I've been studying old miniature for a while now but I forgot I learned that one of the elements in persian illumination is called Eslimi and it's a floral, leaf like design usually drawn in the centre of the composition
Another name for Eslimi is Rumi. and Rumi is usually a part of a pattern. Get it? Nevermind
zoey and rumi being really bitey to show affection and biting mira on her shoulders and arms and hands and legs whenever they’re lazing around and mira just lets it happen and barely bats an eye but never really reciprocates which is fine because zoerumi can simultaneously bite each other whenever they want so it’s not like they’re lacking the bite marks UNTIL ONE DAY when mira is lying half asleep on top of both of them and they’re poking fun at her over something and she rolls her eyes but in her exhaustion can’t form any words so she retaliates by gently chomping on the closest person’s arm and both of them start freaking out and squealing like their skittish cat has finally come out of hiding to cuddle up against them and mira’s like ???? as they both slap each other and kick their feet and grin at her
Zookeepers zoey and mira vs that one strange quiet girl thats constantly near the tiger exhibit on weekdays. They both work in that area; mira actively with the Sumatrans and Zoey nearby in the reptile house. Finally after watching this woman hover for almost three months they go up to ask what shes doing and catch rumi working on little watercolor paintings of the tigers. Mira almost cries, she can recognize the individuals in the paintings. They end up being fast friends and start chatting when everyone has the time. It gets to the point where Zoey begs rumi to come do some of the snakes portraits which rapidly turns into ‘what animals does rumi need to paint this week’ and a hoard of gifted art stuck to every surface of the office spaces.
Thank you, thank you, thank you once again to the amazing @princington for this absolutely gorgeous commission and for letting me play around in the Bean Salad AU.
Ha-Young finally gets to meet her little sister. I'm working on a story to go with this, but given my glacial writing speed, it may be a while.
grace, who has been alone for five minutes: oh my god. an alien! im not alone anymore! i hope he wants to be friends :)
rocky, coming up on 50 years of solitude, imprinting on grace in ways baby ducklings can only dream of: if you leave me to sleep where i can't watch your heart beat i am blowing up this tunnel with us both in it
Here is the next part to my Polytrix x Reader Fic, We're a Team, Maybe More.
The girls are recovering and Y/N is starting to realize that maybe, she isn't seeing things the way they should be. Misunderstandings happen and plunges the team into turmoil
This one brings back my favorite thing...angst. Enjoy!
Warnings: Language, Bullying, Self Doubt, Misunderstandings, References to Childhood Neglect/Abuse, References to Physical/Mental Torture, slight violence
Rumi sat with her head low, staring at her hands. At the patterns along her skin. She’d shown them. She’d shown them what she really was. It’d been roughly 24 hours since the whole ordeal happened. Zoey was still asleep and Y/N was keeping watch. Mira went in and out of the room, checking on their youngest member. They were all worried. Stressed that she wouldn’t wake up. Rumi clenched her hands tightly, feeling her nails bite into her skin. She should’ve done more. Even with her power, she’d been too slow.
Gentle hands found her own and she glanced up, seeing Mira kneeling in front of her. Her girlfriend gave her a soft smile as she pried her hands apart.
“You’re hurting yourself,” Mira murmured. Rumi shook her head and averted her gaze. She was, but that was the only thing she could control right now. “Can we talk?”
Rumi’s head shot up and she looked at Mira in alarm. Those words didn’t sound good. Mira’s eyes widened and she shook her head, bringing Rumi’s hands to her lips.
“Not like that, jagiya. Not like that,” Mira quickly explained. Rumi shakily sighed and Mira stood before sitting next to her on the bed. “You hid yourself.”
“Yeah.”
“To protect us?”
“Yeah. I-I was scared I’d lose control…like I did with Eomeoni.”
Mira ran her fingers along her knuckles. “The incident that made Celine quit…that was you?”
Rumi nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. “I didn’t mean to hurt her. I let my emotions get to me and I lost control. Eomma assured me it wasn’t my fault, but it was. I hurt her.”
“So, you wear that ring to hurt yourself?” Mira asked. Rumi flinched and glanced to her nightstand. The ring caught the light, reminding her of its presence.
“It wasn’t intentional. I thought it’d just mask my power,” Rumi answered. She looked down at her hands, seeing the dark, swirling purple. “I hate these patterns. They…they remind me of how dangerous I am.”
Mira remained quiet as she continued to run her fingers along Rumi’s knuckles. Rumi couldn’t tell if she was mad at her. Couldn’t tell what she was thinking.
“Are you…are you mad at me?”
“Yes,” Mira answered. Rumi squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the ache in her chest. Damnit. “I’m mad at you, but I’m more…hurt by you lying.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“You still did. But I understand why. I’m more upset by the fact that you were hurting yourself than anything else,” Mira spoke. Her hand cupped her face, lifting it. Watery brown eyes stared back at her. “I don’t like you being hurt, Rumi.”
“I’d rather be hurting than ever hurting you.”
“You don’t know that you’ll hurt me. You did so when you were younger. That’s not something you can change or control. But now? Now, we can work on that. I’ll help you learn to trust yourself…”
“I hear a but there.”
“But you don’t get to keep hiding things and hurting yourself.”
Mira leaned forward, resting her forehead against her own. “You don’t have to do this alone.”
“I-I’m sorry,” Rumi stammered. Mira pulled her closer, hugging her tightly.
“It’s okay. I should apologize too. I got mad at you for keeping a secret, but yelling at you wasn’t right. Questioning you wasn’t right. I should’ve just trusted you or gone about it differently,” Mira spoke. She kissed her nose before leaning back. “I’m also sorry for falling for Chi’s taunting. You wouldn’t have had to deal with this had I just listened.”
Rumi gave her a shaky smile. “I guess we both need to work on communicating.”
“I guess so,” Mira wetly chuckled. Rumi leaned forward and kissed her. It was a soft kiss that she felt Mira smile into. A loving one that made them melt. Mira pulled away with a hum. “Did you know your patterns glow?”
“What?” Rumi questioned, looking down at her hands. They were indeed glowing. They were gold. She blushed and covered her eyes with a groan. “Why?”
“Huh, pink is embarrassed. Noted.”
“Mira!”
“What? I’m just making an observation,” Mira chuckled. Rumi pouted and lowered her hands, seeing the amusement on her girlfriend’s face. “Can you promise me something?”
“What?”
“Can you try to wear that ring less? I know that you might not stop completely, but can you at least give yourself a break from it?”
“…I’ll try.”
“Okay,” Mira smiled. She stood and held out her hand. “Want to check on Zoey with me?”
Rumi nodded and took Mira’s hand. She pulled her to her feet and the two of them headed for Zoey’s. A sharp pinch to her butt made her yelp. “Hey!”
“Yup, embarrassed. Just had to make sure.”
“I-you-why?!”
“I just wanted to double check,” Mira hummed. She leaned in close, whispering into her ear.
“For the record, I think you look very sexy with the patterns. I bet you look even sexier without any clothes on.”
Rumi’s face heated and her patterns glowed brighter. “Stop that!”
Mira chuckled and knocked on the door. They heard Y/N say enter and they opened it. The woman was sitting on a chair next to the bed, strategically placed between the door and Zoey.
