It would seem that I literally just cannot stop writing this story. The chapters just keep getting longer and longer. I hope you all are having as much fun reading it as I am writing it :)


"Pancakes!" Maya calls, bounding toward the kitchen.

"Pancakes!" I reply with a laugh.

She slaps her notepad down on the counter and climbs onto one of the stools. "Story time."

I flip the pancakes over. "You are incorrigible. You're barely even awake and you're already making demands of me. Now come get some plates or there'll be none of these for you."

I cringe as she pushes away from the counter and the stool scrapes across the floor. Maya hops down and walks around the counter. She stands on her tippy-toes and stretches up to pull two plates down from the cupboard. She skips over to the counter and slides them in front of the two stools before heading to get forks. I turn the stove off and lift the pan, turning to start sliding the pancakes out of the pan and onto our plates. She lets the forks clatter on the countertop as she jumps back into her seat, her eyes growing wide as I push two blueberry pancakes onto her plate, and then two onto my own. I put the pan back on the burner and smile as she starts cutting up her pancakes with the side of her fork. "More story," She demands, spearing a piece with her fork.

"Do you remember where it left off?" I ask as I walk around the counter and slide onto the stool next to her.

She nods as she chews and barely swallows before she answers. "You and Effy had just gotten together. Sort of. Were you together?"

"We spent a lot of time together, with Uncle James and the others, but just the two of us, as well. Effy was never one to commit, so I was never really sure where we stood. Were we together? Were we just having fun? I never really knew…"


It was early February and Naomi was on her way back to her room. She was wet and cold and grumpy because of it. Her last class of the day had been cancelled and she only found out after she had walked for fifteen blocks in the pouring rain. She had cursed so much at the piece of paper taped up on the classroom door that other students passing by had started to stare at her in wonder. So she climbed the stairs of her building, peeling off her soaking wet jacket and mumbling to herself as she tried to hold it away from her body and still manage to get her bag back onto her shoulder.

She passed Panda coming down and Naomi had to fight to smile at the girl.

"Blimey, it's really coming down out there, ain't it?"

"Yeah. At least you've got an umbrella," Naomi said as she shook her hair to get the water to stop dripping in her eyes.

Panda lifted the bright pink umbrella in her hand slightly. "Got a long walk to class, so I'll need it," She said with a laugh.

Naomi chuckled. "Yeah you will. Try not to get drenched."

Panda grinned. "Oh, I don't mind the rain so much. I like being wet, just not having to sit for a lecture when my shorts are soaked. I feel all uncomfortable and just want to rip them off."

Naomi opened and closed her mouth, biting back the dirty comment that almost escaped her. "Uh, right. Exactly. Have fun, Panda. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Naomi!" Panda said as she skipped past her and down the stairs.

Naomi laughed to herself and continued up to the fourth floor, her mood much lighter than it had been just a few minutes ago.

Naomi shook in a way very similar to a wet dog as she stood outside her door. She didn't want to drip all over her room, and after a quick run of her fingers through her hair, she turned the handle and opened the door.

And then she froze, her eyes growing very, very wide.

She heard them before she saw them, and when she saw them her jaw dropped. Emily's arms were over her head, her hands gripping tightly to the railing of her bed and there was a pair of arms wrapped around the back of her legs, the hands hidden underneath Emily's skirt. Emily's eyes were closed tight and her head rolled back as her hips rocked off the bed and the most delicious moan Naomi had ever heard dripped out of her mouth. "Shit," Naomi breathed. And then she realized she was watching her roommate, her best friend, being pleasured by her girlfriend and she panicked. "Oh, fuck! Shit!" She started moving, lost, looking for somewhere safe but couldn't find anywhere. She turned to the left and then quickly to the right, but either way she could see Emily's head whip in her direction. So she turned her back to them completely and stared at the ceiling in the hallway. "Sorry," She squeaked. "My class was cancelled. I didn't- I didn't realize you um, you were, um, you'd have, um-"

"Alright there, Naomi?" Allison asked. A rage erupted in Naomi's belly. She could hear the grin in Allison's voice. The shit-eating, no, the Emily-eating grin in her voice and Naomi's fist tightened around her coat, her knuckles going white.

