AN: I know the story is going slow, but there will be more Naomily, trust me. And it starts in this chapter. Enjoy!

Disclamer: Skins UK doesn't belong to me (unfortunately), only my characters do.

CHAPTER 3

It was now a bit late in the night, and a cold and moist air replaced the soft breeze of the evening. The group reached their destiny, a quiet place high on the forest where you could see the whole city in front, sleeping, with only the main buildings lit up and some of the street lamps still on. It was common for some lamps to be on, as a way of assuring security.

They sat down on some boulders that were below a couple of trees, Effy, Michelle and Naomi sat together, with Cook, Tony and Nathan in front of them, while Cassie and Emily sat on another boulder between them.

"This place is beautiful… The whole city from here just seems so big!" Emily said mesmerized.

"I knew you would like it honey! It is indeed beautiful." Cassie said to her friend smiling.

"Hey Cassie, you and Emily want a drink as well?" Tony asked both girls and they nodded in agreement.

"Nathan will you help me light a small fire here mate? It's a bit chilly tonight." Cook said to his friend.

"Sure thing, but we'll probably need more sticks… Hey Naomi could you go get some sticks around here?" Nathan said to his sister.

"Do I have to? Why won't you go get them yourself?" She said a bit annoyed.

"I can go if you need me to." Emily intervened.

Cassie turned to her cousin worried, "Ems you don't even know your way around here. I don't think it's a good idea…"

"I don't mind, really. I'm sure it's close, it's not like I'm going to go too far." Emily insisted.

Naomi looked at her uncertain but ended up saying, "Fine then, you can go, but I'm going with you. I don't want you to get lost because of me."

"Ok then, go on both of you. We already spent too much time with this chit chat." Nathan hurried them.

Naomi turned to Emily, "We better go Emily, before my jerk of a brother here loses his patience." She said with a hint of sarcasm and shooting Nathan a fake smile.

Both girls got up and went through a trail between some trees. After a while of walking alongside one another, Emily began to speak, "Are you two always like that?"

"What do you mean?" Naomi asked without looking at her.

"I don't know, bickering with each other… At the bar and just now."

Naomi stopped on her tracks and looked coldly at Emily, before answering, "I don't think it's any of your damn business."

Emily answered with regret, "I'm sorry… I did not mean to pry. I just wondered why that's all."

This time Naomi's expression softened and she asked, "Why would you care? You don't even know me."

Emily thought for a moment before answering, "I just… I just care that's all. It's what I do, caring about people, I guess…" She said now averting her eyes from Naomi's.

Silence fell for a bit between the two of them, and they could only hear the night's sound. The cicadas that are around every summer, their friends laughing and talking in the distance, the gentle blowing of the wind. Finally, Naomi sighed deeply and said, "We haven't always been like this, me and Nathan. When we were kids, we were inseparable, like conjoined twins to the hip. But, I don't know, people grow apart I guess…" she said with sadness.

Emily smiled kindly at her, "I think I can understand. Although I am an only child, my relationship with my father is a bit like that… As a kid I relied on him for everything, I worshiped him as if he had no flaws at all. But as I grew up, I started seeing things differently, and we started growing apart every day."

"I see… I am sorry it is like that now. And I'm sorry for being rude earlier." Naomi said sincerely and ashamed.

"I understand, it's not easy to talk about personal things, even more with a stranger like me, but it is okay. I should have mind my business like you said." Emily said looking at her smiling.

"Well to tell you the truth it's actually nice that you care. I find it to be so rare around here." She said smiling back, "But, now that that is settled, we should really get going so we can return to the gang."

Emily laughed agreeing with Naomi, and they proceeded their way.

After a while, they returned to their friends with enough sticks to light the fire.

"Here you have boys! There's plenty of wood to light a whole city." Naomi said joking, making Emily laugh.

"Finally! What took you so long? We were starting to get worried." Cassie said.

"You mean you were, right Cassie? I tell you, this one was ready to call the searches on you." Cook said mocking her.

"Is that true? We are fine, sorry we took so long Cassie." Emily apologized to her cousin, feeling guilty.

"I'm sorry Cassie, but we lost track of time. It turns out me and Emily actually get along quite well." Naomi said smiling.

"Oh ok, that makes me more relieved." Cassie smiled back at them.

Both girls went to the place where the boys were starting to light the fire and put down all the wood they found.

"Thank you lovely ladies! Now to start warming up this place!" Cook said cheerfully while grabbing a few sticks and a small rock to light a flame with the help of Tony and Nathan.

Once the fire was lit, the group of friends spent the rest of the night talking and laughing about the adventures they had through the week, keeping Cassie and Emily amused by all the awkward and interesting situations that had been going on. Along the conversation, Emily could not help casting a few glances now and then to Naomi, smiling when she looked back. She also could not stop thinking that these people she had just met had something special. Somehow, they made her feel alive, as if a fire was starting to burn inside her. In any other occasion, this fire would have scared her and she would had wanted to run away from it. However, this time the fire was different, because for this fire, she would gladly burn.

AN: I hope you liked it! Once again, I'll appreciate any reviews, I really value your opinions as readers!