“How is she?”
“Still asleep. She did mumble something about an octopus though.”
“Did you learn something?”
“Apparently, octopuses have three hearts,” Y/N shrugged. She leaned back in her chair, rubbing at her leg. There was still damage from being in the water and then in the cold. Rumi had called her mom, and she’d stated that she’d come visit later today. “Don’t look at me like that.”
“Like what?” Rumi asked. Y/N glanced at them with a glare. Right. Rumi sighed while Mira moved to the woman’s side. She carefully lifted the edge of Y/N’s shorts, revealing the irritated skin.
“Can you remove this?” Mira asked.
“I have no idea how,” Y/N answered. Rumi made a mental note to ask her mom how to remove the leg. Mira nodded and went to the bed, adjusting the blankets around Zoey. “She keeps flailing around and kicking the blankets off.”
“She needs to keep them on. Being out in the cold like that and using all her magic will make her sick.”
“You try telling her that,” Y/N grumbled. Mira smiled and Rumi went to her side, grabbing a blanket from the dresser. She draped it over Y/N’s shoulders and pulled it tight around her.
“You need to rest.”
“Once Zoey wakes up.”
“She could be out for an hour, maybe even another day. It just depends on how she feels,” Rumi argued. She cupped Y/N’s face, making her meet her gaze. Her Y/E/C eyes were so tired. She could see the fatigue in her entire body. “Rest. I’ll wake you up the second Zoey does.”
“…okay,” Y/N relented. She went to sit on the floor, and Mira stopped her with a gentle hand on her shoulder.
“You are not sleeping on the floor.”
“But—”
“Get your ass on the bed. It’s big enough for the two of you,” Mira interrupted. Y/N huffed and allowed Mira to pull her onto the bed. She reluctantly lied next to Zoey, keeping herself at an arm’s length. Her body was tense as she stared at Zoey’s sleeping face. Mira reached down, carding her fingers through the woman’s hair. Y/N let out a content sigh. “Sleep. We’ll wake you up when Zoey does.”
Y/N’s body slowly relaxed and Rumi made sure she was tucked in. The woman’s breathing quickly deepened as she fell asleep.
“That didn’t take long,” Mira pointed out.
“That’s because you’re giving her a head massage,” Rumi teased. Mira half-heartedly glared at her as she continued to run her fingers through Y/N’s hair. “You aren’t doing a good job at denying those cinnamon roll comments.”
“I will kick you off the bed,” Mira deadpanned. Rumi chuckled and went to sit on the other side of Zoey. The maknae scooted closer to her, hand blindly reaching out. Rumi gently took it and ran her thumb along her knuckles. “I hate to say it, but they’re cute right now.”
“That’s creepy, Mir.”
“Oh, fuck off.”
Rumi stuck her tongue out at her before lying down beside Zoey. “Have I ever told you how much I like our big bed?”
“Almost every day,” Mira groaned. She didn’t move from her spot, but her own posture relaxed. Rumi was glad that she was comfortable enough to relax. “You can sleep if you want.”
“I’m not tired,” Rumi yawned. Mira raised an eyebrow at her, making her grumble. “Wake me up in thirty minutes.”
“Okay.”
Rumi ran through the trees, chasing her target. She knew what she needed to do. She knew how she needed to do it. Her body thrummed with power as she ran. She’d never felt this power in her body. She’d always felt weak. Her target was only a few feet in front of her and she growled, claws extending as she did. They were right there and she was going to catch them. She lunged, colliding solidly with the person before them. Her claws tore into soft flesh, eliciting a cry of pain from them. She frowned at the familiarity to that cry. She stared down at her target, eyes widening as she did. Mira. Her girlfriend was gasping for breath, wheezing and failing to fill her lungs. How could she? Her throat was torn out. Her chest too. Mira gaped at her and Rumi frantically tried to stop the bleeding.
“You killed her,” Zoey accused. Rumi twirled, seeing the maknae standing behind her. She had a bleeding chest wound, face ashen as she glared at her. Y/N lied dead at her feet, blood pooling beneath her. “Like you killed us.”
Rumi woke with a gasp, shooting up to clutch her chest. Her heart was beating erratically while her chest seemed to constrict. She couldn’t breathe! Hands found her face, forcing her to turn. Mira firmly held her, eyes swimming with worry. Her mouth moved, but Rumi couldn’t figure out what she was saying. She shook her head and squeezed her eyes shut. It hurt to breath. Everything hurt. A hand pressed against her own, pushing harder against her chest. She glanced down, seeing the bits of scales there. Y/N. She took an exaggerated breath and Rumi frowned at her. Y/N huffed and did it again. Mira copied and took Rumi’s free hand, placing it against her own chest. She felt her chest expand, then retract with her large breaths. Rumi took the hint and copied their breathing. She breathed deeply into Y/N’s hand in sync with Mira. The tightness in her chest started to loosen and it became easier for her to hear.
“You’re alright, jagiya. Breathe with us,” Mira calmly spoke. Rumi leaned forward, resting her forehead against Mira’s shoulder. Her girlfriend gently scratched the back of her neck, making her shiver. “I’ve got you.”
“S-sorry.”
“Don’t you dare apologize,” Mira countered. Rumi closed her eyes, feeling guilty about the entire ordeal. She’d woken Y/N. Made Mira worried. That wasn’t fair to either of them. “Did you have a nightmare?”
Rumi nodded in response.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Rumi shook her head and opened her eyes once more, seeing the glow to her hands. The patterns along her skin were glowing a dark purple. Great. Y/N retracted her hand and got off the bed.
“I’ll get you some water.”
“Thank you,” Rumi thanked. Y/N headed out and Rumi took that chance to wrap her arms around Mira’s waist. She buried her face against her chest, crying softly against her.
“Was it that bad of a nightmare?”
“T-terrible.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“Not now. Later?” Rumi mumbled. Mira kissed the top of her head with a hum.
“Later,” Mira affirmed. Rumi heard shuffling from the bed, and she quickly wiped her tears away. “Hey, Zoey. How’re you feeling?”
“Tired,” Zoey grumbled.
“Understandable. You used a lot of mana,” Mira nodded. Zoey yawned and Rumi turned, seeing her rubbing at her eyes.
“How long was I asleep?”
“About 24 hours.”
“Oh…have you been sitting here the whole time?”
“We have. Y/N too. She stepped out to get me water,” Rumi answered. Speaking of. Y/N walked into the room and her eyes landed on Zoey.
“You’re up!” Y/N beamed. Wow. That was a blinding smile. Y/N went straight to the bed and pressed the back of her hand against Zoey’s forehead. “You don’t feel hot. So, no sickness from using too much mana.”
“You act like I would be dumb enough to get sick.”
“Not dumb. Selfless? Yes,” Y/N hummed.
“More like stubborn,” Mira grumbled. Rumi chuckled at the wide-eyed look Zoey gave her. “What? I’m not wrong.”
“You’re one to talk! You’re more stubborn than me!”
“Am not.”
“You kind of are, jagiya,”
Mira scowled and flicked Rumi in the head, making her yelp. “Hush, workaholic.”
“You and flicking,” Rumi grumbled. Y/N held out a water bottle to her and she gratefully took it. “Thanks.”
