It was not my intention for such a hiatus in my writing. Life has been distracting and I am trying to get back into better writing habits. A friend of mine died recently and I haven't really been able to get myself to focus. I'm working on it.

This seems to be the story I write in between writing my other stories. I know it has been forever, but next chapter drafts are being made.

Steph81, gordonMcphersonSays, sxe fiend, Lovecraft, R3dN0te, cumbia86, TJ, Laura, ImagineToLife, FrenchKiwi1994, and Guest. Thank you for all the kind words and for sticking with me and my erratic updating.

FrenchKiwi1994, there may be something in here you've been looking for.

As always, thank you for reading. And please let me know what you think.

I don't own Skins or anything of its nature.

This one goes out to the Emily Fitches of the world.

Chapter V

..

..

"Blondie, you've got to be fucking kidding me," Cook said, his face held disappointment.

"Will you shut up," Naomi hushed him.

"Just fucking kiss her!" He retorted holding his arms up in exasperation. "How many fucking go signs do you need?"

"Shut up," she repeated, though with less conviction. How many go signs had there been?

"Just kiss the girl," Cook said in a singsong voice.

She snapped her attention back to him.

"Did you just quote Disney at me?"

"I just quoted The Little Mermaid at you," Cook corrected, "because a fucking cartoon has more balls than you."

Naomi grimaced at his word choice.

"Whatever," he waved her off, "You know what I mean. Lock it up." With that he pushed the ignition and the boat sputtered into life.

Naomi shook her head, "Well…thanks," she said with an eye roll as she held up the small bag he'd given her.

"No problem, Naomikins. You know I'm always good for the goods," he said with a wink as he cranked the wheel, "An remember what I said," he added with the point of a finger, "Lock it up."

Naomi let out a huff at his words. She jumped back from the boat onto the dock, her therapy session with Cook over as he had a run to make, and she a class to teach.

..

"Way to be late to your own windsurfing class," Effy said as she tossed Naomi a lifejacket.

"Cook was dropping something off for me, I had to go to the dock, you know on the other end of camp?" Naomi said. "Besides you seem to have done a fine job without me," she observed as all the campers were currently working on taking their rigs down to the water.

Effy shrugged as they followed the campers down to the beach.

"Naomi, is the water cold?" Hailey, one of her campers asked, hovering at the waters edge.

"It's refreshing," Naomi answered.

Hailey gave her a dubious look before entering the water.

"Oh my god, it's freezing!" the girl exclaimed.

Naomi smirked.

"You're evil," Effy said.

Naomi turned to her friend, "What? You don't splash warm water on your face to wake yourself up. Refreshing is an appropriate description." She dipped a foot in, "Besides it's not even that bad."

Effy laughed.

The two carried boards and paddles into the water and set off after their campers. That was the nice thing about the second week of a quarter; everyone was well into an established routine.

Naomi watched Hailey try to turn before falling off her board again. Effy paddled up next to her.

"I bet she get's it before the end of the week."

"I hope so," Naomi said, "She's so close. It's like riding a bike you know? Once you get it, it just sort of clicks."

"Yeah," Effy agreed.

The two sat quietly watching the kids in their class, offering instruction when needed.

"Has Katie been acting weird recently?" Effy asked out of the blue.

"Sorry?" Naomi said, confused.

Effy shook her head, "I just mean, around me, have you noticed anything?"

"How do you mean?"

Effy let out an exasperated sigh, "Never mind."

"No, no," Naomi said, "Is she being weird?"

"You tell me," Effy said, "She's your costaff. And you're always the one that notices things."

"Effy it's not like her and I have a chat late into the night let alone about you."

Effy sighed before calling out, "Rachel!" she yelled, "Paddle back upwind, you're going toward the rocks!"

"What, has she been calling you names?" Naomi smirked, "Isn't that what kids do when they fancy someone?"

Effy gave her a look. "If that were true then wouldn't the two of you basically be in love?"

Naomi made a face, "Touché."

"Will you be helpful now?" Effy asked. "You're the one that always notices these sorts of things. She's been extra nice to me the past two weeks."

Naomi thought back to last summer and the icy awkwardness that had settled between the two. Naomi had found it peculiar.

