Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The girls were sitting on the couch in their living room, in various states of coming apart at the seams.

Rumi had her head in her hands, staring at the floor, disturbed by how naturally her fingers had slotted around her new horns. She couldn’t stop running a finger along the base, where the raw bloody skin was starting to scab over and heal.

Zoey’s leg was bouncing a mile a minute. Her thoughts were racing so fast she could barely keep up with them. Half-formed sentences created other half-formed ideas which created more half-formed thoughts, her fast thoughts sped up to runaway-fusion-reaction speeds.

Mira was as still as a statue. Her thoughts were less comprehendible and more noise, a haze of sights and smells and memories of their night. 

It was Rumi that eventually said it. “We have to call Celine.”

“No!” Mira’s reaction was violent, whipping around to Rumi like she had suggested they throw her off the balcony. Zoey’s was silent, but she grabbed and held onto Rumi’s shirt like a child scared of being separated from a parent. 

“We have to. She’s the only one who might know anything about this.” Rumi muttered, not moving from her position. 

“We can research it ourselves!” Mira bargained. 

“Where? How?” Rumi answered, unnaturally calmly. She was obviously still in shock. 

Mira grimaced, already knowing the answer. Firing off random internet searches was bound to pull up more lies (or at least fiction) than truths. There was really only one person they knew that would, if not already know accurate information, then be able to find it. 

“She’s been better lately.” Rumi continued. 

“She’s been ok lately.” Mira corrected, which Zoey agreed to with a nod. “And let’s not forget this is the main thing Celine has been VERY not cool about!” When Mira and Zoey had heard tale of Celine’s… “style” of upbringing, how it had affected Rumi, and what she had asked Celine to do after the Idol Awards, the two were very loving and cuddly and attentive. Of course, after some time had passed and everything had cooled down, they would shift into what could only be described as “righteously angry”, and Rumi had to talk them down from storming straight to Celine, weapons drawn. 

“I think she’s our only option.” Rumi hammered the final nail into the coffin. Mira and Zoey shared a grimace. She was right, but that didn’t mean they’d have to like it. 

Zoey sighed and pulled out her phone. 

Celine pressed the doorbell, even though realistically there was no one else it could have been besides her. Very few people had direct, no-approval-needed access to the Huntr/x penthouse, and unless Bobby were going to stop by at 11 PM for the first time in his entire career then really they could probably put together who it was. She even arrived exactly when she said she would, ten minutes later on the dot. But still, just barging into the girl’s home was definitely not going to foster a positive relationship. 

And when Mira pulled open the door, the stormcloud barely hidden behind her eyes only confirmed Celine’s choice. Now was not the time to push boundaries. 

“I swear to god if you fuck this up…” Mira muttered darkly, not expecting an answer but not attempting to quiet her voice so Celine wouldn’t hear her either. Celine, for her part, kept her face neutral and didn’t react. They had called her here, “semi-urgent”ly, and Mira wasn’t one for empty words and platitudes. After one more second of death-glaring, Mira stepped aside and opened the door all the way, allowing Celine into the space. 

Celine stepped in carefully. It was obvious she was only allowed in conditionally, probably because Rumi asked for her specifically, so she would need to tread lightly about whatever issue they needed her for. 

She got about three steps into the living room before her legs stuttered to a stop. She was dimly aware of Zoey giving her the same death glare as Mira, if not even more intense. If looks could kill she would be dead twice over. 

But of course, the majority of her now significantly more chaotic thoughts were focused on Rumi. Sitting on the couch beside Zoey, their blue spirit tiger laying across her lap, two horns the length of one of Zoey’s shin-kal sprouting from her temples. Staring up at her like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. 

For the first time in a long time, Celine was truly speechless. Any thought she felt the urge to voice was knocked out of her vocal chords by another thought before it could make it to her mouth. But standing there like a statue forever certainly wasn’t going to get anything done, so she slowly and silently approached the couch, and sat on Rumi’s other side. Taking both of her hands from nervously petting the tiger’s fur and holding them in her own, Celine started with the most baseline important issue she could think of. “Are you ok?” 

“I…I think so.” Rumi answered unsteadily. “I don’t FEEL any different. Just a little sore I guess, around…” Her words trailed off, but one of her hands went up to brush where the horn emerged from the skin. Celine could see the jagged line of flesh where the bone had messily torn through, but was unsurprised to see the skin had already started healing, callusing around the area. Adapting. 

Celine nodded. “So, what happened?”