Y/N smiled before taking a seat on the floor by the bed. “What’s the plan for today?”
“Rest.”
“Studying.”
Rumi glanced back at Mira, seeing the scowl on her face. “We have to study.”
“WE need rest. We just had a fairly difficult fight.”
“We need to study. We have Finals coming up.”
“I for one can’t focus on studying,” Zoey mumbled. Y/N held up her hand.
“Agreed…movies?”
Zoey gasped and looked at them with excitement on her face. “Please?! Can we have a movie day?!”
Rumi sighed and leaned back against Mira. They really needed to study, but how could she say no to that face. “…fine. But you have to sit on that couch and do nothing but relax and refuel.”
“I can totally do that!” Zoey nodded.
“Whipped,” Mira softly snickered. Rumi elbowed her in the stomach, making her grunt. Y/N chuckled before standing.
“Let’s get you situated. Rumi and Mira can get snacks,” Y/N smiled. Zoey held up her arms to her, making her quirk an eyebrow. “Are your legs broken?”
“No. I’m just tired.”
“So, no movie?”
“Carry me?”
“…no.”
“Please?” Zoey pouted. Y/N groaned and reached down, easily picking up the maknae. Zoey giggled and wrapped her arms around her shoulder, making her huff.
“Don’t wiggle or I’m dropping you.”
“You wouldn’t!”
“Watch me,” Y/N grumbled. Rumi watched them go and Mira’s arms wrapped around her from behind. Her girlfriend rested her chin on her shoulder with a sigh.
“I hate that they are both adorable.”
“Me too…but it keeps things lively.”
“…you think they like each other?”
“Hard to say.”
“Do you think they like us?” Mira asked. Rumi turned to kiss Mira’s cheek.
“I think, we could ask them.”
“That’s a terrible idea.”
“So is staring at them like we are.”
“I-I am not staring!” Rumi protested. Mira tapped her cheek, right where one of her patterns were.
“Glowing,” Mira teased. Rumi groaned and dropped her head. She was already regretting not wearing her ring.
Point of View Change, Y/N
Y/N tiredly ran her fingers through her hair as she walked to the kitchen. It’d been a long night and even longer week. They’d been studying and training relentlessly. They had to figure out the extent of Rumi’s powers, and they wouldn’t let the woman do it alone. It was clear that she was stronger and faster. Teleportation was a thing too. They had to test how far she could go, but they had to be careful doing so. Teleporting left Rumi exhausted. It was a useless skill if they used it incorrectly. Mira had to testify against Chi, which took up much of her time. They told her they’d go with her, but she’d refused. She wanted to do it on her own and that left them to themselves.
Y/N opened the cupboard and pulled out four ramyeons before setting them on the counter. She started the kettle, then moved to the fridge to grab fruit. She couldn’t cook like Mira, so they had to survive on ramyeon. The woman would be ticked when she woke up, but at least they wouldn’t starve. Once the kettle clicked, Y/N poured the hot water into the ramyeons.
“Hmm, I smell food,” Rumi hummed. Y/N smiled and glanced over her shoulder, seeing the older woman sleepily entering the kitchen. Her purple hair was down for a change, and her patters were a soothing, translucent color. “Ramyeon?”
“Yup.”
“For breakfast?”
“I mean, I can get you cereal if you want,” Y/N countered. Rumi shook her head and grabbed chopsticks, placing them on the lids to keep them closed.
“Ramyeon for breakfast sounds amazing,” Rumi smiled. Y/N quickly cut the fruit, and Rumi started to help her. She stood close to her, shoulders brushing against each other as she did.
“Is Mira going to court again?”
“Yeah. She said it will hopefully be the last time.”
“…is she winning the case?”
“…I don’t know,” Rumi truthfully answered. Mira hadn’t said much when she returned. Each trip ended with her either collapsing on the couch or with her going to their gym. She was on edge. “She was tossing and turning a lot last night.”
Y/N hummed and continued to cut the fruit. Mira hadn’t had a chance to relax. She couldn’t. Not with Chi still free. Y/N tightened her grip on the knife. It was her fault that they were in this mess. Maybe she should’ve just stayed away longer. Chi might’ve left them alone if she hadn’t been there. Rumi gently placed her hand on her own, making her flinch.
“You’re thinking too hard,” Rumi murmured. Y/N glanced at the woman, seeing the concern on her face. The pinch between her eyebrows. “What’s going on in your head?”
“Maybe I’m thinking about how pretty you look with those patterns?” Y/N deflected. Rumi blushed and her patterns pulsed pink.
“I-you—” Rumi stammered. Y/N chuckled and patted her cheek.
“Don’t break yourself,” Y/N teased. Rumi sputtered and swatted her hand away.
“Then don’t just say things like that!”
“Say things like what?” Zoey asked. They turned, seeing the maknae tiredly walking towards them. Her hair was haphazard, sticking up in multiple directions. “Is that food?”
“Morning, Zoey,” Rumi smiled. Huh. That was one dopey smile. The fondness there shocked her. Did Rumi feel something for Zoey? “Did you sleep well?”
“Slept okay…Mira wouldn’t let me get up and I really had to pee,” Zoey answered. Y/N raised an eyebrow at Rumi, making her blush again.
“Ah, well I’ll go get her up. Why don’t you two go ahead and start eating?” Rumi quickly spoke. She hurried to their rooms and Y/N motioned to the ramyeons.
“Take those to the table?”
“Sure!” Zoey chimed. She dutifully grabbed two ramyeons, taking them to the table before grabbing the rest. Y/N finished the fruit and joined the woman. “How was your sleep?”
“Alright. It’s starting to get hot at night.”
Zoey groaned. “Tell me about it! I already run hot and adding Mira and Rumi, plus the blankets is awful! I should have them invest in a cooling blanket or something.”
“You sleep with them?” Y/N cautiously asked. Zoey blushed and picked up a ramyeon, taking off the cover to eat.
“I’ve been having a hard time sleeping, so they invited me to join them whenever I can’t.”
“When did that start?”
“When you were in the hospital,” Zoey softly answered. Ah. Makes sense. Y/N opened her own ramyeon and blew on it before taking a bite. The warmth of the noodles gave her a nice feeling in her chest. It warmed her up from the inside. Y/N glanced up at the younger woman and her eyes quickly darted away.
“What?”
“N-nothing,” Zoey stammered, stuffing her face with food. She grimaced at the heat but kept eating.
“You’re going to hurt yourself,” Y/N sighed. She went back to eating and felt Zoey’s eyes on her again. When she looked up, Zoey quickly looked away again. This happened a few more times before Y/N huffed at the woman. “Zoey.”
“What?”
“You’re staring.”
“I’m not.”
“Just tell me why you keep staring at me,” Y/N ordered. Zoey kept her gaze averted and Y/N shook her head. She stood from the table and headed back to the kitchen. She grabbed a few glasses, along with the orange juice container. When she turned, she saw Zoey staring at her…specifically at her leg. Y/N frowned and adjusted her posture.
“Um…do you need me to heal anything?”
“No.”
“Why don’t you sit? I’ll get whatever else you need.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m already up. I’ll get it.”
