Knock Knock

Maki knocked on Nico's apartment door while holding a cake box. Today was Nico's birthday and Maki thought that Nico would appreciate a visit from her. After about 20 seconds Nico answered and said in surprise,

"Maki!? What are you doing here?"

"I bought you a cake. Isn't today your birthday?"

"Aw! You remembered!" Nico glomped on Maki which almost made her drop the cake.

"Watch it!"

"Hehe! I'm so excited!"

"I can see that."

"Hey Maki-chan, what would you do if I wasn't home?"

"Uh... I'd probably leave and go eat the cake myself."

Nico shut the door on Maki for saying that.

"What was that for!? I was just being honest... Fine then, I really will eat it myself. Bye!" Maki didn't move because she knew Nico would come back and sure enough, she did.

"Get in here! Let's eat that cake!"

Nico grabbed the collar of Maki's shirt, yanked her into the apartment, and led her into her room because that was the best room ever (according to Nico). It was pink and girly and there were posters of herself adorning the walls. It fit her personality perfectly.

"Where is everyone?", asked Maki while setting the cake down on a table. She then sat down on a conveniently placed cushion on the floor across from Nico who was already seated.

"My mom took my brother and sisters shopping with her. I stayed home because I needed a break from those little demons."

"I see... I always wondered what it would be like to have siblings. Must be tough."

"Kind of, but I love them a lot. Anyway, let's eat that cake! What kind is it?" Nico was already opening the box without Maki's permission. It's not like she needed permission but it's always polite to ask.

"I don't know. It's cake flavored I guess?"

Nico didn't like that answer.

"Who buys a cake without knowing what flavor it is!?"

"Me, and you should be lucky that I even got you one."

"Yeah, you're right... Thank you Maki-chan.", said Nico in an apologetic tone of voice.

"You're welcome. Now, how are we going to cut this?"

The cake was fully exposed in all of its deliciousness, just waiting to be sliced open. It had smooth white frosting covering the exterior and there were little pink flowers circling around the top perimeter. In the center, "Happy Birthday" was written in magenta colored icing. It was a simple design but nobody should really care about design on a thing that will be eaten right away.

"With a knife, Maki-chan. How else would you cut a cake?"

"Yeah... That was kind of a stupid question."

"I'll go get us one."

Nico got up and walked over to her bed. She pulled out a good sized knife from underneath her frilly pillow and then casually walked back to the table like it was nothing.

Maki stared and Nico and the knife with her mouth wide open.

"Um, Nico-chan...?"

"Yes?", said Nico innocently. Some sunlight hit the stainless steel surface of the raised knife making it shine like a murder weapon in a horror movie.

"Why do you keep a knife under your pillow?" Maki was actually a bit frightened by this. Was there another side to Nico that she didn't know about?

"Oh, this? It's for self-defense. You never know when a crazy fanboy or fangirl is going to sneak into your house."

"Right... That happens to me all the time.", said Maki sarcastically.

"Huh!? Really!?" Nico actually believed what Maki said and she even got a little jealous.

"Of course not. We aren't that famous."

"Maybe you aren't but I am."

"Actually, according to a recent popularity poll-"

"That poll was rigged! It wasn't official either!", interrupted Nico.

"Whatever. Be in denial, Nico-chan. I don't care. By the way, are you going to cut that cake or not. If not, I'll do it myself."

"Hey now, it's my cake. I can cut it whenever I want to. In fact, I'm not going to cut it now because I need to punish you for mouthing off to me, especially since it's my birthday." Nico pulled the cake closer to her as if she was trying to protect it from Maki.

"I wasn't mouthing off. I was just offering to cut the cake for you."

"Well, I don't need your help. I'm an adult now."

"You don't look nor do you act like an adult, Nico-chan... and what does age have to do with cutting a cake?"

"You really went there, huh Maki-chan. You know that I'm sensitive about that."

"Sensitive about what?"

