Summary: Nozomi has a couple of surprise snowstorm visitors and Eli meets a friend at the airport.
Eli Ayase didn't know if it was Nozomi's good luck streak or a gift from the universe for her, but she'd made the last flight into Boston before the snowstorm shut down the airport. She was getting home tonight; her four wheel drive SUV waited in long term parking. Now she just had to grab her luggage and after two long weeks, she'd be on her way home to Nozomi. As she stepped out of the corridor, a flash of red caught her eye, an angry pacing silhouette she recognized immediately. Nishikino Maki, near neighbor, heiress, and concert pianist. Was she flying to a concert? Had her flight been cancelled?
"Maki!" Eli called across the space.
Maki turned, shook her head, arms crossed as Eli hurried her way.
"Flight cancelled."
"Yeah."
"Need a ride home?"
Maki shrugged, "I was heading to San Francisco for two months so I shut down the cabin. No water; no power. Guess I'll have to find a hotel."
"Nah. Storm could be all weekend. Stay with me and Nozomi. It'll be fun."
Maki raised an eyebrow, "Don't you want some alone time?"
Eli clapped Maki on the shoulder, "I didn't say move into my bedroom…"
Maki shuddered, "I'll just…"
"I'm teasing you, Maki. Nozomi would love to see you and I'll make you blintzes for breakfast. The basement is pretty soundproofed anyway, for dance practice."
Maki still looked hesitant.
"C'mon. You can keep me awake during the drive."
"All right."
"Harahso." Eli pushed Maki ahead of her, "Let's just grab my luggage."
###
The pounding on the door woke Nozomi. She opened it to a sweep of snow in her face and two tiny people standing near each other, probably for warmth.
"Nico-chi!"
"Let Nico in." A woman wrapped in scarves and wearing the puffiest, longest down coat Nozomi had ever seen shoved past Nozomi.
"Hi!" The other woman, with frosted over glasses and light brown hair peeking out from a knit cap waved.
"That's Hanayo. She's interviewing Nico."
"Is that why you suddenly appeared on my doorstep?"
"Nico sent a text."
Nozomi giggled, "Didn't say much."
"Nico is freezing, Nozomi, please."
As much as Nozomi enjoyed teasing her friend, she knew that Nico was more sensitive to cold than many people. "How'd you get here?"
"Rental. Nico's exhausted."
Hanayo's eyes were round, "The roads were so scary. We nearly slid off the side of a mountain."
"And you kept screaming "somebody save me" but Nico had it under control."
"Sorry," Hanayo whispered meekly.
"I'll make some hot chocolate. Let's move to the kitchen."
Nico nodded, keeping her coat zipped and her glare accusatory.
###
Nico glanced around the guest room/dance studio. "This is soundproofed, right?"
"Why, Nico-chi, what did you have planned?"
"Nico knows Eli's on the way home and Nico knows how loud Eli is." Nico sighed, finally unzippping her coat. "And Nico needs her beauty sleep."
"We won't disturb you. It's not like college. I'm not trying to tease you." Nozomi reached out, attempting to pull Nico into a hug, but Nico slid free, taking her makeup bag toward the bathroom. "I missed you, Nico-chi."
"Yeah, yeah…" Nico paused and turned in the bathroom doorway, "Thanks for this Nozomi. I was tired of hotels."
Nozomi smiled, "Eli will be glad you're visiting."
"Blintzes glad?"
Nozomi nodded, "Blintzes glad."
###
Hours on the road, long, tiring, slippery, low visibility hours. Eli had a knot between her shoulder blades it would take Nozomi hours to work out. Dragging her luggage toward the cabin, Maki had shuffled through the snow, tilting precariously if she stopped. Whatever it was, a bed, or a floor, or even a counter, inside, out of the elements, Maki would take it. They'd had to stop for coffee and a cold blast for Eli twenty minutes away, both of them nodding off dangerously.
They stepped inside.
"Excuse the intrusion." Maki mumbled automatically, her parents had trained her thoroughly in all the civilities.
"You're always welcome."