(   )

O

“- I don’t know what to do.” Rumi eventually finished. Celine could practically see the chaotic blend of emotions in Rumi’s mind, if not carefully guarded she had always worn her heart on her sleeve. She had embraced her demonic heritage, but this was certainly a dramatic and traumatizing change. She had done it to save her girlfriends, who she had watched be brutally and senselessly murdered before her. 

She mistook Celine’s silence for disapproval. “I mean, maybe we can cut them off-”

“No!” The immediate chorus of Mira and Zoey’s voices silenced that line of thinking handily, and also startled their spirit tiger off down the hall. 

“We’re not letting you hurt yourself Rumi.” Zoey said firmly. 

“We can find another way.” Mira agreed. 

The trio turned to Celine, and it was clear from Zoey and Mira’s looks that this was another “Say the right thing or we’re throwing you off the balcony” moments. Thankfully, she agreed with them.

“I agree. While your other demonic traits, save the patterns, can be summoned and dispelled, these horns are different. They are fused to your skull, if not made out of bone themselves, and cutting them off would be significantly more painful than retracting your claws or fangs. With your regeneration, there isn’t even a guarantee they don’t grow back.”

“But you don’t know that?” Mira asked tersely. 

Celine sighed. “No. Believe me, when Rumi was born I pored over every book, scroll, video and record I could find. There was no information about half-demon half-humans I could find. It may not have even been considered possible. I can go through and check again, but…” 

Rumi nodded, accepting the news for now as there wasn’t much she could do about it anyway. “And what do we do about Huntr/x?” The question was clumsy, but clear. If the biggest kpop group in the world returned from their break with their lead member sporting a fresh pair of horns, the explosion and fallout would be historical. 

Celine grimaced, a bit more out of her depth than with the demon-hunting half of their lives. “I’m not sure. But I know someone who is.” 

“You don’t mean…” Zoey trailed off, staring at Celine as if she had just grown a second head (or a pair of horns, her mind added unhelpfully), Mira and Rumi wearing the same expressions. 

“I do.” 

“Can we even do that?” 

“I don’t believe we have much choice. The way I see it, we either share this secret, or start making preparations for the end of Huntr/x.” Celine replied bluntly. It wasn’t a pretty situation, but she wasn’t wrong either. The trio shared a look. She was right, there wasn’t really much of a choice.

“Holy crap!” Bobby shouted the moment he laid eyes on Rumi. Everyone in the room tensed. They hadn’t considered the possibility that Bobby would be-

“Are you ok???” He rushed toward Rumi without a moment’s hesitation (after getting over his shock). “I only saw you two days ago, you’re supposed to take body modifications like this slowly!” He gripped Rumi’s chin lightly, angling her head side to side and inspecting the site where horn met skin. 

The four women deflated. Of course Bobby was concerned about her. “Bobby, know that I’m standing next to my two girlfriends whom I love more than life itself when I say this, but you’re the best person in the world.” Mira said cooly, Zoey and Rumi adding in their nods of agreement. The trio smiled as Bobby blushed and waved the compliment away. Though before he could speak, Mira continued. “But this wasn’t…exactly a body mod in the way that you’re thinking of.” He had provided them with the perfect out, but even though the four didn’t talk about it, they didn’t need to. The horns were going to be a big deal over the next however-long (possibly forever), and there was no way to know that was the end of it either. Some day Rumi might grow a tail, or paws, or who knows what else. If he was going to stick with them, he needed to know the whole story. “We have something to tell you, but it’s…big.”

“Really big.” Zoey continued. 

“Huge, honestly.” Rumi finished. 

“This goes beyond NDAs and confidentiality agreements, this is take-it-to-your-grave kind of knowledge.” Celeine said solemnly. “No matter what happens with Huntr/x, no matter who else in your life you know or love or meet, you can’t tell them what we’re about to tell you. If you want to know, that is.”

For his part, Bobby didn’t hesitate or say a word, just shifted his posture into what the trio called “Serious Bobby mode.” His eyes sharpened with focus as he prepared to remember and collate all the information he was about to receive. “Hit me.”

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“...huh.” Bobby was sitting on the couch, hands clasped together in his lap, staring off into the distance. 

“You seem to be taking this surprisingly well.” Rumi pointed out. 

