AN: This is a lovely lil' gem written by Cronomon and myself! A little birthday gift to the two of us.

Disclaimer: We do not claim ownership of Love Live! School Idol Project!

Peak Performance

The café is not a big place, but it has its own charm and comfort.

Homely, wooden chairs and tables sit scattered in a perpetually dimmed room, all facing the back of the building where a piano and microphone stand silently throughout the day. The piano is - was just for show. No longer, the customers note, as six o'clock strikes and the usual singer approaches her makeshift stage, followed by an unfamiliar, younger girl in a modest, black dress.

The singer takes the mic and greets the crowd with her ever-present smile and catchphrase. The other girl takes a seat at the piano bench.

Nico taps out three steady beats with her heel, and the worst performance in the café's history begins.

—

"Just what was that awful improvisation?" Nico rounds on the freshman the moment the café's doors are locked. "Who told you to go off the score like that?"

Maki shrugs irritably, but she at least has the decency to look the slightest bit ashamed as she mumbles, "It wasn't that bad – I was trying to suit your singing more-."

"You're not here to suit my singing," Nico snaps. "You're backup."

"I thought I was here to complement you."

"Complement? You're here to be background music-."

"She's here," Eli cuts in purposefully, "because I hired her." She steps between the two, hands jammed into the pockets of her coat as she glances back and forth, practically daring her performers to object. When neither of them do, she goes on. "Nico, be more mature. It's her first night here and she didn't know what to expect. Maki, if your senior tells you she wants you to do something a certain way, you do it. Is that understood?"

Nico folds her arms against her chest. Maki shuffles her feet.

"I said, is that understood-?"

Maki asserts, "It wasn't awful. I was tailoring the music for you. Tomorrow, I'll make it perfect."

"It was terrible," Nico tells her flatly. "Performing isn't a joke. If you don't get that, we're not appearing on stage together again."

—

When they perform again the next night, Maki's playing is as stiff as the floorboards beneath their feet.

—

Nico almost rips her hair out. "She's out to get me. I swear, I don't know what I did, but she's out to ruin me."

"She is not out to ruin you," Eli assures her.

"Then how do you explain-."

"Listen," Eli waves a finger in front of her, "whether you like it or not, Maki is here to work as your partner. You are both talented musicians and, although you and I have a longer history as friends, I'm not going to prioritize either one of you over my business. After all," she chuckles, leaning back on her chair behind an oaken desk, "this is my only form of income."

"Eli," Nico groans, "she did it on purpose. She's spiteful because she sucks and she knows it. Just fire her and get a new one! Partners are dispensable!"

Eli sighs, "I'll talk to her. But try to work something out together, for my sake. At least give it a week, okay? You need to learn how to get along with others, anyway."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means get out of my office so we can grab some food and both go home."

—

"I'm sorry," the words struggle to escape through a clenched smile, "that you don't know how to appreciate the piano."

Nico drags the palm of her hand down her own face, "You're awful."

An ice cream parlor isn't ideal for people who dislike one another, and yet Eli thinks it is perfectly acceptable to not only force, but trick such individuals into talking out their problems with one another. The promise of a normal night time treat with a friend to only turn into an aggravating confrontation within the privacy of a booth is the worst kind of betrayal. Eli did not even have the decency to show up.

"What is it, exactly, that makes me so awful?" Maki asks, a raised eyebrow accessorizing the irritation of her expression.

"You're supposed to be like the equivalent of elevator music, except on the stage. Your job is to be the background noise of talent. I don't need you getting louder and trying to be fancy all over me. Keep it simple and let my voice make the magic. There's only room for one magician here, and it's me, Nico Yazawa, the pride and joy of Eli Ayase's 'Espresso Your Needs' café."

Maki takes a lick from her ice cream cone, "Your inflated ego is incredibly disgusting."

"You," Nico points a finger at Maki while taking an overly intense and messy bite of her vanilla ice cream, "and your damned tomato ice cream are the only disgusting things here!"

"Well, like letting me complement you on piano, you don't know what it's like until you try it," Maki defends, nonchalantly taking another lick. She sees no reason in getting emotionally invested in an argument, even though she feels her nerve breaking down with every obnoxious thing that comes out of Nico's mouth.

Nico narrows her eyes, squinting at Maki from across the table, "You did a really bad job that second night to spite me, didn't you?"

"I was only," Maki smiles, its sincerity absent and its sarcasm apparent, "playing the way that you wanted me to."

"You were boring and completely off!"

Maki shrugs, "You either get my best or you get my worst. You're asking me to downplay my abilities because you can't stand to share the stage. I'm a professional, which you don't seem to act like."

Nico rises from her seat and leans forward to jab a finger at Maki's collarbone, "I work very hard, do you understand? Your music makes me look like a mess, whether it's you trying to overpower me or undermine me, and I don't need that."

"You're doing a pretty good job of making yourself look like a mess as it is," Maki says, ignoring Nico's finger and using her own to wipe a smudge of vanilla off of Nico's face. The close proximity suddenly becomes more apparent to both of them, their faces heating up enough to practically melt their desserts.

Nico clears her throat and immediately escapes the booth, "You can think twice about me paying for you!"

