A/N : Hope you like this one! Thank you for those who are reading and commenting.. :)
Disclaimer - I don't own Skins...
A short while after Emily has disappeared into the house to check on Claire, Rob pokes his head out the door, where Naomi is still sitting on the steps looking up at the stars wondering how she got herself in to such a mess.
" Naomi, care to have a drink with me in the den?" He asks, kindly.
" Yeah, sure. I'll be right in." She says, sighing one last time.
The night comes and everyone has gone off to their own bedrooms. Cook's laying in bed tossing and turning being sore from all the days activities. In Naomi's bedroom, she is laying in bed, eyes open, wide awake. Claire is laying on the bathroom floor, she pops up to retch every now and again. Emily is laying in bed, and like Naomi, she's wide awake.
Cook falls into a peaceful sleep eventually, but is soon awaken with a jolt as he feels two legs straddle him.
" Oi!" He says, seeing Katie above him.
Katie is just finishing tying Cook's right arm to the bed post. He struggles to get free.
" What the fuck is going on." He says, panicky, pulling on the ropes.
" Shh, you'll wake my dad." Katie whispers, giggling. " Listen, I know what you were saying before and I started thinking that maybe I'm not being exciting and adventurous enough for you." She says, passionately.
" Katie, I'm pretty sure that is not what I've been saying to you." He says, continuing to resist the restraints.
" Shhs, baby, you'll wake everybody." She whispers, leaning down. " I'm going to make all your fantasies come true.
" But this isn't a fantas.." Cook tries, but Katie stuffs a sock into his mouth to shut him up, she then puts duct tape over the sock as he muffles loudly.
" You'll love this." She says, smirking, as Cook screams uselessly.
While all this is happening, Naomi is walking down the hallway having the need to see Emily, and in a moment of impulsive, went to do just that. She comes to Emily's door and listens to see if she's awake.
Emily is laying in bed wide awake, thinking about Naomi , though since the blonde doesn't hear anything she sighs and walks away, assuming the redhead is fast asleep.
A moment later Emily gets up walking to her door, she peeks out her bedroom to see an empty hall, she starts tippy toeing down the hall towards Naomi's bedroom, turns back around when she has a moment of doubt, but then turns around again when her confidences returns. She gets to the door and puts her ear to it listening for the blonde. Inside Naomi is staring out her window longingly.
Not hearing any movement inside, Emily leans her forehead against door, sighing and then reluctantly walks away, upset.
Neither of them realizing how desperately the other wants to see each other.
The next morning, Naomi is at the breakfast table, eating some bacon, reading the newspaper, drinking coffee in a gargantuan kitchen. Cook stumbles in, exhausted. A Chef is making all kinds of breakfast things. He pours Cook some coffee and leaves. Naomi looks up from the paper.
" Hey, there he is!" She exclaims, cheerily. " Wait till you see this spread, anything you want, mate." She says happily, knowing how much Cook loves his food.
" Yeah well, get what you want to go, the fairy leaves in 25 minutes, we gotta get going." Cook informs, looking down at his watch. Naomi narrows her eyes.
" Woah, what's your problem." She says, looking down at all the wonderful food," Have some of this stuff.
" I didn't get a lot of sleep last night, Naoms, I'm knackered." He sighs, looking a bit worse for wear.
" Soft mattress?" Naomi asks, looking down at her paper.
"Yeah that could've been it." Cook nods, " Or it could've been the midnight rape." he finishes, looking at Naomi.
" Try one of these scones, you're going to love'em." Naomi holds out a stone for Cook to take.
" I'm a little too traumatized to have a scone." Cook points out," Let's move." He gestures to the door.
" Will you slow down for a second." Naomi requests," The whole eye drop thing backfired. It didn't work, she had to leave me and go attend to her." She explains, calmly.
Cook gives Naomi a strange look.
" Why are you looking at me like that?" She asks, feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.
" You're falling for this bird." He says, surprised.
" What? No!" Naomi shakes her head, like it's the most ridiculous thing she has ever heard. " I just met her, fucksake."
" Exactly." Cook throws his hands up, in disbelief. " I'm gonna go."
