A/N: Right, bit of angst in this one. But, I'm feeling angsty, so...

On with it...

Disclaimer: I do not own skins. But I'd marry it...if I could. Any and all typos blah-de-blah

(Emily POV)

"You know I could spend all day in bed with you." I tell her, my head now resting on her stomach, as we lie sort of curled around each other.

"Mmm yes. I noticed we haven't moved yet, so technically that's what we're doing."

"Cheeky." I reply, tracing my fingers over Naomi's shoulder.

"Not as cheeky as your grin before you slid under the covers!" she countered.

I laugh. "I notice you didn't complain?"

"Well, no. But then…" she starts, pausing.

"Hmm?"

"You have a very distracting tongue, Fitch." she says, dryly, and with just a hint of humour.

"Oh, so it's just my tongue, huh?" I joke, kissing her stomach softly. I feel her hand on my shoulder. I look up at her to find her looking at me seriously.

"You know it's not just that. It's you all over. You make me forget myself, especially when you do that. But it's more than that… You and I intertwine with each other, it's ridiculously perfect."

"Intertwine… I like that. Not sure what you mean about forgetting yourself, though."

"Well, not like amnesia, obviously. When it's intense like that, though… you forget yourself. Your name, your surroundings, you just… feel it, I guess. Like everything else ceases to matter, except sensation." she says, thoughtfully.

"You mean it's all-consuming." I say, after thinking for a minute.

"Now, why couldn't I explain it like that?" Naomi half-whined.

I grin, and kiss her skin softly. "Two heads…"

"…are better than one. Yeah, I know. At least you can make sense of my thoughts, even if I can't." she says, slowly stroking my shoulder.

"Sometimes it's easier to understand your thinking when you have someone else to help. At least, that's what I've been told." I said, quietly.

"Who told you that?"

"My sister, funnily enough."

"Why's it funny?"

I chuckle. "My sister is known to all as "Katie Fucking Fitch", and if anyone other than those close to her knew what a soft heart she has sometimes, well… she'd either deny it or beat the crap out of them." I explain, smiling.

"She does sound like she's always concerned about her image, from what you've told me of her."

"For someone that worried about what other people think, she has really shit fashion sense. I mean really, lime green leopard print?"

"Ugh. Wouldn't be caught dead in leopard print, lime green or otherwise."

"Most people wouldn't." I laugh. "Katie isn't most people, though."

"Clearly."

"It's also why she was such a bitch to you. She just doesn't want me hurt. And she doesn't know you, so her first reaction is to be distrusting. Can't say I blame her, I think it put a strain on her having to put me back together."

"You say she stayed with you after…"

"For six months. Watching over me as I cried myself to sleep, woke screaming, and as I spent days just lying in a darkened room alone with the grief and guilt I felt." I said, shifting position so I was on my back. Naomi snuggled into me as I spoke. "She listened to me talk it out… offering what advice she could. She did tell me I really ought to see a therapist, but I wouldn't."

"She knows you better than a therapist would, anyway."

"True."

"Besides, it's cheaper, and less harmful than the haze of drink and drugs I stumbled around in."

"Also true." I paused, feeling a strange thought enter my head. "Jack Daniels." I said, flatly.

Naomi looked at me, her eyes curious. I gently brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Yes." she said, her voice extremely quiet. "Can't stomach it now."

"Hence the vodka." I reply.

"Yeah. And it's been months since I drank simply to wipe myself out."

"Hmm." I mutter, closing my eyes briefly, another thought coming to me. "You…" I start, before my thoughts catch me again.

"Ems?"

I take a deep breath. "Don't freak out, ok? Promise me." I tell her, watching the concern in her eyes.

"Ok…" she says, cautiously.

I close my eyes and take another breath before speaking. "You tried. Woke up in hospital with alcohol poisoning."

She stared at me, and I could see curiosity in her eyes, along with a sense of fear.

"I'm sorry, I-" I started, before she cut me off.

"Tell me you are not a fucking mind reader, Emily." she says, her voice sounding hollow. I feel a slight chill creep up my spine.

I put my hand on her shoulder, trying to reassure her. "I'm not. I swear to you. I don't even know how I knew that."