"I didn't expect you to."

—

To her credit, Maki's a little more cooperative the next night. Even so, Nico can't help but wonder if she's imagining the audience's less-than-captivated mood.

She sings her heart out and dances all her favorite moves, but not once can she keep more than a few pairs of eyes on her, and by the end of the performance, a handful of scattered applause is all that greets her.

—

"It wasn't that bad, right?" Nico hates asking these kinds of desperate questions, but her gaze still flicks nervously at Eli. When she realizes the owner is staring right back at her, she tries to play it off by observing the wallpaper in the distance.

Her friend responds, "It wasn't terrible."

"But it was definitely better than the first couple times with her." Nico pauses, then, before she can stop herself, adds, "Right?"

A few feet away from both of them, Maki is silently packing her sheet music into a binder. Nico notes bitterly that the pianist hasn't said a word all night, save for an obligatory greeting when she'd arrived at the café earlier. As grateful as she is for the absence of arguments, Nico has to admit that she had kind of been expecting something after all that lecturing at the ice cream parlor.

"Well, I'm not sure I really have the expertise to judge that." Eli offers a charming smile, and Nico grimaces when she realizes what the other woman is planning. Twisting slightly in her seat, Eli raises her voice and calls, "What do you think, Maki?"

Maki glances over, looking anything but amused at her sudden inclusion in the conversation. Nico shoots back a scowl in return, which darkens when Maki pointedly ignores her.

Instead, the pianist gasps mockingly and places a dainty hand over her chest. "Me? Oh, I couldn't possibly. How could I, mere elevator music in the presence of this great idol, decide on something on that level of importance?"

Eli looks at Nico with an arched brow. "You told her she was elevator music?"

"No." Nico considers this. "I mean. Not word-for-word."

"I told you to try to get along."

"Well, you also told me that you'd actually be at that ice cream place, so."

"Nico." Eli actually sounds disappointed, and Nico finds herself torn between defensive irritation and guilt.

"I'm not wrong," she mutters weakly, ducking her head.

Maki scoffs. "I can't imagine you ever are." Before Nico can retort, she continues, "In any case, it's not my opinion you should be asking for."

Nico eyes her warily. "And what is that supposed to mean?"

"What does it sound like it means?" Maki rolls her eyes. "Just who do you think we're playing for in the first place? Here's a hint — I'm not exactly trying to bore myself out of my mind with the background noise you call piano playing."

Nico flinches. So the audience's disinterest had been there after all, and worse, it'd apparently been noticeable enough for even the pianist to catch on. She scrambles for words. "I sang just like I always have, if there was anything wrong with that performance it must've been-."

"My fault. Right. Why would I expect anything else," Maki says dryly. "Except I played exactly like you wanted me to, didn't I? Cute and charming, but nothing to take the attention off of you."

"You-."

"Nothing to help you, either, apparently."

Nico's temper flares. "We've been over this, you're not supposed to help me-."

"And look how well that's going for us!" Maki snaps.

"It's not like your attempt at complementing my singing was exactly stellar."

"Like I said, if you'd just give me another chance-."

"And I'm saying there's no point to another a chance," Nico growls. She jabs a thumb at her own chest as she speaks, her words spilling out before she can even process them. "My singing and my singing alone has been more than enough for this place and its customers ever since it opened — there's no reason that should change just because we have some stubborn newbie here who thinks she's all that!"

She stops just as her words catch up to her. Maki is staring at her with wide eyes and, Nico realizes with a shiver, hurt in her expression. But then the younger girl blinks, and just as quickly that wounded look is gone, replaced by a set jaw and a steely gaze.

Eli speaks up then, slowly, calmly. "Except clearly it has changed," she points out, and she keeps a watchful eye on both of her performers. "We've changed, so of course our audience's expectations would change."

"What are you talking about?" Nico mumbles.

"The audience wants more from you now," Eli replies simply. "The pianist's presence raises their expectations, and the moment they realize she's only there for show they lose interest."

"But-."

"To put it bluntly, Nico, I'm telling you that your voice is no longer enough," Eli states. "You need to accept that from this point on, Maki cannot be reduced to white noise. I've been trying to make this clear from the start, but for both of your sakes I will be as direct as possible." Her gaze is steady and meaningful. She says carefully, "You two do not have a choice in this. You must be able to work together."

Nico swallows. Out of the corner of her eye she sees Maki stiffen. The singer opens her mouth without anything to say, but abruptly, Eli stands, clapping her hands together with a pleasant smile, as though the past tension-filled minutes hadn't occurred at all.

"So with that settled," she says breezily, "what do you guys say to another trip to that ice cream parlor?"

—

Needless to say, the notion is rejected by both parties.

"It's not that I don't love a frosty treat but," Nico begins to say, a bite into her chicken sandwich following closely behind, "I juth dun't think I wanna' rithk my diet."

Maki deadpans, "Can you swallow before speaking?"

Nico deliberately chews in a more exaggerated fashion, singing to a song that Maki can't make out due to its incoherency.

"You're obnoxious."

Nico swallows and huffs, "Likewise."