“It actually explains a few things.” They could practically see him fitting the puzzle piece into all the blank spaces. “The disappearances, the odd “Training” blocks on your schedules that would last far too long for any normal idol practices. The odd injuries that could not have possibly come from ‘intense choreo sessions’.” Bobby began to nod his head as he spoke. “So you need help figuring out how to break this to the fans.” His only answer being three apologetic but affirming looks, he continued. “Well, the good news is we do already have a bit of a body-modding narrative around Rumi due to the ligh-er, patterns. The bad news…” he trailed off. “The patterns were very versatile image-wise. They could fit the persona Rumi already has all her momentum behind. The horns…don’t.” The trio grimaced, and Mira and Zoey’s hands found their way into Rumi’s. “I think in the long run we’ll be ok, you’re not the biggest kpop band in the world for nothing. But it’s going to be messy for a little while. We may have to alter Rumi’s persona a bit, depending on how the public reacts.” Bobby grimaced. “And the execs are gonna lose their shit.”

“I’ll handle the execs.” Celine spoke up. “They can moan all they want, as long as the income keeps coming in they’ll get over it.”

Mira and Zoey turned to Rumi to gauge her reaction to all the intense news, and both frowned when they could practically feel the prickle of her sliding back into self-depricating thoughts under their fingertips. Not that they couldn’t see it in the panicked shifting of her patterns.

“Hey, hey, I know that look.” Mira cut through them with a firm voice. “Don’t go thinking all those terrible things about my girlfriend.” 

“Yeah. I’d also like to point out that if you weren’t a demon, Mira and I would be dead.” Zoey’s free hand gestured between herself and Mira, who nodded. They watched Rumi turn over the statement in her head, following all the “But I-” and “What if-” logic and running into dead end after dead end. 

“So is that what the thing is all about?” Bobby asked, mostly to Mira, Zoey, and Celine. 

“The…thing?” Celine raised an eyebrow at him. 

“Yeah, the, you know, the Iron Man thing.” Bobby made a circle in the air over his own heart with one hand, while the other pointed between Mira and Zoey. 

The pair looked down at their chests confused, right up until they saw a faint glowing light beneath their shirts. The pair furrowed their brows in confusion, but Zoey had the idea to grab her phone and thumb the app controlling the penthouse’s lights. Plunged into darkness, the shifting glow was much more visible to the naked eye. Kind of like a lava lamp. Or…

Zoey flicked the lights back on, as Mira unceremoniously pulled her shirt over her head. Ignoring Bobby’s pointed cough and deliberate looking at the ceiling, the other three women in the room looked at the small sliver of patterns right over Mira’s heart. Zoey opted to pull her shirt up instead of off altogether, but revealed the same thing. 

EXACTLY the same thing. The same sideways, squiggly Y shape, glowing the same light purple colors. 

In fact, if Mira had to bet…

Rumi’s top was lower cut than theirs, so instead of lifting her shirt up, Mira pulled it down slightly. It almost pulled a snort out of Zoey, the action bringing up memories of the trio’s more intimate nights. But now definitely wasn’t the time or place for those memories to take center stage in her mind, because sure enough, it was the exact same shape and color as the patterns right above Rumi’s own heart. Like someone had taken a section of her patterns and was projecting them onto Mira and Zoey’s skin.

“How the hell did I miss that?” Mira muttered, eyes narrow in thought. 

“Sounds like you had kind of a long day.” Bobby supplied helpfully, before following it with “Is everyone clothed again? Can I look now?” After a quick re-robing and an all clear, Bobby refocused on the Hunters before him. “So, what does that mean exactly?” He looked between the four of them, but creased his brow when he didn’t get an immediate answer. 

“I’m afraid we don’t know.” Celine said eventually, not one to mince words. “Rumi is very literally one of a kind, moreso than everyone else. It’s likely we’re in uncharted waters.” 

The group sat in silence for a moment, all examining and processing this new puzzle from different angles. Or in Rumi’s case, mildly spiraling at the thought that she had turned her girlfriends into part-demons against their will. 

It was Zoey that spoke first, attempting to put lines around the undefined shape of what they all were now. And unfortunately, this was one of the times where their differences were actually a source of friction instead of a strength.

“Oh my god, are we your thralls?” Her tone of voice was not nearly as grave as the question she just proposed demanded. If anything, it was excited-bordering-on-ecstatic, with undertones of manic. 

Rumi’s answer was to let out a half-whine half-whimper. 

Zoey winced to herself as Mira shot her a wide eyed what the hell are you doing look. “No, not in a bad way! I would love to be your thrall!” 

The whimper-whine went up an octave. 

“Zoey, stop saying the word thrall.” Mira’s voice was nonaccusatory but final, but now that that thought was voiced and out in the open the look she was sending to Zoey said I think you’re right, I think we are Rumi’s thralls. 

