Sorry for the long wait. I am officially the worst updater ever. Thanks so much for the reviews, hope you enjoy this chapter.
I don't own skins or its characters. All mistakes are mine.
"What the fuck?"
"Can I come in?"
"No."
"Right...I'm sorry about before" She waited for Emily to reply but when she didn't Naomi continued. "That was fucked up. I just wanted to say I'm sorry."
"Great, you've said it now you can leave"
"Emily please I'm trying to apologise"
"I don't know if you've noticed Naomi but we have something. We have a connection. And being with you felt pretty fucking amazing and then you just left. Twice. So unless – "
"I want to take you out to dinner" Naomi spits it out quickly, because she knows if she hesitates now Emily will be gone.
"What?"
"I've screwed it up, but I think you're kind of amazing too so I want to...I don't know take you out and see what happens"
"I'm not a toy Naomi, I'm a person. You can't just pick me up and play with when you feel like it and expect me to be waiting for you"
"That's not how it is. I care about you. I just...this is all so unfamiliar for me." Emily looked at her doubtfully "Just give me a chance"
"You can pick me up tomorrow at 7. And you had better plan something good" Emily gave her a small smile and closed the door. Naomi stared at the wood of the door. Well that went...well.
XXXXXXX
"So Alexei, what would you do if you had one date to wow someone"
The big Russian paused what he was doing and stared at her.
"Ugh..."
"That's not very helpful, at least suggest something"
"Dinner and a movie?"
"Actually, I'd rather you didn't say anything"
"I have about one romantic bone in my body I really don't think I'm the right person to be asking"
"Well that means you have one more then me"
"Why can't you ask Effy?"
Naomi glared at him. "Were not talking, remember"
"Yeah. But you didn't tell me why"
"Effy's the reason he was there. He was going to see her that night"
"Oh...It's not her fault Naomi. It was all a horrible coincidence"
"She kept it a secret for 7 years. 7"
"Naomi – "
"Don't!"
Alexei sighed. "I guess you should do something impressive and big. What kind of things does she like?"
XXXXXXXX
Naomi pulled her Aston Martin Vanquish up outside Emily's building. She'd felt like a teenager trying to convince her dad to let her borrow the car when she tried to talk Alexei into letting her drive herself. In the end however he'd relented (like he could say no to her). Besides it wasn't like she was incapable of driving, she just didn't technically have a license. But whatever she was here and Alexei wasn't tagging along like some unwanted chaperon. She stepped out of her car and took the lift up to Emily's floor.
Emily answered almost as soon as Naomi had knocked.
"Hey. Is this okay to wear? I wasn't sure so I just went casual." Emily gestured down at her skinny jeans, tank top and jacket.
"No you look perfect"
Emily grinned at her "Great let's go then"
"So what are we doing?" Emily asked as they stood in the elevator
"Surprise"
"What you're not even going to give me a clue?"
"Nup"
"Wow this is fancy" Emily said pointing to Naomi's car they approached.
"Nothing like an Aston to add a touch of British class" Naomi said in a posh British accent. Emily giggled. I defiantly need to make her laugh more.
"You're not going to blindfold me are you?" Emily asked as Naomi drove.
"Only if you want me to"
"Well certainly not on the first date, but who knows, play your cards right and there may be a blindfold somewhere in your future" Emily grinned cheekily at her. Jesus, that was sexy. Just focus on driving.
Nomi turned off the road and drove into the old airport. A guard waved them through the gate and Naomi continued past the hangers out onto the runway.
"where are we going?"
"Well since you're kind of new to LA I thought I'd show you the sights by helicopter." Naomi stopped the car next to a helicopter that had its rotor's already starting to turn.
"Wow. You chartered a helicopter for me? Thats so crazy"
"Yeah..." Naomi supposed this probably wasn't the time to tell Emily that she owned the helicopter...and a jet. Or two.
"You're not afraid of flying are you?" Naomi asked as they started to lift off the ground.
"Not in a plane but I've never been in a helicopter before."