"Okay, you know what?" Maki groans, turning her body fully toward Nico's direction. They are sitting on a velvet couch in the café – one of only two – after closing time because Eli swears that none of them will leave until something gets sorted out, and Maki no longer sees any reason to let this situation drag on. She puts on a fake smile, "I have an idea. Let's not bicker for one second and figure something out that will make the audience enjoy the shows more."

"You don't have to play nice," Nico shrugs, "Eli is in the back office."

Maki rolls her eyes, "I'm being serious. Anyway, maybe we could change up the style of the music altogether for – "

"Nope, absolutely not."

"You are so stubborn! Why won't you try anything new?" Maki asks, her hand opening upward in a frustrated gesture.

"Being stubborn got me a job, sweetheart," Nico retorts, avoiding eye contact as she narrows her eyes at the sandwich in her hand, "How long have you even been playing piano, anyway? If you played long enough, then you should know what it's like in showbiz."

Maki's eyes find themselves fleeing, staring down at her untouched mug of hot chocolate on the coffee table, "My whole life."

"Oh," Nico raises an eyebrow, glancing at Maki from the corner of her eye, "is that so?"

"Yes," Maki says, the softness in her voice disappearing as suddenly as it appeared, her gaze rising to meet Nico's, "and I'm pretty damned good at what I do. I haven't had any need to find employment up until now, and I landed my first interview on the first try. So you need to get off your high horse and accept the fact that you're getting bland on your own and that you need something – someone – to help you spice it up."

Nico winces, "H-Hey, you don't need to be so harsh about it."

"Oh, so now you're going to relax your posture after I've intimidated you?"

"You? Intimidating?" Nico laughs, the kind that is more awkwardly forced than genuine, "Not for a second. That red hair of yours is practically gray in comparison to the fiery passion of my heart and soul that goes into my voice."

"Prove it."

"How do you expect me to prove it more than I already have?"

Maki smirks, "We do it my way tomorrow."

When Eli suddenly returns to the two with a dangerously calm and expectant expression on her face, icy blue boring holes between both individuals on the couch, Nico knows she has no choice but to nod.

—

"I can't believe I agreed to doing things your way."

"It could be worse. Here, you should wear this later tonight. It's my younger cousin's."

"I'm sorry, did you just say you want me to wear something of your little cousin's?"

"I can't help that you're short, you know. It's a perfect dress, though."

"I don't understand why I can't just keep the same wardrobe! How does this affect the music?"

"Oh, I'm surprised the acclaimed performer has no taste for presence."

"You know what? Shut up and give me the damned dress – I'll show you what sexy looks like."

The laughter that follows is slightly discouraging.

—

Eli is, well, shocked when the girls hit the stage yet again.

The café goes dim as the spotlight hits the small platform in the back, revealing a Nico clad in a crimson, one-shoulder evening gown, the black heels beneath matching that of her silken black hair sculpted into an elegant top knot, decorated simplistically with a beautiful rose to match her dress and highlight her eyes. It's the first time that Eli has seen Nico not wear pink on stage, and she gives her a small thumbs up from behind the counter when Nico's eyes fidget through the crowd nervously. It isn't unreasonable, considering the sudden and unfamiliar 'ooh's and 'ah's.

When Nico realizes that a few seconds have already passed, she gently tugs at the rivière necklace wrapped around her before looking over her shoulder at her partner. She can't stop herself from looking the girl up and down for a moment, her eyes attracted to the way that Maki's midnight, strapless sheath evening dress fits so well with what Nico now notices is a beautiful figure. Maki's hair is down as usual, a rose adorning it via a clip, but Nico feels as though it looks more radiant in the spotlight somehow.

She blushes abruptly when her eyes return to Maki's face, only to find that the latter's eyes are on her as well. Maki gives her a small nod, possibly as an acknowledgment or as encouragement, and manages a somewhat competitive smirk before playing a few introductory chords. With newfound confidence, Nico smirks and turns back toward the crowd in front of her.

Grabbing the mic, she smiles, "We're going to be doing something a little different tonight. Thank you for your patronage, and I hope that tonight's performance will be to your liking. Here's a cover of a song called 'I'll Be Seeing You' to start out. Enjoy!"

A ballad is not the norm for Nico, and even Eli can't help but to drop her jaw a bit as she watches her friend sing a love song into the mic. The usual dancing, excitement, and peppiness has seeped away in the course of one night, leaving behind an almost sultry and deliberately mellowed drawl to Nico's voice and body language. Even Maki, much to an observant Eli's amusement, can't help but stare at Nico as she plays away with the simple but harmonious keys.

The song is not too long, coming to a sweetened finish as the two musicians both part from the physical contact of their instruments. It takes only seconds for the audience to begin clapping, a volume that hasn't been heard since Nico's first days at the café, and even a whistle or two that causes the singer herself to blush.

"Thank you, everyone!" Nico says, brushing off her bashfulness over the overwhelmingly different support, "I'm sure you'll enjoy the rest of our set. Let's give a hand to my pianist, Maki Nishikino!"

And as the smiles on both of the girls' faces widen at the increasing applause, Eli finds herself clapping her hands together as well.

"Finally."

