Coming Home

Disclaimer: I, wolfYLady, own nothing as I am nothing more than a humble writer whose entertainment comes from manipulating fictional characters. The characters depicted in this story belong to their respective owners and creators. Again I own nothing!!

Summary: A deep loneliness and a bottle of wine lead to a mistake; when the morning comes, Rachel finds herself in the arms of someone she would never have expected.

Pairing: Joey and Rachel

Red wine was her favorite. It was intense and bold, with a smooth mix of sweetness and bitterness, if not a little too sweet. The usual burn was soothed by the overtones of berries, hiding the taste of alcohol.

She'd even planned for it to be served at her wedding, much to the chagrin of her mother and sisters.

A pang sounded within her chest, a melancholy feeling settling on her shoulders. It had been years since she'd left Berry at the altar and ran to her oldest friend, still in her wedding gown.

Rachel thought back on her almost wedding with a bittersweetness that only had her drink more deeply.

Everything about making Monica and Chandler's announcements was dredging up old lonely memories and wanton dreams of her own future. Fantasies that now seemed so far out of reach.

She was happy for them; their love inspired her, but it also made her horribly jealous. Rachel's life had been at a standstill, her job stagnant and marriage prospects practically zero. And she wanted what they had- unwavering love and support.

One glass led to another larger one and then another. Sips turned into full, long drinks and then greedy gulps. And before she knew it, the bottle was empty, and the last few drops dripped onto her tongue.

Rachel swayed, falling into the cool leather of the couch. The wedding invitations were long forgotten on the coffee table.

Beside her, Ross giggled. His warm hazel brown eyes stared at her affectionately, his smile crooked. He looked down at her with such tenderness and kindness that it made her ache. He had always been kind and gentle. At that moment, she longed for him, her mind filled with hazy memories of their happy times and the constant love he showered her with.

Ross leaned in, and Rachel watched as his lips pressed against hers in a desperate rush. His hands caressed her face and hair, so warm and gentle. Rachel moved with him, falling into their familiar rhythm. As he touched her, she let her hands roam, feeling the familiar softness of his skin and the subtle strength in his chest and arms. Ross wasn't muscular, but he was fit.

His lips kissed her cheek and throat tenderly. He moved as if he were worshipping her, removing her shirt as quickly as he could. And she let him, caught up in the intoxication of wine and loneliness. She was so lost in the moment, drowning in his passion, filling her loneliness with him, that she barely noticed when it started.

Rachel moved with him, falling into their familiar rhythm. As he touched her, she let her hands roam, feeling the familiar softness of his skin and the subtle firmness in his chest and arms. Ross wasn't muscular, but he was fit.

He was seated between her thighs, his lips on her throat and hand palming her breast. They moved quickly, clinging to each other, his thrusts against her opening, making her gasp.

And then, in the back of her mind, their breakup came flooding back. The emotions crashed over her like a wet blanket, causing her body to stiffen and go still. A moment of sobriety pulled her back to reality.

"Stop," she whispered barely audibly.

The sting of tears burned her eyes. She and Ross had a long history, having dated and even briefly married at one point. There were good times, but over time the bad outweighed the good. Ross had built up this idea of her, planning this life that left no room for her to exist. For as much as they loved each other, Rachel could never be what he envisioned, and Ross could never loosen up enough to allow her the freedom she needed. She also couldn't trust him- he had wronged her, and he could never admit he was wrong.

Sleeping together would only open her heart to him again, and she couldn't risk the inevitable heartbreak.

"What?" He pulled back groggily, his eyes unfocused and burning with desire.

She pulled away. Rachel grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and tightly wrapped it around herself. She looked at their disheveled clothes, her head feeling foggy and disoriented.

"This is a mistake," she told him, feeling ashamed and embarrassed.

"What do you mean?" He looked as confused as she felt.

"You need to go." Rachel tightened her grip on the blanket, her mind racing as fast as her heart. "We can't do this ." She gestured towards everything – their disheveled clothes, the room, the empty wine glasses – all of it.