"Bed?"
Eli pointed to the door that led to the downstairs suite. "Nozomi set up everything for you."
"Night."
"See you in the morning."
"No." And Maki was gone. Eli waited, listening for a crash as Maki rolled down the stairs but she heard nothing. Was Maki just going to drop into bed with her coat on? Eli was curious, but not curious enough to check. Nozomi had been expecting her home hours ago. She was owed kisses. And cuddling. Which would warm her up. Even for Eli's frosty Russian blood, the night had been too cold.
###
Maki didn't even bother to turn on the light. Bed, five steps ahead, oddly piled blankets but Nozomi never did anything precisely as expected. Maki fell face first into the pillow, flipping onto her right side and pulling the blankets over her, with barely a thought about how heavy they were before a blizzard of sleep closed her eyes.
###
Eli quietly opened the door to her bedroom, not surprised to see Nozomi still up, reading through a Nobuyoshi Araki photobook.
"I'm freezing." Eli unbuttoned her flannel shirt, thermal underwear underneath.
Nozomi tossed the book away and raised the wool blanket, "Take off the rest of your clothes and I'll warm you up."
Eli was too tired, but it had been two weeks since she'd been home and even the sound of Nozomi's voice was enough to jolt her awake and eager to embrace the woman who refused to not spam her phone demanding nudes.
"Give me a minute."
Nozomi hmmmed, tilting her head, mischievous green eyes waiting for their treat. "Nope. Now."
Eli jumped into the bed, "Take them off me yourself then."
###
Cold, snow pelting Maki, strange noises, something striking her, holding her down, Maki could feel her heart rate accelerating, a strange awareness growing, but her eyes remained shut, even with the weight across her chest and the screams of the shadowy tortures chasing her. Lucid dreaming. Could you die in a dream? Could your heart explode? Your brain? Why had she stopped her medical studies before that…wait was something wet? Blood? With an extreme effort, Maki threw herself up into a sitting position, some…one rolling off her with a grunt. Someone? Maki screamed.
"Hey, hey, hot stranger, calm down." Maki felt hands shaking her.
She opened her eyes, turning her head into a light that suddenly turned on, blinding her, and blinking, was that face green, where was she, what was going on…
Maki shoved and the thing/person grabbing her went flying off the side of the bed.
"HEY!" The face, still green, appeared over a pillow, dragged and propped on the bed for protection. "Nico was helping."
"Helping?" Maki was panting, still not sure what was real or where she was. She pointed, "Green."
A sigh. "Beauty mask. The secret to Nico's beautiful skin." Skin? Why were they talking about skin? Were those eyes red? Burning? Was this a demon? Had Nozomi finally branched out beyond Tarot.
"Hey, hot girl." A snap drew Maki's attention.
"I'm not hot." Maki shivered. It was too cold for anyone to be even warm.
Was that an eye roll?
"Look, panicking person with no self awareness, breathe for Nico."
"What?"
"You're about to hyperventilate. Straighten up." The green demon sat up, rolling its shoulders back, "Now take a deep breath…"
Maki still just stared.
"Breathe." The demon barked. Maki did.
"Now do it slower."
Maki inhaled. Calmer. Maybe this wasn't a trap?
"Again."
Okay, Maki could do this. The oxygen was waking up her brain, pushing out the fuzzy confusion of panic. The not especially threatening demon yoga instructor had sable hair, no horns, and seemed to be wearing a frilly pink night gown.
"Good. Stay there. Breathe. Nico will take off the green."
Maki nodded, still warily making sure the demon was moving away and not toward her. Why hadn't anyone heard her scream? What did Nozomi do down here?
###
Calmer. Maki was calmer. Obviously, as long as the…person came back looking more like a person than a nightmare…Nozomi must have had a friend who got snowed in too. And Nozomi forgot to tell Eli. Or Nozomi decided to have some fun. Nozomi did enjoy mischief. Surely it didn't take this much time to wash off whatever that was…oh, maybe whoever was giving Maki a chance to relax. Maki took the opportunity to move from the bed to the oversized chair, had she really fallen asleep with her boots on? Long night. As Maki was untying her second boot, the bathroom door opened.
