Thank you to all the folks who've read this so far! I really appreciate the few who've taken the time to write a review, it seriously means the world to me! Sam, you're the bestest...Hypes, I'M NOT WORTHY! I'M NOT WORTHY! ;) Hahaha sorry, that's just how I feel! Audwee...thanks dude. :D Onwards and upwards...
OH YEAH! I don't own Skins! :D
Chapter 2, you know what to do :)
Naomi lays in her bed staring at the ceiling, unable to sleep. The scolding of Rob Fitch still stings her psyche. With a huff Naomi rolls to her left side and glances out the window. The stars of the night sky shine and she smiles, and in that moment her phone buzzes with a message alert. Naomi looks at her phone and her smile widens when she sees a message from Emily.
Hey! Are you up?
Naomi shifts her wait so that she can use her left hand and responds:
I was just star gazing actually. What are you up to?
Naomi flops back down and stars out the window until she hears her phone go off seconds later. She lifts her phone to read the message:
Awe, making a wish?
Naomi chuckles and responds:
No wishes, but I did think of American Tail and almost started humming "Somewhere Out There" to myself.
Naomi sits up and stretches in her bunk when Emily responds seconds later:
I'm actually doing the same thing…right next to you ;)
Naomi snorts at this message and responds:
Ah, STALKING ME AGAIN I SEE?! ;) Shall I come join you?
Naomi jumps down from her bed and pulls on a hoodie and some pj bottoms as her phone goes off.
I was just about to ask lol Get your ass out here and keep me warm! :P
Naomi grabs her comforter off her bed and wraps it around her body as she makes her way to her door. She tries not to trip over her blanket while shutting her door and ends up shutting it in the door instead.
"Fuck!" Naomi mumbles to herself as she tries to release her blanket from the door.
Emily snorts as she hears Naomi's struggle. She turns and looks back over her shoulder with an adorable grin as Naomi rewraps the blanket around her and walks towards Emily. When Naomi is close enough, Emily smiles, "Everything okay?"
Naomi rolls her eyes and climbs into her seat with a groan, "Hey, no teasing or I won't share my blanket with you okay?" She smiles at Emily and holds out her left blanket wing to her. Emily smiles and bounces towards Naomi and cuddles into her side as Naomi drops her arm over Emily and pulls her close. Naomi shivers in the cold pocket that Emily just created and whispers, "It's cold tonight." The tip of Naomi's nose brushes against Emily's forehead and Emily shivers, causing Naomi to pull her closer.
Emily grins and looks up at Naomi, "I brought snacks." She reveals a small red and yellow box with animals on the cover.
Naomi looks down and smiles, "Awe, you brought animal crackers." Emily smiles and nods. "I never understood them you know," Naomi laughs as she reaches for one. "I really don't think that the animal cracker qualifies as a cracker."
"What!? Why?" Emily laughs as she bites the head off a hippo and looks off into the sky.
Naomi smiles and looks down at the lion she has in her hand, "Well cause it's sweet which to me suggests cookie, and you know, I mean putting cheese on something is sort of the defining characteristic of what makes a cracker a cracker."
"You're sweet, you know that?" Emily nudges Naomi with her shoulder.
Naomi turns and looks at Emily and smiles, "Yeah well, you're father certainly doesn't think so, he thinks I'm a reckless wanker."
"How long have you worked for my dad?" Emily cocks her head to the side and looks at Naomi.
"About 5 years I suppose." Naomi shrugs.
"Well, you two have butted heads in the past right, I mean I know my dad really respects you and your work…you just have a tendency to be a little ballsy and sometimes it backfires." Emily pats her hand on Naomi's knee. "But hey look on the bright side, you're only on strike two out of all the crap you've done over 5 years." Emily giggles and makes Naomi crack a smile.
"Yeah, I guess that's true. But I've also had people like you and Cook stand up for me and my ways." Naomi shrugs.
Emily huffs and sits up from Naomi's side and squares her body Naomi and holds out her arms, "Come here." Naomi looks at her and smiles welcoming Emily's strong arms around her warm body. Emily smiles and squeezes Naomi and mumbles, "Fitch hug."
