Summary: The group heads to the Nishikino mansion for a brainstorming session. Nico discovers a few things about Maki.

"Drive me, Nico-chi. You have a car. It's going to snow." Nozomi's drawl could not be contained in Nico's laptop.

"No. It's just a little more than a mile. And you scheduled it during Nico's workout. So Nico will multitask."

"I don't want to get out of bed, Nico-chi. I have a pile of fluffy blankets and I'm warm…"

"You set up this meeting, Nozomi. You, me, Eli, the music nerd with the fancy house…"

"Are you bringing Ma-ki her tux back?"

"Can't really roll it up in a backpack. Besides, how often do you need fancy clothes?"

"Just give me a bathrobe and a blonde."

"I'm ending this conversation."

Nico hit disconnect. She didn't have time to indulge Nozomi's mood. She had a few things to pack in her backpack and then it was time to put in the first of her two mile run.

###

Big house. Huge house. Nico didn't know what to expect when the door opened, but maybe Lurch from the Addams Family and pipe organ music in the background. But no, Maki opened her own door, dressed like a vintage Hollywood movie star in tall trousers and a lavender pinstripe oxford shirt, unbuttoned one or two many buttons for Nico not to have gawked at the sensuous reveal of curve. But Maki didn't seem to notice, just nodded at Nico, said a breathy "hi" and waved Nico inside.

"Is Nozomi here yet?"

"Yes, she and Eli and and Umi…"

"Umi?"

"My friend who's going to help with the script."

"A music student?"

Maki shook her head, zipping down long corridors decorated with green garlands and red bows, setting a Christmas mood almost a month early. "Poet. We met in the Film Classics club."

Another noir nerd. Nico was going to have to watch some of these movies.

"So there's The Maltese Falcon, Nico knows that one. What else would you suggest?"

Maki stopped, turned, amethyst eyes curious.

"Nico likes to be thorough."

A nod. "The Big Sleep. If you like Bogart, you can't go wrong adding Lauren Bacall."

Nico appreciated the attention to her interests. Maki glanced to the window, where the sky was getting gray, the clouds heavy with damp.

"Nico will put it on the list."

"The noir cutoff is 1959, after that is neo-noir. In this weather, we should watch Fargo." Maki giggled, before continuing down the hall. "It's snow noir."

There was a bounce in Maki's step, Nico lingering two steps behind, whether because of post run fatigue or aesthetic appreciation, Nico decided not to review.

###

Nico did a quick change in a bathroom the size of her first dorm room. Fluffy pink oversized sweater, kangaroo pocket, sparkly winter tights. In the media room, Maki was on the floor, laptop open in front of her on a low wood and glass table. Classical sounding music played out of two portable speakers. Instrumental, dark, ominous, occasional fragile notes from a lighter instrument barely holding the space, crashing piano chords. Nico winced as screechy violin chords began.

"Yuck. Give Nico a pop song any day."

Nozomi reluctantly pivoted from her conversation with Eli, "This is noir, Nico. Ominous classical is the mood."

"Actually," Maki didn't look up from her screen, "I would have chosen a jazz theme, but I think between the Russian, Italian, and religious imageries and overtones, the collective thought classical would better suit."

Umi Sonoda, poet and dapper dresser, was perched on the extended chaise leg of the sectional sofa. "Which is why it's a Scorsese mafia movie, not a noir, although as conceived by the Tumblr hive mind, Goncharov is laden with noir themes.

"And multiple femme fatales, especially if you count Andrey." Nozomi leaned forward to continue pouring out tea.

"Debatable." Umi countered. "Katya is the classic femme fatale, her arc slicing through Guncharov, Sofia, and Andrey stories."

"Shooting through might have been a better analogy. She's not the knife girl. Or the ice pick asexual." Nozomi giggled.

"I'd better read this pretty soon, hadn't I?" Eli said, amicably confused, "Is it all just grim and murdery?"

Maki shook her head, "You can't help but feel a brief hope, that maybe at least one of them will escape. I think the jazz soundtracks get that better, that sweetness, a seed of hope, a brief respite from ominous, but then everyone's swallowed up again in the sultry struggle, like the opening for The Postman Always Rings Twice."

Nico's experience of femme fatales, music, and noir consisted of an article she remembered skimming through about Taylor Swift. Not that Nico would ever admit to being out of her depth.

"No body, no crime." Nico announced.

Maki raised an eyebrow, "Is that a movie."

"A Taylor Swift song."

Nozomi snorted, "Nico brings the high brow."

Umi smiled, "Actually, Ms. Swift's latest album really embraces the femme fatale/anti hero vibe. To say "I'm only cryptic and Machiavellian 'Cause I care" is clever."

"Nico knows. And Anti-Hero, wow, it's right there, she embraces it."

"I prefer when she lets the lyrics get cold blooded enough to be ice."

Nico hadn't expected this reaction from Umi. From the looks on the faces in the rest of the room, no one else had either. But Nico was always in.

"Yeah, like I don't dress for women
I don't dress for men
Lately, I've been dressin' for revenge…it's the modern genderqueer asexual crime to the max anthem."

"Nico-chi, you surprise me."

Nico turned to Nozomi, "How?"

"You're sharp."

"You can bring a Nico to any fight." And Nico winked randomly into the room, causing Umi to blush and fumble her tea.

Maki closed her laptop, levering herself up to a seat. "I'd rather riff off Ellington in Anatomy of Murder. Pop isn't this mood."

"Agreed." Umi nodded, considering Maki's point. "But something rawer than Ellington's courtroom tones."

Eli yawned, standing to shake herself and wander over to the window. "Oh wow."

"What is it, Eli-chi?"

