A/N: Good morning/evening/whateveryoufancy!

Alrighty. For those of you who have read my other fics, and my rambling author's notes, you will have noticed I keep randomly mentioning the first fic I started, and never got around to posting. Well, FORGET I SAID ALL THAT, and stuff, because I'm going to start posting it.

The difference is, I'm separating it into a collection of one-shots and picking out the better parts of the story, and hopefully all the pieces of the adventure will have some plot elements in order to not make out seem like it's just a collection of random funny dialogue and primitively written smut. (No, really. These are some of my first attempts, so... Bear with it, and all.)

Some of it I've had to edit, because it was originally written third-person, and the I switched to first person because I found it easier, but I didn't want it to be inconsistent. So, I may have missed the odd word or two, but hopefully not too many. This should only Be an issue for the first few chapters.

Having said all that, have a read, and if you enjoy it, reviews are fabulous and most welcome.

For once, this chapter, being introductory, needs no warnings of the Cigarette variety.

(ON WITH IT!)

Disclaimer: I do not own skins. The best thing about fan fiction, is that we make the story. I'm garden_nomes, and this has been an Author's Note bulletin.


(Emily POV)

Airports. They seem to be a melting pot of cultures, don't they? Thank god I'm not late for my flight, no thanks to my sister. Typical of her, fucking about looking for a pair of tacky shoes, when I need to get to Heathrow for a flight. Honestly, you would think she was going to meet the man of her dreams, not drop me off at the airport. Then, she whined half the way here about the traffic and the fact that I was leaving for Paris for the next few months.

"What am I going to do, when I have a crisis? Who am I going to talk to?" She moaned.

"Katie, you can always call me, I'll only be an hour ahead. Besides, you can come and visit for a couple of days if you want. There's always the ferry." I replied, knowing her usual nervous disposition when it came to flying in planes.

"Ooh, I can get some shopping in!"

I laughed. "Yes. Because clearly, you wouldn't come to Paris to see your little sister, who loves you dearly..." I added, sarcastically.

Katie was silent for a moment. "Well...ok, shopping second, then." She replied. "Christ, don't these people know how to drive? MERGE LEFT, YOU WANKER!" She said, beeping the horn at he car in front of us.

Needless to say, the rest of the journey was much the same.

When we finally arrived, Katie waited with me to check in my luggage, and we parted ways at the security barrier. She gave me a big Fitch hug, and once I navigated my way through the tedium of the inspection to deduce whether I was carrying a bomb or something I could stab an air hostess with. In reality, I'm more likely to eyefuck an air hostess, maybe shag one, rather than stab them. But, they obviously don't know that about me, and are just doing their jobs, so I don't mind putting up with the inconvenience.

Once I'm through security, I'm into the transit area, and after finding my gate number, I check the time and decide its high time I had my fourth coffee of the day. I head into the first café I see and order a large latté, which came with a couple of shortbread.

It's a little bit stupid to do it while sitting in the airport waiting for my flight, but I do one last check to make sure I have everything... Boarding pass, passport (not that it wasn't checked when I checked my luggage in, but anyway.), and the stuff I'll need when I'm in Paris. The coffee is fairly good, but I suppose it has to be, seeing as it's an international airport and travellers get tired and cranky, especially when flying long haul. I've had better shortbread, but it's the coffee that's important to me.

Then I look up...and my heart almost stops.

There is a woman sitting a few tables over, nursing a coffee, and perusing a guide book. From here, I can see it's a Michelin guide to Paris. Hmm... Same destination. But in the same second, I look back up at her, and I am stunned. She's beautiful. Shoulder length blonde hair, and I can't see her eyes from here, but I bet they are just as beautiful. Her mouth is moving, reading to herself as she flicks through the guide, and it's really quite cute. Then, she stops. She looks up, and her eyes catch mine.

In that second, when our eyes met, I ceased to recognise thing else around me, other than her looking at me. I didn't want to appear like a complete perve, so I averted my eyes, and went back to drinking my coffee. When I looked up again, she was looking through her guide once more, seemingly oblivious to her surroundings.

I don't know what it is, but something attracts me to her. I pick up my coffee, and my backpack, and my camera bag, and walk over to her table, placing my coffee on the table pulling it the seat opposite to hers and sitting down. She doesn't notice me, at first. She's still buried in her Michelin guide, until I softly clear my throat, and she looks up.

She slays me with her eyes. They are big, clear, and so beautifully blue. Her brow furrows, and she looks at me curiously.

