Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Who’s Your Daddy?

Celine was fuming. The notification had appeared not so long ago, just an update on the girls’ social media. And the picture revealed both Huntr/x and the Saja Boys posing together, announcing an upcoming collaboration.

She and Rumi had been on cautious terms since the formation of the new Honmoon, so even when she had heard the rumors, she hadn’t pushed it. The Saja Boys were alive, so what? The girls would take care of them, she trusted them enough for that. They had earned it after all.

But that particular demon? Standing in that particular pose so close to one of her protégés?

That was pushing past her breaking point.

So she headed to the tower, accessed the elevator and entered the girls’ apartment in a rage.

The five demons and the girls were spread across the couches in the living room, bickering over something on screen. The moment she arrived, everyone fell silent. Everyone looked torn between confused and wary and one in particular grew very tensed.

Before any could speak, Celine crossed her arms and declared:

“Rumi, you have asked me a long time ago about your father. Congratulations, you found him.”

Her ward’s eyes grew wide, her jaw fell low, the demons around her shifted uncomfortably and greatly confused. She added:

“For the idiot who still hasn’t caught on, she’s Mi-Yeong’s daughter.”

Another silence. And then-

“WHAT THE F-“

"I met someone." 

Celine stared at Mi-Yeong, with raised eyebrows. The usually serious, all-business-like Sunlight Sister was blushing like a schoolgirl, looking embarrassed. She crossed her legs, repressed the slight arch in her chest, and nodded in encouragement.

"Do tell more,” she said with a smile. Mi-Yeong teased the end of her braid, her cheeks still slightly flushed.

"He’s not my usual type,” she started. “A bit of an arrogant idiot, really strong and kind of funny. He’s one of the staff actually.”

"Backstage staff?" Celine asked. Her friend nodded.

"I was feeling a bit down the other day, you know, after…well, you know. He offered me a cup of that cheap coffee they serve –terrible by the way –and tried to cheer me up. We talked a bit, he listened, asked me out for real coffee and I thought –why not?” She paused, and her lips split in a grin. “He made me laugh so hard, Celine. And then we got home and…” her flush spread deeper over her face, down her neck. She wriggled her eyebrows with a pleased smile.

Celine rolled her eyes, glanced at the crew. Members were running around to prepare the stage. She didn’t believe any of them would catch her best friend's eye, but then, Mi-Yeong always did have an appreciation for strong physique.

"What's his name?" 

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

Abby stood up, hands to his hair, eyes wide in shock. The rest of the crew stared at him in even bigger disbelief.

“I didn’t know!” the pink-haired shouted. "Rumi is Mi-Young's daughter?" 

Rumi stared at him, nodded faintly. Abby looked like he might pass out. Then he turned to Celine and asked again:

"She’s my daughter?" 

Rumi blanched, stared at her mentor in turn.

"That's my father?" she asked, pointing at the pink-haired demon.

Celine nodded very solemnly.

“Yes to both.”

Hell broke loose.

The rest of the Saja Boys bursted into comments:

–how didn’t you know?

-I told you before we started-

-Yeah well I wasn't listening!-

-Sorry Abs but I don't see the family resemblance-

Rumi held her jaw low and the girls alternatively tried to comfort her without looking put-out themselves.

Jinu took his girlfriend’s hand, leaned over and whispered something in her ear.

Abby suddenly snarled at him.

"You!” he spat, making Jinu jump in surprise. “Back off! You are older than me! You are not sleeping with my daughter!”

"You are sleeping with your daughter's best friend," Jinu pointed out.

All stares went to Mira. Mira stared back blankly.

"I think I'm gonna be sick," she blurted, really pale.

Abby seemed to panic and caught up in an existential crisis. Baby contemplated the situation and asked:

"Does that make Mira Rumi's stepmother?" 

Mira glared at him:

"I’m too young to have a stepdaughter my age!" 

Rumi quickly added:

"I don't want a stepmother my age! Especially Mira! No offense," she quickly added.

“None taken,” Mira replied on the same tone. “We’d kill each other.”

Zoey piped in, looking far more invested than in their movie selection:

"So does that mean any kids Mira might have will be your half-siblings?"

Both girls turned towards her and barked:

"There will be no half-siblings!”

Baby scratched his chin pensively.

"Since Abby is in a threeship, does that make Romance Rumi's stepdad too?" 

Everyone stared at the other pink-haired demon. Romance considered it and glanced at the Hunter. 

"I agree with Abby,” he announced calmly. “You deserve so much better than Jinu."

"Says the man who high-fived me when Rumi and I woke up the whole floor," Jinu grumbled. 

Abby and Rumi flushed red, for different reasons. 

"Jinu!" both snapped at the same time. 

"Now I see it," Baby imputed blankly. 

"As a step-parent, I must take my role seriously," Romance announced. "Any child of Abby's is my child at heart." 

"This is crazy." Mira whispered. “No, this is a dream. A really weird dream.”

“Agreed,” Rumi said looking dazed.

Abby moved from the couch and immediately knelt in front of her. He took one hand between his, spoke with the gentlest voice he could ever muster:

"Rumi, I know I haven’t been there your whole life, but I will make up for it.” Jinu didn’t look happy about that. Rumi looked utterly lost. “And although now I love Romance and Mira, I promise I will never forget your mom." 

Rumi's jaw fell low. Romance face-palmed. Baby and Zoey were eating popcorn. Mira looked like she had no idea what to do with her life anymore.