The woman was tiny, fair skin stark pale, golden cream, except for a few faint red marks from scrubbing, lush sable hair fell loose, and the eyes, yes, the eyes were red, like rubies.
"Nozomi's friend, right?" Maki guessed.
A snort, "Nozomi is Nico's friend."
"Nico?"
"Nico Ni…" there was a pause, eyes narrowed, watching Maki for some kind of reaction.
Maki pulled off her boot, continuing to share information. "I was at the airport and Eli spotted me. My parents' have a cabin here, but I just closed it down for the season."
Nico sat on the bed, "Name?"
"Nishikino."
"That's an unusual…"
"Maki. My name's Maki."
"Hi, Maki." Nico's expressions were fascinating as they raced across her face, quicksilver sliding across a surface, pausing briefly each time it hit enough texture to register an expression. She seemed to be returning to puzzled. "Where are you from?"
Maki shrugged, "Boston, I guess, but I don't really stay anywhere very long these days." Maki smiled, her fingers stretched out, playing the intro to the first of Eric Satie's Gymnopédies, "Concert pianist."
Nico scooted across the bed, "Nico gets that. Nico's always touring too."
"What do you play?"
Nico laughed. "You really don't know?"
Maki started pulling back, shaking her head. Nico hopped up on the bed, hand out for an invisible microphone, and then a stream of fast rap music filled the room, Nico breaking into a hyper bop of a catchy chorus after the initial word rush.
"Shugā Smile." Maki recognized the tune. It was everywhere. They'd heard it three times in the car on the way home. The mix of English and Japanese had caught her ear.
"So?" Nico bopped down to sit on the edge of the bed, knees almost brushing Maki's.
"Catchy?"
"Catchy? Nico is catchy like BTS Butter, catchy like Doja Cat's Kiss Me More, catchy like…"
"Sure." Maki didn't know who they were.
Nico stared, then shook her head and smiled, incandescent, "So who's your catchy? Beethoven?"
"Rachmanioff."
Nico kinda got where Maki was coming from now with the not knowing. "Hum Nico a few bars."
"Okay." Maki considered which piece.
Nico raised her hand. "Kidding."
"Good." Maki smiled, "I don't think I'm awake yet."
"Nico only appears in the best dreams."
Maki remembered a nightmare but liked this amicable mood, "So how do you know Nozomi?"
"High school. How do you know Eli?"
"College."
"Brainiacs."
"Band geeks."
"Bet you looked cute in the uniform."
Maki blinked, not sure how to process that, "Concert band. Concert jazz band."
"That's right. Eli plays something brassy."
"Trumpet. She says she never gets it out anymore."
"Too bad. I remember Nozomi saying how hot she was when she played."
"She soloed a lot."
Nico bounced up. If this was going to be a surprise sleepover, Nico knew what to do. "Want to sneak upstairs and grab some snacks? Nico's starving."
Maki had a sudden vision of Nozomi and Eli raiding the fridge after…
"No."
Nico tapped Maki's nose, "Coward. Nico will bring back supplies. You like cookies?"
"Sure."
"Cookies it is. Stay here."
Where was Maki going to go? Back to the nightmares? No, thank you.
With a wink, Nico headed for the stairs.
###
"So Nozomi was there with Nico and there was no way she could have set off the fire alarm or the sprinklers but when all the dancers rushed out in their underwear, she just whipped out her camera and started taking pictures…"
"I can't believe you ever let her backstage again."
"Hmmmph." Nico slammed the bed and the plate of cookies bounced, "Nico never let her into a concert again."
"I don't know how Eli deals with it. Nozomi is always asking me to take off something, saying it's a joke, and giggling when I…" Maki shuddered, remembering several awkward instances, "Plus, she's always trying to hook me up with this high school friend of he…" Maki stared at Nico,
"You're not eating many cookies."
"Sugar just wires me."
"Noted. Nico should have warmed up the leftover pizza."
