With Skins Fire looming so closely on the horizon, I was oddly motivated to return to this story. I don't think I can even begin to explain why it's taken me so long to update, but as a peace offering, here is lots of Naomily and the Fabulous Katie Fucking Fitch with a healthy dose of Gina to boot. Enjoy.
"Naomi! Hurry up!"
Naomi grumbled and slammed another drawer shut. She'd packed her bag the night before, but was rushing around at the last minute trying to find the charger for her mobile. She was having absolutely no luck.
"We're going to miss the train!"
"I'm coming!" She grabbed her bag and threw the strap over her shoulder. She gave her room one last glance, trying to think if there was anything else she'd forgotten, before shutting her door. She bounded down the stairs and glanced up just before crashing into Emily and Panda waiting at the bottom. She halted abruptly and gripped the railing for support.
"Looking good, Naoms," Emily said with a smirk. Naomi ran her fingers through her hair and then tugged at the bottom of her shirt. It was Friday afternoon and she had spent the entire ride home bumping up against other people on the tube, one of whom smelled like he hadn't washed up in months. She had even left work early, hoping to make it home with time to spare, but Emily was already there and waiting when she arrived. Then she had rushed to get ready, which involved swapping out her skirt for jeans and her nice shoes for some beat up trainers. All in all, she imagined that she looked more than a little messy.
"I think it's brill you two are going off on holiday together." Panda beamed at them both.
"It's not a holiday, Panda," Emily explained slowly.
"It's more like a nightmare," Naomi mumbled.
"At least you won't have to deal with my mother," Emily said. "Gina's a saint compared to that woman."
"Yeah, a saint who will spend every moment with her head up my arse, fawning and worrying and telling me I don't eat enough and I should cut my hair, and why is this the first time I've visited in months, don't I care about her anymore?" Naomi mimicked with a sigh and slight roll of her eyes.
Emily swatted her arm but Panda laughed. "She sounds a bit like my mum. Only not quite as barkin' mad."
Emily chuckled and gave Panda a quick hug. "Thanks for keeping me company, but we really should go now. We're running a little late." She gave Naomi a pointed glance and gestured to the door.
"Yes," Naomi said casually with a regal wave of her hand as she stepped off the staircase. "Trains to catch, people to see, we are very busy women on a tight schedule. We don't have time to be messing about. Come, now, Emily."
"Yeah, because it's entirely my fault we haven't even started off yet and are already behind schedule," Emily grumbled as she followed Naomi outside.
"Bye girls! Have fun!" Panda called after them before shutting the door.
Naomi stood up, only to be jerked back down by Emily's small hand grabbing her rucksack. "Not our stop, Naoms."
Naomi frowned and looked through the windows of the train. "Are you sure this isn't Paddington?"
Emily chuckled and patted Naomi's leg reassuringly. "Positive. We've still got one more to go." Naomi sighed as she settled back into her seat and Emily grinned at her. The doors shut and they started moving again. "Have you always been this bad with the tube?"
"It's a fucking rubbish system," Naomi said defensively. "Everyone's rushing about and I get all confused."
"You know," Emily said casually, "millions of people manage it every day without incident."
"Yes, well, millions of people like Take That, but that doesn't mean it should be some sort of standard," Naomi grumbled.
"I'm sorry," Emily managed to choke out, stifling her laughter, "but did you really just compare Robbie bloody Williams to the London Underground?"
Naomi fought back a grin. "Not just him, although with the amount of times I've seen people riding obviously jumped up on drugs, it's a fitting comparison."
Emily laughed and shook her head. "I'm not even going to dignify that statement with a response. Now get ready, our stop'll be up in a minute."
Emily was fidgeting nervously as they settled into their seats on the train bound for Bristol. She was crossing and uncrossing her legs, folding her arms, then unfolding them and leaning them against her thighs, glancing out of the window almost compulsively. Naomi laid a hand on her knee. "Calm down, you're making me nervous."
"Sorry, I can't help it." Emily crossed her arms over her stomach and sank into her seat. Naomi couldn't help but think that Emily looked even smaller than usual. Like she wanted the seat to just swallow her up.
"You're that worried about going home?" Emily shrugged and Naomi patted her knee awkwardly before bringing her hand back to her own lap. "You'll be fine, it's only a couple of days. And if your mother is still as much of a monster as you've said she is, you can just stay with us. Lord knows Mum would love to have you."
Emily smiled and looked up at Naomi from the tiny ball she had curled herself up into. "Thanks, Naoms." Naomi tried to wave it off, but a hand reached out and grabbed her wrist. She looked down and caught Emily's bright eyes. "No, thank you. I don't think you realise how much I appreciate you coming with me. It means a lot."
Naomi swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat and nodded. The intensity of Emily's gaze was turning her stomach into knots, compounded by her lead-like heart dropping out of her chest completely. "Of course," She croaked out. Emily squeezed her wrist lightly and let go, leaving Naomi's entire arm suddenly cold. Emily turned to look out the window as the train started pulling out of the station. It was a nice day, warm, if a little overcast. She watched as Emily rested the side of her head against the glass and sighed. Naomi figured if Emily wanted to talk about her family, she would. She didn't want to press her; it was obvious that Emily was on edge. She cast her mind for something to distract them both. "I wonder if we can get liquor on here somewhere?"
Emily looked at Naomi out of the corner of her eyes and a sheepish smile tugged at her lips. "I, um, may have brought something to help me relax a bit before I see my mum." Naomi cocked an eyebrow and turned in her seat, an expectant look settling across her features. Emily grinned and leaned forward, reaching for her rucksack on the floor.
Naomi glanced around their car, glad that it wasn't very full. There were only a few people near them, but they all seemed distracted, like they weren't concerned with the two young ladies sitting near the rear door. She smiled as Emily straightened up with a plastic water bottle in her hand that was filled with an amber liquid. "Sweet."
It didn't take long before the bottle was empty. Naomi was feeling pretty buzzed and had her foot on her seat, her arms wrapped around her bent leg. "So, how are things with Shannon?" She asked as she rested her chin on her knee.
Emily shrugged, her gaze drifting out of the window. "It's alright. We've been hanging out a lot. I'm not sure if it'll be anything serious, but we're having fun." Naomi fought back the inexplicable frown that was pulling down the corners of her mouth. "How are things with Anna?"
