A/N: This was posted on Ao3 many moons ago and I kept meaning to post it here (and getting distracted) so some of you might have already read it. I wrote it before I saw LL Sunshine Season 2 and I'm a little sorry I broke up Ruby and the little St. Snow because they're adorable. So there may be a sequel or an alt AU sometime. Sorry for the delay, but I hope this gets me back on Santa-san's good side ; ) Happy Holidays!
Summary: Super Idol Nico Ni is back, briefly, for a Christmas concert and her Santa-san fan wife isn't happy about its impact on their holiday plans. Also, Yoshiko and Hanamaru have to make up for something they didn't do last year. Takes place two years after the anime.
It's not that Dia missed this exactly, she thought, it's just that university life was strangely quiet. Even when her louder acquaintances partied or quarrelled, they never achieved quite the level of practiced volume her mothers did. She put down the sheet music she was reviewing to smile at Ruby, who glanced up from the holiday novel she was already halfway through. This, Dia had missed, someone who knew what she was feeling with a glance.
"Are you really mad at me, Maki-chan, for agreeing to the charity event at your family's hospital that YOU asked your mother to invite me to headline?" Sometimes, on a quiet night, Dia thought she could hear her mom's voice penetrating through walls in Tokyo. Ruby winced. Dia laughed, knowing her mama probably had the exact same expression.
There was a mumble. And then a typical Kurosawa nee Yazawa Nico reply, "Yes, Maki-chan, Nico knows it's on Christmas Eve, Nico knew that when YOUR mother asked her to do it as a particular favor to the family. Nico thought Maki would be in the front row, cheering for her favorite Idol."
Maki mostly ignored Nico's rant. "Santa-san always comes to the mountains, Nico-chan. Not Tokyo." Pause, and then Maki, sounding furtive, "R...R...Ruby and Dia are looking forward it."
Dia resisted the urge to roll her eyes, as Ruby was watching her closely, worried. Nico snorted, "Santa-san always found Nico in Tokyo."
"When Nico-chan made the Nice list." Maki baited an opponent she knew too well.
"Nico is ALWAYS on the nice list. It's practically in Nico's name." Dia could imagine her shorter Mom's arms flailing to both sides as her Mama drew herself up to her full height, hands on her hips, amethyst eyes sparkling.
"Santa-san hasn't asked me yet." Maki sounded like she stamped her foot.
Nico made an exasperated noise that sounded like chipmunks were wrestling in her throat, "Really, Maki-chan. You want Nico to cancel the concert? That'll get Nico on Santa-san's good list?"
"Uu...uh...ummm." Maki stumbled over a string of letters.
"Didn't think that through, did you, Maki-chan?" Nico's voice had gotten sharper.
More mumbling noises, then a shouted, "That's not fair, Nico-chan", the sound of a screen sliding as Maki left the room and Nico's knees thumping to land on a pillow. Ruby looked really worried. Dia reached across the table to pat her sister on the head, "Don't worry. Mom always takes care of it." Both girls heard the sound of their mom getting up with a sigh and sliding the screen open to follow her wife.
"Maki-chan…" Nico's voice was gentle.
"So how's school going, Ruby?" Dia decided to change the subject. There was something she was curious about anyway.
Ruby looked like she was thinking very hard, "I've been studying for university entrance exams and trying to decide where to go."
"It's a hard choice." Dia nodded, remembering her own concern when confronted with choosing a college.
"M...Mom said I could take a year off and work in Kotori-san's design studio if I wanted." Ruby sighed and put her book down.
"What did Mama say?" Dia wondered. Maki had always found school easy, at least until medical school collided with the height of Nico's Idol's career.
Ruby frowned, "She said Kotori would be a good teacher, if I wasn't sure about what to do next."
Dia hesitated for a moment, "How are Hanamaru-chan and Y...Yoshiko-chan?"
Ruby dropped her book, startled. She'd been trying not to think about how much time her best friends had been spending together. "Aren't you helping them with traditional music for their visual novels?"
"I was." Dia fidgeted, glancing out the window, "I got busy."
"Oh," Ruby brightened, "Hanamaru seems busy but happy and Yohane has a crowd of little demons following her everywhere after their latest historical horror adventure. She gets worn out from the attention every week or so." Ruby giggled.
