A/N – Here it is, the second part of Saturday afternoon/evening. I am so happy you are being patient with me and sticking with the story! There is a little Naomily interaction in this chapter and we get a slight look into how brilliant Emily actually is…

Skins is surprisingly still not my invention…

Chapter 6. A Lasting Impression

Emily's POV

Despite having eaten a handful of pasta with James in the early hours of the morning, I was starving. The headache I had woken up with had disappeared but I felt a desperate need for something salty and fatty, so when Gina and Cook returned a few hours later carrying bags from the diner around the corner, my mouth started to water. I was still sitting in Naomi's bed but she has dozed off about half an hour ago. The morphine pump was keeping her pain to a minimum but occasionally, it would cause her to rest her eyes for a while. I had entertained her to the best of my ability, which hadn't really been all that hard. I usually wasn't this relaxed around people aside from my siblings, Jeremy perhaps Effy. She and Katie had been friends since college, despite them fighting over the same boy for the better part of a year. I had told Naomi all of this, along with the story of how I ended up in London and where I grew up. The past half hour had given me some time for quiet reflection but I had found that I didn't really need to reflect all that much. I had come to apologize, which had apparently been unnecessary. I had come to do damage control, of which there seemed to be no need. Naomi had taken everything with a teasing smile and grudgingly, I had come to the conclusion that her good-natured mood probably had something to do with the return of her boyfriend. She had mentioned that he had been out of contact for three months and was unaware of her illness until now. It had broken my heart and had resulted in tears streaming down both our faces. I felt horrible for feeling jealous of Cook, who honestly seemed like a fantastic guy. They obviously loved each other dearly and Gina seemed to as well. Not that my mother didn't like Jeremy, she adored him in fact, but it was nowhere near Gina's affection for Cook.

As they entered, I put a finger to my lips, indicating they used hushed voices. Cook looked worried for a second and hurriedly walked to the bed. He had changed out of the uniform and seemed different in regular clothes, younger somehow. I had pegged him to be older than me, perhaps closer to thirty than twenty-five but in a pair of khakis and a blue shirt that matched his eyes, he seemed more like a teenager than a man.

Seeing Naomi sleeping peacefully seemed to calm him and he shot me a genuine smile. "She beautiful, isn't she?", he whispered, tilting his head toward me without taking his eyes off her. The punch to my stomach was painfully hard this time as his comment had caught me off guard. Having the wind knocked out of me, all I could manage was to simply nod in honest agreement. Cook reached out to touch her cheek but thought better of it as she shifted, opening her piercing blue eyes.

"Jesus Christ, can't a girl take a nap without waking up to three perverts ogling her?" She sat up, Cook assisting her with an arm, receiving a thankful smile as he did. He took a seat in the lounger and I swung my legs back over the side of the bed, getting out. Naomi gently touched my leg, indicating I should stay put. I felt her warm hand linger and was amazed at how such a simple touch could cause bursts of energy to course through me. I managed to smile without blushing and settled back down in the bed. Gina handed me a bag and I dove into the most divine cheeseburger I had ever had. Whether it was actually that good a burger or simply the lingering sensation of Naomi's hand on my leg and getting to spend the better part of the day in her proximity, I didn't know and couldn't care less.

Naomi's POV

She knew I didn't have much of a taste for food these days but Mum had still bought a burger and some fries for me. I managed about a third of it all before handing it over to a delighted Cook. I suppose he hadn't seen the best cuisine lately, canned army foods and all, so for once I felt happy about my lack of appetite. He looked like a kid in a candy store when I handed it over to him, ketchup and grease stuck to his cheeks because he was so busy stuffing his face that he couldn't be bothered with a napkin. I couldn't help but smile affectionately. God, how I've missed him!

I turned to my side, watching my three odd companions finish their food. Mum had pulled up a chair and small table next to Cook's lounger and Emily was thankfully still planted at the foot of my bed, the bag of food resting in her lap. She finished her fries and rolled the empty bag up in a ball, turned sideways to face the door and surprised me by throwing the ball of paper in a perfect bow into the wastebasket. She surprised me even more by celebrating the successful throw with a goofy grin, receiving an appreciative high-five from Cook in the process. There wasn't much sign of the brilliant, serious scientist I thought her to be but it really didn't matter. I was happy at this Emily as well, a more relaxed, human version somehow. Not that she had ever appeared cold, quite the contrary, but this was something different. She seemed younger, more like my age than she had during our first meeting or even than she had yesterday. The tight, bright purple top of course also gave a younger impression than the more professional white shirt and grey cardigan she had worn last night. Suddenly, something occurred to me.

