A/N: My single polyamorous ass went long enough without writing a story like this, and if I have to suffer, so does Nico!

As an older sister, Nico was always charged with being the responsible one. With three younger siblings and a busy single mother, Nico was always the one in charge. No matter the situation, she had to be the strong one.

Kotarou was the biggest handful and he got most of her attention. Cocoa was a bit of a wild card and needed close supervision as well. Cocoro was the second oldest Yazawa sibling and was fairly responsible when it came to her younger siblings, but she knew she could leave that responsibility to Nico whenever she was around, and therefore acted almost as childishly whenever she could get away with it.

Nico cooked, cleaned and occasionally took care of online bill payments when her mother was too busy and sleep deprived to remember it for herself. If Nico were to ever feel overwhelmed or sad and need to cry, she would have to do so alone in her bedroom, after her siblings had gone to sleep, and before her mother arrived from work. Whether for the younger or older people in her life, she had to put up a strong front.

Being an idol was a very welcome reprieve. Her Nico Nii persona was extremely childish. As someone who mostly skipped childhood, she was fascinated with the reactions she could gain from people as an idol. She yearned to be called cute, and she could easily make her fans feel like they wanted to protect her. She could forget about her shortcomings and actually enjoy being small and adorable.

Within Muse, she could be as brash and outspoken as children usually were. She didn't have to be the most responsible person when she didn't want to be because the group had the fatherly Umi and Eli and motherly Kotori and Nozomi. As one of the older members she still felt the need to retain a senpai identity, but she could do so without the burden of being a surrogate parent.

Whilst Umi and Kotori often acted in loco parentis exclusively to Honoka, Eli and especially Nozomi could focus more on the first years, though they certainly took care of the second years as well. Nozomi seemed to have been especially fond of mothering Maki, as the incidents at the Nishikino beach house seemed to indicate, and Umi, like during the mountain climb Lily White undertook. Nico always complained that she could hear Garasu no Hanazono playing in the background whenever Nozomi and Eli so much as stood next to each other, but she was happy for the parents of Muse. She knew the two of them genuinely loved each other and were highly compatible.

However, something about the arrangement made her extremely uncomfortable. She couldn't bring herself to see Nozomi and Eli as parental figures. Sure, as a whole, she could see Muse as a family, but she couldn't leave herself out of the parental role. Nozomi, Eli and Nico were all third years, after all. Yet, somehow, she still found comfort in the idea of being protected by and taken care of by NozoEli. She enjoyed the time the three of them spent together, especially when the two paid equal attention to her as to each other. She also enjoyed spending time with the two individually, like during BiBi practice and whilst recording the album Otome Shiki Ren'ai Juku. However, Eli's presence often saved her from Nozomi's washi washi technique and they therefore spent time together as a trio most frequently.

It warmed Nico's heart to remember how Nozomi and Eli would both watch her and worry about her when she was struggling to form an idol group in their first year. Recording a song just the three of them was a wonderful experience even though it was a one-time deal. As graduation neared, the three spent more and more time together, studying and discussing the end of Muse. Nico was invited to the parfait shop more and more frequently. It took Nico several weeks into summer break to realize that Nozomi and Eli hardly spent time alone anymore. Nico began to feel guilty. Had she intruded too much? The garden of glass had a maximum occupancy of two, after all.

'Silly Nico. Falling in love is always made for two.'

Nico didn't want to admit it to herself. It didn't matter that Eli was a handsome beauty and had a smooth voice that made Nico swoon. It didn't matter that Nozomi had a killer figure and a smile that made Nico want to squeal. They had each other. Nico ranked herself as someone in the middle: childish but reliable, adorable like a child but capable of womanly charm, wanting to care for others and also be cared for. She fit between the two perfectly, but she denied this to everyone, especially herself. Still, hearing the other members of Muse jokingly call Nico the daughter of NozoEli annoyed her to no end, and it wasn't only because they were calling her childish and short.

'We're… more.'

