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"Sorry for the intrusion," Nico mutters flatly as she takes off her shoes in the doorway, knowing full well that even if there was anyone in that labyrinth of a mansion but her and Maki right now, her voice would never be able to reach them. She follows Maki inside with her hands shoved into the pockets of her cardigan, head tilting left and right as she takes in her surroundings like it's her first time seeing them. There are so many pieces of overly-elaborate decor that Nico doesn't think she's ever going to remember them all.

Oh, but she definitely remembers that giant piece of armor on the wall over there. She always gets the feeling like if she gets too close it'll topple over and trap her underneath, so she subconsciously leans towards the opposite wall every time they pass by it.

"Seriously, Maki, no matter how many times I come to your house, it's just way too big," she grumbles, only to catch herself the next moment.

"-- But of course, once Nico's become a super idol, she'll have a mansion like this in every prefecture!" She strikes her signature pose and smile. "Teehee."

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Maki doesn't look like she's going to start moving any time soon, so Nico grabs her by the wrist before making the short way back to her room. Once there, she lets go, plopping down on the edge of the bed and waiting for Maki to do the same.

They sit for a moment in weirdly warm silence, until Nico pipes up again.

"So you want to like, date me?"

Maki's really not sure what's going to happen as Nico leads them back to her room. What if in the time it takes them to get back Nico changes her mind?

Maki thinks she should have a little more confidence in herself.

She sits next to Nico in silence, still waiting for her to take the lead on whatever it is "you liking me doesn't bother me" means.

And when the answer comes Maki tenses instantly. She tries to play it off but she's blushing down to her shoulders. "What? Dating? I didn't say dating? Don't get so ahead of yourself." It's almost like instinct, to respond that way, and she makes an effort to calm. "Besides, I don't know what Nico-chan wants."

Edited 2014-10-07 07:37 (UTC)

Nico's eyes just about roll to the back of her skull, and there's the near-audible pop of her patience expiring. She leans forward, grabbing Maki's face with both hands so hard her cheeks squish up and her eyes look stupidly tiny. That makes Nico feel just a little bit better, but hardly enough to subdue her exasperation.

"Listen up! Being confessed to shouldn't be this much effort for me! You do it like this: 'Nico-chan, I like you, please go out with me'. I'm not going to say yes to some wishy-washy half-confession!"

"Mmf!" Maki lets out in surprise as Nico grabs her face so suddenly. For a moment she thinks she might kiss her but it's clear from the way she's smushing her features that she wouldn't.

She glares at Nico, through it. Maki loses all her patience when Nico gets unreasonably bossy. She should know how hard this is for Maki. She keeps herself so guarded, so calculated. This took a lot.

And yet Nico has a point. This hasn't been a good confession at all. She could understand Nico not wanting to go out with her simply because of it.

And, for that, she should try harder.

She opens her eyes and meets Nico's with a good level of new determination, and a strange softness to them too. She puts her hands on Nico's, more in an effort to pull them from her cheeks a little so she can speak more clearly.

"I like you, Nico-chan. Please go out with me. If you want to..."

"Woah," Nico says, hands dropping from Maki's face in sheer surprise. Her eyes are wide, brow climbing dangerously close to her hairline, and her mouth is slightly ajar though it takes another three seconds for any more sound to leave it. "Y-you actually said it..."

... At which point she hunches over into herself and breaks out laughing.

Maki could just die. Literally, right now, she could die. The burning in her face feels like a pressure about to explode and she's so ashamed she could just cry. She could almost run away again but her anger wins over and instead she smacks Nico on her back.

"That's mean! I finally said it right and all you do is laugh? I take it back then, forget everything. Nico-chan doesn't deserve my confession!"

"Ow!" Nico sputters between giggles that refuse to die down even after the blow. "It's just, I didn't think Maki would seriously say it...!"

She wheezes, finally managing to get her laughter under control. When she straightens up to wipe at the corners of her eyes, Nico's face is a noticeably warmer hue. Maybe it was more than just the humor in the situation that fuelled her laughter -- like nerves, perhaps -- but she'd sooner die than allude to that aloud.

She does feel a little bad, though. She's sure it wasn't easy for Maki, even if she was just repeating after her word by word.

"Sorry, sorry." Nico offers the other girl a hardly-comforting slap-pat on the arm. "Don't get mad."

Maki just huffs. "Too late I already took it back."

"If only getting it out took as much effort as taking it back, I would've been happy," Nico mutters halfheartedly, and then leans into Maki's side with an abrupt switch in her demeanor, a smile stretching across her features.