Dia had a vivid image of Yoshiko swooning, dark hair spread out around her, collapsed against a railing as the sea stormed in. She shook her head. Too imaginative. Amazing how vividly she could still hear Yoshiko's voice, even though they hadn't had a non text conversation in months. Maybe it was time to have that talk with her Mom.
LATER THAT AFTERNOON
"Mom?" Dia sounded suspiciously like she did when she was a young teen, surprising Nico who was used to an eldest daughter proud of her nearing twenty and official adulthood status. Had she been upset by Maki and Nico's 'discussion' of their Christmas plans? Maybe being away had sensitized her again to her parents' emotional swings. They were less frequent now, after 30 years together, but still happened.
"What is it, Dia?" Nico turned away from her makeup mirror, where she'd been taking inventory while Maki worked out her mood.
Dia slid into the bench, next to Nico and started fidgeting with bottles and brushes, "Can I ask you a question about you and Mama?"
Nico put everything down and focused on her daughter. That question was even more unusual for Dia.
"Go ahead." Nico took Dia's hand, "If I can answer, I will."
"W...when" Dia blushed, looking away, "did you know Mama was old enough to…" Nico stared, hoping this was a milder version of the question it could be. "d...date?"
Nico relaxed, just a little. Dia had casually dated when she went off to college, but no one she ever wanted to bring home. Nico and Maki had thought she might just be testing the process, figuring things out. Ruby had met one of the girls but been very quiet about it afterwards. Mari teased Dia mercilessly every time Nico saw them together but Dia just shrugged it off, seemingly unaffected.
"When she asked me." Nico laughed.
"Mama asked you?"
Nico sighed, "Not exactly." She and Maki had never really talked about the initial stages of dating with either of their daughters. Both Nico and Maki were still a little embarrassed by how acrimonious it had gotten. Ruby and Dia had always been more interested in stories about Muse and Nico's Idol adventures anyway.
"Mom?" Dia's bright green eyes, sweet reminders of Nico's father, were full of worry.
"We never told you the full story, did we?" Nico shook her head, clearing it of memories, and put an arm around her daughter. "Your mama and I used to fight a lot when we first met. Well, Nico used to snap at everyone and your mama was terrible at admitting her true feelings so she would insult Nico. But we kept talking to each other, and trying and finding things we really liked about each other and then one day…" Nico's smile widened at the rapturous memory of her first kiss and her only lover, "after rehearsal, when everyone else had left, your Mama kept staring at me and telling me the most boring, technical things about music, impossible for Nico to understand and I wasn't really paying attention anyway, because her voice was so…" Nico got caught up in the memory for a moment, until her daughter nudged her. Nico blushed and continued, "And then, suddenly, she was kissing me."
"So you didn't think of her as your junior?" Dia rolled over Nico's treasured memories with pragmatism. Children were never on the side of romance, Nico had learned.
"Your Mama made a very convincing case against it." Nico chuckled, "And here we are, thirty years later." Nico squeezed her daughter, "And I'm so grateful your mama is the stubbornest, cutest person ever."
"What did I do?" Maki leaned in the doorway, camera in her hand, still bright hair damp from snowflakes and slicked back. She raised the camera and snapped a few shots of wife and daughter, "Beautiful."
Nico snorted, "You kissed me, showing a complete lack of respect for me as your senior."
Maki laughed, tossed her camera on the bed and took Nico's face in her hands, "Every day I can."
Nico met Maki's lips, still feeling the flip in her stomach, the nervous excitement, the warmth. Plus, 30 years of more advanced...Nico pulled herself away, remembering the daughter in the room.
"Dia seems to need some dating advice," Nico chirped.
Maki frowned, she still wasn't over Ruby's bad breakup with the younger half of St. Snow more than a year ago.
"Calm down, Maki-chan. The girls get to date now; they're adults. It's a good thing." Nico hugged Dia again. She'd missed her Thursday night makeup bench talks with Dia so Nico would take any time she could get.
Nico saw the tears start in amethyst eyes and knew Maki was seeing Dia as a nearly 3 year old, toddling toward them with open arms on the day they brought Ruby home, saying she would always live with them and take care of Ruby.
"Oh, Maki-chan!" Nico stood up so she could pull the crying goof as close as possible. Too many emotions for the redhead in one day, "This is a good thing."