"Nice?" Naomi said, "And sorry, guess I've been a bit distracted recently."

"With what?"

Emily. Emily she thought instantly, but she didn't say that.

"Nothing," she said, "Just been busy…you know how camp is."

Naomi had been too busy for a lot of things as her mind wandered and fixed on Emily. Emily's lips, her eyes, the tree fort, that laugh, morning adventures, her bright hair, talking hours past when they should have been in bed, that voice – god that voice. She was convinced Emily could read out of the rulebook and she would listen with rapture. She was well and truly fucked if she thought about it.

"Right, well can you be a pal and start noticing again?" Effy said, "I've got no one else to confirm if I'm going crazy or not."

"Wait, no one else knows?" Naomi asked, "Seriously?"

"No!" Effy said, "I didn't even tell you anything, remember?"

Naomi laughed, "Right."

"So just, keep an eye out will you? I want to know if she's being weird or if I'm just sleep deprived."

"Jesus," Naomi laughed, "I swear the two of you couldn't have had a worse break up if you'd actually dated."

"Shut up," Effy said accompanied by the Stonem stare. She paddled away.

Naomi sat on her board watching her friend paddle away. They had come too close to the topic of emotions, Naomi knowing how Effy handled those sorts of things; she didn't.

..

..

"What are you doing tonight?" Emily asked taking a seat next to Naomi.

"Organizing the archery shed," Naomi said as she put her calendar back into her clipboard. "It's a mess every time I get to it no matter how many times a day I fix it and it's driving me mad."

"So during your free time you're going up to the archery range in the dark and organizing it?"

"Yes," Naomi said emphatically.

"And how is that going to change anything?"

"I'm going to label where I want things so there is no confusion."

"Okay," Emily laughed, "You sure take being an activity head seriously, don't you?"

"I think I'd offer to do it even if it wasn't my activity," she said with a laugh, "I really just can't handle everyone's mess anymore."

Emily gave Naomi an amused look.

"Sorry, why'd you ask?" Naomi said a moment later.

"Oh," Emily said. "I was going to see if you wanted to hangout but you're busy." She waved a hand, "No big deal."

"You could come with me?" Naomi offered.

"I don't want to bother you."

"You wouldn't be," Naomi said, "You'd be doing me a favor, really," she continued before leaning in a bit, "it's quite creepy up there alone at night."

A smile bloomed across Emily's face, "Yeah, alright."

The two smiled at each other.

There was the sound of a creaking door and both girls snapped their attention to it.

"Campbell did you get the stuff?" Katie asked before the door to the staff room even closed. "I saw the boat leave earlier. Did Cook get it?"

The staff room was one of the few camper free spaces staff had. It was usually referred to as Headquarters or the HQ for short, and like most random camp traditions no one really knew why. It was where they could spend free periods or evenings out of the cabin. Where they were supposed to keep their cell phones and sorted the mail. They did sort the mail. They also usually smuggled their cell phones on their person around camp.

"Hello to you too, Katie," Naomi said. Emily looked curiously between the blonde she was sat next to and her sister.

Katie gave her a look before shifting her gaze to Emily.

"You didn't forget did you?"

"Yes, I got it, no I didn't forget," Naomi said, "It's in the fridge."

Emily continued to look between the two with confusion.

"Good," Katie said, "I didn't want to have to come up with a back up plan."

"Well, it's all sorted."

Katie gave a nod of approval before turning her attention to her twin.

"Emily, I'm headed to the lodge."

"Okay," Emily said from her spot on the couch, unmoving.

"You going to come?" Katie asked.

"No?" Emily responded, "I'll see you in their for fifth, we've still got some time."

"Fine," Katie said, leaving the way she had came.

"What the fuck was that?" Emily said still staring at the door Katie had exited about as fast as she had entered.

"Just had Cook pick up some bait so we could take the cabin fishing for Program tonight," Naomi said. "Other than that, I have no idea, just usual Katie."

"Oh," Emily said with a laugh.

"Oh?" Naomi said, "What'd you think we were talking about?"

"I don't know," Emily laughed, "but it sort of sounded like a drug deal."

This time Naomi laughed, "Oh yeah, I'm your sisters drug runner and Cook her dealer."

They looked at each other before busting up.

