Past Present, Ch. 6
Past Present
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Skins, Katie/Effy
Rating: M
Author’s Notes: Inspired by all the great Keffy fics out there. Feedback would be manna.
Gratitude Alert: Thank you to all those who review this work at ff.net and lj. Please keep your comments coming! To those who haven’t, well, lurk on. Bear in mind that it’s entirely possible that more comments and reviews mean more updates. Also, expect inconsistencies and logical gaps in this chapter and for the rest of the story, this is unbeta’ed and more importantly, real life currently does not amuse.
Shout out to LJ readers: I may decide to learn the LJ cut at some point, until then bear with the layout of the page.
Chapter notes: To those who care, sorry for the delayed update J. Based on the undeserved cliffhangers I’m sure you can tell that I’m an amateur who does not do outlines and is entirely the plaything of a flighty muse.
Chapter 6
Katie spent at least 10 minutes queueing, time that Effy spent mulling over the twin's question. Effy always considered herself as one of those people born guarded, shackles up all the time. With her looks and well-honed mystique, she could always count on getting others to recognize and respect the walls she kept around herself. Tony and her grandmother were among the select few who managed to see her without armor. And now Katie has all but challenged Effy to let her in.
When Katie returned with boxes of food, Effy was reminded of Rob Fitch and his zealous devotion to "Fitchness". The feast Katie was carrying on a greasy tray would surely earn his disapproval.
"Where's the rest of the platoon we're feeding, Katie?"
"Oh, I haven't had the chance to gloat about it yet, but 2 days in the gym every week and my metabolism lets me do whatever I want. So I get to eat like this every so often."
The two began rooting through the boxes. Effy, ever the sceptic, picked a chicken wing and started judging the recommendation that Katie passed on.
"Not bad, although I seriously doubt that those claims about the absence of MSG are anywhere near credible."
Katie looked up from her fried rice. "I guess this means that you pick evasion over confession?”
Effy started wiping her hands on her napkin while Katie looked on, wondering if she pushed too far. We were never that close after all, she thought, maybe she will do a runner, something I expect from the old Effy.
"I've never really had to explain my life to anyone."
"I'm looking for an exposition, really, not a rationalization in the defense mechanism sense."
"You got really smart while I wasn't looking, huh?”
"I was always smart," Katie smirked. "It's just my ego got in the way of my brain when we were younger. And to others, my tits obscured everything else about me."
Effy smirked back. "They are noteworthy. What do you want to know?”
"First, the transition from Stonem to Holden, how?”
"Elizabeth the Elder, as Mauricio somewhat refers to her, is my maternal grandmother. She and my mother had a falling out shortly before Tony was born. When my parents finally got divorced, she contacted us. Tony and I decided to live with her. After Tony died, I adopted his daughter, Alicia. I am raising her as my own and the most I want is to hopefully screw up her life in far less damaging ways than what I've had to endure.”
"Do you ever go back to Bristol?”
"Only in my mind, and almost always unwillingly.” Without meaning to, Effy's glanced settled for a few moments on Katie's temple. "Is it my turn to ask questions, yet?”
"Okay.”
"Is this merely a truce or am I truly forgiven?”
Katie stopped to think and looked Effy straight in the eye. She rolled her eyes before replying, "On the condition that you fucking stop the goddamn melodrama, yes, all is forgiven.”
"All of it?”
Katie nodded yes, but then dangled a bait, "Are you perhaps alluding to the fact that even before the skater boy you were an utter cunt to me during college?”
"That is untrue. I was no such thing towards you”
"So the part where you made me feel like I was unworthy to be in your presence was all in my head?”
"Very much so” Effy replied a little too quickly in Katie’s assessment.
Katie smiled, "That lying thing just comes ever so naturally to you doesn't it?”
Effy gave a small laugh, "Give me a break, Katiekins. You wanted to forge a friendship based on the fact that we were the fittest ones in there.”
"See, that was just on the surface, Ms. Enigmatic Bullshit.”
"Awww, did I break your heart?”
"Bruised my ego was all. Doesn't change the fact that I was fit.”
"And according to you, so was I... an assertion you made explicitly and publicly on the first day we met. Not so straight even then, huh?”
Katie started laughing, making her like her younger self, or the version of it that Effy didn’t hate. "You wish.”
I do now... Effy thought.
"My turn again,” Katie said between bites, “what's it like for you, being a mom?”
Effy gave Katie one of her rare genuine smiles. "Fucking scary and exhilarating.” She gave a little laugh "I know I'm making it sound like skydiving. The comparison is warranted. Also being friends with Panda helped a lot. She was and still IS an exercise in patience.”
Effy waited for their shared laughter to settle before continuing, "My turn, then. First time you slept with a woman, who, when, where.”
"There's like three questions in there.”
Effy merely raised an eyebrow, an image that, along with her slight smile, was a throwback for Katie.