Eli glanced back, a broad smile gleaming at Nozomi's diminutive, "Snow."

"SNOW!" Nico rushed to the window. Snow was coming down.

"Something wrong?" Maki asked.

"Nico ran here. And Nico has rehearsal in a couple of hours."

"I can drive you back." Nozomi said.

"It's coming down pretty fast."

"You can all stay here. My parents are away at a medical conference. We could keep talking and decide on where to film."

"Oh, are we going to do that here?" Eli spun, taking a better look at the room, "That's awesome. There's so much space."

"My cinematographer's not here." Nozomi stepped next to Eli, glanced out at the snow and then whispered something in her ear.

Nico solved problems. "Rin? Just call her. She's always up for anything."

"But today's her date day and Hanayo doesn't like to go out."

Ignoring Nozomi, Nico returned to the couch, pulled out her phone, and sent a flurry of texts.

"Hey, Maki, got anything Nico can cook?"

Maki froze, "I don't know."

"You don't know?"

"I get take out or the chef leaves me things to reheat."

Nico sighed, "Take Nico to your kitchen."

###

The refrigerator was the size of three. And barely a quarter filled. With fancy hors d'oeuvres making and bottles of prosecco but no solid food. Nico liked solid food. She had two batches of gingersnaps in her bag, but that was for after real food.

"It's hopeless."

"Huh…what do you mean."

"Just order a couple of pizzas. You must have a go to pizza place. Everyone has a go to pizza place."

"For delivery? Yes." Maki sounded thoughtful, Nico turned, curious, "For stuffed, New York style, or pizza turnovers?"

"You have three go to pizza places?"

Maki quirked an eyebrow, "Half a dozen. Sauce can be so mood dependent."

"Pizza tastes differently depending on your mood?" Nico closed the refrigerator, sighing over the wasted space, "What's today's mood?"

Maki turned away, pulling out her phone, pushing loose hair back over a reddening ear, "Carmen's pesto. The cheese tastes like it's infused with garlic. You'll be impressed."

"Good thing Nico's not a vampire and allergic."

Maki froze, "Should I ask them?"

Nico laughed, "No, Nico thinks we're good on the no vampires. Just get one less heavy on the garlic."

"Okay."

So serious. It was seriously adorable Nico thought, the amount of concentration Maki brought to ordering pizza, her lips twisted slightly as she tapped out her order for the online form.

"I guess we should get back there before Nozomi does anything too crazy."

"Have you been friends for long?"

"Same dorm freshman year so three plus years."

"You're a senior?! I thought you were…"

"What?"

"A freshman, I hadn't seen you around before."

Nico couldn't help the disgruntled huff. Would no one ever see her as a mature, multi talented adult with infinite potential. "Nico is always busy, working, studying, and performing."

"I'm taking pre med classes."

"Ah, parents and the medical conference."

"Yeah." Not much enthusiasm. Maki put away her phone, "It'll be here in 90 minutes. Want to hear my take on Sofia's theme?"

"Nico is in."

Maki turned in the opposite direction.

"What about the others?"

"I'll leave the door open. They can find the piano."

Maki practically skipped down the hall, Nico hurrying to match pace. An artfully placed clump of green hung at the end of the hall and Maki startled, backpedalling frantically into Nico, who suddenly had an armful of curves

"Are you all right?"

"Ummm."

"What is it? A spider or something?"

Nico made sure Maki was standing not tilting and stepped around the taller woman, following where her glance was frozen to the small wreath of mistletoe.

Nico rolled her eyes. Too much silly drama. Good thing Nozomi was in another room or there would be teasing and Nico was beginning to suspect that teasing was not something Maki took to, "We can tiptoe past it. No one will have to know."

"Santa will."

Long lashes blinked over open, innocent amethyst eyes. A frown crushed lips into a yield warning. Nico bit the inside of her own lip to prevent a rush of quick, unedited words.

"Papa always tells Mama you have to follow the mistletoe rule."

Was Maki ten? Nico started to grumble, then shook her head slightly. Not everyone was into kissing, not everyone (shocking she knew) was into dating. Or flirting. Or a chance to try things out with Nico. That was okay, Nico didn't come for that…well, Nico might have come more eagerly because Maki was attractive, but Nozomi was also really excited about this project so it was going to turn out well. And Nico was always glad to find new friends.

"What is the mistletoe rule?"

"Kiss."

"So fine." Nico took Maki's hand and pulled her under the mistletoe, halfway into the music room, "Beautiful piano."

"Thanks."

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" Maki stepped back, worried.

"Just do it."

"Okay."

Maki closed her eyes, no leaning in. Nico thought of the most ridiculous, unromantic place anyone could kiss a person and leaned forward, aiming for Maki's elbow. But as she brushed Maki's arm, it flung out, contacting Niico on the jaw, making her world wobbly for a moment. Nico pitched forward, almost tackling Maki, but wrenching herself to the side, as Maki's eyes opened, horrified.

"What are you doing?"

Nico rubbing her jaw, scowled, "Not having a good time."

"Why did you do something so stupid?"

"If only Nico knew." Nico shoved Maki into the room, "Go play something." Then Nico jumped up and swatted down the mistletoe, glaring at the greenery. "Not on my watch."

"Nico-chi!" Nozomi had heard the kerfuffle and led the crowd toward the music room, "What are you doing?"

"Saving a life." Nico shoved the wreath in her dress's kangaroo pocket. "Pizza's coming in an hour."

Nico collapsed on the comfiest looking chaise. She'd earned a rest.

A/N:

Week 2 and 3 prompts for the Sapphic WInter Fest: Snowed in and Mistletoe.

Also, does anybody else have WENCLAIR on the brain?