Summary: Dia brings home a new friend. Very early in the morning.

"Mama, wake up." Maki felt a tug on the blanket and forced her eyes open. Green, curious eyes, very familiar eyes stared at her. Nico had come home yesterday after a quick book tour, Dia was staying with the Matsuuaras, Ruby was in Tokyo with Maki's parents, why was Dia here.

"MAMA!" Dia stomped. How had Maki given birth to anyone who had this much energy in the morning. Someone giggled. Maki didn't recognize the note. She quickly checked to make sure she was entirely covered, kicked Nico gently, and answered her firstborn.

"Why are you here? We were going to pick you up later."

"I told Mari Mom makes the best breakfasts."

"Mari?"

Dia pointed, next to her, sandwiched between Dia and Kanan was a small blonde child with a too knowing glance.

"Ohara Mari. Our new friend."

Kanan nodded, as serious as ever.

"Dia, your Mama's carino e carino, but we eat at 5 star restaurants all the time."

"I don't cook." Maki said.

"Mama's not allowed to use the burners." Dia announced.

Kanan decided to defend Maki, "Dia's Mama knows all the best takeout places. They always give us extras."

Maki needed to wake up Nico, get the children out of the bedroom so clothes could be found, and figure out how they all got here from the island. It was post dawn, but it must still be early. Probably pre ferry. Nico's arm flung out, hitting her on the back, while Nico started snoring loudly.

Dia turned to Mari, "Mom came back from a tour for her Number One Best Selling Spy Romance yesterday. She's exhausted from signing so many autographs."

Maki knew that was not why Nico was sleeping so soundly, but…no distractions, children present.

Dia was never distracted, "We have to eat breakfast and go to Tokyo, Mama. Ruby misses Mom."

"Maki?" Nico's hand started to stroke Maki's hip. That had to stop.

"Dia's here."

"What?" Nico shot up, Maki only barely grabbing enough of the sheet to remain PG-13. Mari giggled. Maki frowned.

"Bun, why are you here." Nico always understood what the most important thing to ask was.

"I told Mari you make the best breakfast."

"Of course, Nico does." Nico refused to be distracted and spoke slowly, "But, Dia, how did you get here?"

"Kanan piloted her boat."

Kanan, like Dia, was eight.

"Dia, you and Kanan are not allowed on that boat alone. We talked about this."

"My grandfather came along." Kanan smiled, "He needed some things from Numazu."

Maki could feel Nico relax. "Oh good, make sure you tell him Nico's going to stop by for some fish to make sushi now that she's back in town."

"Sushi's easy." Mari scoffed.

"That's not breakfast food, Mom."

"No, but Nico is talking to Kanan, who actually understands being respectful to adults."

Kanan gleamed. Dia rolled her eyes.

"So what does your new friend like for breakfast?"

Mari smiled. "We have a chef from Italy at the hotel. Delizioso, frittatas, cornettos, light like angel wings, and coffee."

"Dia, no coffee." Nico snapped instantly.

"Or espresso." Maki added, having a sudden vision of letter-of-the-law Dia caffeinated, issuing dictates at hyperspeed.

"Hotel." Nico muttered, then turned her attention back to the children, with a blast of a Nico forcing it smile, "You girls go play in Dia's room while her Mama and I put on our best breakfast outfits."

Or any outfit, Maki thought, becoming increasing uncomfortable with Mari's stare.

"Right. Mama's going to help Mom change. It always takes awhile. C'mon."

Nico sounded like she was choking, but Maki had suddenly found a need to smash her own face into a pillow. No one warned you about this part of parenthood.

The line of earnest faces trooped diligently out of the room, following Dia. As soon as the door closed, Maki leapt out of bed and grabbed her robe.

"Nico came back for this."

"Dia bringing new friends home at..." Maki glanced at her phone, "7:37 a.m."

"No, your pajamas."

"Can we skip the flirting."

"Nope. Nico never skips flirting with the sexy mother of her serious daughter."

Maki groaned, "So serious. How did that happen."

Nico had her hands on Maki's hips and there was a pause for serious kissing. "I blame Umi."

Maki's thoughts were scattered, Nico always smelled so good in the morning, even after goopy mask nights, but especially after...Maki felt a pinch. "What?" Why was Nico mentioning someone else in the middle of kissing.

"We let Umi babysit Dia too often." Another kiss.

"Better a junior Umi than a junior Nozomi. Besides," And here Maki stole a kiss of her own, "She takes after you. We had to have Santa bring her a whiteboard for Christmas so she could rank and rate Idol groups for Ruby."

Nico put one hand over her heart, "Nico's proudest moment as a mother."

Maki frowned. "Well, now Nico, Jr. expects you to make the Number One Breakfast in the universe. For an Ohara. What are you going to do?"

In like 5 seconds, Nico was suddenly in a cooking mom outfit. Nico hadn't lost her knack for quick costume changes. And this, once Nico put her patchwork pink heart apron on, was definitely a costume.

"They're Italian, right? And American?"

"I think so."

"Then Nico is going to pull out every Russian recipe Eli ever gave her and make sure to sweeten it. I'm betting sweet tooth."

"Well…"

Nico's phone went off. Dia's ringtone. "Hmmm...maybe not a sweet tooth."

"Huh?"

"Dia informs me that Mari likes lemons."

"We are going to make sure no one feeds Dia limoncello."

"Obviously." Nico agreed, face racing through her frantic thinking expressions. Maki had missed this show. "Did you get all the groceries on my list?"

Maki nodded, deciding now that kissing had stopped and menu picking had started she would get dressed.

"Put on the lacy ones. Nico wants a treat."

Maki pulled out more practical underwear, "We're heading to Tokyo remember."

"Pack 'em."

"Breakfast, Nico-chan?"

"Blini, buckwheat blueberry, probably. Eli and Nozomi are supposed to bring the twins down next weekend, so Nico stocked up on Eli favorites."

"I hid the chocolate from Dia."

"Good idea. Now go and check on Dia before they decide to head back to the Ohara for breakfast.

"Oh yeah." Maki pulled a tank top over her head, "Love you, Nico-chan. Welcome home." Maki kissed Nico on the cheek as she raced to check on the children.

"Everybody missed Nico." Nico announced to the universe, as happy as any audience had ever made her. She picked up her phone to text Ruby a good morning snap. Ruby would love this smile.

A/N: Just watched the Love Live Sunshine! movie and I continue to be fascinated by the third years as small children vs. NicoMaki as parents. So here you go.

My ongoing AU's are still ongoing, I'm halfway through a chapter in most of them, Stay-At-Home Shakespeare just wrapped up so I'm a little exhausted, I'm doing a few AU Yeah August prompts to get back into writing mode so hmu if there's something you want to read.

Stay safe.