Zoey pursed her lips, trying to think of something to make this situation better, before her eyes lit up. “Soulmates.” She whispered reverently. “Literal soulmates!” She cheered, looking between Rumi and Mira excitedly. It at least sounded much nicer. 

“That…may not be wrong either.” Celine wondered, mostly to herself. 

“So which one is it??” Rumi asked desperately. “Soulmates or thralls?”

For the first time since entering the apartment, Celine’s cool aloof exterior cracked. Pursing her lips, she could only offer a halfhearted shrug. Rumi groaned and put her head in her hands. “Keep an eye on them, and let me know if they become obsessed with you?” Celine offered limply. 

“We’re already obsessed with Rumi, win win!” Zoey cheered. 

“Maybe that’s enough big revelations and deep thoughts for tonight.” Bobby interjected placatingly. “Or, well, almost enough.”

“Almost?” Mira asked.

“There’s one more thing we’ve got to make a call on. The man.” The temperature in the room cooled instantly, as the four women grimaced. In their haste to carry Rumi’s unconscious body back to the penthouse, Mira and Zoey had left the fanatic slumped against the wall where he lay and not spared him a backwards glance. “What are we going to do about…him? His corpse?” Bobby looked at Huntr/x for clarification.

“His body was still alive.” Rumi whispered. “But his soul is…gone.” 

“...so what do we do about it then?” Bobby asked carefully.

…

“I don’t- I don’t know.” Rumi’s gaze was a mile away, her shoulders hunched up around her ears as she curled in on herself. Mira and Zoey moved quickly to each side, running soothing hands over her shoulders and putting grounding hands on her back. “On one hand, he killed Mira and Zoey.” she practically hissed the word “killed”, and everyone saw a warning flash from her patterns. “But on the other, I don’t, I, I can’t just leave what’s left of him there to die.” She looked up in anguish at the four other people in the room, torn between the options. 

After more long moments, it was Bobby that saved the day, an expert in basically every non-demon-related aspect of the girl’s lives. “How about this,” He started. “If someone hasn’t found him already, we send an anonymous tip to the authorities that there’s a man on the side of the road that needs help. You said he was a big fan right? In his fucked-up way at least.” The trio nodded. “So when the authorities search for next of kin, they’ll probably find out that he’s a big Huntr/x fan from them, or at least some shrine to Rumi where he lives or something. The news makes it’s way to you three, and since you all have such big hearts you agree to cover the medical bills until any next of kin make a decision. It’ll look good, and since it’s a charity move the investors shouldn’t make too much of a fuss about it.” Bobby laid out his plan with calm rationality.

The four women responded with awed silence. “That’s, actually a very well thought out plan.” Celine said, not hiding the surprise in her voice. 

“That’s why I’m paid 3%.” Bobby said lightheartedly. 

“I think after tonight you might deserve a raise.” Mira mumbled half-jokingly.

“It’s a good plan, probably the best way out of a bad situation,” Zoey started, fidgeting slightly. “but it feels kinda…scummy?”

“Well, this guy gets to have his name in the headlines with Huntr/x’s, which I’m getting the feeling is all he ever wanted and might be more than he deserves.” Bobby answered, voice tilting darker towards the end of the sentence. Zoey’s face didn’t all the way un-twist from the grimace it was in, but she did nod in agreement, Bobby was probably right. 

“Ok. no more heavy talk tonight. You three all need rest.” Bobby stood up. Celine looked like she was about to say something more, but shook it off and stood up as well. “You’ve still got at least two weeks until you’re scheduled for a public appearance, and I want you spending at least half of that resting and recovering. IF that means recording or practicing for you then go for it, but I don’t want you doing it because you think you have to be ready. Bobby’s orders.”

“Aye aye captain!” Zoey did a mock salute, while Mira gave a thumbs up and Rumi provided a small smile and nod. 

“Good night girls, we’re glad you’re all as ok, or at least as can be given the circumstances.” Celine nodded her head in approval. While the girl’s night was winding down, her and Bobby’s night was only just beginning. The pair quietly left the room, leaving the trio to themselves. 

“Are you, you know, ok?” Mira asked carefully, leaning down to catch Rumi’s eyes. 

“Am I ok??” Rumi’s head shot up, looking between Mira and Zoey incredulously. “You were d-dead!” The word caught in her throat. “Are you ok??” Rumi grabbed their hands in hers and clutched the backs of their hands against her heart, needing to ground herself that they were really here, really breathing. 

