A/N – I realize this took almost a week to update, which is a record of the unflattering kind on my behalf. I am very thankful to the sweet reviewers, anonymous or otherwise, who encouraged me to keep going with this story!

A little backstory in this chapter but more Naomily to follow soon!

Skins is awesome but not mine…

Chapter 3. Implications

Naomi's POV

Emily's lips were soft and moist, her palm warm against my cheek. The kiss itself was innocent but tender and I could feel the honesty shining through. It was over before I could really respond to it or even close my eyes to fully enjoy the sensation of a first kiss. Well technically, a first kiss implied more kisses were to follow and I wasn't really sure what this was. I had had less than three conversations with Emily, having only met her twice and still, her one, simple kiss and sweet caress had caused ripples of emotions to course through my diseased body. I watched her face closely as she pulled away. Her eyes were closed and her lips were still slightly pursed. A frown spread as she opened her eyes, her palm still warm against my cheek. As if waking from a haze, she shook her head and pulled her hand away as if it had been burnt by my cheek. She was uncomfortable and confused and I honesty couldn't blame her. What the fuck had just happened?

I had known I was attracted to Emily the minute I laid eyes on her but I had only seen her that one time and really couldn't be sure I would ever see her again. However, I had spent most of my waking moments daydreaming about her exquisite features and the way her husky voice had made my stomach flutter. Waking up tonight to her beautiful face had turned my daydream into reality and her flirtatious behavior had made me remember what it was like to be normal, or, you know, not dying. Somehow, I had no problem with her, despite being a total stranger and part of the medical staff, taking a seat in my otherwise very private bed and I sure as fuck didn't have any issues with her holding my hand or caressing my face. I just wasn't really sure why she was doing it all… She probably pitied me or was trying to make sure I wasn't backing out of the trial but then, out of nowhere, or well, after about five seconds of flirting, she had kissed me. For a moment, Emily had gazed into my eyes with more passion and fire than Sarah or anyone I had ever been with, had before and she had kissed me with such honesty. It was quick and innocent but I would savor it and keep it close to my heart for the remainder of my short life.

I'm gay and I love women, I really do. And I have gotten my fair share of them since realizing why Cook and I could never seem to get it on. I have had drunken shags in bathroom stalls in office buildings and bars and I have shared a bed with the same woman for years. But never in my life had I experienced anything as unexpected and sweet as this. It was strange and obviously inappropriate and still felt like the most natural thing in the world. I hated when nurses or doctors got too familiar with me, sitting on the side of my bed, talking to me like we were old chums out for a beer. I liked it better when people were straight with me, which is why I had taken a liking to both Kieran and JJ. They kept their professionalism but still managed to make me laugh. JJ was hilarious when he got 'locked on' as Kieran had called it and Kieran himself was adorable when he was around my Mum. They both acted a little like teenagers; too scared to say out loud that they fancied each other. I understood that Kieran probably had to keep a professional distance in regard to his patients but I couldn't help but wonder if he was actually capable of doing so. He never treated me with the same condescending indignity as other doctors. He was always straight with me and either he or JJ patiently answered both mine and Mum's endless questions. I knew there were eight other patients in this trial but I had no idea how much time Kieran and JJ spent with them because they were with me for around two hours a day and even though I knew they worked a lot, I seriously doubted that they spent 18 hours a day simply talking to their patients.

I watched the beautiful but obviously very uncomfortable and flustered PhD squirm as if she were uncomfortable in her own skin. She apparently couldn't decide on whether to button or unbutton her coat and kept glancing up at me with a shy smile on her face. I simply watched her, not really knowing what to do or how to react to what had just happened. She was obviously startled and had done something seemingly out of character and probably highly unethical and she appeared to be in a real hurry to get out of my room. She glanced my way again as she headed for the door, still not having said a word after kissing me. She stopped as she put her hand on the doorknob and took a deep breath, sighing as she exhaled, her shoulders slouching. She started to turn around, clearing her throat as she did when Mum came crashing through the door, almost knocking Emily down.

"Oh!", Mum exclaimed, dropping the bag of magazines she had in her hand on the floor. "I didn't see you there, Emily, was it?" Mum smiled heartedly.

