Summary: Maki is hoping Nico is out of tricks, but will there be a treat?
The music was still playing. And pernicious. It had to go. Maki found the speakers, but they were secured in strong harnesses. To keep her safe as well as random animals and children who might wander by(although Nico had a twitch about chipmunks for some reason). Maki imagined Nico climbing up trees to set everything up. For better or worse, Nico was all about the personal touch. No one did anything like Nico. It had fascinated Maki from her first encounter with the charismatic, ambitious, and quicksilver charmer she'd married. The lantern caught a glint of pink. Ah, Maki had tracked the source of the evil, Nico's back up mp3 player. Maki reached up to pull it out of its cozy case, and resisted the urge to stomp it into the ground. It wouldn't have damaged it though, like Nico, it was made of surprisingly resilient material. When other people saw Nico and thought soft, tiny, fluttery petal, Maki just chuckled and waited for them to crawl, battered and crying, out of whatever battle arena they'd chosen to confront Nico in. Urban or wilderness environment, social media or backstage fan meet and greet, Nico thrived. Not that the Nishikino mountain camp was a particularly wild spot, still Nico was as much in her element here as performing on a stage or anonymous in downtown Tokyo, elbowing people out of the way for rare Idol collectibles.
Maki sighed, she couldn't imagine Nico had a prank climax better than forced listening to deliberately awful versions of Maki's original creations, but it was Nico, so there were always surprises. She had the sudden urge to just turn around and have Nico right there, ready to be pulled into her arms and distracted from further chaos. But first, some payback was required. Or at least some grumpiness. So Maki stomped her boots, set her jaw, and turned toward the cabin. Nico was going to have to earn her Halloween treat.
###
Dia had always been fussy. Nico had just crawled into the tent to kiss Dia and Ruby before she headed to the cabin to complete the Halloween prankfest. Ruby was curled up against her sister, soundly asleep, red hair such a vivid reminder of Maki, their child's rare sweetness protected fiercely by everyone around her. As Nico smiled at her daughters, Dia's green eyes opened suddenly. The scowl was accusatory as was the whispery hiss.
"Bzzzt...you're going to wake up, Ruby, Mom."
"Nico is quiet." Nico smiled, pulling Dia's blanket up, "You take good care of her, bun."
Dia nodded, serious and grave. Neither Maki nor Nico claimed credit for that part of Dia's personality. Maki had always seemed more mature than her years, but had been quick to revert to the goof Nico loved to tease. Dia vibed grandfatherly accountant.
"What're you going to do next?" Dia whispered.
NIco smiled, "Make sure your Mama gets home safe."
Dia nodded. She could approve that. "You could help her change clothes too. The pumpkins were really messy."
Nico swallowed a nervous giggle. They'd obviously used the "changing clothes" excuse too many times in Dia's hearing. Nico was just glad this was the RinPana tent and not one Nozomi was anywhere near.
"I'll do my best. If your Mama wants help."
Nico wasn't sure about that one. She'd probably gone a little far with the Soldier Game and Bibi remixes. But Maki shouldn't have said that Nico was slowing down. Nico always kept two steps ahead of Dia and several jumps ahead of Maki. Nico snorted, remembering Maki's panic when she'd seen Nico's glare.
Dia glared and pointed at Ruby. "Shh."
Nico nodded, kissing Dia softly on the forehead, "Don't worry so much."
"Don't let Mama get too mad. Ruby gets sad."
"Nico will do her best." And Nico did the quietest, quickest version of her signature gesture yet, "Nico Nico Ni."
It was as good as a lullaby, Dia yawned and flipped over. Nico waved to a Hanayo absorbed in her phone, grabbed the lantern, and went back to mischief.
###
Maki was on the right path. The trees were thinning out. There was no warped music in the air, taunting and teasing her. The air had a bracing chill, light from the lantern scattered against roots, bushes, and branches in intriguing patterns. Everyone else was settled in camp, around the campfire, a comfortable picture, but Maki was enjoying this solitude, stopping to glance up at her favorite seasonal constellations, feeling her posture straighten up after weeks of being hunched over a midi keyboard scoring an animated short for an Oscar winning studio. Of course, there still might be traps. Nico was always thorough about anything she did. Maki chuckled, when had dates become this crazy? Well, kinda always, she admitted to herself with a giggle. One of their first dates had been running away from Rin pretending to be paparazzi so a booby trapped trail of minor terrors was very Nico. Maybe it was past time to leave Ruby and Dia with her parents for a couple of weeks and take her wife off somewhere romantic. To reeducate Nico on what constituted a proper date. Nico always claimed marriage precluded dating, but Maki relished Nico in courtship mode, on the rare occasion the Number One Idol in any universe decided to be the Number One Wooer. But recently, Nico had been even crazier busy working on her switch to directing and producing.