“Better than I was an hour ago.” It slipped out before Mira could stop it, even as she realized halfway through the sentence that it was a bad idea and she tried to choke the words back. It was Zoey’s turn to give her a what the hell look. “Sorry, sorry. I’m fine. Honestly, I feel great. Better than usual actually. Who knew getting a little demon in you could feel this good?”

“Well, we did actually.” Zoey pointed out with a cheeky smile. Her bad joke earned a raging blush and half-disbelieving laugh from Rumi. Now that the two strangers were out of the room, Derpy sauntered back in and plopped his head directly on Rumi’s lap. Rumi’s laugh continued as she buried her face in his fur, shoulders shaking. 

“Sorry I ruined date night.” It came through muffled by all the fur.

“Hey, you did not ruin date night, that asshole did!” Zoey sat up straight, like she was preparing herself for the foe attacking Rumi’s honor. “How about this, Zoey and I will go get enough junk food to make us want to vomit in the morning, and we’ll put on a movie. Will you be ok here without us?” Without removing her face from Derpy’s head, Rumi nodded. “Ok. We’ll be right back love.” Mira leaned in to press a kiss to Rumi’s cheek, which Zoey mirrored soon after. “And stop itching those horns.” She said as she stood up from the bed. “I’ve seen you doing it all night, that can’t be good for them.” 

“But they’re itttcccchhhhyyy.” Rumi moaned into the blue fur covering her face. 

Mira rolled her eyes fondly and turned to Zoey. “Grab her something from the bathroom for that and meet me in the kitchen.” The excitement at being given a sidequest was clear in Zoey’s eyes, and she practically sprinted out the door while Mira followed behind at a much more leisurely pace. She twisted to the side as Zoey darted back past her in the hall, itch ointment in hand. She reached the kitchen area and began browsing their cabinets for their favorite snacks. She still felt the nervous energy humming under her skin, but forced it back. Now was the time to slow down, to unwind. 

As Mira was opening the freezer and considering their ice cream options, Zoey came up beside her. “Figured you could use a second set of hands.” 

“Probably.” Mira agreed easily. “But that’s not the only reason you’re here.” She looked at Zoey out of the corner of her eye, single eyebrow raised. 

Normally they might have a back and forth where Zoey said ‘I’m good. And Mira said ‘Really?’ and Zoey said ‘Really!’ and Mira said ‘Because I don’t believe you.’ and so on, but everyone was too emotionally strained tonight. 

“Do you…remember anything? From when we were dead?” Zoey asked, face falling into one of troubled pondering. It wasn’t that she was lying to Rumi or even putting on an act, just shuffling what took priority in her mind. And now that Rumi seemed to be in an ok-enough place, this thought process was taking it’s turn front and center. 

“...no.” Mira admitted after a moment.

“Neither do I.” Zoey bit her lower lip. “Mira, what are we? Are we zombies? Are we even really alive? Are we even actually Mira and Zoey? Did their souls move on, and now we’re just their bodies and memories with a bit more supernatural momentum? I want to go back in there and cuddle Rumi and never let go, but is that just the same as I always felt or is it the beginning of an obsession? Where does the good part end and the bad part begin?” 

Mira closed the freezer. Suddenly, she was feeling more like hot chocolate than ice cream. “I don’t know.” She answered calmly as she went to grab the milk. “It could be any of that, some combination, or something else all together. I think right now I’m just going to focus on the immediate, the things that are right in front of me.”

“What are those?” It was equal parts accusatory and desperate, like Zoey was mad at Mira for leaving her all alone in the sandstorm of her thoughts, but also wanted Mira to pull her out with her. 

“That right now I feel alive, and get to spend time with my girlfriends that I love more than life itself that I wouldn’t have had the chance to otherwise.” After she was done setting the milk to heat up, she turned around and opened her arms to Zoey, who fell into them without hesitation and gladly accepted the soothing circles being rubbed into her back. “Things will probably get big and complicated, but we’ll handle them as they come. There’s no reason to worry twice right?” Zoey snorted into Mira’s shoulder. She happened to be very good at worrying, she went beyond worrying twice into worrying in the nth dimension. Thinking fast means overthinking. 

Still, she has and will continue to trust Mira with her life. So she says “Yeah, you’re right.” 

“I try to make a habit out of it.” Mira smiled into Zoey’s hair before gently pulling away. “Now go bring these in to satiate the beast, I’ll be there with the hot chocolate soon.” She unceremoniously dumped an armload of chips, cookies, and chocolates into Zoey’s arms, which the shorter woman of course caught with ease. Before Zoey could answer, Mira capped it off with a kiss. It wasn’t deep, but it lasted. “And give that to Rumi for me.” 

