Summary: We spend the morning in Nico's apartment. Artistic differences are also present.

JUST YOUR SMILE

Maki had been roaming the Northwestern Campus until late, scouting Nico's list, but had still woken up before her alarm, strangely nervous. And now, here she was, knocking on Nico's door, three camera bags slung around her, completely uncertain what to expect when that door opened. She closed her eyes, picturing Nico standing in her office, "Nico needs you to be less gay." Still a demand Maki didn't know how to process. Nico was attractive, Nico wanted to be seen as attractive, what the hell difference did Maki's level of gay (high, very high, International Space station high) make to Nico. Maki found herself grumbling and about to kick the ground in front of Nico's door with her toe. Which would be bad if Nico opened the door at that exact moment and Maki fell into her…

"Nishikino." Nico's voice was dry, Maki glanced down, into now familiar depths of ruby, framed by dark, elongated eyelashes. Maki pulled back, frowning, Nico's lips stop sign red bright, none of the dark pink that laid so well against her skin. Maki found herself evaluating Nico's clothing choices, demure black skirt, boringly business class pinstripe, white shirt, black ribbon at the neck, peeking out over a striped red sweater. Eyes and lips hit the red theme hard, a bold red that Maki found off putting and over trying.

"You looked better yesterday morning. With no makeup." Maki announced as Nico stepped aside to allow her entry. Maki got inside Nico's apartment before what she said registered with the actress.

"What did you say?" Nico's voice nearly qualified as a shriek.

Maki put her bags down on Nico's table, unzipping her coat, "You look better without makeup. More natural."

There was a cough. Someone else in the apartment. Maki looked up, surprised, halfway out of her coat. A small woman stood in Nico's kitchen.

Nico brushed past Maki, hands open as she approached the kitchen, voice drawling an apology, "I'm so sorry, Mallory. Nozomi left the country and stuck me with some artsy photographer with no social skills." Nico turned, keeping between Maki and this Mallory person, eyes narrowed, voice a sharp reprimand, "Maki, this is Mallory, my FAVORITE makeup artist and stylist. Mallory, this is Maki, a jerk."

Mallory giggled as Nico bounced up and down with ire and indignation. Then, with a huff and a shake of her head at Maki, Nico turned, air kissed Mallory and whispered, "Thanks. Nico loves you. " Another air kiss. "I can handle it from here. I really appreciate your EXPERTISE." Maki knew the emphasis was aimed at her.

"Call me if you need anything." Mallory smiled at Maki, but her voice had no cheer, "I know a few people who can point a camera."

Nico slapped the counter, chuckling as Maki got redder and redder behind her back. Anger or embarrassment, either would have been trigger enough, but this was both, too potent a cocktail for Maki to handle in a comfortable place. Here, where she'd always felt at least half a step behind, it was impossible to stop the way her heartbeat rocketed and her chest clamped down on her breathing. She tried inhaling, stretching...maybe pulling out a camera. Maki knelt and opened her primary bag as Nico and Mallory whispered their goodbyes at the door.

Nico was back in the kitchen by the time Maki looked up again, not having acknowledged the presence of the photographer in any way, tying on a cute full apron, pink with scattered cartoon hearts, around her waist. As Maki rose to her feet, favorite camera for interior shots in hand, Nico raised a hand to summon her closer.

"First" Nico's hands were on her hips, her head tilted forward, her eyes narrowed and so intensely focused on Maki that the redhead felt as if she were an animal trapped in a lab cage, about to be tested, "Nico pulls off 'girl next door" like you wouldn't believe and made a pie to prove it." Maki just stared, and Nico sighed, speaking slowly and deliberately, "Nico is going to open the oven door, pull out the pie, and you, substitute photographer on probation, are going to take pictures."

Maki nodded, raising her camera, testing the settings, "Got it."

"Not gay pictures." Nico added, no wink.

Maki shrugged and licked her lips. Nico sighed again, but smiled at the camera and very deliberately opened the door, slid the pie out, winked at the camera, gracefully and carefully placed the pie in front of Maki's nose on the counter as Maki clicked the shutter madly, trying to get shots that didn't capture the steam rising off the crust. The smell of cinnamon and apple and tartly sweet filled Maki's mouth and her stomach rumbled.