"How old are you?", I asked, looking curiously at Emily. No one had said more than a few words since Mum and Cook showed up, food in hand. Not that the atmosphere was awkward, we had simply been busy using our mouths to eat. So when I spoke, everyone stopped what they were doing and regarded me with curiosity. Emily blushed slightly and Cook eventually let out a laugh. "What?", I asked, a little bewildered.

"Naomikins, you of all people should know that most women take offense to that!"

Realizing that my question was perhaps a bit rude, I felt stupid and a bit worried that Emily might actually have taken it the wrong way. "No, I didn't mean it like that…", I started, giving her an apologetic smile, "I meant, you have a PhD, which means what, at least eight years of education after college?" Emily nodded at my estimate. "But you don't seem like you are any closer to thirty than me and Cook, so I was honestly trying to work out how everything fit together", I explained, shrugging.

"So I should take it as a compliment then?", Emily smiled slyly as she pulled both of her legs up into the bed, sitting cross-legged, her right knee resting against my lower leg.

"Exactly", I smiled and shifted slightly so that more of my leg was in contact with hers. She didn't shy away and instead moved her right hand down to rest on the bed, effectively resting her palm against my leg. I wasn't sure it was an intentional touch until she started moving her thumb in a gentle caress. Mum and Cook were sitting on the opposite side of my bed and her caress was therefore completely hidden from them. Emily herself seemed completely at ease with it, acting as if she wasn't attentively caressing the leg of her study subject while sitting in said subject's hospital bed. Not that I'm complaining…

"Alright, well, there is a boring and very short answer to your question and then there is a slightly less boring, more elaborate one." She smiled warmly at me and in combination with the innocent caress of my leg, I felt heat rising in my cheeks. "Short answer is that I'm 24." Emily smiled to herself as she continued, "the elaborate explanation is that I skipped a few years in pursuit of a degree and then a PhD."

Mum gawked at Emily, obviously impressed with her. "But how is that even possible?", she blurted out.

Emily turned her head and smiled warmly at Mum before turning her attention back to me. Her hand however, never left my leg and never stopped its sweet caress. "I graduated college at 18, did a bachelor's in only two years, a Master's in about 15 months instead of two full years and was accepted by Kieran as a PhD on the same day I received my Master's degree." She smiled and shrugged indifferently, like it was no big deal, "three years later, I am officially a PhD and voila, here I sit."

This time, we all gawked at her, eyes as big as saucers and jaws dropping to the floor or, in my case, mattress.

Emily's POV

Having told this story before, I was fully aware that it sounded impressive. If I was being honest, I wasn't even telling them the whole story because truthfully, people tended to find me conceited or arrogant and on one particular occasion, a freak of nature.

Naomi was the first to gather her wits. "You really weren't kidding when you said you had your head in the books, were you?"

I shrugged and felt a little uncomfortable, like I always do in this situation. That was one of the things I always appreciated about Jeremy. He understood my passion and determination and never stood in my way when I was doing a double course-load. Shit! Jeremy! I looked at my watch in panic. Half past three, fuck! Jeremy would have been home for hours now and wondering where I was. I had left my phone in my purse by the coatrack and since it was permanently on sleep mode, it hadn't even vibrated. I realized I would have to get up and go get it but I was unwilling to actually do so. When I had felt Naomi shift and move closer, I had immediately forgotten all about acting professionally and reached out to feel even closer to her. It was like I just couldn't help myself when around her. The undeniable pull was ever present, regardless of whether she was awake, sleeping or being kissed adoringly by her soldier boyfriend. Although, experiencing the latter didn't technically pull me towards her, as much as make me want to pull him off her. He seemed like a wonderful guy and I believed Naomi to be better off with him here, but the mere thought of Cook's lips on hers made my stomach turn. I think the ship has sailed on acting professionally…

I decided I could stay put a little longer before getting up and fetching my phone. My crossed legs were starting to feel a bit numb though, so I had to stretch them for a minute. I reluctantly had to move my hand off Naomi's leg and as I did, I noticed a dispirited expression momentarily cross her face. She shifted to a sitting position, her legs slightly bent before her. I took advantage of the increased space and stretched my legs out, my feet hidden from Cook and Gina's sights behind Naomi's comforter. I sighed as normal circulation was restored and when Naomi's hand moved to lie on my outstretched legs, all thoughts of Jeremy or my phone once again vanished from my mind.