“Yes ma’am.” Zoey’s eyes were dreamy as she turned around and began to stumble back towards their room, being careful not to drop any of the hoard. Mira turned back to the stove, quickly mixing in the cocoa powder and removing the pot from the heat. She looked out over the lights of the city as she poured the hot chocolate and added the extras (a few marshmallows for her, a ridiculous amount of marshmallows for Zoey, and a small mountain of whipped cream for Rumi) to the mugs. The honmoon flowed over it all like a silent ocean, shifting shades of blue and the occasional pulse of gold. Some things were going to change, some were going to change a lot probably, but some would stay the same too. That was how life was, and while the three of them had a pretty abnormal life, it was a life nonetheless.

Chapter Text

As time ticked ever onward, there wasn’t much to do in their situation except settle into their usual hiatus-time calm. Zoey would game, watch multi-hour long deepdive videos into any topic she could find, and bounce between a third hobby as the interest took her. It was bad for her closet space, but made her the undisputed jack of all trades of the trio. Mira would read, bake, and casually study some gymnastics and stretches. Not enough to match a pro, but it helped her keep her body fit and even occasionally sparked ideas for new choreo. Rumi would garden, train, and more recently, meditate. While she had accepted and began working through her traumas around being half-demon (a goal that kept seeing the goalposts moved frustratingly back), there were other things she knew she needed to work on that weren’t demon related, one of which being her tendency to overwork. Making time to purposely stop moving, stop working, was a challenge, but she couldn’t deny it was helping her with her mental state. 

Of course, there were the date nights where the trio would come together. Outside-the-house dates were on pause until the public had seen Rumi’s new look, but there was still plenty for them to do. There were the usual group activities like movie night, stargazing, idle goofy music work to make sure the process was still fun instead of a work-dulled slog. Then there were the nights when the trio would dip into one of the single member’s hobbies. They would all tackle some big recipe that Mira had put on hold for needing multiple sets of hands at once, or spend the night in Rumi’s garden repotting a string of seasonal plants that needed some TLC to prepare for an upcoming weather change, or join Zoey in a gaming night where they would try their best to not let the 4th rando in their squad know they were on a team with three of the most famous people in the world. 

Of course, there were also differences, especially in the beginning.

Mira was in the kitchen, humming to herself while making lunch. The melody was something long and flowing, not something the group would sing or perform, a slower tune from the soundtrack of a movie they had watched the night before. The meal was stir fry. 

As she was giving the wok a quick shake to keep things cooking evenly, she felt a forehead press into her back. From the position of the forehead, and the unsubtle parallel stiff structures pressing into her shoulderblades (and the zing under her skin that only her subconscious felt), she knew who it was. 

“What ails you, my queen?” Mira said teasingly, and Rumi groaned into her back. 

“Don’t call me that.”

“My liege.”

“No.”

“My lord.”

“Stop.”

“Your majesty.” Once she was satisfied that the wok could be left alone for a few minutes, she spun around to Rumi, cheeky smirk meeting unimpressed faux-frustration. 

“Zoey is a bad influence on you.” Rumi resumed pressing her face into Mira’s body, this time her sternum. 

“I doubt that’s what Zoey would say.” Leaning down slightly while carefully avoiding the horns, Mira placed a hand on Rumi’s hip before slowly dragging it diagonally up her back, coming to rest on the opposite side shoulder and not-so-subtlely wrapping Rumi in a one-armed hug in the process. Rumi allowed herself to be pulled in. “What’s wrong, my love?” 

Rumi angled her face away from Mira, both to hide her reddening cheeks and shift her position to accommodate the horns, but it did little to hide the blush spreading down her patterns. “Maybe it’s nothing.” Rumi said petulantly. “Maybe I’m doing great.” 

“Oh, but you’re not though are you?” Mira rubbed the shoulder under her palm soothingly. When Rumi didn’t answer, Mira huffed out a small laugh. “You want me to call in the Puppy Dog Eyes on you? I’ll do it.” 

Rumi twisted in Mira’s embrace to look up into Mira’s eyes, taking extra care not to cut her neck or chin with the horns. “You can’t just sic our girlfriend on me like an attack dog.”

“Bold words from someone who did the same thing to me not two weeks ago after my parents called.” Mira raised a single eyebrow at Rumi, silently letting her know that she wouldn’t be weasling out of this conversation with topic changes and misdirections.