“But—”
“Zoey, I’m not broken,” Y/N snapped. Zoey flinched and Y/N held her gaze. She didn’t like getting snappy at her, but things were getting annoying. They were all treating her like she was fragile. All three of them. Even when they were training, they were holding back.
“I didn’t say you were broken,” Zoey mumbled. Y/N placed the glasses on the table with a huff.
“You didn’t have to. The way you look at me is enough.”
“I’m just—”
“I don’t need your pity, Zoey. Not yours, not Rumi’s, or Mira’s. This is why I didn’t tell you about my leg. I didn’t want this,” Y/N gestured between them. She saw the way Zoey shrunk and the way she bit her lip. Damn it. Y/N poured the juice before walking away. Rumi and Mira were walking towards them; twin frowns directed at her. She didn’t stop. She merely continued to her room. She needed to move.
Y/N felt the strain in her arms as she slammed her fists into the punching bag. She’d changed and gone straight to their gym. That had been an hour ago. She’d spent that first hour running at the fastest speed she could go, only stopping when her legs gave out under her. Now, she was taking out her frustration on the punching bag. Her hands were screaming at her to stop. Screaming at her to take a moment and properly bandage them. She didn’t want to. The pain was what she was striving for. Her next hit broke skin and she hissed, pulling her hand back to shake it out. There was a blood stain on the bag and her vision tunneled. She hit it again, seeing Hawke and her old team. She hit it again, seeing Mira get struck down by that humanoid dragon. She hit it again, seeing Rumi’s soft smile and Zoey’s bright one. They were always so kind to her and she was just…her. She snarled and her hands turned into claws. They tore into the bag, ripping it to pieces and sending sand spilling across the floor. Anger flared in her chest and she shook her head, heading for a second bag.
“You’re going to run yourself dry,” Mira spoke. Y/N ignored her and dismissed her claws to start punching at the bag again. She heard the woman approach, but she continued to hit the bag. Mira easily caught her wrist, and she glared at the woman. “Don’t give me that look. You need to stop.”
Y/N tried to pull her wrist free, but the woman merely tightened her grip. “Let go.”
“No. Doing this isn’t going to change what you said to Zoey. It’s not going to make that go away.”
“Good to know. Now, let go.”
Mira held her gaze and she was certain she’d let go…what she wasn’t expecting was for her to drop kick her. She gasped as she was sent staggering back and she barely got her arms up to block Mira’s next hit. The woman was always the strongest one of the four of them. All strength, but precise. Her hits were always carefully aimed. Carefully controlled. Her hands moved in a flurry of movements, making Y/N curse. She was too tired for this. Mira swiped her legs out from under her, and she hit the ground with a grunt. Before she could get up, Mira was on her. Her arm wrapped around neck while her legs pinned her arms to her side. “Tap out.”
Y/N growled and tried to wiggle free. She didn’t want to tap out. Mira tightened her grip and she glowered at her. She didn’t want to yield, but she also didn’t want to fight Mira. Not really. She tapped Mira’s arm, making her release her. She sat up, rubbing her hand along her neck with a grimace. “Are you done beating me up?”
“Are you done being an ass?”
Y/N glared at her and crossed her arms. “I won’t try anything if that’s what you mean.”
Mira sighed and sat up. “I guess we’ll start there…why’d you say what you did to Zoey?”
“I said what I said because I’m tired of her looking at me like I’m broken.”
“That’s not how she’s looking at you.”
“It is,” Y/N snapped. She lifted her gaze, glaring at Mira as she did. “It’s how all of you are looking at me. I’m not broken.”
“No…but you are hurting,” Mira pointed out. She leaned back on one of her hands before bringing up a knee to rest her other arm on. “There’s a difference between hurting and being broken. I’ve seen broken. That’s not what you are.”
“Sounds like the same thing to me,” Y/N grumbled. Mira’s eyes softened and she shook her head.
“They aren’t the same thing…but I can see why you think that. I used to think the same thing,” Mira spoke. Y/N frowned at the woman. What? “My family…wasn’t the best. My mother acted like I never existed and my father made me wish I didn’t exist. You’ve met my brother. He wasn’t any better. Living under that roof felt like Hell. I never knew what I was waking up to. I never knew what my father would put me through or how my brother would hurt me. My mother didn’t even take care of me when they did end up hurting me. She always said I deserved it. A problem child that was getting too wild, especially when my powers started to manifest. I started fighting back. I got into fights with everyone. I couldn’t make friends and I thought it was because I was broken.”
Y/N saw the way her eyes darkened. Saw the pain that flashed in her gaze.
“I thought I would be alone forever…then, I met Rumi. I snapped at her, but the pain in my ass didn’t take no for an answer. She just kept pushing and pushing until I finally punched her.”
“…seriously?”
“Yup. Punched her right in the gut. She keeled right over.”
“Then what?”
“Then, she punched me back. We got into a fist fight that ended with us bleeding and bruised.”
“And that helped how?”
“In a strange way, it calmed me. I lost that fight, but Rumi still helped me up. She still tended to my wounds before her own. She didn’t let me pull away. She stayed,” Mira answered. Y/N saw the smile that came to Mira’s face. The fondness and love. “She showed me that I wasn’t broken like I thought. She showed me that I was just hurting from a pain that needed mending. I learned to love her before I loved myself, but she made sure to teach me that I wasn’t a problem child. That I deserved to be cared for and loved.”
Y/N looked down at her hands. Deserved to be loved. Mira did deserve to be loved. She was kind. Gentle in a way that only they got to see. She radiated this aura that threatened anyone who tried to hurt them, but she treated them with a gentleness that made her stomach flutter. “I’m glad Rumi showed you how to love yourself.”
“It took time, but she didn’t give up on me,” Mira hummed. She gently placed her hand on her own, squeezing it. “For the record, I won’t give up on you either. I don’t think you’re broken. I think the world has done nothing but show you hate and I think you deserve people who care for you. You deserve people who show you how to love yourself.”
Y/N stared down at their hands, feeling a tightness in her chest. She couldn’t tell if she wanted to cry or pass out. This was too much. “…you like Zoey…don’t you?”
Mira’s hand tensed and she looked up, seeing the shocked look on her face.
“You and Rumi like Zoey.”
“…we do,” Mira slowly answered. Y/N smiled and nodded. How could they not like her? She was the embodiment of sunshine. A light in the dark. She was kind to everyone, and her bubbliness was almost infectious. She was too good for this world.
“I think you and Rumi should talk to her. I think she likes you two as well,” Y/N spoke. She pulled her hand free from Mira before standing. They’d be good together. Rumi and Mira could give Zoey the love she deserved. “Ask her out and go on a date.”
“Y/N,” Mira softly spoke. Y/N glanced down at her, seeing the confusion in her eyes. The sight made her quickly look away.
“I can find you a place to take her. I think I know the perfect place for a first date,” Y/N spoke. She headed for the door, ignoring Mira calling out to her. She couldn’t keep looking at her. She’d cave if she did. She’d spout what she was actually feeling if she kept looking at her. Y/N quickly headed to her room and closed her door, leaning against it to slide to the floor. She’d really just done that. She’d told Mira to ask Zoey out. She tangled her fingers in her hair with a heavy sigh. Her chances now were non-existent…but she’d give up everything just to make sure they were happy. Y/N went to her desk and picked up her phone, searching for the place she knew Zoey would like. The aquarium. She always raved about how she wanted to visit it. Y/N purchased three tickets, then sent them to the group message.