Naomi's POV

It almost felt like a normal afternoon, sitting around laughing, telling stories with a couple of friends while Mum provided snacks and drinks. When the room grew dark as the sun disappeared behind the neighboring building, Cook slid further and further down in the lounger before finally falling asleep. Mum told us that he had been awake for almost two days before finally arriving here but he had insisted on coming back to the hospital after showering and changing. 'Plenty of time for rest later', he kept repeating to Mum. We let him sleep for about an hour before Mum decided this was an undignified way to spend his first night back in the country, so she woke him up and took him back to my flat. He planted a soft kiss on my cheek before heading out. Mum would be back in an hour or so and had made sure Emily would stay with me until she returned. I complained a little about being babied but truthfully, I was quietly thanking her for guaranteeing me more time with Emily.

Evenings were the worst for me, both in terms of pain and in mindset. Before you fall asleep, a thousand different scenes are played out before your inner eye and a million thoughts cross your mind. This doesn't change when you become terminally ill but you can imagine the nature and origin of these thoughts are a bit different than you're used to. Every night before falling asleep, the faces of my loved ones and at times of people I didn't even like very much, flashed before my eyes, causing ripples of intense physical pain that had nothing to do with cancer. I would fall asleep thinking about trivial, everyday things I would never experience again and then feel guilty for pitying myself. The very last thing on my mind before finally drifting off was always either Mum or Cook. The only exception to this pattern had been last night, as the exquisite creature presently lounging on my bed had been the sole occupant of my tired mind.

The pain of sitting was becoming unbearable and I had to lie down, despite knowing that once I did, Emily wouldn't fit in the bed in her current position. I sighed and motioned that I needed to move and to utilize the space she was presently occupying. Emily practically jumped out of the bed and in a flash was helping me fix my pillows so I would be at ease lying on my side. As always, I was most comfortable lying on my right side, my back to the door. Emily went around the room and turned off all the lights, leaving only the light coming through the cracked door to the hallway. It was still early but I was exhausted. I had slept well last night but since it had been an eventful day, I hadn't taken my two-hour nap during the afternoon and the added weariness was really starting to present itself.

"Do you need anything?", Emily softly asked as she returned to my bedside.

I hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was really worth it to be bold but as Emily locked her incredible, dark eyes with mine, I realized there was every reason to be. I moved backwards and patted the empty space in front of me. There wasn't enough light in the room for me to see Emily's face clearly, so all I could do was hold my breath and wait for her to either take a seat in the lounger or crawl into bed with me. After what seemed like an eternity, I felt the mattress give a little at the added weight and I finally exhaled.

Emily's head rested on my pillow, her gorgeous face so close I could feel her breath against my skin. The bed wasn't tiny but I noticed that she kind of was. My legs were curled up slightly but she was lying more or less fully stretched out and still, our feet were level. I relaxed a little and stuffed my hands between the pillow and my cheek, effectively holding my tired head in place. Emily copied my position but left one hand free, resting it on the empty space on the mattress between us. I studied her exquisite face in the scarce light coming from the hallway and noticed how her dark eyes seemed to sparkle as she locked them with mine. I felt the unrelenting army of butterflies take off inside and my heart pounded loudly in my ears. Emily's gaze fell to my lips, only to drift along my chin and cheek, essentially caressing my face before settling back to my eyes. The expression in her eyes changed as she lifted her hand from the mattress and gently ran it through my short, unruly hair. I tensed at the caress, not because it was unpleasant but because I hadn't allowed anyone to touch my hair since it first fell off. She noticed but didn't move her hand away. Instead, she ran it through my hair again and continued down the back of my neck, effectually sending shivers down my spine.

"You're beautiful…", she whispered, her hand still caressing the short hair at the back of my neck. The look on Emily's face was almost haunted. Her eyes were filled with ambivalence; one part pure awe, the other absolute horror. I once again held my breath as she lifted her head from the pillow and slowly leaned towards me.

"Emily?", a male voice called from behind me.

Now, I'm guessing you might have guessed who that man could be! I think the next chapter is going to be fun to write!

Sound off in a review if you feel like giving me some feedback or motivation! Because honestly, every time I get one, or a follow or fav, I want to run to the computer and lock myself away and just write…