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It had been a week since they defeated Gwi-ma, and after all of the pain and struggle, things were alright for now. Well at least Rumi thought they were, until she was laying in bed trying to sleep and heard sniffling coming from outside of her room.
Climbing out of bed and putting her hoodie on, Rumi openened the bedroom door to investigate what the source of the noise was.
In the darkness of their central living room she could make out a figure curled up on the sofa. Body jerking with every sniffle. Making sure to move quietly to avoid disturbing whoever it was, Rumi walked closer.
Getting nearer Rumi could make out the signature buns and black hair of Zoey.
The woman's head suddenly perked up at the sound of Rumi's soft footsteps her tears now no longer muffled by her knees. Rumi could see she had been crying heavily.
"Hey Rumi." She got out in between tears."
"Hi Zoey," Rumi said coming around to crouch in front of her. "Is it alright if I sit next to you?"
Zoey took a moment before nodding gently and patting the spot next to her indicating for Rumi to sit there.
Rumi accepted, going to turn the lights on before making herself comfortable and curling her arm around Zoey's back, pulling her in closer to cuddle.
"What's going on Zoey? I'm worried about you." Rumi began gently brushing Zoey's hair out of her face so they could make eye contact.
Zoey met her eyes even though they were still filled with tears. Rumi knew there would soon be more on the way.
"I haven't been able to sleep… Not since Gwi-ma. I still hear his voice sometimes." Rumi could see the tiredness painted across her downcast face.
"It's okay to not be okay sometimes," she said putting her hand on her knee to reassure her. "I'm always here if you need someone to talk to as are Mira and, Bobby"
Zoey started trembling as if recalling her nightmares. "I can't shake what Gwi-ma said to me. He said I'm too much for anyone and not enough at the same time. He picked on every insecurity I had until they were raw and then he took control of me."
Rumi looked at her sympathetically. "I can't pretend to know how it feels to have Gwi-ma in your head, but I do know something about having your own demons. Especially when you are part demon." Rumi chuckled at her own joke trying to elicit a reaction from her friend.
"You'll always be good enough for me and Mira and Bobby and all our fans. God knows you're their favourite." Still nothing.
Rumi sat up straighter looking a bit more serious. "If you ever feel like you're too much or not enough I will tell you you're just right even if it takes a million times for you to believe it. I will do it." She leaned forward and kissed Zoey's forehead.
"Thanks Rumi," Zoey forced a smile which could Rumi could tell was only for her own benefit. "If it wouldn't bother you, I don't really want to be alone right now. Would you be able to stay with me?"
"Of course anything you want. Do you need me to get anything or do anything?"
Zoey chuckled wetly, coughing up tears. She could almost be imagining some happy memory from long past.
"Well there is one thing…"
Rumi could tell whatever she wanted wasn't going to be as simple as she had expected when offering her help.
"Yeah? What do you need?" Rumi encouraged her.
"Uh. Back when I lived in California… um when I'd get upset or had a bad day my dad would always take me to my favourite burger restaurant in town. And when we'd get there we'd both order the biggest burger on the menu."
Rumi chuckled at that. "I'm glad you had your traditions to cheer yourself up back then. Unfortunately the restaurant is so far away."
Zoey began grinning mischievously worrying Rumi. "Well, I have twelve ideas on how to get there." A chuckle. "Number one would of course be for you to use your demon form to teleport us there."
Zoey began crawling over to Rumi still grinning. "I don't think that's a good idea Zoey. I've only used my teleporting a few times and never with anyone else. It's not worth the risk for just a burger."
"But it's not just a burger Rumi. It's my salvation!" She said dramatically, "And I know you wouldn't want me to be unhappy would you?" She waggled her eyebrows suggestively.
Dammit Zoey was playing off her guilty conscience and she had promised to help Zoey out.
"Look I don't want to end up teleporting us into the demon realm. I need more practice on my own before I'd even consider doing it with someone else."
Zoey was now giving her puppy dog eyes. "Please please please Rumi. I will love you forever and ever and ever."
Rumi sighed. "I've never even traveled that far before and it's somewhere I have never visited. I don't even know how to get there." Maybe she could talk Zoey out of it before it was too late.
"Oh don't worry I was just looking up the location online before you came in. I was thinking of asking you to go with me someday anyway." Zoey was a truly michevious trickster and she had successfully spun her web around Rumi.
Drat! Zoey had truly got evey situation covered here. Rumi thought hard for a minute trying to find a way to let Zoey down without upsetting her.
Ah what the hell. If we die we die. At least Zoey will be happy.
Zoey pulled her phone out quickly to show Rumi the location on a map. Finding the map she took it into satellite view and then street view to give Rumi the most information to focus her mind on as she possibly could.