Sunshine: ??? R we going to the aquarium?!
Tiger: In the middle of the day?
CinnamonRoll: There’s only 3 tickets
Y/N: I have things to do but I saw the special exhibit and thought u 3 should go
Sunshine: But it won’t be as fun if we aren’t all there
Y/N rolled her eyes and quickly typed back: Just bring me back a souvenir
Tiger: Go with us next time?
Next time. Would there be a next time? Well, likely, but Y/N shouldn’t be involved with that. She couldn’t be. A separate message dinged from Mira and Y/N opened it.
CinnamonRoll: U can come u know
Y/N: I know. U 3 have fun. Tell me about it when u get back?
CinnamonRoll: Alright
CinnamonRoll: We’re talking when I get back
Y/N left Mira on read and placed her phone down. She wasn’t entirely lying. She did have things to do. Things that would be easier without the women interrupting her. Her hands throbbed and she glanced down at her split knuckles. Right. She needed to tend to those. First fix up her hands, then she’d get to work.
Point of View Change, Mira
Mira couldn’t help but smile at the way Zoey was vibrating next to her. They were sitting in the back of the car, waiting to arrive at the aquarium. Rumi was sitting on her other side, and she was also smiling at Zoey. The maknae was just way too excited between them. “I’m guessing you’re excited to go?”
“I am so excited! I have my ocean notebook ready to go! I’ve got facts about turtles, sharks, seals, and reef fish!”
“How about lionfish? I like those,” Rumi asked. Zoey nodded and opened her notebook, rifling through it before pointing excitedly.
“Here! They can live up to fifteen years and even live down to depths of a thousand feet! They are really versatile!”
“Huh, that’s cool,” Rumi smiled, looking at the notebook. Mira glanced at it too and she was amazed by the detail in the drawing.
“You’re an amazing artist, Zo,” Mira complimented. Zoey blushed and Mira pointed at one of the colorful tabs. “Is that one for sharks?”
“Y-yup!”
“Got any facts about tiger sharks?” Mira asked. Zoey nodded and turned the pages to the one she was looking for. Mira leaned in close and she could smell Zoey’s apple scented shampoo.
“T-tiger sharks can turn their stomachs inside out to regurgitate things they can’t digest.”
“Sick,” Mira grinned. Tiger sharks were aggressive, but there was something mesmerizing about how they moved in the water. She glanced at Zoey, seeing the deep blush on her face. The way she was practically holding her breath. Mira hummed and leaned close to her ear. “Breathe, Zo. You’re going to make yourself sick.”
“Yeah, don’t stop breathing. It’s important to not stop breathing,” Rumi teased. Zoey straightened with a squeak.
“I-I’m breathing!”
Mira shared a shit-eating grin with Rumi before leaning back. This was going to turn into an amusing trip.
At the aquarium, Mira and Rumi had to move quickly to keep up with Zoey. She was even more energetic the moment they stepped inside. She went to every exhibit with an interesting fact. Mira was impressed by how much information Zoey had. She was a literal walking textbook. Zoey kept taking pictures of them as they went, making sure to make them pose like tourists. It was demeaning, but also fun. At one point, Rumi got startled by a pufferfish, which had made Mira cackle and Zoey snort from laughing so hard. Her patterns had pulsed an amusing pink with her face an even deeper shade of red. She was so damn cute. They made their way through the aquarium, stopping at the gift shop before leaving. They all bought something for one another and then something for Y/N. It was amusing that they all picked something out for the woman.
After the aquarium, Mira had their driver take them to get dinner. It was strip of food stands along a pond. It was a nice place to eat and relax. Zoey chose a burger, Rumi chose kimbap, and Mira chose spicy ramyeon. They’d likely go back for seconds, but this was enough for now. They sat on the park bench to eat and relax.
“That was a lot of fun!” Zoey exclaimed, taking a bite of her burger. Rumi nodded and bit into her roll of kimbap.
“We should go again.”
“I for one wouldn’t mind going to a museum so I don’t smell like fish all day.”
Rumi leaned close and gave her a small sniff. “You do smell like fish.”
Mira scoffed and pushed her face away. “Okay, weirdo. Go back to gnawing on your kimbap.”
“Wherever we go, we should bring Y/N. She really missed out,” Zoey spoke. Mira nodded and took a bite of her own food. It had been her idea in the first place. She should’ve been there with them. Mira glanced at Zoey, seeing the bit of ketchup on the corner of her mouth. She reached over, using her thumb to wipe it away. Zoey’s face turned almost as red as the sauce and Mira hummed, putting her thumb in her mouth.
“You had a little something on your face,” Mira hummed. Zoey sputtered and Mira smirked, focusing back on her own food. “We should take food back for Y/N.”
“What should we get her?”
“Hmm, something light. Maybe a ramen?”
“How about that pho stand?”
“Are we just ignoring the fact that Mira just wiped ketchup off my face then ate it?” Zoey questioned. Mira turned, smirking at her.
“I did what? I don’t remember doing that.”
“You literally just did it!” Zoey exclaimed. Mira shrugged and Zoey scowled at her. “You are ridiculous.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mira countered. Rumi stuffed the rest of her kimbap in her mouth before standing. “Where you going?”
“I’m getting dessert.”
“Bring me back something?” Mira asked. Rumi smiled and leaned down, giving her a chaste kiss.
“Will do,” Rumi murmured before glancing at Zoey. “Do you want something?”
“Yeah! That’d be great!” Zoey beamed. Rumi kissed her forehead, making the woman’s blush return.
“I’ll be back,” Rumi hummed. She turned and headed for the food stalls. Zoey groaned and slid down in her seat.
“You two are going to kill me,” Zoey grumbled. Mira handed Zoey a napkin before finishing her ramyeon.
“This has been a fun day,” Mira pointed out. Zoey nodded and quickly finished her burger.
“It was fun. Thank you, for indulging me with my random facts.”
“They were interesting, that’s for sure. I didn’t know half of those facts.”
“Well, that’s what I’m here for! Interesting facts and all,” Zoey awkwardly chuckled. Mira turned and cupped her face, making her meet her gaze.
“I for one like you for more than just your interesting facts.”
“Y-yeah?”
“Yeah. You’re kind, smart, talented, and an amazing mage. You fill the room with your presence and make everything so much brighter," Mira complimented. Zoey blushed and lowered her gaze.
"I-I'm not too much?" Zoey softly stammered. Mira felt a spike of anger in her chest. Whoever told Zoey she was too much was going to find the sharp end of her gok-do.
“You’re never too much, Zo,” Mira argued. Zoey lifted her gaze, just slightly to look at her from below her lashes.
“Really?”
“Really,” Mira smiled. Zoey smiled softly at her and Mira could hear Y/N’s voice in her head. She could do this. God, why was this making her nervous?!
“Um…M-Mira?”
“Yes?”
“C-can I…” Zoey trailed off, eyes darting around her face.
“Can you?”
