27 Years Ago

"Motorcycles would be sooooo coool!" Rin shouted as she, Hanayo and Maki made their way from the train station to the restaurant where they were meeting Nico.

"Yeah," Maki grinned, flipping up the collar of her leather jacket, giddy at the thought of Nico after three months of her girlfriend touring. "Nico wouldn't recognize me when I pick her up at the airport next time."

Rin air revved the throttle on an imaginary motorcycle and spun back to face Maki, high fiving when she raced by. Maki grabbed her hand and pulled her back, pointing to a Hanayo who was wandering ahead, humming to herself. Rin and Maki nodded at each other, crept up quietly behind a distracted Hanayo, linked their arms and threw her forward a little down the sidewalk, Rin jumping ahead to catch her girlfriend.

"Whatcha singing, Kayo-chin?" Rin wondered.

"Cherry Bomb."

"Good one, Kayo-chin!" Rin cheered, throwing her hands up to the sky, "Hello Daddy, Hello Mom, I'm your ch…ch…ch…"

"CHERRY BOMB!" Maki and Hanayo joined in with a shout, "Hello, world, I'm your wild girl…"

"Wild is right," a laugh cut in from behind them, one that made Maki's heart skip. "You haven't been keeping up your vocal practice. Nico will win at karaoke easily."

Maki was breathing as fast as her feet turned, "Nico-chan!"

The small, black haired woman smiled, elegant in a black lace sheath over a dark pink minidress. Nico posed for a moment, then ran toward Maki, leaping into the taller woman's open arms. Maki whirled them both, only putting Nico down so she could kiss her without tilting over from hyperventilation and dizziness. Rin and Hanayo stood off to the side, arms around each other's waist, happy to see their best friend so happy again.

Nico ran her fingers through Maki's red hair, much shorter now. She took a step back, Maki seemed taller, and stranger too, in boots, torn, tight jeans, a t-shirt with a woman lashing into a guitar drawn out of a lip print and a…black leather jacket. Maki also had a single ruby ear stud and a couple of leather cuffs.

"Maki-chan…" Nico raised an eyebrow and spun Maki around, eyes widening at the Sakura Bomb spraypainted across the back, with an exploding cherry blossom in the center, "you look…"

"So cool, right!" Rin grabbed Nico in a hug from the side. "We all got jackets after we saw The Runaways movie, Maki found an artist."

Nico hugged Rin back, glad for a chance to change the subject. "Hey, Rin-chan! Nico missed you."

Rin's hair was curly and she was wearing a leather vest with Wild Girl and a snarling kitten painted on the back, over pretty patterned disco pants and a David Bowie t-shirt. Hanayo had opted for an all denim look, Nico was half afraid to ask what she'd had painted on the back of her jacket.

Nico found herself nodding her head several times, taking in the sight of three of her favorite people gleaming at her and looking so different from the last time she'd seen them. Teenagers, for a couple more years, they were teenagers, this is what teenagers did, Nico reminded herself, suddenly feeling old at 20, looking down at her own outfit, which was yes, a little too formal for the Rock n' Roll themed ramen restaurant Rin had found, but Nico had wanted to look good for Maki. Did Maki even like Nico's style anymore? Should Nico have just borrowed a pair of Cocoa's blue jeans and worn a concert t-shirt?

"Nico-chan?" Nico was startled by Maki's voice and a hand reaching shyly to take hers. Maki's eyes still had that gleam when they looked at Nico so maybe…

"Sorry, Maki!" Nico kissed her girlfriend quickly. "You look great. Nico is just tired. And hungry."

LATER THAT NIGHT BUT STILL 27 YEARS AGO

Nico had never realized she hated the smell of leather until Maki had hung her jacket over Nico's shoulders when Nico shivered as they were walking together in the park. Rin and Hanayo had headed back to their hotel room and left Nico and Maki to catch up. They were both a little nervous, between Nico's touring schedule and Maki's hospital internship and prepping for college entrance exams, they'd had very little time to talk. Nico was used to borrowing sweaters and shirts that smelled like Maki and this one didn't. And that made her grumpy. Nico glanced over at the redhead too shy to look at her and wondered how to jumpstart a conversation.

"So you like Joan Jett?"

Maki shrugged, "She knows what she wants and goes for it." There was a pause, "I envy that. You do that too. It's impressive."

There was a bench, Nico stopped. Cold as it was she slid the jacket off as she sat, glad to escape the hard feel scraping against her skin. Nico preferred silky and satiny fabrics that slid and shimmered. Maki sat next to her, very close, very warm. Nico leaned her head on Maki's chest, finally able to get close enough to feel the connection they had. She wondered if Maki felt it too.

Maki frowned, Nico had ditched the jacket. Maybe she didn't want anything of Maki's anymore. Maybe she'd discovered she didn't miss being with Maki. But here she was melting into Maki's side, feeling so warm and close.

"Kiss me, Maki-chan." Nico whispered, turning Maki around.

"Why you'd take off the jacket?" Maki asked, worried.

Nico sighed. So like Maki to get caught on the least important detail when Nico had already skipped ahead to the fun part. So Nico ignored the question and pulled Maki into a deep kiss designed to knock everything else out of her genius brain. And because it was Maki and Nico, it worked, for awhile. Maki responding with eagerness and urgency, her hands roving everywhere as Nico kept running her fingers across Maki's scalp and enjoying every shiver she induced.

"Nico-chan…" Maki gasped. Eventually.

"Yeah," Nico agreed, grabbed Maki's hand and headed for the hotel, This had become a private conversation twenty minutes and one unzipped pair of jeans ago. Nico tried not to groan when Maki remembered to grab the jacket. Sakura Bomb it was.