Maki sniffled, as Nico looked over her shoulder at her daughter, mouthed "she's such a baby, " patting Maki consolingly as Dia giggled.
"So who is this?" Nco asked, once she got Maki to sit on the bed.
"I..I'd rather not say...I'm not sure it…"Dia's eyes were downcast, her hands closed.
Maki glanced at Nico, who stood, "All right, my darling daughter, the best advice I can give you is to talk to this person. Talk about anything," she winked at Maki. "And listen. That's important. They might give you a clue to their feelings. Your mama used to, when she got jealous of Nico's future adoring fans."
Maki snarled playfully and pulled Nico back, "My Nico-chan."
"Always." Nico grinned broadly, glad when Maki's possessiveness was more playful than serious.
"Thanks." Dia stood. She recognized the mood building between her mothers and wanted to leave them alone. "Ruby and I are meeting Kanan and Mari for dinner."
"Have fun." Maki waved, her eyes on Nico.
Dia nodded. Maki waited until she heard Dia and Ruby talking before quizzing Nico, "Do you know who?"
Nico's ruby eyes twinkled, "If it's not someone at school, I have a suspicion."
"Who?" Maki nudged Nico,
Nico raised a finger to her pursed lips, "An Idol never tells."
Maki pulled Nico closer, "I can be persuasive."
Nico's fingers traced the curve of Maki's cheek, "Show Nico."
Maki did.
LATER THAT WEEK
Yoshiko stormed through the temple yard, black cloak swooping dramatically around her.
"There was supposed to be a party last week. With people." She paused her rant, glaring at Hanamaru, "Yohane was going to sweep in, leave the crowd breathless and take the fair maiden off…for...you know."
Hanamaru smiled at her oldest friend, "A kiss...or a confession?"
"A k...kiss." Yohane slid smoothly past her verbal stumble, "After all, who wouldn't want to be kissed by a beautiful fallen angel."
"Then it should be easy." Hanamaru swept her arm out, mimicking Yohane's grand gestures, "You've kissed everyone else in Aquors."
Yoshiko curled up, dropping to the ground, then a tantrum burst out and she rose, voice a whine, "This is different, Zuramaru. This is serious."
"Riko took you seriously." Hanamaru giggled, "For a minute."
"What about you, Zuramaru?" Yohane brandished an accusatory finger, "We promised last Christmas wouldn't happen again. You have to tell Ruby you want to date date."
"It can wait, zura." Hanamaru tugged Yoshiko's beret down over her eyes.
"No it can't. That's what we said after last year's Christmas party," Yoshiko threw both arms up in the air, "And…"
"Here we are again..." Hanamaru continued with a sigh.
"Exactly." Yoshiko's arms dropped.
Hanamaru shivered. It had been a long day, "Let's go inside and have some tea, Yoshiko."
Yoshiko gathered her cloak tightly around her before following her friend, muttering, "Who has parents who are too busy to throw their annual party. Parents should just stay home."
THE AFTERNOON BEFORE THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS
Nico had completely rearranged everything, visited every patient in the damn hospital in the morning, performed the most cheering, comforting collection of holiday songs a now retired universally beloved Idol ever had and handed off to A-Rise, who were doing her a favor by finishing off the concert Nico had gotten moved to an earlier time.
Maki would be so thrilled when Nico arrived at the Nishikino house. Christmas Eve was preserved. Nico knew Maki thought she missed performing and so had convinced her mother to arrange this, but neither of them had looked forward to a Christmas Eve dedicated to other people. Nico had had too many of those in the early years of their relationship and honestly, she was done.
Opening the door to the Nishikino mansion, Nico was surprised at the silence and the darkness. Then she found the note, in the kitchen: " the girls to the mountains. Know I'll see you soon. Love, Maki"
"Know I'll see you soon." Nico stared at the note, no words coming to mind. What was Maki thinking? Sure Nico had promised last year that they'd spend Christmas to the New Year in the mountains, but then their December had exploded with family and business commitments. Darn stubborn redhead, probably thought Santa-san would deliver Nico in her stocking...Nico groaned, surely not. And even if, surely Dia could have talked her out of it. There was at least one other mostly sensible person in the Kurosawa household, Nico knew. Red hair seemed to indicate susceptibility to...sentiment. Nico got a vivid image of her wife, at 15, distressed, in front of the fireplace, usually glowing amethyst eyes dampened by doubts…was Nico ALWAYS going to be haunted by that momentary near lapse of conscience.