Zoey took a deep breath before speaking. “CanIkissyou?!”
Mira’s smile broadened and she leaned forward in response. Zoey met her halfway and their lips met softly. Her kiss was hesitant at first, but she quickly deepened it. Mira let her dictate the intensity of the kiss and she felt Zoey’s fingers tangle in her hair. She pulled back and saw the way Zoey’s eyes sparkled with mirth. “What?”
“You taste like spicy ramyeon,” Zoey giggled. Mira chuckled and kissed her nose, making her giggles intensify.
“It’s like I ate ramyeon or something.”
“Hey! Not fair!” Rumi exclaimed. Zoey shot back, eyes going wide in shock.
“Rumi! I just, um, we were just—”
“Kissing my girlfriend. Not like I can complain. She is hot.”
“Guilty,” Mira chuckled. Rumi cleared the distance between them, stuffing the desserts into Mira’s face as she did. “Hey!”
Rumi grabbed Zoey’s face to make her meet her gaze. “Can I kiss you too, Zoey?”
Zoey nodded and Rumi pulled her into a kiss. Mira saw the way Zoey’s shoulders relaxed and how Rumi smiled into the kiss. Mira sighed and took a bite of the pastry that had been shoved into her face. It was almost as sweet as the kiss happening in front of her. Zoey pulled back and glanced between them. “Does this mean you both like me?”
“I mean, I wouldn’t just kiss you for nothing.”
“Totally not. I just kissed you for shits and giggles,” Mira deadpanned. Rumi kicked her shin, making her yelp. “Ow! I was joking!”
“Be nice!” Rumi chastised. Mira rubbed at her shin and glared at her girlfriend. She’d make her pay for that later. Rumi’s phone rang and she frowned, taking it out to look at it. She excused herself before stepping away to answer.
“So, does this make us girlfriends?”
“If that’s what you want.”
“And if I tell you that I like Y/N too?” Zoey softly asked. Mira tilted her head with a smile.
“I’d say, I wouldn’t be upset by that.”
“Do you like her too?”
“I think I do,” Mira nodded. She wasn’t as sure as she was about her feelings for Zoey, but she couldn’t deny the pull she felt towards Y/N. The need to protect her and love her. It was more than just a friendship. Mira knew she wanted more. Rumi walked back to them and Mira straightened at the panicked look on her face. “Ru? What’s the matter?”
“I-Eomeoni called,” Rumi stammered. Mira stood and took her hands, bringing them to her lips to press a soft kiss to them. It helped ground Rumi enough to continue. “Eomma is hurt. She’s at the hospital.”
“What do you need?”
“I-I need to get to the hospital. Eomeoni said she’d tell me more when I got there.”
“Okay…Zoey?”
“I got us a car.”
Mira nodded and followed Zoey, keeping Rumi steady as she did. They’d help Rumi however they needed.
At the hospital, Zoey immediately asked the ER nurses for Mi-Yeong while Mira texted Y/N. She’d let her know that they were heading to the hospital and had promised to message her once they arrived. She’d responded with a thumbs up and a promise to be there soon.
“Aein?”
Rumi jumped and pushed away from Mira, running to Celine. “Eomeoni! Eomma, is she—is she okay?”
“Breathe, Aein,” Celine instructed, pulling her into her arms. Rumi relaxed against her and Mira awkwardly shifted from one foot to the other. Zoey came back to her, taking her hand.
“They said we’d have to talk to Celine,” Zoey whispered. Mira nodded and kept her gaze on Rumi. Celine pulled away enough to address them.
“Come. We have a private area to speak,” Celine spoke. They fell into step behind the older woman, heading deeper into the hospital. The farther they went, the more uneasy Mira felt. There was security everywhere. Celine pulled them to a stop outside a large window, gazing into it with a sigh. “There was an attack on her facility. She tried to fight but sustained severe injuries.”
Rumi’s breath hitched as she looked through the window. “Eomma.”
“The doctors have stabilized her. Their magic is healing her from the inside, out. Their main focus is the internal bleeding, then the broken bones,” Celine explained. Mira joined Rumi, looking through the window. Mi-Yeong was hooked up to monitors and I.V.s. There were bandages across her body while several mages focused on healing her. “They will likely put her into a medically induced coma until her injuries have stabilized.”
“H-how long?”
“As long as she needs.”
Rumi whimpered and her patterns turned a dark purple. Mira quickly pulled her into a tight embrace, running soothing hands along her back. The woman pressed her face against her neck and she felt her shaking.
“Do we know who did this?” Zoey asked, stepping closer to place her hand against the small of Rumi’s back.
“We have leads. The council will be looking into it. Soo-Ah is personally leading the investigation. We know this, it was a coordinated attack. Only Mi-Yeong’s division was targeted. No other part of the facility was touched.”
“Any casualties?”
“Five. Their next of kin are being notified,” Celine answered. Mira silently cursed and tightened her grip on Rumi. A coordinated attack. Who would attack a facility that focused on prosthetics? A facility that was aimed at helping those in need. Mi-Yeong’s facility was right beside one of the police branches. That would’ve been a better target. “Where is Y/N?”
“She’s on her way. She was at the penthouse,” Mira answered. Celine twirled to face her, eyes betraying the normal neutrality that she held.
“Tell her to stay at the penthouse.”
“I do—”
“Guys!” Y/N interrupted. Mira turned, seeing the woman running towards them. She only made it about halfway to them before she gasped, tumbling to the ground hard.
“Y/N!” Zoey exclaimed, going to run to her. There were blurs of movement and Zoey yelped as she was slammed against the nearest wall. Mira snarled and went to help her, only to be shoved to the ground and pinned. She squirmed under the solid hand against her head.
“Keep moving and I’ll have to break something,” the man above her threatened.
“Mira! Zoey! Eomeoni, let go!” Rumi shouted.
“You are taking this too far, Edward,” Celine growled. A man who Mira assumed was Edward came into her line of sight, looking down at Y/N’s writhing body in disgust.
“Orders from higher up. She is to be apprehended for the attack on Ryu Prosthetics,” Edward scowled. Upon closer inspection, Mira recognized him. He was the same man who’d intercepted them when they first reunited with Y/N. He turned the face of his watch and Y/N’s body jolted, then seized.
“Stop it!”
“I’ll rip your fucking hand off! Let her go!”
“Do that and you’ll be apprehended next,” Edward seethed. He turned and his eyes landed on Rumi. “You were supposed to be watching her.”
“I-I have been.”
“Then how was she allowed to run loose and attack Dr. Ryu?”
“I-we went out. She said she was staying at the penthouse.”
“Edward, check your tracker. You’ll know if Y/N left or not,” Celine calmly spoke.
“That tracker is invalid. We don’t know the full extent of a shadow dragon’s powers. She could easily have tricked us.”
“You know that is highly unli—”
“It doesn’t matter what you have to say, Celine. President Soo-Ah has already signed the order. Y/L/N Y/N is to be taken into custody.”
“Over my dead body!” Mira snarled, gathering her fire. She wouldn’t let them take her. There was no way Y/N had done anything wrong. She wouldn’t have attacked Rumi’s mother. The woman they knew would never attack someone who didn’t deserve it. She hissed in pain when the pressure against her head increased.