NOW

Dia followed her grandmother into a room she'd never stayed in.

"Mama's room?" Dia asked, looking at the walls, which had a framed μ's poster and many framed records, mostly jazz, but Dia spotted all of Nico's albums there. Dia moved to the wall, reaching out to touch Nico's first single.

"Your Mom always had vinyl copies pressed because she knew your Mama collected them."

Dia grinned as her grandmother glanced fondly around the room, "You can sleep here tonight since Maki isn't using it."

Ruby was still sleeping in her grandparents room when their parents were away. Even at 13, she was still very fearful.

Dia sat on the bed, not feeling sleepy and decided to explore the closet. Walk in. Her mom had a closet like that at home and Mama was allowed to keep a few clothes in it. Dia pushed through mostly dresses, some old μ's costumes, a few button down shirts and suits. Some hat and shoe boxes were shoved back on a shelf and there was a large box Dia couldn't help pulling down. Written on the outside was "Do Not Open This Nico-chan! I mean it!"

Dia hesitated for a brief moment, but it said "do not open this Nico-chan" not "do not open this Dia" so curiosity won and Dia opened it.

Inside was a picture and a single ruby ear stud lying on top of a carefully wrapped leather jacket, some t-shirts and a few leather cuffs. The picture was her mama smiling at the camera with Rin and Hanayo, the three of them dressed like a rock band, Rin playing air drums, Hanayo singing something into an invisible mic while Maki did what Dia assumed was play air guitar. Nico was dressed in a super girly, super pretty dress and looked like she'd stepped out of a different world, bemused, all her attention on Maki, and blowing a kiss in that direction.

Dia pullled out the jacket. Cool, crinkly, leather, Sakura Bomb spray painted across the back. She'd have to show Ruby in the morning. They could have fun playing dress up with everything in this closet until their parents showed up.

Maki had left the sedan at her parents and lured Nico into the convertible, damage to Nico's careful hairstyle ignored for once as they drove out to the inn Maki had found for a night together without the girls. Nico was about to leave on a book signing tour and Maki wanted to be sure Nico had incentive to hurry home. Nico was yawning as they pulled up to the Nishikino mansion. There had not been much sleeping. But she could nap on the drive back to Uchiura.

Dia and Ruby ran out to greet them, Dia wearing a leather jacket that Maki hadn't seen in years and Ruby in an old "Runaways Live From Japan" t-shirt that had been stuffed away in the back of the closet for the same number of years as the jacket. Dia was now tall enough to fit in Maki's clothes and everyone was still getting used to it. Nico circled her oldest daughter, glancing suspiciously at her wife.

"Grandma let me sleep in your room. Ruby and I had fun playing dress up this morning. Isn't this a great jacket." Dia twirled and posed.

Maki hugged her daughter, winking at Nico, "One of my favorites. Your mother thought I looked so cool in it."

Nico hmmpphhed…Maki chuckled. Her mother held the door open so everyone could return inside, "I decided Dia was old enough to sleep in your room, now that she's so tall."

Nico hmmmppphed again, to Maki's amusement as she waited for the moment her wife would explode.

"Maki-chan?" Ah, the sweet voice, this was going to be fun.

"Yes, love?"

"Didn't we agree that Nico never had to see that jacket again?"

Dia started to pick up the prickling energy between her parents and stared, while Ruby happily followed her grandmother into the house.

Maki shrugged, her arm around her daughter's shoulders, "I wrote very clearly on the box "Do Not Look Inside Nico-chan" to save you from that."

"She did." Dia agreed brightly.

Nico shook her head and mumbled something about daughters, bad influences and taking after the wrong parent. Dia decided to duck inside. Maki decided to press her advantage, wrapping her arms around Nico's waist.

"You could barely keep your hands off me when you saw me in it."

Nico flared up, "You know that's not why."

"Do I?" Maki leaned in for a kiss, but Nico dodged and grabbed the keys from Maki's hand.

"I'm going to my mother's, until that jacket disappears again."

Maki laughed, "You know she's going to keep wearing it."

Nico grimaced, "Ughhh…you could not encourage her."

Maki laughed, "As a parent, I have no opinion. I support her interests. Like my mother did with me."

"Your mother didn't have to date that jacket." Nico still remembered the smell and the horrible crackling feel of the tanned leather. But she decided to try charm rather than complaint and moved closer to Maki, flicking her tongue over her own lips and running a hand through Maki's hair, "I am glad you decided to keep your hair longer." Nico pulled Maki down for a rough kiss. "And if you convince your daughter to leave that jacket here, Nico can hurry back from her tour."

Maki laughed, "Nico will hurry back anyway."

Nico frowned and stepped into the car, "I'll be at my mother's. Do not let Ruby watch that movie."

Maki saluted as Nico pulled out. Movie. That was a great idea. Time to call Rin and Hanayo. Maybe they could bring Tora over. But after last night, first Maki needed a snack.

Maki was perched on the kitchen island, phone in one hand, chips in the other when her mother wandered in. Her mother frowned meaningfully, but Maki ignored it.

"Rin and Hanayo are bringing Tora over. We're going to watch The Runaways and have a sleepover." Maki announced.

"Sounds fun. What about Nico?"

Maki's grin was sly as the Nico-tone, which she hadn't changed since high school, went off, "She's been text lecturing me about setting a parental example." She glanced down at Nico's latest and laughed, "She'll be back later with pizza. We're staying another night."

Maki's mother rolled her eyes and pulled her daughter off the counter, amused at the thought of a household lively with teenagers, actual and otherwise, for another night.