A/N: 'You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To' is a jazz standard. Notible recordings include Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan and Paul Chambers.
Disclaimer: Don't own anything, all rights go to respectful owners.
Nozomi waved off the client, hiding the tiredness as best as she could. Back-pieces were physically and psychologically draining, for both the artist and the client.
Umi locked her piercing room door and tied her hair into a ponytail, ready to run to the train station. Nozomi looked over at the body piercer with a tired smile.
"Woah, you look beat," Umi noticed the green eyes droop, and it reminded her of Kotori. Nozomi chuckled and leaned against the counter.
"I'm fine, that was just a big piece," she looked over at Rin, who was cleaning up the station and still in awe of the work Nozomi had done.
"Although, it was nice to tattoo something that I also enjoy,"
"Women?" Umi raised an eyebrow, making her boss laugh.
"I meant the design. That girl works at a small shrine nearby, and that tattoo was related to Shinto, Umi. Didn't you notice?"
"I didn't get a good look, too busy piercing navals" Umi shrugged, then whipped out her phone.
"Hey, Nozomi?"
"Hmm?" The artist lazily looked up with bleary eyes. Umi grinned and put her phone down.
"How about you head off and I'll close up with Rin?"
"Oh, you don't have t-"
"You can't even keep your eyes open, and Eli will get worried, even if she does know you were going to be late."
"Argh, I still need to pick up takeout," Nozomi grumbled and stared out of the glass windows of her shop.
"Looks like it'll be late night Thai," she mumbled, and Umi clapped a hand on her shoulder.
"Go home, Nozomi. I'll close up with Rin, maybe even get her used to cashing up."
Nozomi looked at her piercer and friend, lips parted slightly. However, she knew when she had lost, and grinned.
"Okay, I'll see you two tomorrow," The boss went to the break room and fetched her bag and beanie.
"Just remember t-"
"Vaccum, set the alarm, bank, close the safe and double check all the machines are turned off," Umi cut Nozomi off with a grin.
"You're turning into Eli, seriously."
After picking up her order from 24 Hours Thai, Nozomi waited at the bus stop in a comfortable silence, earphones in and Softengine blaring. Despite being a very spiritual person, the artist couldn't not love some indie rock and pop punk.
She opened her apartment door, and was so tired that she didn't call out "I'm home," like she normally did. Nozomi felt a familiar pang of emptiness inside her stomach, and it reminded her of her lonely youth days.
"Nozomi?" Eli called out, then poked her head into the hallway. Sure enough, there was Nozomi, sitting on the floor taking off her shoes.
"G'evenin', Elichi," Nozomi's voice was quiet, and wavered. Eli walked forward and helped her girlfriend to her feet.
"Wow, you look exhausted,"
"So people tell me," although she was practically dead on her feet, Nozomi's smile was ever present. Eli took the artist's bag and the takeout away, and ordered her to have a shower while she set up dinner for them on the couch.
"Wait, the couch?"
"It'd be more comfortable for you than the dining table. I'll get us some trays."
Nozomi barely had the energy to stumble into the bathroom, let alone tell Eli how much she loved her.
(a/n: that was incredibly sappy and I am not sorry at all.)
Nozomi stripped down to her bra, then looked at herself in the mirror again. The bags under her eyes were prominent, and her cheeks were very pale. Her eyes lingered on her chest tattoo; it was an owl with a crown of roses on its head, and it held a tarot card in its left talon: the moon.
When the warm water splashed onto her body, Nozomi felt like going to sleep then and there, but she didn't want to catch a cold and send Eli's anxiety into hyper drive.
Nozomi washed her body and leaned against the wall, resting her head against the tiles.
"Nozomi," Eli tapped on the door.
"Is everything okay?"
"Yes, I'm almost done, Elichi," Nozomi called back, tilting her head so that the water would splash over her face before turning off the taps.
Eli was already sitting on the couch already, a tray in her lap with pad thai on a plate. When Nozomi walked into the room, drying her long, purple hair, Eli just pointed to the kitchen.
"Yours is already there, just bring it over," Eli instructed, not taking her eyes away from the television.
"What are you watching?" Nozomi asked as she sat down on the couch. Eli shrugged and put the volume up. The show had a group of British nurses riding bicycles.
"Maki recommended this, I think it's called 'Call The Midwife' or something? It's a period drama."
"Interesting," Nozomi mused quietly, taking her fork and stabbing her pad thai with it.
The two were silent as they watched the show, and Eli couldn't help but let out tears of joy when the baby was born.
"Trixie did such a great job," Eli smiled. She had placed her tray on the coffee table and was now sitting cross-legged on the couch, deeply invested in the British drama.
Nozomi had not been paying attention, nor had she eaten a whole lot.
"Hey, are you okay?" Eli looked over at the food still present on the artist's plate, and furrowed her brows in concern. Nozomi blinked, then looked down at the tray.
"Oh…yeah, I'm fine," her voice was airy as she put another forkful of noodles into her mouth. Eli sighed and paused the television.
"Fine my elbow, you are so tired," Eli pushed her back into the side of the couch and extended her legs. She then beckoned Nozomi into her embrace.
"Here, lie down on me."
"But…the food,"
"If you can talk and tattoo at the same time, then this should be pretty similar," Eli grinned.
Looking from her tray to her girlfriend, Nozomi sighed at oblidged. She leaned her back against Eli's chest, and rested her arms on Eli's thighs with the tray in her lap.
"Your legs may cramp," Nozomi mumbled, but Eli pressed 'play' on the remote again and shrugged.
"Eh, it doesn't matter. Just eat your food so you don't wake up at 3am whining about an empty stomach."
Nozomi tilted her head to lock eyes with Eli upside down.
"You know me too well."