"Come on," she coaxes in the very cutest voice in her arsenal, looking up at Maki with glimmering eyes and puckered lips. "I really didn't mean it, so forgive Nico, 'kaaay?"

Maki gives Nico an exasperated look. She knows when Nico is laying on the charm and she never buys it. She doesn't know why Nico keeps trying after all this time. She'd much rather have honest Nico, especially at a time like this.

Maki puts her hand on Nico's face and pushes her away. "I forgive you just don't make that ridiculous face."

"Heehee, as expected, Nico-nii is irresistible." Nico grins, all proud of herself, and obediently detaches herself from Maki's side.

"Sooo..." She leans back on her hands and folds one leg over the other, looking ahead of her as if in thought. "Since I agreed and you took back your takeback, does that mean we're dating now?"

Maki looks ahead as well, one finger twirling in her hair. For someone who was blindsided by her confession, Nico is taking it very well. So well that Maki's the one that feels behind now, face still warm and especially after Nico says that.

She tries to sound as casual as she can. "If we agree to it, I guess we are."

"So technically, this is our first date?" She taps her foot to an idle off-beat rhythm against the floor. "Kind of lame."

"What?" Maki turns to Nico with honest indignation. "Of course this isn't the first date! This is us telling each other. The first date comes after, of course!"

Nico almost goes to say that this was actually just Maki telling her, but holds her tongue this time. It's a delicate situation, and Maki's forgiveness won't be granted as easily the second time around, if she keeps this up.

"Isn't the definition of a date 'time spent together by two people who are dating'? That's what this is, right?" She looks narrowly at Maki, fingertip pressed to her jawline. "Though, I don't mind letting this one go if you make our next date a really good one."

Maki does something she so rarely does: she pouts. She's determined not to let Nico win this one.

Her tone is very matter-of-fact and haughty. "People spend time together all the time and it's not a date. It's called hanging out. A date is agreed to by both people. We didn't agree this was a date beforehand so it's not a date. The next time will be a date and of course it'll be good."

"Fine, then. I can accept that." Maki really cares, huh? That's pretty adorable.

"So, now that you're done freaking out, what do you want to do on the rest of our non-date-y hangout?"

Maki sighs and leans back onto her arms. She didn't have a plan for today and she has less of a plan now. "Is there anything you want to do?"

The corner of Nico's mouth twists in a semi-circle as she considers. After everything that happened in those last fifteen minutes, everything else seems... weirdly anticlimactic, almost.

Oh. But there's one thing.

"Actually, I want to hear Maki play."

"What? Why would you want to hear that? You never ask me to play unless you want me to write something for you."

Nico crosses her arms over her chest with a frustrated exhale. Does Maki need to question every word out of her mouth? "I haven't heard it in a while, so I feel like hearing it. What's so bad about that?"

Maki hunches a little, thinking for a moment that maybe Nico really wanted to just have Maki play for her. Sometimes Maki doesn't realize how defensive she can be until she's been unnecessarily defensive.

"Alright." Maki stands and dusts off her skirt unnecessarily. "Come on."

She leads Nico down the hallway, past a few sitting rooms to the music room. It's a large hall, usually empty unless being used for small functions or concerts. A grand piano sits at the end of the hall, closed and pristine. Maki carefully prepares it, lifting the large lid and settling it on the short leg that props it open; she doesn't need the full volume if it's just the two of them. Finally she opens the lid that that covers the keys and pulls out the bench.

Maki sits and her hands hover over the keys, before she realizes Nico's still standing. "We have some chairs. I can have someone bring out one for you."

"Or you could move over a bit, loser." And without waiting for Maki to actually do so, she nudges her to the side and claims the freed seat space for herself.

"Well, just--" But before she can say anything Nico's wedged her way on the bench. Maki doesn't mind the close contact so much as how it restricts her playing. "Then we have to shift the bench a little, so I can be centered with the piano." She stands and motions for Nico do so as well.

When she does, Maki shifts the bench a little to Nico's side, to give both of them the space they need and for Maki to position herself correctly.

Once they sit back down, Maki lifts her arms and tests her elbow span. Ok, even with Nico close at her side (and she's not used to having anyone sit next to her when she's playing) she can still play.

The question is what.

"Anything you want me to play?"

With an overblown sigh of this is so much effort, Nico gets back up and lets Maki adjust the bench, and then seats herself back down once she's done.

"Dunno," she answers with a shrug. "Whatever you feel like playing's fine."