Hello readers, if any of you are left, I have returned. I owe you an explanation as to my absence: I simply did not feel like writing. But lately I have gotten my mojo back so here is the next chapter. Know that I haven't forgotten about the story/I WILL finish it even if it takes me 5 years [but I already have plans for the next chapter, dw!] so stick around. I'm actually really happy with this chapter and I put a lot of effort into it so please let me know your thoughts on it.

Disclaimer: I do not own Skins, I just get to play with my favourite pairing from time to time. :D

Effy hadn't slept so well since she was a child. Yawning, she kept her eyes closed for fear of it all being a wonderful dream. She stretched out then snuggled up to Cook. He is here, she thought. Fuck. She opened one eye and was startled to see him staring right at her. Cook gave her his cocky, pleased-with-himself grin.

'Morning princess, good sleep?' Effy couldn't reply. She was stunned, taking everything in as she remembered the night before. Cook just laughed at her and threw his arm around her small frame, pulling her to him. 'Ha, I get it, bit blank, are you?' Not really, more like shitting myself. 'Me too. Let's deal with our hangovers, then, eh? How 'bout some grub- what say you?'

After spending the morning eating greasy hangover food, watching TV and hanging about the house smoking, Cook and Effy got ready and headed out to the streets of Bristol. It was an unusually sunny, pleasant afternoon and Effy was basking in it [and conveniently avoiding thinking about the night before- despite having valid reason, she felt like a right twat for rejecting Cook at the club when she'd already gotten his pants down; talk about awkward]. They walked somewhat aimlessly, in silence, both stuck in their private reveries.

After wandering around the streets they were so familiar with they found themselves in front of Freddie's house without realising it. They had slowed to a stop across the road from the home of a boy they both loved. Cook was the first to realise. He nudged Effy and pointed it out to her. She looked a little surprised that they had somehow ended up there.

'Man, I miss him so much, Eff.'

'Same here.' Effy looked up at Freddie's house a little sadly.

'But you know what? For the first time, I'm not so sad about it. I mean, we loved Freds and we're always gonna love him and I'll always be sad about it and miss him, but for the first time I feel like we'll be alright.' Cook smiled at Effy with hope in his eyes.

'Hmm. Yeah, I don't feel so guilty anymore. I feel like he's forgiven us.' Forgiven us for being in love. She didn't know Cook felt the same way. 'And at least we've got each other, now. Being fucked up together is better than being fucked up alone,' Effy said with a small laugh and kept walking.

'See ya, Freds,' Cook said to the house. He wasn't sure what Effy meant by 'he's forgiven us', but he knew that if Freddie was looking down on them, he'd be happy that they were happy. So, Cook reasoned, it was practically his duty to love Effy in order to make his best mate happy upstairs. I'm so clever, he thought.

They continued walking and ended up at a park where they'd been many times before. Effy, especially, had been taken there many times by her mother when Tony and she were getting too much for Anthea to handle. Their mother would let them run amok and Effy would laugh as Tony chased her. The memory made her feel free. Sometimes she forgot what that was like, between doing grown up things like working, or being made to take pills and being a prisoner of her own mind. Cook had been there for parties and had shagged a few girls there. He thought that was a good reason to have some appreciation for the bit of grass they were standing on.

Effy headed towards a bench which overlooked a lot of Bristol's houses and housing estates. Taking in the view and the weak sunshine, she noticed Cook coming over to join her. Cook sat beside Effy, sparked up a cigarette and drew a long, relaxing drag from it, before passing it over to her. Absently, Effy inhaled the smoke. 'I had fun last night,' she said.

'Me too,' Cook replied.

'I was so fucked up,' Effy said with mirth.

'So was I, I hardly remember anything.'

'Oh,' she replied, crestfallen. 'Really?' Had he forgotten about their kiss and almost-shag?

'Well, I remember the highlights, obviously. You…kissed me, and we…'

'Yeah,' Effy said awkwardly. Is she embarrassed? Effy Stonem, the Queen of Cool, is embarrassed, Cook thought. That's new.

'It was fucking tops, if you were wondering.'

'Ha!' Effy looked away, feeling like a complete douchebag.

'I really wanted to shag you last night.'

'Me too.' Suddenly, she found kicking a stick on the ground to be very interesting.

'I still do. I always do.'

'Me too. We've always had a thing, haven't we? As much as a prick you were, you always somehow managed to fuck me…' That stick was really, really interesting.

'It's coz you're fuckin' sexy, babe.' Effy remained silent. She snapped the stick in half with her feet. Cook decided to throw caution to the win. 'But it's not just that. Since day one, you know, when you licked the sauce off my face-' He paused to laugh. Effy laughed too. She was so fit and mysterious back then, before she went crazy and her boyfriend was murdered and Cook was sent to gaol. '-well, I know I've told you before but I was being a right prick back then...but, I can't stand fucking about anymore. You have to know that I- I love you Effy, I really do. I mean it.'

Suddenly the stick wasn't so important and Effy turned to face Cook. She smiled; a proper, genuine, smile with no mystery or secrecy behind it. She was just…happy.

'I love you, too.' Cook laughed out loud at the relief of hearing her say it. It was a huge guffaw that only Cook could produce; the kind of laugh that made everyone else light up. It was infectious and Effy started laughing, too. She loved the way the words sounded when she spoke them. 'I love you!' They beamed widely at each other and Cook pulled her into a hug.

'Ah, peachy, you don't know how good it is to hear you say that.' Then he kissed her. He put everything he felt into kissing Effy Stonem. It was different to every other time they'd ever kissed. There was no pretence, no one was playing games, and they weren't hurting anyone by giving into their feelings. Everything was just right for once in their sad, unfortunate lives.

Effy smiled into the kiss and groaned a little bit. 'Finally,' was all she could whisper against his lips. She pulled away and buried her face into Cook's neck. She thought she could stay like that for the rest of the day. She would have, too, if the clouds weren't coming in again. 'You know, Cook, I used to come here all the time as a kid. I loved it. Now I have more reason to love it.' Effy looked at him matter-of-factly. Cook just laughed some more.

They stood to walk home before they got caught in the rain, and Cook took Effy's hand in his. It felt warm and familiar, and there was nowhere she'd rather be. It had been so long since she had held his hand. She didn't really care that she looked like a sappy love sick desperado [even though she secretly was one beneath her cool, mysterious exterior] because she had finally gotten what she wanted after so long. It was relieving.

They were almost home when Cook had a thought. 'You know, Eff, we ain't ever had a proper date. You know, like normal people have.'

'You're right.' She looked up at him expectantly.

'Tonight then, eh? It's a date.'

A/N Please, please, please let me know what you think of it. It took me days to write this, and it will only take a minute of your precious time to review it. Feel free to send me hate mail for being away so long. :D