Work Text:
"So… before we go any further with any of this…" Rumi isn't looking at them when she says it, her focus entirely on carefully finger-combing a mat out of the tiger's fur, and Zoey and Mira look at each other. "There's something else I haven't told you guys. Even Celine doesn't know. Celine especially doesn't know."
"What is it?" Zoey drags the words out, almost as hesitant, "I mean it can't be as bad as the half demon secret-"
"Zoey," Mira hisses at her, and she gestures back with a little shrug.
"It can't, right?"
Rumi hasn't looked at them yet, and it's really starting to freak both of them out. "I'm not a girl."
The room is silent for a long moment, and Rumi's shoulders are rising up to her reddening ears as she cringes, before Mira says, "Is that- is that like, it?"
"What?" Rumi blinks at them.
"Yeah, that's like, not a problem, dude. Is dude okay- would you rather-"
"Zoey."
Rumi starts to laugh. It's not really a laugh either of them like, it's that stressed out, high pitched laugh she does when she's really close to losing it, as close as Rumi ever gets to actually losing it, which isn't really close at all.
The tiger even looks worried, if it's capable of that kind of expression.
"You… okay there, Rumi?" Mira has her hand halfway out, not sure if touch would ground her or make things way worse.
"Yeah, I just… I mean, what's being not a girl really, after being half-demon?" She keeps giggling, and it's not as reassuring as she seems to think it is.
"It's a big deal to you," Zoey says, and shifts over to tuck herself against Rumi's side. It seems like it helps, at least, because Rumi isn't laughing anymore, she's just sort of sitting there, curled up in between Zoey and the tiger. "I get it. I'm not like… I mean, it's not like, I'm not all the way on the other side, but I don't really… know if I'm a girl either. It feels weird when I say it, you know?"
"Yeah," Rumi whispers, switching from petting the tiger to petting Zoey, "I know."
Mira shrugs. "Fuck it. I'm not either. I hung out with guys when I was in high school, it felt better than being with the girls. Not in a weird way, just-"
"Like that's where you belonged, right?" Rumi asks, "Yeah."
"I liked it when the guys I played video games with called me bro or dude or, y'know, whatever," she confesses, trying to sound more laidback about it than she feels, and Rumi nods, a shy little smile on her lips.
"Me too," she whispers, and Zoey makes grabby hands at Mira till she piles on the couch with them.
"I don't really think I'm a guy either," she says finally, after thinking deeply for a few minutes, "There was this kid I knew in school, they didn't feel like either one either, we talked about it a lot, but I didn't really want to think about it, you know? But now I have, and I wasn't afraid to tell you guys, but I kinda was, but I mean, now that we're all talking about it, it's totally cool right? I took your spotlight, didn't I, I really didn't mean to, I just-"
Rumi pulls her in tighter. "It's cool," she says, with the same inflection Zoey had, "I'm glad we talked about it, and… I'm glad you're both okay with it."
Mira shrugs, bumping their shoulders together from where she's sprawled over both of them. Her back is going to kill her later, but it doesn't matter right now.
They get a few moments of silence like this, with only the sound of the tiger purring and the bird snoring, before Zoey asks, all wide eager eyes, "Does this mean I can call you my boyfriends now?"
Mira feels her face heating up, and knows she has to be as red as Rumi as she grins and kisses her instead of answering.