Summary: Maki makes a phone call, but not the right one.
Eli sat at the kitchen table, surrounded by text books and papers. She'd decided to dive into the homework she hadn't had time for, but the Bibi situation kept her tapping her pencil as she let her thoughts drift. The lack of focus was not typical. Nozomi was currently pretending her own attention was on one of Nico's fashion magazines, but she wondered how long she had to let Eli stew before starting to pry.
Eli broke first. "Nozomi?"
"Hmmmmm?" Startled, Nozomi hummed a response.
"Why did you say Nico made Maki nervous?"
Easy question. "Because your prodigy pianist can't take her eyes off Nico and jumps every time the singing spitfire gets near her. It's why she has so much trouble on some songs. The closer Nico gets, the less Maki listens."
"It wasn't like that the night we went to her house." Eli glanced up from her papers, eyebrows furrowed as she tried to put a name to the feel of that late night session.
Nozomi shrugged, "Maybe Maki's not thinking as much about music now."
"Why wouldn't she be? What else could she be thinking about?" Eli started chewing on her eraser.
Nozomi rolled her eyes, tilting her head back so Eli could catch her teasing look but before she retorted, the phone rang and Eli got up to answer it.
"Hello? Eli speaking...oh, hi Maki...yes, but Nico's still at work...why don't you call her...I'm sure she wouldn't mind...okay, I can tell...sure I can write down the details...yes, I'll make sure she gets them...as soon as I see her…okay, I'll call her," Eli laughed as Maki's volume increased, "I promise... Get some sleep, Maki. Don't worry so much." Eli depressed the switch arms, then dialed a number, waiting for an answer. "Hi, Dani? Is Nico there? Sure, I'll wait...Hi, Nico, Maki called me. No, I don't know why she didn't call you...she sounded busy?...Anyway, that concert thing is at her house at noon...yes, at her house...it's big enough...ask her Nico, I don't know...okay, be careful coming home." Eli hung up the receiver, humming a song Nozomi didn't recognize, but something had obviously amused her.
"Eli-chi?"
Eli's grin was smug and Nozomi wondered why. Then Eli crossed to the couch, vaulted over the side, and landed next to Nozomi.
"Forget I asked that thing before." Mischief practically made Eli bounce.
Nozomi leaned her head on Eli's shoulder, "What did Maki say that you found so enlightening?"
"It was more a tone…"
"A tone," Nozomi teased.
Eli nodded seriously, "As a musician and educator, I am attuned to nuance in vocal performance and young Miss Nishikino has a classic case of Nico Nico need."
Nozomi snorted at the word choice, "How do you know that?"
Eli shrugged, "Voice a little tight, shaky, obviously nervy when mentioning Nico's name, frequently interrupting herself while demanding three times that I deliver her message to Nico as soon as humanly possible but unwilling to actually call Nico."
"But can she be cured?" Nozomi slid closer.
Eli ran her fingers through Nozomi's hair, "The real question is does Nico know?"
"Nico's only seeing Tsubasa and Europe right now." Nozomi couldn't help the sigh.
"I know." Eli hugged her girlfriend tighter, "Sometimes it's not so easy."
Tired of talking about Nico, Nozomi snickered and swerved. "I'm glad you were."
"Hey!" Eli's blue eyes narrowed at a smirking Nozomi.
"Well…" Nozomi ran her fingers down Eli's neck, watching the blonde shiver. "Weren't you?"
"Nozomi..." Eli might have been attempting a complaint but Nozomi's insistent lips ended that.
###
The Club was bustling, friendly, happy people enjoying the holiday season. Nico bounced between favorite customers, sharing stories about their families, getting nice end of the year bonus tips from regulars she hadn't seen before Christmas. The kind of night that made the rest of them better, building camaraderie with her co workers and the faces she'd see regularly on her shifts. It was pleasant, easy almost.
In a lull, Nico stared at herself in the mirror behind the bar. She looked more tired than she would have liked. With a sigh, she adjusted the ribbons holding her hair in pigtails, flashing back to Maki's face, so close, so...Nico wasn't sure she could put words to the expression on the younger girl's face, it was a blend of vulnerability, hope, disappointment, and...there had been a certain determined fervor that wasn't anger, that had dominated as Maki accused Nico of waffling. Was Nico waffling? And why did the temp pianist care about Nico's choices so much?