"I am going to pretend this never happened," Rumi said faintly before looking around for the source of all this mess. "Where has she gone?" 

"Celine?” Mystery asked, still focused on his phone. “She left a while ago." 

Chapter Text

Who's your Daddy?

(bonus)

For the longest time, Rumi only had a mental picture of who her father could be. Celine had only described him as a demon and nothing less. She had also described that her mother had taste and was very picky on many matters. So, in spite of what she knew of demons, she had imagined someone distinguished with manners and handsome enough to make a Hunter’s head turn.

Abby was not it.

“Ttal! Where are you!”

Rumi ducked in the cupboard and waited. From the faint line between the doors, she saw the pink-haired demon cross the living room with great strides.

“C’mon Rumi, I found of list on the internet of things to do as father-daughter bounding time!”

Her teeth might have cracked under the strain. She remained utterly silent.

“Ttal?” he went on and headed to another room.

A few seconds later, the doors opened. She found herself face-to-face with Romance.

“You know, you will hurt his feelings if you keep hiding from him,” her self-appointed ‘father-in-law’ declared. “He’s trying.”

Rumi narrowed her eyes and pulled the doors closed. Romance opened them forcefully again.

“He’s making things weird,” she grumbled, reluctantly stepping out of her hideout.

“He never had a daughter before.”

“He looks my age! He’s dating –you are both dating Mira! He’s been cockblocking Jinu and I for the past month!”

Romance raised an unimpressed eyebrow. And yes, Rumi was the most frustrated about that last part.

“Are you still with Jinu because you actually love him or because it is pissing out your father?”

“I actually love him,” she replied naturally. “And what do you mean, still? He’s a dork and yes, he betrayed me once. But he listens, he makes me laugh and he knows how to please a girl in b-“

“That I don’t need to hear,” Romance interrupted wryly. Rumi huffed and crossed her arms, unapologetic. “Look, if you can give Jinu a chance, why can’t you give Abby one?”

Rumi pouted, arms crossed.

“Jinu said the same thing,” she admitted.

“Did he now?”

“He’s known Abby for a while. He said I might be surprised.” She glared at him. “This is still weird.”

Before Romance could reply, Abby returned to the living room. His eyes brightened as he spotted her.

“There you are, ttal!” Rumi deflated slightly. “Come with me, we have a lot of catching up to do!”

Romance gave her a look. Rumi gave in.

And there they were, half an hour later, standing at an ice-cream parlor.

“Ice-cream, really?”

Abby’s grin widened.

“Never had any, so I figured we could do bonding and discovering?”

Rumi relented and picked chocolate. After all, she would never say no to ice-cream. Abby took a much longer time before he chose bubblegum. They sat at a bench in a park and ate in silence. A few moments later, Rumi noticed something unusual: no-one was staring at them.

“I disillusioned us,” Abby explained quickly. “We are just random people eating ice-cream. You should be able to do it too.”

“Oh?” she said, peeking up a little. Perhaps she would ask Jinu later…

“I could teach you,” he offered immediately. “It’s not that hard once you get the hang of it. If I could learn, you surely will.” Rumi blinked in confusion. Abby added: “Mi-Yeong was so smart. She picked up things quickly. You look so much like her I’m sure you’ll do just as well!”

“Oh,” she repeated, softer this time. Even if she found the situation still uncomfortable, she still couldn’t deny that he was trying. Maybe she could give him a chance? “What was my mother like when you knew her?”

They spent the next hour talking. Abby spoke of the Hunter fondly. They hadn’t spent that much time together, and he had been banished before he even knew Mi-Yeong was pregnant, but he always painted her in a positive light. Then Rumi asked about his own past, as a human. She learned that he was the first son of a poor farmer’s family, but the fifth child. His weak body did him no favor, until he hit his fifteenth birthday and heard Gwi-Ma’s voice for the first time. The demon king gave him a strong body, one he used at the farm for many years, before his overwhelming strength accidentally killed another and his shame dragged him down to the Underworld.

“It was a long time ago,” he concluded before she could react to that. “Most of my sisters were married off to good men when I vanished, so I had no regrets.” He beamed at her. “Besides, if everything I’ve been through was fated to lead me here, surrounded by reliable people, two lovers and a beautiful daughter, I’d say it was worth it.”

The amusement park was fully crowded. The two walked past a shooting stand. Rumi’s eyes lingered on the prized teddy bear and she smiled.

“When I was little,” she spoke up without thinking, but Abby was immediately listening. “Celine brought me to a Teddy Bear museum. We ended up returning there so often I think she began to loathe it. She bought me one, just one, the first time. It was destroyed by a demon a few years ago.” She nodded towards the prize. “It reminds me of it.”

Abby’s expression turned determined.

“Next time, we’ll go to the museum.” Rumi chuckled and was about to say they didn’t need to, she had outgrown it now, when he added: “In the meantime…”

He spent far too much time and money on that stand. In the end, the staff took pity on him and gave him the prize. He offered it proudly to Rumi.

And Rumi began to think that having Abby as a father might not be so bad.

“So, how was the outing?” Mira asked, nursing her bubble tea. Rumi took a sip of her own and replied:

“Nice, I guess? I’m getting used to the idea.” She paused. “Still not calling him dad.” She stared at Mira. “And I’m not calling you ‘mom’ either.”

Mira raised her cup in a cheer.

“I’ll drink to that!”