Naomi chuckles into Emily's shoulder, "Just what I needed, how did you know?"
Emily pulls back and smiles, "I have hunches too ya know."
Naomi bites her lip, "Do you now? What else do you have a hunch about?" Naomi raises a daring eyebrow.
Emily smiles and finds her eyes drifting downward to Naomi's lips. Naomi licks her lips when she sees where Emily's eyes are directed and finds herself doing the same to Emily's. Naomi's breath hitches when she feels Emily's hands cup over hers under the blanket. Startled, Naomi looks down at her hands to be surprised by the butterflies in her belly and the warmth of Emily's lips on hers.
Naomi smiles as Emily's lips leave her and she bites her lips, "Well, I guess your hunches are a lot more on than mine lately."
"Yeah? Well, let's see if I can go two for two." Emily smiles as she leans in and presses her lips to Naomi's once again.
Naomi smiles and giggles, "I've wanted to do that for a long time now."
Emily cocks her head to the side playfully, "So why didn't you?"
"It's complicated." Naomi shrugs.
Emily nods, "I know, that's what I said too."
"To who? You really are a stalker!" Naomi playfully pushes Emily.
Emily laughs, "Shut up! I'm not a stalker, and it was Katie I was talking to about you okay?" Naomi laughs and wraps the blanket fully around her and pulls her in tight. "Besides, it's not like I can talk to anyone on this rig about you. Those horny boys already figured you out a long time ago."
Naomi snorts, "What!? How would you know that?"
Emily laughs, "Cook wouldn't shut up about you when he came home with dad and I over the holiday break. All Christmas long I had to hear about how great you are and that he knows we like each other. It was only till he got distracted with Katie that he finally shut up, no offense."
Naomi laughs, "None taken."
Emily smiles, "I knew how I felt about you then, and didn't need anymore persuasion." Emily tangles her fingers into Naomi's. "I just knew things are complicated with my dad and the fact that we are pretty much stuck on this rig and if things didn't work out, it'd be horrible."
"And now?" Naomi plays with their fingers.
"I realized it's rather simple. I like you and I know that if we died tomorrow, I'd regret never telling you how I felt and feeling those lips on mine."
"But what about Rob? I mean your dad?" Naomi huffs out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Let me handle him yeah?" Emily smiles as she cups Naomi's face and pulls her closer to taste her lips again.
XXXXX
Emily jumps off her pillow to the sounds of her phone ringing, waking her from her sweet dreams of her early AM activities with Naomi. "Hello?" Emily asks in a groggy voice.
"Morning babes!" Katie chirps from the other end.
"Hey Kay, what's up?" Emily rubs the sleep from her eyes and sits up in her bed.
"Well I'm leaving for New York today! I just wanted to talk to you before I left." Katie giggles with excitement.
"Oh that's cool, what about James?" Emily flops back down onto her pillow and pulls the blankets over her shoulder.
"James actually decided to go see mum and Carl…weird huh? His flight was earlier this morning, he should be arriving now if not all ready there. Mum's picking him up from the airport and it's off to fun times with her and the step-dad." Katie says while throwing some garments into suitcase.
"Wow. That should be an interesting trip to the States. I mean Carl is okay, for retired Navy guy, but he just seems a bit obsessed with that massive telescope of his." Emily chuckles.
"Yeah well, mum seemed pretty excited about it, I don't think her and Carl aren't doing too good. She was saying all he does is hang out in his observatory, eat and sleep. Haha I also don't think he's a fan of her cooking, big shocker there." Katie laughs.
"Well James knows what he's getting into, but he always was interested in Astronomy so maybe he'll have fun. Anyway, when do you leave?" Emily plays with the condensation on the window and draws a heart with a N in the center.
"I I have to leave for the airport in a few hours and I'm still packing, I'm a procrastination genius...where the fuck is…" Katie rolls her eyes as she searches for her flat iron. "Ah! There you are!"
"Are you going to get me anything?" Emily giggles.
"Yeah, but first does Naomi's middle name start with a 'Y' by any chance?" Katie smirks waiting for Emily's response.