Naomi shrugged, an awkward motion given how her shoulder pressed into her thigh. "Fine. That fundraiser went really well."
Emily turned her head from the window and raised an eyebrow. "I didn't ask about work, I asked about Anna. As in your relationship with her?"
Naomi fidgeted, casting her eyes to the empty seats in front of them. "It's, you know, going."
"Well?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"That's convincing." Naomi glanced at Emily and saw the teasing smile on her face. She lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug and Emily chuckled at the look on her face. "Yeah, you seem really happy."
Naomi rolled her eyes and dropped her foot back to the floor. "I am, for the most part. It's… nice."
"Do you love her?"
Naomi opened and closed her mouth and settled on another shrug. She didn't want to talk about Anna. Not with Emily. It felt wrong, like the two worlds shouldn't be able to exist in the same reality, no matter how much she wished they could. "Maybe?" Emily gave her a look that was half disbelief and half curiosity. Naomi sighed. "Do you remember how Allison told you she loved you, and you just said 'thanks'?"
Emily's eyes grew wide and a small, gasping laugh escaped her. "Oh my god, Naoms, you didn't."
"No! No," Naomi said quickly, "but…" She hesitated, unsure of why she was so wary to explain the situation to Emily. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, a nervous habit, and her gaze drifted in the empty space around them.
"But… you couldn't say it back?" Emily offered quietly. Naomi's brow furrowed and she gave a small nod. There was a strange tone in Emily's voice. Naomi didn't want to call it hopeful, but she couldn't think of a more fitting word. "I'm sorry. That must be shit."
Naomi looked back to the girl next to her. Emily's eyes were lit up, dancing, and a smile was playing on the corner of her mouth. "Yeah, you seem just gutted."
Emily ducked her head down to stifle a laugh and after a minute looked back up, the very model of a sympathetic friend. "I am. Gutted. Totally torn up about it. I'm a proper wreck on your behalf." She nodded her head seriously and Naomi just snickered.
"That's real convincing, Ems. You should act professionally."
Emily grinned and Naomi shook her head with a smile. They were both quiet for a minute and Naomi rested her head against the back of her seat with a sigh. A warm feeling from the whiskey had spread through her entire body. "So…" Emily dragged the word out like she was trying to think of what to say next, or maybe how to phrase it properly. Naomi raised her eyebrows as she turned her head to look at her. "Are you gonna stay with her?"
"No reason not to," She replied with a shrug.
Emily scoffed. "If the only reason you're with her is because there's no reason not to be-"
Naomi sat up a little straighter in her seat. "Why'd you stay with Allison for so long? I know you didn't love her."
Emily looked affronted for a moment before her features settled into a passive nonchalance. "The sex was really good."
Naomi wasn't sure if she should be offended at the turn this conversation had taken, or laugh at the absurdity of it. She settled on spluttering and trying to fight back the mental image that was trying to surface of Emily and Allison having… doing… things. Eventually she just threw her hands up in defeat.
"Problem?" Emily gave Naomi a look of feigned innocence, her tone of voice saying that she was completely baffled by Naomi's behaviour.
"No, not at all. I absolutely adore hearing about how alive and wonderful your sex life with Allison is."
"Was," Emily corrected her.
"Is. Was. Whatever." Naomi rolled her eyes and her head fell back against the seat. "It's really great. Well done."
Emily shifted in her seat, tucking her left leg under her body, and faced Naomi fully. "Does it bother you?" She cocked her head to the side when Naomi didn't answer. "Why does it bother you?"
"Because I don't want to hear about the many splendid ways Allison has pleasured you!" Naomi was aware of a few people turning around in their seats and realised just how loud her voice had gotten.
Emily didn't seem to notice their audience, or if she did she paid them no mind. "You asked why I stayed with her. I answered. Why are you getting upset?"
"I'm not upset!"
"Naoms, your voice is reaching a pitch where only dogs can hear you. Why are you upset?"
Naomi groaned in frustration. Emily was pushing her, she was aware of that much. She was pressing for something, but Naomi's brain was sluggish and getting confused, which just made her more frustrated. "Because no one wants to hear about the sexual exploits their… you know… no one wants to hear about that stuff!"
"Do you get upset when Anna talks about her exes?"
"No."
"Why?"
"Because we don't talk about things like that! She's my girlfriend, I don't want to think about all the other people she's gotten off with. It's the same thing with you."
Emily was quiet for a minute and Naomi sank into her seat, trying to figure out just what was happening in the conversation. "I'm not your girlfriend, though," Emily said quietly. Naomi looked up and found that Emily was staring at her, a strange look in her eyes.
"I know that." Naomi's voice had practically shrunk inside itself, barely making its way out of her mouth. Emily nodded slowly and then stood up. "Where are you going?" Naomi asked as Emily climbed over her and into the main aisle.
She swiped a hand through her hair and sighed. "I'm seeing if there's any more whiskey on this fucking train."
Maya tugs on my hand and I look down at her. Her face is screwed up in concentration. "What's wrong?"
She bites her lip, making me smile, and shakes her head. "You and Emily." I raise my eyebrows and wait for her to continue. "You didn't fight much, but when you did, it was always because of other people."
"Not always," I say quickly, but she shakes her head.
"Always. Even if you didn't admit it, it was always about other people. You fought about Allison, and you fought about Effy, and you fought about Shannon, and you fought about Anna." I can see where she's going with this and almost cringe. "Is it always like that? When you love someone? You fight about other people they love, too?" The look on her face is innocent, like she thinks this is a simple question that can be easily answered.
I shake my head and pull her to a stop just outside the shark exhibit. "Not always. What you need to understand, about Emily and I, is that she really was my best friend." Maya gives a small nod. "So, at the time, I thought of her like that. I justified getting upset about Allison because, in my mind, I thought I was just looking out for her. I just wanted the best for her."
"Which wasn't Allison."
"Definitely not," I smile and she grins in agreement. "It never occurred to me that what I was feeling was anything more than just a really strong friendship. I thought it was normal to feel the way I did."
Maya sighs and shakes her head. "You were really thick, Mum." I can't help but laugh at that. It's true, and in hindsight, everything is blatantly obvious. Sometimes I can't believe how clueless I was. Maya jerks her head toward the entryway for the sharks, a sign that we should keep moving. "So when did you realise that it wasn't normal? That you loved Emily?"
"Well, it took a while for the pieces to fall into place."