—

The last customer steps out, and the café closes for the night, and when Maki turns to her partner she's practically bursting with leftover adrenaline and joy. "So? What do you think? Pretty great, wasn't it?"

Her stubborn arrogance is replaced with a kind of excited expectancy, so different from Maki's usual self, and definitely a lot cuter.

Nico tilts her head to one side, eyes closed in mock contemplation. "Well," she drawls, "no complaints for now, I guess." Then she smiles, gently, kindly, proudly. "Not bad, newbie."

It's probably just the lighting in the room or something, but Nico could almost swear that in that moment, between just the two of them, as her pianist beams back at her with the most dazzling grin she's ever seen, Maki is positively glowing.

"Thanks ever so much, my dear superior." Purple eyes gleam, and Nico's heart most definitely doesn't skip a beat. "Good work to you, too."

—

Their performances get a lot better from then on.

Their relationship seems to take a similar trend as well.

—

One night, a few weeks after their performances and, consequently, the café itself, have grown in popularity, Maki pulls out a dress Nico's never seen before, too small in size to belong to the pianist herself, but much more elegant-looking than anything she'd ever brought from her cousin's wardrobe.

And then, without a word of explanation, she tosses it to Nico, who fumbles when she catches it, just barely managing to stop it from hitting the back room's dusty floor.

"What's with this?" Nico's curious tone takes the bite out of her words as she examines the fabric suspiciously. It's a simple design and smooth to the touch, but Nico has an edging suspicion that it costs more than her apartment's rent. "I thought we already decided on our outfits for tonight."

"It's not for tonight. It's for tomorrow."

"Don't we have a day off tomorrow?"

"We do."

Nico narrows her eyes. Maki pointedly avoids her gaze, instead focusing on flipping through her sheet music too quickly to really absorb anything.

"So?" Nico prompts when it's clear the pianist isn't going to say anything more.

"So I figure that means you're free tomorrow night."

The words come out a bit too loudly, a bit too rushed, and Maki clearly knows it, judging by how quickly she stifles a squeak, ducks her head and stares really, really hard at this one blank sheet.

It's really freaking cute.

Nico thinks that it's probably not the worst idea to drag it out a bit longer.

"Well, I mean, I might be," she replies, casually brushing a strand of hair out of her face. She tries to bite back a smirk. "What's that got to do with anything?"

This gets Maki's attention, and she immediately whirls around, glaring daggers at the grinning singer who is definitely enjoying this way too much. "You—."

"I'm afraid, Maki, that no matter how hard I try, I just can't see the correlation between my having a day off and your giving me this admittedly lovely dress." Nico gasps overdramatically. "Or is it… Perhaps you're saying I should go find a date with someone?"

"You're the worst."

"I just don't get it."

"Look, just don't take this the wrong way or anything," Maki growls. "I'm treating you to dinner, but only out of obligation."

Nico claps a hand to her chest with wide eyes. "Wait, could it be? You're the one taking me out on a date?"

"In the strictest of senses!" Maki all but yells. Then, looking mortified at her own loss of composure, she clears her throat and continues in a much quieter voice, "I mean. Just like. We've been doing well together so I thought I should. You know."

"I haven't the faintest idea."

"Obligation dinner."

"Obligation, you say?"

"Don't get too excited, it's not like it means anything—."

"Why, Maki..."

"I don't know why I thought this would be a good idea."

"You know that if you wanted some of this…" Nico gestures to her body and waggles her brows.

Maki looks absolutely disgusted. "Don't you dare finish that sentence."

"All you had to do was say please."

"I'm going to destroy you."

—

Eli walks into the backroom to find her performers' locked in a battle for dear life. Maki is red-faced and spluttering half-formed sentences; Nico is too busy laughing to breathe.

She briefly considers how unethical it would be for her to walk out and pretend she never saw them.

—

"Gee, I know I wanted you two to get along, but I never thought you'd get to this stage so quickly."

Maki looks almost ready to explode from humiliation, although whether from Eli's words or the fact that she had just walked in on the two of them Eli can't tell.

"Eli!" Nico doesn't seem to mind the interruption at all. "You're just in time to witness our cute little newbie ask me out."

Eli arches an eyebrow. "Oh?"

"It's an obligation dinner," Maki insists, but she immediately deflates when she sees Nico snickering. Grimacing, she shoves the other girl. Nico mimes breaking a heart.

"I'd probably be more interested if it was a date," the singer laments.

"Who would date you?" Maki mutters.

"Hey, don't be getting so down on yourself like that, I think you're perfectly worthy of treating the great me to an excellent night out."

"I'm never talking to you again."

Eli senses that something beyond her is occurring in this room. Whatever it is, she figures she can trust them enough by now to handle it themselves. She leaves the backroom and isn't particularly surprised when neither of the other two seem to notice.

—

It is with a somewhat smug disbelief that leads Nico to mutter, "Whoa," outside of the expensive restaurant. It oozes with class, something that she has only ever seen in films or in her dreams. The golden columns lined up at the entrance hug a short red carpet leading to the rich, ornate mahogany doors of the establishment. Nico opts to wait outside, simply admiring the grandeur architecture as the cool breeze bites at her arm and caresses her long, dark, flowing tresses as they cascade down her back.