Rumi focused hard in her mind studying the images deeply and engraving them into her brain attempting to make sure there was as minimal chance as possible that anything could go wrong.
"Got it." Rumi exclaimed after awhile receiving a grin from Zoey as a reward. It made Rumi heart jump. If Zoey was happy then she was happy.
Rumi stood up and kissed Zoey's forehead. "OK then," she sighed, "if it will make you happy. But if we die I will haunt you in the afterlife.
Zoey jumped off the sofa in excitement. "Yes. Thank you so much Rumi!" She was bouncing up and down now. "Let me go and grab my American credit card first and we can be off." She ran off into her room and Rumi could hear stuff being thrown aside in an effort to locate the item.
"Remember to grab a disguise whilst you're in there. We don't want to be mobbed by fans while we're there." Rumi went to her room rummaging around until she found her pink hoodie pulling the hood up and tucking her braid in to obscure her most iconic features.
"OK!" Zoey called from the distance acknowledging her.
Rumi moved to an open space in the living area preparing herself and activated her demon form sending out a burst of power making the lights above her flicker. It no longer worried Rumi merging her two halves. Things made more sense these days now she had sort of accepted herself.
Catching a glimpse of herself in the reflection of the window she admired her form. She looked strong and a little scary. She didn't mind now that it was a part of her. She no longer wanted to hide from those she was close to.
"Got it," Zoey said running out of her room waving her purse frantically.
"Someone's excited." Rumi grinned gesturing at her coming towards her.
"Of course I am. I get to eat food. Who wouldn't be excited!"
Zoey grabbed ahold of Rumi's clawed hand. "I'm ready." She looked at Rumi, shooting her a smile and squeezed her hand, sending her confidence.
Rumi steeled herself, shutting her eyes and picturing the image in her mind harder and harder and then she let go and her body and Zoey's hand felt weightless.
Teleporting was weird for Rumi at first. She had never travelled that fast before but now it was almost second nature, freeing. Picture in mind, let go and when she opened her eyes she would have reached her destination.
It was falling into dusk as they flashed into existence outside of the restaurant. They opened their eyes, acknowledging their arrival and Rumi made sure to change back to her human form as quickly as possible to avoid causing panic in case someone saw her.
The building was a white rectangular establishment with neon red lights running around the edge of the roof and big bright inviting windows. Rumi could smell the food cooking inside making her stomach rumble.
Zoey grabbed Rumi's hand dragging her along into the restaurant. "C'mon I'm starving!" She was certainly enthusiastic.
The inside of the building was mostly white with splashes of red mixed in occasionally. There were booth for seating littered around filled with families and friends sitting chatting and enjoying their food. Rumi could see why Zoey enjoyed this place. It was exactly her style.
As they walked further into the restaurant they reached the queue to order their food. Behind the counter Rumi could see the workers bustling around cooking the food for the patrons, the smell wafting out around the restaurant.
As they got closer to the front of the queue Zoey pointed out the menu board above the counter.
"That's the menu up there. I will be getting the double-double as it's the biggest along with some fries and a chocolate milkshake."
Rumi didn't really understand much of what was on the menu. She had never really taken a liking to American food despite Zoey's insistence on trying things. She much preferred her native dishes.
Now it was their turn Zoey went up to the cashier. "Can I get a double-double, a portion of fries and a chocolate milkshake please?" The cashier typed in the order before looking at Rumi for her order.
"Rumi it's your turn to order." Zoey gestured towards the worker.
Deciding to get the same as Zoey Rumi placed her order as well "Uh i'll have what she's having. Please." Zoey pulled her card out of her purse and paid for their meals.
"C'mon let's go and find somewhere to sit and they will bring the food over to use." She said grabbing Rumi's hand again. Rumi had been dragged around a bit much for her liking tonight.
They found a booth in the corner with a window view where they could see the traffic speeding past into the night.
It wasn't quite peaceful but Rumi could see that Zoey was enjoying herself.
"So Rumi." Zoey propped herself up on her elbows fists propping up her chin. "Excited?"
"I don't know how to really answer that question. What in particular am I meant to be excited about?"
"The burger dummy. Why do you think we came here?"
Rumi looked around to try and find something to move the conversation onto. She was unsuccessful so she had to come up with an answer.
"Well… um I haven't really eaten that many burgers. I don't know what to expect." She pulled on her braid to sooth her nerves.
Before Zoey could formulate a response a waiter came up with their order and placed a tray in front of both of them.
"Thanks." Zoey said rushing to unwrap her burger. Her fingers worked quickly to find success. It didn't take long.
Having rescued the burger from it's prison Zoey opened her mouth wide and took a bite. She moaned at the taste. "Vis vis fo good." She mumbled with her mouth full pointing at the burger in her hand. Not stopping to chew or breathe, a handful of fries joined the burger in her mouth.