Maya interrupts to say, "Obviously."
"Obviously," I chuckle. "But Freddie had said something, and Effy had made comments. Even Anna and Allison had both hinted that something was going on and I just had no idea. So, basically, everyone but me knew."
"Yeah, but when did you know?"
"I'm getting to that," I say as we walk into the drastically darker hallway that leads to the sharks.
They had just stepped into the ticket hall when Gina was running toward them, bowling over more than a few people in her excitement. She wrapped her arms around Emily and almost knocked her over backwards. "Emily, love, it's been so long!"
Naomi rolled her eyes at being completely ignored by her own mother. "Oh, go on then, Mum, don't mind me. I'll just stand here while you greet your other daughter, shall I?"
Emily laughed as Gina abandoned her and focused all her attentions on Naomi. "Darling," Gina said affectionately as Naomi was crushed in her arms, "you know I always like to save the best for last."
"Yes, alright," Naomi said, patting her mother's back, "I feel well and truly adored, thank you."
"As you should, you cheeky girl." Gina released her daughter and gave a content sigh, gazing at the two girls in front of her. "Oh, come on," She lifted her arms out to her sides, "one more and that'll be it." Emily grinned and stepped forward, Naomi doing the same a moment later, although she did so with an amused roll of her eyes. "Good girls," Gina said happily, releasing them both once more. "Emily do you need a lift somewhere? There's plenty of room in the car."
Emily smiled and shook her head. "Thank you, but my sister is picking me up." She looked around the hall and gave a small, nervous laugh. "Or she's supposed to be, at least."
"Maybe she's outside," Gina said as she hooked her arm through Emily's elbow. "Kieran said the car park was an absolute mess." Gina paused and looked at Naomi. She leaned forward slightly and sniffed the air right in front of her face. Naomi leaned away, giving her mother a look that clearly said she was worried about her sanity. Gina straightened up and frowned. "Are you drunk?"
"What?" Naomi's eyes grew wide. "How? How?" She looked desperately to Emily, who was giggling on Gina's other side.
Gina clicked her tongue and turned to Emily. "Are you drunk then, as well?"
"Nowhere near as bad as her," Emily answered with an accusatory finger pointed at Naomi.
"Well I'm glad to see you girls enjoyed your time on the train. I didn't think two hours was enough time to get into trouble" Gina said as she glared at Naomi, "but it seems I was mistaken." Naomi threw her arms in the air. Emily grinned and let Gina lead her outside.
Naomi watched them walk away, once again forgotten, and huffily followed once Gina glanced back and told her to 'stop pissing about and hurry up'.
"So where is darling Kieran?" Naomi asked as they crossed the cobbled road to the car park.
"Somewhere around here, I'm sure," Gina said lightly. "He probably fell asleep in the car, bless him."
"Does he still have that tiny piece of shit he used to drive when I was in college?"
"Don't call it a piece of shit, Naomi," Gina chided.
"So that's a resounding 'yes' then, is it?" Naomi smirked.
"Shit," Emily breathed. She yanked her arm away from Gina and started running to the end of the car park.
Naomi glanced at Gina, whose eyes had gone wide. "Oh, dear." Gina hurried off after Emily and Naomi followed, staring at the sight that had caught their attention. Kieran was standing next to his car, which was parked at a precarious angle and Naomi had the strong suspicion that he had hit the red minivan that was half out of its parking space. A small, but loud, girl was screaming at him and Naomi picked up her pace as she saw Emily grab the girl by the shoulders and try to walk her away.
"Perfect!" Kieran called to Emily's back. "Maybe you can get that banshee to quiet down!"
"Oh, fuck, Kieran, you bastard," Gina groaned as she and her daughter finally reached the group.
Naomi stepped up next to Emily, who was struggling to hold back the flailing girl in her arms. She was practically clawing at Emily to get to Kieran. "What the fuck happened?" Naomi asked, completely bewildered.
"That fucking old tosser hit my mum's van!" The girl screamed. Naomi's eyes grew wide as the girl was lifted off the ground, her seemingly unstoppable force being halted by Emily's insistence on holding her back. Her arms were flailing, pushing at Emily's shoulders and snatching wildly at the air in front of her, as if sheer will alone would allow her to get her hands on Kieran. Naomi was momentarily stunned. If Emily was ever possessed by the devil, she would probably look like this maniac. Naomi half expected Emily's twin to start breathing fire.
"Katie!" Emily shouted, digging her shoulder into her sister's chest. "Calm down!" Katie gave an almighty surge and Emily was knocked slightly off balance. Naomi leapt forward and wrapped an arm around Katie's shoulders, dragging her back as Emily regained her footing. The two of them managed to lead Katie between two cars, and once Kieran was out of her sight, Katie settled her rage on the other stranger who had made a sudden appearance.
"Who the fuck are you? Get the fuck off of me!" Katie screeched, struggling against Naomi's grip around her shoulders.
Emily grabbed her sister by the shoulders and slammed her back against the red minivan. The impact seemed to shake the rage out of her and Katie stared at Emily in shock for a moment before brushing her hands off. "Fuck, Emsy, that hurt!"
"What the fuck, Katie?" Emily demanded, giving her sister another shove.
"He hit Mum's car!" Katie shoved her right back and Naomi stepped forward, ready to intervene, but was stopped by Emily's arm shooting out to block her.
"So you thought you'd just fucking fight him?"
"He's old as fuck! I could have taken him!"
Naomi would have laughed if she weren't so on edge by the aggressive force of this girl. Emily, however, let out a derisive snort. "Yeah, that would be wonderful. I'd have to call Mum and tell her you got nicked for beating the shit out of a pensioner."
There was a tense moment where Katie and Emily just stared at each other, having a silent showdown. Naomi saw the moment Katie broke and watched in awe as they both started laughing. "Fuck," Katie said, finally relaxing, "could you imagine her face?"
Emily's shoulders shook with the force of her laughter. "It almost makes me want to let you hit him."
Katie, no longer blinded by her rage, finally saw Naomi and cocked an eyebrow. "Who the fuck are you, then?"
Emily rested her hand on Katie's arm. "Katie, this is my mate Naomi. Naoms, this is my sister Katie."
"Charmed," Naomi said, not even trying to hide the dislike in her voice.
Katie matched her tone exactly. "Likewise. Don't ever put your hands on me again, yeah?"