" You can't go." Naomi says.
" Watch me." Cook smanks his bum.
" Look if you leave, Katie is going to freak out and throw a shit fit." Naomi says, panicked. " It'll go into crisis lockdown mode in this house."
" I don't give a flying fuck, Nai," He yells, " I just had my own bloody sock duct taped into my mouth last night!"
" Wait, what?" Naomi asks, confused.
" Yea, the sock that I wore around all day, playing rugby, pouring sweat in, was shoved into my mouth and duct taped over!" He screams, getting worked up.
" Well, let's talk about it, Cookie." Naomi says, trying to calm him down. " I'm a good listener."
" I don't wanna talk about it here, I wanna leave." Cook says, tiredly. " I'm gonna go home, see Dr Rosenberg, and I'm going to tell him we got a whole new bag of issues, we can forget about Mum for a while... I'm gonna go" He begins to walk away.
" Suit yourself." Naomi starts," Rule number one." Cook stops in his tracks, Naomi knows she's got him and continues " Rule. Number. One; Never leave a fellow crasher behind."
Cook finally turns around.
" I can't believe how selfish you're being." Cook shakes his head.
" I need you." She admits.
Cook sighs, walking over to the buffet of food, picking up a plate. Naomi shakes the syrup at him, smiling.
" I'll stick it out with you." Cook says, piling food onto his plate." because you're desperate."
" I need the Cookie Monster." Naomi smiles fondly at him.
" If you want my help you need to listen." he begins, adding even more food on his already full plate. " Number one; Stop being a pussy, Number two; Make a move, Number three; you know it." he looks knowingly at Naomi, she nods. " Could you pop the syrup for me?" He asks, holding out his plate.
She opens the syrup and hands it to him smirking.
" Here's what going to happen, I'm gonna chose not to eat with you." Cook starts.
" We're not going to eat together?" Naomi asks, smirking.
" No, I'd like to recharge my batteries, and shut down the engines, and get myself back to neutral." He informs, " When the meals over with, I will talk to you, I don't wanna get into what happen last night because it's only gonna make me mad. Let's get through today, keep our eyes on the prize, let's focus, and lets get some ass." He winks.
" Noted." Naomi smiles.
Cook goes off to sit at the counter, just a little bit away from Naomi. She's smiling as she watches him.
" Can I tell you something without you getting angry?" She asks.
Cook turns his head, just a little for her to continue, as his mouth is full with food.
" I love you." Naomi says softly. Cook turns around than.
" I love you too." He says mouth still full of food.
They continue eating.
Upstairs Claire is sitting on her bed in a bathrobe, after one of the worst nights of her life. She makes a phone call to a friend.
" Hello?" The women on the end of the phone answers.
"Gloria, it's Claire." She forces cheer.
" Claire bear! What's the word? How was the wedding?" Gloria asks.
" It was great. Fine. Whatever." She says, flatly. " Listen, I need a background on two people the Secretary invited out here for the weekend. Naomi and James Ryan."
Gloria writes the names down.
" Alright, Naomi and James Ryan. Got it."
" They're brother and sister. A couple of venture capital weasels from London. Got some kind of NPO called holy Shirts and Pants." Claire says.
" Oh...Venture capitalist, they're the worst."
" Tell my girlfriend's father. He practically shot his cabinet level wad over these two." Claire sighs.
" It's all about the money with people like that. Sick, sick, sick."
" Preaching to the choir, sister." Claire says. " I've gotta go. What's say we get the gang together and hang out later this week?"
" Sounds ace, see ya later!" Gloria hangs up.
Later that same morning, on the Fitches family dock, Naomi and Cook walk to the family sailboat. On the side of the boat is painted " Woodwind " Rob, Jenna, Katie, Emily, and a few other guests are on the boat already. Sec. Fitch is at the helm, preparing to sail.
" Where's Claire?" Rob asks.
" I don't know... " Emily shrugs.
" Poor girl's probably still not feeling well. That flu usually last about two days." Naomi informs.
" Well, then, we'll have to sail without her." Rob states.