"Fine," Naomi said sharply. "Sorry again for the interruption. Allison, try not to get lockjaw, yeah?" Naomi said as she walked out. She heard a protest come from Emily before she swiftly shut the door behind her.

She rushed down the stairs, her feet barely touching the steps she was going so fast. She passed the third floor… she passed the second… she landed on the ground floor and pulled her coat on, never breaking her stride as she walked right back out into the pouring afternoon rain. She walked, her already damp shirt becoming soaked until her skin felt slick and she couldn't move her arms without feeling the fabric pulling with her movements. Her jeans were heavy and her shoes were filled with water from walking through puddles she didn't even see. She walked until she had no idea where she was, and then she pulled her phone out of her bag and called the first number she thought of.

It rang. And rang. And rang. And then the click as it was picked up.

"Hi."

"Hey, it's Naomi."

A chuckle. "I know. Your number is saved in my phone, you know."

Oh. Right. "Are you working?"

"No."

"Can I see you?"

A pause. "Where are you?"

"I'm not sure."

A sigh. "Signs, Naomi. Remember to read the signs."

Naomi squinted through the rain and read aloud the nearest street sign.

"You're two blocks west of the underground. I'm at home. Do you know which line to take?"

"Yeah."

"I'll meet you at the station here in twenty minutes."

"Thanks."

"Of course."

Naomi walked out into the rain from the refuge of the station and looked around until her eyes fell on Effy standing under an umbrella, her right hand tucked into the pocket of her leather jacket. "You're drenched," Effy said simply, extending the umbrella so Naomi was covered as well.

"That's what Panda said," Naomi mumbled as they started walking.

"How is Pandapops?" Effy asked as she gazed up into the grey sky.

"As unintentionally filthy as ever," Naomi said with a small chuckle.

"Glad to hear it. So why the afternoon visit?"

Naomi shrugged. "I wanted to see you."

"You wanted to see me so you crossed the city in this weather? Half of it on foot in the rain, if the state of you is anything to go by."

Naomi shrugged. "You're always coming round mine so I figured I'd show up at yours."

Effy smirked. "Well good timing, because the Knob is in classes and then has work all night."

"Damn, I really wanted to meet him."

"Maybe next time."

"I'll have to make more spontaneous trips out here."

"I certainly wouldn't complain."

Naomi grinned and looked at Effy, who was deliberately keeping her eyes focused straight ahead. "Will do, then."


Naomi pulled her jacket off and dried the bottom of her shoes on the mat as Effy shook out the umbrella before closing the door. Naomi stood still, the water dripping off of her pooling at her feet as Effy leaned across her to prop the umbrella up in the corner. Effy straightened up, her eyes trailing slowly down Naomi's body. She snapped her eyes up to Naomi's. "You're dripping all over my floor."

Naomi smiled sheepishly. "Sorry?"

"Take your jeans off," Effy commanded.

"What?"

Effy rolled her eyes. "Jeans. Off. Trainers and socks too. I'm not having you dripping all over the rest of the house." Naomi hesitated and Effy smirked, taking the jacket from her hands. "I'll give you something else to wear, don't worry."

Naomi looked at Effy, looked into her eyes which were open and teasing, and nodded. "Thanks," She murmured as she bent down and pulled her shoes off. She peeled the socks off her feet and Effy took those, too. She nodded and turned around to give Naomi some privacy. Effy smirked as she heard Naomi struggling to pull her jeans down, the denim plastered to her legs. Naomi managed to get one leg free and then tugged on the denim bunched up by her right foot until it finally jerked over her ankle. They were inside out when she shoved them in front of Effy's face.