"Yes? Can I help you with something?" She says, her voice a little irritated. On the one hand, it makes me think she doesn't want to talk to anyone, and I am sort of disturbing her, but on the other hand, it makes me smile on the inside, and I'm not really sure why.

Yes, I am. She's fucking gorgeous, now that I've seen her closer up.

"Well?" She says, the irritation in her voice becoming more evident.

I give her a smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt. But... I saw you and you looked like you could use some company, so... If I'm bothering you, I can just..."

The woman smiled at me, and I almost melted. Calm down, Emily!

"N-no... It's alright." She says, hesitantly. "I was just... Off in another place. The company would be nice." She said, and the blush that spreads across her cheeks doesn't escape me. It strikes me as very adorable, and I realise my heart is thumping in my chest. I take a sip of what's left of my coffee, hoping it calms me somewhat. Which is softly ridiculous, caffeine being the world's most popular stimulant.

"You're going to Paris?" I ask her.

She stares at me, her mouth half open, and I can't help it, my eyes unconsciously flick down to her lips. They're full, and they look very kissable. And I realise I have to stop eyeing her up, as it is probably making her uncomfortable.

"How did you know I was going to Paris?" She asks me.

A smirk crosses my lips, and I nod towards the guide in front of her. "Michelin's guides are sort of iconic by their green cover. So... Either someone left it on the table and you're taking a look, or you're going to Paris."

She looks down at the guide in front of her. "Oh." She says, looking back up at me and biting her bottom lip. Oh, fuck... That's cute. It is also doing strange things to my stomach. "Yeah. I guess that is pretty obvious. Yes, I'm going to Paris." She nods.

"On the 315pm flight?" I asked her, becoming more interested.

She raises an eyebrow, and in that second, she goes from gorgeous/cute, to sexy as hell. "How did you know that?" She asks me, cautiously.

I take another drink of my coffee, and peer at her, half smiling. "Don't worry, I haven't been stalking you since you got here. I happen to be on the same flight."

"Ah, I see."

"So, business, or...pleasure?" I ask her.

She sips from her coffee and places the cup back on the table. "Pleasure, I suppose." She says, after a brief pause. "You?"

"A little from column A, a little from column B. I'm spending the next few months in Paris, studying." I reply.

"Oh? What are you studying?" The blonde asks.

"I'm doing an advanced course in photographic techniques." I reply.

"You're a photographer?"

I nod. "That's right." I reply, with a smile, before sipping some more coffee. "And you?"

"Uhm... Was at a bit of a loose end, and felt like... An adventure, I guess." She shrugged. "I was sitting in a café in London the other day, wondering what to do next, and... Before I left, I'd booked an open-ended ticket to Paris on my laptop. That's it, really."

"Hmm. Work? Study?"

"I got accepted to study journalism at uni. But... I deferred until next year." She said, finishing the last chunk or biscuit that lay on the plate along with her cup.

"Journalism... Interesting choice." I tell her, noticing her hesitation at the end of her last sentence. It intrigued me, but she did come across as a very guarded person, even though when I looked in her eyes, I could see them twinkle, as though she liked what she saw, but wasn't too sure how to deal with it. Now she just had me even more curious about her, and I was wanting to know so much more. But, first things first. I reach my hand across the table. "I'm Emily, By the way."

Her expression changes, becomes brighter, as the corners of her lips curve upwards gently. She reaches across and takes my hand in hers. "Naomi. It's n-nice to meet you." She says, softly.

I almost barely register her words, because my concentration is drawn to the contact of her hand on mine. It takes a split second for the butterflies in my stomach to become a swirling storm, and for her touch to become electric. I have to catch myself, because a split second more, and the link between us would be slightly awkward, at best. So, reluctantly, I withdraw my hand from hers. I catch a glimpse of her looking at me curiously, that bottom lip of hers tucked between her teeth again, and I drink the last of my coffee to stop myself from saying what's on my mind. I check the time on my phone, and realise it's half an hour until the flight.

"Well, Naomi. I would offer to buy you another coffee... But, I need to get something to read for the flight, because London to Paris isn't really long enough for an in-flight movie." I said, fiddling with my coffee cup.

"Oh. Well, I...might see you on the flight, then?" Naomi replied, and I noticed the slight sadness in her tone.

"I hope so." My brain curses itself, as the words slip out automatically. Damn you, lack of brain-to-tongue filter. She raises her eyebrow as I stand up and give her a smirk. I hold my hand out again, and she takes it, shaking it gently, and her touch sends a shiver up my spine. Fuck. Say something! "It's been lovely meeting you, too." I manage to get out, and I'm sure I'm blushing stupidly.

