Family Affair (Part 5)
Title: Family Affair (Part 5)
Author: xjekkix
Rating: PG-13 for some swearing
Word Count: 958
Disclaimer: I don't own Skins, or its characters.
Summary: Naomi and Emily go to a family reunion.
As they walk down the stairs, Naomi tries to adjust her skirt. “You think we ought to change?” she asks.
Emily shakes her head with a devilish grin and sneaks her hand up the back of it until Naomi slaps it away, a stern look on her face. “Sorry, but I rather like seeing you show off a little leg.”
They’re glad when they reach the dining room to find Naomi’s family too preoccupied with filling their plates and their stomachs to even notice the girls’ lengthy absence.
Naomi’s mum proposes a toast with her glass. She spills a bit on herself and begins to giggle uncontrollably. “Here’s…haha…oh gosh, I’ve gone and spilled some. Where’s a rag? Here’s to…haha. I’m really fucking glad my daughter’s here.”
Naomi hides her face, embarrassed and bolts from the dining room. Emily tries to fight her way through throngs of hungry Campbells but is unsuccessful. She decides to eat first; console Naomi later. She’s probably well enough angry with me anyway, she thinks.
Outside, Naomi puffs angrily away at a cig in her hand. She’s nearly done it when the front screen door creaks open. She lets out a sigh of relief and turns, expecting to see Emily. “See, I told you they’re fucking mental. I’m not like them, Em, I swear.”
A tear slides down her cheek. She wipes it away upon seeing Uncle Jack standing in the doorway. He looks genuinely concerned. “I know you’re not.”
Naomi takes one last drag from her smoke and stomps it out. She stands, flattening the skirt against her legs and rushes toward the house. Uncle Jack stands in her way, his feeble arms spread to keep her from the door. “I’d like to get some food, please. And can you just leave me alone?”
Uncle Jack shakes his head and folds his arms around the blonde’s shoulders. She hesitates, but wraps an arm around his waist. This is nice, she thinks. Whatever happened to the sweet, fun-loving uncle she had remembered from her childhood.
“I’m sorry if you think I’m hassling you. I’ve just seen this all before and don’t want to see you end up old and bitter like me.” Uncle Jack strokes Naomi’s hair, her head resting softly on his chest. She stands back, confused.
“What’you talking about? Seen what all before?” Her voice is defensive. He had been hassling her, and Emily. She didn’t appreciate it one bit.
“I see the way she looks at you,” he says, letting out a blissful sigh. “And the way you look at her - when you think no one is watching. D’you know how lucky you are?”
Naomi shrugs, purses her lips. She crosses her arms and looks down at her feet. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
Uncle Jack slides a fist beneath Naomi’s chin and lifts her face to look at his. “I’m gay, Naomi.”
She looks at him, shocked but understanding. Her bottom lip quivers and she feels a lump forming in her throat. “I’m not. I mean, I don’t think I am. I’m not really sure.”
He smiles at her. She remembers this Uncle Jack. The man she could talk to about everything and not worry about being judged. “It’s alright. You’ve got all the time in the world. But don’t lie about it. Eventually she’ll get sick of being your dirty little secret.”
Naomi scrunches her face up. She hates the sound of ‘dirty little secret’. She wonders if Emily thinks that’s all she is. “You’ve been in love, yeah?”
Uncle Jack nods, a sad look on his face.
“How d’you suppose I tell everyone?” Naomi’s mouth twists nervously. Uncle Jack shrugs.
“That’s up to you, love. I didn’t and look where it’s got me.”
“And what if I’m not ready?”
The front door creaks again and Emily emerges from the house, a plate full of food in each of her hands; one for herself and one for Naomi. She grimaces when she sees Naomi talking to her uncle.
Uncle Jack gives Naomi another gentle hug. “You’ll know when you are,” he whispers in her ear and heads back toward the house. He smiles sweetly at Emily; her jaw drops.
“What was that about?” Emily asks, politely handing Naomi her plate of food and some cutlery.
Naomi shrugs and sets her plate on the cement wall next to her. She takes Emily’s and sets it beside her own. Her hand flies to the redhead’s cheek and she kisses her quickly.
Emily stumbles, stunned by the sudden display of affection. Naomi catches her by the wrist and holds her upright.
“D’you feel like I’m keeping you a secret?”
Emily shrugs and seriously considers the question. “Sometimes, I guess, but I understand.”
“Why’d you tell your parents about me?” Naomi takes Emily’s hand in one of her own and brushes a few pieces of red hair from the girl’s face.
Emily laughs. “Honestly? Coz I was angry with them.” Naomi smiles, nodding. “But also because I love you, and I wanted them to know.”
Naomi swallows hard and kisses Emily again. “I don’t want to keep you a secret.”
Emily smiles and her eyes well up with tears. She sniffles and hugs Naomi close to her, burying her face in the blonde’s neck.
They make eyes at each other while they eat outside in peace. Naomi stands first, piling Emily’s plate on top of her own. She holds out her free hand.
Emily grins and slides her fingers between the blonde’s. “You’re sure, then?”
Naomi inhales and exhales deeply, squeezing the girl’s porcelain hand. They bravely climb the front steps together. Naomi nods nervously as Emily takes hold of the front door handle. “Sure as I’m going to be.”