Effy chuckled and grabbed them, but didn't turn around. "You want to dry your shirt too?"

Naomi grabbed the bottom of her shirt and raised her arms, the fabric peeling off her body like a second layer of skin. She held it up in Effy's peripheral. "Thanks," She said when Effy took it.

"Wait here," She said as she headed off down the hall.

Naomi stood in just her bra and knickers as her eyes wandered over the hallway around her. The paint was peeling in the corner up near the ceiling. The wood of the stairs was scuffed up a startling amount. The brass knob on the front door was dull. There was a doorway in the left wall and Naomi took a cautious step forward, peering around it. It looked like a lounge. There was a huge television in the corner, surrounded by shelves and shelves of movies and games. There was an X-Box on the floor in front of it and the controllers were on the small table in front of the sofa. And Freddie was sprawled out on the sofa, in nothing more than a pair of shorts, with a still smoking spliff dangling dangerously close to the floor. His eyes were closed and his lips were parted slightly, the hint of a snore escaping every other breath he took.

"Fuck, Freddie," Effy muttered as she walked past Naomi and into the room, taking the spliff from his fingers and lifting it to her own lips. Naomi folded her arms across her stomach as Effy puffed and puffed on the spliff, making the embers burn brighter. "I always tell him he's going to burn the whole place down one day." Effy's voice was strained from trying to speak while holding as much smoke in her lungs as she could. She held the spliff out to Naomi.

"Thanks," She said, taking it. "Isn't he in law school? Shouldn't he be, you know, not smoking weed?" Naomi asked and took a hit.

Effy exhaled slowly and shrugged. "He says most lawyers are twats and being stoned is the only way he can deal with them." She took the spliff from Naomi and took another hit as her eyes dragged down the almost naked woman in front of her. She gave an appreciative hum and Naomi's whole body flushed. Effy's gaze drifted to the stairs. "Come on. I'm sure I've got something you'll like."

Naomi followed Effy upstairs to her room, which could only be described as bare. Stark white walls, a bed, a desk, a window and two bookshelves, which were filled. Effy passed the spliff to Naomi and crossed to the closet in the corner. She flung the doors open and turned around. "Feel free to take whatever you want." A heat spread through Naomi's body as Effy's eyes once again raked across her skin. Effy walked forward slowly, her arms hanging at her sides as her hips swayed, and stopped just in front of her. Their bodies were almost touching. Almost. It wasn't good enough for Naomi. She lifted the spliff and held it between her lips, inhaling deeply and holding Effy's gaze with certainty, watching as the brunette's pupils dilated and her eyes got dark. So dark, but so, so very bright. Lit up with a fire. She could do this. She had to do this. Blood was rushing away from Naomi's brain and heading far, far south, so this was the only decision she could possibly make. She could take whatever she wanted. She could. And what she wanted was Effy. Naomi took the spliff in her right hand, wrapped her left around the back of Effy's neck, and kept her eyes locked on the almost black ones in front of her until she brought their mouths together. And then her eyelids fluttered closed. She kissed Effy. She tilted her head as Effy parted her lips slightly and their mouths melded. Effy's hands slid slowly around Naomi's waist and then trailed gently up her back, her fingertips following the curve of the blonde's spine. Naomi sighed and their joined mouths filled with swirling smoke. Effy inhaled as she pulled her lips over Naomi's. She pressed harder into the kiss and opened Naomi's mouth wider. Effy quite literally stole the breath from Naomi's lungs, because once her hands had gone as high as they could, Effy raked her fingernails sharply down Naomi's shoulder blades. Naomi gasped, her head jerking back as a tangible want shot through her torso straight down to her centre, causing her hips to roll forward into Effy's. "Clothes," Naomi gasped, tossing the spliff to the side and tangling both hands in Effy's hair. "You're wearing way too many clothes," She panted as their mouths and bodies crashed together.


"JESUS!" I jump out of my seat when Maya jabs my arm with her fork.