They take off, Rob is sailing the boat at the helm, Jenna is sitting somewhere near him drinking wine, James is doodling something off to the side. Cook is looking out into the ocean, with Katie's arms around him tightly. Emily is sitting leaning up against one of the sails, watching Naomi, who's at the front of the boat by herself, enjoying the wind in her hair and the view of the ocean.
" Naomi, do me a favor, ease the sheet, swing the jib!" Rob uses sailing terms Naomi doesn't understand, but she's claimed to be a sailor, so she must do something.
" Okay, um.." She starts pushing at a random pole, trying to get it to budge, which it doesn't.
Emily watches her, smiling, amused at Naomi's lack of knowledge on sailing. She lets out a giggle, then gets up to help the blonde as she struggles.
" Hi." Emily says
" Hey." Naomi says back.
" How's it going?" The redhead smiles.
" Oh just swinging the jib here for your dad, starboard trying to get it to crease the sheet." At this point Naomi doesn't even know what she's saying.
" But starboards this way." The redhead smirks, pointing to the opposite side of the boat.
" Oh yeah, I knew that, what was I thinking?" She laughs, embarrassed. Emily just smiles at her sweetly.
" Let me help you." She cuts the blonde some slack.
" Okay." Naomi smiles, thankfully.
Emily pulls on a rope, whichs gets the big pole with the sheet on it to start moving to which she reaches up to guide it, making her shirt rise up showing Naomi her toned stomach. Naomi feels it right in her core, as she licks her lips. Emily giggles.
" Alright, push it this way." She instructs the blonde, Naomi pulls her eyes away, following orders.
" Here we go!" Naomi says happily.
" Done." Emily smiles, wiping her hands on her pants.
Naomi takes a deep breath and sits down, Emily takes a seat next to her. The redhead looks over at Naomi, sees her looking out into the ocean, can't help but notice how beautiful she is, Emily's been thinking that a lot lately when looking at Naomi, which admittedly she's been doing a lot as well. Naomi feels the redheads eyes on her and turns to face her. Emily - being caught staring- looks down, only coming up to smile shyly at the blonde.
" Being out in the ocean makes you realize how insignificant you really are, huh?" Emily says, breaking the silence that descended over them.
" Yeah, I guess we are." Naomi says, looking back out into the distance.
" No, no. I mean you." The redhead jokes.
" Very funny." The blonde says.
Emily smiles at her.
" Actually, that's why I hate the ocean." Emily states.
" Me too! I hate anything that comes on like it's bigger than me." Naomi jokes playfully, making Emily giggle.
" Exactly. The ocean has an attitude and I don't like it." She says, "" I'm the ocean. I'm so vast and eternal and you're so small and...not eternal." She mimics what she thinks the ocean would sound like.
" Which is a very nasty attitude." Naomi adds, smiling,"You know what else has a nasty attitude? The stars."
" I know. They're so rude! And the mountains..." Emily plays along.
" Oh, don't get me started on the mountains." The blonde shakes her head, than smiles.
They share a laugh then look at each for a long while, having a moment. Though it's soon broken when Rob calls out for Naomi.
" Naomi! Come on up here!"He shouts so the blonde can hear. " Man the Woodwind for a while."
Emily looks away blushing realizing how much she wanted to kiss the blonde just than , while Naomi answers the redheads father.
" On my way!" Naomi shouts, standing up.
Before she walks away, she looks down at a still slightly blushing redhead.
" Hey, you're dad was telling me about a great beach near here, maybe we could check it out?" She asks Emily. " If you have any interest when we get back."
Emily looks up, smiling warmly at the blonde, then nods excitedly.
" I'd love that." She's smile.
" Great!" Naomi exclaims," Well okay, it can get confusing down here, so if you have a problem with anything just give me a shout." Naomi jokes, earning a rich laugh from the redhead in return.
"Thank you." Emily says, chuckling
Emily watches Naomi leave.
" What do we got, Captain?" She hears Naomi say to her father.
" Take the wheel!" Her father responds.
Emily stares intensely at Naomi. The redhead is having all these feeling, feelings she never ever experienced before, feelings she definitely shouldn't be having for someone else when they're in a relationship with someone. She looks away hesitantly, hugging her knees to her chest, trying to figure out what this means.
