Summary: Maki and Honoka recover from filming, Eli and Nozomi go out to dinner, and Nico and Rin stay in.

The video session had been manic. They always were. Honoka was now sprawled out on the music room couch, candy red uniform jacket open, tank top plastered to her torso with sweat, Maki was slumped against the wall, chugging water, jacket off, sleeves rolled up. Walnut parts were scattered everywhere, Honoka reached down, grabbed a handful, and tossed the shells in Maki's direction.

"Wow."

"Yeah." Maki raised her mug in salute.

"That was like 10 minutes." Honoka groaned.

"You got walnut shells in my piano."

Honoka sat up, her arms wide and pounding up and down, "That part in the middle, that was so cool, you were like" more gesturing, "And I was" Honoka made cracking nuts movements, "and they were flying everywhere, cracking in half right when you hit the keys…that was the Russian Dance, right? Eli's gonna love it."

"I don't think so." Maki closed her eyes, head back against the wall.

"Why not, it was great." Honoka sounded peeved.

"Eli's a trained classical ballerina, Honoka, cracking walnuts to Tchaikovsky's masterpiece is probably not going to crack her top 10 versions."

"You're wrong."

Maki sighed. "We have to clean up now."

Honoka fake yawned and stretched her arms wide, "But I'm tired now, Maki. And I want to show Eli the video. Think she's done with her date?"

Maki raised an eyebrow. She would not have expected Eli, who lived alone, to return here, after her date, to this house full of people who might get in the way of any after date activities. "Eli might want some privacy. I'm sure Kotori would love to see the video."

"Oh yeah, we looked amazing." Honoka jumped up and grabbed the phone off its stand, "I'll send it to her."

They had looked amazing, Maki's snowy tuxedo and Honoka's vivid splash of seasonal red, Honoka's uniform trousers out of the same fabric as Maki's. The faux bearskin hat was now ludicrously off balance on the edge of Maki's piano. At some point, Honoka had taken it off and started tossing walnut meats in it, which is how they got into the piano.

Maki flexed her fingers. She'd spent most of the day practicing for both tonight and the more traditional program Eli had put together. Finger fatigue and no patience for picking walnut carcasses out of her piano so what she needed now was a snack. "Cookies. We need cookies."

Honoka bounced to her feet, "We do."

Maki grabbed the hat, shook out walnut parts, and put it on, tilting it back, decisively giddy as she remembered a plate of snickerdoodles. "We'll clean up tomorrow."

"YES!" Honoka fist pumped, "You're the best, Maki. I'll be down here right after breakfast with a broom."

Maki tried frowning, but could barely dent the energy that made her want to tap dance across the floor, "You'd better. It's bad enough that you invi…"

"Maki." Honoka sounded serious.

"What?"

"You said you would stop blaming me."

"No, I agreed to stop mentioning that I was blaming you."

"Isn't that the same?"

"No." Maki tossed the hat on the couch, giddy bubble burst, "If Rin ate all the cookies, you're making more."

"There's some in the freezer."

"Good."

###

Eli opened the door for Nozomi, who had a dark gray dress with a slightly darker pattern scattered over it. Eli had opted for a dark green turtleneck tucked into light gray trousers.

"This is a very cute little place." Nozomi glanced around the small room, shifting her shawl.

Eli waved at the bartender, who smiled back. "Yeah, it's very cozy. I recommend it to a lot of my clients."

They slid into a circular back booth. "Do you bring them here yourself?"

Eli shook her head, "No. After a long day of hiking or skiing, they're usually tired of my jokes. I only have 5."

Nozomi brushed Eli's arm as she took off her shawl, staying close, "I'm sure that's not true. You seem charm."

Eli laughed, "I am charmed. By you."

Nozomi tilted her head and her next comment was in Japanese, "Perhaps I meant you are charming. Do verb tense hints come with dinner? And is there a quiz with a prize for excellence? I am only motivated by reward."

Eli's grin broadened and she continued the conversation at Nozomi's speed, "My apologies, Nozomi-san. I could not resist the word play. And you can have any reward you want."

Nozomi arched an eyebrow, smiling at the waitress but waving away the menu, "That is a very generous offer, Eli. Aren't you worried about what I might demand?"

Eli shrugged, opening a menu and placing it between them, "No. I might be intrigued."

"Possibly you should be worried." Nozomi's hand brushed Eli's.

Nozomi sensed nervousness as the seemingly bold Eli concentrated on the menu, speaking without making eye contact, "You seem like a holiday gift in a lonely winter so I just intend to be grateful for the brightness."

Nozomi smiled. "And what does the local tour guide recommend?"

"Seafood, always seafood." Eli paused, "There are vegan and vegetarian options though…"

Nozomi glanced at the menu, then caught Eli's eye. "Local specialties are fine. Everything I've seen looks tasty."

A blush. Nozomi was starting to feel confident. Eli might be adpt at teaching skiing to groups, but perhaps Nozomi could provide private tutoring on other sports after dessert.

###

Nico was restless. Her siblings were sleeping in Japan so no video chatting with them. There was nothing in this rustic kitchen that Nico wanted to eat or cook. This was not Nico's house so she was not going to clean. And she had already added Nico Ni songs to all of Maki's playlists, for which she would obviously be thanked for once Maki realized how much they had been improved. So Nico was watching Terrace House because at least it felt a little like home.

Rin came bounding through the kitchen, talking as she chewed. "Hey, Nico, these cookies are great!"

Nico shook her head and pulled the blanket Maki had given her closer.

"What you watching?" Rin jumped over the back of the couch.

"Terrace House."

"Nah, Nico. We're in America. Watch American." Rin grabbed the remote and slid next to Nico. "There's some show with truckers or ice fishers or something."

