Hello! It's been a while since i've written anything at all- revisiting a favoured pairing seemed a good way to dip my toes back in, and this particular story idea occurred to me years ago.

I hope you enjoy! x

It had been almost an accident. The half term break was a welcome holiday from school for most, but Rachel still had paperwork to do. Only she needed the policies that were stored in her office, and of course she only realised that when it was too late. The day after school had ended, she was sat at her dining room table intending to make a start on the pile of papers in front of her.

Instead, she found herself cursing silently, before she sighed and grabbed her car keys.

The lack of students didn't necessarily mean a lack of work in the building, and the site team were taking advantage of the empty corridors to complete a lot of the jobs that simply weren't possible when there were a few hundred teenagers around. It meant the school was open, and Rachel walked right in.

She found the papers easily enough, tapped her fingers as she waited for the photocopier. Refused to allow herself to think about the day before, about Tess, the way her distant past had collided with her present at the school musical, of all places. And she was so caught up in not thinking about it, that she was completely oblivious to the sound of footsteps approaching the room.

"Rachel?"

She gasped, dropped the stack of papers she was holding, spun on the spot and promptly glared at her deputy head. "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same question." Eddie made no effort to hide his amusement as he came forward. "You do know it's the holidays?"

She dropped to the floor, gathering up the scattered policy and after a moment, Eddie joined her. "The LEA doesn't care what point of term it is, they just want their paperwork," she answered. "Why are you here?"

"Left my marking behind last night, what with Michael and Alison and everything." And he practically glowed at the memory. "Saw your car in the car park when I came in."

He was clearly overjoyed, and a sliver of warm satisfaction curled in Rachel's belly. "How was last night?"

"I think we're going to be able to work something out." And now he reached out, placed his hand on hers to stop her picking up the papers as he waited for her to look at him. "Rachel, I will never be able to thank you enough."

He was looking right at her, and so saw something in her expression soften. "I'm happy for you, Eddie. Truly."

The papers piled in her arms, she stood, and Eddie helped her stow them away in her bag. "What are you doing for the rest of the day?" he asked, and with amusement she gestured to papers. He rolled his eyes. "Let's go for a drink."

"It's barely the afternoon."

"So? We'll drink slowly." He grinned at her. "I know a good pub just down by the park. Let me take you out to say thank you."

"That's not necessary…"

He gave her an exasperated look. "Rachel."

And seeing the look in his eyes, she conceded defeat. She'd be glad of the company and the distraction, after all, and she had a week of the holidays to be alone in. She might as well be social now.

Half an hour later, she was glad that she'd acquiesced. Eddie's pub was cosy, and the time of day meant that they could slide into a booth near to the fire that warmed the room. One drink quickly turned into two, and then three, and Rachel swiftly lost track of exactly how much she'd had. To her surprise, the conversation between her and Eddie flowed easily- Eddie told her of how Jack Rimmer had approached him to come to Waterloo Road, of the radio appearance he'd been persuaded into on the very first day of term. It led to Rachel recalling a situation when she had been a deputy head, of a teacher who'd appeared on a reality tv show and caused issues for the school. And that story led to others, both telling of their university days, of being newly qualified and the follies that came with that. And neither even realised that it had been a while before Waterloo Road had even crossed either of their minds.

Nor did either realise that the afternoon was rapidly becoming evening, the pub growing busier and louder, until gradually they were pressed close together in order to continue the conversation. They were taking it in turns to slide out and go fetch more drinks, and it was only on one of these trips that Rachel realised the floor was wavering beneath her feet as she stood. She blinked, pressing a hand to the table. "How much have we had?"

Eddie glanced at his watch, and back at her. "I have no idea," he admitted, before he grinned. "Miss Mason, are you drunk?"

Rachel decided to take the mature route in responding, and stuck out her tongue at him.

The bar was busier now, but it took only minutes to order another pint for Eddie with another glass of wine for her, and it was only as she carried them back that she realised she wasn't quite as steady as she should have been. "This is going to be the last one, or I might be in trouble."

He chuckled. "Me too. To you, then." He tipped his glass towards her and she rolled her eyes even as she obliged, clinking hers with slightly more force than she'd intended.

"How about to both of us?"

"I'll drink to that."

The drinks disappeared more quickly than they should have, and then Eddie was calling a taxi, helping Rachel into her jacket and guiding her outside. "I had fun this afternoon, Rachel."

"So did I. Even if it isn't quite the afternoon anymore." She shot him a grin, and he laughed.

"True. I'll drop you back before going on to mine," he said as the taxi drew up, and he opened the door for her.

"You don't have to escort me home." She sounded highly amused, even as she shifted over to make room for him.

"I got you drunk, least I can do is get you home."

She laughed lightly at that, told the driver the address before she leant her head back against the seat. "I don't think I've been this drunk in years."

"Really?"

She could practically see his ears prick up. "My sister took me out," she remembered, smiling at the memory. "She kept swapping out my glass when I wasn't looking. Took me days to recover."

"I didn't know you had a sister. Older or younger?"

"Younger." She turned her head to face him. "I think I'm going to spend tomorrow being uncomfortably reminded of why I haven't had this much since then."

He grimaced at that, but nodded in agreement, trying to pretend he didn't notice the swaying of the cab. He suspected he was beginning to turn a little pale, and if Rachel noticed, she was polite enough not to say a word. She did open the windows, but since she pointedly didn't look at him while doing so, he wasn't sure if it was for his benefit or not.

When they pulled up on an unfamiliar street, she paused with her hand on the door handle. "Come in for a coffee? Sober us up a bit, and give you a break from the car."

So she had noticed.

Rachel didn't know why she'd made the offer. But she was more relaxed than she remembered being in a long time, had laughed more in the past few hours than she could currently remember. She didn't want it to end, selfishly, and apparently Eddie felt the same because he nodded, and smiled a little unsteadily at her. "I'd love to."

W.R.

It had been a very long time since Eddie had woken up in a bedroom he didn't recognise. Years, in fact, which was why he could perhaps be forgiven for thinking it was some sort of strange dream when he opened his eyes and found himself looking at a paint colour that he was certain he'd not seen before.

His head hurt. It was the next thought that occurred to him, even as he quickly began to recognise the nausea, the dry mouth, the aches in his body that he couldn't quite account for, all added up to one very simple answer of 'far too much to drink'.

He remembered the pub. Mostly. He remembered the taxi… or at least, getting into it. But then… he turned over, hoping he would find an answer lying next to him, and felt his stomach drop.

Rachel was still asleep, angled in such a way that he could only see the side profile of her face. But the second that he caught a glimpse of it, it was as if the sight opened the floodgates in his brain and a wave of memories washed of him.

Coffee, the taste not quite strong enough to break through the haze of alcohol.

Rachel, laughing, her whole face lit up.

The heartbeats where they'd stared at each other, realising how close they were.

Lips meeting lips, tentative movements becoming harder and fiercer.

Rachel, the feel of her hair running through his fingers, silk-soft and smooth.

Stumbling up the stairs, tripping over the carpet and each other and yet never looking up at where they were putting their feet.

Rachel, above him, beneath him, surrounding him.

Rachel lying with her hair splayed around her, smiling at him.

Rachel Rachel Rachel.

Oh crap.