A/N: Sneaky Freak - Imelda May
Sunday came and went with no real excitement. Orders for Valentine's day were still pouring in for Bibi, and Nozomi had only one client.
Eli could see Nozomi from across the dinner table, eyeing the e-cig as if it were a rabid dog.
"It's not going to bite you," Eli chuckled, and Nozomi looked up with a pout.
"It's not the same, Elichi," she whined, picking up the e-cig to take a drag.
"The only thing I like is that it's peppermint, but I miss nicotine."
"If I am giving up vodka with dinner, you are giving up smoking," Eli crossed her arms. Nozomi sighed, exhaling the smoke.
"In other news," Eli twirled the spaghetti with her fork.
"Alisa is going to try out for a dance company,"
"Good for her," Nozomi grinned. Eli shrugged and popped the Italian food in her mouth.
"She will get in, without a doubt, but she has her heart set on the Central Tokyo Dance Company, and they are quite strict."
"But you said she will get in without a doubt."
"I know, but if she is able to survive is my concern. Alisa is…" Eli stared into her bowl.
"…Soft."
Nozomi gazed at Eli, knowing the concern she had for her younger sister.
"She also has her head in the clouds whenever she's not dancing, and isn't too keen on the theory, but-"
"Isn't the purpose of a dance company to not only perform, but to teach?" Nozomi interrupted lightly, and Eli looked up.
"They are, but the instructors will not go easy on anyone."
"Elichi," Nozomi grinned, and twirled spaghetti.
"You need to relax. Alisa is a smart girl with a bright future ahead of her, and I'm sure she will get better with her theory."
"Let's hope so," Eli sighed.
Later than night, Nozomi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling with that stupid e-cig in her mouth. Eli always slept with a night light, and Nozomi had gotten used to it.
The real reason why Nozomi was still awake was much worse than some silly little light.
"Dammit, why did he call me" Nozomi recalled Saturday's phone call.
It was just a number with no name, but she recognised it nonetheless.
"No. No one is to know, and everything will be fine. He's not here, you're safe…you're safe, he's not here…" Nozomi started chanting in her head as her eyes twitched.
With a huff of anger, Nozomi threw the e-cigarette at the wall shoved her head into her hands.
A vibration from the table sounded, and Nozomi glanced at the bright screen with fear.
However, this number had a name attached, and she let out a sigh of relief.
"I'm going to go bank," Umi walked out of the break room with her bag on her back. Nozomi looked up from the station, where she was observing Rin tattooing more pigskin.
A thought struck her.
"Actually, Umi-chan," Nozomi stood up and checked her watch.
"Don't you have a client in ten minutes? It's five past twelve."
"Wait, really?" Umi checked her schedule on the counter, and groaned.
"I can't believe I forgot about that!"
"Don't worry, Umi-chan," Nozomi walked into the break room and picked up her bag.
"I'll do the banking. Just keep an eye on Rin-chan until I get back, okay? I won't be too long."
The second Nozomi left the store, she pulled out her phone and unlocked it.
Nozomi, 12:05pm
-Still on for a sneaky smoke, Nicochi?
The artist walked to the bank, which was two blocks away. She was able to complete her bank deposit rather quickly, as there was hardly a line.
When Nozomi left, she checked her phone again, and smiled.
Nico-chi, 12:09pm
- You betcha, meet me at Homura's?
"What took you so long?" Umi glanced up at Nozomi, walking into the shop her bag slung lazily over her shoulder.
"The line was bad," Nozomi lied and slinked off to put her bag away.
"How are you doing, Rin-chan?"
"I'm getting there! But these lines are so tiny!" Rin's tongue was sticking out of her mouth, eyes glued to the pigskin.
"Kanji, I find, is always harder to tattoo than hiragana," Nozomi came out of the breakroom, putting on a pair of gloves just in-case she had to help Rin.
"But remember, slow and steady lines, and do not change the needle size once you have started, it'll mess up the tattoo."
"Understood, senpai," Rin nodded, not taking her eyes away from the skin.
Nozomi kicked the switch to shut off the tattoo machine, and Rin looked up so fast, that she nearly knocked her head against Nozomi's.
"Eh?!"
"Rin-chan," Nozomi was so close to Rin's face that she could see the tiny freckles that were dusted across her nose.
"Try to keep a respectable distance from your work. Your nose was so close to the skin."
"R-Right…" Rin looked down and bit her lip. Nozomi glanced down at the Kanji: Fire.
"You've done quite well, Rin-chan," Nozomi smiled, then tilted the girl's head up with her chin.
"Just make sure you don't get too close to the client, they might freak out. No matter how small or detailed the design is, always maintain something of a respectable distance. Even if our job is to use a machine to penetrate all seven layers of skin with coloured pigment."
"That…is so literal," Umi's brow twitched, and Nozomi shot a smile at the piercer.
"And your job is to cut a part of the human body to make an opening for jewellery."
Rin stopped what she was doing and gulped. Umi scoffed and waved a hand at the apprentice.
"Ignore her, Rin."
Nozomi got home early for once, but she knew that Eli would be at her yoga class and wouldn't get home until 8pm.
A familiar craving scratched at her insides.
Nozomi looked down at her stomach, and bit her lip in thought.
"Elichi will know if I have a cigarette," Nozomi thought, reaching into her bag for the e-cigarette with a grumble.
It just wasn't the same, and the flavouring was so synthetic that it made her blood run cold.
She enjoyed the cigarette she had with Nico earlier in the day, away from everyone, and she didn't mind if she had to slather herself in perfume and chew gum for the rest of the day.
A thought struck her as she breathed in the coffee flavoured smoke.
Nozomi pulled out her phone, seeing a missed call from the number with no name, and shivered.
"Not now, go away," she thought bitterly, swiping open the phone and going into the contacts.
The artist placed the phone against her ear as she waited for Nico to pick up.
"Hello?"
"Evening, Nicochi," Nozomi smiled, walking into the living room and sitting down on the couch.
"Nozomi! How was the sleeve today?"
"Mr. Kousaka is pleased, but he didn't strike me as the type of man who would get a tattoo," Nozomi grinned, the burly man wanted a flower for each woman of his family: his wife and two daughters.
"And how was the e-cigarette?"
"Nothing like the real thing," Nozomi sighed and glowered at the object in her left hand.
"I really hate this, but Elichi wants me to try, so I'm trying."
"Did she find out about our sneaky smoke?"
"No, she's not even home. Yoga, remember?"
"Right, right. Maki has been giving me glances of disgust whenever I take my smoke break, so I'm trying to cut down, too."
The neon signs were flashing in Nozomi's head, directing her towards an idea.
"Nicochi, how often do you bank your deposits?"
"M-Me? I do them on Tuesday and Fridays around 1pm, why?"
Nozomi let a smirk curl onto her lips.
"If I were to accidentally bump into you at the bank, would you care to share a single cigarette with me before we head back to our respective occupations."
Nico's giggle was evil as Nozomi put out the e-cigarette.
"I'd like that, I'll accidentally see you tomorrow at 1pm."
"I'll be looking forward to it…accidentally, that is," Nozomi chuckled, observing the bonsai on the coffee table, and then glared at it.
"You didn't hear anything," Nozomi pointed at the bonsai once she hung up the phone.
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:D