"Nico is getting tips from the models." Nico reclaimed the remote.

"Hey, good idea. Is this an episode with photo shoots or something?"

Nico shrugged, "Nico doesn't know." Then Nico pointed the remote at Rin. "When are we starting the shoot tomorrow? No one told Nico the schedule."

"We're not!" Rin threw a pillow in the air, "It's amazing. Umi actually said I can sleep in. She texted me." Rin showed Nico her phone.

"Why do you have a picture with that fan person as your wallpaper?"

"Because Kayo-chin's the cutest." Rin threw herself back against the arm of the couch, hugging the pillow and grinning.

"Kayo-chin?"

Rin shrugged, "Cute nickname for the cutest girl."

"Where is she?" Nico had spent all of dinner answering very detailed questions and then Rin had dragged the fan girl upstairs to show the girl the bunk bed she was going to get. Nozomi had decided to move into Umi's room and Umi, ever gallant, had agreed not to strand a compatriot in a lonely hotel.

"Kayo-chin wanted to take a bath and a nap." Rin yawned and leaned back against the pillow, "Ayase-san wore her out. They ice skated all afternoon. You'd be worn out too."

"Nico is in excellent shape."

"Cold makes it harder." Rin considered tossing the pillow but Nico's glare deflected the impulse.

Nico didn't reply, her attention returning to the three women having a chat in the girls' bedroom. One of the women was upset by how a male resident was treating her and getting support in her distress. Nico decided the two women would have been better off with each other, but nobody decided to be gay or bi. Some poor suckers actually seem to like being het. Nico snorted. Why in the world wouldn't you want legs and curves and fire and someone who looked pretty and felt soft and sweet bright breathy whisperings ...Nico shook her head. She needed urban stimulation. Or a job to do. Too much quiet and daydreaming about improbable…A door slam and clamoring voices interrupted her thoughts.

"Hey, Maki, race you to the cookies."

"Honoka, it is literally 5 feet away."

"Ha! I won." A pause and some opening and closing noises, then grief…"The cookies are gone."

Rin leaned over the back of the couch and shouted, "I ate them."

Another opening noise and then Honoka, sounding apologetic, "Sorry, Maki, there's none in the freezer either. I can make some from scratch."

"That's all right," Maki came into the room, jacket over her arm, shirt half unbuttoned and mostly untucked, chunky gray wool socks with a red toe cap looking silly with her creamy white tuxedo pants. Seeing Nico and Rin on the couch, she nodded a greeting and curled herself into an armchair by the fire, box of frosted wheat cereal in hand, "Cereal will do. What're you watching?"

"Terrace House." Rin grumped, "I told Nico we should watch American."

Maki considered Nico, and then crunched a handful of cereal, "This is okay. The location is really pretty in this season. Makes me want to snowboard. And Tsubasa's dad's restaurant is great."

Nico clucked her tongue and pulled her phone out, typing rapidly.

"Nico is always on social media." Rin stated proudly, "Make sure you follow her. She can get you a lot of TWIG fans. Do you have an account for this place?"

"No." Maki had one personal, very private TWIG account and it was locked.

Honoka bounced into the rocking chair with a bag of chips. "That's a great idea. What'll we call it? Cabin in The Woods?"

"That was a horror movie." Maki crunched another handful of cereal.

Nico snorted, seemingly amused. Maki frowned.

Nico pointed at Maki, "Number."

"What?"

"Your number." Nico pointed to her phone.

"You are not posting my number on social media."

Nico rolled her eyes, "No. Send list. Nico needs... " Nico's English ran dry and she waved in the direction of the kitchen, "Eats."

"There's 'eats'." Maki countered.

"I did a grocery store run yesterday. Everything's stocked." Honoka was rocking back and forth.

"No." Nico was insistent.

Maki got up, leaned over Nico, who avoided staring down Maki's cleavage by turning aside as the redhead reached for Nico's phone, "Let me see….miso, bonito flakes, shoyu, sesame seeds, wakame…" Maki frowned.

"Proper breakfast." Nico stated.

"I like cereal." Maki insisted.

"Nico's cooking is for..." a frown, Nico grabbed her phone back and typed quickly, then pronounced slowly, "appreciative tongue."

"You mean palette." Maki corrected automatically.

"Like painting?"

"No, Honoka." Maki stared at the unyielding Nico for a minute, then slid back to her chair and cereal crunching, "I'll see what I can do."

"Arigato." Nico bowed her head.

"Why do they even bother with him?" Maki grumbled, as she watched the on screen shenanigans.

"Baka." Nico decided.

"Truth." Maki offered Rin the cereal box, Rin grabbed a handful, Nico looked horrified.

"Baka."

"You already said that." Maki pointed out.

"Nico meant you."

"Huh?" Maki grunted.

"Use bowls." Nico ordered.

"Why?" Rin and Maki echoed.

"Germs?"

"I washed my hands." Rin defended.

"It's my food."

Nico shoved Rin. "You're both worse than Cotaro."

"Who's Cotaro?" Maki asked.

"My little brother."

Maki hugged the cereal box.

"He's not here, taking your...feed."

"Feed is for animals." Maki stated.

"Nico knows."

Maki snarled, grabbed another handful and crunched loudly. Nico shook her head and turned back to the screen leaving Maki to glare. Terrace House; they had a system. How did they get random housemates to get along? And sometimes even go out on cute dates. Winter was a great season for cute dates. The ice skating date this season had been super adorable. But what Maki got instead of cute dates was people harassing her food choices. She frowned at Nico, who caught the expression, smirked and stuck out her tongue. Terrace House wasn't like this, Maki thought. Those people almost made sense. Nico made none.

A/N: I hope everyone is staying safe.