"Effy!" Katie called for possibly the thousandth time. She was going hoarse. She knew that Emily and Naomi were out looking too (to no avail yet), and her sister went hoarse before she did every time, so she would probably barely have a voice by tonight. Not that that really bothered Katie. If Emily hadn't been able to speak then she wouldn't be out here searching for Effy.
She picked up her phone and dialled the brunette's number for the twentieth time that morning. It still went straight to voicemail.
"Where the hell are you, Effy Stonem?" she asked herself aloud.
She remembered the first time she'd seen Effy since Gobbler's End, sitting on the bench at the park near her house. She hadn't known why Effy had been there. She still didn't really. And it definitely didn't make since for her to go back there. Katie shrugged to herself. There was no harm in checking.
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Effy hated the tears that streamed down her face. This was why she hadn't gotten involved for so many years. That was why she hadn't let herself fall, hadn't let herself truly care about anyone (besides Tony, but even that she tried to keep under wraps).
She looked around the park and sighed, wiping her eyes. She needed to fucking pull herself together. She closed her eyes, waiting for her eyes to stop tearing.
She didn't even know how she'd got there. She had been walking and then she'd seen green and found herself in the park, sitting on the same bench she'd been sitting on a few months ago. She wasn't sure what she was hoping to accomplish by sitting there now. It wasn't like Katie lived nearby anymore, not since she was spending all her time at Naomi's. It wasn't like she'd come looking for her anyway. Emily had been right. She should leave, she thought. She stood and started to walk, but she stopped in the middle of the field. Where else did she have to go? She couldn't go home. Not now. She just couldn't.
Katie froze when she saw Effy. She had found her! She felt a wave of relief wash over her and she quickly pulled out her cell and texted Emily that she'd found her and where they were. "Effy!" she called out for what she hoped was the last time that day.
Effy turned, eyes wide.
"Oh, Effy!" Katie said sadly when she saw Effy's tear streaked face. She crossed quickly to the brunette who seemed to shrink away from her.
"What're you doing here?" Effy inquired.
"Looking for you!" Katie replied, staring at her incredulously. How could she not know that?
"Why?" Effy inquired.
"Because you ran away," Katie stated the obvious.
"To give you space. Emily said-" Effy began.
"Emily's an idiot," Katie cut her off.
Effy shook her head. "No she's not."
Katie rolled her eyes. "Ok, she's not. But she was about this!"
"No. She's right. I should give you space. I shouldn't fuck up your life anymore than I already have."
Katie sighed heavily. "Effy, you stopped fucking up my life a while ago, alright?"
Effy wasn't convinced and she regarded Katie sceptically.
"I fucking admitted that I might fancy you, for fuck's sake! Does that really translate in your brain to you should run away and leave my life?"
"That you might. Exactly! You shouldn't throw everything away for feelings you might not even have. You shouldn't throw away everything on me," Effy replied pointedly.
"First of all, I don't think that I'm throwing anything away, and secondly..."Katie hesitated. She wasn't sure she was willing to admit this aloud, especially since she'd caught sight of Emily and Naomi running up to the corner of the field and she knew they were probably within earshot. One look at Effy's face told her that she had to though. "Secondly, I think you're worth it."
"Why?" Effy demanded. "Katie, I'm just going to end up hurting you again. I'll fuck up! I always do!"
"No! I don't believe that! You're changing! You have changed! Effy..." Katie swallowed hard. "I think it's worth the risk to give us a try."
Emily's eyes widened at those words from her sister. She wanted to step in and apologise profusely for misreading the situation earlier, but her girlfriend's hand on her arm held her firmly in place.
Effy finally brought her eyes up to meet Katie's. There wasn't an ounce of deception there. Gone too was any sign of the superficiality that had driven her insane the year before. "Are you sure?" she asked nervously, not wanting to get her hopes up.
Katie rolled her eyes and smiled. She reached out and pulled Effy to her, mashing their lips together, startling not only Effy, but Emily and Naomi as well. Katie pulled away a few seconds later, fully aware that she was kissing a girl in a public park and not at all sure that she was willing for people outside of the safe group of the four of them knowing that she had feelings for a girl. Not yet at any rate. "I'm sure I want to try," Katie informed her softly.