Katie replied. "New York, a few years ago, Mia, brunette, scorchingly hot, since I deserve no less.”
"Was it... satisfactory?”
"Yes, it was. Very. For both parties, mind.”
"No regrets?”
"Should have tried it sooner and definitely should have been much more of a sister to Ems when she was coming out.”
"You two all sorted, then?”
"Yeah. I love the bitch.”
"And Naomi?”
"I'll put you through a meat grinder if this gets out, but yes, I love her, too. They make each other disgustingly happy.”
"Do you envy them?”
"Yes and no. Do you?”
Effy turned quiet. "My situation is a bit more complicated than finding a partner, don't you think?”
Katie, true to form, was not going to be dissuaded by Effy’s usual methods "Not what I asked, Eff. Do you want the whole relationship-for-life thing?”
"Don't you? And how fucking unfair is it that those two found it in Roundview as teenagers?”
"Ugh, don't remind me. It's not right that they make me feel like I'm destined to be the spinster aunt.”
"Dry spell, there, Miss Katie?”
"Is it just me or does this conversation always finds its way back to sex?”
"Let me do the gallant but not entirely accurate thing and admit that the recurring theme of sex is solely my fault because I haven't gone out with anyone serious since I broke up with someone, uhm, four, five months ago.”
"Was the break-up that traumatic? I mean traumatic enough that you forgot exactly when it occurred?" Katie reached for some dimsum to tamp down her amusement and her curiosity.
"No, it was closer to a non-event. She worked a lot, so did I, I had Alicia and I honestly never thought of her as someone who would fit in that picture. The whole thing just eroded slowly and not unexpectedly.” Effy straightened and said, “We’re still friends,” then instinctively knew what to add next, “and yes we meant it.”
“That’s sooo mature. When I grow up, I wanna be like you.” Katie continued, “Wait, that means you’re still fuck buddies, right? Still able to have the fun without the drama? Cause that is exactly what I meant when I said I wanna be like you.”
“For those of us that need labels to guide us through life, yes, I suppose we could be called occasional fuck buddies.” Effy patiently waited for Katie to finish sipping from her seemingly inexhaustible giant cup. She fleetingly thought of releasing a well-timed query, well-timed, that is, for something designed to make Katie spit all over herself. She merely smiled through the impulse and when it was safe for the other woman, she waited until Katie stared back at her before she asked, “When was the last time you had a good, consciousness-depriving shag, Katie? I mean the kind with someone else in the room?”
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Pairing: Skins, Katie/Effy
Rating: M
Author’s Notes: Inspired by all the great Keffy fics out there. Feedback would be manna.
Gratitude Alert: Thank you to all those who review this work at ff.net and lj. Please keep your comments coming! To those who haven’t, well, lurk on. Bear in mind that it’s entirely possible that more comments and reviews mean more updates. Also, expect inconsistencies and logical gaps in this chapter and for the rest of the story, this is unbeta’ed and more importantly, real life currently does not amuse.
Shout out to LJ readers: I may decide to learn the LJ cut at some point, until then bear with the layout of the page.
Chapter notes: To those who care, sorry for the delayed update J. Based on the undeserved cliffhangers I’m sure you can tell that I’m an amateur who does not do outlines and is entirely the plaything of a flighty muse.
Chapter 6
Katie spent at least 10 minutes queueing, time that Effy spent mulling over the twin's question. Effy always considered herself as one of those people born guarded, shackles up all the time. With her looks and well-honed mystique, she could always count on getting others to recognize and respect the walls she kept around herself. Tony and her grandmother were among the select few who managed to see her without armor. And now Katie has all but challenged Effy to let her in.
When Katie returned with boxes of food, Effy was reminded of Rob Fitch and his zealous devotion to "Fitchness". The feast Katie was carrying on a greasy tray would surely earn his disapproval.
"Where's the rest of the platoon we're feeding, Katie?"
"Oh, I haven't had the chance to gloat about it yet, but 2 days in the gym every week and my metabolism lets me do whatever I want. So I get to eat like this every so often."
The two began rooting through the boxes. Effy, ever the sceptic, picked a chicken wing and started judging the recommendation that Katie passed on.
"Not bad, although I seriously doubt that those claims about the absence of MSG are anywhere near credible."
Katie looked up from her fried rice. "I guess this means that you pick evasion over confession?”
Effy started wiping her hands on her napkin while Katie looked on, wondering if she pushed too far. We were never that close after all, she thought, maybe she will do a runner, something I expect from the old Effy.
"I've never really had to explain my life to anyone."
"I'm looking for an exposition, really, not a rationalization in the defense mechanism sense."
"You got really smart while I wasn't looking, huh?”
"I was always smart," Katie smirked. "It's just my ego got in the way of my brain when we were younger. And to others, my tits obscured everything else about me."
Effy smirked back. "They are noteworthy. What do you want to know?”