Rumi sighed, leaning her ear against Mira’s heart, and mumbled “I miss how we used to cuddle.” loud enough for Mira to hear. 

“Mmmmm.” Mira nodded, pursing her lips in thought. Since the alley incident, the girls had stayed sleeping in the same bed like usual, but now spread out compared to when they were practically on top of each other. They all agreed they should probably take some time not apart, but more separate than usual to figure out this new shape of what they all were. They hadn’t talked about it yet, but Mira knew she was confident enough she wasn’t going mad to begin to re-weave herself into her girl’s lives. 

There was one other snag though, and from the look on Rumi’s face she could tell it was the one she was thinking of. The old school doctrine of Huntr/x Cuddles was Rumi in the middle, face tucked into Mira’s collarbone while Zoey jetpack-ed off of her and Mira had her arms around them both. Now, though, there were two pointy unremovable obstacles to that plan. 

“Hhhhmmmm.” Mira hummed to herself again, turning the problem over in her mind. “Well, for starters we definitely need Zoey here to talk about it.” Rumi huffed out a breath, but nodded. She didn’t want to pull Zoey away from a lyric-writing groove, but they couldn’t really discuss three-person cuddle physics without all three people there. Mira grabbed her phone out of her pocket with her free hand and fired off a quick message to Zoey about Rumi and her requesting her presence in the kitchen for a “logistics issue”. The faux-serious business speak earned her a laughing emoji next to the salute in her reply, and a scant few seconds later they heard the thumping of feet coming down the hallway. 

Zoey used her momentum to sock-slide in, striking a pose and saying “Your savior…has arrived.” in a masculine voice. 

“Our hero.” Rumi’s smile was light, a welcome change from all the serious things happening to them lately. 

“What can I do for you fiiiine citizens tonight?” Zoey didn’t hide the lilt in her voice, and Mira rolled her eyes fondly in response. “I’m fascinated to hear what kitchen logistics problem requires three people to solve.” 

“The kitchen is incidental to the problem.” Mira replied. “Rumi just told me she missed cuddle time at night.” 

“Zoey also missed cuddle time at night.” Zoey agreed, holding out a fist for Rumi to bump. 

“And so does I, uh, does Mira. Do I. Argh. you get it.” Mira’s words stumbled, caught mentally between completing the 'speaking in third person' bit and the manners that were ironed into her since birth. “But we’re going to have to do some reworking.” Reaching behind her, she shook the wok again without turning to look.

“Hhmmmm.” Zoey nodded with pursed lips, eyes flicking up to Rumi’s horns. “Well, this seems to be working fine.” Strolling over, she hugged onto Rumi’s back, Mira lifting her arm off Rumi’s shoulders so she could place it on Zoey’s instead. The three were in a similar position to their previous nighttime cuddles, but with Rumi’s head turned to the side 90 degrees, her horns almost cupping Mira’s face. 

“Yeah, until she shifts in her sleep and turns me into the Joker.” Mira pointed out, tracing the hypothetical path along her cheek. 

“Also, my neck might start to hurt after too long.” Rumi admitted sheepishly. Mira tried to condense the entire ‘Don’t talk about your health like it’s a hindrance to us’ lecture she and Zoey would give her into a single poke on her cheek, and she smiled when Rumi gumbled her understanding lightly. 

“Ooh. Right.” Zoey leaned back a bit like an artist contemplating her canvas. “Well then how about this?” Reaching out, Rumi allowed herself to be spun in Mira’s arms until she was facing Zoey. “Hey pretty lady.” Zoey ran a hand up Rumi’s arm, wrapping it around her neck and pulled her closer while walking her back into Mira’s open arms. “How’s this feel?”

“Much lower chance of damage to my face, which I appreciate.” Mira capped off her review of the new pose by leaning her head down onto Rumi’s. “Unless you suddenly start going exorcist on us and rotating your head 180 degrees. But if that happens, we’ll probably have other things to focus on.” 

Rumi smiled, but there was a tightness at the corners. “I’m sorry these things are causing so many problems.” 

“Hey, don’t say that.” Zoey said immediately, leaning back so she could pin Rumi with her eyes. Mira silently added her agreement by wrapping both arms around Rumi’s shoulders. “We’re here for you, no matter what happens. Some parts of our lives will change, but it won’t be bad. Just different. It happens to everyone, just with less of a supernatural tint to it.” Zoey beamed, and without a single shifted muscle in her sunshine-bright smile, she continued “And while we’re on the topic and I don’t think I can hold it in anymore, I wanna chew on your horns like a stim toy.” 