Effy suddenly felt like she was soaring. Katie's lips had burned against hers, but in an amazing way. She could hardly believe it was happening, except that Katie was there, in front of her, hand holding her arm loosely, eyes staring at her, gazing into her soul as far as Effy could tell.
Naomi let go of Emily's arm finally and the pair approached Katie and Effy. Emily cleared her throat uncomfortably when they were standing next to them. Effy and Katie were still gazing at each other in a way that let her know in no uncertain terms that she'd been ridiculously wrong about what was going on between them. She couldn't help feeling a bit uneasy about this new development, but she had to apologise.
Effy finally broke eye contact with Katie and turned to look at Emily and Naomi.
"Ef...I'm really sorry. I was wrong. Katie really likes you, and-" Emily was cut off from that particular sentence by a glare from her sister and an elbow in the side from her girlfriend (who seemed to be suppressing a giggle).
Effy felt her cheeks flush at the small admission (even if it didn't come from the twin she really needed to hear it from) and she risked a glance at Katie who was blushing and looking anywhere but at her. Effy couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face.
"Anyway, I shouldn't have said anything this morning and I was wrong. Sorry," Emily finished feeling like her words were rather lame.
Effy smiled at her. "Thanks," she said.
"So can we, like, go home now?" Katie asked.
"Home?" Effy inquired, wondering exactly where the brunette meant, because she definitely wasn't going back to her own house and she hardly thought that the Fitches would welcome her with open arms into their house.
"Naomi's house, I meant," Katie replied, blushing even deeper.
"Right, so home. Like you said," Naomi smiled kindly at her. Hell everyone had been staying with her enough that it probably could qualify as "home" to them. She'd grown rather accustomed to having them around. Going back to college and having them potentially not stay with her anymore, or as much at least, was going to be a strange adjustment. She grimaced internally when she stared between Katie and Effy. She didn't want to think about what going back to college and being around others might mean for them. Not with the way that Katie longed for the approval of her peers and Effy was so fragile at the moment. She kept it inside though. It was a worry for another day.
"Yeah, home," Emily echoed, smiling at her girlfriend.
Effy had to admit that she liked the sound of it. She liked it even more when Katie slid her hand into hers and intertwined their fingers. She couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't so much the building as the people that made the place feel like "home" for her.
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"I dunno, Naoms, do you really think drinking is a good idea?" Emily murmured to Naomi in the kitchen, glancing out through the doorway to where Katie was snuggling into Effy's side on the couch. "I mean she hasn't been drinking much recently and it's already been an emotional day..."
"Ems, relax. I think that drinking is just the ticket right now. It's not like we're all going to get so trashed we can't remember our names! We're just drinking to relax a little after a stressful day. We're going to enjoy ourselves," Naomi reassured her. She turned to face her girlfriend and tucked her hair behind her ear, stroking the redhead's cheek softly until Emily's eyes shifted to look at hers. "What's really bothering you?"
"I just...I mean they're...Katie's straight. I still don't get it. But then I saw her kiss Effy! Like with my own two eyes! And fuck me, I think she enjoyed it!" Emily shook her head. It was overwhelming.
"Come on, you know your sister's changed. She's not the same person who gave us shit all last year. She's not the same person who walked in on you and me kissing at a party in middle school and lost it. She's growing up, and she's accepted us and she finally loves you for who you are, not who she thinks you should be," Naomi reminded her.
Emily sulked a little. She knew that Naomi was right, but it wasn't like emotions were always that straight forward. "So I should be there for her now and love her for who she is because it's the right thing to do," Emily read between the lines.
"I didn't say it," Naomi replied in a way that implied that it would be good if she did so anyway though.
"You're annoyingly reasonable sometimes," Emily glowered, but it was hardly like she could hold a grudge against the beautiful blonde before her, especially when she was leaning in close with those luscious lips just there for the taking.
Naomi kissed her and smiled. She knew Emily would see reason sooner or later. She knew she loved her twin (always, despite what she sometimes insisted) and that all of Emily's doubts came from a place of caring and concern. She'd do what was right by Katie, Naomi had no doubt.