"What were you thinking about?" She demands, dropping the fork with a clatter on her empty plate.

"Huh?" I say, my mind years and years away in the past.

"You were saying how Effy opened her closet and then you just stopped talking and your eyes got all, like, shiny."

"Oh," I say and clear my throat. "Sorry, I was trying to remember," I lie, thinking I'll have to be much more careful. I make a mental note to skip over certain parts of this story. I can't exactly tell my ten year old daughter that the entire afternoon was spent in a sex-filled, sweaty daze.

Maya raises an eyebrow and gives me a disbelieving look. "Were you really?"

"Yes! I'm old and this all happened a long time ago. Some of the details are… fuzzy," I finish lamely.

She pulls her notepad across the counter toward her, never taking her narrowed eyes off of mine. Her hand fumbles for the pencil, but once it's in her grasp her eyes snap to the page and she starts furiously scribbling. I lean over in my seat to peek at what she's writing, but she hunches her shoulders and turns her back to block it from view. "So what happened after you and Effy had sex?"

"What?" I squeak. "We- I- We didn't-"

Maya spins around and deadpans. "Really, Mum? You were drooling for a minute there." I splutter and furiously try to work the words out of my throat, but they just stay stuck. She gives me a pointed look. "Exactly. So what happened after the sex?"

'More sex' is my immediate thought and I have to stand up and walk around the counter to compose myself. "We, uh, we talked," I say as I reach up and grab a glass from the cupboard. I cross to the sink and turn the tap on.

"What did you talk about?"

I fill the glass, shut the tap off and take a huge gulp of water. "Us. Sort of."

She places the pencil down on the pad and turns her face to mine. "Explain."


Naomi ran her fingers through her hair and sighed heavily. "Fuck. I can't feel my legs," She said with a weak, exhausted chuckle.

Effy smirked as she pulled a fag from her pack and lit it. She leaned back against her pillows and took a deep drag. "Isn't that the point?"

Naomi hummed and watched as Effy inhaled again from the cigarette. "Can I…?" She asked, gesturing to the pack on the bed. Effy nodded her head and Naomi lifted it up, sliding a cigarette out.


"I knew you had sex."

"Shut it and let me tell the story."

"Fine fine."


They sat in silence for several minutes. With every exhale of smoke, Naomi found herself growing more and more nervous. She snuck glances at Effy out of the corners of her eyes. Effy seemed relaxed and Naomi just kept getting more and more tense. How many other girls had been where she was? How many had tried to stay and had Effy lose interest right away? How many had left right after, knowing that Effy would never give them more? Effy had given Naomi permission, though. 'Feel free to take whatever you want.' And she had. She had taken what she wanted from Effy and now she wanted more. Jesus, she thought with an eye roll, she was turning into a level five clinger here. Right. Well no more of that shit. Naomi held her fag between her lips and threw the covers back as she climbed out of Effy's bed. She felt Effy's eyes burning into her back as she bent down and picked her knickers up off the floor. She slipped her right foot through, and then her left and as she pulled them up her thighs and settled them around her hips, Effy spoke.

"I haven't been with anyone else since New Year's."

The words, and what they meant coming from Effy, washed over Naomi. It was the closest thing to confirmation, to commitment, that she could expect. And it was enough for her at the time. A satisfied smile slowly pulled up the corner of her mouth. Naomi hooked her thumbs in the waistband of her pants and pulled them right back down.

It had stopped raining by the time Cook got back from work a few hours later. He opened Effy's door, stopped mid-sentence as Naomi flung herself off the bed, trying to cover up, and then howled with laughter until Effy threw a pillow at him. He shook his head and shut the door, but they could hear his laughter echoing through the hallway.

"Locks, Naomi," She said to herself. "Doors have locks." Effy smirked as Naomi clambered to her feet and set about dressing. "I hadn't realized it was so late."

