given the circumstances. He couldn't decide if his mind was more focused on that or the teasing way her nails were grazing across the back of his neck. As Rachel's hand ran through his hair, Eddie decided that that, along with the open mouthed kisses she was pressing against his jaw was his undoing. Which was why the slight groan which emanated from his mouth came naturally. He heard Rachel's brief chuckle against his neck, and felt the way her breath spread across his skin; crescendo like. This only worsened the impact she was having on him. Or bettered it, seemed more appropriate.

Eddie felt himself magnetising towards Rachel and the feel of her body against his. She recognised this apparently, and tugged on his shirt and neck that little bit more; sending her falling backwards onto the couch and Eddie following suit, causing him to land completely on top of her. Even though Rachel had indeed initiated the movement, Eddie wanted to ensure that he wasn't pushing her too far as he had previously wondered. He pulled away slightly, and the way Rachel's head rolled back into the couch following the removal of contact seemingly emphasised her response to Eddie's query.

Her eyes opened to meet his, and Eddie's heart stopped. Of course Rachel's beauty and magnificence had always been at the forefront of his mind. Yet now as she lay beneath him, Eddie seemed to have found the circumstance in which Rachel looked the most beautiful. Her sultry eye movements were framed by her teasing eyelashes and reluctantly, Eddie tore his own eyes away, only to be met with an even more tantalising sight. Rachel's previous gloss covered lips were now rosy red and swollen from the recent moments of contact. Eddiemind flashed back to snippets of previous minutes - the way his tongue gently brushed across her bottom lip to request entrance, and the way his teeth tempted her mouth before doing so. Just when Eddie was beginning to think her mouth couldn't be anymore alluring, the feature pushed his mind that little bit further. And then Rachel smiled, practically sending Eddie's vision cloudy. He was genuinely past the point of no return, but the question swirling around in his mind had to be posed. Just like Rachel's earlier uncertainty was.

"Rachel, are you alright with this?"

If anything, her smile broadened upon hearing Eddie's words. He cared about her feelings first and foremost, something she would be forever grateful for. Like many things that evening, it only accentuated her endless love for him.

"Yes, Eddie. I love you."

Eddie was on the verge of responding when Rachel's lips making contact with his own silenced him. That was enough for Eddie to know that this was what she wanted, just as much as he longed for it. Since he wasn't given the chance to reciprocate Rachel's feelings with words, he concluded that showing her how much he loves her would be sufficient.