Chapter Text
Tonight the air in the apartment was warm. Rumi sat on the couch scrolling through the HUNTR\X social media page. It was really the only time she ever got on social media.
There were photos up the editing team had just perfected that afternoon, and the likes on it were rising fast. The photos were promoting their new single "Tiger Stripes". In the photo Zoey and Mira were paired at Rumi's side, Mira with a steadying arm around her shoulder, and Zoey with hers around her waist. Rumi was in the center with her own arms around herself looking at the camera, whereas Zoey and Mira were looking at her.
Rumi smiled faintly while looking at the photo, before she decided to look at the comments.
zoeyslefttoenail: "hello do we see the way Mira's looking at Rumi?? their girlfriend's I'm calling it now"
HUNTR\X #1 fan: "I'm so excited for this song to come out, I just have a feeling it's going to kill me"
ava<3: "I wonder what this song is about, tiger stripes is defo a weirder name than what they usually have"
Rumi frowned faintly at that last comment, her hand coming up to brush her arm. Her patterns. The public couldn't see them, no... normal people could see them. It was Zoey's idea to make a song about her patterns. Said it was time to embrace them, to love them for, not what they were, but what they symbolized.
-
Zoey plopped onto Rumi's bed with one of her grins, and one of her notebooks in hand, her eyes never failing to study the patterns she no longer felt the need to hide with such, reverence. Mira followed in slowly after her, unlike her usual self Mira looked nervous, and watched Zoey with a warning. Rumi glanced between the two, smiling at Zoey but arching a brow at Mira.
"Before she begins speaking, Rumi just know you don't have to do this if you don't want too. She wouldn't listen to me about pushing too far," Mira said sitting down on the other side of Rumi, her knee brushing against hers, as her eyes dropped to her patterns for a moment before looking back up at Rumi with, her protectiveness. Always the protector.
Rumi glanced between them both confused. "Don't have to do what?," She asked suspiciously.
Zoey now hesitating when she caught Mira's eye, slowly opened the notebook in her hands. She flipped through the pages of her messy scribbles of lyrics, and random doodles. Before she landed on a page with surprisingly neat handwriting like she had really put thought into this one. She extended the notebook to Rumi, then and watched her nervously.
Rumi took the notebook and read the top page "Tiger Stripes", labeled at the top, in what was neat handwriting considering Zoey was the one who wrote it. The lyrics were, pretty, poetic, and so vulnerable Rumi wondered how Zoey wrote this. How did Zoey know this was exactly how Rumi felt? Rumi's lips parted faintly, almost a smile, yet almost a frown all at the same time, as she continued reading.
Finally she set the book down and looked over at Zoey who smiled nervously, so quiet for a girl who usually did everything to make her presence known. "Do you like it?" She asked, watching Rumi.
Rumi looked back down at the notebook, then at Mira, who was also watching Rumi with nervousness, even if her expression was blank Rumi just knew. Then Rumi looked away smiling faintly, but not happily. "Yeah, it seems really pretty."
"But?..." Zoey asked seeing the smile on Rumi's face.
"But... I-..." Rumi began before realizing she didn't know what she wanted to say.
"It's too vulnerable." Mira finished what Rumi couldn't. Rumi nodded faintly looking back down at the lyrics.
"You wanted to make this a song?" Rumi finally asked. She was in work mode, maybe if she just thought about it as any other song she could ignore what it meant.
Zoey hesitated before nodding, "Yeah, I thought it'd be nice to make a song about your patterns. To show that... They aren't something to fear, to be ashamed of."
"No one can see them except us Zoey, I don't think anyone's scared of them." Rumi said with a small huff looking up at the smaller girl with obvious amusement. But Zoey frowned and gave her a small look. "I know that. I'm talking about you Ru."
There was a moment of silence after that, all three girls looking down at the patterns on Rumi's arms before she shook her head. "I'm not scared of them... Not anymore."
"But you used to be..." Zoey said shifting closer to Rumi so she could wrap her arms around her waist, the casual affection Zoey always gave both Mira and Rumi without realizing it made their insides warm. "And... I don't know. I just thought it'd be a sweet metaphor for embracing them. Loving them for what they symbolize."
"They symbolize I'm half a demon," Rumi murmured but leaned into Zoey anyways. At that though, Mira shook her head looking Rumi in her eyes. "No they don't, it symbolizes healing Rumi. The patterns on the surface don't mean anything, but the patterns left inside you... What the marks mean to you, and to us? It's all strength. And endurance." Mira said in a soft voice they didn't always hear from her. But realizing how sentimental she got, Mira looked away her cheeks faintly flushing as she muttered, "Or that's what you meant right Zo?"