Rumi shook her head, a small smile forming at Zoey's silliness. She unwrapped her burger a bit more carefully, than Zoey slowly revealing the burger underneath.
Raising it to her mouth, still partially in the wrapper to keep the grease off her hands, she took a bite. Her eyebrows furrowed as she chewed it contemplating it. Hmm.
Next she tried a couple of fries using them to mop up a bit of sauce that had fallen out of the burger. She made her note about her thoughts on them as Zoey would surely ask for feedback.
Noticing Zoey had momentarily stopped her devouring Rumi quickly took a swig of her milkshake to buy herself a little more time to prepare.
"OK then Rumi wadya think." Zoey said leaning forward in interest her eye widening as the closed the gap.
"Well." She began. "I thought the burger was fine it could have done with a few more bits of lettuce and tomato to make it a bit healthier." Zoey wrinkled her face at that she knew how much of a health nut Rumi was and how meaningful it was for her to eat something so unhealthy for Zoey's sake.
"As you know I'm not a massive fan of burgers though. It tasted as I would expect a burger to taste but maybe in the future I may taste something that could change my mind." She said that to give Zoey a bit of hope for future food adventures.
"The fries though urgh. They were the rankest, soggiest, most flavourless things I've ever eaten. Whoever cooked them should be ashamed." She kept pointing at them to prove her point.
Rumi could see that her rant had upset Zoey slightly as she was probably hoping Rumi would enjoy the food as much as she does.
"Hmm." Zoey hummed thoughtfully as she dipped one of her fries in the milkshake in commiseration shocking Rumi.
"Why are you putting your fry in the milkshake?"
"Oh that's just how people do it over here." Zoey responded giving her a wink.
Rumi shook her head she figured she'd never be able to understand these Americans and their strange habits.
Zoey had just about finished devouring her meal and now made light conversation in-between bites. Rumi despite not liking the food ate it anyway because she was that hungry.
Finishing of their meals they both wiped their hands on napkins and took their trays over to the bin to dispose of their rubbish.
Rumi looked at her watch. There was still some time left before Mira would notice they were gone and they should get back. She gestured back to the table and they both sat down.
"Thanks Rumi you've made my day!" Rumi smiled. It had all been worth it to make Zoey happy.
Zoey leaned over and kissed Rumi gently on the lips pulling back. "Maybe we could do this again sometime?" She asked. Rumi's heart nearly beat out of her chest.
"You… You just kissed me." She spluttered.
"Of course I did silly. I love you and wanted to thank you for taking me out to cheer me up." Her smile was so pretty Rumi would do everything in her power to make sure it never left.
Zoey passed her hand over the table so Rumi could hold it and they both stared deeply into each others eyes.
If this was going to be her reward Rumi would enjoy the mediocre food every day of her life to repeat the event.
"Wait a minute! Was this a date?" The gears turning in Rumi's head ever so slowly. There wasn't much in there to interrupt them but they still didn't move very fast.
"Maybe." Zoey said slyly, a pink blush beginning to form on her cheeks. She covered her face by leaning over a pressing a kiss to Rumi's knuckles.
Rumi shook her head. How could she be so oblivious? She wasn't that stupid was she? Maybe she was tired and needed to lie down. It would all make sense in the morning.
Suddenly Rumi's mind shot back to the other day when they were sitting down to start writing for their comeback tour.
Mira had been messing around testing out different sounds. Rumi was strumming a few notes on her gutair and Zoey was testing out lyrics by singing them.
What Rumi hadn't realised until now is those lyrics were overtly of a romantic nature towards her and that had been the reason Mira couldn't stop cackling and has to leave the room to calm down. Rumi had sat there oblivious trying to work out what was so funny.
Now Rumi facepalmed making Zoey laugh. "You did realise I had feelings for you right?"
"Ugh. I feel so stupid how could I have not seen the signs. I just thought you were just being extra friendly." Rumi was internally slapping herself now.
"C'mon Zoey we should get back home." Rumi said making to stand up thinking it would be the best way to avoid further embarrassment. "Mira's probably wondering where we are by now."
Zoey had a slight pout. Clearly she didn't want the evening to end. "Maybe we could go for a walk and I could show you my home and all of the local sights?"
"I'm sorry Zoey but I'm tired. Maybe we could come back tomorrow during the daytime?"
Zoey's face lit up at that. "I would love that. I can't wait."
They both walked out of the restaurant taking a breath of the cool air. It was a contrast from the humidity within.
Zoey took ahold of her hand again getting on her tiptoes to peck Rumi on the lips. "Love you."
Rumi looked down and grinned back at her. "Love you too."
It was much easier to teleport this time. Who knew demons reacted better to positive emotions. Rumi would have to let Gwi-ma know if they ever crossed paths again.