"No, no, it's completely my fault", Emily answered and helped Mum pick up the magazines. She had dropped her file with my renal results in the process and Mum actually picked up on it for once. She pointed to it.

"What's this then? Any news?"

Emily picked up the file and smiled shyly at Mum before looking to me, her smile widening in the process. "Nothing big but I think your daughter can fill you in, right Naomi?" Her smile was warm and she seemed less flustered and much more confident. I suppose science is her mojo, then... I nodded and held my hand out for Mum. She came and sat down on the side of my bed, regarding me with a questioning look. I smiled at her.

Emily took that as her cue to leave and gave me one last, genuine smile before saying, "have a good night then, I'll see you bright and early Monday!" Her gaze flicked to my lips for a brief second before heading out the door.

"Thank you, Emily", Mum called after her as Emily closed the door to my room behind her. "Such a pretty girl, don't you think?", she asked me with an annoyingly knowing smile on her face. I rolled my eyes and decided against letting Mum in on the little intimate moment I had shared with the beautiful PhD just moments before she had come crashing through the door, Heat in hand. I would keep that moment locked in my mind and let it replenish my strength until Monday morning.

Emily's POV

As soon as I left Naomi's room, I ran. Down the hall, down the stairs, to the exit and all the way to the Tube. I stood there, panting, bent over with hands on knees and couldn't believe what I had just done. What the hell, Emily? I had kissed her! Kissed her! A patient! I surprised myself at the realization that my biggest objection was that Naomi was a patient, not that she was a woman. However, I suppose the ethical implications were a bit worse than the actual sexual confusion I was experiencing at the moment. She held such power over me that even now, I could feel the tingling sensation of her lips on mine and my fingers remembered the softness of her flawless skin. I shook my head in an attempt to rid myself of the sensation.

I got on the tube and sat down. Katie's flat was a ten minute ride which gave me some time to reflect on passed events. I was always a realist and pragmatist when it came to emotions, something that had spilled over from my scientific mindset, I guess. I was engaged to Jeremy, we had been together for three years and we lived together. This was all very logical and pragmatic; met a boy, fell in love, got engaged, moved in together. All very logical and smart. He was a nice man and we were a lot alike, both focused and passionate about our work and that was what had attracted me to him in the first place. We had spent hours in passionate discussions about our work and our interests and I had felt an intellectual connection to him more than a physical one. We became fast friends and it didn't take him long to ask me out. I cared for him deeply and the first two years had been great. He was my best friend and we had a lot of fun together. I never, ever thought I would be attracted to another man again but I suppose I still wasn't.

Jeremy had never made the air disappear from my lungs or my stomach flutter but I had never thought about it before because no one had ever set off an army of butterflies in my stomach. So I assume I didn't know it was supposed to. But one single, completely innocent touch from Naomi had and it had been pointless to resist her tonight. The only problem was that she hadn't really done anything, had she? She had in fact hardly spoken a word whereas I had practically jumped her. I slapped my forehead several times, receiving worried looks from the other passengers, before burying my head in my hands. What the fuck, Emily?

It's not like I haven't kissed a girl before, which self-respecting, open-minded young woman hasn't in this day and age? But I had never meant it before. And why did I mean it now, anyway? I hardly knew her and we had barely spoken more than two words to each other. But one touch of her hand and a staring contest with those stunningly blue eyes, and I had never meant anything as much in my entire life. Horrified, I realized I hadn't even apologized for my inappropriate behavior and that she was probably telling her mother about the whole thing right this minute. I needed to figure this out and do some damage control before Monday or I would have to come clean to Kieran.

I had been completely absorbed in my thoughts and missed my stop. Cursing, I got off two stops later and walked back to my sister's, muttering to myself although not so much at having to walk. It was well past nine before I arrived at Katie's which turned out to be perfect timing as they were just finishing up dessert. She greeted me with a smile and peck on the cheek whilst taking my coat. I smiled thankfully and happily accepted the glass of red wine handed to me by Katie's friend Effy. I joined the rest of the party in the living room and was greeted by more friendly faces. I wasn't planning on staying long but as I was gulping the wine down and sharing a careless laugh with uncomplicated people, I realized it was exactly what I needed right now. I finished my glass and Effy topped it off before taking a seat on Katie's couch.