Author: xjekkix
Rating: PG-13 for some swearing
Word Count: 958
Disclaimer: I don't own Skins, or its characters.
Summary: Naomi and Emily go to a family reunion.
As they walk down the stairs, Naomi tries to adjust her skirt. “You think we ought to change?” she asks.
Emily shakes her head with a devilish grin and sneaks her hand up the back of it until Naomi slaps it away, a stern look on her face. “Sorry, but I rather like seeing you show off a little leg.”
They’re glad when they reach the dining room to find Naomi’s family too preoccupied with filling their plates and their stomachs to even notice the girls’ lengthy absence.
Naomi’s mum proposes a toast with her glass. She spills a bit on herself and begins to giggle uncontrollably. “Here’s…haha…oh gosh, I’ve gone and spilled some. Where’s a rag? Here’s to…haha. I’m really fucking glad my daughter’s here.”
Naomi hides her face, embarrassed and bolts from the dining room. Emily tries to fight her way through throngs of hungry Campbells but is unsuccessful. She decides to eat first; console Naomi later. She’s probably well enough angry with me anyway, she thinks.
Outside, Naomi puffs angrily away at a cig in her hand. She’s nearly done it when the front screen door creaks open. She lets out a sigh of relief and turns, expecting to see Emily. “See, I told you they’re fucking mental. I’m not like them, Em, I swear.”
A tear slides down her cheek. She wipes it away upon seeing Uncle Jack standing in the doorway. He looks genuinely concerned. “I know you’re not.”
Naomi takes one last drag from her smoke and stomps it out. She stands, flattening the skirt against her legs and rushes toward the house. Uncle Jack stands in her way, his feeble arms spread to keep her from the door. “I’d like to get some food, please. And can you just leave me alone?”
Uncle Jack shakes his head and folds his arms around the blonde’s shoulders. She hesitates, but wraps an arm around his waist. This is nice, she thinks. Whatever happened to the sweet, fun-loving uncle she had remembered from her childhood.
“I’m sorry if you think I’m hassling you. I’ve just seen this all before and don’t want to see you end up old and bitter like me.” Uncle Jack strokes Naomi’s hair, her head resting softly on his chest. She stands back, confused.
“What’you talking about? Seen what all before?” Her voice is defensive. He had been hassling her, and Emily. She didn’t appreciate it one bit.
“I see the way she looks at you,” he says, letting out a blissful sigh. “And the way you look at her - when you think no one is watching. D’you know how lucky you are?”
Naomi shrugs, purses her lips. She crosses her arms and looks down at her feet. “I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about.”
Uncle Jack slides a fist beneath Naomi’s chin and lifts her face to look at his. “I’m gay, Naomi.”
She looks at him, shocked but understanding. Her bottom lip quivers and she feels a lump forming in her throat. “I’m not. I mean, I don’t think I am. I’m not really sure.”
He smiles at her. She remembers this Uncle Jack. The man she could talk to about everything and not worry about being judged. “It’s alright. You’ve got all the time in the world. But don’t lie about it. Eventually she’ll get sick of being your dirty little secret.”
Naomi scrunches her face up. She hates the sound of ‘dirty little secret’. She wonders if Emily thinks that’s all she is. “You’ve been in love, yeah?”
Uncle Jack nods, a sad look on his face.
“How d’you suppose I tell everyone?” Naomi’s mouth twists nervously. Uncle Jack shrugs.
“That’s up to you, love. I didn’t and look where it’s got me.”
“And what if I’m not ready?”
The front door creaks again and Emily emerges from the house, a plate full of food in each of her hands; one for herself and one for Naomi. She grimaces when she sees Naomi talking to her uncle.
Uncle Jack gives Naomi another gentle hug. “You’ll know when you are,” he whispers in her ear and heads back toward the house. He smiles sweetly at Emily; her jaw drops.
“What was that about?” Emily asks, politely handing Naomi her plate of food and some cutlery.
Naomi shrugs and sets her plate on the cement wall next to her. She takes Emily’s and sets it beside her own. Her hand flies to the redhead’s cheek and she kisses her quickly.
Emily stumbles, stunned by the sudden display of affection. Naomi catches her by the wrist and holds her upright.
“D’you feel like I’m keeping you a secret?”
Emily shrugs and seriously considers the question. “Sometimes, I guess, but I understand.”
“Why’d you tell your parents about me?” Naomi takes Emily’s hand in one of her own and brushes a few pieces of red hair from the girl’s face.
Emily laughs. “Honestly? Coz I was angry with them.” Naomi smiles, nodding. “But also because I love you, and I wanted them to know.”
Naomi swallows hard and kisses Emily again. “I don’t want to keep you a secret.”
Emily smiles and her eyes well up with tears. She sniffles and hugs Naomi close to her, burying her face in the blonde’s neck.
They make eyes at each other while they eat outside in peace. Naomi stands first, piling Emily’s plate on top of her own. She holds out her free hand.
Emily grins and slides her fingers between the blonde’s. “You’re sure, then?”
Naomi inhales and exhales deeply, squeezing the girl’s porcelain hand. They bravely climb the front steps together. Naomi nods nervously as Emily takes hold of the front door handle. “Sure as I’m going to be.”