Uuuughhh. What was Nico supposed to do. She laughed harshly, when exactly would Santa's sleigh arrive?
Nico heard a car horn playing a death metal version of 'Carol of The Bells' and headed back to the front door. A sleek black sportscar with feathery paint swooping along the sides pulled up outside of the mansion. Nico recognized it. Yoshiko had been doing well enough with her games and Fallen Angel channel that she'd bought herself a "Fallen Angel Mobile" on her 18th birthday. Ruby had spent several days detailing all its details so Nico practically had the interior memorized. Nico opened the security gate and Yoshiko pulled into the driveway .
"Hello, Santa Satan. And you brought an elf." Nico smiled as Yoshiko parked the car in front of her. The pale girl looked confused as she got out of the car and turned to Hanamaru for help. Hanamaru had been Nico's beta reader for so long that Nico had lost her intimidation factor.
"We're here to see Ruby and Dia, Nico-san." Hanamaru announced, her bright red and green reindeer covered holiday sweater a gift from Ruby last year. Yoshiko had opted for a red trimmed black sweater, with black skirt scattered with holly leaves.
"I'd like to see them too." Nico stated, with a wry laugh, "but there's a slight, stubborn obstacle in the way."
"Yohane will leap over it." Yohane announced, arms swinging wide "All obstacles are but a minor hurdle to a Fallen Angel as powerful as I."
"Be careful what you say about my wife." Nico frowned, Yoshiko's bluster collapsed. "And give me your keys, O Fallen One." Nico let her voice take on a command tone, "I, the great Nico Ni, have a mission that only you can help me complete."
Yoshiko handed over her car keys after Nico locked the side door, purple eyes wide, "What is it, Kurosawa-sama?"
"Bringing Christmas presents to some very pretty girls I know." Nico's glance at Yoshiko was speculative and the fallen angel blushed, "Thought so." Then Nico turned to Hanamaru, "Practice what you're going to say in your head, Hanamaru. Ruby got so confused last year."
Hanamaru gulped and nodded.
"I'm driving." Nico announced with a flourish, tossing her overnight bag into the back seat and tilting her Santa hat to the properly impish angle, "How fast does this beast go?"
Yoshiko's heart was beating so loud she didn't hear Nico's question as she crawled into the back seat. Hanamaru had started muttering to herself. And Nico synched her iPod to the car sound system and let the holiday songs blare. "Ruby told me you had a great sound system."
Kurosawa-sama was giving her points for the car, right, Yoshiko thought to herself, surely since she was helping out Dia's mom in this hour of desperate holiday need, Kurosawa-sama would look kindly on her as a suitor of her eldest daughter and forget all about that stupid bet three years ago. Had Dia forgotten?
"Since Nico is stealing your car for the holidays, you can call me Nico, Yoshiko."
"Thank you, ma'am." Yoshiko bleated. Nico's laugh roared with the car engine.
LATER THAT EVENING
Her mama had a look Dia had come to recognize, furtive and guilty, like Ruby when she'd stolen an extra dessert. Maki only ever got that look when she'd done something that was going to upset Nico, something she knew was wrong, but couldn't stop herself from doing.
Dia tried to hand Maki a mug of mocha, "Here you go, Mama. Is Mom ready for her concert?"
Maki pulled her legs up onto the couch and sunk her chin into them, "She isn't answering her phone." Dia put the mug on the table. "Where's Ruby?"
"Wrapping presents." Dia sat next to her mama, deciding to cheer her up. "It's nice being in the mountains again."
Maki nodded, "We always have Christmas here...Nico hated missing them…"
"Where are Grandma and Grandpa?"
"New York. An old friend invited them for the holidays and they didn't want to refuse." Maki smiled, her parents enjoyed any chance to revisit one of their favorite cities. Maki would have to talk Nico into going back when Ruby got to college...or joined Kotori's firm, "The Yazawas will be here after Boxing Day, all of them."
"Is Auntie Cocoro taking time off from the hospital?" Dia was surprised. Cocoro never took a vacation day.