"Ooh, pizza." Maki was propped against the pillows, Nico laying across the foot of the bed.
"That's the most excited you've been…well, since the terror." Nico's eyes might have actually twinkled, "Nico's not that scary."
"Well, you don't look like the Green Goblin anymore."
Nico flopped over on her back, "Nico has scored a compliment from the icicle. Nico is irresistible."
Laughter doubled Maki over. This was pleasanter than any of her recent dates. Actually, there hadn't been any recent dates. After the initial compliments flopped, Nico had decided to just be fun to talk to, telling tour stories, silly things she and Eli and Nozomi had done, encouraging Maki to share her own tour stories, even laughing at Maki's descriptions of the worst pianos she'd ever met, and offering practical advice on the lighting placement for Maki's TWIG lives.
"Nozomi actually helped me a lot when I started." Nico's voice turned serious, "When I started performing, in high school, Nozomi would babysit my siblings. My mom had to work a lot, after…" Nico closed her eyes, hands clenched, "my dad died. My sibs love Nozomi. Her parents never paid any attention to her, so a lot of the acting out is just to get attention. The rest is…" Nico's eyes met Maki and then the petite singer grinned maliciously, "perversion. But she's kind of family now so…"
"I get that. Eli always encouraged me when I wavered about music. And Nozomi was right there with her."
"Why would you waver about music? You're amazing." They'd shared TWIG handles and Nico had sat silent through a couple of Maki's recent pieces, in awe of the grace and strength and emotion the pianist could get out of what looked like a huge, solid block of grand piano.
"My family is full of doctors."
"Boring." Nico raspberried.
"Saving lives is not boring."
Nico stared, then stuck out her tongue.
"But yeah, pre med classes were kinda boring." Maki agreed, hugging a pillow as she yawned.
"Nico knew."
"Nico is a genius."
"Talented, hot, smart…Nico is The Goods™."
"So not lacking for anything?" Maki was starting to fall asleep on her pillow so the question didn't sound serious, but Nico sat up, her sudden intensity attracting Maki's full attention.
"Nico will tell you a secret."
Maki blinked, "Okay."
"This. Nico is lacking this." Nico flumped next to Maki, barely touching.
"A stranger in a strange bed?"
"No. Nico can get that any time. Nico is The Goods™"
There was sudden silence, the mood broken, Maki shuffling marginally toward the edge of the bed, Nico frowning, trying to remember exactly what Nozomi had said about Eli's friend, besides that she was exactly the opposite of a tour hookup. Fuck. No. Not the time to bring that word up. C'mon Nico, think. And then Nico's mouth opened, words avalanching out. "Nico doesn't go for that, ever, well, not for years, strict no sex backstage policy, no groupies, no Nico and the dancers, Nico's for everyone, but not for just anyone, Nico didn't mean…"
"'S'okay." Maki glanced at her phone, "It's almost dawn. I haven't talked this long to anyone since…college."
"We could do it again. You have Nico's cell. And socials."
"We could talk. You are a moot now." Maki sounded amused. Nico liked it.
"I am."
"When Nozomi asks why we look exhausted, we'll just have to tell her the sex was mind blowing. Save your celebrity reputation." Maki laid down so her back was toward Nico, pulling the blanket up.
"What are we, some teen friendly tv show ship?"
"Probably." Maki waved a hand, "Did you check for cameras?"
"Oh gods." Nico sat up, suddenly aware of all the places Nozomi could have hid a lens.
"S'okay." More amusement, a charming laugh that lilted through Maki's words, "I checked when you went for cookies."
Nico felt a surge of chivalry. "Do you want Nico to sleep on the chair? Or the couch upstairs?"
Maki flipped, amethyst eyes lit with mischief, "Going to go Green Goblin again?"
"Nope."
"Then you're good." Another flip, Nico staring at Maki's back again, not exactly sure what was happening. But it wasn't an unfriendly back. "Good night, Nico."
"Good night, Maki the moot."
Maki kicked back; Nico pushed the invading foot away. Someone started to snore.
