Disclaimer: I don't own Skins or any of the characters.
A/N: This is written for Emma-face in honour of her finishing one of her "stressertations"! Congrats hun! Also, she gave me the vague prompt to write it. The title is from the Iglu & Harlty song "In This City". Please Read and REVIEW!
"I'm not sure I can do this."
"Of course you can, babe," Effy murmured softly, planting a kiss on her lover's forehead. "You're going to be great! Besides, I've got to show off my arm candy," Effy winked.
Katie had to smile. She couldn't help herself. Effy just always had a way of reassuring her.
Effy wrapped her arm around Katie's slender waist and steered her towards the building.
"You know the last time I came to a party on these grounds I ended up having a knockdown, drag out fight with not one, but two people," Katie mused as Effy guided her up the all too familiar steps.
"Yes, but that was eleven years ago and Emily and Naomi aren't going to attack you for trying to break them up, are they?" Effy reminded her.
"They better not, given how much fucking work I did to make their wedding perfect!" Katie scoffed at the idea.
"And you were the maid of honour," Effy added, smiling to herself as she recalled Katie in the gorgeous green dresses that Emily had had them wear that Effy hadn't been able to help but notice accentuated her girlfriend's curves beautifully.
"Being back here, though, and after all the shit I gave Ems and Naoms back then…" Katie let her thoughts trail off.
"You've grown up. You've changed. Nobody can hold that against you! I won't let them!" Effy replied, squeezing Katie a little tighter to her side. She knew her girlfriend's fears. Back then, who'd have ever thought that Katie fucking Fitch would turn out to fancy girls just like her twin? Especially one who'd hit her over the head with a rock. Katie had been a rather notorious man eater at the time. It wasn't until uni that Katie had stopped putting on a persona that she thought others expected of her and started being true to herself. As it had turned out, Effy had rather liked the real Katie. She loved her, as a matter of fact.
Katie laughed. Effy was no doubt telling the truth. She'd been rather defensive of Katie, especially so ever since Jenna had threatened to disown her unless she'd "stopped all this silliness" even though Katie had single-handedly pulled her wedding planning business back from the brink of bankruptcy. "You're not allowed to get in any fights either," Katie informed her girlfriend.
Effy sighed and pretended to be put out. "Oh, alright."
It was obvious from the noise level exactly where the festivities were, but Katie and Effy veered off, heading to where they'd agreed to meet Emily and Naomi.
They slid in through the open door to what had once been Kieran's classroom and both felt a wave of nostalgia hit Katie. Sure college hadn't always been the best time of their lives, but a lot of good and interesting things had happened to them there.
As if reading her mind, Effy murmured, "Wow, this brings back a lot of memories."
"Yeah, like of you fucking Cook on the first day of college," Katie teased.
"Stupid of me really. You're obviously the better shag," Effy replied with a grin, pulling Katie in towards her and mashing their lips together.
"Damn straight," Katie agreed with a smile against Effy's lips. She wrapped her arms around Effy's lips, pulling the slender girl in closer, forcing their bodies together as she deepened the kiss.
"Sorry to interrupt, but shouldn't we, as the relative newlyweds be the ones caught snogging in a classroom?" Emily's voice interrupted.
Katie turned to face her sister and Naomi with a faint blush while Effy simply looked up with a smile and wrapped her arms around Katie's stomach.
"Relative newlyweds? You've been married for three years! How long exactly do you get to qualify as newlyweds?" Katie countered.
"I, for one, plan on letting the honeymoon period last forever," Naomi replied, kissing her wife affectionately on the cheek.
"Sounds good to me," Effy murmured into Katie's ear before sucking her earlobe into her mouth, sending a shiver of excitement down the shorter girl's spine.
"I believe we have a reunion to get to," Emily reminded them.
"Do we have to?" Katie asked, much preferring the idea of buggering off and going to have a nice dinner somewhere with her girlfriend, her sister and Naomi.
"Yes," the rest of them chorused.