There is a side of her that is wary of the night ahead. With fingers digging gently into the corners of her crossed arms, Nico contemplates what the destination of this night is meant to be. As sure as she might be about Maki showing interest, she can't be absolutely certain. There's a part of her that wants to continue teasing the younger girl about a date and relish the possible reactions, but then lines may be crossed in the possibility that it really is an obligation dinner. Plus, Nico figures that if it is a date then maybe it might be best to take it seriously and not mess it up. After all, she doesn't want to mess up something that, admittedly, she is genuinely interested in.

Nico blushes, muttering to herself, "I'm not in denial or anything."

"Denial of what?"

Nico turns to the voice, rendering herself speechless as she is forced to take a step back at the sight of an unfamiliarly close Maki Nishikino. The latter raises an eyebrow, the corner of her lip twitching to hide the smirk that she so clearly wants to reveal. Maki's dress is simple and elegant as well, although Nico is unable to keep herself from noticing how well the dress fits to her body, the curve of her hips only complemented by the slit at Maki's side, a smooth leg just barely peeking through. It also doesn't help that Maki's chest fits voluptuously within the strapless dress, either, but Nico is doing her best not to check her out in an overly obvious fashion.

"Are you okay?" Maki asks, finally interrupting Nico from her observations.

Nico clears her throat, "With a restaurant as expensive as this, I'm more worried about my wallet!"

"As usual, you don't listen," Maki rolls her eyes, "I told you I was treating you, remember?"

"I'm not really a fan of being paid for, but," Nico smiles, spinning on her heel and heading for the door, "I can only treat you to disgusting flavors of ice cream or something with the money I make."

Maki lets out a soft groan as she follows behind before mumbling, "Papa told me the person who asks out should pay the first time…"

"What was that, Maki?"

"Nothing."

—

Handing her menu off to the waiter with a smile, Nico is quick to lean forward on her elbows and smirk at Maki. Maki, already anticipating a jab or tease of some sort, avoids eye contact and sips gingerly at her water. They are seated at a booth on the second floor of the restaurant, a cozy corner of glittering lights casting a dim glow on the pair. The second floor isn't complete in that it is similar to a balcony, with a railing overlooking the ground floor and cocktail area where a small jazz band are playing. The music reaches every corner of the building, mics and speakers of some sort clearly in use as they emit songs that have an almost sensual undertone.

"So, do you usually take coworkers out for obligation dinners?" Nico asks, her smirk still present even as she wraps her lips around an edge of her glass for a taste of water.

It's hard to know for sure if Maki is blushing, "I told you this is my first job."

Nico raises an eyebrow, "Eli is kind of like a coworker, isn't she?"

"N-No, she's the owner. That's not the same thing," Maki says, bringing a finger up to curl a few strands of hair together. Upon observation, Nico isn't even sure if Maki did anything with her hair. It is always down, but tonight Maki has decided to pull it all to the front of her left shoulder, revealing her neck in a strangely tempting way.

"Mhm," Nico hums, not really registering her words. She sighs dramatically, "Oh, Maki! How will we ever get along if you can't even bear to look at me?!"

Maki's eyes are immediately on Nico in one swift turn, "What are you talking about?! I've looked at you before!"

Nico grins, "So you like to look at me?"

"Um," Maki blushes, "I just said that I did, not that I necessarily like –"

"Can I ask a question, Maki?" Nico interrupts, her expression becoming more serious.

"As long as it's not going to make me want to leave the bill with you."

"No," Nico reassures, her wide grin softening into a small and sensitive smile, "but I was wondering if this was actually… an 'obligation' dinner."

Maki's finds it hard to keep her gaze focused, "That's not a question."

Nico deadpans at the smartass response, "Do you like me or not, you rotten tomato?"

"What?!" Maki practically spits out, her sudden flinch causing her to drop a spoon on the ground, "How the hell am I a rotten tomato?!"

"Because," Nico chuckles, "you're clearly spoiled and you're just as red as one."

Maki groans audibly, bending to the side to pick up her spoon to distract herself. Her face is, in fact, reddened in embarrassment, her tight line of a mouth an indicator of her inability to speak. As she is about to make another comment, her lips stretch out into an intensely fake polite smile as the waiter walks by with a tray of food for the girls. He nods with a professional beam, most likely confused by the shit-eating grin and flustered smile, and places their food down with a bow before exiting again.

"Huh," Nico raises her eyebrows at her entrée, "That was fast. You could almost say that timing was convenient!"

Maki ignores Nico, opting to pick up her knife and fork in order to start cutting into her steak, all the while mumbling, "Absolutely terrible…"

Nico shrugs, chewing a part of her filet mignon, "I think it's pretty good, actually."

"No! You! Y-You… idiot!"

"Oh, Maki~ That hurts!"

"I just," Maki sighs in defeat, shoving another bite into her mouth, "wanted to have a nice night with a friend."

At this, Nico frowns and looks directly at Maki, whose head is down to face her steak. This is what she had been afraid of earlier; too much teasing. Nico doesn't really know what else to do, though, considering she's never been on a date before. Some boy named Takashi liked her many years ago, but Nico never returned his feelings, so even in that regard she has very little romantic experience. She, too, sighs as she realizes that maybe she should have listened to her instincts.