They pull to the shore a few hours later docking the boat, Naomi follows after Emily, wanting to check up with her on their little trip to the beach.
" So how do you fancy getting to this mystical beach?" Naomi asks.
" We could bike over there, if you'd like." Emily turns to face Naomi, with a shy smile.
" That sounds gre.." Naomi tries, but the cocking of a gun interrupts her thought. They look up to see Claire holding on to a rifle.
" Everything's ready for the Quail hunt!" Claire exclaimed, smiling widely.
" Sorry...The quail hunt?" Naomi asks, confused.
" Yeah, it's a Fitch family tradition." Rob informs the blonde.
" Well, I, uh, think I'll sit this one out, cause we were going to.." Naomi starts, looking over at Emily, Rob cut her off immediately.
" Nonsense, I insist." He put his arm around Naomi shoulder.
" Naomi, you have to go, you're going to love it." Claire adds, a little too happy if you ask Naomi.
" Claire, don't you think you're a little too sick for hunting?" Emily asks.
" Oh no, I'm great, hunny, I'm great!" Claire assures, pumping the rifle to prove her point." I'm going!" She finishes, crazed
Cook raises his eyebrows, thinking Claire's gone a bit mad, Naomi thinking the same, shaking her head a little.
" Okay, you're going than.." Emily say, looking at Naomi sadly. " I guess I'll see you later?" She asks the blonde with a hopeful look in her eyes.
" Wait, you're not going?" Naomi asks, eyes wide.
" Not really my thing, Naoms." Emily freezes when she realize she'd shorten Naomi's name affectionately, more surprise though about how easily it rolled off her tongue, sees Naomi just smile at her, she smiles back shyly.
" Alright, see you later than." Naomi smiles, waving.
Claire grips the rifle tightly, starting to look a little scary.
" Miss Environmental is also a hunter, kinda an interesting combination me thinks ?" Cook says smugly to Claire.
" I hunt quail, James. They're overpopulated on the island. They're decimating the grub worm population. You got a fucking problem with that!" She yells, gripping the rifle even tighter.
" Woah man, relax yeah? I'm only fucking around a bit." Cook says, a little frightened with Claire holding a gun. " Let's go kill some birds, alright?" He says, sarcastically.
A group of about ten people, including Claire, Rob, Naomi, and Cook walk through the marsh looking for quail. Cook stops and pulls Naomi aside.
" Have you ever shot one of these things before?" Cook asks.
" Oh you bet! The whole seventeen years we've known each other, I've been sneaking out to shoot at small birds." Naomi scoffs." No I've never, I don't even know what the fuck a quail is!"
" I feel fucking ridiculous in all this." Cook says, looking down at his attire "Why do I have to be in camouflage? So the big bad quail doesn't see me?"
" I know." Naomi sighs, " I mean why can't we hunt something cool, like a hawk or an eagle."
" That would be awesome!." Cook says, " Even a gorilla or a rhinoceros." Naomi nods along, " Or a fucking human being." Cook finishes, hitting the blonde in the arm.
Naomi stops nodding, looking up at him.
" That's a bit much." Naomi says, holding the rifle up, aiming unintentionally at Cooks face.
" I mean like.. you're hunting a human right now." He says, pushing the gun away from his face. " I just meant like a clever human being who knows the jungle, ya know. "
" Or like a bad guy.." Naomi suggest, getting into the mood of it.
They've been walking through the woods for a while now, not running across any quail just yet. Just than, Rob stops and points.
" There. Off to the left." Rob states.
Everyone aims and shoots. Naomi and Cook fumble to get their rifle in shooting position. When it discharges, they're sent flying five feet on their asses.
A little later, they are all still walking through the marsh. Cook is rubbing his shoulder.
" I thought the rifle just fired buckshots." Cook says to Naomi.
" Yeah. That's lead pellets, dumbfuck. It's not a sling-shot." Naomi informs, smirking.
" Oh, thank you" Cook says.
Claire stops and points.
" There. Over by the spruce tree.
