"So why did you choose to be a cat?" Things were not going quite as planned. Yesterday she had been firm with herself: one last talk, and then they would go back to how things were. That meant her being a normal, everyday cat. Sitting in an empty club room and allowing Nozomi to pepper her with every question she had been holding in, Eli realized that it was not easy to follow her own rules... again.
"Well, we have to be normal pets in order to blend in with society, and I guess we just decided on felines this time, but we could have been any pet, really."
"Who's 'we'?" 'Shoot!' Eli gulped, looking up at her eager charge with nervous feline eyes. Yes, she was back in her feline form, the one rule that she was following now, but dammit if she wasn't breaking every other rule by talking to Nozomi. Then again, now that her secret was out, it wasn't as if she could force her charge to pretend nothing had happened. Something definitely had happened, and it was obvious that Nozomi would find it extraordinary, even impossible to believe. How would she forget that? She silently berated herself again for her mistake.
"Uh, j-just some friends..."
"Like other guardians? Are they here on Earth? Oh, are they here with you?" Admittedly, her enthusiasm and interest were endearing, but Eli knew that every question answered only led her further and further into trouble. It was difficult to deny her, though. Oh so difficult...
"Y... Yes, they... are around... But that's all I'm saying! I can't compromise their identities too!" The grin on Nozomi's face was strange, and it made Eli feel as if she was being judged. She ducked her head and muttered softly, "Wh-why are you looking at me like that?"
Nozomi tapped her chin in thought, before quickly scooping up a surprised Eli in a hug. "Because you're so cute!" Eli wasn't sure, but she had a feeling that her fur might be as red as Maki's at that moment. Before she could pass out from a brain overload though, a new voice came from the club room door.
"You do know that's a cat, right?"
For a moment, Nozomi thought that question came from Eli. Confusion lit up her eyes before she realized that the voice was not only different, but coming from behind her. Turning around, Eli still in her arms, she saw a short, slightly-annoyed girl standing in the doorway, her arms crossed as if waiting for an explanation.
Her eyes widened as she quickly recognized the girl with the raven hair that went below the shoulders, the hair that she remembered always being tied up into pigtails. "Nicocchi..."
"Why are you still calling me that?" Nico crossed her arms and glanced sideways, her eyes on the walls devoid of decoration. "And just what are you doing here?" Nozomi frowned slightly, feeling put-off by the shorter girl's attitude.
"You don't have exclusive rights to the room, Nicocchi." Now it was Nico's turn to frown. She uncrossed her arms and let them fall to her sides, taking one last look around the room before settling her gaze on Nozomi.
"Yeah... Whatever." With that, Nico turned around and left, leaving a guilty feeling in Nozomi's heart. She shouldn't have been rude to her, all considering. It had been a long time since they'd spoken to each other, and this wasn't how she wanted their latest 'conversation' to end. Gently setting Eli down on the floor, she jogged out of the room to catch up to Nico.
It wasn't difficult to make up the distance between them. After all, the cast still on Nico's foot slowed her movements, enough to where a casual stroll was fast enough. There was definitely acknowledgement of her existence in those ruby eyes, but she refused to look at or even speak to Nozomi as she slowed down to match the injured girl's pace. She looked back just to make sure Eli was following - and she was, dutifully as always - before trying to broach conversation again.
"Nicocchi, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be rude to you." No response. Nozomi expected this though, and she was determined to not be deterred by a cold shoulder. "Where are you going?"
"Store," she answered simply, staring straight ahead.
"I can come and help."
"I don't need help."
"Well I'm going anyway." It was a bold statement, a declaration of irrefutable intent. Nozomi wasn't one to put herself somewhere she wasn't wanted, but the tug of companionship was strong, and today she felt like being a little selfish, whether Nico liked it or not. Nico, meanwhile, stopped moving and narrowed her eyes at her unwanted walking partner. Silence hung over them until, with an exasperated sigh, Nico shrugged her shoulders and went back to walking, not sparing Nozomi another glance.
"Fine, do what you want. But you're not helping me, got it?" Nozomi couldn't help but grin slightly as the two of them exited the school, glad that she decided to push the underlying issue.
"Yes ma'am."
Getting to the store took a lot longer than usual, for obvious reasons, but Nozomi didn't mind, even if Nico spent most of the time swatting away her attempts at conversation. It felt different to be going somewhere with another person, but it was a nice kind of different, one that she wouldn't mind getting used to.