"I'm sorry," Nico mutters.

Maki looks up to meet Nico's eyes, her cheeks remaining a light pink, "It's nothing, I didn't mean anything. I j-just said whatever since you were teasing me."

"No, really," Nico says, stretching her hand to gently lay her palm atop the back of Maki's hand, "I know that I'm going overboard. I think it's just nerves… Maybe even a competitive thing, since I did nothing but belittle you in the beginning of our… partnership."

Maki tries her hardest not to jump away at the motion of Nico's hand, "Yeah, you can be a pain."

"Oi!" Nico grumbles, jokingly smacking Maki's hand with her palm.

Maki raises an eyebrow, offering a crooked smile, "You didn't deny it."

"Well," Nico says smugly, "you didn't deny liking me, either."

Maki can't help but to look down at her food, an attempt to hide her embarrassment yet again. She keeps her hand in place at the center of the table, not at all trying to resist as Nico bends her hand a little so that their palms are up and touching one another.

"Maki, you look beautiful."

Maki's fingers interlace with Nico's, a gentle squeeze following short after.

"So do you."

—

The sky is pitch black when they leave the restaurant. A limousine is waiting by the curb, and Nico feels an instinctive grimace tug at her lips when Maki raises a hand to signal it.

"The more I learn about you," Nico remarks dryly, "the less I'm understanding why you have this job in the first place."

"Hey, no assumptions, I paid for it myself," Maki shoots back, but her voice is mild, more fond than anything. She nods at the limo. "Let me give you a ride back. It's easier that way."

"And here I almost thought you offered because you wanted to spend more time with me."

"That, too," Maki says, and the response is much too quick and much too serious. She coughs, as though just realizing that herself, and adds, "It's, you know. Dangerous to let a girl walk home. Alone. In the dark. And, I mean, it's just proper etiquette, anyway, and I'd have to be a pretty bad date to just ditch you, and I can't let it be known that Nishikino's are bad dates, and—."

Nico grabs Maki's hand and the pianist quiets immediately.

"For the sake of your family name," Nico tells her, "and so you don't talk yourself to death, I'll get in the limo with you."

Maki seems to mull on this for a moment. Then, "Not because you want to spend more time with me?"

"Shut up."

—

Nico gives her address to the driver and then leans back and tries not to act too amazed at the limo's interior. Maki is as relaxed as can be, almost slouching against the leather seats as she stares out the window at the stream of streetlamps and houses passing by. No doubt this isn't a new thing for her.

Nico lets out a quiet sigh and turns her attention to the buttons on the armrest. There sure are a ton of them. Are half of them even that necessary? What kind of things does a long, fancy car even need to do? She pushes one of them experimentally and almost jumps when enthusiastic pop music begins to blare from all sides. Her ears burn as she reaches to turn the volume down, and she doesn't even need to look to see Maki's unimpressed gaze.

"I meant to do that," she says lamely.

Maki replies, "Uh-huh." Then she points at a small, white arrow positioned next to the button Nico had just pushed. "You can change the channels with that, if you want. Or not, I guess, if pop music is your thing."

"I'll change it." Nico obligingly presses the arrow once, then several more times as she tries to find a station they can both enjoy. "Something tells me you're not the biggest fan of pop."

"I'm fine with anything."

"Don't be boring."

"I'm not being-!"

"Oh, this sounds good!" Nico beams as an upbeat, jazzy tune slides from the speakers. Drums hiss in the background and a keyboard grows and swells before some kind of brass instrument begins its solo.

Nico nods her head to the nonexistent beat. Maki makes a thoughtful noise.

"It's like something you would play," Nico tells her.

Maki shrugs. "It's a little faster than I'm used to."

"You could do it."

"Probably," Maki agrees. She looks at Nico, matches her grin with an affectionate smile of her own. "I'd prefer to have a vocalist soloing beside me, though."

"Is that right?" Nico teases. "You're in luck, then, 'cause this one's still got years to go before she leaves the stage."

She scooches closer to Maki as she speaks, heart singing when the younger girl doesn't resist. The steady rhythm of the jazz band swims through the car. The ride is smooth and the streets are silent. The world outside is all but empty, and Maki's hand is warm, her shoulder soft and her head gentle and her body comforting as she returns the gesture, leans back on Nico, and neither of them speak again until long after the set is done, and the next, and the next, until the limo finally reaches Nico's apartment, and even then, it's all too soon.

—

Maki offers to walk Nico at least to the door, and Nico doesn't object, so it is there that they stop, and turn, and face each other, and talk.

"I had a good time."

"I'm glad. I did, too."

"Thanks for the ride. And for dinner. And for the dress." Nico sighs loudly. "Lame, it feels like I owe you a lot now."

Maki shakes her head. "Don't worry about it. I wanted to treat you."

"Why, Maki," Nico jokingly hides a smile behind her hand, "that might be the most honest you've been with me all night."

"Enough, you," Maki grumbles half-heartedly.