"Nico?"
Nico came out of her fugue, "What is it, Dani?"
"You have a phone call and Viv wants to know if you've decided when your last day will be."
Ignoring practical concerns, Nico took the phone, surprised to hear Eli's voice. "Hi Eli..Maki called you? Why didn't she call me? Nico said she was heading to work...Of course, she's too busy to listen to Nico or call her...her house?...Yeah, Nico only saw part of the first floor, but...hey, why didn't Maki call Nico, she knows the Ace of Rose's number, she called here before...Nico knows, that's not your problem..." Nico sighed. "I'll see you later Eli. Thanks for calling."
Nico hung up the phone. Why hadn't Maki called just called her. They'd spent hours together in the car, multiple rehearsals, practically falling asleep on the couch together, shared a milkshake. They'd talked about family, music, future plans, weather...why hadn't Maki just picked up the phone when Eli had reminded her Nico was at work? Phone calls were easy. Was Maki worried that Nico was mad? Was Maki mad at Nico?
"Hey, Dani, can someone take over my tables? Nico has a problem to solve."
###
Maki had almost stopped shaking. When she'd gotten home, picking up the phone to call Nico to give her the details about tomorrow's charity performance had been difficult. And then Eli had answered and said Nico was at work. Which Maki had forgotten. But that one phone call had taken all her willpower so she'd just left the message with Eli and hung up, ignoring the saxophonist's suggestion Maki call Nico at work. So giving Nico the details had happened, and Nico would show up and hear an actual smooth performance. If Maki could produce an actual smooth performance. Which was still questionable. Maki sat across the room from her piano, glaring at it. Once, they had been on the same team. She lifted her hands, flexing her fingers, unable to visualize them on the keys. Instead, Maki was lost in the night before, her mind looping through the moment when she'd held Nico's coat for her, fingers tingling as she closed it around the smaller woman, her attention captured by the sweep of Nico's neck where it met her shoulders, the straight line of her posture, the midnight silkiness of the hair cascading down to her back. Maki had frozen for a breath, the party bustling outside a bubble with the two of them alone, caught by a mood she'd never felt, a possibility she had just begun to imagine, almost offering Nico her arm when the songbird buttoned her coat at the throat. But before she could do that, Nico had slid her arm through Maki's with a daredevil gleam in her eye, "Let's get out of here, Maki."
Maki was existing in that moment...no piano, no future, no past, just Nico and...a sense that there, by Nico's side, that was right, that was possibility, that was where Maki might find a place. But Nico wanted something else. And Maki could give her Europe, first class, even, but not an already celebrated band to front.
Maki frowned at her hands again. Right now, she couldn't even give Nico a reliable rhythm. That had to change. Focus on the music only. No more possibilities. Just be what Nico needed right now. Maki stood, time to put on Ella Fitzgerald's "Wishing You A Swinging Christmas" on the turntable and play her way through. And then practice the Chopin and the Ellington for tomorrow. Maki tugged at her hair, at some point sleep would win, but it wouldn't be tonight.
###
Shivering and stomping her feet, Nico rang the mansion doorbell. The wind was cutting through her tights. She'd taken a cab, but she still only had her work uniform on underneath her peacoat. Nico rang again, pumping her fingers. Maki was probably hunched over her piano, trying to figure out the music herself, but what she really needed was to have Nico there to help her unlock it. Maki'd just called Eli less than an hour ago, surely she wouldn't be asleep yet. When they'd had rehearsal over here, they'd been up working for hours yet.
The door opened and Nico started to say "You just can't leave Nico messages, Maki, you actually have to…" when a woman not as tall as Maki and with long brown hair stepped into view. The cheekbones and age gave Nico a hint that she might be looking at Maki's mother.
"Can I help you?" Confusion.
Nico pulled out her smoothest, most charming tone, "Nico is sorry if she woke you, but I needed to see Maki and I didn't realize you might be back from Maine."
"Nico?" No recognition, not yet suspicion.
