"Marry Me?"

Pairing: NicoMaki

The first time Nico heard that phrase, it had sent her heart pounding, as she struggled to keep her face straight.

Opposite her was a certain redhead junior, excessively twirling her hair. There was a moment of silence, so pregnant as they stared into each other's eyes.

And Nico swore she saw Maki move closer.

"Cut cut cut! Good take!"

Honoka's voice sliced through the silence, akin to a alarm bell, and out of the corner of her eye, Nico saw the rest of muse slapping Honoka across her head.

She had attributed the furious pounding to the unfamiliarity of the phrase.

Whose heart wouldn't flutter at those words?

Years later, she heard the same words again, this time it was a much deeper and hoarse voice.

"Marry me?"

There was no excessive twirling of the hair, there wasn't a single strand of red, and the tiny hairs on his chin rubbed her wrong.

Her heart didn't flutter.

She forced herself to say yes, the tears of joy was what she had needed to show, yet it was tears of frustration.

The kiss afterwards wasn't pleasant, the little stubble irked her.

When the camera finally stopped rolling, she had let out a sigh of relief, regret filling the pits of her stomach.

Maki was on set today, a rare scene, and her girlfriend was looking tense as she walked towards her, holding out a towel for her.

There was an awkward silence between them again, much like years ago when they weren't close.

She could tell that this movie was making Maki annoyed.

There was a grip on her wrist, after she wiped her face clean, as Maki dragged her towards emergency exit.

"Hold on- Maki?"

There was a click as the door closed, and she was forced to stand on one of the steps as Maki pushed her back.

And suddenly Maki was on the floor, kneeling down with a box within her palms, the ruby ring inside peeking out of the cushion.

"Marry me instead?"

It had sent her heart beating, as she struggled to keep her face straight.

Opposite her was a certain redhead junior, excessively twirling her hair; the habit never really died.

There was a moment of silence, so pregnant as they stared into each other's eyes.

And Nico finally realized why, so many years ago, her heart had pounded so hard.

"Yes."

The kiss this time was everything she wanted, the lips were the right pair, and the face was the one she saw in her dreams.

"I love you."

~ Note: afterwards Maki cancelled the movie because she's rich af and nobody else got the chance to touch Nico's lips again