A rustle. To the right. Maki froze, listening. No followup movement so either gravity on a leaf or a nocturnal animal rushing off. But she needed to pay more attention. Nico surely had more tricks in mind as Maki approached the cabin.
Dark, silent cabin in sight and fishing wire across the path. Nico suddenly being obvious? Maki knelt and pulled the lantern through the obstacle. Rows of softly lit luminaries and golden fairy lights created a lovely path to the separate entrance they'd had installed for the master suite. Had Nico switched to treats?
###
Nico lit the last candle, and the low light around the master bath set a cozy, romantic mood Nico wanted to stay and enjoy with her stubborn, gorgeous, slippery even when not wet wife. But as much as Nico claimed this was a revenge prank, Maki had also been spending too much time commuting between Tokyo and Uchiara, dealing with both the girls and Nishikino family business while Nico was working on her directorial debut. So Maki was definitely peopled out even before all of their Muse family had arrived for the Halloween camp out.
Nico smiled, remembering years of sitting together, fireside, with Maki, telling stories of when they each realized it was love, reminiscing about the Muse training camp that had proven their connection deeper than either had been ready to acknowledge.
Humming "Yume No Tobira," Nico scattered rose petals over the scented bathwater, smiling at the ripples that would turn into waves when Maki stretched out those dreamfuel legs to dip them into the water, sink in, lean back, eyes closed, shimmering red hair wrapped in a turban, arms stretched out...Nico dipped a hand in the water, splashing her face to shake off fantasy mode. She meant to give Maki some solitude. After that, there would be time for mutual appreciation.
Nico saw the fairy lights glow on. Maki had arrived. Pulling up her dark hoodie, Nico headed to the front door. Maki would probably follow the path Nico had created so Nico could sneak back to the campsite. And then, tomorrow, Nico would show up bright and early to cook a beautiful princess a delicious brunch.
###
"Nico?" Umi stepped out of her tent.
"She's not here." Nozomi said with a smirk, "What do you need?"
"Kotori wanted to know what the plan was for breakfast."
"In bed, I'd guess." Nozomi winked.
"What do you mean? Maki was quite determined…"
"How long have you known the two of them, Umi?"
Awkward silence and then Umi sighed.
"Where's your wife?"
"Passed out from exhaustion."
Umi paled, not quite taken sick enough to faint. Nozomi chuckled, "Why do you even ask?"
Umi rolled her eyes with a wry chuckle, "That is a very good question. I will consider it. Good night, my friend."
Nozomi waved, continuing to sip her herbal tea. It was a beautiful night, crisp and clear. She always appreciated the chance to exist in mountain stillness, far from urban bustle.
###
Ahmad Jamal. "Jeff". Just perfect. Maki swooped a hand hrough the water. The shower had gotten the pumpkin goop out of her hair. Now, warm water and flickering candles. Nico knew how to set a romantic scene. There had even been a snack, bruschetta warm from the oven, the perfect Chianti to accompany it. Maki's private chef. Smiling at so many memories and tracing a languid finger across her now tingling lip, Maki wondered where the Halloween imp was. And perfectly timed, her phone pinged.
N: The stars here are stunning, but don't leave Nico breathless like your eyes.
M: I was wrong. You haven't matured at all.
N: And you haven't gotten any better at flirting.
Maki paused, wondering if she dared.
M: I'm just so...
N: ?!
M: Wet.
Maki splashed her hand across the surface, imagining Nico's expression.
N: You're giggling, aren't you. That's not flirting, that's…
M: ?!
N: Provoking. Nico is provoked.
M: Not as provoked as I was listening to...
N: Nico is a genius (￣︶￣;)
M: Nico is a terror ƪ(`▿▿▿▿´ƪ). Trick or trap.
N: That's not how it goes. Nico prepared a full, IMPRESSIVE, immersive Halloween experience. You shivered, don't lie to Nico.
M: ((ﾟ□ﾟ;))
M: I might be cold. Or…
N: Or?
M: You know, wet ^.~
N: You are going to be so embarrassed when Nico asks you exactly how wet…
Maki put the phone down, her face was flaming, she could feel it. Conversations with Nico always went just too far. But the thought of Nico showing up, opening the door, knowing Maki was under the sheets, waiting...Maki stood up, legs already shaky, Nico's voice repeating whispers in her memory. A brash knock on the door to the master suite startled her as her phone pinged. Nico always ruined fantasies. Or improved them.
N: Trick or treat?
M: Just come inside.
N: (^_)～
M: I can still lock the door.
And there was Nico's bright, knowing laugh in the bedroom, "Nico just wants a sweet."
Maki draped a towel over her shoulder and opened the door, "All right."
A/N: You did good, voters.
Working on my multi chapters, chunk by chunk.
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