As everyone turns, Claire sets her sights on Naomi. Claires aims right at the blondes arse. Everyone fires. Cook discharges his rifle, sending him reeling again. This time into Naomi. Claire shoots her rifle, but instead of hitting Naomi, she hit Cook. Cook hits the ground grabbing his ass.
" They got me!" He screams " They got me!
" Oh shit." Claire laughs.
" Oh shit." Naomi's eyes widen.
Later on, Cook is in the Fitches family bathroom. Katie is pulling out the buckshots with tweezers. Naomi and Emily poke their heads into the bathroom.
" You okay, buddy?" Naomi asks.
" Just fucking great! " Cook says, sarcastically.
" He's never been a silent sufferer." She tells Emily, turning back to Cook. " We're gonna take the bikes out for a ride. We'll catch you later."
" Oh yeah sure. You kids go and have a good time." Cook starts getting worked up." I'll just be here getting lead pellets pulled out me heine!" He shouts at their retreating forms.
With Naomi and Emily gone, Katie starts groping Cook, then looks disappointed.
" Aww. Mr. Pogo isn't jumping..." She pouts.
" Well, sorry, Mr. Pogo gets stressed when Mr. James is bleeding to death, okay?" he asks, angrily.
Naomi and Emily are riding bikes on a path near the shore, their laughing and having fun. Smiling at each other every now and again. Naomi starts to worry for Emily safety as she sees the redhead's bike wobbling like crazy, but Emily's able to remain on the bike for their entire journey.
Back at the Fiches mansion, Claire pops into the living room. Randolph is sitting on the couch watching TV.
" Hey Randolph?" Claire calls.
" Ssh. I watching my stories, mon." Randolph says, eyes glued to the telly.
" I just need to know where Emily is?" Claire asks.
" Uh... She and that blonde girl went for a bike ride to the tidepools." He informs.
Claire's jaw clenches.
Later at the Martha's Vineyard, Naomi and Emily stop their bikes at the edge of a tide pool. They're walking down the beach when Emily breaks the silence.
" So, you're a venture capitalist. What does that mean?" She asks.
" It's really not that interesting..." Naomi trails off.
" You don't sound very enthused." Emily comments softly.
" Well, you know things start happening, you go down a road, and you think it's just for a little while, then you get caught up in it.. You don't even have time to ask questions about it and before you know it, you're living a life that you didn't set out to, or that you intended to. You know what I mean?" Naomi asks, looking at Emily whose stepped in front of the blonde stopping her from walking.
Emily looks at her for a while before she speaks.
" Yes, I do." The redhead says softly, looking down while biting her bottom lip.
Naomi takes the opportunity to sit down on the sand, and continues speaking.
" I think that there are some great things that I'd like to do...that maybe I'm capable of hopefully." Naomi says.
" Oh yeah, like what? " Emily asks, still standing above the blonde.
" I don't know, we'll see. I'm still young." Naomi says, squinting her eyes to look up at the redhead.
Emily smiles, brushes a strand of hair behind her ear, sitting down next to the blonde.
"Well.. You're not that young." She says playfully to the blonde. Naomi looks over at her. " I'm sorry." Emily says giggling.
" So what about you? " Naomi asks, " With Claire, is that a good thing?"
Emily looks up at her for a long while then says softly.
" I don't know... I guess.." She trails off..
" You don't sound too enthused." Naomi quotes back Emily own earlier words to her.
" It's what's best for everyone..." The redhead states, looking away from Naomi.
" Well, however it works out, I hope you realize that you deserve someone great." Naomi says sincerely.
The blonde then looks deep in to the redheads brown eyes, the same ones staring back at her with just as much intensely in them. Naomi notices Emily eyes shift down to her lips, while licking her own. Emily lunges forward capturing the blondes lips in a passionate and desperate kiss.
Naomi slides her tongue against Emily's bottom lip, asking for entrance in which the redhead happily opens her mouth a little wider in invitation. As Emily runs her hands through Naomi's hair, she feels her heart beating out of her chests furiously, she feels her whole body tingling, and she never wants to stop kissing the blonde. She realizes than that she's never felt this way with anyone before ever, no one has ever made her feel the things that Naomi makes her feel just by simply looking at her, she smiles into the kiss at the realization.