"Damn," Katie muttered, breaking free of Effy to go properly greet Emily and Naomi, giving each of them a warm hug in turn.
Effy followed suit.
Katie couldn't help noticing that Naomi whispered something in Effy's ear, but her sister linked her arm and whisked her away before she had a chance to ask what they were talking about.
The four of them paused just outside of the entrance, music pounding from within. They each took a deep breath and Effy slid her hand into Katie's and squeezed it tightly, just letting the girl know that she was there for her. On Katie's other side, Emily did the same. Katie took an extra deep breath and the four of them entered the reunion.
"Can I have your names, please? It's just you've got to wear these name tags, see?" a familiar voice said to their right as they walked in.
"Hello, Panda," Effy greeted their old friend, who clearly hadn't looked up to see who exactly had walked in.
Pandora looked up and her expression of confusion was instantly replaced by a massive smile. "Effy! Wow! Emily! Katie! Naomi! Whizzer! So glad you guys came! You all look mega gorgeous! This party's gonna be wicked fun, isn't it? Are you two still doing the lesbo love dance?" Pandora indicated Emily and Naomi (who had to repress a smirk).
"Yes, Panda," Emily replied, not trusting her wife to do so without her voice dripping in sarcasm. "We actually got married a few years back."
Pandora's eyes widened even more. "Wow! Congrats!" she practically shouted in her eagerness.
"Thanks," Naomi and Emily murmured.
"Oh, right, nametags," Pandora slapped her forehead. "Mum always says I'd forget my head if it wasn't attached." She rummaged around on the table until she found the correct nametags and handed them over.
Katie groaned as she looked at the big bold type. "Do I have to?" she whined to Effy.
"Yes," Effy replied with a smirk, taking the nametag from Katie and pinning it onto her girlfriend's dress. "Very sexy," she teased.
"Shut up," Katie sulked, though she couldn't help the way her lips quirked up at the sides. It was the way Effy was looking at her. It just undid her. She was helpless to stop it.
"So you stuck behind that table all night, Panda?" Effy inquired, turning back to the blonde (whose outfit, she couldn't help but notice, was as outrageous as ever, with its bold green, pink and white pattern somewhat resembling a watermelon).
"No, just another hour, then someone else takes over!" Pandora replied cheerily.
"Cool, well come find us when you're free. We'll catch up," Effy invited her. She'd lost touch with Pandora once they'd gone off to uni, an ocean in between them. It was one of her few regrets in life, and she hoped that maybe she could start to rebuild that bridge tonight.
"Whizzer! I will!" Pandora replied with a genuine smile.
A couple that Katie didn't recognise was shuffling in behind them, so the four of them headed off into the crowd of dancing, drinking, chatting people.
"Fitchies!!!! Fuck me if you two don't look more fuckable now than you did first day of college!" Cook roared, appearing behind them and wrapping them both in a bear hug.
"Get off!" Katie replied playfully even as she patted him on the back, returning the hug a little.
"Not sure my wife would appreciate you saying that," was Emily's retort.
"Nah, she'll agree with me!" Cook waved her off, pulling away from the twins and turning to face Naomi. "Right, Naomikins? Looking mint as always, babe!" He kissed Naomi on the cheek and hugged her tight before stepping back, face frozen in a look of shock. "Wait, did she say wife?"
"She did," Naomi affirmed, pulling Emily into her side and looking rather proud of that fact.
"Bloody hell, blondie! When did this happen?" Cook asked, still staring between them in shock, but a smile playing across his face none the less.
"About three years ago," Emily replied.
"Guess that means you two are officially off the market, eh?" Cook grinned wickedly at the two of them. "Guess if I want I twin I've got to go for Katiekins, then."
"I wouldn't. She's not on the market either," Effy countered, wrapping her arm firmly and possessively around Katie.
Katie took a deep breath and held it. First moment of truth.
