Chapter Text
Four years ago
Rumi sits back against the wall, in the shade of an alley between buildings by the pool. The resort is lovely. The tour has been lovely. Everything is -
It's amazing. Truly. It's just always underpinned by wishing, wishing, wishing she didn't have to hide.
She sighs. Stares up at the wisps of cloud.
There's a light splash.
"Do not!" Zoey shrieks. "We just got dry, Mira, do not."
Rumi snorts to herself quietly.
"We could take another dip whilst we wait for Rumi," Mira drawls. Low. Suggestive.
Rumi stays quiet.
"You're ridiculous," Zoey says. It sounds fond. It also sounds uncomfortable.
Silence. Well, not silence - this place is full of noise. Most places are. The humming of pipes and lights, the wind and the faint sound of a road.
"You okay?" Mira asks, eventually. "You know - I mean, if you don't want - "
"I do," Zoey says. "I do. You know I do."
"Then what's up?" Mira asks.
Rumi shouldn't be hearing this. But she's heard plenty she shouldn't, by no fault of her own. Last night. This morning. This morning again.
"I just," Zoey starts. Stops.
"I don't think I can do this any more," Zoey says. "I - I want more than this. More than - than sneaking around behind closed doors, more than - than - this! I love you, Mira. I love you. I want more."
Rumi takes a breath. She should - she should stay. Out of the way. She should let this happen. Mira still hasn't responded, but - but -
She doesn't want to hear this. She wants them to have each other, she knows she can't have them, she loves them, she just - she doesn't want to hear this.
"Hey guys," she calls out, voice bright, jumping to her feet and appearing from out of the alley as if she'd rushed down. "Ready to go?"
Today
Rumi knocks on the door a little awkwardly.
She's not sure it's even about - everything. That happened. It's just kind of awkward inherently, you know? Like - you raised me and we lived together and your home was my home and now I am (pretending to be) a functioning adult who is knocking on your door like I'm just here for a visit (she is here for a visit) -
"Rumi?" Celine asks, shocked. "I - is everything okay?"
Rumi's shoulders drop.
"Yeah," she says, a little morose. "I - I just wanted some advice."
Celine stares at her for several seconds, unblinking.
"Some advice," Celine says, voice wavering a little. "Well. Certainly. Come in."
She does.
Celine's new place is - nice. Small. Out of the way, still close enough to them to be available -
Rumi has so many questions. Like: 'You stayed close even though we didn't want you around?'. Like: 'Why did you step back? Why didn't you step back sooner?'
Like: 'Did you mean it?'
She's not here for that. She doesn't actually want to ask pretty much any of those questions. There's something comforting about her relationship with Celine, at least, which is that Celine is also deeply repressed and emotionally dysfunctional, and so neither of them want to talk about it.
She'd thought.
"Rumi," Celine says, "I just wanted to say -"
She panics.
"I need romantic advice!" She blurts out.
There's a beat.
There's several more beats.
Celine laughs, and looks totally mortified by it.
"I'm so sorry," she says, hand over her mouth, "That's so insensitive, and -"
Rumi laughs at that, and then Celine laughs, and then they're both just standing there. But like, not awkward, now. Celine is still - is still her - is still hers.
"Okay," Celine says. "Okay. You need romantic advice, and you're coming to me?"
"Well I can't exactly - okay. Wait. This is how I got myself into trouble in the first place! What do you think is going on between me, Mira and Zoey?"
Celine squints at her.
"Firstly," Celine says, "Come sit down in the kitchen. Do you want something to drink? Secondly, this feels like a trap."
"It's not," Rumi says, following Celine. "And - yes, tea please. So?"
Celine sighs, puts the kettle on.
"I can tell you're all in love," she says. "I've known that for a while. I try not to make any assumptions beyond that."
Rumi groans.
"Great," she says. "See, I wish you'd taught me that. Not making assumptions."
Celine smiles as Rumi collapses into a chair.
"Alright," she says. "Tell me."
Yesterday
Mira and Zoey are so patient.
Impressively patient.
It's been two months, now. The new Honmoon sings every day, and they talk, and demon incursion rates are way down, and things are good.
"You're so cuddly," Mira had said the other day, twisting her fingers through Rumi's hair. "God, it must have been torture for you."
"I want to write a song about it!" Zoey had said, tugging her over to her notebooks. "I mean - obviously 'What it sounds like' is kind of a song about it, but I want to write a song about you. About being beautiful, and having to hide because stupid people think you're dangerous, and I'm saying it out loud and realising this is also kind of a song about Mira but that works too - "
"I feel weird," Rumi had told them the other day. "And my back hurts."
That probably doesn't seem quite as impressive or meaningful. But she'd have never said that before. Not - not like that, not like she's asking them to help.
Mira had wrapped her up in a gentle hug, and Zoey had made her tea, and it was nice.