"Um no…why?" Emily raises her eyebrows mockingly.
"Damn, there goes my first idea of an I heart NYC shirt for you." Katie snorts with laughter.
"Haaa. Very funny Katie." Emily can't hold back the smile creeping out. "Well it may as well be YOLO cause I kissed her the other night."
Katie unluckily takes a sip of her tea when Emily says this news and spits her tea all over her suitcase. "WHAT?! You what?!" Katie puts down the tea and starts frantically wiping off her suitcase.
"I kissed Naomi," Emily giggles and buries her face into her pillow.
"I heard you! I mean how, why now? I thought it was complicated or some bullshit excuse like that?" Katie sits down on the bed next to her suitcase.
"Yeah well, maybe I was just scared or avoiding the obvious…but I figured life's short and I didn't want to ever wonder what it was like to kiss her. So I did…a lot." Emily shuts her eyes with blissful memories.
"Whoa. Does dad know? I mean are you two together now? Like officially?" Katie's questions keep coming in quick succession.
"Um, no he doesn't officially know. I'm pretty sure Cook filled him in awhile ago how she feels and he already knew how I felt. We hadn't talked about anything official yet, I'm just enjoying what I have." Emily smiles and bites her lip.
"Which is…?" Katie pries some more.
"Her." Emily grins.
"But that would mean something more than friendship wouldn't it? God you lezzas are annoying. Just call it what it is! You have been in love with this chick for like ever and she totally is into you and you finally kiss and all you say is 'you're enjoying what you have…her.' What is that Emily!?" Katie flails her arm around throwing a scarf into her suitcase.
Emily laughs at her sister's exasperation, "Kay chill out! I'm just not trying to smother things okay? I know Naomi is a bit skittish around dad right now and she's trying to keep her nose clean. Plus they've been putting in a lot of overtime and I haven't really seen her since that night."
"Well okay, I get that then. So Ems, I got to finish packing and get a move on to the airport. I call you when I get there okay?" Katie says as she zips open her toiletry case.
"Yeah sure, I love you. Fly safe okay?" Emily smiles to cover the worry in her voice.
" I love you too Ems, talk to you soon." Katie smiles before hanging up.
XXXXX
"James!" Jenna holds out her arms as James comes into view at the airport. James smirks and grabs his bag from the luggage carrousel.
"Hey mum." James is almost suffocated in an ex-Fitch hug.
"I may not be a Fitch anymore, but I can still hug like one mister." Jenna smiles and ruffles James' hair. "How was your flight? Are you excited to be in the States?" James just nods and smiles, "Okay Mr. Enthusiasm, let's get you back and settled then you can have dinner. I made your favorite…"
"Fish and chips?!" James' eyes perk up.
"Well no. I made artichoke and beetroot soup and flan for dessert." Jenna smiles proudly while James chokes back the vomit.
"Is Carl in waiting in the car?" James asks as he throws his bag over his shoulder.
"Nooo. Carl didn't feel like leaving his telescope last night and I'm sure he's still sitting there looking up at the sky." Jenna folds her arms and looks off to the side in silent rage.
After leaving the airport and drive home in a storm of questions about college and girls, James was ready to hole out in his room. They arrive at Jenna and Carl's house. It's a big house with a massive lot. James scans for the observatory and sees the large dome from the street. They park and James jumps out and grabs his bag. "Well mum, do you mind if I go lay down for a bit? Flights take a lot out of me."
"That's fine sweetheart, I'll wake you for dinner." Jenna smiles and squeezes his shoulder as he passes. "Your room is the first door on the left on the second floor. You'll find towels and anything else you may need on the counter in the bathroom, the second door on the left." James nods in response and heads into the house.
Jenna putters around in the front yard for a few minutes and walks inside the house. She sees the same dinner that she left out for Carl the night before and instantly feels the rage build up. "If you're not going to eat it, why did I bother to make it? I hate wasting food." She runs her fingers through her hair and in a huff she turns on her heal. She b-lines it for the observatory to give Carl a piece of her mind.
