Set after Rachel and Adam's kiss in the sixth form common room - could be Radam, could be Reddie depending on if anyone's interested in this being continued…
I've never written for Waterloo Road before so please be kind!
"Right," she smiled, letting the padlock fall against the gates with a metallic thud as she slipped the key into her blazer pocket. Though she certainly stayed well past her salaried hours most nights, it wasn't often that she'd outstay the school caretaker. Tonight had been a pleasant exception, however.
Adam grinned boyishly from his car as he leaned back against the passenger door, watching as she slowly and awkwardly walked towards him with those protective arms folded across her stomach. They'd just snogged for the best part of Rita, Sue and Bob Too and still she was unsure of him. "Right."
Rachel's eyes rolled, lips pursing in an attempt at stopping her giddy smirk as she came to a halt about a foot away from him with her eyes on the toes of her boots. He wasn't going to offer her any help at all, that much was clear. After days of openly flirting with her, making his every intention crystal clear, he was leaving this bit up to her. It was so bloody like him.
He'd teased her when they were younger, in a way that she now recognised as affection rather than friendly banter but at the time she'd had absolutely no idea. Not until Finn had locked them in the canteen store cupboard and he'd told her plainly.
Her eyes lifted to find his, her heart beating a little harder in her chest because his grin had settled into warm affection as he looked over her face slowly. It was a little disconcerting, made her feel slightly self-conscious as she brought a hand up to stroke her hair behind her ear. "I suppose I'll uh…" she coughed lightly in an attempt to clear the nerves from her tight throat, "I'll see you tomorrow?"
Adam breathed a soft laugh through his nose, watching the way her eyes moved between his own as he pushed himself upright from the car door and closed the small gap between them. He moved slowly so as not to startle her - she'd always been fiercely independent and never really one for relationships, that clearly hadn't changed in all of these years judging by the way she was acting after one kiss. His heart ached as she tilted her head to keep those frightened eyes on his own as he lifted a hand to stroke back the other side of her hair behind her ear, opening her face to him as he whispered, "You are beautiful," giving her a moment to take in the sincerity of his words.
Rachel swallowed thickly, eyes stinging with tears that she wouldn't let develop properly even as her arms unfolded and she placed her palms on the elbow of either of his arms. There was only one other man she'd heard that from and the thought of him and how their relationship ended panged sharply in her chest. She couldn't go through that again, not if this all went wrong. It had been the worst pain she'd ever felt, unending, unyielding and all-encompassing.
Adam could practically hear her mind whirring as her brow furrowed slightly. His heart ached for her, for the girl he'd known and for the woman she had become, tainted by circumstances of her youth that he wished he could have changed. But he couldn't. All he could do was be here for her now and show her how life was supposed to be. This kiss was going to be different than their playful snog in the common room, he needed her to know that he was in this for more than just a bit of fun. It was with this thought that he slowly lowered his head, so as to give her time to stop him if she truly wasn't ready, and captured her lips in a soft and tender kiss.
Rachel's heart fluttered in her chest even as that lump in her throat grew in size. She was still sore, still bruised and healing even almost a year after Eddie's departure and she was sure that this was far too quickly for her to be falling for someone else - what if she was just rebounding? Just falling into the next available person's arms hoping to be held up for a while. 'No', she thought to herself. If that were true her misjudged dalliance with Chris would've gone much further than a drunken fumble after a hard term. Adam was familiarity and warmth and safety. He knew her, he knew about her past and he didn't care. Perhaps he was just the balm her wounded heart needed.
The door clicked shut quietly behind her as she stepped into the brisk cold of a new morning, pulling her coat tight around herself. His 'good morning' kiss lingered on her smiling lips and she could still feel his fingers stroking softly through her hair as he'd roused her from sleep - despite being an ever punctual control-freak, Rachel Mason despised mornings and that would never change. However, she hadn't despised this morning, not one bit.
She'd been silly to fret so much last night, to second-guess her feelings for Adam because, despite having only gotten back in touch over the past few days, this felt right. They'd always been heading this way, he'd told her so last night as she'd lain in his arms, dishevelled and satisfied. If she hadn't upped and disappeared he would've garnered the courage to tell her how he felt back then. Still, they were here now, time wasn't completely lost to them. They could make a go of it.
It was just after 6am when she'd slipped from his sheets with one last lingering kiss and gotten dressed in yesterday's work attire. She needed to take herself home for a shower and fresh clothes otherwise she would have happily stayed in his embrace all the way up until first period. It was mad, feeling this way again. She'd told herself after Eddie that she didn't need anyone else, she was perfectly fine on her own and always had been but giving herself up to Adam last night had told her how ridiculous she'd been to think such a thing.