Anyway. They've all been sleeping in the same bed, too. They started and they just didn't stop, because why would they want to be apart? Rumi sleeps better than she ever has, and she thinks Mira and Zoey do too. Maybe. Obviously they - well, they sleep better together, probably, but -
You get the idea. It's lovely. She sees it in their eyes every time they go to sleep. Finally.
They haven't kissed yet, though.
(Again, obviously Mira and Zoey have kissed, but they haven't all kissed - )
A part of her had just wanted to jump them the morning after. Like - finally, finally, I know you've been waiting -
She'd felt like that would be - erasing things. Mira had a right to be angry. Zoey had a right to be angry. According to them, she had a right to be angry. So - she waited.
And then there were arguments, and doubt, but how could she ever doubt any of it for long? She sees the way they look at her, and at each other, both in a sappy, cute sense and in a 'they really appreciate it now that I'm getting my shoulders out more often' sense.
And now it's been two months, and they've been sleeping in the same bed every night. She's sure Mira and Zoey have found some personal time somehow, but hells if she knows when! Because they love her, and they're being patient, and - ugh.
She knows she has to take the first step. She made them wait so long. She would still actually prefer it if they took the first step, because sue her, she's terrible at expressing her emotions vocally. (Their words, not hers!)
So - seduction.
"Morning, Zo," she says. She's cooking breakfast. She has her shoulders out. This is both A: actually a pretty standard morning experience currently and B: definitely already a good start for her Planned Seduction.
"Morning, Rumi," Zoey says, a little dreamy. She grins to herself privately.
"Breakfast coming right up," she chirps, serving up three plates (Mira will grab hers when she drags herself out of the grave) and bringing two over.
"You know you don't have to make us breakfast every day," Zoey says, smiling, cheeks a little red. "You didn't before."
Before - actually, she can say this. This is the kind of thing they like her saying out loud. Apparently.
"It's so domestic," Rumi shrugs. "I didn't want to let myself think I could have this, before."
See, Rumi thinks that's just sad, right? And why would you want to hear sad things about someone you love? Yes, yes, she wants to know what's going on in Mira and Zoey's heads. Whatever.
"Aw," Zoey says, smiling a little sadly. Because it's sad. "Well, you can."
"Yeah," Rumi shrugs. "I get that now. I get to wake up to your beautiful faces forever."
That gets her a blush. Hell yeah.
"Ru-miii" Zoey whines. "You're beautiful too!"
"Yeah," Rumi says, grinning softly. "I guess I must be, the way you and Mira keep looking at me."
That makes Zoey's eyes widen. It's fair - that's the line she wouldn't have crossed before, right? Making it - making it something. Talking about looking.
"Well - that's - " Zoey stammers. "You're pretty! So what!"
"So are you, Zo," Rumi says, reaching a hand across the table to brush Zoey's. "You're really pretty."
It's so easy! It's just doing exactly what she's always wanted to say, and do, and dreamed about, and -
"I gotta go!" Zoey suddenly shrieks, and then she runs off back to her room.
Okay. Less easy.
"Jeez, what happened there?" Mira asks, stumbling in all - bleary.
"Uh," Rumi says.
This is a pickle. Project Seduction has hit a snag. She doesn't know what she did wrong there, exactly - or if she even did anything wrong - but she should be re-evaluating. Deciding if she needs to change tactics.
Unfortunately Project Honesty is ongoing and of a higher priority.
"I just told her she's really pretty," Rumi huffs. "You guys say things like that to me all the time."
Mira's eyes widen. Great.
"Oh," she says, voice slightly strangled. "Great. That's - I mean. She's probably just flustered, Rumi."
Hmm. Possible. Except Mira seems upset now.
"Does she get flustered when you flirt with her?" She asks, a little absent. This is a dilemma.
Mira drops her plate.
"What?" Mira asks. Right. Crap. She super isn't supposed to know Mira and Zoey are dating. But - come on, they must have known she'd known, right? Like, it was a 'secret', not an actual -
"Is everyone okay?" Zoey asks, peering into the kitchen.
Mira groans, and Rumi giggles, and they all just - pretend it didn't happen for the rest of the morning.
"Ah," Celine says. "I see."
"That's great," Rumi mumbles. "I didn't."
She needs to apologise to Mira, maybe.
And to Zoey? Not to Zoey? Was Mira mad that Rumi flirted with her girlfriend? But, again, they both flirt with her all the time. No. Not to Zoey.
Although Mira's probably told Zoey, right? But Zoey hasn't seemed upset or awkward or anything, and Mira has. Understandably. (Not that Rumi understands.)
"Hey," she nudges Mira. "Chat for a second?"
Zoey's wandered off to go play games for a bit. She'll be back at some point, but it's not exactly a big deal if she overhears anyway, and Rumi is being communicative now. She talks to the people she loves about things rather than letting them fester.
Mira's shoulders hunch a little, though.
"About what?" she asks. Ugh. Mi-raaa.