Nico was the first - and last - person that Nozomi ever considered a 'friend', though it was more of a 'casual acquaintance' variety. They had talked on occasion in their first year, since they had several classes together, but they were never close enough to hang out beyond that. Nozomi sighed softly to herself as she looked at Nico. For whatever reason, they'd just... drifted apart in their second year, and it was never the same.
"Why are you staring at me?" Nozomi's trip down memory lane was interrupted by her former casual acquaintance, who raised an eyebrow in annoyance.
"Ah, sorry." Nico didn't press - perhaps she didn't care - and they finally made their way into the store, with Nozomi's attempts to grab a basket quickly rebuffed.
"I told you I don't need help." She grabbed the basket herself and went for the aisles, leaving Nozomi to follow. One thing hadn't changed: Nico was still stubborn as all hell.
While they made their way from aisle to aisle, Nozomi wondered if Eli was doing okay. Obviously pets were not allowed in the store, so she had been forced to leave her guardian outside. She didn't think that Eli would run away, but it was probably boring out there. Then again, it wasn't all that exciting in here.
"So what happened to your leg?" This was her latest attempt at starting a conversation, built upon the stillborn remains of the last few tries. It certainly brought back memories of sitting around with Nico in complete silence during their first year. Even when they were on speaking terms, they barely ever... well, spoke. There was always something about her that seemed so guarded, and Nozomi had never figured out how to approach it.
"Twisted my ankle."
"Ah..." What was she doing there? The excitement and drive of rekindling an old friendship was quickly burning out into a small cluster of dying embers. It wasn't made any easier by Nico's disinterested demeanor. With a sigh, she wondered if maybe it'd just be better to give up. After all, she had her own problems to deal with, like where she was going to be living by the end of next week.
"Alright, what's wrong?" She almost bumped into Nico, who had stopped walking and was now giving Nozomi a narrowed but curious stare. Nozomi responded with her own look of confusion.
"What do you mean?"
"That is not the sigh of someone having a good time," Nico stated simply, placing her free hand on her hip. "If you're that bored, why'd you even bother making me take you along?"
"I'm not bored." She felt like she was on the defensive again, feeling more sensitive to Nico's accusations than she would have liked.
"Then what it is? Because it's not 'nothing'." Standing to the side to allow other shoppers to pass, Nozomi had to decide whether or not confide her problems to someone she really hadn't talked to in nearly two years.
"... Well, it is nothing. Let's just keep go-" Before she could even take a step, a hand fastened itself around her wrist, and she was forced to look into Nico's determined eyes.
"Come off it, Nozomi. Just because you say it's nothing doesn't mean I believe you. You're not as good at hiding things as you believe." The fake smile Nozomi had tried to make faltered quickly, wondering how Nico could have figured that out so easily. Was she that easy to read?
"You're more perceptive than I remember, Nicocchi." Nico grinned and puffed out her chest.
"I'm a lot more mature now, you know."
"Not in all areas."
"I can take back my concern any time now." Nozomi stifled a giggle before remembering what exactly Nico was trying to extract from her. Looking around to make sure they were alone in the aisle, her voice dropped to a whisper. The subject matter was a tad sensitive, and she didn't need everyone knowing about her living situation.
"Look, I'm... I have to leave my apartment next week, and I'm just having a problem finding a new place to live. Like I said, it's nothing." That 'problem', of course, was the fact that she didn't have any money to pay for new housing. Maybe the school wouldn't notice if she slept in the classrooms every night.
"I knew it wasn't nothing." Nico smiled triumphantly, then immediately went back to frowning. "Where are you going to stay, though? You can't live on the street. You don't seem like the 'street urchin' type."
"I told you, I don't know where I'm going to stay. I'll figure it out though." The two lapsed into the silence as they continued with Nico's shopping, the air around them a lot more subdued. The thought of being homeless made Nozomi feel very apprehensive, and she truly wasn't sure if she could find another place. She didn't want to burden anyone with that knowledge though, and she wouldn't have if Nico hadn't forced the information out of her. She'd figure something out.
They continued to not speak as Nico bought her groceries, finally allowing Nozomi to help by letting her carry one of the bags out of the store. Once they stepped onto the sidewalk, Nozomi had to hide a very amused smile at the sight that greeted them. There was a miniature rocket ship just outside the store, allowing any kid to drop a coin in and pretend to pilot the ride. Currently it was operational, with a very happy-looking kid riding inside, his mother watching with a smile on her face.