Still, thinking of Eddie hurt in ways she wasn't sure she'd ever recover from. They'd waited so long - correction, she'd waited so long - to finally give in to what had been building between them from day one. So much bloody wasted time and when they'd ultimately taken that inevitable step, when she'd opened her heart up to the first person in at least a decade, it had all been smashed to pieces.
She played with her keys absentmindedly as she walked slowly down Adam's street towards her car, her morning giddiness having abated with thoughts of her lost love - she really needed to stop allowing herself to fall down that particular rabbithole, especially now she had the chance for happiness again - her brow furrowing as she finally reached her car door and slid the key in to unlock it, shaking her head in ridiculous hopes that it would clear her depressing thoughts.
It didn't, especially not when she heard a confused, "Rachel?" from a driveway across the road.
Looking up, her whole world seemed to shake as she locked eyes with him. He was wearing the steel grey dressing gown she'd bought for him to wear whenever he stayed at hers - which had been most nights up until the end and which she'd gleefully stolen from his hands on more than one morning because it smelt like him - and holding a bottle of milk he'd clearly come outside to collect as he stared dumbfoundedly at her.
She'd thought his departure from the school had meant a complete move - and how selfish of her to expect such a thing from him, not that she'd ever have wanted it anyway - and hadn't even realised which street she was on as she'd followed Adam home last night but as she glanced round quickly, it was confirmed.
Rachel swallowed thickly, heart banging against her ribcage as she looked back to his face and muttered, "Eddie…"
It was strange being back after so long.
Sure, he'd nipped back on the odd occasion to grab some post and make sure his cupboards were clear of anything that could go off. But actually being back in his own home, left to his own thoughts was strange. He was free, he supposed. Free of the burden of Melissa and that damn paternity test she'd dragged out for so long. Too long. Long enough for him to get attached to the thought of the baby actually being his.
He'd been stupid. She'd been a compulsive liar from the moment he'd met her, from the moment they'd started seeing one another. If he hadn't been recovering from Rachel's rejection perhaps he'd have realised sooner, perhaps he would have gone slower and had time to recognise the signs but that left the blame at the wrong person's door. He shouldn't have rushed into things no matter how lonely and bruised he felt.
He stared at the two words on his screen, ready to be sent to the person who deserved them most in the world. But how could he do that to her? How could he dredge up their past heartache just because it was fresh once again for him. If it hadn't been for Melissa's return, they'd probably be waking up together now in Rachel's bed, all snug and cuddly, exchanging drowsy kisses before they absolutely had to get up. He hadn't gone back to Melissa for a relationship, he'd made that perfectly clear, but he had promised to be there for her through everything and so, despite his better judgements, he'd moved in with her.
With Philip choosing to remain with Rachel, she was on her own and though he absolutely despised the woman, he couldn't stomach the thought of anything happening to their baby. He'd known it was a complete mistake as he'd packed up that last box but it had been his choice to run away and throw himself into the nearest distraction. So no, Rachel deserved more than the measly I'm sorry still flashing on his laptop screen. He let out a heavy sigh, shaking his head as he slammed his laptop shut, glancing behind him at the time. 6:03am.
Today was going to be a long one.
He stood from his desk and made to leave the room, stopping only to grab his dressing gown from the armchair beside his bed before making his way downstairs, slipping it on as he went. It still ached, wearing it. Too many mornings he woke to find it gone, only to smile knowingly as he'd make his way down to the kitchen to find Rachel humming along to the radio as she made breakfast for them all.
"I believe this was a present for me," he pressed a kiss into her hair as he stepped in close behind her at the stove, careful not to startle her as she scrambled the eggs. He revelled in the soft hum she gave in response to his proximity, the way she leaned ever so slightly back against him and chuckled warmly.
"Let's not pretend I haven't caught you in my slippers once or twice, Mr Lawson."
"Oy," he wrapped his arms around her waist slowly, squeezing playfully at her middle as he nudged her hair aside with his nose to press a tender kiss to her neck that raised goosebumps on smooth skin, "that was only to fetch the milk."
She merely chuckled in response and revelled in the attention he was bestowing upon her as she continued stirring, perfectly content in every way.
The scent of her had long since faded from the fabric but still he felt a closeness to her that he couldn't quite give up yet.
He crossed the short distance to the front door and flipped the latch, pulling it open as he stepped outside into the brisk air and bent down to grab his two pints of fresh milk from the step. It was a cold one today, he'd have to remember to wear a thicker coat.
