"It is a mistake to think you can solve any major problems just with potatoes."

Connie frowned as she spoke, wondering as she did is she had always struggled with the letter 'S'.

Rita swayed as she pushed the door to the bedroom open. She stopped. Frowned. The room seemed to sway with her, and she felt Connie bump up against her from behind with a soft 'oomph'.

"I beg to differ."

Her frown deepened and she drew in a breath as she made her way into the room.

"...name me one problem which could not be solved...or at least eased, by a perfectly cooked roast potato?"

She turned around more quickly than she had realised she was going to and felt herself beginning to fall off kilter, only to feel Connie's arms about her, steadying her, her breath hot against her cheek as she opened her mouth to speak, and then close it again.

Rita sighed and let her eyes fall closed, resting her forehead against Connie's. Their faces were flushed, their skin warm and sweaty. Both women just stood, eyes closed, gathering themselves against the ungainly lurching of their bodies against one another.

"What were we talking about again?"

Rita whispered. She could feel the tell tale pulse of a headache beginning just above her left eyebrow. Connie exhaled a breath between her lips. She had no idea...

Downstairs was in darkness. Grace had been put to bed an hour of so before hand, and Charlie had stayed for a couple of drinks before getting back. Somehow Rita's suggestion of a couple more glasses of red wine before bed had led them to finish off a couple more bottles, and now both stood in the bedroom, heads fuggy and spinning, bodies sluggish and tired.

"We should have some water."

Connie whispered, opening her eyes slowly, squinting against the lamp light – the glare of which made her head pulse and her eyes begin to water.

She grasped Rita's hand within her own, and whilst scowling down at the floor, her other hand against her forehead, they made their way to the en suite, Rita swaying from one step to another until they reached the doorway, where she tripped and let go of Connie's hand abruptly, staggering against the shower like someone who had leant against an unexpectedly open door.

Connie watched her, her lips parted, a look of utter confusion on her face as she watched Rita regain her balance, and turn awkwardly back to the sink, grasping hold of the basin and exhaling a sigh of relief.

"Water."

Connie reached with a seemingly uncontrollable hand to the glass she kept on the edge of the sink. She gripped it, barely feeling it, and somehow succeeded in filling it half full with water without spilling any.

"Drink."

She held it out to Rita who was rubbing the heel of her hands against her eyes, leaving two dark black smudges of mascara below and above her eyes when she removed her hands to accept the glass.

She raised it to her lips, concentrating, blinking hard against the gritty feeling of dry mascara within the inside of her eyelids. She found herself watching Connie who was stood next to her, one eye closed as she squeezed toothpaste from a tube onto both of their toothbrushes, her entire body listing to the left every time she squeezed.

"Opp! Fuck..."

The water slopped down her front, making her shiver. Somehow she had tilted up the glass without really meaning to, and had missed her mouth altogether. She looked down at herself, the water seeping into the front of her jumper, she could feel it – cold against her chest and glistening like diamonds against the wool.

"Rita! Really..."

Connie murmured, and pushed her knuckles into the bridge of her nose, forgetting momentarily that she was holding the toothbrushes - until she let her arm fall back to her side and she felt the pull and catch of toothpaste covered bristles in her hair.

She placed the brushes down on the side of the sink, leaving them instantly forgotten, and turned to Rita, attempting to place her hands on her hips but missing, once, twice, and then opting to fold them across her chest before she unfolded them again and reached out for Rita.

"I'll get the pyjamas."

She looked pointedly at the damp streak that ran the length of Rita's jumper and the blonde peered down at herself, staggering backwards only briefly before grasping hold of the door frame.

Connie took hold of the other side of the door frame and ducked as she passed by, brushing against Rita who bit her lip against a laugh and caught hold of her arm, leaning her head against her shoulder before suddenly exploding into a breathless giggle - a giggle that was so forceful that she had to fall sideways onto the bed to get her breath back.

"Shhh! What on earth are you laughing at?!"

Connie hissed as she prepared herself to bend down to the drawer at the bottom of the wardrobe.

Rita gave a snort of laugher and buried her face in the duvet, her cheeks felt hot against the cold of the cotton and she rolled onto her stomach, enjoying the feel of the cold against her whilst her legs dangled from the side of the bed with an unusually pleasant weightless feeling.

With one hand against the wardrobe doors Connie felt her way down, past the hinges, until she was bobbed down, sitting on her haunches.

"Pyjamas..."

She murmured, Rita's breathless inhale, and exhale of a near hysterical, tearful laugh distracting her.

She reached for the drawer knobs, her fingers grazing them as she fell back, sitting down suddenly on the wooden floor, grimacing, gritting her teeth against the jarring of her hip.

She tried again. Sucking in a breath. She took hold of the knobs again and opened the drawer, reaching in, the fabrics soft and blurred beneath her fingertips. She searched blindly until she felt what she was looking for, and she tugged free the soft flannel pyjama top that Rita had grown so fond of.

"Pyjamas!"

She announced, and twisted around to use the side of the bed to haul herself up with.

-.-

The other half of this will be updated tomorrow! Apologies for no updates last weekend, I was away in London seeing Tipping the Velvet at the theatre (thoroughly recommend it!) … the trip has also given me lots of new ideas for various chapters of this story!

Anyway, hope this was ok...my first attempt at writing drunk characters...

xxx