###
"You don't want blintzes?" Eli seemed confused.
"Nico always brings her dates whatever they want for breakfast in bed. And this one likes rewarmed pizza." Nico had chosen a cute red and white striped sweater dress and white leggings.
Sitting at the table, Nozomi and Eli exchanged a glance, Eli worried, "Nico, did you really…"
Nico shushed at Eli, "Nico never kisses and tells."
"Liar."
"Shut up, Nozomi." Nico snapped.
"What is Nico lying about?" Maki leaned in the doorway, gray turtleneck, black slacks, and fuzzy gray socks a perfect outfit for a travel day.
Another Eli and Nozomi glance; Eli taking a serious dose of coffee before responding.
"They don't believe you want rewarmed pizza." Nico announced, putting two slices on a plate, about to open the microwave door.
"Oh." Maki sounded disappointed. Nico suddenly worried that she'd misread the morning mood, but then Maki bounced into the kitchen, "You have to use the oven, Nico. The microwave's for quickies."
Eli's mug dropped to the floor, somehow not shattering, but Eli was up and hopping, pulling off her wool slipper socks before the burning coffee soaked through.
"Nozomi?"
"You're fine, Eli-chi."
"Nozomi." Pained.
Nozomi forced herself to stop staring at Nico and Maki grinning at each other in front of the oven. Eli was in active distress.
"Sit down." Nozomi put Eli in a chair away from the spill, ran a tea towel under cold water, and dropped it over Eli's feet.
"It's so cold."
"It'll keep the burn from getting worse."
"I've got to grab my bag. And get to the airport." Maki announced.
"Nico will drive you."
Maki tilted her head, considering.
"Okay," Nico sighed, putting all her energy into making it the sigh of a sufferer, "You can eat the pizza in Nico's car."
"Ничего себе." Eli muttered, facepalming.
"What else hurts?" Nozomi's hands were searching Eli's legs for more damage.
"They did it, Nico must have, Maki's gonna be heartbroken, what have you done…"
"I'll get my bag." Maki said brightly, stepping out of the room.
Eli glanced up, her blue eyes wide, "Nico?"
"Tell Hanayo Nico will be back soon and we'll head to the cabin for tomorrow's photo shoot."
"Nico?" Pleading.
Nico tapped Nozomi on the shoulder, pointing at a crumpling Eli. "Fix your girlfriend."
"Yeah." Nozomi couldn't read Nico's expression, "Nico?"
Nico winked.
###
Sitting at the window of the Admiral's Club, Nico's latte stuffed full of espresso and all the sugars had just landed. She would need it for the drive back. Her phone pinged. Maki.
M: On my flight. Thanks for the ride (^^)b
N: Any time.
Nico raised her drink and snapped a selfie.
N: Next time, we have coffee.
M: So some other time than 2 a.m in our friends' guest bedroom.
N: Nico knows all the best 24 hr diners ( *^^)o∀*∀o(^^* )
M: Good to know.
M; Come to the West Coast. You'd have fun. Pianos and diners everywhere.
M: ¬‿¬
N: I think
N: Nico is attracted by that…
N: thought (ㅅ´ ˘ `)
M: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
N: Are you?
M: (ง •̀_•́)ง ผ(•̀_•́ผ)
N: ( ω) (ω ✿)
M: ( -_・) ︻デ═一 ▸
N:
M: I have to shut off my phone.
N: Okay. Travel safely ( ˘ ³˘) Text Nico when you land.
M: (^-^)ゝ
A long pause. Nico was certain the conversation was over.
M: I think (O_ס;)
M: Nico is intriguing
Nico turned over her phone, sipping her drink, watching the planes fly. If the superhot, semi-silly, classy, classical pianist found Nico intriguing, Nico might find a road to San Francisco. She already knew she liked the view. And the company.
A/N: Howdy! Theatre stuff has been busy but Femslash February popped up, a couple of people were kind enough to request fics, and so I'm having some fun. Bed sharing was the first request, by OuMiyuki. Hope you like this, Smilebringer, you always bring me a smile.