As he straightened up once more, his attention was caught by the sound of heeled footsteps. It was instinctual, the way he honed in on the source as he had been doing for the past 9 months hoping beyond anything to catch a glimpse of her, but it never was. At least not until now.
Eddie's heart knocked hard against his ribcage as he watched Rachel Mason walking down the street opposite him. Her hair was longer than the last time they'd been together, possibly longer than the first time they'd met. And those dark eyes were still as captivating as they always had been. He always felt strangely safe when her gaze was holding his own, grounded. That was perhaps the reason why he decided it was a good idea to call her name, to feel those eyes on him once more after what felt like an age.
She'd just reached her car - how the hell hadn't he noticed it there? - when her head snapped up, those amber eyes instantly widening at the sight of him on his doorstep. She froze for a moment with her lips slightly parted, as though she were about to say something, anything, back to him. For a moment he truly believed she would. It was Rachel Mason afterall, nothing if not strong and certainly opinionated but it seemed she was completely speechless. Spooked was probably the better word for how she looked. It was only as he made to step down from the porch, to make his way over to her that she moved at all. Unfortunately, it was to wrench open her car door and climb inside.
He took the hint and stopped, a pang in his chest as he listened to the engine roar before she was pulling out of her parking space and speeding off. She clearly didn't want to see him.
"Rach," he sighed, blinking away frustrated tears before turning and making his way back inside.
A knock on her office door snapped Rachel out of her panicked stupor, had her gasping sharply as she looked up to find Adam standing in the doorway, his warm smile fading as he looked her over with a furrowed brow. She was sure she looked as awful as she felt, and couldn't really remember what she'd managed to throw on once she'd gotten home and showered. "Hi…" she managed through a tight throat, watching as he cautiously stepped further into her room and pressed the door closed behind him.
"You regret it." He surmised after a quiet moment. Sighing heavily he dropped his eyes to the floor as he shook his head, "I'm sorry, Rachel." He looked up at her, moving closer to her desk and continuing, "You were apprehensive to begin with, I shouldn't have let it happen, I should have given you time."
Rachel blinked, her mind racing to catch up with what was happening. "I, uh…"
"Look," he sat down in the chair opposite her, making sure to give her enough space should she wish, "I got caught up in the moment last night. Not to sound like a weirdo or anything but I've imagined what this would be like for years, Rach. Being with you like this. Well," he pointed out the desk currently between and joked, "not exactly like this but, you know what I mean." He took her small smile as a good sign, "I was made up when you walked through those canteen doors for my interview. I thought for so long that you'd always end up being the 'one that got away' and that I'd never get the chance to see you again but…"
He had managed to calm her somewhat, to take her mind from the past and place it firmly in the present. Why was she fussing about seeing Eddie again? It was a one-off sighting, a blip. It was the reason he'd left Waterloo Road in the first place, so that they wouldn't have to see one another. Yes, it had brought up feelings from before and yes, there were days when she felt she couldn't breathe because of how much she missed him. But they'd ended for a reason.
And here was this lovely man, who'd done nothing but make her laugh - with the odd little row thrown in - since he'd arrived. He'd brought some happiness back into her life in the short space of time that he'd been here. She knew she couldn't open her heart up to him straight away, that was going to take time. Perhaps if she hadn't caught a glimpse of her past love she'd allow herself to fall into him a little more but she needed to remain guarded for now. She couldn't get hurt like that again, she wouldn't survive it.
"I don't regret last night, Adam." Rachel replied after a short moment, standing from her desk and rounding it so that she could perch on the corner, his knee touching the black leather of her boot. She smiled at the way his shoulders dropped, his lips curling in a relieved smile as he exhaled heavily through his nose. "I just...had a bit of a strange morning after I left your house. But don't worry," she told him when he stood, that brow furrowed again in concern. She watched him moving closer, her own smile growing as he placed his palms on her desk either side of her skirt clad thighs and lowering himself so that they were almost nose to nose, "I'm feeling much better now."
It wasn't 100% true but it wasn't 100% a lie. The ghost of Eddie would always be here to haunt her, it seemed. All she could do was be brave enough for now to let Adam in, to let him help in healing her wounded heart.
"Well, as I live and breathe," he turned at the sound of a familiar voice, grinning warmly at the sight of a peroxide blonde tottering towards him in her heels with a matching grin of her own, "what brings you back to these parts, Mr Lawson?"
"Well, you know Steph," he replied nonchalantly though his heart was pounding out of his chest at the thought of what he was about to do, "thought I'd drop by, see some old faces, make sure the place hadn't fallen apart without me."
"Pfft," she waved a hand at him before coming to a stop in front of him with arms folded across her chest, "a nuclear bomb couldn't finish this place off."