"Yes, we all haven't been together for too long," And as Maki heard herself saying that, her mood drooped again.
"Cheer up, Mama. Mom hates when you don't smile."
"She's probably mad at me." Maki admitted, unwinding enough to pick up and sip her mocha.
"She always forgives you." Dia pointed out, her own mug warm between her hands.
Maki turned to look at her daughter, "You are becoming a grown up. Your mom and I are so proud of you."
Dia nodded, face immobile. She didn't inherit Maki's tendency to blush, but she had made a study of every emotion covering trick Nico had ever exhibited. Maki hugged her anyway, until Dia's facade broke down with a giggle, "Mama."
"hohOHO!" A huge bellow, more than one voice, rang through the house as the back door opened with a bang. "We have arrived!"
Maki jumped off the couch, Dia following her and both ran for the kitchen. There were three figures, two in red hats, one in a green, stamping the snow off their boots. Nico, a gleam in her ruby eyes, hopped right to Maki, sliding an arm around her wife's waist, using the other hand to drop her Santa hat over Maki's red curls, "Merry Christmas Eve to my favorite wife." And Nico kissed her resoundingly, then turned to the other two arrivals, "And that's how it's done, apprentices."
Yoshiko paled and looked like she was about to bolt back out the door. Dia swallowed back a laugh at her visitor's discomfort and tried to ignore how her heart started beating a little faster as Yoshiko pushed her red Santa hat back over her ebon tresses and glanced around the kitchen, nervously. Hanamaru fidgeted with the hem of her oversized sweater.
"W...what...how...w..what about your concert?" Maki sputtered, eyes only for Nico, hands caressing her chilled cheeks.
"I decided to bring Christmas presents to my favorite girls instead." Nico smirked, pulling Maki through the kitchen door, "Where's Ruby?"
Dia was watching Yoshiko not look her in the eye and answered automatically, "Upstairs."
"You heard her Hanamaru." Nico waved at the younger girl, "She's probably wrapping your present."
"You're impossible," Maki whispered as Nico pulled her through the house like a blizzard wind.
Nico pushed Maki onto the couch, falling with her and shaking her head before kissing Maki again, "As impossible as someone who takes my daughters and my car into the mountains and expects Santa-san to get me there somehow."
"How did you…" Maki was still surprised by all the rabbits Nico managed to pull out of her various hats over the years.
Nico shook her head, finger on her lips, "Santa-san made Nico promise not to tell."
"Nico-chan." Maki pulled her wife into a hug.
"That's good. Hug Nico more. Nico is freezing. Ruby lied about the Fallen Angel Mobile's heated seats."
"I'm sorry, Nico-chan." Maki muttered into her wife's hair.
"I love you, Maki-chan."
UPSTAIRS
Hanamaru knocked on the door to the library, where Ruby looked happy, wrapping presents, surrounded by shelves of books. But while Ruby might have expected Hanamaru to begin inventorying the books, her fair haired friend sat next to her on the couch, holding out a book in her hands.
"Merry Christmas, Ruby." Hanamaru smiled, Ruby was wearing the match of her own holiday sweater, but with green leggings instead of white. Hanamaru wondered if there was going to be another set of matching sweaters under the Christmas tree this year. She hoped so. "This is for you."
Ruby took the book from Hanamaru and opened the pages. It was a scrapbook, full of pictures from their years together at school, their school Idol adventures and all the trips they'd taken together. She glanced over at a smiling Hanamaru in between pages as the other girl scooted closer. Only about half the book was full. On the page after this year's Halloween shenanigans with Yoshiko, a blank frame was pasted, with the words "Our First Christmas As A Couple" written in careful calligraphy underneath. Ruby squealed, her face immediately as red as her hair, "You're not dating Yosh…"
"NO, zura." Hanamaru practically shouted as she took Ruby's hand, "Ruby is too cute."
Ruby pulled Hanamaru into an embrace, "I'm so glad."
"I love you, Ruby-chan." Hanamaru whispered into Ruby's ear. Ruby ducked her head into Hanamaru's shoulder, suddenly shy. Hanamaru felt her heart soar with a joy she'd read about in poems and heard in the notes of symphonies. And now she felt it as Ruby trembled in her arms. "Amazing, zura."