Ross sank back, appearing hurt and bewildered. " Oh, okay." With a shake of his head, he hastily grabbed his clothes.

She couldn't bear to watch him leave, her eyes burning. And when the door closed with a sharp thud, she cried; it felt like their breakup all over again. The feelings came rushing forth.

She felt empty, cold, and horribly lonely.

Somehow, in her drunken haze, Rachel managed to put on her shirt and get some water and food. Picking at the leftover pizza, she made sure to drink more water, rushing to sober up while the TV played reruns as she cried.

The tears wouldn't stop, dripping down her face and leaving large droplets on her shirt.

"Rach?" His voice came as a low whisper, rich and warm, filled with care.

Rachel jumped, not having heard the door. Joey stood within the doorway of their apartment, his black hair messy and his dark brown eyes hooded.

"Joey? What are you doing here?" She slurred. "I thought you had a date."

He quickly shrugged, grabbing a beer from the fridge. "Not interested. What's going on here?" Joey pointed at the piles of envelopes and her missing pants.

She pulled the blanket tighter around herself. "Nothing."

"Come on, tell Joey why you're crying." With an arm around her waist, he pulled her close. Her head fell against his chest, and his hand rubbed soothing circles on her back.

"It's silly."

"It's not silly if you're crying."

She greedily took his comfort. Joey was like a rock, her constant safe haven and closest friend. There was, Monica and Phoebe, of course, but she and Joey were more similar. Monica had been her friend since childhood, but they were polar opposites. Phoebe was more eccentric and carefree. But with Joey, there were no expectations of her. Rachel was free to be unapologetically herself.

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her tighter to his chest.

"So what's wrong?" He asked again, his head resting on hers.

A few tears slipped out as she nuzzled into his chest. "I just made a huge mistake." Her voice trailed off into a strangled cry, and she held onto him tightly.

Joey gently rocked her and cooed, "It's okay; you're okay."

He held her for what felt like hours, her tears drying up, and her sobriety slowly returning.

"Why are you so good at this?"

"I have seven sisters," he shrugged, flashing her his signature lopsided grin.

"No, this," she gestured to them. "It's easy with you."

"Only cause it's you," He whispered back, his attention pulled to the TV as silence fell between them.

She lay there, feeling comforted and safe in his embrace.

Looking up, their eyes met, and Rachel felt her instincts guide her as she leaned up to steal a gentle kiss from Joey.

It was a simple brushing of lips and yet the sensation that washed over her was indescribable, like lightning coursing through her veins. It was a feeling unlike anything she had ever experienced before. It wasn't the familiar warmth she had felt with Ross, or any other man, but something far more intense. With Joey, it felt like she was on the brink of being consumed, yet she welcomed it with open arms.

Rachel realized that she had been looking for this feeling all along.

"Rach…" Joey pulled back from the kiss, staring down at her with shock and surprise in his dark eyes.

"No, don't," Rachel pleaded, trying to ignore the fear of rejection in her chest. She pressed her hand against his chest and urged him to stay silent, to keep him from saying anything that could ruin this. "Just... Don't."

A pause. His dark eyes scanned her face before he hesitated. His mouth opened to speak, but no words came out. Instead, Joey blinked and leaned back down, their lips meeting once more in another consuming kiss.

There was an electric current in the air, like the moment before a thunderstorm hit. And suddenly, it didn't matter that she had just kicked Ross out, or their complicated past. Nothing mattered but the feeling of Joey's hands in her hair and his soft whispers against her lips, words of reassurance and comfort.

Everything seemed to stop and speed up at the same time. Their lips moved against each other in a rhythm only they understood, her hand reaching out to touch the side of his face. It was all so right, so safe.

It felt like coming home.

wolfYLady: Hi! Hope you enjoyed, its a little different than my usual works but thought this could be a good one-shot, at least for now, depending on reviews and views.

Thanks for reading, and please be kind enough to leave a review and tell me what you think!