Nico say anything back but she did cut the cake. Her resentment towards Maki didn't last long when she saw the inside of the cake. It was red velvet, her favorite.

"Yay! Red Velvet! Thank you Maki-chan! I'm not mad at you anymore."

Maki gave her a cute little half-smile.

Then Nico realized that they didn't have any plates or silverware.

"Wait here Maki-chan. I'm gonna go get some stuff from the kitchen so we can eat this together."

So that's what Maki did; she waited. It wasn't a long wait but it was long enough that she was able to observe Nico's room some more. It was the same as she remembered it but then she noticed a framed picture on the wall of her and Nico standing together that wasn't there before. In it, Nico was clinging onto Maki's waist with a big grin on her face and her hand was in the shape of a Nico-Ni. Maki had her arm awkwardly over Nico's shoulder along with an equally awkward smile. It made her remember how much Nico really cared for her despite the frequent quarrels that they have.

"I guess Nico-chan really does love me..." said Maki to herself but a certain someone ended up hearing her.

"What was that, Maki-chan? Did you say something?" Nico returned with two plates, two forks, and two cups of tea on a tray.

"N-no! Not at all!"

"Don't lie to me. I heard what you said and you're right; I do love you. I love you lots and lots and lots!"

This made Maki blush. She still couldn't get used to hearing such affectionate words coming from Nico.

"If you knew what I said why would you ask me about it?"

"Because it's funny."

"You find my embarrassment funny?"

"Yep, and so do Honoka and the rest of us."

"Wow, you guys are rude."

"No, you're just so fun to tease... Oh, I almost forgot to give you your piece! Here you go." Nico handed Maki a slice of the cake. It wasn't as big as the one Nico cut for herself but it was something.

"Thanks."

As they were eating, Nico asked a philosophical question.

"Whah do weh eaht cake on er birfdays?"

"Don't talk with your mouth full, Nico-chan! That's a good question though."

After swallowing her bite of cake, Nico said,

"But I thought you knew everything Maki-chan."

"Who said that?... Anyway, we could always look it up."

"Let's do it! I'll get my laptop."

Nico crawled over to her laptop that was charging by the wall and slid it over to where they were sitting. Then she put in on the table after with the screen facing Maki and plopped herself right on Maki's lap.

"What do you think you're doing Nico-chan? Get off me!" Maki tried to push Nico away but she didn't budge.

"Nope! I'm using a laptop so it's only fitting that I sit on someone's lap."

"That's not what the word 'laptop' means... I'll let you sit here though, but only because it's your birthday."

"How nice of you Maki-chan.", said Nico endearingly.

"Yeah yeah, just turn on the computer already."

Nico did that and when it booted up you could see that her wallpaper was a picture of Maki sleeping.

"When did you take this!?"

"A few weeks ago. You weren't supposed to see it but I guess it's too late now."

"Change it right now!"

"Don't have to. It's my computer."

"Well that's my picture! You took it without my consent so technically I own the rights to it. I suppose I could let you use it as wallpaper but don't show it to anyone, alright?"

"Don't worry, I won't."

A few clicks later and they were on the internet.

Nico typed her question out in the browser's search bar and pressed the enter key. The results came up and there appeared to be an answer on this one website where people ask and answer questions. Someone asked a similar question and Nico read a response out loud.

"'They don't eat it. The cake is a lie.'... What does that mean!?"

"Calm down Nico-chan. There's another one."

Nico scrolled down and read the other answer.

"'Because it tastes good'... This is stupid Maki-chan! Help me!", whined Nico.

"Ugh, fine." Maki leaned over to take control of the computer. Her chest was now against Nico back and her head was resting on Nico's shoulder.

"Aw! Maki-chan is so cuddly!"

"Shut up, I'm trying to do something."

"Oh my! What could Maki-chan possibly be doing to her Nico-Ni!?"

"Do you want me to help you or not?"

