Summary: Nearing Dia's graduation, Nico and Maki talk about their daughters.

Yazawa Nico expertly flipped the omelet over the rice, veg, and chicken mix, slid their midnight snack onto a single plate, and hurried to the family media room, where her wife, Nishikino Maki, stolen pink fluffy bathrobe falling open, red hair askew in the most natural, sideways way, sat on their sectional couch, feet up on the table, staring intently at the fuzzy animal slippers on her feet. So much cuteness. After so much sexiness.

"Nico never thought you'd be the fuzzy walrus slipper type."

"I think these are Dia's."

Nico snorted, sliding next to Maki, and offering her a forkful of omurice. "Nico never figured Dia to be the fuzzy walrus slipper type."

"And yet you buy them for us every year."

"Nico knows what pretty girls like."

"Nico-chan does."

Break for eating, two forks clashing playfully over the best bites.

"I can't believe Ruby's at a sleepover."

"No. She's gotten so much braver since Aqours started." Nico laced her fingers through Maki's, "They're really growing up.

"Yeah."

"Dia's going to graduate soon."

"Nico can't believe she birthed an academic superstar."

"I don't remember you being in labor."

"Hey, Nico is just as…"

"Teasing," Maki snuck a kiss and the last bite of food. "She's a lot like you."

"She got so tall for starting out so tiny."

"Maybe Ruby will stay Nico-sized."

Nico shrugged, "Ruby will be Ruby sized and that's fine."

Maki was silent, then a serious question, "Had any chats with Dia recently? She seems…sad."

Nico shook her head, "She's not sad…I think Ruby asking Leah out made Dia think about how dating didn't seem to happen for her. And she's worried about Ruby when she goes to Tokyo."

"She doesn't trust us." Maki said grimly.

"Never has." Nico chuckled, "What were her parents thinking?"

Both were now staring at Maki's borrowed fuzzy walrus slippers remembering so many scenes with a small earnest Dia insisting she knew what was best for Ruby.

"What are we going to do when Ruby graduates?"

"You mean you're not just going to put on a mask and follow her around like you did when she went to Hokkaido?"

"Hey," Nico pushed at Maki, "Nico only did that because you were convinced your baby was being kidnapped."

"She is my baby." Maki sighed, "It's hard to watch her miss Leah so much."

Nico knew where talking about that would lead to memories of their own long distance difficulties. Time for a topic change.

"Right after Dia graduates, let's fly to New York, see some shows, have a family outing."

Maki yawned, recent exertion and current relaxation tag teaming her, "Rin mentioned us coming up to Tokyo to hit a few theme parks, have fun on rides and arcades."

"So let's invite them along too, Rin, Hanayo, you, me, Ruby…along with the graduation girls. Tora and Dia are only going to graduate from high school once, you know."

"Yeah, that sounds great." Maki got a big grin, "We can all stay in the brownstone. Rin'll love running through Central Park again."

"And Nico can take Dia and Ruby…"

"And Maki."

"And Maki shopping at all the trendiest shops.

Fuzzy walrus slippers tilted to tap Nico's feet, "Hey, Nico-chan."

Nico tilted back, "Hey, Maki-chan."

"We got the best family."

"We did. Number one family in the universe, Cause Nico married the number one wife."

Maki dropped her head gently to Nico's shoulder, suddenly shy, throwing all of Nico's memories back, so many years ago, when all of this seemed so scary and far away for two young lovers.

"You're the best, Maki-chan. Nico knows."

"Love you." Maki murmured in Nico's favorite sleepy-shy tone.

"We'll make it a birthday trip too. Can't forget Nico's best girl."

Another murmur that sounded like "all right."

Nico flipped on the latest K-pop round up, volume low, Maki more asleep on her shoulder with every breath.A careful adjustment had them both snuggled under the red and pink afghan Ruby had crocheted as a present three Christmases ago. In the low light, the silver beads on a vase holding Dia's latest ikebana masterpiece glittered. The Hanayo watercolor of their smiling family seemed to glow like a hearth as Nico looked at her best girls again. She had this memorized, this heart warmth. All the audiences, all the victories, all the worries, all the confusion, the hopes, the work, none were ever real until Nico brought them here, until she was home, with the person who had seen so much with Nico but never disappointment

"I love you, Maki-chan."

A/N: Posting it too early for Maki's birthday, but hope you enjoy anyway.