Naomi looked offended for a moment before covering it with a dangerous smile. "Don't try to kill Emily or my mum's boyfriend again and we're sorted."
A look of surprise flashed across Katie's face. "Your mum's boyfriend? That twat?"
Emily pushed Katie's shoulder. "You don't even know him. I'm sure he's lovely so long as you're not threatening to forcibly remove his dangly bits."
"Hey," Katie protested, "he insulted me first. Called me a trollop and went off about how 'terrible the fuckin' youth is these days'," Katie said in a fair imitation of Kieran's accent.
Naomi rolled her eyes and gave a dismissive wave of her hand. "That's like saying 'hello' for him."
Katie scoffed and looked to Emily. "Right, but I'm sure he's lovely."
Just then Gina popped around the back of the van and gave an apologetic smile to Katie. "Hi, I'm so sorry about all that. The Irish bastard is my responsibility. That'll teach me to let him out of my eyesight for too long." Katie glanced down as Gina handed her a small slip of paper. "I've made him write down his insurance information for you. There's no damage to either automobile, but you can never be too sure."
Katie was stunned as she looked back up to Gina's bright smile. "Thanks?"
"Of course, dear," Gina said sweetly. She looked from Katie to Emily and then gasped. "Oh, so you are Emily's sister! I thought you looked alike!" And then Katie's eyes bugged out of her head as Gina rushed forward and wrapped her up in a hug. "I'm so sorry we had to meet under these circumstances. I swear he's usually not quite as grumpy as he was today." Gina let Katie go and Emily and Naomi both had to stifle laughter at the look on her face.
"It's uh… it's alright," Katie said unsurely, taken aback by Gina's presumptuous familiarity.
"Would you care to join us down the pub for a pint or a little supper? It's the least we could do, after upsetting you so." Gina gave Katie a warm smile and Katie actually looked a little sad to have to turn down her offer.
"No, thank you, but our mum, she's expecting us soon," Katie said, tripping a bit over her words.
"Oh, alright. The offer stands, though," Gina said as she glanced at Emily. "Feel free to pop by if the fancy strikes."
"Thanks, Gina," Emily grinned.
"Yeah," Katie said with a cautious smile, "thanks."
"Of course, girls." Gina gave them a small wave and headed off back around the van.
Katie raised an eyebrow and looked to Naomi. "That was your mum?"
"Yep," Naomi said with a nod.
Katie folded up the paper and hummed. "Yeah, well, we do need to get home. Mum's gonna have a fit."
"The car doesn't look that bad," Naomi said, taking a step away to peer around the back of the van.
Katie scoffed. "Fuck that, I'm not telling her about the van. I mean she'll be pissed off if we're late for dinner, yeah?"
"She's the same old sweetheart as always, then," Emily sighed and pulled at the straps of her rucksack. "What did she cook, anyway?"
"Some sort of rutabaga stew." Katie looked at Emily, the disgust evident on her face.
"Oh fuck," Emily breathed, screwing her eyes shut.
"Come on, Emsy," Katie had a slightly pleading tone to her voice, "it won't be that bad. Worst case, we'll just do what we always used to in college."
Emily cracked one eye open as the corner of her mouth tugged up. "Go out on the piss and stop for kebabs on the way home?"
Katie's grin lit up her entire face. "The new owner's son is well lush."
Emily rolled her eyes and turned to Naomi. "You should come out with us later. If Gina can spare you for the night, that is."
Naomi grinned and gave a small shrug. "I'm sure she'll manage without me."
Katie frowned and tugged on Emily's arm. "Right, we really need to go."
"Yeah, I'll be right there," Emily said. Katie gave Naomi a wary look. "Just one minute, please?" Katie looked at her sister and then nodded. Emily motioned for Naomi to move and they both walked out from between the cars. "Tell Kieran I'm sorry about her," Emily said as she glanced towards Kieran's car. Naomi followed her gaze and saw him and her mum sitting inside, watching them. Gina gave Emily a small wave and Emily smiled as she waved back.
"You'll be alright?" Naomi asked cautiously. "I don't want you to be crazy-murdered before you even get back to your house."
"Believe it or not, I've seen Katie much worse than that."
"Is that supposed to be reassuring?"
Emily laughed and raised a hand to rub at her neck. "I'll be fine. Promise. I'll let you know if we decide to go out."
"Yeah. Also, let me know if you're still alive?"
Emily chuckled and gave a curt nod. "Got it."
"And the offer to stay with us is still on the table. Just remember that."
Emily's lips curled up in a smile. "Thanks."
Naomi tried to shrug it off, nonchalant, but Katie beeped the van's horn and both girls nearly jumped out of their skin. "Right, you should go."
"Yeah," Emily said as she started to walk away. "I'll talk to you later."
"So you're just staying for the weekend?" Kieran asked as Naomi tapped her foot impatiently. Gina was fumbling around in her purse, trying to find her house key, and they'd been standing outside for at least ten minutes while she searched.
"Yep. Came back to be moral support."
"I didn't realise moral support consisted of getting Emily drunk on the train." Gina's head had almost vanished inside her bag. Every minute that passed, she had leaned further and further down until her entire face was hidden.
"I didn't get her drunk. She got me drunk. Her fault entirely." When Gina's ear was swallowed by the side of her bag Naomi rolled her eyes and shot forward. "Jesus, Mum, you're hopeless." She grabbed the bag from her and rummaged around for a minute. Her fingers grasped onto a ring and Naomi held up Gina's keys triumphantly. "Hopeless," She said with a grin.
"Oh, I don't know how I missed them. Thank you, love."
Naomi had resigned herself to lazing around on the sofa watching some old comedy shows while her mum and Kieran made supper. She'd offered to help, but they had both turned her down, saying that it really was no trouble. Judging by some of the noises coming from the kitchen, and the occasional squeal from her mother, Naomi was glad to be in a separate room. She kicked her feet up on the sofa and leaned back against the arm as another episode of 'Fry and Laurie' started up. A couple of minutes later her mobile started beeping. She grabbed it off the small table next to her and flipped it open. She smiled when she saw that Emily had sent her a message.
Still alive, Katie won't shut up about Gina's boyfriend, Dad keeps hugging me and Mum won't stop crying. We are going out tonight and drinking until I can't remember my own name.