"First, the transition from Stonem to Holden, how?”
"Elizabeth the Elder, as Mauricio somewhat refers to her, is my maternal grandmother. She and my mother had a falling out shortly before Tony was born. When my parents finally got divorced, she contacted us. Tony and I decided to live with her. After Tony died, I adopted his daughter, Alicia. I am raising her as my own and the most I want is to hopefully screw up her life in far less damaging ways than what I've had to endure.”
"Do you ever go back to Bristol?”
"Only in my mind, and almost always unwillingly.” Without meaning to, Effy's glanced settled for a few moments on Katie's temple. "Is it my turn to ask questions, yet?”
"Okay.”
"Is this merely a truce or am I truly forgiven?”
Katie stopped to think and looked Effy straight in the eye. She rolled her eyes before replying, "On the condition that you fucking stop the goddamn melodrama, yes, all is forgiven.”
"All of it?”
Katie nodded yes, but then dangled a bait, "Are you perhaps alluding to the fact that even before the skater boy you were an utter cunt to me during college?”
"That is untrue. I was no such thing towards you”
"So the part where you made me feel like I was unworthy to be in your presence was all in my head?”
"Very much so” Effy replied a little too quickly in Katie’s assessment.
Katie smiled, "That lying thing just comes ever so naturally to you doesn't it?”
Effy gave a small laugh, "Give me a break, Katiekins. You wanted to forge a friendship based on the fact that we were the fittest ones in there.”
"See, that was just on the surface, Ms. Enigmatic Bullshit.”
"Awww, did I break your heart?”
"Bruised my ego was all. Doesn't change the fact that I was fit.”
"And according to you, so was I... an assertion you made explicitly and publicly on the first day we met. Not so straight even then, huh?”
Katie started laughing, making her like her younger self, or the version of it that Effy didn’t hate. "You wish.”
I do now... Effy thought.
"My turn again,” Katie said between bites, “what's it like for you, being a mom?”
Effy gave Katie one of her rare genuine smiles. "Fucking scary and exhilarating.” She gave a little laugh "I know I'm making it sound like skydiving. The comparison is warranted. Also being friends with Panda helped a lot. She was and still IS an exercise in patience.”
Effy waited for their shared laughter to settle before continuing, "My turn, then. First time you slept with a woman, who, when, where.”
"There's like three questions in there.”
Effy merely raised an eyebrow, an image that, along with her slight smile, was a throwback for Katie.
Katie replied. "New York, a few years ago, Mia, brunette, scorchingly hot, since I deserve no less.”
"Was it... satisfactory?”
"Yes, it was. Very. For both parties, mind.”
"No regrets?”
"Should have tried it sooner and definitely should have been much more of a sister to Ems when she was coming out.”
"You two all sorted, then?”
"Yeah. I love the bitch.”
"And Naomi?”
"I'll put you through a meat grinder if this gets out, but yes, I love her, too. They make each other disgustingly happy.”
"Do you envy them?”
"Yes and no. Do you?”
Effy turned quiet. "My situation is a bit more complicated than finding a partner, don't you think?”
Katie, true to form, was not going to be dissuaded by Effy’s usual methods "Not what I asked, Eff. Do you want the whole relationship-for-life thing?”
"Don't you? And how fucking unfair is it that those two found it in Roundview as teenagers?”
"Ugh, don't remind me. It's not right that they make me feel like I'm destined to be the spinster aunt.”
"Dry spell, there, Miss Katie?”
"Is it just me or does this conversation always finds its way back to sex?”
"Let me do the gallant but not entirely accurate thing and admit that the recurring theme of sex is solely my fault because I haven't gone out with anyone serious since I broke up with someone, uhm, four, five months ago.”
"Was the break-up that traumatic? I mean traumatic enough that you forgot exactly when it occurred?" Katie reached for some dimsum to tamp down her amusement and her curiosity.
"No, it was closer to a non-event. She worked a lot, so did I, I had Alicia and I honestly never thought of her as someone who would fit in that picture. The whole thing just eroded slowly and not unexpectedly.” Effy straightened and said, “We’re still friends,” then instinctively knew what to add next, “and yes we meant it.”
“That’s sooo mature. When I grow up, I wanna be like you.” Katie continued, “Wait, that means you’re still fuck buddies, right? Still able to have the fun without the drama? Cause that is exactly what I meant when I said I wanna be like you.”
“For those of us that need labels to guide us through life, yes, I suppose we could be called occasional fuck buddies.” Effy patiently waited for Katie to finish sipping from her seemingly inexhaustible giant cup. She fleetingly thought of releasing a well-timed query, well-timed, that is, for something designed to make Katie spit all over herself. She merely smiled through the impulse and when it was safe for the other woman, she waited until Katie stared back at her before she asked, “When was the last time you had a good, consciousness-depriving shag, Katie? I mean the kind with someone else in the room?”