“Stop squirming,” the voice above her growled. There was a thud and Mira strained to see where the noise had come from. Zoey. Her body was bound in a glowing, yellow rope.
“I suggest you don’t try anything, Ms. Choi. You might be a strong mage, but even you can’t break through those restraints,” Edward sighed. Magic binding rope. These guys weren’t playing around.
“S-stop,” Y/N stammered. Mira looked back at Y/N, seeing how she was looking up at Edward. Seeing how her body convulsed. “D-don’t hurt them.”
“You are in no position to make demands.”
“I-I’ll go with you. No fighting, n-no funny business. I’ll cooperate. I’ll do whatever you ask.”
Edward glared down at her. “You’d have to do that either way…but fine. Come freely and I’ll let this little…dispute go.”
“Y-you have my word,” Y/N grunted. Edward turned his watch face and Y/N’s body went slack.
“Get up and walk,” Edward ordered. Y/N shakily pushed herself to her hands and knees, body barely holding herself up. “Hurry up.”
Y/N wobbled to her feet and several men were immediately upon her. They shackled her hands and forcibly grabbed her by her arms.
“No!”
“Let her go!”
“This isn’t right! You can’t take her!” Zoey yelled.
“It’s okay,” Y/N sighed. She gave them a reassuring smile, but Mira could see the fear in her eyes. The terror. “Don’t fight them. It’s going to be okay.”
“You may release them once we are gone,” Edward ordered. The remaining men nodded and Mira watched in dismay as Y/N was dragged away from them. Watched in dismay as the woman didn’t even try to fight back. She just willingly let them take her. Mira wanted to scream.
Point of View Change, Zoey
Zoey hugged her knees to her chest as they sat in silence. She sat there, blankly watching Mira pace. They’d taken Y/N. They’d taken her and she hadn’t even fought back. She’d just let them take her. All to protect them. Zoey pressed her forehead to her knees and trembled. They hadn’t been able to help her in return.
“Y/S/N will be here shortly,” Celine spoke. Rumi took a seat beside her and Zoey felt her pull her into an awkward embrace.
“T-they took her,” Zoey murmured.
“…I know,” Rumi sadly sighed. She gently massaged the back of her neck, trying to soothe her. Mira kept pacing, cursing as she did. “Mira.”
“This is bullshit! They can’t just take her! She didn’t do anything wrong!”
“We don’t know that.”
“Oh, fuck you, Celine! You know she didn’t do anything wrong! She wouldn’t attack Mi-Yeong-nim!”
“I know that…but the council won’t just take my word for it. Not when something this extreme has happened.”
“What will they do to her?” Zoey asked, lifting her head. She met Celine’s gaze and the older woman’s shoulders sagged. “What will they do?”
Celine sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “If Soo-Ah signed the papers, then she’ll likely go to the highest extreme. They’ll interrogate Y/N. Use any means necessary to get her to talk…they’ll likely call-in elves.”
“Elves?” Rumi gaped. Celine nodded and glanced back at Mi-Yeong’s room.
“The council has connections with the elf enclave. They have a mutual understanding. If and when the council calls upon them, they will come. Vica versa.”
“What will the elves do to her?”
“They’ll tear her apart,” Rook spoke. Zoey turned, seeing Rook and Y/S/N jogging to them. Y/S/N went straight for Celine and shoved her.
“What the hell, Celine! You promised me you’d protect her if I let you handle things!”
“I will do what I can to prove her innocence.”
“That’s not enough! You should’ve stopped them from taking her! They’ll kill her! You know that!” Y/S/N screamed. Zoey tensed and her mind started to spiral. They’d kill her. The council would kill her. They didn’t care if she was innocent. All they saw was a shadow dragon. All they saw was a danger that needed to be put down. Rumi got into her line of sight, but Zoey couldn’t hear what she said. Her mouth was moving, but she didn’t know what she was saying. Her eyes were wide in a panic and she turned to Mira, who quickly knelt in front of her. The pink haired woman took her hand, pressing it against her chest. She took a deep breath and Zoey copied her. She repeated the process until she could hear the arguing from the other side of the room. She repeated the process until she could clearly hear Mira and Rumi.
“Zoey? Zoey, can you tell me something you can feel?”
“Y-your heart.”
“Good, aegiya. Good,” Mira nodded. Rumi cupped her face and Zoey leaned into the touch.
“What else can you feel?” Rumi asked.
“Your hand…it’s dry.”
Rumi chuckled and ran her thumb along her cheek. “I’ll put lotion on later.”
The arguing continued and Zoey found her eyes moving to them. Y/S/N was still shouting at Celine while the woman tried to calm her. Rook was standing nearby, but she wasn’t interfering.
“Rook?” Zoey spoke. Rook turned and her face softened.
“Hey, kid. You okay?”
“What’s really going to happen to Y/N?” Zoey asked. Rook’s face fell and she ran her hand down her face. She shook her head and crossed her arms.
“If they call in the elves, they’ll do whatever it takes to make her talk. They’re known for their…extreme measures. Both physical and mental. They’ll put her through hell.”
“She didn’t do anything wrong.”
“I know kid, but they won’t stop until that is proven…”
“Or until she dies,” Mira finished. Rook nodded and Zoey’s breath hitched. Rumi’s hand moved to her chest, pressing firmly against her.
“Zo, keep breathing into my hand. Okay? Keep breathing for me,” Rumi coaxed. Zoey did her best to follow her instructions, but it didn’t stop her mind from wandering to Y/N. To her soft smile when she thought no one was looking. To the way she always put herself between them and danger.
“I-I don’t want to lose her,” Zoey stammered. Rumi and Mira hugged her, holding her tightly between them.
“We’ll figure it out, Zo.”
“We will. We’ll figure it out.”
Zoey didn’t know if she trusted that. She was scared. Terrified that they’d lose Y/N. That things would go terribly wrong. She had to make herself believe Rumi and Mira. She had to. If she didn’t, she’d go crazy.
The first day was a blur. Nothing made sense as they studied for their final exams. They couldn’t get an extension, and Zoey couldn’t help but wonder if Y/N would be allowed to take her finals later.
The second day was similar to the first, but they ended up training for the second half of the day. Mira had gone stir crazy while Zoey needed to do something with her hands. It was good to train as Rumi needed to practice using her powers to her full extent.
The third and fourth day were awful. Without Y/N, Zoey found herself being bullied again. Without her, Seok and his team weren’t as scared to mess with her. She found herself shoved inside a locker, which is something that hadn’t happened since elementary school. Rumi had luckily found her about an hour into her being locked up, but that was enough for Zoey to avoid going to class. She refused to go, which would hurt her grades. When Rumi told Mira, the taller woman had seethed, heading straight to Soo-Ah’s office. She’d come back with a thorough reprimanding for barging in, but Soo-Ah had promised that if Seok or his team touched Zoey again, they would be severely punished.
When Rook heard about this, she made it her job to escort Zoey to and from class. The older woman didn’t leave her side when she was out of the penthouse. Actually, Y/S/N and Rook both stayed with them. They refused to leave them alone. They were in this together and Zoey was grateful for their presence. Rook was their protector outside of the penthouse while Y/S/N was their caretaker inside the penthouse. She cooked for them. Cleaned for them. She was trying to care for them, and Zoey knew it was for their benefit and her own. Taking care of them took her mind off Y/N. Not completely, but just a bit.