Effy let her eyes drag across Naomi's body as she pulled her knickers back up and Naomi didn't miss the way she licked her lips as she bent down to pick her bra up off the floor. "To be fair you were a bit preoccupied."

Naomi grinned slowly. "Just a bit," She said as she reached behind her back to clasp her bra. Naomi's eyes snapped to Effy as she got out of bed. And then they dragged down her body as she crossed to her closet. The way the muscles under the soft skin of her shoulders rippled as she reached up to slide a shirt off one of the hangers made Naomi's knees weak. Naomi's eyes pulled down to that perfect little dip in the small of her back and when Naomi's gaze finally rose back up, Effy was smirking over her shoulder.

Effy pulled the shirt over her head and Naomi sighed as the fabric dropped down, effectively covering everything above the brunette's thighs. Effy stepped into a pair of dark blue knickers and Naomi got a wonderful glimpse of Effy's arse as she wiggled into them. Effy closed the distance between them and Naomi brought her eyes up. Those blue eyes were lit up with a teasing gleam. She reached down, grabbed Naomi's hands, and then placed them on her arse. She kept her hands on top of Naomi's and squeezed, forcing Naomi's hands to do the same. "We're doing this again," She said slowly, pressing her body fully against Naomi's, "but not right now." Naomi's eyelids grew heavy, her body electrified, and just as quickly as Effy was there, flush against her, she was gone. Sauntering out of the room. "I imagine Cook will want to go out. I'll get your clothes; they should be dry by now."

Naomi groaned as Effy disappeared into the hallway and looked down at herself. She was glad her jeans would be dry, because her knickers certainly weren't.


"So you and Effy were together then," Maya says as she takes the dripping wet plate from me and starts drying it.

"Unofficially official is how I referred to it."

Maya giggles. "What does that even mean?"

"It means Effy was always rubbish at communicating," I say with a grin. "Do you know it took her almost five months before she called me her girlfriend? And that was only because someone else was trying to pick me up and she stepped in. Actually" I say as a nostalgic smile pulls at the corners of my mouth, "that night was when I knew I loved her. The fire in her eyes when she grabbed my waist and kissed me. Claiming me. Jesus, it was hot."

"Mum, I don't need those details." Maya grins as she sets the plate down on the counter and wraps the drying towel around the next one I hold out to her. "You were such a slag."

I gasp. "Language, Maya!"

"You were!"

"I was not! I wasn't the one flirting with anybody. I can't help it if women find me wildly attractive."

Maya snorts and her shoulders jerk up. "Right, Mum. Wildly."

I roll my eyes and shake the excess water from the pan before holding it out for her to take. "You're being extra cheeky this morning. Don't know how I feel about that," I mumble as she takes it from my hands with a huge grin.

"Sorry, Mum," She says with a laugh. "So you and Effy and Uncle James went out?"

I nod, smiling at the memory. "We did. We went to a karaoke night at a pub near their house."

Maya laughs. "I love when Uncle James does Kylie."

"Oh, he did it even better back then," I say with a wink and her eyes grow wide.

"Wow," She breathes and sets the dry pan down on the counter. "What happened after? Did you stay the night?"

"Nah," I say as I fumble around the bottom of the sink for the plug. "It was late when we left the pub and I didn't want to push things too fast with Effy, so I hopped on the tube and went back to my room."

"What did Emily say when she found out about Effy and you?"

I jerk my hand in surprise and the plug yanks free. "What makes you think she said anything?"

She shrugs and holds the towel out to me. "I just thought she might."

I place the plug on the edge of the sink and take the towel from her. I start drying my hands as the sink drains and think back to that night after karaoke. After Effy and I first had sex.