..

..

Maude plugged her iPod into Naomi's boom box. A whopping base started up.

"Maude is this camp appropriate?" Naomi asked from down the dock.

"Maybe…"

"If it's not I'll let Madison put her iPod on instead," Naomi said.

Two girls eyes went wide for opposite reasons.

"Fine," Maude grumbled and switched to a different playlist, "but that was a really good song."

"I'm sure it was," Naomi sympathized as the girl walked back over and took a seat amongst her cabin mates.

"I want to play my music," Madison said.

"You can after," Naomi told her, figuring Maude's playlist would run most of their time out on the dock. She was fair, but there was only so much Justin Bieber and One Direction she could take.

Naomi and Katie helped the girls set up their fishing poles. Naomi resigned to chief worm chopper and hooker after the girls all made faces at the small wriggling creatures. Katie made sure no one was hooking each other as they cast off.

"Oh my god!" Hannah exclaimed from the edge of the dock ten minutes later, "I caught one!" it was a shrill mix of excitement and terror, that distinct pitch only a twelve year old girl can create.

Naomi and Katie shared a relieved look. They had begun to worry no one would catch anything and their planned evening would be a bust.

Hannah waved her tiny sunfish around with pride at a healthy distance from herself. Now that she had caught it she didn't know what to do with it.

"Alright, now you get to take it off the hook and throw it back," Naomi said.

"You want me to touch it," Hannah said in alarm. "But fish are slimy!"

Naomi and Katie shared a look as the fish struggled on the line.

"Naomi free it," Hanna said waving the fish by Naomi's face. "I don't want Bob to die!"

"Bob?" Naomi said with an eyebrow as she leaned her head back to not get hit in the face with Bob. "Okay, okay, stop moving him around," she said reaching out for the line.

With one hand firm on the line she slid the other hand down the fish and tried to grip it. Bob gave a mighty thrash as she curled her slimy fingers around him and flopped out of her hand. Naomi cursed silently to herself. With her hands all covered in worm guts and mud she couldn't get a solid grip.

"Ugh" Katie said after Naomi's third failed attempt and the fish continued to flail, "bring it here." In usually Katie Fitch fashion she took charge, sliding her hand down the scales and taking the fish off the line like a practiced fisherman and tossed it back into the lake.

"Be free, Bob."

Within minutes half of the cabin was shrieking with excitement as there lines pulled. Like a well oiled machine, Katie unhooked and freed Bob, Mr. Fish, Charles, Zayn, Susie, and Sir Winston to name a few while Naomi hooked worms and showed the brave few how to do it themselves. Forty minutes, countless pictures, and two empty tubs of worms later the sun was setting and their successful cabin program was at an end.

"I'm going to have to wash my hands like at least five times before they're clean," Madison said as she walked with a cluster of other campers down the dock.

"You?" said Abby, "You didn't touch worms. I'm going to have to wash mine like a thousand times."

Naomi laughed to herself as she followed her campers off the dock. Looking down at her own hands though, covered in dirt and slime and probably grosser things she didn't care to dwell on, she didn't disagree with them.

..

..

"Naomi?"

"In here," Naomi said from within the cupboard her head was currently in.

"There you are," Emily said walking through the open door into the craft shop. The usually bustling and bright building was somewhat eerie, quiet and closed up at night, when steps echoed and shadows danced.

"Color suggestions?" Naomi said from inside the cabinet.

Emily spied the yellow and red paint already out on the table.

"Not primary," Emily said hopping up onto the workbench next to the paint. "That's boring."

"Right," Naomi said placing back down the jug of blue paint she had just reached for.

"How bout green?" Emily suggested.

"Green it is," Naomi said reemerging from the crafts cupboard.

..

"Do you ever carry a torch?" Naomi asked, amused.

Emily just shrugged as she stepped closer to Naomi to share the light.

Naomi smirked.

The archery range was off by itself at one end of camp for obvious reasons. They followed the path passing the soccer pitch and basketball court, past the semi rebuilt hut Emily had convinced the maintenance guy to convert into a 'theater in the woods' for her improv class and up a small hill that leveled out into the archery range.