"About earlier," Rumi says, rolling her eyes a little bit. "Look, I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable, okay? I didn't mean to."
Mira looks at her, quietly.
"What did you mean, then?" Mira asks.
Ugh. Ugh ugh ugh. She's communicative. She's talking about her feelings. So much for Plan Seduction, she supposes.
"I guess I've just been struggling," she gets out. "To know how to - you know, move forward, with the three of us. It seems to keep going wrong."
Mira softens a little.
"I meant it," Mira says. "She was just flustered. You didn't mess it up, or anything."
Rumi smiles, reaches out to put her hand over Mira's. Okay, maybe talking about things isn't so bad.
"I'm glad," she says. "Thanks."
Mira blushes very prettily.
"So," Rumi says. "I just - I mean, that's good. It felt like I messed up with you as well, though? I guess maybe I was wrong about that too, but you seemed upset."
"It's complicated," Mira says, looking down at the table.
Rumi inspects her. She seems - sad. Bitter. She looks a way that Rumi thinks she recognises - the way Rumi always used to look in the mirror when Mira and Zoey woke her up in the middle of the night.
"You know I'm not trying to - to get in the way of anything, or take her from you, or anything like that, right? I mean, I'm kind of trying to do the opposite."
Mira looks up, and now she looks angry.
"What are you even talking about, Rumi," Mira spits. "Take her from me? What do you even mean?"
Wow. Do they - do they actually think Rumi doesn't know? Why do they care so much if it's a secret? They didn't seem to care that much before. Noises in the night and poorly hidden love bites and adoring gazes.
It was nice, actually, as much as it hurt. Made her feel like she was a part of it. Made her feel like they trusted her, which was deeply hypocritical but still true.
"Mira," she says, voice strained. "Mira, I know about you two. I've known for a long time. It's okay, it's - it's the furthest thing from a problem. I'm glad you two had each other, even when I was still - all screwed up in the head about things. I mean, I'm still not all un-screwed but - you get the point. You two being together was never a problem."
Mira stares at her. Glares at her. What is going on?
"You're such a fucking idiot," Mira says, and Rumi feels like someone poured a glass of ice water into her chest. Mira gets up and storms off and out the door, straight past -
Zoey. Standing there, hands over her mouth covering a sob.
"What?" Rumi asks, shaking slightly. "What just happened?"
"Oh, Rumi," Zoey says, voice quiet and wet. "Oh. Me and Mira - it's not - we're not. We're not. We never were."
Today
"I see," Celine sighs. "That would make things more complicated."
Rumi groans, plants her face into the kitchen table.
"Oh please," Celine sniffs. "You're still not at half the levels of awful drama we reached."
Rumi retrieves her face to use it to look at Celine incredulously.
"I mean," Rumi says. "This, sure. But - you know. The Idol Awards?"
"Yes, yes," Celine says, bustling about the kitchen. "You kept a terrible secret, they raised their weapons at you, I've gotten the gist."
Celine stops.
"Sorry," Celine says. "I - I don't mean to make light of it. I know you - I know that's largely my fault."
Rumi blinks.
"Oh," she says. "Um. It's okay. I mean, we all forgave each other."
Celine seems off-kilter, off balance, for a second. Then she gathers herself up and continues.
"Yes, well," she says. "All I'm saying is that you might have flirted a bit with Jinu, but you never actually slept with the enemy, thank goodness. And they might have pointed their weapons at you, but they didn't try to kill you, or your child, so. You have a way to go yet."
Rumi grips the table.
"What?" she asks.
Celine looks back at her.
"I've - I have told you this," she says. "I have. I explained the situation with Tae."
"You didn't mention that she tried to kill you two," Rumi says. "Or me."
"I - what did you think I meant?" Celine asks. "She attacked us."
Rumi breathes.
That's - well. Yeah. What did she think that meant? She just - didn't, really, she didn't think about it because she heard it before she had soulmates of her own, before she knew what the bond really meant. It was just an example of why Rumi couldn't tell anyone - Tae had attacked her own team. Hunters fought demons.
She'd never thought about it like - like Mira trying to kill her. Like Mira trying to kill Zoey. Like Zoey trying to kill a baby -
"I'm sorry," Rumi says. "I just - I didn't think. That must have been horrible. And I'm here complaining about - about - "
Celine laughs.
"About deeply re-assuring things," Celine says. "You don't need to worry about upsetting me. It is the opposite of upsetting to me, that that isn't the kind of thing you have to deal with. I - I worried it might be, very foolishly, for a very long time."
Rumi feels her throat catch. Celine walks up to her. Places her hands on Rumi's shoulders - tentatively. Trembling, a little. But she does it.
"I love you," Celine says. "I'm sorry. It'll be okay."
"I don't know what to do, eomma," Rumi says, blinking back tears. "It's all messed up."
"Okay," Celine says. "It'll be okay. I think, to start with, you need to work out what really happened."