Chapter Text
Mira was sitting on the couch forcing herself to pay attention to the romantic comedy Rumi had picked out. She had wanted to see a horror film but Rumi and Zoey had both vetoed it so here she was silently suffering.
“This is so stupid,” Mira huffed.
Okay, maybe not so silently.
“Shh, it’s cute,” Rumi lightly chided.
Mira rolled her eyes. “No one’s that oblivious to someone liking them.”
Rumi playfully swatted Mira’s thigh with the back of her hand. “Just watch, Mira.”
Mira caught Rumi’s hand before she could pull it away, and intertwined their fingers causing Rumi to smile as she returned her attention to the movie. Her smile grew when Mira began to trace the patterns on her arm.
It was dark but the light from the television helped Mira see the patterns well enough— honestly, she could probably trace them almost perfectly with her eyes closed. Since learning about Rumi’s patterns a few months ago, Mira had taken to tracing them. It had started as a way to show Rumi that she was truly okay with them, but now it was something she found herself doing unconsciously.
Zoey, who was sitting on the other side of Rumi, reached over to grab a handful of popcorn from the bowl resting on the leader’s lap and noticed what Mira was doing. She smirked before shoving the popcorn into her mouth. “I think some people are that oblivious,” she said through a full mouth.
“No way,” Mira disagreed, her fingers stilling on Rumi’s skin as she turned her head to look at Zoey. “She’s probably just not interested so she’s ignoring his feelings.”
“Or maybe neither of them know how to navigate their feelings,” Zoey pushed.
“Or-,”
“Or we should all pay attention to the movie,” Rumi interrupted with a hint of amusement in her voice.
Mira sighed and wrapped her arms around Rumi’s own arm like it was a stuffed animal before she dropped the back of her head on the couch ready to focus on the movie.
Zoey picked a singular popcorn out of the bowl and discreetly tossed it behind Rumi’s head so that it would hit Mira on her temple.
Mira sat up and looked past Rumi to glare at Zoey, but remained quiet as to not earn Rumi’s wrath.
Zoey stuck her tongue out at her before grabbing another handful of popcorn and shoving it into her mouth.
Mira sat back once more, already plotting her revenge, but those thoughts left her when Rumi rested her head on her shoulder.
“Do you really not like the movie?” Rumi asked, quietly. “We can watch something else.”
Mira tilted her head so that it was against the top of Rumi’s. “No, it’s okay. The movie’s fine.”
Zoey looked at the two and shook her head in exasperation before taking the popcorn bowl from Rumi.
***
Rumi’s eyes fluttered open and she instantly frowned at the unfamiliar feeling of a body underneath hers. She lifted her head to see who she was using as a full body pillow and saw Mira sound asleep. Smiling, Rumi dropped her head back to Mira’s chest, remembering that they had wanted to get more comfortable on the couch after Zoey ditched them ten minutes into their third movie because she was too tired.
This is nice. Rumi thought, deciding to catch a few more minutes of sleep.
Or at least that was the plan before Zoey was suddenly kneeling in front of the couch staring at her.
Rumi’s body jerked out of fright, and a still sleeping Mira brought her hand up to place on Rumi’s lower back.
“Zoey,” Rumi whispered. “You’re going to wake Mira.”
Zoey held up Rumi’s phone. “Celine called you three times and when you didn’t answer, she called me.”
Rumi’s eyes knitted in worry before she slowly extricated herself from Mira, careful not to wake her up. Once standing, she gently took Zoey by the hand and pulled her into her room. Closing the door, she turned to face the younger girl. “Is…,” Rumi began to fidget with the hem of her shirt. “Is Celine okay?”
Zoey’s eyes widened. “Oh, sorry,” she reached out to place a hand over Rumi’s. “It’s nothing like that. Celine’s fine.”
Rumi relaxed, but only a fraction. “What did you two talk about?”
“She asked how you’re doing,” Zoey replied. “She said you don’t answer any of her calls and only respond to her texts with a word or two.”
Rumi rubbed a hand up and down her arm, guiltily. Her patterns, which had been faint, now began to darken. “Is that it?”
“She misses you, Rumi,” Zoey stated.
Rumi shook her head. “Who I was, maybe,” she gestured to her patterns, “but she doesn’t miss this. She doesn’t–,” Rumi stopped speaking and closed her eyes as tears began to form.
Zoey instantly pulled her into a hug.
A light knock sounded at Rumi’s room door a few seconds later and Zoey reached to open it while keeping an arm around Rumi.
Mira frowned in concern at the scene before her as she placed a hand on Rumi’s shoulder. “What’s wrong?”
“Celine wants to speak to Rumi,” Zoey answered as she pulled out of the hug.
Mira took Zoey’s place, holding Rumi tightly to her. “Hey,” she began, gently, “you don’t have to do anything you’re not ready to do, okay? And when you are ready, we’ve got your back. You don’t have to do anything alone anymore.”
Rumi relaxed in Mira’s arms and Zoey watched as her patterns returned to a white shimmer.
Mira rubbed a hand up and down Rumi’s back. “Get some more rest. We’ll make you breakfast.”
Zoey instantly perked up. “Ohh, can we make kimbap?”