"Nico was going to let you taste the proof, but then you were rude to Nico's very expensive, award winning makeup artist." Nico's arms were crossed.

Maki didn't mean to pout, but the pie smelled so good and her breakfast had been huge mug of coffee and something that was mostly a texture, flat, tasteless, and crispy. The pie smelled like stacked layers of softly crunchy, melting joy.

Maki had been staring at the pie long enough that Nico tapped her on the hand, "Oh my god, you're gay for pie too."

Maki shook her head, swallowing saliva and embarrassment, "Just hungry."

Nico held up a single finger, "One piece, IF you tell Nico how great she looks."

Maki twirled a twist of hair, glancing away from Nico's mischief, "I'll wait for lunch."

Nico threw up both hands, "How hard is it to not..."

A knock on the door. Nico frowned, moving to glance through the peephole. 'Mama?" Nico said in confusion and opened the door.

Taking advantage of Nico's distraction, Maki put the camera down, found a fork and stuck it into the pie, eager for a taste. One of her dumber moves as the hot, clinging, filling nearly burnt a hole in her tongue, no taste registering at all, just moist, heavy, hurtful heat. Maki ran to the sink, dropping the pie filling out of her mouth and grabbing anything to put cold water and her tongue in.

"Who's the girl, Nico? You didn't tell me you were dating."

Maki turned her head, blinking, cold water swirling in her mouth...Nico froze for a moment, then picked up the fork Maki had dropped, stabbed the pie with it, snarled at Maki and turned back to her mother, "This is the photographer Nozomi's wife found me." Nico glared over her shoulder, "She's not housebroken."

Maki spit out the water with a "Hey" but when Nico's shooting embers of burning lava glare turned in her direction again, she found herself silenced.

"I'm Nico's mother," Mrs Yazawa extended her hand. The resemblance between mother and daughter was uncanny, although friendly to Maki apparently didn't pass down the family tree as Nico continued to scowl.

Maki shook it, wanting another cold water rinse to cool the throbbing of her tongue, but unwilling to have Nico accuse her of rudeness again. "Maki Nishikino."

Nico's mother tilted her head, "You had an exhibit at University of Illinois's Gallery 400 last year, didn't you?"

Nico leaned her elbow on the counter, watching her mother.

Maki nodded, "Yeah, the University wanted to showcase my Urban Fairytales series and highlight the architectural elements."

"I saw those. It was interesting. I couldn't decide if you were paying more attention to the buildings or the models." Her mother looked at Nico, then back at Maki. "And you're a friend of Nozomi's?"

"No." Nico rolled her eyes at Maki's too definite disclaimer, "Her wife, Eli, is my manager."

"Well, however you ended up in my daughter's kitchen, it's nice to meet you, Maki Nishikino. You obviously have talent. Please take care of Nico."

Maki managed a mumble of agreement and salute with her camera, flustered by the sincerity of the request.

Nico pulled at her mother's arm, whining, "Mama. Stop talking to Maki and tell me why you're here."

"Cotorou's school has a half day and Cocoa has a basketball game. So I told him to come him here."

"You could have texted me." Nico chided.

"I haven't seen you in two weeks, Nico. I wanted to know what you were up to," Nico's mother flashed another look in Maki's direction, and the redhead nearly choked on the water she was swirling in her still burning mouth.

"Nico is doing the photoshoot she set up with Nozomi, but with Maki…" Nico worried the hem of her apron, biting her lip and meeting Maki's glance, "You are okay with children right?"

Maki mumbled a question through another mouthful of water, "Huh?"

"My brother Cotorou is 12 and he'll be spending the day with us. You don't have a problem with that do you?"

Two sets of ruby lasers shrewdly watched every twitch of her face. Maki spit the water into the sink, smiled as kindly as she could and cheated, "I spend a lot of time with Eli's little sister." She really hoped Nico hadn't met Alisa and wouldn't know that the younger Ayase was 25 and went clubbing with Maki. "I'm gre...goo...okay with children."

