Bound By Destiny

You! You Were the Dog That Licked Me Earlier!

Chapter Summary: Nico, Maki, and Umi have an eventful time at the cafe.

A/N: Meet Umi guys ^-^ Well one physical form and one side of her personality anyway...

Of course the cafe had the classic tinkling noise when the door opened. Of which Nico saw the adorably sulking Maki wince from and the redhead's scowl became just a little more realistic and less of a pouting sulk.

Nico filed the information away for later and instead lightly grimaced at just how small and oddly decorated the cafe was. "Nozomi, you still have zero taste for places that look more than half-decent."

Nozomi merely chuckled, "what does appearance matter when the food and atmosphere is pleasant Nicochi?"

Nico rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to say something about how it helped the business when Maki stole the words from her mouth. Well, more like she stole some of them.

"Appearances effect the overall business," Maki drawled with a look of disinterest on her pretty face, "however, that's not the case here and if you have a problem with this place you're welcome to just leave Nico." Her purple eyes flashed briefly, "this place gets plenty of business without a stuck-up mage whining about it."

Nico narrowed her eyes at her, "I was just commenting on it's appearance! How's it bad to have a more refined palette?"

"That's called being picky," Maki deadpanned with narrowed purple eyes, "and a picky eater is someone who's afraid to try new things-"

"Nico!" Eli was now standing at a table and casually interrupted Maki with a smiling wave that appeared just a little tense if Nico's eyes weren't deceiving her. "Nozomi! Over here!"

Nico felt Nozomi's finger brush her arm and she looked up to see warm green eyes looking back at her. "Don't judge appearances too much Nicochi," she commented before turning toward the blonde with a smile and walking toward her, leaving the pair of newly revealed soulmates to themselves, "coming Elichi!"

A smile that Nico wished someone would smile at her like. The smile where someone's eyes softened in affection and their lips pulled up in a way that showed a little teeth but displayed the emotion they held for the smile's recipient.

Nico's eyes flickered unknowingly to Maki and her now standard flat scowl. Would she eventually warm up to her? Or was she stuck forever with an awkward and adorably klutzy woman who didn't show many positive emotions on her face and would never really like her?

Maki's purple eyes seemed to briefly unfocus for so little time that Nico couldn't be sure it even happened before Maki's sharp eyes were focused and directed at her out of the corner of her eye. Her hands tucked casually into the pockets of her capris and her body language more relaxed than it had been just seconds ago.

"Take a good look around," Maki's voice was lighter, more of an even request instead of a smooth and irritating command. "You seem to like reading the room so get a read on it before you judge this place." With that the redhead followed Nozomi's lead with Nico's eyes focused on her retreating figure.

Take a good look around? Okay, sure I guess, Nico gave a mental sigh and her fingertips briefly glowed a soft pink, a color change that Nico actually enjoyed as it was her favorite color, and the sounds around her distorted. Sound and movement slowed down until all at once it stopped at the command of her temporary time freeze spell that didn't require a visible gesture.

Once everything stopped, the young mage took a few steps forward, her footsteps echoing around her as the only sound that bounced around the four walls of the small cafe and began to explore.