"Do you know why?" she asked, sounding broken and scared.

I closed my eyes and thought. I had a feeling, but didn't want to say it. I felt something cold closing around me as I thought, and for the first time in almost a week I felt afraid. I felt her wrap around me, pulling me closer.

"Em… I'm not going anywhere. I'm not mad, ok? Shocked, maybe…but not mad." she said softly in my ear, and I let her voice soak into me, warming me through, melting the chill. I nodded, as I took a deep, shaky breath.

"I can't say it." I finally said, my voice breaking.

"Then you don't have to, hun." she whispered. "Truth is, at the time, I'd had enough. It was two months after everything happened. I was more than knee deep in my depression over Matt and my grief over mum. I wasn't sleeping from the nightmares, and one night I broke down totally. A couple of spliffs, a few sleeping pills, and one rather large bottle of Jack later, I woke up in hospital with one hell of a hangover."

I had no words, but a question was rolling in my mind, and Naomi must have sensed it in my expression. "You're wondering how I got to hospital." she said, quietly.

I nodded, slowly. "You were alone." I muttered.

"J.J." she said. "Apparently I called him before I passed out, talking some unintelligible shit. He knew something was up and drove to my flat, and found me passed out next to the empty bottle of Jack."

"Jesus." I whispered.

"Yeah. Not my best moment. He called an ambulance, and stayed at the hospital until I woke up." she continued. "And when I did, boy did I get a serve. He told me off good and proper, warned me never to scare him like that. He even told me he called Matt and gave him a piece of his mind."

"I bet he did."

"He also told me how disappointed mum would have been in me if I hadn't woken up, and that she would have given me twice the bollocking. He was right about that, I think." she said, sort of half laughing. "The thought of that put me right after that… although it took a while. It was only when I found out I got into uni that things started to be better. I only deferred because I still needed time to sort my head out."

I was silent for a long time, not really thinking, just breathing and feeling very lucky to be where I was at that point. I didn't realise my eyes were loaded with tears until I heard her voice again.

"Emily?"

I blinked, feeling the tears slip out.

"You ok?"

"Y-yeah. I… I don't know whether to feel lucky or relieved."

"A little of both?" Naomi asked.

"I guess. It's a bit to take in."

"Yeah. Still have no idea how you knew that."

"I don't either. Only that I'm not a mind reader. Even if I was, I wouldn't want to invade your privacy like that." I said, wiping my eyes. I take her hand in mine and hold it tight, entwining my fingers with hers.

"Naomi… I want you to promise me something." I begin, my voice cracking slightly. I sniffled slightly, as I look into her eyes, that curious blue that I've grown to love staring back at me. With my hand that's not attached to hers, I cup her jaw in my palm, gently running my thumb across her cheek.

"Anything." she says, nodding her head.

"If you ever…EVER feel that way again… I don't care if we're together or not, or even if we're on speaking terms… although I hope to heaven we always are… no matter what the circumstances… you ever feel that way again, you tell me and I will be there for you. Ok? I don't give a fuck if it's three in the morning and you're on the other side of the world, or if you have to break my fucking door down to get to me." I say, completely serious. "Because I don't think I could forgive myself if that happened and I couldn't at least try to help you. Well, I don't think, I know…"

"Em…"

"…and I know that…"

"Ems…"

"…if I could at least just…"

"Emily…"

"…talk to you, then…"

"EMILY!" she says, her voice louder, making me stop what I was saying. I look at her, slightly surprised at her abruptness with me. She pulls me into a bear hug and kisses me deeply. I kiss her back, feeling overwhelmed with emotion. But her kiss calms me, smoothing out all the jagged edges our conversation had left me with. I allow myself to get lost in it briefly, before her lips left mine, much calmer. "I promise you, Emily. No matter what." she says, with so much sincerity in her half whisper. "Ok?"

I nod my head. I lean my forehead against hers and gently brush my lips against hers. " I love you so fucking much, Naoms …" I whisper. "I feel it in both my heart and my soul."

"I know you do, Emily. I feel it too."

We had no wordst left. Just pure emotion as we absorbed ourselves in each other.

A/N#2: Thanks for reading.

More soon.

~GN~ xo