It was early enough other staff were about though none this far from the center of camp. It was comforting, the quiet sounds of the woods. The crunch of woodchips faded to the whisper of trainers on pine needles as they made it to their destination.

Naomi unlocked the shed and began to arrange the equipment on the ground. She looked over to Emily when she realized how quiet the other girl was being.

"What?" she asked as Emily watched her amused.

"You really are OCD aren't you?" She laughed from where she sat cross-legged on the ground amongst the roots and pine needles and bows and arrows.

"Maybe."

Emily laughed.

Naomi disappeared into the small shed, produced a large wooden box with lots of drilled holes in it and placed it in front of Emily.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

"Label it," Naomi said handing her the paint and a brush. "Small, medium, long," she added pointing to different areas.

"You're really putting me to work?" Emily said with a face.

"Yes, Ma'am," Naomi smirked before going back to her task.

..

"Can you shine the light to the left a bit more?" Emily asked. Equipment organized they had moved onto the shed. Currently she was standing in the tiny shed labeling the hooks for the bows, Naomi holding the torch behind her in the small open doorway.

"And done," Emily said with satisfied smile.

"Fantastic," Naomi said inspecting the work. "Thanks again for the help. I know you could have spend your night doing a lot of better things."

"Like what?"

"I duno," Naomi shrugged, "something relaxing."

"Trust me, Naomi," Emily said looking over her shoulder at the blonde, "I find this a lot more relaxing than sitting in the noisy HQ while everyone chats on there cell phones."

Naomi smiled, "Well, thanks again anyway."

Emily waved her comment off. "Come in here I need the light," she said now facing Naomi.

"It is tiny in there, there is no way we are both going to fit."

"We'll fit," Emily said reaching for her hand, "come on there's a bit of left over paint and I've got plans for it, but I can't see a thing."

Naomi stepped into the small shed, hunching down as she did so. Emily gave her a smile and Naomi shined the light for Emily to see, her paint globbed brush ready for action.

Technically Naomi thought painting in the shed fell into the no graffiti rule, but Emily wasn't exactly one for rules, and it was only a bit of paint. Besides Emily had helped her out and it was above the door. To see it you would have to step fully into the shed and turn around. Most staff avoided even reaching all the way into it if they could help it.

Emily painted a Namaste symbol that would have made Naomi's mother proud and her initials with the leftover paint.

"There," Emily said proudly looking over her work. She turned to Naomi, "Here, you finish it off." She swooped the last bit of red paint onto the brush and handing it to Naomi.

Naomi added her initials and the year before placing the paint pallet and brush on the floor.

"Perfect," Emily said viewing their handy work.

Naomi nodded her head in agreement, causing the light to bounce, before looking down at the paint now drying on her hands. Emily did the same and looked between the still wet red paint on her hands and Naomi with devilish intent.

"Don't you dare," Naomi said.

Emily gave her an innocent look before darting her hand out. Naomi tried to dodge it but had nowhere to go in the small space. She felt the cool slick substance graze the bridge of her nose and a bit of cheek as she turned away.

Emily's hearty laugh filled the shed and Naomi's ears. She held Emily's wrist firmly and wrestled her way out of the shed before a second attack could mount. They were both breathless and laughing by the end of it outside in the open air.

..

Naomi brushed her hand across the ground like a god, creating a mountain of pine needles with one sweep and flattening it back down to nothing with the next. They were sat now on the soft ground overlooking the low log benches campers sat on when awaiting their turn with a bow. Their task at hand done they made no move to leave. Their urgency to go at pace with the drying paint.

Naomi felt as alive as the lightning bugs that dashed and danced around them in the night sky. That's how she felt around Emily. And when Emily looked at her like that, the way she was right now. If she were a firefly she would light up the sky.

"Naomi," Emily said causing her attention to turn back from the flittering dots of lights. Naomi looked from brown eyes to the hand now touching her knee and back again. "Do you remember in the tree fort last summer, when I told you I liked you?"

Emily had Naomi's full and undivided attention at her words. Of course she did. The blonde nodded with a swallow. Brown eyes stared into clear blue as if they were water reflecting her own feelings back at her. "I still feel the same way," she said, "I like you, Naomi."

"I like you too," Naomi's face was serious though a grin couldn't help but crack, "still," she added with a cheeky tilt of her head.