Emily couldn't help but smile into the kiss as well. There was potentially nothing that kissing Naomi couldn't fix, she decided. "I love you," escaped her lips as soon as they broke apart.
Naomi beamed down at her. "I love you too. Now come on. Let's take these drinks out to Katie and Effy." Naomi picked up two of the strawberry daiquiris she'd made and carried them into the other room. Emily followed suit behind her.
"Thanks," Katie murmured as she took a glass from Naomi and self-consciously scooted a little further away from Effy. She couldn't bring herself to stop touching the girl completely though, so she kept her free hand firmly in Effy's.
Effy took one of the drinks off of Emily cautiously and began to sip as Naomi and Emily settled themselves on the couch and the floor respectively.
"Here, Ems, do you want to sit on the couch? We can squeeze," Effy offered, scooting herself over so that she was all the way at the edge of the couch and she looked at Katie expectantly.
Katie moved closer to Effy automatically as if connected to her by an invisible string. It didn't go unnoticed by Emily and Naomi.
"No, I'm good here for now," Emily replied, settling in between her girlfriend's legs and taking a sip of her drink.
"Ok," Effy murmured softly and inched back a little closer to Katie, who, to her delight, didn't move any further away. It was strange how the closer she physically was to the brunette, the more at ease she felt.
"So is another round of I've Never out of the question?" Naomi inquired, eyeing Effy and Katie curiously.
"Yes!" Katie and Emily chorused and Effy giggled. Emily really wasn't sure how much she wanted to know about what Katie and Effy had already done and there were things she'd done with Naomi that she was positive that she didn't want her twin knowing about.
"Damn," Naomi smirked, exchanging an amused glance with Effy.
They settled into a light conversation that grew a bit more boisterous and amused as the alcohol began to settle into all of their systems and glasses got refilled. Katie felt herself unwinding, and as she did so, she couldn't help but move closer to Effy, relaxing into her.
As Katie began to relax beside her, Effy felt the tension and anxiety from earlier in the day draining out of her. It was as if the smaller girl could take away her pains and her worries just by her presence. She glanced warily at Emily who was whispering something in Naomi's ear, having migrated to the blonde's lap, and grinning widely. She didn't seem like she was apt to give her a hard time about being around her sister again anytime soon, so Effy decided that she could risk it. She slid her arm around Katie and pulled her even closer into her side. Despite everything that had happened that day, she couldn't help but marvel at the way that the petite brunette's touch set her skin on fire.
Katie turned to look at Effy and couldn't help but smile. She was finding it rather hard to restrain herself in general in such proximity to the tall brunette. She wasn't sure how she felt about public displays of affection with a girl, but Naomi and Emily had already seen them kiss, and this was hardly as public a venue. To fuck with it, she decided and pulled Effy's lips down to meet hers. The kiss was quick, but it was enough to send tingles through Katie's entire body. Clearly the sexual frustration hadn't been alleviated anywhere near enough the night before. Her mind flashed to what had happened when she'd re-entered the room, watching Effy come and then the snogging session that had followed. It had successfully undone all of the good that her quick wank in the bathroom had done.
Katie bit her lower lip to prevent herself from closing the distance between them again as she became aware of Naomi's eyes on her. "Didn't your mum teach you that it's not polite to stare?" Katie demanded, unable to stop the blush that overtook her cheeks.
"Sorry, it's just I don't think it's ever going to get old," Naomi replied with a smirk.
"What?" Katie asked.
"Katie Fitch kissing a girl," Naomi shot back.
Katie glared and threw one of the small pillows on the couch at her. Naomi ducked, but it managed to smack Emily in the arm.
"Oi! What'd I do?" Emily protested, tossing the pillow back at her sister.
"Sorry, I shouldn't have been able to miss a target as unfashionable as your girlfriend," Katie teased, sticking out her tongue at Naomi who stuck her tongue out in retaliation.
