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She wasn't sure how long they sat there, but by the end of it she was thoroughly convinced that Emily had the patience of a saint and a heart of gold, something her and Katie obviously didn't have in common. Emily led her upstairs into an empty flat. Naomi looked around in confusion, still holding on to Emily's hand.
"I made him leave," Emily said softly. "I figured you could use some time without him around. I can leave, too, if you want, but you need to stay in here." Naomi squeezed Emily's hand tighter and shook her head.
"No. Stay," she said quickly, the words falling off her tongue. "Please." Emily gave her a look that Naomi couldn't decipher, then nodded. Some of the tension in Naomi's chest released, but her body was still tensed and ready to flee. Emily drew her to the sofa and let go of her hand, easily pushing the item back and pulling out the bed, smoothing the sheets out before she sat Naomi down, pausing for a second to make sure that she'd stay before fetching her laptop from the bedroom.
"How does a lazy day of cartoons sound?" she asked, climbing nimbly onto the bed and sitting with her legs stretched out with the computer on her thighs and her back against the sofa. Naomi nodded, and hoisted herself fully on the bed, matching Emily's position and sitting close enough that their shoulders touched. Naomi's legs extended several inches past Emily's own. Emily smiled when she noticed her looking. "Yeah, yeah, I'm short, I know," she teased, nudging Naomi's ankle with her toes. Emily had discovered all the tricks of the internet, and when Netflix stopped yielding things they were interested in, she found streams of old cartoons Naomi remembered from being a kid.
Hours passed and the sunlight that penetrated the blinds and curtains faded. Emily turned on a lamp when the room darkened, but other than that they didn't move until close to midnight, when Emily turned suddenly and grabbed her chin, peering closely at her eyes. She frowned.
"Teeth," she said, and then had to repeat herself because Naomi was suddenly very focused on how close Emily was to her. She felt about five years old, but bared them anyway. "Naomi, when was the last time you fed?" Naomi opened her mouth to reply, then stopped. Was it yesterday? Or the day before... I'm pretty sure it was yesterday morning. It had to be.
"I don't remember," she answered honestly. Emily sighed, looking tired again. "I'm sorry."
"It's not you," Emily said, shaking her head. "Cook and I are supposed to make sure that you have enough until it's been long enough that you don't need so much, and fall into the right habit, but Cook's still not the best sire and I haven't been paying attention to anything the past few days." She climbed smoothly off the bed and strode to the kitchen, returning a few seconds later with a glass for each of them, Naomi's considerably larger and fuller than the one Emily held. She glared at it when Emily held it out to her. Emily matched it.
"Naomi," she said warningly. "You can't do anything about it, and there's no point starving yourself over it, and I know you have been, albeit unintentionally. Now drink it, or you won't be allowed out of the house." Naomi sulked her way through the entire glass, grudgingly admitting to herself when it was done and Emily smiled happily at her that she did feel better. Physically at least.
Emily took the glasses to the kitchen to clean them, and Naomi took the time to change into pyjamas. It still felt weird wearing clothes to bed. She switched places with Emily, who came out a few seconds later with a freshly scrubbed face in a vest top and knickers. Naomi stared, then caught herself and immediately took a great amount of interest in the keyboard for Emily's laptop. You've seen her like this before, she thought. She blamed her unstable emotional state. Emily climbed into the bed again, and then they were alone, half naked, sitting in silence, with a tension Naomi didn't want to acknowledge was there growing in the air between them. Emily looked gorgeous in the lamp light, staring steadily at Naomi with those dark eyes, her shoulders and chest rising and falling gently with her breathing.
"I didn't mean what I said earlier," Naomi said quietly, looking away from the penetrating stare. "I'm glad I met you, I just wish it had been under different circumstances.
"Yeah," Emily breathed, her voice soft and husky and pleasant and sexy and this train of thought needs to stop. "Me too." She found herself meeting Emily's gaze again, and she felt like something big was going to happen.
"Emily," Naomi said at the same time Emily said "Naomi" and they both stopped and laughed. "You go first," Naomi continued. Emily took a deep breath and nodded.
"I know we haven't known each other very long," she started, "but I feel like-like-oh fuck it." It almost happened in slow motion, the way Emily cupped her face and kissed her firmly. Not fiercely, but it sent Naomi's head reeling again. I've never been kissed like this before. Her hands found Emily's hair, the back of her neck. Emily pressed closer, their knees bumping and overlapping, and then all Naomi's senses were full of were Emily. Emily's scent, Emily's taste, Emily's soft hair and soft skin under her hands, the way her lips pressed and tugged on Naomi's own, and Naomi sighed in content and for a few moments forgot all her troubles. When Emily finally pulled away, Naomi immediately missed the pressure of her lips.
"I know you're scared," Emily whispered, stroking her cheek. "I know you're upset, I know you're lonely, and you're right, this is a pitiful existence, but you are not alone, Naomi Campbell."
They slept on the pull-out that night, Emily curled up on her side facing Naomi, and Naomi stretched out on her stomach with her arms pillowing her head, burrowed under blankets they really didn't need. Emily's breath was warm against her elbow. Naomi's lips still tingled from the kiss. She was comfortable enough that she should have been able to drift off, especially with Emily's warmth so close, but her mind was still a hurricane of thoughts and feelings she didn't know how to deal with or sort through. Emily seemed to be fine-tuned to her restlessness, which didn't make Naomi feel any better, because every time Naomi sighed or fidgeted, Emily's eyes would open and stare intently at her until she'd settled down enough again. I'm a vampire, she thought, feeling the tension in her face from frowning for so long. I drink blood to survive. My sire is useless. I don't know when I'll see Mum again. I'm going to live forever. I'm falling for a ridiculously perfect redhead named Emily who smells like the earth. Fuck. She sighed again and felt Emily's eyes on her immediately.
"Do you want to go out?" Emily asked, always patient, always understanding, always reasonable, always kind.
"No," Naomi said, her voice cracking slightly. "I want to go home. I want my mum." Emily was quiet for a long time. Naomi didn't dare turn her head to look at her. Finally, Emily took a deep breath. Naomi felt her sit up and only then did she move her head.
"I'll have to talk to Cook," she said, and left the room. Naomi rolled onto her back, excitement building in her chest as she listened to Emily's quiet muttering through the wall. She was sitting up in bed by the time Emily returned.
"What did he say?" she asked.
"He warned me that Bristol is still dangerous for us right now, but they won't recognize me with my hair like this, and the weather in Bristol is shit so we'll make sure you're full, make sure you're covered enough, all the usual precautions we take if we can before we go into the sunlight. We'll leave tomorrow, and we're only staying for one day.
"Why'd you ask Cook then if you're just going to do what I want anyway? We could have just told him and left." Emily slipped back into bed, curling up under the sheets again.
"Because he's your sire. I had to have his permission. I don't know why, it's a really weird vampire thing. The only person with the authority to overrule him is Effy, but he didn't explicitly say no, so..." She patted the bed and Naomi laid back down again. "Will you sleep now?"
"Yeah," Naomi said, closing her eyes. "I think so." And for the moment her troubles backed off.