Emily beamed back at her and Naomi felt a swelling in her chest. They were sat facing each other, opposite knees touching, acutely aware of the contact.

"The other night, when I visited you on patrol. I just wanted to kiss you the whole time we were sitting on that damn bench," Emily shook her head, a spark in her eye, a mason jar full of caught fireflies. "I want to kiss you now."

She read Emily's brown eyes like a favorite passage. Her eyes darting down to Emily's lips as she wet them with the flick of her tongue, her new favorite verse. She looked back up to Emily's eyes. There was an ease in the tension she felt when their eyes locked. It was the most bizarre and comfortable of feelings, to be lighter than air and feel your chest compress.

They were closer now, both subconsciously leaning in, with the same sort of woodless sway magnets and moons pull. Naomi was the tide forever, slowly, ebbing herself closer to kiss the shore.

"Can I?" Emily asked her eyes fixed on Naomi's save the occasional glance down at her lips. It was inches now. With the bite of her lip Naomi nodded and closed the last bit of distance between them.

It was soft and slow and Naomi reveled in it, her eyes fluttering shut. Every atom in her felt alight. They parted, with a sigh, foreheads resting against one another. Emily's hand came up off of Naomi's knee to rest on her cheek, the pad of her thumb stroking along her cheek, her jawline. They searched each other's eyes, faces. Emily with that glint in her eye, that one corner of Naomi's mouth forever upturned in a small half smile. Emily brushed at it with the pad of her thumb. "I've been wanting to do that for so long." She let out a breath.

Naomi smiled, "Me too." Her eyes darted from Emily's down to her lips and back before she leaned forward again. There was more need this time, as lips touched. Any previous hesitation washed away freely. Now Emily's hand was on Naomi's neck, pulling her closer. Naomi obliged and leaned in closer still. She put her arm out on the other side of Emily to support herself when she felt Emily's tongue.

Time blended and stilled, Naomi aware of every individual touch with each atom of her body. Everything melded together as they did. Emily's hand slid down to the back of her neck pulling her closer still as their tongues danced. Eventually, breathless, they parted for air. Grinning like fools, Emily's hand contently wrapped up in the small hairs on the back of Naomi's neck. Emily had that small smile dancing on her lips, Naomi sure she looked smug and in stupid awe, that corner of her mouth permanently stuck upturned. She was still very much in Emily's space, the majority of her weight supported by her outstretched arm. She would have been content to stay like that forever, the pins and needles in her arm be damned.

Giggles faded as Naomi found the freckles in those eyes and charted them like constellations. It was a serious look that they shared and held. Happy, elated as she was there was a weight to it, as if they both now knew something that they had previously only grasped at.

Naomi let out a shaky breath, reveling in the feel of Emily's fingers playing in the soft hair she found on back of her neck, in the tingle she still left on her lips. She kissed her again.

..

Laid stretched out on a mossy bit of land by the feet of the targets Emily was using Naomi's arm as a pillow as they watched the sky turn and talked. Naomi felt a mosquito bite her busy arm and let it happen, content. In this moment to move would be a crime.

"There's another one," Naomi said her free hand shooting up and tracing where the flickering light charted the air. Emily fingers played with the hand at the end of Naomi's busy right arm before lacing their fingers. Naomi rubbed her thumb across the back of her soft hand.

Emily smiled rolling her head to watch Naomi as she watched the firefly. "You're such a kid sometimes," she said with endearment.

"Basically," Naomi conceded with a cheeky look. She felt the husky rumble of Emily's chuckling reverberate through her arm to the rest of her body.

"I like it."

"Well that's good, cos I like you."

Emily rolled onto her side up against Naomi, kissing her on the cheek.

Neither glanced at their watches, not wanting to burst the little bubble they had created. The turn of the sky was the only indication of time.

..

Later that night brushing her teeth, Naomi noticed the red paint smudged on her face in the mirror. She smirked to herself, touching her hand to where Emily had marked her with the paint. She traced it with the tip of her fingers. Her eyes went from the reflection of the red smudge to her own gaze staring back at her. The hoot of an owl broke her reverie and with the shake of her head she brought her hand up to her face and scrubbed furiously, that stupid smile never leaving her face.