Nico lived in a small apartment with NozoEli during college, unable to turn them down when they insisted so wholeheartedly. Nico and Nozomi took turns with the housework, Nico and Eli took turns reminding Nozomi to take care of herself and Eli and Nozomi encouraged Nico through her journey as an idol. They lived together for all four years of university and remained together in the same apartment as they began their careers. Even as Nozomi set up her photography business and Eli accepted a short stint as a model before opening her an accessories business, the three remained together. As an idol, Nico employed her two best friends often, and so the three were able to travel the world together.

Living with the two help her avoid scandals, but there was no lack of romantic tension in her life. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get the two out of her heart. To her horror, the two were becoming more and more affectionate with her. Eli would seat Nico on her lap. Nozomi would hum happily whenever Nico failed to hold in a moan as she endured a washi washi max attack. The three watched romantic movies on the couch, a blank draped over them and Nico sandwiched in the middle. They went out to eat as often as Nico's career permitted and they spent every holiday together if they couldn't have a full Muse reunion. Valentine's Days were the most awkward.

The thing that unhinged Nico the most was the lack of real romantic activity between Nozomi and Eli. They didn't kiss on the lips, despite there being no lack of teasing on Nozomi's part. They hardly went out alone, and the three slept in the same room in separate futons. Occasionally the three of them would snuggle together or fall asleep on the couch, but that was the extent of that.

Nico's heart couldn't help but hold onto the hope that all those patterns meant that the two loved Nico just as much as each other, even if that meant only platonically. Nico could live with the three of them being best friends and nothing more better than she could deal with being the third wheel. If the three of them spent the rest of their lives together, even if things never changed, Nico could be satisfied, right?

Nico pulled her luggage bag behind her, briskly walking the down the hallway. She had performed her farewell concert at the end of her farewell tour, making her final glorious appearance on the Tokyo Dome's stage. She had surprised Rin and Hanayo by inviting them to perform as the After School Navigators, knowing the two―especially Hanayo―would enjoy performing as idols after such a long time. Tonight, Nico was able to make her way back home with a satisfied smile on her face. She had achieved her dream and could retire without any regrets. Her family was well taken care of, her investments could carry her through the rest of her life comfortably, and she looked forward to spending the rest of her life with her two best friends. Nico couldn't ask for more.

The sight of rose petals on the floor confused Nico greatly. She slowly removed her shoes and coat as she studied the petals carefully, glaring at them as if to intimidate them into explaining their presence. She crouched down and grabbed one, running her thumb over the soft surface, two pairs of soft, red lips immediately coming to mind. Nico's heart stopped and her stomach dropped as the realization hit her. She fell back and sat hard on her butt as a wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her.

'They did it to protect my career. They didn't want new of my lesbian roommates to cause a big scandal for me. Now that my career is over, they can be open about it. They… they…'

Tears rolled freely from red eyes and down Nico's porcelain doll face, sliding off her chin and onto a petal on the floor.

'I could have moved out at any time, but I couldn't. I was addicted. It was intoxicating, the feeling of being loved. But it was all in my head; I made it all up. And I knew. I knew!'

Nico rolled up into a ball and began to sob silently. At that same moment, Nozomi peaked out of the bedroom door. She and Eli had heard the door open and stopped what they had been doing, knowing that Nico was now inside the apartment. They had prepared for her inevitable entrance, but it never came. Nozomi felt her heart shatter as she took in the pitiful sight of her friend of nearly a decade. Eli stuck her head out as well and gasped softly enough for only Nozomi to hear, dropping her now empty petal basket. Nozomi took Eli by the hand and dragged over, briskly heading over to Nico. Eli stood by awkwardly as Nozomi bent down and placed a hand on Nico's shoulder.

The young woman stiffened at the touch and refused to uncurl. Her greatest nightmare would only worsen if she were to face the uncomfortable looks of her friends. Nico was interrupting an important and private moment, but she couldn't budge. She wanted to stand, turn and run away, but she couldn't. She could stay with Rin and Hanayo, or Honoka and Maki, or even Umi and Kotori, but she didn't want to be anywhere else. How did that make any sense at the moment? It didn't, but had Nico's feelings ever been easy for anyone else to understand?