Naomi grinned and quickly replied, noting that she was having a lovely time watching the tellie while a delicious meal was being prepared for her. It only took a minute before her phone beeped again and Naomi broke into laughter at the simple message.
Twat.
"So you're sleeping with your boss."
Naomi rolled her eyes as she was shooed away from the pot on the stove. "That's a horrible way to look at it." She peeked over her mother's shoulder into the pot as Gina stirred the pea and avocado pesto into the cooked pasta.
"It doesn't make it any less true. Get us some bowls, please."
Naomi pulled three bowls down from the cupboard and put them on the counter next to the stove. "It's not like I planned on doing it. It just sort of happened."
"It's irresponsible, Naomi," Gina chided as she started filling the bowls.
"Rubbish," Kieran said. Naomi turned and watched as he poured wine out at the table. "They're both adults. And I'm sure Naomi's thought of the consequences for her job if it all goes to shit."
"It's not going to go to shit," Naomi said. She wasn't sure if Kieran was trying to defend her or not, but she had the feeling that she was being ganged up on. She took two bowls as Gina handed them to her and walked over to the table.
"Relationships are hard enough, love. It just seems like unnecessary stress when you have to deal with each other in a professional setting, as well. If one aspect goes sour it could all be affected."
Naomi looked to Kieran for help, but he just shrugged and slipped the bottle stopper into the wine. "Jesus," Naomi muttered as she sat down at the table. "We've been fine for this long, nothing's going to go wrong."
"But eventually you'll break it off, right?" Gina carried her bowl over to the table and sat down opposite her daughter. "Or are you planning to marry this woman?" Naomi had no answer to that. How could she? She was still young. Much too young to be thinking about marriage or being with one person for the rest of her life. She didn't even know how long she would stay at the shelter. She had no way of knowing where her life would take her, or what exactly she would do with herself once she finished her degree. She shrugged and her mother gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry. We shouldn't be saying things like that. As long as you're happy, then I'm happy." Naomi nodded and accepted the fork that Kieran offered as he took his seat.
"Are you planning to stay at the shelter? Keep working there for a while?" Kieran asked.
Naomi shrugged again. She didn't like talking about this. She had thought she knew what she wanted, but the more she was forced to think about it, the more uncertain she became. She loved working at the shelter, it was true, but she had always imagined getting involved in politics. It had been her dream for so long. She wanted to help people on a much larger scale. She wanted to make a difference. It was all her mother's fault, really. Instilling in her the belief that she could change the world if she tried hard enough. Naomi stabbed some pasta with her fork and shoved it into her mouth, hoping that her mum and Kieran would move on from this topic.
"You're a smart girl, Naomi," Gina said as she took a sip of wine. "But you can't focus all your attention on other people. Eventually you'll have to stop worrying about everyone else and start worrying about yourself. I just want you to be happy."
"I am," She said quietly. Her mother just nodded in a way that clearly said she didn't believe her, and Kieran quickly changed the subject.
Naomi had just lit her second fag. She was waiting outside a shit looking pub for Emily and looked up when she heard her name being called. Emily and Katie were heading down the street toward her. She lifted her hand in a small wave and Emily grinned in response. "Hey, have you been waiting long?" Emily asked with a smile as they got nearer.
"Nah," Naomi shook her head. "Not long at all."
"Can you spare one? I'll wait out here with you." Emily gestured to her cigarette and Naomi handed her pack over.
"Christ, Ems," Katie said with a pointed look of disgust on her face. "That shit'll give you cancer."
"Hello to you too, Katie," Naomi said coolly as Emily lit up and handed the pack back to her.
"Yeah. Hi." Katie gave her an odd look and then turned back to Emily. "I'll be inside. Don't take long, yeah?" She turned on her heel and walked through the door, not bothering to look back at Naomi.
"She really does seem lovely," Naomi said with a sigh. "Can't imagine why you don't talk to her more often."
Emily laughed and Naomi couldn't help but notice how she seemed to relax with her sister gone. "She's bearable, once you get to know her. We just had a bit of a row before we left."
Naomi's eyebrows rose in concern. "Everything alright?"
"Yeah, it's nothing important."
Naomi nodded and took a drag from her fag. "How's your mum?" Emily turned her head, her cigarette held between her lips, and gave Naomi a pointed look. "That bad, is she?"
Emily laughed and expelled a cloud of smoke. "Not as bad as she used to be. The way I understand it, Katie finally had enough of her shit and told her that if she didn't change her ways, she would lose both of her daughters." Naomi let out a low whistle and glanced at Emily from the corner of her eye. "Yeah. Apparently she's had a change of heart and wants to start fixing her relationships with her children. Although, honestly, she should start with James. Something, somewhere, went horribly wrong with him."
Naomi frowned in confusion. "How do you mean?"
Emily smirked at her. "He's a filthy little perv. All through dinner, he kept staring at my tits. I swear at one point there was drool."
Naomi laughed as Emily smiled. "Jesus. Family, eh?" She said with a shrug.
"I think I liked it better when none of them spoke to me," Emily said with a sigh.
Naomi grinned and tossed the end of her cigarette into the street. "You don't mean that."
"You'll get the chance to meet them, and then you can decide for yourself," Emily said before taking another drag.
"Sorry?" Naomi cocked her head. "Meet them?"
Emily's lips twitched up into an apologetic smile as she dropped her cigarette. "I may have mentioned you to my dad and he may have sort of demanded that we have you for dinner tomorrow."
"Like," Naomi's shoulders rose slightly, "as a guest or as the main course?"
Emily shoved her shoulder playfully, saying, "I'm being serious. He just wants to see what kind of people I've got in my life. Besides we did live together for a year, and he seems to think that's a big deal."
"Fine," Naomi sighed dramatically. "But just in case, let your mum know I taste better with a nice red wine."
"You're such a tit."
"Oh, that's not right."
"Jesus, stop looking!"
"I can't help it! It's like watching an alien that's just acquired a human body learning how to function, but the only reference they have is vaguely written descriptions of things." Naomi's eyes were wide as she stared across the bar. "Mesmerising." She knew her mouth was hanging open in disbelieving disgust, but she really couldn't stop staring. The pub they met up at was as shitty inside as it looked from the outside. But there had been cheap drinks. Lots of cheap drinks. And then Katie had insisted they move on to somewhere with a better selection of fit lads for her to choose from. Judging by the way that her lips had glommed on to that bloke's mouth, Naomi assumed Katie was satisfied with their new venue. Or really, really drunk.