Carl is an older man, his graying hair flops over his glasses as he squints with one eye shut as he smashes his head to the telescope eye piece. Jenna slams the door open and stands there with her arms crossed and a death glare on her face. "Carl! You're carrot surprise has been on the table for nearly 8 hours. If you didn't want it in the first place why do you insist I make you food?! I can't take this anymore, I want a divorce."
Carl barely glances over his shoulder at her. "Jenna, I'm on to something big here. I don't know what it is, but it looks like something is burning up there. Go get my phonebook will yeah? Get my book, I'm gonna call those guys from NASA."
"Am I wearing sign that says Carl's slave?!" Jenna throws her arms in the air with rage.
"GO GET MY GOD DAMNED BOOK! GET THE BOOK! GET THE BOOK!" Carl repeats aggressively until Jenna just obeys him so he'll stop.
Jenna comes back with a scowl and the book. Carl riffles through until he finds the number he's looking for and pulls out his cell phone. Jenna stands and watches as he is connected to NASA officials and is put on hold. She crosses her arms and just glares at him as he gives the coordinates to his discover.
"Yes sir. Yes. Sir, I'm retired Navy, I understand confidentiality. Uh huh, yes." Carl looks at Jenna with a smirk. "One more thing! The one who finds her gets to name her right? Great, I want to name it after my wife Jenna." Carl looks over at Jenna, who is caught off guard by such a gesture and almost cracks a smile. Carl pauses and continues, "She's a vicious life-sucking bitch from which there is no escape." Jenna merely responds with a middle finger in his direction and walks out.
Jenna walks back into the house and collects some belongings before knocking on James' door. She pops her head in to see he's up and slightly unpacking. "Don't bother love, you and I are leaving. Pack your stuff, we're headed back to England…together."
"What? Mum I just got here…and what do you mean we?" James stands there confused and jet lagged.
"I'll explain on the way, let's get out of this hell hole." Jenna smiles and turns back out of his room.
XXXXX
Katie smiles tremendously as the breeze blows her hair back and the city air surrounds her face. She throws her hand up in the air to hail a cab and the several bags in her hand rustle in the wind. A cab pulls up and stops in front of her.
"We to ma'am?" The cab driver asks.
"Ugh," Katie turns her nose up. "Please don't call me ma'am. And please take me to the Financial district, I want to see Tiffany's!"
The cab driver nods and pulls away from the curb. He turns up the radio and stops with the traffic. Katie just catches a few words and turns her head to the front of the cab. "What happened?"
"There was an explosion in space, at 3:47AM this morning," The cab driver says and peeks back over his shoulder at Katie. His face changes from a smile to a frown when he looks at Katie now frightened expression. Within seconds a massive crash sends the cab drivers ducking behind the steering wheel.
"What the actual FUCK!?" Katie dives behind the drivers seat. "What is going on!?
"I'm sorry miss I don't know!" The driver frantically is dodging screaming people and pieces of flaming shrapnel. A huge explosion off a few blocks down sends a car flipping over onto another. Building are catching fire and windows are breaking. "Maybe you should get out miss!" The driver beginning to panic, "I don't think we're safe here on the road!"
"What?!" Katie shouts as a basketball sized flaming mound smashes into the sidewalk just feet from the cab. "Jesus Christ! Get us out of here!"
"I'm sorry miss, there is nowhere to go! It's a traffic jam and now it seems we're under attack of something." The driver looks over his shoulder in sympathy.
"I wanted to go shopping!" Katie huffs and crosses her arms. "It figures I travel halfway across the world to go shopping and the sky is freaking falling!" Katie rolls her eyes and watches as people flee cars and buildings. "Well, I'm getting out. I think I'll take my chances outside, thanks!" She throws the cab drivers a few bucks and opens the door, grabs her bags and scampers out, ducking under her bags. She drops one and stops to turn and look back, just as a rock the size of a Volkswagen smashes to the ground. It throws her back into a news stand and luckily she is not hurt. She shakes off the shock of what just happened and cries, "NO! Not my Saks Fifth Avenue bag! I loved that dress! Fuck." Katie peers down into the giant hole the explosion made into the sidewalk.
