Chapter Text
HUNTR/X Tower Unwritten Rule #2:
Never wake Mira up before 8:00 am (without prior notice)
Zoey can hear Rumi's frantic footsteps far far away from where she's currently standing.
The door, Mira's bedroom door, usually warm and inviting, now looms over her cold and distant. As if the act of opening it right now at this time is going to land her in prison with multiple stab wounds.
"How many times have you and I told them that they can't just do this?!" The shrill voice grates her ears as it echoes throughout the open space.
She doesn't process the rest of the conversation, she can't, not with her heart shooting all the way up to her ears. But she doesn't miss the sudden silence. It's louder, way way louder than the shouting, than the footsteps.
"Fuck," Zoey whispers under her breath. She already knows the ending to this discussion, but she hopes that she's wrong; she hopes for a different outcome, but the sigh of defeat followed by the clipped and robotic, "We'll try, but tell them not to get their hopes up." completely crushes her dreams of living another day.
The admission fills her stomach with dread, hunger gone, replaced by pure unadulterated fear.
The frantic footsteps from before shift to something lighter, softer, and nearer, trying its damndest not to wake the sleeping beast on the other side of the door—even if that was what they were supposed to do.
"I tried." Zoey doesn't have to look her way to see the frown on Rumi's face.
"We are so fucked," Zoey murmurs, one hand covering her mouth as if it would prevent her voice from somehow traveling through Mira's room—she knows it won't, but she's not taking any chances. "We can't do this Rumi, she'll kill us both."
"I know." Rumi stops in her tracks just a few inches beside her. Zoey finally looks at her and watches the way her throat moves as she swallows hard, eyes focused ahead, and arms crossed beneath her chest.
She's just as nervous and terrified as she is.
"But we have to try." Rumi continues, fingers slowly tapping to a rhythm that can only be heard by her. "We owe it to Bobby to at least try."
Zoey scoffs at the word "try" and mockingly asks and teases, "Are you convincing me or yourself?"
Rumi ignores her tone and abruptly answers, "Both."
They're both groggy and grumpy, she can tell that Rumi's not here to pick a fight—at least not now.
Zoey lets out a long exhale and drags a hand across her disheveled hair, making it even messier. "Just how many more tries do they want us to do before they get the point." She pauses and then offers, "Maybe, we should just drag them here and let them wake her up. See how they like it."
"I'm thinking about it." Rumi walks in front of her and gently peels her hand away. "It might work." She ponders as her hand combs through Zoey's unkempt hair, following the shape of its waves and softly patting down any loose strands that refuse to stay down.
The exhale that Zoey lets out is not one of exasperation, not like before, but one of satisfaction and utter happiness.
"We might be overreacting." Zoey suddenly says with an optimism that doesn't match the expression on her face. "She might not react like before."
"Are you convincing me or yourself?" Rumi smiles, all smug-like as she throws her question back at her.
"Both." Zoey replies using the same tone as she did. "You're such an ass."
"You love me though. No takebacks" Rumi kisses the freckles on her nose, which earns her a bubbly giggle. "You're stuck with me."
"Unfortunately." Zoey playfully rolls her eyes and lightly shoves her away. "If this is your plan to convince me to go wake her up first then it's not going to work."
Rumi just shrugs and shoots her a grin. "Worth a shot."
"Dork."
"But I'm your dork."
"I know and you're stalling."
Rumi quietly laughs. "Caught me redhanded."
Before the silence settles, Zoey takes the initiative to get them back on track. "As much as I hate to ruin the mood… but rock, paper, scissors to see who goes first?"
She only gets a sigh and a nod in return.
Attempt #1
6:00 AM
She really should stop offering to play that game when they're being indecisive because she never fucking wins.
But that's fine! Everything's fine! It's not like every inch of her whole being is screaming at her to move as far away from the door and go about her day.
She tries her best to regain her composure.
She bounces on the heels of her feet, shakes both of her arms on the side and slaps her face with enough force that it makes an audible sound. She closes her eyes and mentally prepares herself for the war that's waiting for her behind the door.
"You're psyching yourself out." Rumi teasingly comments from behind.
"Shut up." The words come out as a grumble and the laughter that follows after does not help her in the slightest.
"You really aren't helping."
The laughter stops and Rumi doesn't speak after that.
Strong, patterned arms suddenly wrap around her waist and hoist her up with ease.
"Rumi!" Zoey laughs breathlessly as Rumi peppers her neck and shoulders with kisses. "That tickles!"
Rumi doesn't relent, "For goodluck."
"You act like I'm going to war and I'm not coming back." Zoey says in between giggles. "Y'know what, that might be true."
"You're talking to yourself again." Rumi whispers and chuckles into her skin.
"I'm talking for you." Zoey corrects her. "Did I pass?"