"Christ, it's like he's trying to chew her face off," Emily said with more than a little distaste in her voice. Naomi just nodded her head slowly in agreement. "Oh fuck, there's the tongues." Emily shuddered and lifted her glass, downing half her drink in one go.
Naomi pulled her gaze away from Katie and instead stared at Emily. "Does she always let men kiss her like that? She can't be enjoying it."
Emily lifted a hand to silence Naomi and quickly finished her drink, slamming her glass back on the bar with a gasp. "I don't know. I don't want to know. I want to drink until that image is completely erased from my memory. And then I want to take a shower. In bleach."
Naomi laughed in what could be called a fair imitation of Cook's signature howl. Emily, with a satisfied grin plastered on her face, nudged her in the ribs. "I think you might be a little drunk."
"I think you might be right." Naomi's voice trailed off in an airy giggle. "You better catch up, Ems. You'll miss out on all the fun."
Emily sat up straight in her seat and pulled a serious face. "Oh, well we don't want that, do we?" Naomi shook her head. "Then we should fix that. Finish your pint, there's not much left." Naomi nodded and did as instructed, her throat working a bit harder than usual to force the lager down. Emily smiled in satisfaction and threw some money down for another round.
While they waited for the bartender to bring their drinks, Naomi pulled her mobile out of her jeans pocket. "Shit," She said after pressing a few buttons. "My battery's gone and died."
"Why didn't you charge it?"
"Couldn't find the sodding plug this morning," Naomi grumbled, shoving the now-useless piece of plastic back into her pocket.
"What'll you do if someone needs to reach you?"
Naomi shrugged and took her glass from the barman's hand. "Dunno. Cook and Panda have your number, so if anything happens I'm sure they'll let you know."
"I was thinking more like, 'What if your girlfriend tries to contact you'? Check up and make sure you're behaving yourself," Emily clarified as she pulled her vodka across the bar towards her.
Naomi snorted into her drink and a bit of lager got on the tip of her nose. "Behave myself?" She put her pint down, some lager sloshing over the side, and wiped at her nose with her free hand. "What, are you planning on getting me in trouble?"
"You never know." Emily, smirk firmly in place, shot Naomi a wink as she took a sip of her drink.
A hand shot between them and grabbed the glass right out of Emily's hand. "What are you two giggling about over here?" Katie asked as she took a drink. Her eyes were looking at Naomi, but they were unfocused. She swayed slightly and Emily quickly took her drink back. Drunk, definitely.
"Your lipstick is smeared," Naomi pointed out.
Katie raised her hand and rubbed at her cheek. "Yeah, that fucking tosser doesn't know how to use his tongue. He was like a Saint Bernard, slobbering all over my face."
"Fuck's sake," Emily mumbled with a cringe.
Naomi bit back a laugh. She could see how uncomfortable Emily was, but the situation struck her as rather funny. And the way Katie's eyes were crossing and squinting, and the pronounced lisp that Katie had seemingly developed really were amusing. "At least you escaped unharmed."
"Hardly," Katie scoffed. "I almost fucking drowned." She reached out for Emily's drink again, but Emily pushed it further away. "Ems, I want a fucking drink." Katie grabbed onto the back of Emily's chair as her whole body leaned to the side of its own accord. Naomi could see that her vision was practically swimming in the space around them.
"Yeah, well I think you've had enough." Emily reached out and grabbed onto Katie's arm to help support her. "Look at you, you can't even stand straight."
Katie froze and her eyes grew wide. "Fuck. I need to go to the toilets." And with a speed and steadiness that belied her inebriated state, she ran off.
"Think she'll be alright?" Naomi asked as Emily watched her sister leave, a concerned expression on her face.
"I hope so. I don't know how I'll get her home, though. I don't think I have enough money for a taxi. If they'd even let her in, she's completely pissed."
"Bring her back to mine. It's not that far of a walk."
Emily frowned and looked at Naomi. "I wouldn't want to impose. Katie can be a handful when she's drunk. Not to mention she and Kieran didn't get off to the best start."
Naomi waved off Emily's concerns. "Please, Kieran probably won't even remember her. And besides, Mum can keep him in line if he starts to act up." Emily opened her mouth to speak but Naomi dismissed her protests before she could even make them. "My mind is made up, Ems. You're coming home with me and I won't hear any argument against it."
Emily was quiet for a moment, and Naomi thought that she might actually turn down the offer, despite her insistence. But then a slow smile crept across Emily's lips and she slipped off her seat. "I'll go gather the lush, then."
"You know, your sister isn't half bad once you get to know her," Naomi mused with a small smile as Emily adjusted a blanket around a sleeping Katie. They'd all headed back from the pub, Katie sandwiched between them for support, and Naomi had spent the better part of their short walk laughing at the absurd stories Katie shared about Emily's youth. It had been especially amusing to hear about the 'box of fannies' Emily kept under her bed, but even more amusing to see the fierce blush that took over Emily's cheeks as she tried to shut her sister up.
"I'm sure the drinks are to thank for that," Emily smirked as she straightened up, "but I'm glad to see you've come around."
"Don't get ahead of yourself there, Ems," Naomi held up her hands up defensively as Emily took a step away from the sofa, "I said she wasn't half bad, not that I'm planning to propose or anything."
Emily chuckled and dipped her head in a nod. "Good, because that would be terribly awkward for me."
Naomi cocked a brow as her arms dropped and folded across her chest. "Oh? You wouldn't want me for an in-law?"
"Well," Emily's nose scrunched as she thought, "it would make it much more difficult to get rid of you."
"Emily!" Naomi gasped. "I can't believe you would ever even entertain the idea of not having me in your life. You'd be absolutely lost without me." Emily smiled and Naomi just shrugged. "Fine, then. I was going to offer you some pyjamas but if you're going to be like that…"
"I don't really wear pyjamas anyway," Emily replied coolly.
Both of Naomi's eyebrows rose and she found herself momentarily stunned into silence by the image that popped into her head. The corner of Emily's mouth twitched into a victorious smirk, the silence finally broken when Katie gave a grunt and rolled over, tangling her limbs around the blanket. Naomi cleared her throat and tried to regain her composure. "Is that a… a new habit or…?"
