I don't own skins or its characters. All mistakes are mine.

Naomi stepped forward into to Emily's apartment and pressed her lips against Emily's, cupping her hands around the redhead's face. Emily didn't react for a second, just let Naomi kiss her. But then Emily started kissing back, sliding her arms around Naomi and pulling their bodies together. Naomi slipped her tongue into Emily's mouth and the redhead groaned in response. It felt right this time, Naomi thought, this was how it was supposed to go. They were Emily and Naomi, they were special. Apparently however Emily hadn't got the memo because just as quickly as she had pulled Naomi in, she pushed the blonde back.

"What are you doing Naomi?"

"Please Emily...just..." She needed this, Emily would fix her, Emily would make her 18 again. No, you can't go back. You can't forget, not now, not ever. Naomi ignored the unwelcome thoughts and stepped closer to Emily.

Her brown eyes were filled with concern. She closed the distance and kissed Naomi passionately, slowly, like they had all the time in the world. She pulled away and tugged her own shirt over her head before removing Naomi's too. She took Naomi's hand and led her into the bedroom. She pushed Naomi back onto the bed before removing the blond's jeans and underwear. She took off her own as Naomi watched, propped up on her elbows. Emily is perfect. Emily lowered herself onto Naomi, pressing their bodies together.

"It's okay Naomi, its okay to ask for something you want"

XXXXXXXX

When Naomi wakes she's surprised. It's first time in ages she's fallen asleep without taking something to help her. It takes her a second to work out where she is, but as soon as she sees the red hair spread over her shoulder she realises. It's just too foreign the way she and Emily are curled around each other. So she does something so familiar, so easy.

She doesn't lie in bed and cuddle, she fucks and runs. That was how things worked. She carefully disentangled herself from Emily and slid out of the bed collecting her clothes and putting them on in the hallway. She wasn't sure what time it was, but it was dark outside. Naomi was about to dial Alexei's number but paused. She changed her mind and chose a different number instead.

"It's me...can you come get me...Emily's...thanks"

She ended the call and turned to the door.

"What the fuck Naomi!" Emily was standing behind her in an oversized t-shirt looking furious.

"What?"

"Twice? You're going to do this to me twice? Naomi, no. You ... fucking stop right now! Don't you dare leave me alone in bed again. I know you, Naomi. I know you're confused and you're hurting. I think you need someone to need you and to want you . Well, I do want you. So be brave and want me back."

"I'm sorry" Naomi's voice broke as she said the words. She walked out and slammed the door shut behind her. She took the elevator down to the ground floor and waited for a white M6 to pull up outside. She slid into the passenger seat. Effy didn't say anything as she steered the car back onto the road.

"What? Not going to psycho-analyse me?"

Effy sighed "What are you afraid of Naomi?"

"Nothing. I'm not afraid of anything"

"You like Emily – don't even try to lie to me. She's not just another shag to you but you're treating her like one. Why not just try and...I don't know have a relationship with her. It's clear she's into you."

"I don't do relationships"

"It's because of Cook isn't it? You don't feel like you deserve happiness because he's never going to feel anything ever again"

"You don't know anything about how I feel Effy!" Effy slammed on the brakes stopping the car abruptly.

"I know exactly how you feel. I loved him too! I miss him every day, but you can't change what happened you just have to live"

"We had our whole lives planned out for us. He would be an actor, go to Hollywood, have the cars, houses, the girls, the whole thing. And I would be a human rights lawyer. I would meet Emily and we would fall in love. Then he would retire and come back to England and we would live in houses next to each other and grow old together."

"Oh my god"

"What?"

"That's what you're doing. You're living the life he was supposed to. But you can't Naomi, you can't live his life for him."

"I'm not, I'm just kind of...I don't know but it was fine, everything was fine until Emily turned up and ruined everything"

"oh Naomi"

"Can you just mind your own business for once?" Naomi had told Effy more in one go than she ever had before so Effy didn't want to push it. She started the car again and headed home.

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Here"

Effy placed a steaming mug of coffee on Naomi's bedside table after rousing the blonde.

"I've been thinking. About what you said last night"

Naomi paused, the mug halfway to her lips and glared at Effy. "I thought I told you to leave it"

" I need to tell you a story. I met a guy, when I was younger. He was funny and charming yet totally obnoxious at the same time. We met at a club I think. It started off as just sex, but it changed. I hadn't ever met any of his friends or family but he wanted me to meet them. One day he told me he loved me. I was young and stupid and love was this big scary thing so I didn't say anything back. After he had left that day I thought about it, and I finally figured out that I loved him too. So I called him and said I needed to talk him, because I wanted to say it to him in person. So he said he'd drive over straight away. Except he never came."

"That's it? What's the moral then? That if someone says that they love me I should say it back otherwise I'll never see them again?"

"It was Cook, Naomi. You always told me you didn't know why he was there on that day, on that road. It was because I asked him to drive over to see me, so I could tell him I loved him. I still say it to him, but I don't know if he can hear me."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Naomi's voice was barely above a whisper, tears sliding down her cheeks.

"The people who make us happy are never the people you expect. So when you find someone you've got to cherish it."

XXXXXXX

Naomi paused, her hand ready to knock on the door. She could do this; she'd done harder stuff than this in her life. She knocked and waited. The door opened to reveal deep brown eyes widening in shock.

"Naomi"

"Hey Emily"

Thoughts?