Summary: An upset Nozomi shows up on Nico and Maki's doorstep, worried about Eli's Tarot reading

Urgent knocking. Urgent urgent knocking. Nico? Maki rolled over, sheets clinging. No dark head on the pillow next to her. Stretching, she grabbed a night's flannel shirt.

"Ni…" She heard the door, voices, a familiar drawl in an unfamiliar panic. Nozomi? What was going on?

Nico smiled when she saw Maki, then pointed at herself, cute in pink pajama pants, mouthing, "More clothes."

Maki glanced behind Nico at a Nozomi who wasn't gawking teasingly at Maki in a state of undress. Worrying. Maki ducked into the bedroom as Nico pulled their friend toward the kitchen.

"C'mon let's get you tea. Then tell Nico what happened. Is Eli home yet?"

"Flying now."

Maki hustled. She glanced at her bathrobe, then chose an oversized Nico tour hoodie and shorts.

Nozomi sat in their nook, staring into tea. Nico handed Maki coffee and brought pastries to the table. They ate in silence, refueling from a long night, waiting for Nozomi. Finally, Maki broke.

"Are you okay? Is Eli?"

Nozomi's green eyes were teary, "I don't know."
"What do you mean, you don't know?" Anxiety spiked Nico's tone.

"I don't know. I pulled a card for Eli this morning."

"And?"

"Maki." Nico nudged with her knee, "Patience."

"It's too early for patience, Nico-chan."

Nozomi almost smiled, "I've missed NicoMaki breakfast flirting."

"We're not flirting." Maki grumped.

"You both remain yourselves. Ten of Pentacles."

"Ten of pentacles?" Maki echoed.

"Abundance, legacy, family, sharing, stability…a wealth of love."

Maki blushed.

Nico sighed. "It must be bad. You usually harass us with the Lovers."

"That's certainly there too. I have pulled it…"

"So many times." Maki finished a familiar sentence, "She's ducking the question, Nico-chan."

"Nozomi." Nico's older sister voice.

"The Tower, reversed." Quiet, terrified. "I pictured Eli and that's what I saw next. I should have never pulled out the deck."
Maki couldn't remember much about individual Tarot cards, but with the prompt of the name she could place a literal tower and maybe lightning. "Is that like something crashing?"

"Maki!" Unhappy Nico.

Too little sleep. Maki was saying all the wrong things.

"I'll just be drinking my coffee."

"Good."

Nico put her hand over Nozomi's, "We're here for you, you know that. You're not alone."

Nozomi inhaled, "Can I stay here until her flight lands?"

"We'll take you to the airport."

Happier, Nico squeezed Maki's knee under the table.

Nozomi seemed so small. Nico sat next to her, sending out texts. Maki paced. Eli's flight landed. She'd be coming through security soon. Tall blonde, ponytail, bright blue jacket, jeans, cream turtleneck, kicky boots. Nozomi on her feet, running. Eli barely able to push her carry on out of the way and open her arms before Nozomi crashed into her. Maki wasn't far behind, hovering, Nico slid a steadying arm around her waist.

"Nontan? What's wrong?" As Nozomi clung to Eli, Eli looked to Nico.

"She drew the Tower."

"Oh." Eli kissed the top of Nozomi's head, "Zhizn moya, it's not anything you're afraid of. Don't you trust me."

There was a sniffled "Yes."

Eli hugged Nozomi closer, "Let's get something to eat."

"We can leave." Maki offered.

"No, you might as well find out now."

Nico punched Eli, "What did you do, you big goof?"

Eli giggled, "I've missed you."

"You're dropping out of law school?"

"You dropped out of med school." Eli smiled, "Technically I accepted a job with a dance company in another country."

A subdued Nozomi countered. "Without talking to me."

"Babulya and Alisa called me a fool." Eli sighed, rubbing her eyes. "If I'd called you I would have lost my nerve."

"Eli."

Eli laced her fingers through Nozomi's. "I wanted to tell you in person."

Eli only had eyes for Nozomi, leaning closer every breath.

"All right, Nico is going home. You probably have something else to do."

"What?" Maki asked. "I'm hungry."

Pulling Maki to her feet, Nico leaned down to whisper in Eli's ear, "Let me know how it goes."

Nozomi glared, "What do you know?"

Nico winked, "You're not the only one who gets hints of the future."

A/N: Tower was the prompt and here we are.