Naomi wasn't drunk, but she was tipsy enough that she had a smile plastered across her face as she walked back to her building from the tube stop. She could still feel Effy's lips on hers from the lingering kiss they shared and Cook's joyful laughter from when they left her at the station still rang in her ears. Naomi climbed the stairs, replaying everything that had happened that day in her mind. Her skin heated up just thinking about the afternoon's activities. She grinned as she climbed her building's stairs and emerged on her floor. She pulled her keys out, unlocked her door and walked into her dark room. She squinted up at Emily's bed and saw her hair splayed out across her pillow. She seemed to be asleep so Naomi tried to be as quiet as possible as she closed the door. She bumped into her desk chair and let out a sharp expletive under her breath. She leaned across her desk, her fingers fumbling to find her desk lamp. She clicked it on and stood up. It gave her enough light to get changed without seriously injuring herself, but it was still dim enough that she didn't think it would disturb Emily's sleep.

Naomi pulled her jacket off and threw it across the back of her chair. She kicked her shoes off and started to undress. As she pulled her shirt off over her head and turned to toss it into the laundry pile, a voice surprised her. "You look like you were mauled by a lion." Naomi spun around and saw the dim light dancing in Emily's open eyes. "What happened?" Emily asked as she rolled onto her stomach and folded her arms under her head.

Naomi reached her right hand over her left shoulder and gently touched the skin there. She could feel the raised lines caused by nails dragging down her skin. "Effy," She said simply, averting her eyes.

There was silence for a minute as Naomi took her jeans off and kicked them on top of her shirt. She crossed to the wardrobe and opened it, blocking Emily from view. "So you two… I mean, did you…?" Emily trailed off hesitantly.

"Did we what?" Naomi asked, digging through her pile of folded shirts, looking for something to wear to sleep.

Emily sighed. "Did you finally sleep with her?"

"Yes," Naomi answered, growing frustrated. She wanted something familiar. She wanted something comforting.

"How was it?"

"I don't know, how was it with Allison this afternoon?" Naomi spat, unsure why she was suddenly getting upset. "Have you seen Mr. Gordo?" She asked with an accusatory tone, closing the wardrobe door slightly to look at Emily.

Emily's eyes held hers and Naomi swallowed dryly at the glint in her eyes. Emily looked almost dangerous. Suddenly Emily pushed off her bed and sat up on her knees. There was Mr. Gordo, splashed across the redhead's chest. Without saying a word, Emily grabbed the bottom hem and lifted the shirt over her head. Naomi's eyes grew wide as Emily's naked torso was exposed. The shirt, and the smell of Emily, hit her in the face and Naomi reached a hand up slowly to remove it as she heard Emily settle back down under her covers. "Don't worry, I won't wear it anymore."


I walk out of my bedroom, keys in hand, and stop at the look Maya is giving me. She's down on her left knee with her right one bent in front of her. Her fingers are holding her laces but they aren't moving. She's staring at me. Like I've just kicked a puppy. "Maya, what- what's wrong?" I ask, quickly walking down the hallway to her.

She holds a hand up, stopping me in my tracks. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath as her fingers quickly tie a knot and she pushes herself up to her feet. "Did you mess things up with Emily?"

"What?"

"Emily. Did she stay mad at you?"

"For a day, maybe. When you live with someone, it's expected that you'll get into a row every now and then. Mr. Gordo certainly wasn't anything to end our friendship over," I say as she nods.

"Good. So what happened next?" She asks as she rushes over to the counter to grab her note-taking necessities and skips back over.

I shrug and open the door for her. "Nothing, really."

"What do you mean 'nothing'? Something had to have happened."

I pull the door closed and lock it. "Nope, not really. I went back to Bristol for the Easter holiday."

"Did anyone go with you?" Maya asks as we head down the hallway.

I chuckle. "No, should they have?"

She shrugs and I let her hit the button to call the lift. "Just wondering. So when did something exciting happen?"

I think about it for a moment. "Well, my Mum finally bullied me into volunteering."

Maya turns her face up to me. "Bullied?"

I shrug. "You know how your Gran Gina can be."

She seems to think it over and then nods. "Bullied."

"Yep," I say as the lift dings and the doors slide open.