"With flying colors." Rumi praises her answer with pride. "I'm hoping you succeed." Zoey lightheartedly scoffs at the encouraging words.
"So you don't have to go into the fray yourself?" Zoey asks, but she already knows the answer.
She can feel Rumi at her back enthusiastically nodding. "Exactly."
"Asshole." Zoey jabs her side with enough strength that makes her let go."You could be helping me."
"One of us has to stay alive." Rumi quickly counters as she rubs her side.
"I hate that you have a point."
Rumi flashes her that stupid, attractive grin again. "I always do."
A beat passes and she takes a deep breath. No more distractions, they're running on borrowed time.
"Okay, let's do this." Her voice drops to a whisper as she grabs the door's handle. She feels the soft click of the latch and slowly pushes it open.
You can do this.
She can't do this.
Maybe she can, but she doesn't want to because the moment she takes a step inside, she immediately spots Mira blissfully sleeping at the center of her bed, unaware of the conflict roaring inside her.
It's incredibly unfair how effortlessly pretty and beautiful and gorgeous she is even asleep.
Her soft, long, pink hair is beautifully sprawled like the rare lioness's mane: wild, powerful but elegant at the same time. It flows and shines like liquid silk. Zoey's eyes move lower. She watches as her glossy lips slightly part in tandem with the rise and fall of her chest. Her eyes move lower and lower and—
She violently shakes her head. Now is not the time to ogle—she can do that later.
A part of her wants to let her sleep in peace, a part of her is too scared to break that peace, and the tiniest, smallest speck inside of her says "do it, no balls." And for some reason the last one wins her over.
She quietly clears her throat.
"H-Hey." Zoey winces as her voice cracks, the nerves never truly gone from her body.
She takes a deep inhale through her nose and exhales through her mouth.
She tries again, louder and steadier this time and moves closer.
She doesn't touch her, too afraid of what she would do at the sudden action because for some reason Mira's body unconsciously knows the difference between actions that's meant for waking her up and actions not meant for waking her up.
"Mira, baby." Zoey pauses for a bit and then continues. "I know you hate waking up at this time, but just this once can you do that for me?"
The rustle of fabric gets her hopes up but it's immediately smothered when Mira only readjusts herself and rolls to her side, eyes still closed and still as pretty as ever.
Zoey lets out a sigh and scans the room for something she can use, preferably from far far away.
She racks her brain, trying to think of ways that she can wake her up from a distance so she doesn't immediately die.
The semi-blackout curtains do not help with her search at all.
Semi-blackout curtains…
And then an idea.
She remembers that Mira can't sleep with the lights on.
It's way too early for the sunrise right now so she scurries back to the door and flicks the light switch on and stares at her, waiting for a reaction.
It doesn't take long for Mira to give her one.
Whiz.
A gush of wind passes by her.
CRACK.
Zoey blinks and it's suddenly dark again. She can see Mira's silhouette, now in a sitting position, one arm outstretched as if she just threw something her way.
She can hear the faint sounds of static buzz and the familiar hum of their weapons beside her.
When she turns to her side she sees the threads of wiring visible, occasionally sparking. She's like ninety-nine percent sure that she's not supposed to see that because you know, it's supposed to be inside the fucking wall.
She finally registers the familiar weapon plunged into the switch, or where the switch was, going through the other side of the wall with no difficulty.
And then she hears Mira plop back down her onto bed with a soft thud, her weapon slowly dissipating in unison.
She takes a deep breath, closes her eyes, and smiles like a dog facing a beautiful sunset.
"Fuck this."
Attempt #2
6:21 AM
"Your turn." Zoey hurriedly makes her away outside the room.
"I don't think I want my turn." Rumi says, voice somehow filled with both awe and apprehension as she stares at the hole in the wall.
"Too bad." Zoey sweetly bats her eyelashes at her and then scowls,"You don't have a choice."
Zoey grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her inside the room. "You said we should try, right?" She grabs the handle with a death grip and flashes her a smile so forced that Rumi swears she can hear the sounds of teeth gritting together. "Have fun!"
The door slams shut in her face, the sound reverberating throughout the room.
Rumi takes a short glance behind her and the sight of their pink haired sleeping beauty, back against the world, sleeping peacefully, unbothered and indifferent.
"Of course, that doesn't wake her up." She huffs, lips arching into a smile despite the predicament that she's in.
Her head swivels back to the door, she takes a deep breath and disappears in a puff of pink smoke.
Rumi teleports directly to the edge of her bed, back against her curtains. She can feel the sunlight slowly creeping in the room. She wishes it would come faster.
She crouches down, hugging her legs with both arms.
She softly whispers, "Mira."
No movement, no indication that she heard her either.
"Mir." This time loud, deliberate, and commanding. A tone that can only be heard when she's acting as their leader.
Nothing.
She lets out a fond sigh and tries something else.
Rumi gently pokes at her cheek like a child asking their parents for something.