Emily laughed quietly and took a few steps towards the arm chair where she'd be sleeping. "No, but I couldn't exactly sleep starkers in Uni when you were right under me."
Naomi wasn't entirely sure what that statement did to her, and even if she had the slightest clue, she certainly wouldn't be able to find adequate words to describe it. So instead she half-shrugged and mumbled something about Kieran having a heart attack if he saw that when he woke up and tried to pretend Emily didn't look completely pleased with herself.
"Don't worry about Kieran," Emily said as she sat in the chair with a sigh, "I'm sure I can manage to stay clothed through the night."
Naomi mentally beat back the swarm of images that flooded her mind and gulped, trying to gain her footing against Emily's teasing. "Well if the urge to strip proves too overwhelming-"
"I'll just come find you, shall I?"
Naomi found that she suddenly had no grasp whatsoever on the English language. She tried to respond, but all her mouth seemed capable of doing was hanging slightly open and making strange noises. Emily smirked and gave her a slight nod. "Goodnight, Naoms."
With words still beyond her, Naomi managed to nod and give a whimpering sort of grunt as she headed, slightly dazed, towards the staircase.
"Did she?"
"Did who what?"
"Did Emily go and find you?" Maya glances up at me before quickly turning her attention back to the wall of glass in front of us. A shark slowly swims past and she leans even closer to the tank.
I chuckle and gently pull her shoulder back, trying to keep her from pressing her face fully against the glass and smearing it. "No, she didn't. And Kieran didn't have a heart attack, either."
Maya laughs and shuffles sideways, trying to keep the shark in her sight. "That's good. So what happened next?"
"We all had breakfast in the morning. Your Gran made her famous blueberry pancakes and Kieran and Katie ended up having a laugh over what happened the day before."
"They didn't fight more?"
"Nope. In fact, they kind of got on really well. Frighteningly well, in fact. It was almost scary."
"What about Emily?" Maya asks, drifting back to the left as the shark circles the tank.
"Thanks for breakfast, Gina," Emily said sincerely, her words muffled by Gina's shoulder as they hugged.
"Anytime, love. Promise you'll stop by for tea tomorrow before you go back to the station? Maybe we can all go together?" They moved apart and Gina glanced over Emily's shoulder to look at Katie.
"Of course," Emily grinned, taking a step back.
"Definitely," Katie nodded. "Anything is better than our mum's cooking."
"In her defense," Kieran said with a pointed glance at Katie, "if you were my kid, I'd try to poison your supper as well."
"If your cooking is anything like your driving, you wouldn't even have to try," Katie smirked.
Kieran rolled his eyes but smiled all the same, stepping forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders. "All I can hope is that your dear Mum is successful in one of her attempts." He gave her a squeeze before stepping away to give Emily a quick hug.
"Katie, feel free to stop by any time. Even after these two have abandoned us again," Gina said as she filled in the space to hug Katie.
"Absolutely. Someone has to help you keep that one," Katie replied with a nod of her head towards Kieran, "under control."
Gina and Kieran said quick goodbyes again before leaving to go clean up the dishes in the kitchen. Katie adjusted her purse strap and looked at Naomi. "Thanks or whatever, for letting us stay last night. It was… nice of you."
Naomi nodded slowly. "Thank you for not trying to kill anyone over breakfast."
Katie fought back a smirk and glanced at her sister. "Right, well I'm sure you lezzas are going to cry and act like you'll never see each other again, so I'll just wait outside so I don't have to see it, yeah?" Emily rolled her eyes while Katie just gave Naomi a serious look and slipped out the front door.
"I really do appreciate you helping with Katie," Emily said sincerely, taking a small step forward.
Naomi shrugged it off. "Living with Cook has given me plenty of practice in how to deal with drunken tossers. Katie was like a sleepy puppy compared to him."
Emily let out a throaty laugh that caused Naomi's lips to curl into a grin. "I think that's the first time I've ever heard her compared to something so adorable. Her ego would be shattered if she heard you." Emily's laughter died down and Naomi just gave her a small shrug. Emily's hand reached out slightly, only to fall back to her side. "Will you still come over tonight?"
"'Course I will," Naomi nodded.
"Good," Emily's head dipped down, "it'll be easier. With you there."
Naomi pulled her bottom lip between her teeth, releasing it slowly. "Was it really that bad yesterday?"
Emily made a strange gesture, her shoulders rising in a shrug, but her head was caught between a nod and a shake. "It was strange. Like they're the same people, but different. My mum's really trying to be different. It's just weird, you know?"
Naomi's face screwed up and she shook her head slowly. "Yeah, no. I have no idea what that's like. My mum's always been a bit mental. Will be until the day she dies."
"At least she's consistent," Emily sighed.
Naomi couldn't help but frown. She'd known that Emily was nervous about seeing her family again, and although things seemed to be alright with Katie, she was still obviously stressed about her parents. One particular parent. "Ems, if she's trying to be different, then clearly she wants to change," Naomi started, deciding that maybe a more serious approach was needed in order to calm Emily down. "She must still want to be a part of your life, so that's got to mean something, right?" Emily gave a slight nod, which gave Naomi the confidence to continue. "It's been a long time, and change won't happen overnight."
Emily sighed and ran a hand through her slightly disheveled hair. "You're right. I know that."
"Just be patient with her. And besides, if it really doesn't work out I'm pretty sure Gina's already drafted the adoption papers."
Emily laughed and Naomi saw some of the tension in her small frame melt away. "We'll see how this weekend goes. Hopefully I won't have to take her up on that offer."
"Hopefully," Naomi agreed with a smile. "So try to be patient and I'll see you later tonight, yeah?"
"Yeah," Emily nodded, taking another step forward. Naomi opened her arms and Emily stepped into her, wrapping her own arms around Naomi's waist. Naomi closed her arms around Emily's shoulders in a comforting hug. "Thanks, Naoms," Emily murmured into her shoulder.
"Anytime," Naomi answered honestly. They stood like that for a minute, Emily's hands bunched in the fabric of Naomi's shirt and Naomi's right hand rubbing small circles on Emily's shoulder blade. With a heavy sigh Naomi let go, Emily following suit a bit reluctantly. "Alright, Ems. Go get Katie before she gets irritated with waiting and decides to finish the damage she started yesterday on Kieran's car."
Emily chuckled and took a step towards the door. "I'll be surprised if she hasn't already set off and left me behind."