"Yes please."

"Then knock it off."

Maki hit the back button on the screen and noticed that Nico didn't type in the whole question.

"Uh Nico-chan, did you mean to write, 'Why do people eat cake on their birthday?'"

"Yeah, I thought that's what I put."

"No, you only wrote, 'Why do people eat cake?'. You forget to add, 'on their birthday'. That's why you got weird answers."

"Oh... oops. So, what's the real answer then?"

"That's what we're gonna find out right now."

After doing some research, Nico and Maki came to the conclusion that there was more than one answer. Here's what they came up with:

1. The ancient Greeks supposedly started the tradition of presenting cakes as an offering. They made sweetened bread for the moon goddess Artemis. There were sometimes candles on it to represent the light of the moon and, even in modern times, some countries put candles on their cakes and then blew them out after making a wish.

2. The Germans were also hinted to be the first to celebrate birthdays with cake during the middle ages but it was only for an event for kids called "Kinderfest".

"That was interesting.", commented Nico.

"Yeah, it was. Happy Kinderfest Nico-chan."

"Seriously Maki-chan? Here, have some more cake!" Nico took some frosting from the cake and smeared it on Maki's cheeks in revenge. Then she licked it off to make Maki even more mad.

"Gross! Now I'm all sticky!"

"Good."

Maki got up to go wash her face and Nico followed her into the bathroom.

"I'm sorry Maki-chan."

"No you aren't." replied Maki while splashing some water from the sink on Nico.

"Hey! That was mean! Now I'm all wet!"

"Good."

They returned to Nico's room and Nico announced that she had to change her shirt since Maki got water on it. Maki tried not to look at Nico while she was changing out of courtesy so she faced the other way and started a conversation.

"Come on, Nico-chan. Do you really have to put a different shirt on? It's not that wet. Quit making a big deal out of it."

"I'm not. It just feels uncomfortable. It's like when you step on some water on the floor when you're wearing socks. It's the worst feeling ever, right?"

"It's not enjoyable but it's not the worst either."

"You know what I meant."

When Nico was done Maki noticed that the stylish tee-shirt with a bird decal that kind of looked like Kotori on it that Nico put on was kind of baggy on her. It looked familiar too.

"Are you wearing one of my shirts?"

"Yup. It smells like you too."

"How did you get a hold of that?"

"You left it here that one time you spent the night."

"Did I? Well, you can keep it if you'd like to. Think of it as a birthday present from me to you."

"Really!? You're the best Maki-chan!" said Nico as she hugged Maki for the second time today. They both fell down but Nico's bed was there to catch them.

"That was dangerous Nico-chan!"

"That's because I am dangerous... dangerously cute."

"That wasn't funny."

"I wasn't trying to be funny. I was just pointing out the obvious." That was a lie. Nico was trying to be humorous but she failed.

"Sure you weren't."

"Hey Maki-chan?"

"What?"

"Wanna take a nap? We're already on my bed so we might as well."

"A nap? That sounds pretty nice actually."

"Okay then, let's take a nap! I'm using you as a hug pillow."

"That's what you think."

"I can't? Oh well... I guess a stuffed animal will have to do..." Nico took Maki on a guilt trip and Maki caved in.

"Alright, you can, but only because it's your birthday."

"Yay! This was the best birthday ever 'cause I got to spend it with you."

"I'm glad to hear that. So, what are you going to do for my birthday, Nico-chan?"

"Don't get ahead of yourself. You still have a while till yours... but I'll think of something special for you."

"I'll look forward to it."

Afterword

Happy birthday Nico! Normally I don't do birthday fics (this is my first one actually), but my buddy Reader-sama (you know who you are) requested one for Nico and I couldn't say no. I haven't done a NicoMaki story in a while either so this works out. I hope you liked it! Also, when Nico and Maki did research on the subject of birthdays, they weren't exactly sure how accurate that information was. They used several sources though so who knows.