"If this is how you treat girls on obligation dinners, I wonder what an actual date with you is like?"

"What," Maki's response drips with sarcasm, "are you asking me out?"

"I might be."

Maki chokes. Nico responds with an innocent flutter of her eyelashes.

"Dinners with friends are great and all," the singer continues, "but if you're up for it, I think it'd be cool to try for something more like… a date date?"

Maki arches an eyebrow. "A date date?"

"Yeah." Nico slides with it comfortably. "A date date, like for people who like like each other."

"Are you twelve years old," Maki deadpans.

"I think it's more of a twelve-year-old thing to ask someone out and then deny it like crazy when the actual time comes." Nico waves a hand to take the sting out of her words. "It was cute, though, I'll give you that."

Maki stares at her incredulously. "You're unbelievable."

"-y amazing, I know." Nico is absolutely relishing the moment. "But you're not bad yourself. And, I mean, I'm willing to give this a shot if you are." She grins, brightly, honestly. "I like you, Maki. Even if you really don't like me after all, and that really was just an obligation dinner, and it turns out you really only want me around to pay for your gross ice cream or whatever, I really like you. And if it's okay with you, I'd like to get to know you better."

Nico pauses. At some point during her spiel, Maki's gaze had turned to the ground, and it stays there for several moments even after Nico stops talking. The younger girl's face is almost glowing in the night, and her lips press tightly together as though she doesn't dare let herself respond.

Nico's voice is soft when she speaks again. "You don't have to answer right away. For now, I'm just grateful that you did all this for me. Honestly, thank you."

"You're—." Maki's voice cracks when she tries to talk again, and she looks horrified for a brief moment before hastily finishing, "You're so lame when you try to act seriously."

"Hey, try to?" Nico's tone is annoyed, but the relief and amusement on her face is clear. "Please. That just now was a one-hundred percent, pure and concentrated, completely serious Yazawa Nico, just for you."

"I'm honored."

"You should be."

"You're so ridiculous."

"You know you love me."

"And I ask myself why every day."

It takes a second for that to sink in properly. Maki is twirling a strand of hair with an almost aggressive vigor, and it's kind of really adorable, and Nico smiles so broadly her cheeks actually start to hurt a little, but then again, what does that matter when the prettiest girl in maybe the whole world, the whole universe actually, just admitted that yes, finally, after so much resistance and so many denials, she actually, really, truly, liked her back.

But then again again, maybe Nico has to double check.

"What was that? I don't think I heard you properly?" Nico leans forward and cups her ear.

Maki looks disgusted. "Oh, shut up."

"I think you might've possibly perhaps said…?" She takes a step closer.

"Don't you have an apartment to get into or something?"

"That maybe…?"

"I'm gonna leave."

"There's a chance that you…?"

Nico is almost nose-to-nose with Maki now, her eyebrows wiggling in the most over-the-top fashion, and maybe she should've expected it, probably she should've seen it coming, but regardless, she is caught completely off guard when Maki abruptly grabs the sides of her face and presses her lips against Nico's.

—

The kiss starts out sweet, but Maki's bashfulness finally catches up with her to the point where she parts away. The separation is quick, almost like ripping off a band aid, and Nico is left blinking in its wake.

She feigns a pout, somewhat disappointed that it didn't last longer, "So, is that just how you shut people up?"

Maki's blush has spread like wildfire throughout her face, her evasive eyes finding their way back to Nico in shock, "Who says I didn't want to kiss you; that I didn't plan it?"

Nico shrugs, wondering if she can bait, "It was so short."

"Do the first ones normally go longer?"

"Are you… joking?"

"Joking about what?"

Nico fights every urge to laugh, "That was your first kiss, wasn't it?"

Maki crosses her arms, "No."

"You're totally lying!"

"Maybe."

"See? I knew it!"

"Have you even been kissed before?" Maki deadpans.

Nico blushes, "Are you trying to say I seem like the type that wouldn't have had their first kiss by now? W-Why, Maki! How foolish! Do you even know who I am?"

"Nico Yazawa, the number one egoist of the universe. Something like that, right?" Maki smirks, amused.

Nico groans, "Okay, well, fine! I hadn't had my first kiss yet until now, either. But it's best that you know that I'm a huge catch, and that hundreds of boys and girls have fought over me. You're lucky you got to have a taste of these lips!"

Amethysts fall upon Nico's mouth, "Can I get another?"

"W-Well," Nico gulps, trying to regain composure, "only if you believe in second chances."

"How about second kisses?"

Nico leans closer again, shaking her head dismissively, "Same thing."

With half-lidded eyes glistening with desire, the two close the space between them for a second round, the tips of their chilled noses bumping together briefly before their heads adjust and tilt perfectly into place. Arms wrap around one another's back fully, slowly taking each other closer in with every moment of furthering pressure until their eyes flutter shut with pleasure.

Maki ignores the way her palms seem to sweat, her fingers gently digging into the back of Nico's dress as she tries her best to deepen the kiss. She notices the smoothness of Nico's lips, the way that they glide over her own as they smack audibly, softly, provocatively in the silence between them. She feels the rush of her heart intensifying, her muscles tensing momentarily before Nico rubs calming circles on her back until Maki can almost feel herself melting into the shorter girl.