"No one could ever willingly leave you behind," Naomi scoffed.
Emily's features softened, a strange look in her eyes causing Naomi to gulp. "I really hope that's true."
"'Course it is," Naomi replied surely. Her lips quirked as she placed a palm over her heart. "I would never lie to you about such a serious matter, Emsy."
A moment passed, barely noticed by Naomi, but Emily had shifted slightly closer to her. Her fingers twitched at her side, and with a resolute sigh, Emily slapped a smile on her face and turned towards the door. "I'll see you later, Naoms."
Naomi kind of hated public transportation. She was grudgingly aware that she wasn't necessarily the best at navigating it, but as she stood at a bus stop, eyes scouring the multi-colored routes and seemingly random codes scattered across streets, she was sure that the fault wasn't entirely her own. It was as if a toddler had been given free rein with a box of crayons and no adult had bothered to look over the final product before calling it a day. She glanced at the pass in her hand that she'd borrowed from Gina and her brow creased in a frown. Zones and routes and all kinds of shit that meant absolutely nothing except that her trip to Emily's might be a bit more complicated than she initially thought. She huffed and folded her arms, wishing that she had just taken Kieran up on his offer for a lift. But no, she had to be stubborn and insist that something as simple as crossing Bristol was hardly a big enough challenge to require assistance.
She tried to ignore the fact that she'd been on three separate lines and had already been at this particular stop twice now as the squeal of brakes indicated a bus was pulling up.
She waited a little less than patiently as several passengers disembarked, one woman struggling to fit her spectacularly large shopping bag through the doors. Once the path was clear, Naomi climbed up the stairs and was greeted with a slightly perplexed look from the driver. "Didn't I already pick you up from here?"
Naomi rolled her eyes and flapped her hand dismissively. "Yes. Apparently I got off too soon and have to ride with you again." She became aware of what she had said, and exactly how it might have sounded, as a devilish smirk worthy of Cook himself slid across the driver's face. "I have to ride the bus again!" She interjected quickly. "I missed my stop when I prematurely…. No, that doesn't sound right either," Naomi groaned and slapped her hand to her face.
The driver let out a hearty chuckle and leaned his forearm on the wheel. "I'll take pity on you since it seems you're havin' a rough day and let that one slide, love. Where are you trying to get to?" Naomi gave him the address with a relieved sigh and he nodded, straightening up to pull the handle that closed the doors behind her. "Take a seat. It'll be about fifteen minutes, but I'll let you know when you can," he paused, a teasing glint in his eyes, "get off."
Naomi fought hard to not roll her eyes at the same time that the motion had already started, and ended up giving a slightly annoyed glance at the ceiling instead. "Thanks," she mumbled, quickly heading off to find a seat. She heard him laughing to himself as the bus pulled away from the stop.
Sure enough, less than twenty minutes later the bus pulled over to the side of the road and the driver caught Naomi's eyes in the mirror hanging above the steps. He gave a nod and pointed to the door.
"Thanks again," Naomi said, adjusting the bag on her shoulder.
"Just doin' my job, Miss. Can you figure it out from here or do you need to be dropped at the door?"
Naomi dropped her head and mumbled, "I think I got it, yeah," any sarcastic comment swallowed up and silenced by sheer embarrassment.
He laughed openly as he opened the door for her. "If you say so."
Naomi was grateful that he hadn't said anything else, or taken the piss like he seemed inclined to do. And with a sigh, she set off down the pavement, feeling much more secure in her sense of direction.
"Miss, it's the other way!"
Naomi turned on her heel and set off at a brisk pace, shooting the bus driver a tight smile as she passed the still open door.
Less than ten minutes later, and Naomi was staring up at a rather intimidating house. Not that the house itself was intimidating, but what was inside certainly was. She wasn't sure why she felt so nervous. Why her stomach was twisted up in knots. She was just there for moral support. For Emily. It's not like she was meeting her girlfriend's parents or anything. Although the particularly painful clench in her belly tried to tell her otherwise. Naomi took a deep pull of the cigarette held between her fingers, her eyes narrowing in determination. She could make a good impression. She could dazzle the Fitches with her wit and charm and talk up all of Emily's good qualities, making sure that Emily's mum knew exactly what kind of wonderful person her daughter had turned out to be, and exactly what sort of pride she should hold for the younger twin. Yeah, Naomi nodded, she could do her best friend duties just fine. She could-
"Why are you standing outside my house like some creepy stalker?"
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Naomi jumped in surprise, the lit cigarette flying out of her hand. She spun around, finding Katie watching her with a look filled with amusement mixed with concern. "You scared the shit out of me!"
Katie looked almost proud of herself for a moment before shaking her head. "Seriously, though. Usually when someone invites you for supper it's polite custom to, like, let them know that you've arrived." She gestured towards the door, a canvas bag swinging from her hand, as she started walking.
"I was just taking a moment to," Naomi paused, thinking how best to phrase exactly what she'd been doing, "prepare myself."
Katie snorted as she dug her free hand through the bag. "You don't prepare for a gathering with the Fitches. You just smile and try to keep up." She pulled a set of keys out and unlocked the door.
Naomi followed her inside, stepping away as Katie closed the door. "Well what were you doing, then? Isn't it polite custom to, like, actually be at home when a guest is expected?"
"I was saving your ass," Katie said bluntly, dropping the keys onto a small table.
"Excuse me?"
Katie sighed, like the simple act of interacting with the blonde was a more exhausting task than she was up for. "Why am I not surprised that Ems would pick such an unrefined and senseless tosser." She pulled out a bottle of wine from the bag and shoved it into Naomi's arms. "Go make nice with the grown-ups while I fetch my sister." She gave Naomi a swift shove in the direction of a doorway before setting off upstairs.
Naomi stumbled, rather blindly, down the hall and into the kitchen.
"Katie, did you find that olive oil?" A woman at the stove asked, her open hand shooting out for the object in question while she stared down at something in a pan. A man stood at the open refrigerator, bent over, his backside sticking out at a comical angle.
Naomi suddenly felt very, very lost. "Um…"
Two heads snapped in her direction alarmingly quick; one looking startled and slightly frightened, and the other lighting up with a toothy grin.
Maya throws her head back in laughter, a gesture she most certainly picked up from her Uncle James, and in a tone she most certainly picked up from my soon-to-be-ex-wife, says, "Oh, I can't wait to hear this story."