"Nico Yazawa...Maki joined our trio, Bibi, temporarily. She drove me to Troy for Christmas." Nico wrapped her arms around herself to so Maki's mom would get the "Nico is cold" cue, "Is Maki here?"
Maki's mother smiled, "Oh, you're the singer. Maki's been…"
"Mama? Did something happen to Papa?" Maki sounded worried, Nico thought, as the redhead came around the corner in her pajamas and bathrobe. She stopped, staring, as soon as she spotted Nico, "Nico? What... why are you here...is something the matter?"
Her mother looked from Maki to Nico as Nico gave up hinting, stepping inside as Maki hurried forward. The door closing behind her, Nico strode up to Maki, "You can't just call Eli and leave Nico a message. You had Nico's number."
"I left the message, you got the message." Maki pushed to bravery "I didn't do anything wrong"
"You didn't do anything right either." Nico's hands were on her hips, head cocked aggressively at Maki.
"I forgot you were at work." It was an almost apology, but that wasn't what Nico had taken a cab here for.
Nico pressed. "Why didn't you call me when Eli told you?"
Maki shoved her hands in her bathrobe pockets and glanced away.
Maki's mother decided to step away from the increasingly tense atmosphere. "Can I get you girls some coffee...or a snack?"
Nico kept her eyes locked on Maki while replying. "Yes, please. Nico left work without dinner."
"Come into the kitchen when you're ready." Maki's mother was through the archway.
"Okay, Mama." Maki nodded at her mother, then glanced briefly at Nico and pouted, arms crossed. "You're disturbingly early. I'm practicing. The recital's tomorrow, you know."
Nico rolled her eyes. "Thanks. But as we figured out before, Nico got that message." Nico stepped closer to Maki, hand gentle on the fidgety redhead's arm, "Why couldn't you just call Nico yourself?"
Maki scrubbed fingers through her hair, biting her lip for extra proof of nerves, "I didn't mean anything...I just...I'm not good on the phone."
Relieved that Maki wasn't still...mad, Nico squeezed before letting go, "Call Nico anyway. It'd be nice to hear your voice."
Maki blushed; Nico continued, raising her hand to her chin, the better to exude wisdom, "Nico has been thinking about your problem…'
"My problem?" Indignant curiosity. So very Maki, Nico realized.
"Nico makes you nervous, right…." Nico sounded serious, but there was a hint of a tease.
Maki caught herself before she stuttered out several "No's" to prove Nico's point, pulling down the cuff of her robe instead.
"So if you get used to Nico, your performance will improve, right." Nico was practically vibrating. How did she have this much energy this late and on no dinner, Maki wondered.
Maki knew she was looking more doubtful than thoughtful but Nico chose to ignore any nuance.
"So if we spend more time working together, Maki's play will get so good, Tsubasa will beg her to join the band too…"
"I don't want to…" A point Maki could be firm about.
Nico shrugged, nonchalantly, "It's an example of what COULD happen."
Maki decided to shift the discussion, almost afraid of the answer. "How are you planning to get me 'used to Nico'?"
"I sit, scoot next to you, you play, I sing, easy peasy." Nico announced, bumping Maki with her hip.
"No." Maki jumped two steps away.
"Why not?" Nico batted her long eyelashes, corner of her lip curved invitingly, Maki her sole focus.
Maki licked her lip, trying to think of a way to talk Nico out of being here, at nearly midnight, in her work uniform, demanding Maki share a piano bench. While that picture was stalling Maki's thoughts, Nico pounced, sliding her arm through Maki's and pulling the taller woman down the hall, "But right now, Nico needs a snack."
And Maki needed a minute. At the minimum. But Nico was a whirlwind, rushing them into her latest plan. But the thought of Nico, sweet and musky, voice tart, twisty and tender, next to her, welcome, warm, tantalizing, was clamping Maki's lips together, preventing any protests. Treasonous thoughts, Maki realized, conjoined with the remembered comfort of a sleepy Nico curled against her side. Coffee would be essential. Keeping up with Nico when rested was challenging enough.
A/N: February has been a month so far, but I'm happy with how this chapter turned out. Still not sure exactly how long this will take 'til we have achieved harmony, but I hope you're enjoying the ride.
Take care! Comments and cheer welcome.