Nico snorted, not pressing the point, "It'll be fine, Mama. We're only going to Evanston. We can drop him off before we head to Chicago for the night shoots. Cocoa should be home by then."

"All right, I'll leave you to it, Nico." Nico's mom pulled her into a hug, "Nice to meet you, Maki. I look forward to seeing how my daughter ranks against Northwestern's architecture."

Maki blushed and Nico shouted, pushing her mother toward the door, "Go to work, Mama. Stop harassing Nico."

Maki forced herself to take the shots, hating how artificial Nico looked. Sure, grown up, but for someone who had lectured Maki about not turning her into an ADULT film star, Nico needed a few lessons in how to do subtle maturity. This wasn't even sexy, Maki could have maybe made it tacky provocative, but what Nico wanted was charming and attractive and what Nico was getting was glossy.

Maki stopped, deliberately placing her camera down. They were shooting Nico looking at magazines to fill the time until her brother arrived from school. Maki couldn't take it anymore. Nico's lips and mascara were as shiny as the paper the magazine was printed on and Maki could no longer bear trying to find the best angle for expressions that looked printed on a face which if stripped bare of decoration would have been breathtaking. Nico quirked an eyebrow at Maki's cessation of activity.

"Please just wash your face and do simple, normal makeup." Maki didn't realize how tired exasperation was going to make her sound. They'd only been working for two hours, it was going to be a long day. "The red is too bold for every day. Try pink. Blush. Rose. Something sheer."

Nico placed the magazine down, crossed her right leg over her left and tapped her fingers on the arm of the sofa, "Nico is a star."

Maki dropped into a crouch, her head colliding with the sofa arm opposite Nico, arms hanging over, trying wheedling in her smoothest voice, "I could make you look so pretty."

Suddenly hands were on her arms and Maki glanced up, startled to see a Nico who had crawled down the couch to loom over her, "Nico ALREADY looks pretty."

"Made up pretty." Maki frowned, "You must know you have a dream profile, why not use subtle shading and colors to bring that out, instead of slathering on layers of…" Maki shuddered, "plastICKY."

Nico shoved back, to her knees, still looming fiercely over the taller photographer, who was glad for the bulwark of the couch arm, "You've got nerve, Nishikino."

Maki closed her eyes, shaking her head, "I don't shoot pictures I don't want."

"You just don't want to shoot pictures of Nico. She doesn't rate your nearly nude wall collection."

"I wouldn't MIND shooting pictures of Nico if she were nearly nude." And when had Maki gotten to shouting and how red could Nico get and did the way Nico was coiling like a spring mean Maki was going to die soon or hear her favorite camera being crushed to pieces? And what had she just said?

"What do you mean, I told you…" Nico sputtered, swaying, unsure where to direct her anger and confusion.

Maki stood, camera in hand, her voice again trying for smooth and persuasive. "All I mean is I don't enjoy shooting pictures of your makeup."

There was a silence, Nico's eyes, puzzled and searching, held Maki's.

"Pppppfffffffhhhhhhh" Nico dropped back into a sitting position.

Nico had disappeared into her bedroom. Maki was on the couch, wondering exactly what oddness was going to happen next, what the little brother was like, did she have anything to talk about with a 12 year old, would Nico notice if she ate a piece of pie now that it was presumably cool enough not to burn a hole in her tongue...pie. Maki put down the camera, rose QUIETLY off the sofa and snuck into the kitchen, removing the fork Nico had stabbed the pie with and prying out a large chunk. This time the pie melted on her tongue instead of assaulting it, tender flaky crust dissolving and leaving a lightly sharp, cinnamony sweetness to kiss the inside of her mouth. Eyes wide, Maki swallowed and grabbed another bite. It was worth it if Nico went ballistic, this was 3 Michelin stars of heavenly.

Nico came out of her bedroom in a short, pink sweater dress, ruby eyes now the highlight of her face, lips a dark pink. Nico glanced suspiciously at the pie and Maki hastily swallowed, trying not to cough or choke.

