*A/N: Short-ish update and I'm really sorry for that. I have later chapters of this story already written though so hopefully the pace of my updating will pick up haha. Hope you all have a happy holidays though.*

A Dustland Fairytale: Chapter 10

Katie tries incredibly hard not to think of it as, the night that changed everything. She really does. Wants to pretend it never happened. Tries not to remember the way her stomach twisted when Naomi had hovered over her, stupidly soft hair like dangling over her eyes that suddenly seemed radiant (which Katie must have been fucked off her tits to think a stupid thing like that about Naomi). She wants to forget about that night. That stupid night with the vodka, actually she doesn't want to forget it – she needs to. Because living like this—feeling things so blatantly wrong-- with Naomi being really the only person she hangs out with anymore just won't do.

At first she doesn't think there's a difference. Thinks they can go on like they are, vodka hazed almost sort of kisses and pushes into lockers, followed by teeth and tongues aside. Naomi is well…Naomi. And no matter how weird it is—them being mates—she's just well...whatever. Over the weekend Katie manages to convince herself she was being like fucking retarded or whatever and that everything will go back to normal on Monday. And it does. They drink hot coffee on the steps and snarl at each because it's fucking early. It feels normal and doesn't really make her chest tighten, well not so much tighten as feel like warm and wanted and needed and stuff which isn't necessarily bad, mates feel like that don't they? Then college is busy during the week so they only have their mornings. So it's not really Katie's fault that by Friday, she's slipped into some sort of haze where she's managed to convince herself that it meant nothing.

She texts Naomi when she gets to her house, I'm outside. Come get the door you lazy fuck

You know how to open a door don't you? Naomi texts back and Katie snorts at how much of a bitch she can be sometimes before she pushes the door open with a sigh.

Naomi is concentrating on her mirror in an almost deadly fashion, pulling a rather sad little brush through her hair. She sees Katie in the reflection and smirks, "Figured the door bit out then Katie?"

"Oh fuck off," Katie says and throws her bag down on Naomi's bed, "so are we going to be ready to go sometime this century?"

"Hey," Naomi says meeting her eyes in the mirror, "This level of beauty just doesn't happen overnight. It takes time…effort."

With a roll of her eyes Katie says, "Yeah time and effort my ass, okay? You just close your eyes and pick shit from the closet and you know it."

She thinks Naomi will just snipe back, expects it really but instead Naomi just bites her lip a bit and stares into the mirror and for a second Katie thinks, what the fuck? Because Naomi Campbell can't be insecure about anything. In fact, most of the time she's an up herself cunt.

The silence is awkward and theres no excuses—like vodka—to excuse her for saying something to Naomi like—I was just kidding you twat, you're extremely beautiful. No, there are no excuses for saying something like that so Katie bites the inside of her cheek and says, "I could help, you know? With the hair?"

To Katie's eternal surprise Naomi shrugs and motions to her hair, "Alright…go ahead, amaze me."

With two big steps, Katie's across the room and is already lifting Naomi's longer hair from her collar and it's still so fucking soft that she sucks in an involuntary breath that causes Naomi to crane her neck backwards and glance at Katie.

To cover it up a bit Katie tugs at the collar of Naomi's shirt, "This top is going to have to come off you understand."

It doesn't mean anything, Katie thinks that her heart patters a bit alarmingly when Naomi smiles at her with hooded eyes and whispers, "Whatever you say, Katie."

--

Damn I'm good, she thinks when Naomi is standing in front of her mirror and looking at herself like she can't quite believe it.

Katie lifts her hair a final time and pulls it so it's just gently laying on Naomi's shoulders and her fingertips brush—accidentally—across Naomi's neck. Naomi swallows and looks up to meet Katie's eyes in the mirror and there's gratitude in them.

"You've always been pretty," Katie hears her voice say and then can't quite believe it came out of her mouth, "I mean…I've thought that from the first day I saw you."

Naomi pulls down on the skirt that Katie's made her wear and it actually matches the top and they both look quite…good on her.

"You remember when you first saw me," Naomi asks and Katie can't stop her head from nodding.

"You were in the halls. Fussing at someone for bumping into you or something and Emily and I were there and I mean, from that first day I should've known. She looked at you like you were…the best thing she's ever seen. And I should've known, you know? But I just thought you looked rather fucking fierce and that we'd probably be good friends."

Naomi turns around and smiles extremely prettily, "So actually you and I would've been friends if Emily hadn't decided I was shaggable."

Feeling a bit desperate and Naomi being so close and the air in the room getting thick Katie murmurs, "She loved you then, you know? Probably still does."