Cook turned and seemed to notice Effy for the first time. His jaw set hard as he took in the two of them, then slowly a wide grin spread across his face. "No fucking way!" he shouted over the music, practically beaming. He wrapped two strong arms around them and managed to lift them both off the ground, chuckling as he did so. "Katie fucking Fitch a muff muncher? Never thought I'd see the day! Well, you've got fucking fantastic taste in women, babe!" he informed her as he set them down.
"Thanks, Cook," Katie replied, feeling her cheeks burning red. Still it had been a good reaction. Nonjudgmental.
"Guess I've got to find some fresh meat if I want to have a willy waggle tonight, then," Cook mused, eyeing the crowd.
"Probably for the best," Naomi agreed with a grin on her face. She'd liked Cook, and had quite a big soft spot for him in fact. She'd always known that he was sweeter than he ever let on. It was nice being back in his presence.
"So are you keeping out of trouble these days?" Effy inquired, given that the last time she'd seen him he'd been awaiting trial on drug trafficking charges.
"Yep! I'm a legit businessman these days!" Cook informed them proudly, puffing out his chest and straightening his suit jacket a bit.
"Really?" Katie replied sceptically, one eyebrow raised.
"Yes! Turns out, somebody saw my business strategy and decided I had potential and ingenuity. Hired me when I got out of the clink and these days I'm running my own branch of the company," Cook informed them. "Still distribution and shipping, mind, just legal now. I'm based out of Cardiff."
"Good for you, Cook," Naomi said, voicing the thoughts of the other three.
"Yeah, I'm really happy for you," Katie echoed.
"Hey Jaykins!" Cook called out, apparently spotting somebody behind them. "Jaykins! Come see who's here mate!"
Naomi, Emily, Katie, and Effy turned in unison to see a fit, attractive young man approaching them. Their jaws collectively dropped when they realised who it was. Gone were the braces, goofy hair, and bad complexion that had followed JJ through college. In front of them stood a rather suave looking young man.
"Wow, JJ, looking good," Emily was the first to break the silence.
Naomi elbowed Emily in the side, though her jealousy over the two of them had long ago died out.
"Seriously! Is that suit Italian?" Katie asked, gaping, unable to stop herself from reaching out and feeling the smooth fabric.
"Yes, it is, thank you," JJ replied, sounding more self-assured than he used to as well.
"JJ, here, is the face of Autism in Scotland these days!" Cook announced proudly, swinging his arm around his friend. "Organises tons of benefits and fund raisers all over the place! Gives speeches and everything!"
"That's quite impressive!" Effy remarked, unable to truly picture the awkward boy she'd known in college organising people and giving speeches. The man that stood before them, though, had clearly come a long way.
"We should talk, JJ!" Naomi interjected, suddenly much more interested. "I work with all kind of non profit sectors in Birmingham. Maybe we could work together and get something set up for Autism in the area as well!"
JJ seemed momentarily surprised at the eagerness with which Naomi was talking to him, but he recovered quickly. "That would be wonderful. I'm always looking for new ways to spread the word and spread knowledge and awareness. Let me give you my business card," JJ replied, pulling out his wallet and handing over a card.
"Excellent! I'll give you a call once I'm back in the office on Monday!" Naomi responded with a smile.
Emily shook her head with a smile. Some things would never change. Naomi still wanted to try to save the world. She was making good headway in Birmingham at least. God, she loved that woman!
"So, Emily, Katie, Effy," JJ nodded to them each in turn. "What do you do these days?"
"I'm a teacher. I've got a whole classroom full of seven-year-olds to get back to on Monday," Emily said, smiling affectionately as she thought of the children in her class. She truly loved her job.
"I run a wedding planning business," Katie supplied.
"And I'm a child psychiatrist," Effy informed him, pulling Katie in a little tighter to her side. She wanted people to see, wanted them to know. She loved the girl beside her.
JJ smiled and remarked upon how each career seemed to suit them, but Katie noticed his eyes stray to Effy's hand around her waist. "So Emily, Naomi, I take it the two of you are still together? Which statistically speaking is rather impressive!"