That made both Rumi and Zoey laugh softly. Mira, always the stoic. Always the stability but she'd never admit how much she loved to be stable for them. Then Zoey nodded softly pulling back to look at Rumi "Exactly what the big softie over there said." Mira groaned at the name making them all laugh again. Then Rumi smiled, and finally agreed to the song.
-
Rumi looked at the post one last time before turning off her phone and setting it on the coffee table. She got up from the couch and walked through the girls shared penthouse, down the hallway to the bedrooms. She was just going to take a shower and probably lay down, she had been tired from the photoshoots today, then she walked past Mira's bedroom. The door was cracked and she heard laughing inside. She stopped and peaked in through the cracked door. Zoey was on Mira's bed climbing over her with a slimy face mask as Mira was on her back laughing as she tried to push Zoey away. "Zoey no, I do not want to wear that right now. You know I don't like the slimy ones!" But Zoey giggled and kept trying to put the mask on Mira. "What do you mean 'the slimy ones'? Their all slimy Mir!"
Rumi faintly smiled in amusement watching them wrestle each other over a face mask. Then Zoey accidentally let the face mask slip from her hands. Mira gasped as the face mask landed on her chest, the serum from it already seeping through her tank top. Zoey giggled and pulled back looking at Mira who had her jaw dropped. Then she looked up and glared at Zoey, "Zoey." She said deadpan. Zoey then dropped her smile and mocked Mira's glare, furrowing her brows with exaggeration. "Mira."
That made Rumi huff with a laugh before she decided to walk away to her room. Zoey and Mira were so chaotic, Rumi really loved it. Loved them.
-
Rumi sat on the edge of her bed braiding her long hair that was still damp from her shower. She was spacing out quietly as she stared at the floor. One side of her mind was on the song that was said to be released in two weeks. The other side of her mind was on Mira and Zoey. And how thankful she was to have friends like them.
Zoey was so encouraging. She pushed Rumi to be the best she could. And when shit got to be too heavy, she was always there with something to make anyone laugh. Zoey who always left her heart on her sleeve with nothing but bravery.
And then Mira.
Mira with her regalness. Mira always there to steady Rumi or Zoey, with either a squeeze on their shoulders, or a little talk Mira would never admit to giving. Mira with her glares at anyone who could be a potential threat. But also a playfulness she only got with Rumi and Zoey.
Rumi smiled thinking of her friends when the door was knocked on, it cracked open a moment later with Mira's head peaking in. "Can I come sit with you? Zoey keeps ambushing me with face masks." Rumi smiled and nodded gesturing to the bed as her nimble fingers continued to braid her long purple locks.
It was silent and peaceful between the two of them. Mira silently watching Rumi's hair come together and Rumi still silently in her own head (in the good way). Then Mira suddenly spoke up "You know, your patterns are really pretty." A pause. "Like, objectively." Mira muttered the last part looking away with her usual embrassment after she said something sweet. Rumi glanced over at Mira, surprised for a moment before she smiled. "Thank you" She replied quietly deciding to not make a deal out of Mira's embarrassment.
Mira nodded and glanced around Rumi's room. It was always so tidy and minimalistic. Then she sighed softly. Rumi glanced over at her wondering silently what was wrong. But before she could ask, Mira began to speak. "Listen, I didn't really like him but... I know he meant something to you. If you want to talk about him, I... I'm here."
She didn't have to say Jinu's name for Rumi to know that's who she was talking about. Rumi nodded slowly finally tying the end of her long braid, pulling her knees up onto her bed to her chest as she turned to Mira but still looked at the floor. "Yeah..." She said. "Thank you." Mira nodded as well. Another pause of silence passed before Rumi smiled. "I don't know. Jinu he was... He was the first one to know. I mean, other than Celine and my mom obviously. And he made it seem like it was normal. Which it probably was to him. I don't know, I'm sure we could've been friends if..." Rumi trailed off, before realizing Mira was watching her. She looked up at Mira and smiled faintly rubbing the back of her neck. But instead of encouraging her to go on Mira just nodded and reached out to squeeze Rumi's knee before pulling back.
The bedroom door opened then. Zoey peaked her head in and gasped at the two of them. "You two are having deep talks without me! I can tell!" Mira and Rumi both started to laugh as Zoey walked in and plopped on the bed splaying her legs in Mira's lap. "Shame on you both. For shame." She said, before all three of them burst out into more laughter.
Yeah, Rumi thought. Jinu and her could've been friends if not for Gwi-Ma. But she was very happy with the two best friends she had sitting there in bed with them. And in that moment it really did seem like enough for her.