“You- huh?” Rumi’s bewilderment was adorable. Craning her neck around, she caught Mira looking at the tips of her horns with unhidden curiosity. “That sounds kinda gross.”

“Just one gnaw.”

“Zoey.”

“A little nibble.”

“Zoey!” 

“Honestly, I get it.” Mira stepped into the conversation, even beginning to lean forward. 

“Oh gods it’s the claws thing all over again.” Rumi closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.

“And we were right then too weren’t we? Come on Rumi, two horns, two of us…think of it as a reward for your loyal servants.” Mira practically purred dangerously close to her ear. 

“I don’t think this is going to be nearly as sexy as you’re making it out to be.” Rumi huffed, only moderately betrayed by her blush. 

“But you’re curious too, aren’t you?” Zoey shot back, and Rumi was annoyed at how her smug confidence was entirely correct. 

“...Alright, fine!” Rumi tossed up her hands in defeat, and only lightly growled at Zoey as she and Mira hi-fived each other over her head. “You burned lunch by the way.”

“Shit!” 

Though Huntr/x may be on break, demon hunting never sleeps, in some late-night cases literally. And so that’s how Mira, Zoey, and Rumi found themselves running rooftops, though of course Rumi’s usual hoodie disguise had to be replaced with a headscarf and face-mask. When Zoey held out the Akali face mask with the demon fangs on it, Rumi gave Zoey a deadpan look while pointedly ignoring Mira’s quiet snort behind her, but still took it and slipped it on. “Look familiar?” She had quipped, only to crumble almost immediately when Zoey had replied “Almost as good as the original.”

This one was so close they could actually see it through the window of their penthouse, putting an unpleasant stall on date night. They could practically feel the pull of the demonic presence, drawing them toward a little rooftop garden just a few buildings away. Good, that means the demons probably haven’t had the chance to cause too much damage yet if they were close by to the trio’s penthouse and tore through the honmoon on top of a building at night. 

The trio slid onto the scene, rubber soles of their shoes leaving streaks on the cement of the pathway between the plants. Three demons, all facing away, looked like they were just about to jump down to the ground and start causing chaos.

“Hey!” Zoey shouted, and they turned to face her. Three standard demons was child’s play for three hunters, but the location would be a challenge. It was best to keep them here away from any possible casualties, but they also didn’t want to tear up the nice roof garden either. 

The demons whipped around to face them, snarls already rumbling out of their throats. All three women’s minds were running in overdrive, feeling out the rhythm and choreography of their fight. The kicks, the slashes, flips, rolls, catches, each move to ensure minimal damage to their surroundings. 

The demon’s eyes settled on them, and all three locked up. 

…

Zoey’s eyes narrowed in confusion, as she slowly rose from her battle-ready crouch. She shot a look over to Mira and Rumi, and while Mira returned it, Rumi’s eyes didn’t leave the demons for a second. Her face wasn’t that of one watching their opponent though, it was closer to someone staring down a crossword answer right on the tip of their tongue. 

And the demons were staring right back at her, none of them sparing even a glance for Mira or Zoey. 

Rumi’s patterns slowly flushed purple, slower than Mira and Zoey had ever seen, and they watched as Rumi let more of the demon side out. Her nails sharpened, eyes shone, teeth elongated. “Fall in.” It was an order, barely-disguised growl undercutting it. 

The demons jumped into action immediately, rushing forward toward the trio not with hostile intent but a panicked scramble. “And don’t step on the flowers!” Rumi barked out, and the three demons froze in place for a moment, one with their foot hovering right above the dirt of a potted plant on the ground. If the situation were any less conflicting, Zoey would’ve been snorting into her palm at the way the demons began carefully picking their way around the potted plants, eventually coming to a stop in front of Rumi, hunched over meekly like a pet caught eating something they weren’t supposed to. 

Rumi looked down at them cooly, eyes narrow, every bit the princess persona so many Huntr/x fans saw her as. “Return to the demon world.”

The reaction was immediate. The demon in the middle reached out a clawed hand and rent the air in front of them, gouging a deep purple gash in the honmoon as easy as pulling your fingers through the sand. Two of them immediately climbed/jumped/fell through it, but the third whimpered three words that may as well have reached into their chests and squeezed their hearts before closing the tear behind it. 

“Yes my queen.”

The silence on the roof was deafening, all three women staring at the spot where the rift was like it would reopen and speak answers to them like a mouth. 

“I don’t like it when they do it.” Zoey whispered.

“Me neither.” Rumi replied, sounding just as lost as Mira and Zoey felt.