Swallowing again, harder this time Naomi answers, "Yeah, some things don't change."

Then there's fingertips on her arm, slowly tracing down and Katie can't, just fucking can't breathe especially when she hears Naomi say, "But some things do."

--

Cook hoots when they walk into the pub, hoots and comes forward, wrapping Naomi in a large hug which ends in a sort of grope until Naomi pushes him away and Katie turns away to swallow whatever the fuck had risen in her chest—push it down and hope that it never fucking surfaces again.

Freddie comes over with an apologetic smile and pats Cook on the back, "He's already had a lot to drink."

Cook howls and runs over to jump on J.J. a bit who looks quite overwhelmed but excited to have the attention in the end.

Naomi glances over at Katie with a small smile on her face and to Katie it translates to why did we come again? And Katie smiles back her own don't fucking know babes.

Katie watches as Naomi goes over to the bar and watches her go without realizing until Freddie coughs somewhere next to her. She glances over at him and his fucking little smile on his face and suddenly all she can think is last term was a long time ago. "Alright, Katie," he asks and she pushes a smile onto her face, watches as he echoes one that's equal parts hope and relief.

"Yeah…alright," she says.

--

There's been so much to drink and that's the problem. Cook won't stop shoving shots down their throats and Katie can't really remember how long they've been there, or how many she's had, or how Freddie's arm is suddenly draped across her shoulders or how long Naomi's been staring at it like it should be on fire.

The only thing she does know is that she needs a loo or something because all that vodka is about to come rushing up. With a shove against the booth she manages to stand. She wobbles uncertainly and Freddie manages to catch her arm first and motions for Naomi to sit back down, "It's okay," he says, "I've got her."

Like fuck you do Katie thinks but then she used to think he was well lush at one point so she grips the back of his neck and pulls him into a sloppy kiss, listening to Cook howl again in the background. It's brief but not too chaste because Freddie wipes his arm across his mouth when their done and grins down at her.

Oh yeah, Katie thinks right before she turns and throws up all over the floor.

Freddie curses and then cool hands are brushing back her hair, gathering it in a bunch as she spits more on the floor.

"It's okay, Katie," Naomi murmurs, holding her hair with one hand and rubbing her back with the other. "I've got you."

Katie hears Cook yelling for a bucket or something and Freddie bitching about how sick is all over his trainers but all that really matters is Naomi's hand rubbing circles in her back.

--

Never again Katie thinks when she wakes up and everything is bright—so fucking bright. And her head is spinning and her mouth is dry. She tries to move, to roll over so the sun isn't actually like piercing her brain but there's a large arm cast over her keeping her in place.

Freddie rolls over and blinks up at her blearily after she tosses his hand off. "Morning," he murmurs and sleepily smiles up at her.

--

When Katie wanders into college on Monday morning she feels much worse for the wear. She had spent the weekend ignoring calls from Freddie and the one text from Naomi that made her feel like a horrible person with just a few words.

I hope you made it home ok.

Naomi's smoking again on the steps when Katie sits down and she doesn't have the heart to tell her to put it out. She just sits there staring off into the parking lot and waiting for Naomi to say something about it all.

With a sigh Naomi rubs her fag out on the steps and faces Katie, "So…you and Freddie again eh?"

Katie has a hard time meeting Naomi's eyes because they're sort of accusing and something else that Katie can't put her finger on but mostly just hurt which seems wrong because their just mates.

She fidgets around a bit and answers the ground instead of Naomi, "I dunno, we just had a bit of fun. I think he wants to go again though."

"Jesus Katie, what the fuck? Didn't you learn your lesson last time?"

Her voice is caustic and bitchy without even a hint of affection in it and Katie has to remind herself that this is Naomi and that the Naomi she's been dealing with these few weeks has been a tamed down version. But then again she's Katie fucking Fitch and if she doesn't know how to deal with a bitchy Naomi then no one does.

"Yeah so what the fuck does it matter to you?"

Naomi's eyes narrow, "What does it matter to me? Before Freddie used you and then shagged Effy who, oh yeah, smashed your head open with a fucking rock. We're friends Katie and I may not have had many of those but I know that mates help each other out when their about to make a mistake."

"You're right…we're friends and in case you've forgotten I'm not Emily and if Freddie and I want to have another go, you can just stuff all this jealous girlfriend bollocks you're putting on right now."

Pulling back like Katie's slapped her Naomi hisses out, "Yeah you're not Emily and next time Freddie fucks Effy behind your back then don't come crying to me you stupid slag."

With that Naomi grabs her bag and stomps away leaving Katie sitting alone on the steps wondering what the fuck had just happened.