Nozomi―a woman who often came off as a psychic―understood exactly what Nico was feeling, but didn't recognize the best course of action at first. She looked up at Eli, who simply shrugged when their eyes met. She crouched down as well, placing a hand on Nico's other shoulder. Somehow, that seemed to make all the difference, because Nico finally spoke, albeit without changing her position.

"I'm sorry for interrupting you two. Please go back so I can get up without feeling so embarrassed. I'll sleep on the couch. Or even go to a hotel if you want."

Nozomi and Eli made eye contact once more and shared a frown. Then they smiled―a fond smile that conveyed a wealth of emotion. The two leaned down and placed a kiss on the top of Nico's head.

Nico stiffed further, tears gushing forth with renewed vigor. Was that pity? Were the girls going to stop what they had been doing altogether? Were they going to sit her down and give her the "it's not you; it's us" speech? The "we can still be friends" speech? Were they already planning out what apartment they were going to leave to?

Deciding she couldn't hide forever, Nico took a deep breath, willed her tears to cease and uncurled her body enough that her eyes could peek out from above her arms. She had mixed feelings about the fond look on her friends' faces. Beggars couldn't be choosers, however.

'I'm disgusting. I'll be blessed if they still want to be friends with me.'

"Nicocchi, you're trying to make decisions all by yourself again," Nozomi sang, and Eli chuckled.

The atmosphere was all wrong. Why were they acting like nothing had changed?

"W-What are you t-talking about, t-tits?" Nico asked, her voice cracking and trembling as she held back tears.

Eli squeezed Nico's shoulder affectionately as she made eye contact with Nozomi once more. The purple-haired woman's nod was slight, but they still moved in unison as they leaned forward and pressed their lips against Nico's cheeks. All traces of tears disappeared and the pair of small cheeks reddened considerably. Nico's eyes shifted from side to side at an alarming pace, trying to find an explanation in the silence that ensued. Finally, with a giggle, Nozomi took a hold on Nico's chin and forced her to look at Nozomi straight on. She giggled again before surging forward, capturing Nico's lips with her own.

Nico felt the threat of tears upon her again, but for an entirely different reason. She wanted to be happy, but she was confused. She didn't understand what was happening and desperately fought against the surge of joy and relief that teetered at the edge of her resistance. She opened her mouth to protest after Nozomi pulled back, but her chin was seized once more and Eli's tongue effectively silenced her, aside from the moan. When Nico felt Nozomi's hand rubbing up and down the length of her thigh, the warm tingling threatened to drive her insane.

Nico pushed Eli away, gasping for air as the two former student council members shared a worried glance.

"W-What the hell?! What do you two think you're doing to Nico?! And right as I get home from a long tour, too!"

Nozomi grinned at the generous splattering of red across Nico's face and the nervous excitement clearly audible in her words.

"We held back all these years so we wouldn't tarnish the purity of the number one idol in the universe. Is this how you repay us?"

Nico and Nozomi were shocked to hear such teasing originating from the blonde, but the other two couldn't resist feeling excited by the rare treat of an Eli with a glint in her blue eyes.

Nico surged to her feet, shutting her eyes to strike a dramatic pose and drawing the attention of the two other girls, who looked up at her curiously. Nico intended to make a short speech about how lucky they were to have Nico in their life, but when she opened her eyes, she noticed for the first time that the girls were in nothing but matching sets of blue and purple lacy lingerie. The sight of the red rose petals surrounding them and their hair falling loosely around their bare shoulders, lips slightly pouting and eyes fixed directly on her―Nico swore her heart literally skipped a beat.

Another look was shared as the two girls also rose to their feet, albeit much more slowly and deliberately. Nico's eyes struggled to take in as much as she possibly could, and felt her heart rate and body heat increase as the two stepped closer to her. They pressed their breasts against either shoulder and they leaned forward. A nip at each of her ears. Hot breath. Soft. Nico's lovers spoke in perfect sync.

"Welcome home. Would you like dinner, or a bath… or perhaps… us?"

A/N: Nico's way luckier than me.