"So where did you volunteer? What did you do?" She asks, pressing her thumb firmly into the button for the ground floor.

"I helped at a women's shelter. Very glamorous," I say with a laugh as I ruffle her hair.

She bats my hand away. "Did you like it?"

"I did and I didn't," I say with a sigh as the doors open and we walk through the lobby.

"Hi, Brian!" Maya calls to the desk clerk with a wave.

"Good morning, Miss Maya," He replies with a wink. I shoot him a smile and he responds in kind.

"What do you mean you liked it and you didn't like it at the same time?" Maya asks with a slight frown as we step outside into the warm spring air.

"I liked a lot of the people I got to work with. I liked the main woman in charge, Anna. I liked feeling like I was doing something to help others," I say as we stop at a street and wait for the cars to pass. "I didn't like seeing people so hurt all the time. It broke my heart talking to some of them. Every time I looked at one of the women there, all I could think was 'That could be me. That could be someone I love and care about.' And it killed me."

"So why did you keep going there?"

We cross the street and I smile down at her. "Because I got to meet some truly amazing people. Because I even had the chance to help some of them and it made me happy."

Maya grins at me and my heart nearly bursts out of my chest. "I can understand that."

"I know you can, love. I know you can." I wrap my arm around her shoulders and give her a quick squeeze before releasing her. "Do you know Anna was only twenty-one when she helped set the shelter up?"

Maya's eyes go wide. "Really? That's so young."

"I know."

"Do you think I could do something like that?"

I grab her arm and pull her to a stop as I squat down in front of her. "I think you can do anything you set your mind to. I think you can do anything and everything in the world, and no matter what you do I'll be proud of you." Her eyes shine with determination and I stand back up. "So which is it today: zoo or aquarium?"

"Aquarium, but more of the story on the way, okay?"

"Of course. So nothing really happened in the spring. I spent most of my free time volunteering. I only really saw Effy on weekends and once the end of the school year came around, I hardly even saw her then. We were both so buys studying for exams. But then exams came and went, I aced everything, by the way," Maya giggles at that and I grin. "Emily and I had both signed up for summer courses, so we got to stay in the student housing…"


"We need to talk."

Naomi jerked upright. It had been a particularly draining day and that mixed with the unusual end-of-July heat wave had left her exhausted. She had just laid down for a nap when Emily burst into their room. "That's never a good thing," She said slowly as she swung her legs off the bed and sat on its edge.

Emily stood in front of Naomi, a large envelope in her right hand. She glanced at it, then turned and pulled Naomi's desk chair right next to the bed. She sat down and Naomi gulped when she realized their knees were almost touching. "What's that?" She said, pointing to the envelope.

Emily's eyes drifted down as she placed it in her lap. She slowly brought her eyes back up to meet Naomi's. "It's my acceptance to the study abroad program." Naomi's eyes grew wide. "In Greece."

"What?" Naomi squeaked as she grabbed the envelope from Emily and started pulling papers out of it. Sure enough, they were all stamped with official seals and signatures and Naomi felt her world implode. Just a bit. "I didn't even know you'd applied," She said quietly.

Emily shrugged, the ghost of a smile tugging at her lips. "I didn't want to jinx it. And I didn't even get in at first. This only came because other people dropped out. And it just came…" She trailed off.

Naomi nodded slowly, flipping through the stack of papers. There were letters, instructions, brochures and a bright orange page with arrival details. "When," She started to speak but had to clear her throat, "when do you leave?"

"Six weeks, right after the summer classes finish," Emily said with a smile. Happiness was radiating off of her. "Can you believe it? Studying classic Greek literature and mythology IN Greece. It's… it's incredible," She breathed.

Naomi sighed and forced her mouth into a smile. "It sounds like your dream."

"It is."

"How long are you going for?"

Emily's smile faltered and her eyes dropped down to the papers in Naomi's hands. "A full semester with the option to stay on for a second. Which I'll probably do if I like it."