"We are indeed," Naomi assured him with a smile at the petite girl at her side.
"Married, as a matter of fact," Emily added.
"I'm very happy for both of you!" JJ smiled genuinely at them. "And I can't help noticing," JJ cleared his throat uncomfortably, "that the two of you," he nodded at Katie and Effy, "seem to be rather close."
"That's 'cause they're dating!" Cook interjected gleefully.
JJ's eyes widened slightly, but to his credit, he remained calm. "It's interesting how things work out between people, isn't it?" he said with a smile, after only a second's recovery time.
"Yeah, it is," Katie replied, shooting Effy a smile, and pulling the brunette's arm a little tighter around her waist. She found the touch comforting. And now two of their old friends knew and neither of them seemed to care or judge. She felt herself relaxing into the evening.
The six of them settled into easy conversation, catching up and recalling old times, Cook disappearing every now and then, no doubt in search of a good shag. He always reappeared though, and one time, he brought a straggler in tow.
"Looky who I found!" Cook announced, looking awfully pleased with himself.
"Freds?" Katie was the first to break the suddenly awkward silence. Her jaw dropped. The boy who had once been tall and lanky had filled out a bit and gained muscle mass. The once glassed over look in his eyes (thanks to far too much cannabis) had been replaced by a keen twinkle somewhere over the past ten years. She had to admit that he looked good.
"Katie!" he smiled down at her and wrapped her in an awkward hug. He proceeded to greet each of them in turn, ending with JJ. By his lack of shock at the change in the shorter boy, it was obvious that they'd kept in touch. "This is my wife, Andrea," Freddie introduced the rather attractive woman who was lingering just behind him. She smiled nervously at them. She had a kind of exotic beauty to her, with her tanned skin, dark hair, and dark eyes, and what was more, she looked completely in love with Freddie.
Katie and Effy exchanged a look that showed their relief. Truth be told, they'd been most worried about how he might take the news about them, but seeing him appear so happy with the woman at his side, they realised they'd been foolish to think that he wouldn't have moved on in the last ten years. Just because things had been awkward at their parting at the end of college, was no reason to assume that they'd be equally as awkward now.
"Cook tells me that you two tied the knot as well," Freddie nodded towards Naomi and Emily. "Can't say I'm surprised. I always thought you two had a love for the ages."
Naomi and Emily smiled at each other and held each other a little closer. They couldn't have agreed more. "Thanks," they murmured, barely able to take their eyes off each other. They felt extremely lucky to have found each other, and at such a young age too.
"And you two are together?" Freddie raised two curious eyebrows and took in the proximity of Effy and Katie's body's and the way their hands met at Katie's waist.
Katie swallowed nervously, but Effy answered for them. "Very," she replied with a smile and a kiss to Katie's temple.
Freddie's face broke into a grin. "Interesting, but I can see it," he nodded his approval.
"Don't you dare think about us together just 'cause you've seen us both naked," Katie muttered a warning.
"I second that," Andrea interjected and everyone dissolved into laughed.
Again an easy atmosphere settled on the group and chatter picked up, small sub-conversations branching off of larger ones, everyone intermingling freely. Pandora joined them when her shift at the welcome desk was done and increased both the noise level and the amount of dancing that the group was doing. She informed them that Thomas (who she was married to) was off in America promoting the newest band that had signed to his record label, but he sent his well wishes to everybody.
She didn't bat an eyelash when she found out about Katie and Effy and Katie felt the last bits of her apprehensions floating away as Effy pulled her off for a dance.
Naomi and Emily disappeared onto the dance floor and didn't reappear for another hour, looking slightly more dishevelled than they had when they'd left.
"Guess they really are still in the honeymoon period," Katie muttered under her breath.
"Caught snogging in a classroom?" Effy suggested quietly to Naomi who blushed.
"Or something. Can you blame me?" the blonde retorted, looking fondly at the love of her life who was now engaged in an animated conversation with Pandora.