"Quit showing your sex organs to each other," Emily interjected, not worrying about the insults that Katie and Naomi were slinging at each other because they were so obviously meant in fun. She couldn't help wondering when exactly the venom between her sister and Naomi had turned to affection (not that either of them would admit that was what it was, she was sure).
"Sex organs?" Katie's nose wrinkled in confusion.
Naomi flicked her tongue up and down suggestively. "You know, tongues?"
"Ugh! Ew! Ems!" Katie complained, really not wanting to imagine her sister with Naomi doing anything involving tongues. "Why would you say that?"
"Now, now, children! Behave," Effy cut in, an amused grin on her face. "Besides," she murmured softly into Katie's ear, "I don't think it's gross. I think it could be rather fun."
Katie's eyes fluttered closed and she bit her lower lip as she tried to regain control of her body. Her pussy had clenched at the mere suggestion from Effy and unbidden images were now flashing through her mind. Heat spread through her entire body.
Naomi and Emily hadn't been able to hear what Effy had added to Katie, but Katie's reaction spoke volumes.
Emily's eyes widened as she witnessed firsthand the effect that Effy seemed to have over her sister. She thought for possibly the hundredth time that day that she had clearly underestimated Katie's feelings for Effy, not to mention the entire situation.
They ordered in pizza and continued to drink as the night progressed, but Katie and Effy never left each other's sides. They constantly maintained some form of physical contact, which didn't go unnoticed by Naomi and Emily.
Naomi and Emily too were having trouble keeping their hands to themselves, and unlike Katie and Effy, they didn't bother trying to be discreet about it after a point.
Katie went to the kitchen to refill her drink and when she came back she rolled her eyes, finding her sister and Naomi completely engulfed in their third snogging session of the night. She caught Effy's eyes trained on her and blushed before turning back to Emily and Naomi with an exasperated sigh. "For fuck's sake, will you two get a room?"
Emily's jaw dropped as she turned to her twin in shock.
Naomi pretended to clean out her ears. "Sorry, but are you actually telling me to go fuck your sister?"
Emily elbowed her girlfriend in the side, but Naomi just chuckled.
Katie rolled her eyes again and shrugged. "Whatever, it's not like you're not going to once you go upstairs anyway. I'm just telling you to fucking go up there sooner so we don't have to watch you practically getting it on down here."
Emily couldn't believe it. She knew that Katie had obviously been coming around to the idea of her and Naomi, but she had never thought she'd see the day when her sister seemed to genuinely not mind the idea of her going off and having sex with a girl (Naomi specifically).
Naomi stood and started to tug on Emily's sleeve when her girlfriend didn't make any motion to leave. "Come on, Ems," Naomi encouraged, feeling the need to get Emily upstairs and undressed as quickly as possible. She also had a feeling that Effy and Katie might benefit from some time alone to talk...among other things.
Naomi's voice snapped Emily out of her shock and she stood slowly.
"Just try not to be too noisy, alright? It's one thing to know its happening; it's something else entirely to hear it, yeah?" Katie voiced as her sister began to walk towards the stairs with Naomi.
Emily stopped in her tracks and turned and strode straight to her twin, wrapping her in a tight hug. "I love you, Katie," she murmured in her sister's ear, feeling affection for her twin welling up inside of her.
Katie was momentarily overwhelmed by the sentiment, but she recovered quickly. She wrapped her free arm around Emily and squeezed tight. "I know. I love you, too. Now go on," she replied, letting go of her sister and shoving her softly towards the blonde. She nodded slightly at Naomi who smiled and nodded back at her.
"Goodnight, you two! Behave!" Naomi teased over her shoulder as she led Emily up the stairs.
Katie turned to Effy when she heard the door to Naomi's bedroom close upstairs. Effy's eyes were still burning into her. She crossed to the couch and sat herself down next to the girl, suddenly nervous that she was alone with Effy. "So," she said, voice breaking so that her words came out in a hoarse whisper, "what now?"
A/N: So I think I'm going to continue this, but I wanted to ask my readers' opinions: would you like to read more and see what happens next (and have me resolve things like Effy's family life and what happens when they go back to school and stuff, not to mention that sexual frustration that both girls are feeling)? Or would you like me to leave it there, open for you to imagine what comes next?