Katie collects herself and her bags and starts walking in the chaos. She decides that walking in her heals have an equal chance of killing her, and decides to duck into a pub for the time being. She takes a seat and the bartender addresses her.
"Uh, what can I get ya?" The older man says with a curious smile.
"Just a pint, if we going to die, a pint will at least help the pain." Katie smiles and rests her elbows on the counter. She digs in her purse and pulls out her phone and dials Emily's number while she waits for the bartender to bring her drink.
XXXXX
Emily's phone vibrates in her jeans pocket. Naomi's giggles keep Emily from hearing her phone ring. "So you never told me how you came to work for my dad?" Emily smiles as she feeds Naomi a grape as they lay on her bed.
"It's kind of a funny story." Naomi sits up and crosses her legs. "My mum actually planned for me to be a spy and work as a mole to take down oil companies from the inside. You know, learn their weaknesses and such." Naomi laughs. "It wasn't until I actually learned the job and found I loved it and was good at it. My mum…well, she had a fit."
"Yeah, I bet." Emily smirks. "So this was a year before I came along right?""Yup, you were finishing up at uni and I was learning to be a roughneck." Naomi smiles.
"Mmm and my dad was trying the whole gym thing. That's why he sent me to uni instead of right to work with him. He wanted me to have options unlike him. He loves this, but he was really excited to try something new. He did get an award on year, I think he has the certificate still hanging in his office." Emily laughs.
Naomi cracks up, "Ha! I can see him now! Drilling a whole new way. Always telling us to fully extend and stretch before and after work."
Emily giggles and smiles as she settles in Naomi's bed. "Naomi?" Naomi lays next to Emily and looks at her with a soft smile. "I want to tell you something, but you can't make fun of me, okay?"
"What's that Ems?" Naomi pushes the soft lock of hair that fell upon Emily's forehead.
"I actually came to work for my dad because of you." Emily ducks her head into the pillow.
"What? Really?" Naomi snorts with a smile. "How so?"
Emily rolls onto her stomach and rests her weight on her arms and giggles nervously, "I was visiting dad. I wanted to see what he left the gym for, how he worked, and where he lived. He flew me out for a few days to experience rig living and that's when I saw you."
"Haa wow. When was this?" Naomi rubs her forehead and giggles. "Did I meet you that day?
Well it was two years ago, pretty sure it was Friday, but the time differences confuse me." Emily smiles and buries her face into her hands to calm a nervous chuckle. "I just remember I was sitting in my dad's office. It was warm, and actually a beautiful day. He walked outside to talk to you and Cook, and JJ I think, and I saw you through the window." Emily smiles with the memory then frowns, turning her head to Naomi quickly, "Don't say what I think you're going to say! I was not stalking you!" Emily smiles. Naomi covers her mouth with her hand to hide the smile lurking. "Anyway, the sunlight hit your face when you laughed with Cook and your eyes were bluer than the sky…all I could do was stare at you. You were beautiful. You still are." Emily smiles warmly at Naomi and flips back over to her back with a sigh. "The thought of being in a gorgeous place working with a beautiful woman was too much to say no to."
Naomi smiles and rolls on her side to face Emily, "I wish I remembered this moment." Naomi nuzzles her head on Emily's shoulder. "I just remember when your dad announced you as his assistant." Naomi looks up at Emily and smiles, "You scared the shit out of me."
"I scared the shit out of you?" Emily laughs. "You joking right?" Emily rolls to meet Naomi face to face.
Naomi just smiles and nods, "I just had this feeling like you were the one person who could ruin my life." Emily cringes in response. "I mean, I knew from that moment that Emily Fitch was someone who I needed in my life…and I've spent the last 2 years stealing moments and exchanging smiles with you in hopes that one day you'd feel the same."
Emily smiles adoring, "Ah, so all this time you've been stalking me." She chuckles and leans closer to Naomi, "I feel the same." Emily's smile is met by Naomi's lips and a soft embrace.
XXXXX
Hope you're still enjoying it! XD My birthday is tomorrow so I have some distractions, but hopefully I'll have an update soon! :) leave a review, tell me what you think! ;)
xx Steph :)