DOWNSTAIRS
"Hi." Yoshiko said for the third time, pawing at the ground with a boot, something like a filly. Dia realized the younger girl still had that air, that she'd noticed from the very start, of wild energy ready to bolt away at the first startle.
"Merry Christmas Eve." Dia decided holiday formalities were a saving grace in awkward moments like this.
A spark flared in Yoshiko's purple eyes and her lips curved into the prettiest smile Dia had ever seen, "Yohane has fallen from…" the angel faltered as she looked to Dia for a reaction, but when she only saw interest, picked up again, "from the North Pole to bring her favorite little demon a present." Yohane swept forward, hand reaching into her bag, pulling out what looked like an elf hat with...demon horns, Dia snorted. Yoshiko looked askance, and in a moment of doubt, tripped over the corner of the island, and stumbled forward, her arms pinwheeling as she half fell into Dia, forcing them both back into the doorway.
The green in Dia's green eyes shone mischievously as she found herself with an armful of actual fallen angel.
"S...sorry." Yoshiko muttered, trying to pull back, "I always have the worst luck." Yoshiko glanced up, "You can let me go now, Dia. I won't fall."
"No," Dia hummed, her lips pursed thoughtfully as Yoshiko struggled to free herself, "I don't think I want to."
"W...what...w...why?" Yoshiko spluttered as Dia's grip fell to her waist.
Dia glanced up at the mistletoe over her head, "Rumor has it…"
"You mean Mari." Yoshiko slid a hand over the dark green silk of Dia's turtleneck, almost bold. Dia grinned. It was a charming smile, surprisingly mischievous.
"Rumor has it," Dia continued with a wink, "You have kissed every other member of Aquors. Was it mere misfortune that you missed me?"
Yoshiko could feel Dia shivering a little under her hand and found herself fascinated by how the feeling travelled with her movements, "Ruby might have threatened me."
"Ah," Dia sounded genuinely amused, "Your ill luck then, having missed out on such an opportunity because of friendship."
Yoshiko couldn't look away from the depths of Dia's eyes "My friends are important."
Dia nodded, "So is my sister. But, Yohane" Dia let her voice drop to a near purr, "I think your luck is about to change."
Yoshiko wasn't sure if her heart or her lips exploded first, the first from Dia's voice whispering the name Yohane had chosen for herself, the second from the firm brush of the lips she'd been dreaming about across hers. A change of luck indeed.
IN MY LADY'S CHAMBER
"I'll have to remember to thank Santa-san." Maki sat up, sheets wrapped around her.
"Thank Nico too. I had to practically steal an 18 year old's car to get here." Nico bounced back up to where her wife was sitting against the headboard.
"Nico-chan! How fast did you drive? There were children in the car." Maki glared at Nico.
"There are children downstairs. And yet here we are."
"You n..needed help changing into warmer clothes." Maki quirked an eyebrow, somewhat bravely, Nico rolled her eyes.
"Don't we have other things to talk about?" Nico traced a curvy line up her wife's arm as the redhead clutched a sheet to her torso.
"Dinner, Nico-chan. We have to talk about dinner. We can't leave them unsupervised all night." Maki felt her resolve wavering as Nico's fingers danced up to her ear.
"They might as well get used to Christmas Kurosawa style." Nico's lips followed her fingers, "There's always frozen pizzas stocked if they get hungry."
"Nico-chan…" but Maki's voice made it more whimper than complaint and Nico knew the argument was won. It had been a long drive; she wasn't ready to get out of bed.
AFTER
Dinner had been frozen pizza, although Nico had promised everyone a Christmas morning breakfast to make up for it. Maki was playing carols on the piano, Nico next to her, Ruby and Hanamaru singing along, hand in hand. Yoshiko and Dia were sitting near the Christmas tree, Dia's arm around the younger girl, Yoshiko leaning into Dia's side and showing Dia on her phone a few of the neater tricks she and Hanamaru were putting into their latest game, a silly one, full of kittens and umbrellas, which they planned to use as a fundraiser for groups that cared for animals.
Santa-san had done well this year, Maki thought with a smile, her eyes settling on Nico, as he had every year since she'd met the Number One Idol In The Universe. With or without a sleigh or nearly stolen car, it always proved quite the ride.