Emily stared fixedly out the window as they flew over LA, the sun setting slowly over the horizon. It was all very romantic, Naomi thought congratulating herself on a job well done. She wanted to ask Emily more about herself (at least the things she didn't know already) but the engines were too loud to be able to talk easily. After about half an hour in the air the pilot brought the helicopter down to land on the hill that housed the famous Hollywood sign.
Naomi produced the simple picnic dinner she'd made (or rather supervised Alexei making) them. They talked as they ate and Naomi found herself liking Emily even more. She was funny and adorably cute. She found that Emily liked rainbow ice-cream best even though she liked the flavour of chocolate better because rainbow was so much prettier. Emily told how she'd always wanted a pet when she was little but her mum hated cats and dogs. In the end her parents had relented and got her and Katie a goldfish each. Katie's had died after three days but Emily's (named Blondie) had lived for five years and Emily had refused to eat for a week when it died. Emily told Naomi how her mum had disapproved when Emily had come out, but now she thought Emily was the angelic twin since the whole sex tape debacle with Katie. Eventually, after the sun had set and she couldn't really see Emily's features anymore they headed back to the airport.
"So, how did I do?" Naomi asked as she pulled up in front of Emily's building.
"Huh?"
"Do I get a second date?"
Emily smiled at her. "I had fun"
Naomi waited for Emily to continue. She realised that Emily wasn't going to."But?"
"It was just too big. It was fun and everything but it was the kind of date you do to impress someone with how rich you are not impress them by being yourself. "
"Oh. So that's it then?" Naomi was slightly dumbfounded. In her mind Emily would fall into her arms at the end and that would be that.
Emily sighed lightly "Do you want to come up for coffee?"
"Uh. Sure"
10 minutes later Emily placed a cup of coffee in Naomi's hands.
"What's your favourite colour?"
"What?"
"You haven't really told me much about yourself so I thought I'd do it the old fashioned way ask you some questions"
"Oh right. Red I suppose"
"Favourite food?"
"Garibaldi's"
"Winter or summer?"
"Winter"
"Do you have siblings?"
"Only child"
"Lucky. Can you touch your nose with your tongue?"
"No"
"What does your tattoo mean?"
"uh?" Emily had been firing questions at her so quickly Naomi was caught off guard. Her heart started pounding and she fumbled to come up with a lie that seemed reasonable. She couldn't tell the truth. Not to Emily."What tattoo?"
"You have the letters JC tattooed at the back of your neck"
"It was a drunken mistake, I've been meaning to get it lasered but I hadn't got round to it yet."
Emily stared at her then leaned forward and pressed her hand hard against Naomi's ribcage, where her heart was. Naomi flinched but didn't pull away completely "You're lying"
"No I'm not" Naomi tried to act casual
"You're a good liar. You should be, you're an actor after all. Tell me the truth"
"How do you know I'm lying?" Naomi whispered even though she knew the answer. She was trying to stall.
"Your heart is beating so fast" Emily said pressing her hand even harder against Naomi.
"James Cook"
"Who is he?"
"More than a person. A state of mind, a feeling, a time in my life that I never want to revisit."
"Why get a tattoo if you want to forget?"
"I don't want to forget. I got the tattoo to remind myself why I am what I am. Why I do the things I do. I never want to be there again but I can't forget either."
"What happened to him?"
Naomi doesn't answer, can't answer because all she can see is twisted metal and broken glass and blood. So much blood. But Emily's still there, her hand is still on Naomi's chest; her face not far from Naomi's breathing warm air onto her. But she can't tell Emily, because then Emily would know who she was and that just couldn't happen. But then Emily was pressing her lips against hers so softly.
Emily pulled away before Naomi had time to react.
"It's okay. You told me enough." Emily pulling them back together and this time the kiss is deeper.
When they pull apart Emily rests her forehead against Naomi's.
"It's getting late, you should go. But I'd like to see you again"
Emily kissed Naomi sweetly again at the door as she left. I could do this, Naomi thinks as she waits for the lift, I could be with Emily. But so long as Emily doesn't know, because then Emily would look at her with accusation in her eyes, just like everyone else who knew. Who knew and judged, without ever really understanding. No, Emily just couldn't be told.
Thoughts?