"Mira."
She watches her face scrunch at the contact and swats her hand away.
Finally, a reaction.
So she pokes again. "Mira."
"Mir." She pinches her cheek. That earns her a groan.
She's getting somewhere.
She pinches the bridge of her nose. "Mimi."
And then her cheek again. "Mi."
"MirAAGH."
Mira grabs her hand and glares at her, eyes glazing over, still full asleep. She looks at her as if she just murdered her entire family—her and Zoey, specifically.
Mira tugs her closer and Rumi is suddenly pulled and swallowed by the warm duvet covers as Mira embraces her with the strength of ten men.
"Mira..?" She wheezes out. A question, not a statement this time.
Still no response. Rumi can feel warm breath, steady and deep as Mira rests her head on the crook of her neck.
She lovingly sighs. "Still fast asleep."
She tries to disentangle herself but to no avail. Every time she moves, Mira squeezes the air out of her lungs as she holds on to her for dear life.
"Why the hell are you so strong when you're asleep." She grunts, prying her arms away from her. Mira doesn't relent and only hugs her tighter.
And then a realization.
"Oh wait." In a flash of pink, she's back outside the bedroom door, slightly stumbling.
She almost forgot that she could teleport.
"So?" Zoey asks, one eyebrow raised, sitting cross-legged on the floor. "I thought you died, I couldn't hear anything."
"Almost did, she pulled me into her bed and used me as a human-sized teddy bear." Rumi simply says, patting the creases off her clothes.
Zoey stares at her, mouth agape, processing what she just said. Rumi blinks at her in return and leans over to offer a hand.
Zoey grabs it and pulls her closer. Her other hand grabs the collar of her shirt.
"She cuddles you and I get my guts almost skewered out of my body!?" Zoey pauses and then her head dips in defeat." "How is this fair?"
Rumi's mouth opens to answer—
"If you say skill issue I won't cuddle with you for a week."
—and promptly closes at the threat.
"Good girl."
Attempt #3
6:43 AM
"This isn't going to work." Rumi points out, reluctantly plugging in the speaker's cables to their designated outlets.
Zoey positions them in a way that surrounds Mira's bed. "I screamed earlier and she moved a bit, so in theory it should work."
"I'm telling you it's not because of the noise that she moved." Rumi tiredly says, resting both her arms and head on top of the giant ass speakers Zoey asked her to haul down.
"I mean—" Zoey grunts as she pushes the last one in place. "—it doesn't hurt to try right?"
Rumi backs away to the wall and covers her ears with her hands. "Be my guest."
Zoey takes that as the go signal and presses the play button.
The last song plays and Rumi switches the speakers off and turns her head towards Zoey. Face smug and arrogant, in the "I told you so" way.
"Told you." She voices it out and drawls her words for emphasis.
Zoey rolls her eyes and stares back at Mira still asleep, still clearly unbothered by the world around her.
"How the fuck did she sleep through all that noise?" She asks in disbelief.
"You're one to talk. The two of you could sleep through anything." Rumi retorts, half amused and half worried. "Remind me not to leave you two alone in the mornings."
"I hate that you're right." Zoey begrudgingly agrees.
"I always am." Rumi states as if it were a fact.
"Someone, ought to knock you down a peg."
Rumi flashes her a toothy grin, tiny fangs slightly poking out. "And here I thought you were the one who liked being pegged?"
"Excuse me?" Zoey's head jerks back, eyes narrowing into a squint. "First of all, yes I do. Second of all, says you?"
A pause and then Rumi lets out a hearty laugh. The glare on Zoey's face slightly softens.
"I can see why you enjoy ragebaiting me and Mira." Rumi says, carefully removing the cables.
"You're insufferable this morning." Zoey rolls her eyes and does the same.
"Blame it on the sleep."
Silence fills the room, only their shared breaths, the soft pops, and rustling of wires as they start untangling them are the only sounds that can be heard.
"You suck at this."
"And you can suck my nonexistent di—"
"Attempt" #7
7:43 AM
"Maybe we should just try taking her blanket?" Rumi offers, as they try to brainstorm one final attempt.
"That's her favorite blanket, Rums." Zoey says, clearly not fond of the idea. "I'm not even going to try."
"I mean what's the worse that could happen?"
Zoey points at the wall and then to herself.
"Point taken."
"Okay, but what if—"
"Rumi, I almost went to heaven."
"I'm pretty sure you said that like a few nights ago."
"Ugh." Zoey runs a hand across her face. "Shut up."
8:00 AM
Mira wakes up to her two dead tired girlfriends sprawled on top of her blanket, their studio speakers inside her room, and electrical wires exposed by the slit shaped hole inside her wall.
"What the fuck?"
HUNTR/X Tower Unwritten Rule #2 (Updated!):
Never wake them up before 8:00 am (without prior notice)