Naomi gulped. She shuffled the papers around. She carefully slid them back into the envelope and then gently placed that in Emily's lap. "A whole year, ay?" A small, forced chuckle escaped her. "What did Allison say?"

Emily folded her arms on top of the envelope and looked into Naomi's eyes. "She doesn't know yet. I told you I just got the package."

"You told me before her?" Naomi asked as she raised an eyebrow. "She won't like that."

Emily lifted her left shoulder in a slight shrug. "She doesn't like a lot of things these days." Naomi had to look away. She pulled her eyes away from those shining brown ones and tried to focus them somewhere else. Anywhere else. They kept glancing back, though. Emily placed a hand on Naomi's knee and her eyes snapped down to it. "Are you alright? I thought you'd be excited for me."

Naomi opened her mouth and closed it quickly again. She wanted to scream. No, she wasn't alright. Emily was leaving for a year. She would be stuck rooming with some random in the autumn, who would be noisy and complain and would definitely not steal her Mr. Gordo shirt back two nights after saying she would never wear it again. She would be stuck with someone who was alarmingly not Emily. And Naomi hated the idea. But… Emily was excited about this. She wanted to do it. So Naomi plastered a painful smile on her face and leaned forward, wrapped her arms around the girl's shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Of course I'm excited for you. This is amazing."

Emily wrapped her arms around Naomi and pressed her palms flat against her back. Naomi never wanted to let her go, but she knew she had to. She straightened up and a trail of fire exploded across her skin as Emily's hands slid down her sides. "I'll miss you," Emily said quietly.

Naomi's heart was racing. Emily's hands were resting on her waist and every muscle in her body had tightened. She forced her smile to be even wider. "Then we'll just have to write a lot, won't we? I expect at least a million postcards."

Emily chuckled, although it was hollower than it should have been, and leaned back in her chair, removing her hands from Naomi and the blonde could finally breathe again, though it was a bit more labored than it should have been. "Check. Got it. Ten postcards a day."


"I don't know what I'm going to do," Naomi groaned, letting her head drop onto her arms, folded on the table at the pub. "Forms for autumn housing need to be submitted by the end of the week and I haven't found anyone I'd be alright living with."

Cook slapped her on the back. "Move in with us!"

Naomi turned her head, resting her cheek against her hands and glared at his grinning face. "You're having a fucking laugh, right?"

"Who says I'm jokin'? I'm dead serious. Panda's already decided to take the Knob's room, and Freds got that work study so he's pissin' off clear across town. We'll have an empty room and be short on rent. Take it up, Blondie." His huge grin never dimmed.

Naomi slowly lifted her head and her eyes immediately locked onto the crystalline blue ones across from her. Effy studied her in silence for a minute. "You could ask Anna about an official position at the shelter. Or maybe one of its affiliates. She knows people at the youth centre, right?"

Naomi was surprised. Effy wasn't saying no. In fact, that was her saying yes. She was perfectly fine with living under the same roof as Naomi, her girlfriend. It wouldn't exactly be living together, but it would be damn close enough. It would be a big deal. "If I did that, it wouldn't pay much."

"Rent isn't much," Effy said quickly, her eyes shooting to Cook for a fleeting moment.

Naomi looked from Effy to Cook and back again. "You're sure?"

"'Course she's sure," Cook said with a grin. "And anyway, I hardly ever see ya. Come on, the Cookie Monster needs his Blondie."

Naomi locked her eyes on Effy's. Not pressuring, not hopeful, just curious. She would make do with some random if she had to. But living in a house with friends and her frighteningly attractive girlfriend certainly sounded like a much better option. Naomi kept her face passive, though.

Effy barely shrugged as she picked up the pint in front of her. "I wouldn't have to wait so long to shag you if you're only across the hall."

Naomi beamed. In Effy-speak, that was the equivalent of standing on a rooftop and proclaiming her love to the entirety of London. "If it means getting molested in my sleep, then count me in."