[decipher]
nozonico; domestic!AU

"When will you be going home?"

"Hmm? Another week?"

She fought back her own exasperated sigh as she made another reply, "Wow, you're really busy."

"This Super Idol Nico-Nico-nii is always busy, you know!" she heard a cheerful tone across the phone, perhaps the image of the person doing her signature ILY-signs, too. "Then, I'll catch you later, okay? My photo session is coming up, see ya!"

.

.

.

—And, she hung up.

Well, she knew all too well that Yazawa Nico—another resident of her apartment—is always busy with her work. She still strived to be Japan's top idol and sometimes she would be over Kotori and Hanayo's place as to continue her business on clothing brand with them. It is like 24/7 hardworking girl out there on the street, never cease to kick back and relax.

It's not like Toujou Nozomi hated it per se, she was happy that Nico reached for her dream.

The purple-haired woman was about to tell her lover that she will have a day off tomorrow, but then again it has been three weeks since Nico was busy with her routine. The raven-haired woman ever said that the session will end in a week, but she keep postponed it, taking more work in her account.

She sighed ruefully as she placed down her cellphone and scanned the whole apartment with a pair of tired clock said that it will be 6 pm soon, and she was already bathed and even eat. Her hair is a bit wet so she hasn't tied it back to her usual low ponytail, and she only wears a black night gown.

Should she just sleep, hoping that an empty week will pass by, just like another?

[Was the apartment this empty, she wonder?]

Nozomi looked over the doorway.

She remembered the day when Nico suddenly showed up in front of her apartment door.

"Let's live together."

"Nicocchi?" she tilted her head, confused. "W-What are you saying?"

"Do you want me to repeat myself? C'mon, you are not that dumb." she shot an annoyed look. "I want to live together with you. We have talked this through, remember?"

"Did we?"

"Stop playing dumb, ugh." Nico's face already red. "Now. Don't just stand there, let me in!"

Nozomi laughed at the flashback. Her laughter eventually subsided, as nothing remained but her own silent echo.

Nozomi rambled to her bedroom—her shared room with Nico—to see two photo frames. One of them is full team of nine school idol of Otonokizaka, and the other is the photo of her and Nico; a scowling Nico and Nozomi who teased her. The purple-haired woman smiled as she took the photo out, back to the living room.

It has been awhile since their college days ended and they have been in tight-knitted relationship ever since the end of high school. There may be times when their romance stuck in a rut but they managed to stay together and supporting one another.

Her apartment was no longer void because the appearance of Yazawa Nico.

She was no longer lonely.

Lonely.

Such a foreign vocabulary.

How long has it been since she felt this—kind of feeling? She didn't forget the taste of loneliness, but she never know that the feeling will haunt her again.

Her fingers traced over the unmoving photograph of Nico. You can find the raven-haired idol everywhere in every kind of magazine, but she still loved this photo best.

After all—

"I miss you, Nicocchi," she smiled sadly as she hugged the frame tight within her arms.

They were sitting on a park bench. Nico was humming into a song that she knew, one song from her BiBi group, if she recalled. Sudden thoughts struck the back of her mind, while she remembered the song lyrics.

"Nicocchi?"

"What is it? Spit it out, this idol Nico didn't have that much time."

"Do you want to leave me?"

"No! That's not what I meant!" she retorted. "Just make it quick."

"I wonder sometimes why we are together."

Nozomi gave the petite girl a light squeeze on her hand, she gazed over the sour-looking woman once before she looked to her feet. It is unusual for her to ask something like that, where did her usual happy-go-lucky and teasing persona go?

"What? You don't want to? I can always leave anytime you wish."

Nozomi bit her lips.

"Then, why you didn't leave?"

Ah.

How long since she had fallen asleep?

Nozomi opened her eyes to see that she was on the table around the kitchen, the photo frame in her grasp, and something that made her warm draped over her shoulder.

Wait.

—this fluffy pastel pink coat.

Was she dreaming? This is Nico's—

"So, you finally awake, baka?"

A familiar voice shouted from behind. Nozomi turned to see red eyes bore into hers, the kettle whistling on the background.

"You were fast asleep when I'm back so I decided to wait until you wake up," Nico folded her arms. "Geez, I told you many times that you need to sleep—wha—Nozomi!"

And Nico was assaulted by a tackle hug from the purple-haired woman, made the petite idol stumble and fell from where she stood. Despite the struggle, Nozomi kept the contact still, until Nico eventually gave in, stopped questioning her action.

She didn't realize that their entwined fingers were long gone from its touch as Nico stood up in front of her, irritation—or anger? Anguish?—plastered around her face as she cupped the byzantium-haired cheek. Her green orbs widened as the girl leaned in and pressed their lips for a moment. This is the first time for her to be caught off guard, usually, it is her to search for Nico's open spot to do some affection, but—

She is Nico. Yazawa Nico. The brave girl she always admired, the very person she tried hard to reach but to no avail, the person that she wanted to be happy, the person—

"So you lied when you were going to go for another week?"

"Yeah, kinda," Nico averted her gaze. "But I promised last week that I would be back, nee? So here I am."

Nozomi lost her will to sleep, her urge to spend her time with Nico defeated everything she would have in mind. They were lying on the bed, locking gaze side by side while silently playing with each other fingertips. Nico raised her hand to stroke affectionately on the purple tresses, her expression remained still, she smiled tenderly at the owner of emerald orbs beyond her.

"I missed you," Nozomi finally said, holding the traveling hand within her grasp. "And to wake up and see you, it almost feel surreal, you know?"

"Really, you should've said it over the phone," Nico snickered. "But yeah, knowing you, you won't say a thing."

[The very sight of Nico distributing papers about her idol activity is fresh on her mind. Her eyes would travel, watched the figure from afar as Nico tried her best, spreading her smile to everyone that she could see. Her heart would sink as she saw the little girl crying on her own, but when a minute pass, she would stand by her own two feet again, and smile—]

"I am not and won't leave until I can erase the loneliness on your face, you got it?"

(—that could decipher loneliness.)

Toujou Nozomi was rendered speechless.

Yazawa Nico was smiling at her, as tender as ever.

"You should be grateful that Nico is here, okay?" she smugly added.

She didn't bring herself to object and enjoyed herself with her embrace to the smaller woman's body.

"Nicocchi, you are so warm."

"You are so clingy today, missed your Nico so much, huh?"

Nozomi giggled, "Yeah, because I always want my Nico to be by my side."

"Ugh, spare the corny lines, you make me feeling embarrassed."

The purple-haired woman loosened her embrace to hover down and faced her lover red face. She pressed their nose together before leaned in to give Nico a peck on the lips.

"Can we keep holding each other 'till morning?"

"Anything for you, Nozomi." Nico whispered and she returned the kiss, savoring their closeness, scooted closer to snuggle in the crook of Nozomi's neck, inhaling her scent.

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