"I didn't change for you," Nico announced, "It'll be easier to keep up with Cotorou in this." Nico's expression dared Maki to comment.

Maki nodded, "Makes sense. That's a lovely dress."

Nico's expressions changed at hyperspeed and Maki watched fascinated as Nico seemed to nearly say things out loud, but kept hesitating. Then suddenly, she glanced down, took a deep breath, and blurted. "There's a half and hour before Cotorou gets here. What would you do if Nico let you..."

Maki found herself nodding, pouring a glass of water to have a second to think as Nico tensed for battle, but Maki could sense the nervousness behind the facade this time. She leaned on the counter, eyes locked on Nico's. "I can do anything I want with the photos?"

Nico crossed her arms, lips pursed in a not encouraging fashion, considering. "Only my face and if you use any of the photos, Nico can't be recognizable." She held out her hand, "You can't use my name."

Maki tilted her head, shoving the fork back in the pie. Nico clucked her tongue the the action, but then Maki took her hand to shake it and they both paused at the surge of warmth as their palms were pulled together, soft skin tingling at the mutual contact, "All right."

Nico leaned against the counter, "Show Nico what you can do."

Maki had spent 15 minutes setting up her portable blue screen and lights, setting Nico down opposite the largest window in the apartment. Now, was the difficult part, as she had to convince Nico this wasn't just some creeper strategy. Maki started to fumble with her camera and Nico's attention was drawn to her hands.

"You're running out of time, Nishikino." Nico pointed a thumb at her phone, running down a clock.

Maki steeled herself, willing her voice not to tremble from nervousness, "Please just sit still for five minutes wh...while I really look at you." Nico frowned as Maki knelt in front of Nico, staring, moving carefully around Nico, rising to a half crouch so she was directly in front of Nico's face, Nico's breath a minty distraction, Maki almost certain she was holding her own as if the subject in front of her were so fragile that she could be scattered on the slightest wind.

"Ma.." Nico started, but Maki shook her head and the actress quietened in the face of the redhead's intensity. The violet eyes looked through and around Nico, ticking off every detail, then Maki swept to the side, grabbed her camera and became a flurry of motion, surrounding Nico, not settling for zoom, bringing her lens so close to Nico's skin, Nico could feel the metal.

"Close your eyes," Maki whispered, so softly, and Nico obeyed, unleashing another flurry of motion, Maki thought Nico was leaning in the direction she imagined the photographer to be, her face twitching slightly as she registered sounds and proximity. Maki grinned, desperate to capture each new quirk of those petal lips, challenging herself to find new angles out of impossibly small changes, barely stopping herself from resting her head in Nico's lap so she could shoot from there, settling for a steeper angle as she laid full out on the floor, gradually rising, making sure the Fuji was captured the pale skin tone, the way the pinks warmed and highlighted the natural topography of Nico's lips.

Maki thought it was almost like a caress, each sweep of the camera, each slice of Nico saved to be savored later, each angle...which would be the best?

"Open your eyes, Nico." Another whisper and Nico did and there she was, startled at Maki, right in front of her nose, Maki, who was staring as if at a wonder, "Smile." And Nico did, a slight, dear smile, tinged with bemused, casual affection.

One last shutter click and the timer rang. Maki dropped her camera arm to the side, bowing deeply, "Thank you."

Nico stepped forward, and Maki stared down, into curious eyes, wondering why this felt different now, without the camera as a chaperone.

"Hey Sis!" the door banged opened, Maki's heart jumped, and a mini clone of Nico stepped into the apartment.

Little brothers.

A/N: Here's something fun for you to read on the Internet today. I tweaked Cotorou's age a bit and there will probably be at least one more chapter than I expected (raise your hand if you guessed that). Casual Lunacy progress is slow but happening, I have a Merry Wives of Windsor cast, I want to scrawl/paint "Stonewall Was A Riot" on some article of clothing, and the weather is finally warming slightly. Have been taking photos of my roses, the colors are glorious.

I'm glad you're here. Take care!