He chuckled good-naturedly at her joke and asked, "How're you anyway? Still fighting the men off on a daily basis?" She was something of a maneater was Steph and she'd certainly been called worse than desperate before but underneath the red lippy and bravado was a heart of gold, even if she didn't always behave appropriately for a French teacher. Eddie had always held some sort of affection for her despite her downfalls.
"If that's your way of asking for a date, you're too late mate," she winked playfully, nudging him in the ribs before telling him, "I am now spoken for, I'll have you know."
His eyebrows raised, genuinely surprised. "That's great news, Steph," he told her, "you deserve someone nice."
"Don't I know it," she rolled her eyes, "but," she sighed, rocking back on her heels and smiling somewhat smugly, "you know what they say, 'No matter how long it takes, true love is always worth the wait.' Anyway," she pushed on, ignoring Grantly's sarcastic chuckle as he passed them by with a quick nod in Eddie's direction, "you can walk with me if you like, I'm headed to the staff room now."
"I'm sorry?"
She blinked, brow furrowing as though he was acting the fool. "The staff room, I know you're supposed to wait by reception but come on Eddie, it's not like you haven't worked here before. I can't see you waiting in the staff room being a problem, can you? Especially not where our Rachel's concerned, eh?" and before he could question what she was talking about or acknowledge the flash of nervous heat at hearing Rachel's name, she was leading him off, shouting to one of the receptionists to let Joyce know a candidate would be waiting in the staff room for her to collect him before filling him in on this Oliver chap she was seeing.
"I best let you get on, eh?" Adam asked, loosening his arms enough for Rachel to pull back from him to look up into his eyes with her arms still looped around his waist. He lifted one hand only to stroke her hair behind her ear as he smiled affectionately down at her. "I'm planning on sticking around, Rach." He leaned down to press a tender kiss to her lips, letting it linger for a little longer than necessary before backing away with a soft grin, "If you'll have me, that is."
She rolled her eyes, laughing past the flare of fear in her stomach. She needed to give this a fair chance rather than running at the first sign of trouble. She owed it to Adam. Still, despite her internal monologue, she couldn't help but tease, "That remains to be seen," with a wink that earned a hearty chuckle before he turned and left her to her work for the morning. She'd pop in on him at lunch, check on his progress in winning Rose over and hopefully steal herself another cuddle to get her through the day.
"Knock, knock," came a voice that brought her out of her thoughts.
"Kim," she greeted with a pleasant smile as she moved back towards her desk chair and lowered herself down, "what can I do for you?"
"Not to sound like Steph," Kim smirked as she stepped fully into the office, glancing back at the doorway before looking at Rachel once more, "but was that our new head chef I just caught leaving with a big smile on his face, Miss Mason?"
Rachel lifted an eyebrow at her colleague, lips unable to keep from curling slightly as she stared the younger woman down. She'd been afraid that their friendship was going to be just another casualty in the war between herself and Max last term but after the revelation of his deception, it had only worked at strengthening their bond much to Rachel's relief. Still, matters of the heart had always been a very personal matter for Rachel, despite her past, and so she found herself shrugging lightly and looking at her computer screen.
"You may play coy," Kim conceded after a moment of playful silence between the two, "but do not forget that we have a colleague with the nose of a bloodhound when it comes to sniffing out workplace romances."
"That may be so," Rachel replied with a knowing breath of laughter, dropping the pretence and looking at Kim properly, watching as she dropped into the chair the man in question had been sitting in only minutes earlier, "but it's...new. In all honesty, it was almost over before it started."
Kim's brow furrowed, eyes analytical as she leaned forward resting her elbows on her knees. "How d'ya mean?"
Rachel sighed, leaning back into her chair and linking her hands over her front with elbows on the arm rests. She needed someone to talk to about him, someone who'd been here, someone who knew him, who knew them. "I saw Eddie this morning."
"Ah," Kim grimaced, confusing Rachel completely as her eyes dropped away for a moment. "I was hoping I'd catch you before you saw him. He wasn't even coming in for the interview, it's just...well," Kim laughed unconvincingly, "you know how big Steph's gob is."
"I'm sorry," she shook her head, panic swelling slowly in her chest, "I don't quite understand what you're talking about."
Kim blinked back at Rachel, confused herself now. "You said you'd seen Eddie…"
"Yeah, this morning...before work?"
"When you came into work?" Kim asked, hoping to god she hadn't just put her foot straight in it. When Rachel shook her head however, her stomach dropped as she revealed, "He's here, Rachel."
And then, even as Rachel's world seemed to be seconds from imploding, she heard:
"And he wants his job back."