She nods. "And if I don't see you... Have a nice trip." She says, releasing my hand. Did her touch just linger? Christ, I really hope I see her again.

"Well, see you." I say with a smile, picking up my luggage and slinging my backpack over my shoulder.

I make my way to the nearest newsagent, looking over the magazines that line the shelves. If Katie were with me, she'd already have picked up the latest copy of Heat, but I'm a little more selective, so I pick a photography magazine instead. By the time I am done browsing, the announcement for my flight comes over the public address system.

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first call for flight BA629 to Paris, boarding at gate 29. Please make your way to the gate immediately."

I was standing near gate 25, which is pretty lucky, it means I don't have to run for it. As I get to the gate, I find myself looking out for her. I see her, waiting in line with the other passengers. She doesn't see me, so I take a few short moments to observe and appreciate. She's taller than me, which I obviously didn't notice before, as she was sitting down. Her hair actually falls to just under her shoulders, and she has a body that I would definitely like to see more of.

By the time I've made it through the gate and am stepping onto the jet bridge, I've lost sight of her. But I know that we are going in the same direction, so that's something. I get onto the plane, and am directed by an air hostess to first-class, and I look along the aisles for my seat. I'm concentrating on seat numbers, which are all located on the overhead compartments. I find mine, then look down... And there she is.

"Well." I smirk, my voice just a little huskier than usual. "This is coincidence."

She looks up at me, and the recognition in her expression is amusing, as she blinks, twice, and then a nervous smile crosses her lips. "Uh...it is?"

"Yes. It appears that we have neighbouring seats." I reply, showing her my boarding pass.

"Oh, I see. Well...take a seat, I guess." She says, in reply.

I store my backpack in the overhead compartment, and pull out both my iPod and the magazine I bought, and sit down beside her. It sort of makes me wish we were in economy class, the seats are closer together. She's sitting with the tray table down, and a laptop open in front of her. "Am I interrupting?" I ask her.

"Huh?" She asks, as I catch her looking away from me. "Oh, no... I was just reading a few articles, but...it can wait."

"No, if you're busy, I can geek up on photography stuff..." I reply, motioning to my magazine. But I'm really hoping that I don't get a chance to read it.

"It's fine, really. It can wait." She says, her hand landing on my arm. Her touch is so warm against my skin, that it surprises me, excites me, and calms me all at once. How is that possible? But, almost as soon as she touches me, she retrieves her hand, almost as though touching me has burned her somehow. Her eyes meet mine, and she gives me another nervous smile, as she blushes once more. She shuts down her laptop and closes it. "So, what has you travelling in first class?"

"I believe if you have to fly for any amount of time, there's no point in flying cattle class." I reply.

Naomi laughs, and Christ, it's beautiful. "Something like that. I had the money, so I figured if I'm going to travel, even if it's a short flight to gay Paris, I might as well do it in style."

I nodded. "Good point." I smiled. A thought occurred to me. "You... You're not afraid to fly, are you?"

Naomi looked at me a little strangely. "No... Should I be? Are you?"

I shook my head and laughed. "Relax. I'm not either, I just was...curious if you were." Nice save, Fitch. Why not just tell her that if she gets scared she can snuggle up to you for protection?

"Oh, I see."

I was about to say something else, when the intercom cracked into life.

"Good afternoon, passengers, this is Captain Schilling, and welcome aboard our flight to Paris this afternoon. It's a lovely day, with clear weather, very little turbulence ahead, and we should have a flight time this afternoon of no more than two hours. We will be taking off in a few moments, so please, sit back and enjoy the flight. The stewards will be serving afternoon tea shortly. Thank you for flying British Airways."

About five minutes later, the plane began taxiing towards the runway, and the engines were roaring into life. I looked over to see Naomi, who appeared to be staring out the window, intrigued by the goings on, on the tarmac outside. But the more I looked, the more I noticed she wasn't actually looking t anything in particular, she was more or less staring off into open space. She took a deep breath as the plane gained speed, her eyes closed, and she leaned her head back against the headrest.

As we escaped gravity, I found myself drinking in the beauty beside me. I wasn't even discreet about it, as her eyes were still closed. I ran my eyes over the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, and her lips...making a note of every detail.

And the more I did, the more I feel myself tipping towards a slippery slope.

Christ, I think I'm already gone.


A/N#2: *TA-DA!*

This was mostly written from memory, I am fairly sure the file is on my PC which I can't access at the moment. (No monitor) But it's fairly accurate to what I remember it being.

That concludes chapter one, stay tuned for chapter two...

Again, all reviews/favourites welcome. :)