“It’s Rumi’s choice, Zo.”
Zoey pouted at Rumi, earning a light chuckle. “Kimbap sounds amazing.”
Zoey bounced happily out of the room and Mira shook her head, feigning exasperation, before reaching for Rumi’s hand. “You gonna be okay?”
Rumi nodded, sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to get emotional.”
Mira squeezed Rumi’s hand lightly. “You can get as emotional as you want. We’re here for you, Rumi.”
After another hug, Mira headed to the kitchen and was pleased to see Zoey had already gotten the ingredients out.
“So,” Zoey began when she saw Mira, “you and Rumi have gotten closer.”
“Yeah, she’s not hiding a big ass secret from us anymore,” Mira pointed out as she washed her hands. “She’s comfortable being herself around us now. Aren’t you closer with her, too?”
“Mmhm,” Zoey answered with a nod. “It’s different, though.”
Mira shook her hands dry before moving to the counter. “What are you on about?” She asked as she pushed a chopping board and some vegetables over to Zoey, who was standing on the opposite side of the counter.
Zoey picked up a knife and began to chop the vegetables she had been given. “I don’t know,” she shrugged. “It just seems like you two are… into each other.” The youngest Huntrix member continued to chop the vegetables as Mira stared at her, wordlessly. Zoey cleared her throat and tried again. “I said, you and Rumi seem into-,”
“I heard that,” Mira stopped her, brows furrowed in confusion. “Why do you think that?”
Zoey gestured to her eyes and ears.
Mira rolled her eyes as she busied herself with getting the rice started. “Elaborate.”
“You act like a couple. If I was a stranger watching you two interact, I would think you’re girlfriends.”
Mira laughed. “That’s just how we are as best friends. We’re not into each other.”
“You’ve gotten very touchy-feely,” Zoey continued.
“Because I want her to know that I’m comfortable around her. Celine embedded into her head for years that she had to hide who she really is from us. That doesn’t go away easily. There are still lingering insecurities and doubts, you know?”
Zoey nodded. “Yeah, of course, but-,”
“There are no buts, Zoe,” Mira assured her. “Rumi and I are just friends. And you’re never watching a rom-com again.”
Zoey didn’t continue to push the subject since Mira seemed to actually believe there were no romantic feelings between her and Rumi, which really surprised Zoey. She had expected denial based on Mira not wanting to reveal her true feelings, but she had gotten denial based on Mira not having a damn clue about her actual feelings.
That was fine. She could work around that. She would just talk to Rumi.
***
Zoey knocked on Rumi’s room door and once she got the okay, she entered with a plate of folded kimbap. She closed the door behind her and smiled as Rumi excitedly got out of bed to retrieve the plate.
“Thanks, Zoey. I could’ve joined you guys at the table.”
“Mira thought you might want more alone time,” Zoey explained. “You can definitely join us, though.”
Rumi looked down at the food, hunger taking over as she picked up one of the folded seaweeds filled with what she knew would be deliciousness and shoved it into her mouth.
“So hey,” Zoey began as she leaned against Rumi’s desk, “it’s great seeing you and Mira so close.”
Rumi nodded her agreement. “I’m glad we’re all still close. I was worried for a bit in the beginning," she admitted.
“Well you’re stuck with us,” Zoey assured her. “We love you, Rumi.”
Rumi beamed. “I love you guys, too.” She shoved more food into her mouth, closing her eyes as she savored the flavor.
“So about Mira,” Zoey said, trying to sound casual, “you two make a cute couple.”
Rumi’s eyes opened and she swallowed her food as she stared blankly at Zoey. “What?”
“You and Mira make a cute couple,” Zoey repeated.
Rumi continued to gaze at Zoey in pure confusion. “Um… we’re not a couple,” she spoke slowly, with a hint of uncertainty, as if Zoey knew something she didn’t about her relationship status with Mira.
“But you act like one,” Zoey pointed out. “You realize that, right?”
Rumi laughed, lightly, waving her off. “We’re just close. I get what it could look like from the outside, but it’s not like that at all. Finally being able to be myself has just really strengthened our relationship.” Rumi gestured between herself and Zoey. “Look at us, we’re closer than before, aren’t we?”
“Absolutely, but you and Mira are close in a different way,” Zoey explained. “Like a… couple-y way.”
“It’s just a strong bond,” Rumi said, simply.
Zoey scratched the back of her neck. “Yeah, sure seems like you two want to bond, all right,” she muttered quickly to herself.
“What was that?” Rumi asked.
“Yeah, it sure seems like you two are bonding,” Zoey said with a big smile. “I’m glad you two have such a great friendship.”
Rumi smiled, sincerely, as she thought about Mira. “Yeah, me too. She’s the best.”
Zoey watched Rumi as she talked about Mira– the smile, the dreamy look in her eyes. This woman was far gone, so how did she not realize that she had feelings for Mira?
Giving up on the conversation, Zoey excused herself and exited the room before pulling her phone out of her back pocket.
She had no idea how she was going to do it, but she would get her idiot friends to realize that they were in love with each other. Until then, Zoey quickly opened a browser to a search engine and typed in her burning question.
Does falling in love make people lose braincells???