That wasn't the part that was so amusing, though. No, it was the certain feline standing at the head of the rocket, balancing perfectly on the bouncing ride as a sort of co-pilot for the kid. It was amusing, but it was also heart-warming, and Nozomi would have rushed over to give that blonde guardian a big hug, but she wasn't about to interrupt. Instead she stood there next to Nico, smiling at the scene until it ended and the kid climbed out. He gently ran a hand down Eli's spine, who purred at the touch, before waving and heading off hand in hand with his mother.
"Did you have a good trip, Commander Venus?" Nozomi walked over with a smile, administering her own petting for her favorite feline. A happy mewl was all the answer she needed to lift her spirits considerably.
"You're talking to that cat again?" Nico had made her way over and was watching them with something akin to amusement on her face.
"Well of course. Venus is my cat, after all." 'And a lot more than that.'
"You're crazy, you know that?" Nico scoffed, then looked over Venus with a thoughtful gaze. "At least I'm not the only one,"
"Hmm? What do you mean, Nicocchi?" Instead of responding, Nico turned her thoughtful gaze elsewhere, leaving Nozomi hanging for a moment.
"Look, you don't have a place to live, right? And I daresay I'm pretty damn good at taking care of people. So why don't you come live with me? At least until you have enough money to find a place of your own." Nozomi's eyes widened at the offer. It was so tempting, but didn't Nico have siblings? If she remembered correctly, there were three, and adding another occupant would only make money tighter. She couldn't do that to her.
"Nicocchi, I couldn't-"
"You can and you will." Nico crossed her arms firmly, the bag of groceries she was holding bumping against her side. "No excuses. You're coming with me and you're going to like it." Leaving no room for further counter-arguments, she turned on her good heel and started shuffling forward. "And don't you dare try to sneak off because you don't want to inconvenience me or something. I'm not letting you steal my groceries like that."
Nozomi looked at Nico in stunned silence, then down at the grocery bag still in her hand. Finally, she exchanged glances with Eli before finally allowing a smile to form on her face. Not able to try and argue again, she casually started to walk after Nico, easily catching up. "I guess you leave me no choice, then. Thank you for your hospitality."
The sun was just beginning to set when they made it to Nico's house. Unlocking the door, Nico led Nozomi and 'Venus' inside, quietly closing the door and re-locking it. "Just set the groceries down in the kitchen, alright? I'll take care of them. Just make yourself at home." Setting the bag down on the kitchen table as requested, some kind of remembrance seemed to spark in Nico's eyes as she looked down at 'Venus'.
"I guess I should let you know, Princess doesn't really play well with others, so you might want to keep... Venus, was it? You might want to keep Venus with you for awhile."
"Princess?"
"My cat, yes. Don't let her grumpiness fool you, though: she's really sweet when she wants to be." As if on cue, a scarlet-furred feline, unmistakably this 'Princess', sauntered into the kitchen, roused by the sounds of strangers in the house. As soon as the two cats locked eyes though, they both froze in place, eyes wide and fur lifting in shock. Nico and Nozomi exchanged confused glances, unsure of what was going on with their cats.
"Princess? Is everything alright?" Nico left the groceries behind and went to the floor, gently scratching the feline behind her left ear. Immediately her demeanor changed, a satisfied look appearing on her face as her tail swayed gently behind her. Eventually though, she took notice of the two newcomers in the house, and Nozomi could have sworn her fur was redder than it had been a moment ago. Princess broke away from Nico's hand and darted out of the room, leaving her owner more confused than before. Shrugging to Nozomi, she got back up and went to go find her AWOL cat.
Nozomi was confused, but also curious about their behavior, especially considering how nervous Eli seemed. Emulating Nico's actions, she got on her knees and gently petted Eli, which helped to dissolve some of the tension that had formed. Leaning down so that only Eli could hear, she whispered, "What could you be hiding, Elicchi?"
Eli was definitely in trouble.
Author's Notes: And I got her... grocery bag. No matter how the story turns, no matter what universe it may be, Nico and Nozomi can never escape being best buds. It's inescapable. Eli is best co-pilot though. How will Nozomi adapt to her new surroundings? Will anyone else meet each other? And can Maki ever live down the embarrassment? Tune in next time! (Maki never lives it down.)