It doesn't take long for Nico to become bravely experimental and overlap their lips together. With Maki's bottom lip caught between her own, Nico's teeth momentarily clack awkwardly against Maki's before tenderly biting at her lip, pulling slightly until the latter gasps and moans quietly into her mouth, forcing Nico to remove her teeth. Upon returning for more, in the second of caught breath between them, she savors the warm sweetness of the other's lungs, herself attracted to the way they seem to shudder against her with every shaky exhale.

Desperate and rapturous for depth, Maki gradually shifts Nico backwards until her back touches the door of the apartment. A salacious groan emits from Nico, enticing Maki in a way that she is absolutely unfamiliar with and somewhat fearful of. But the stirring lust electrifying her body is true torment, her yearning to be closer and closer aching in her body.

And Nico can empathize. But, just as she decides to take a leap and trace a warm tongue over Maki's lips, a horn sounds from the streets below. The two girls part again, their gazes fleetingly wistful until Maki grimaces and takes a step back.

"Considering his salary, he should know better than to honk at this time of night," she says, just barely through her teeth as she looks over her shoulder.

Nico laughs, the sound happier than she is used to, "Are you sure you're not just bitter that he interrupted us?"

"I mean," Maki clears her throat, "it's not like it was going to go anywhere else."

"It sure seems like it might have."

"We didn't even have our first date date!"

"Okay, but you literally pushed me against the door."

Maki waves a hand, "To help us remain b-balanced."

After a second or so of silence, the pair laugh. Their faces practically glow, joy apparent in their smiles and in their cheeks. It's like an image of youth.

Nico pauses, "Do you want to stay over?"

Crimson colors within the lines of Maki's paler features, "N-Nico, I really like you very much but I d-don't know if I'm – "

"No, no, I sincerely wasn't thinking about that," Nico rubs Maki's arm, "I mean, just to hang out. We don't have to do anything more than kiss, if you even want to do that. But I still feel like we deserve to just get alone time and understand each other better considering how we acted when we first met. I feel like a giant asshole."

"… Likewise," Maki nods, taking Nico's hand, "but we should save that for a night where we don't have work the next day, okay? I don't want to get tired of you that quickly."

"Are you implying you're going to get tired of me?" Nico raises an eyebrow, her tone annoyed despite the good-natured expression on her face.

"Wow, it's happening so much quicker than I would have anticipated…"

"Just kiss me goodbye already, you snob!"

—

Nico, a girl who often dreams of spreading grins of happiness throughout a worldwide audience, falls asleep later in the night with the image of a beautiful redhead at the forefront of her mind. She is picture-perfect and, for once in her life, Nico only fantasizes about this one particular smile and the way it curves with bashful fondness.

For Maki, it is the first slumber in a while in which something aside from her piano appears. Glistening rubies watch affectionately as Maki's fingers dance across the keys, a smooth musical transition that only leads to a variety of almost disgustingly cutesy dates with a familiar raven haired girl.

They both wake up in a better mood than usual.

—

"It wasn't hard to see that you like each other," Eli shrugs, bringing a mug of hot chocolate to her mouth as she leans forward on her desk.

"What do you mean?! I totally thought she was a brat at first," Nico huffs, glancing at a deadpanning Maki in her peripheral, "No offense, of course."

"Taken."

Eli laughs, "Perhaps, yes. But you sure seemed to enjoy looking at that particular brat a lot."

"H-Hey!" Nico yelps, standing up and waving her hands, "Not true! I was probably looking at something else, or the piano!"

Maki sighs, "If we're dating now, I don't see why you can't be honest with yourself."

"Because Eli loves to bully me and she doesn't deserve the satisfaction!"

"I'm your boss, too, Nico. It's my job," Eli grins, standing up from her chair and walking toward the door, "Anyway, I'm about to introduce you two. Get ready."

"Well," Maki watches as Eli leaves the room, "I'm glad she's supportive."

Nico shrugs, "Of course she is. She's got a wife back home, so unless she disliked you then there wouldn't be any proble—"

"I'm sorry, what? A wife?"

"Oh, yeah, her wife Nozomi. She's strange. They've been together for a few years, though. You didn't have to worry about Eli's political opinions or stances. She's a great person."

Maki exhales like a whistle, "I'm surprised I didn't learn that by now."

"Well," Nico turns over to her smugly, "that's probably because you've been too busy pining over me."

"Apparently you stared at me, so…"

"I can stare at my girlfriend as much as I want to, Maki!"

"I wasn't your girlfriend at the time, idiot!"

As if on cue, the buzzer in the back room for the performance sounds off. The couple share a kiss before heading out and toward the stage together, each walking to their designated spot. Nico takes the mic in her hand and gives out an enthusiastically charming introduction. The audience claps in response, their ears patient for what's to come.

Nico looks over her shoulder at Maki, incredibly happy to see the pianist already smiling toward her in a way that expresses love and support. She returns the grin, turning back toward the crowd with a giant beam of a smile as the chords begin to sing throughout the café.

And to that, Nico sings, her heart both in her song and within the skillful hands of a young pianist.