Katie and Effy worked with costume design for the big playhouses in the West End. Chances were that if you went to a play, my sister had a hand in designing either the clothes or the set or both. Effy was the more creative of the two but Katie was the better craftsman and had an unrelenting business-sense. Effy tended to let her mind drift when it came down to discussing payment or timelines, so Katie did most of the administrative work and let Effy sit by the drawing board and dream up fantastically beautiful things that were almost as beautiful as she was. Jesus, one little kiss and I'm perving on my sister's best friend? I shook my head and downed the rest of my glass.

"Whoa there Emsy! Tough day?", Katie asked teasingly but slightly worried, probably at the speed I was downing wine.

"No, it was great, actually." I paused and smiled and held out my glass for Effy to fill once again. "I kinda feel like celebrating!"

Effy smirked at me and emptied the bottle in my glass. "Not often we get to see Emily let loose, Katie. You shouldn't ruin the moment." I smiled thankfully and she winked at me.

"Fine", Katie sighed, "tell me you've at least had dinner?"

I shook my head childishly while I took another sip, already feeling the alcohol rush to my head. Katie disappeared into the kitchen and came out with a plate of deliciously looking pasta and some shredded parmesan on the side. I delved in, only stopping to laugh or take another swig of wine. All thoughts of Naomi's soft lips, silky skin and piercing eyes vanished by my fourth glass of wine and I spent the remainder of the night dancing with my twin and her friends in her living room.

A loud noise coming from my sister's kitchen woke me up. The sound hurt my ears, eyes and head. "What the fuck?", I shouted angrily.

"Sorry!"

I recognized the voice of my younger brother, James, and quickly got up but regretting it immediately when blinding pain shot from one side of my head to the other. I went to the kitchen, massaging my temples on the way. "James? What are you doing here?" I sneered, annoyed at being awake this early and with a horrible headache.

"Katie always has the most delicious leftovers", he shrugged while stuffing a handful of cold pasta in his mouth and licking his fingers clean. I realized he was drunk off his face and probably hadn't been to bed yet despite it being early morning. He had moved here to attend Uni this fall and had become a frequent visitor at Katie's flat whenever food was included. The two of them had never really been close, as Katie had been busy with boys and popularity growing up, whereas James had been busy spying on us in the bathroom. That combination wasn't a match made in heaven and I was glad they were getting along better these days.

Realizing he was right, I dove into the cold pasta myself – it was just as delicious now as last night. I recovered my purse and took out a handful of painkillers, filled a glass of water and swallowed two. I handed James some pills and the glass of water. "Thanks Sis, always looking out for me", he said and winked which caused him to sway slightly. I shook my head, took his hand and dragged him to the couch. He complained a little, muttering about not being a baby but as soon as his head hit the pillow, he was basically asleep. I covered him with a blanket and refilled the water glass, placing it on the coffee table in front of him. I brushed some hair from his forehead and smiled. It's amazing how easily you can set aside your own discomfort as soon as someone you love is in need. At that thought, Gina's face sprung to mind, quickly followed by Naomi's and I started to recall why I had had five extra glasses of wine last night. Shit! I looked at my watch and realized that Jeremy would be home in a couple of hours and I needed to get this sorted before he came home. I also needed a change of clothes, a shower and a toothbrush, all of which Katie could provide. I jumped in the shower while brushing my teeth and ransacked Katie's wardrobe for something that felt remotely like my style. Most of her clothes were colorful which fitted the fabulous world of theater nicely but would get some rather strange looks while walking down the corridor at King's College University Hospital. I wrote a quick note to Katie, who was still sound asleep and let myself out.

I have always loved the Fitch-family and I felt like quickly introducing a grown up (or almost anyway) James Fitch as well as Katie and Effy. Naomily interaction will follow in the next chapter and a whole lot of science too… I hope you keep reading and keep sending reviews my way! Sound off if you like it or if it sucks!