Effy glanced at her own love. "No. Not at all."
Katie couldn't help noticing as the night progressed that her ever calm girlfriend seemed to be catching a case of nerves. It was strange, but then whenever their eyes met, Effy's face would break into a smile that just melted Katie's heart and she'd forget. Besides, whatever it was, she was sure she'd find out later.
The night wore on and the festivities continued with no signs of stopping. The official event at the school ended at midnight, but they had already all decided to go round to Cook's uncle's pub afterwards for old time's sake. Besides, Cook had informed them that they wouldn't have to leave at closing, so they'd probably end up with the place to themselves.
Katie pulled her girlfriend out onto the dance floor for another dance. She'd stopped giving a fuck who saw them or what they thought. Her friends knew, and they were fine with it. Her sister and Naomi knew, and they were thrilled about it. Most importantly, she loved Effy. She'd been stupid to care what others thought to begin with. It had just been coming back to college, to the place where she'd been a completely different person, she had felt parts of her old self tugging back at her. It had also been ages since she'd had to come out to anybody, let alone a lot of people at once. Still, she wasn't that girl anymore, the one who really cared if people knew if she was attracted to girls and didn't really think that she'd been that humiliated losing Freddie as a boyfriend.
Effy wrapped her arms a little tighter around Katie's waist so that she could whisper in her ear more easily. "Let's get out of here for a bit. Come with me." Effy grabbed Katie's arm and turned and led her off of the dance floor and away from the crowds of people.
Katie didn't resist and followed her willingly through the corridors and up the stairs, paying more attention to the way Effy's hips moved from side to side so enticingly as they went than to where they were going. It wasn't until Effy pushed through a heavy door and Katie felt the cool night air hit her face that she took in where they were. Effy led her towards the edge of the roof and they stood side by side, arms around each other, looking out over Bristol at night.
"I've never been up here," Katie murmured, leaning against the ledge and looking down, just to see how high it was. She leaned back quickly.
"I came up here a few times during college. It was a good place to think. Not many people know how to get up here," Effy replied, not taking her eyes off of her beautiful girlfriend. She took a deep breath and felt the nervousness that had been building in her as the night progressed fade away up here with the girl she loved.
"Katie, I know that we've had a bumpy road together and our lives haven't been perfect..."
Katie turned to her girlfriend slowly and her eyes widened as she took in Effy, now kneeling on one knee. She felt the world slow around them as her heart began to race, the only thing in focus being the gorgeous girl in front of her with hauntingly perceptive blue eyes.
Effy took Katie's hand and kissed it softly before continuing, "but I know that there's nobody else that I'd rather face the ups and downs on this rollercoaster that is life with. Would you do me the honour of planning my wedding?" Effy grinned and winked.
"Do I get to be in it?" Katie asked, not taking the bait, but instead teasing back.
"You're going to star in it. You're going to be the most beautiful bride ever," Effy assured her, meaning every word that she said.
Katie continued to stare at Effy with wide eyes. The entire situation felt surreal.
"Are you going to answer?" Effy prompted after a minute.
"Sorry, I just...Yes! Yes, of course!" Katie replied, pulling Effy up and pressing their lips firmly together. A thought struck her a moment later and she pulled her face away. "Wait, you are serious, right? This isn't like the time when you wanted to try to convince my parents that we'd eloped after that holiday in Paris, right?"
Effy grinned widely and slipped the small box out of her jacket pocket. She opened it up and held it up in the small space between them.
Katie's eyes dropped to it and practically bugged out of her head. "Holy shit!" she gasped as she took in the large stone and the setting that consisted of two bands with diamond chips around them.
Effy's grin widened. That had been exactly the reaction she'd been looking for when she'd picked out 1.75 karat diamond ring. She pulled the ring out of the box and let the box drop to the ground.
"Hey, be nice to that! I want to keep it!" Katie protested before Effy slipped the ring over her finger. She made a mental note to retrieve the box later. After all, it now had sentimental value. Right now, though, she needed to kiss her girlfriend...wait, no...Fiancée. "Holy crap, I'm engaged," Katie murmured, taking in the ring on her finger. She realised then that the two bands came together on the bottom. The ring was perfect. She loved it. She loved Effy.
"Yes. Yes, you are," Effy agreed before kissing Katie fiercely, trying to convey all of her love and passion for the petite brunette. "I love you," she breathed against Katie's lips before capturing them again.
"I love you too," Katie managed to gasp a few minutes later.
Under the stars two bodies flowed together in perfect harmony, limbs entwined so that to any bystander it would be hard to see where one girl began and another ended.
Professions of love, panted heavily into crooks of necks and against smooth, bare skin, broke the still night air as the bodies continued their beautifully choreographed dance together.
Half an hour later, Katie straightened her dress and grabbed the ring box from where it lay on the ground. "Let's go show off my ring," she said excitedly, taking a minute to admire it again.
"Yes, let's," Effy murmured against the porcelain skin of Katie's neck as she kissed her way down it.
"Shagging in a classroom?" Naomi muttered to Effy once congratulations had been shared all around. Emily and Katie were clinging to each other in delight, and Katie kept staring at her ring.
"On a roof," Effy winked.
"Slag," Naomi teased.
"I'll have you know I'm an engaged woman!" Effy shot back with a grin. She couldn't believe the natural high she was on now, and she could tell that Katie was feeling it too.
"Yes, true. Congrats again, Eff. Welcome to the family!" Naomi slung an arm around her friend. "Cook! I think it's time we move to the pub! We have a round of drinks to buy the happy couple!"
"I've got the second round!" JJ piped up.
"I'll get the third," Freddie showed his support.
"Guess we're not paying tonight, babe!" Effy winked at her fiancée, marvelling at how the world felt rolling around in her brain.
"Damn straight!" Katie agreed, smiling back at Effy without any reservations.
Katie lay back panting, naked body tangled in the sheets, glistening from the thin sheen of sweat that covered it, as Effy wrapped her own naked body gracefully that of her fiancée. The first hints of dawn were starting to lighten the room where they lay.
Effy placed soft kisses up Katie's chest and neck until she reached her soft, supple lips. "That was some reunion," Effy murmured against her lips before kissing them chastely.
"We're definitely going to the next one," Katie said as her fingers twirled the ring on her finger.
"You just want to be able to show off our wedding pictures!" Effy accused with a low chuckle that sent shivers through Katie's body.
"Maybe, but I think possibly that I won't need to. Maybe the relevant people will be there," Katie suggested.
Effy considered it for a minute. It had been nice having the gang back together. They had all grown and changed, but somehow as they'd sat drinking round after round at Keith's pub, they'd all fit perfectly back together, like a jigsaw puzzle. Taken individually, they probably shouldn't have all worked together, but somehow they did anyway. It had been really nice to reconnect. Katie knew that Effy was especially pleased to be back in contact with Pandora. "I'd like that," Effy replied softly.
"We'd better get to sleep if we're meeting Cook, Emily, and Naomi for lunch in seven hours," Katie sighed contentedly as she snuggled into the woman who would someday soon be her wife. She was finally feeling drowsy, though the natural high that had started at the proposal hadn't faded in the slightest.
"Sleep sounds good," Effy agreed groggily as she nuzzled her head into the crook of Katie's neck.
Katie rolled onto her side and pulled Effy's arm tightly around her, tucking it against her breasts. "Goodnight, babes. I love you," Katie murmured as tiredness started to overtake her.
Effy kissed Katie's cheek. "Goodnight. I love you too, Katie, love of my life." She wrapped the rest of her body around Katie's and pulled the blankets up around their curled bodies. "I love you so much."
Katie smiled and felt her chest swell with love and happiness as she drifted off to sleep, dreaming of white dresses, elaborate cakes, shiny diamonds, and, above all, Effy Stonem.