By the end of the first week, Zoey thought she’d go insane. Their exams were in a few days and she didn’t feel ready. She felt anything but ready. She couldn’t do this. She wouldn’t pass her exams.
“Hey, Zee, you good?” Jinu asked. Zoey groaned and dropped her head on the table in front of her. They had agreed to meet at the library to study together, and she was regretting that decision.
“None of this makes sense! I’m going to fail these exams and get kicked out of school! I don’t know what I’m doing!”
“Hey, hey. Take a breath before you pass out,” Jinu instructed. Zoey did just that, but she kept her head pressed against the table. “You aren’t going to fail your exams.”
“You don’t know that!”
“I do. I’m your older brother. I know these things.”
“Jinu, you aren’t helping!”
“Okay, okay, sshh!” Jinu hushed, patting her head. “You’re going to get us kicked out.”
“I’m sorry,” Zoey apologized. She just felt bad about these exams. She felt bad about everything. Mira and Rumi were trying to keep it together for her, but she could tell that they were suffering just as much as her. They all missed Y/N. They were all worried about her.
“You don’t have to apologize. You’re having a hard time right now…have you heard anything about Y/N?”
Zoey shook her head. “No. We haven’t heard a thing. Not even Celine has heard anything.”
“It’s been what, a week?”
“Yeah.”
“I want to be positive for you and say she’s fine, but I don’t want to lie to you,” Jinu spoke. Zoey felt tears prick at the corners of her eyes. “You can’t change anything that’s happening. You can’t fix it, because it’s out of your control. The only thing you can do right now is focus on your exams. Focus on yourself.”
“I can’t do that.”
“What would Y/N tell you?” Jinu asked. Zoey lifted her head, looking at her brother. His head was tilted at her and there was a resigned look on his face. “What would she tell you?”
Zoey imagined what Y/N would say. She imagined how the woman would react to her at this moment. She was always selfless. She always put others before herself. “I think she’d tell me to focus on my exams.”
“Then do what she’d tell you. I think that’s the only thing you can do right now,” Jinu nodded. Zoey hated that he was right. She had to focus on her exams. She picked up her pencil and started working again.
It was at the end of the second week that they found themselves eating at a local Korean BBQ place. It had been Rumi’s idea for them to celebrate finishing their exams and the start of their summer. They would have a break from school, but they’d still go on missions. Training wouldn’t stop either. But they had this night to themselves. They toasted and Mira fell into cooking mode. She grilled for them while Rumi tried to engage Zoey in small talk. It was sweet of her, but Zoey felt wrong sitting here celebrating. They were missing a piece. Rumi’s phone dinged and she glanced down at it, eyes widening as she did.
“Ru?” Mira asked. Rumi picked up her phone and responded to the text.
“Eomma woke for a few minutes earlier today. She’s stable enough that I can visit,” Rumi awed. She lifted her head with a shaky smile. “She’s okay.”
“That’s great, Ru. Do you want to go after we eat?”
“I think visiting hours are done for the day. Can we go first thing in the morning?”
Mira nodded and kissed her cheek. “Alright.”
Zoey took Rumi’s hand, squeezing it tightly. “Whatever you need, I’m here for you too.”
Rumi smiled at her and brought her hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles. “Thank you.”
Zoey blushed and the breaking news alert on the t.v. caught her attention. She gasped and pointed at the small box across the room. “Look!”
The three of them looked at the t.v. and saw Soo-Ah speaking with the press. The woman looked regal in a way that reminded her of Celine. The steeliness in her eyes however was a stark difference. Yes, Celine was stoic, but she wasn’t steely in her demeanor.
“A few weeks ago, there was an attack on Ryu Prosthetics. The head doctor, Doctor Ryu Mi-Yeong was severely injured. Today, we have confirmed the culprit of said attack,” Soo-Ah spoke. A picture was revealed on the screen beside her. Zoey’s breath caught in her throat, and she felt her stomach twist. “Chen Seok was seen entering the building and it was later confirmed that he was the one who attacked Dr. Ryu and her team. A hefty award will be given to whomever brings in Seok. Dead or alive, this man must be brought to the police. Any previous suspects are hereby pardoned. That is all.”
“Seok,” Zoey gaped. The man who constantly bullied her at school. The man whose actions seemed to intensify now that he knew Y/N was gone. He’d only know that if he had something to do with it. Everyone else would’ve been too scared to act, but he hadn’t been. “Seok did this.”
“Soo-Ah pardoned anyone they thought were suspects. Does that mean they released Y/N?” Rumi questioned. Mira took out her phone and dialed a number before bringing it to her ear.
“Bobby? Did you see the news?” Mira asked. She listened to Bobby answer and her eyes widened. “What? When?”
Zoey and Rumi shared an uncertain look. What was Bobby saying to Mira? Mira cursed and grabbed her wallet, placing money on the table.
“We’ll be there in ten,” Mira affirmed. She hung up the phone and stood. “We need to go.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Bobby said that they were bringing Y/N back to the penthouse.”
“Right now?!” Zoey exclaimed. Mira nodded and they all scrambled to their feet. It was a ten-minute walk back to the penthouse. They’d make it in five if they ran.
They did run the entire way to the penthouse, only stopping when the elevator took forever. Mira already had her keys out by the time they got to the door. It slid into place and they scrambled inside. Mira bristled at the sight before her.
“Who the hell are you?!” Mira questioned. Zoey stepped around Mira, seeing who she was yelling at. An elf. The elf was petite, with black hair in a ponytail and face tattoos. She squeaked in alarm and Rook was between them before Mira could do anything drastic.
“Hold on, she’s not a threat,” Rook spoke. Rumi growled too and Zoey felt her magic at her fingertips. “She’s not a threat!”
“I-I’m really not!” the elf stammered. Rumi and Mira were ready to pounce, and Zoey was ready to help them.
“Enough!” Y/S/N shouted. They continued to square off, and the mage growled in irritation. “I don’t have time for this. Rook! Sit, down.”
“But—”
“Now!”
Rook pulled the elf with her and the two of them took a seat on the couch. Y/S/N twirled, leveling them with a fierce glare.
“You three, sit and if you argue with me, I swear I will hit you with a stun spell!”
Zoey could tell that the woman wasn’t joking. She grabbed Mira and Rumi, pulling on their hands. “Let’s just see what she has to say.”
“If I don’t like it, I’m setting her on fire.”
“I’ll help,” Rumi grunted. The three of them moved to the kitchen, sitting at the barstools. They stared at the elf as Y/S/N tiredly leaned against the wall by their rooms. “Talk.”
“Bellara is a friend of mine. When I confirmed they were calling in the elves, I gave her a call,” Rook explained. Bellara nodded and she twiddled her thumbs nervously. “I knew that they’d send the strongest of their mages since it’s a shadow dragon they’d be allowed to see. I wanted to make sure we had someone on the inside that could help.”
“Did you help her?” Mira asked.
“As much as I could. Our mages have a…unique way of interrogating. I’m sure Rook explained some of it to you already.”
“She did.”
“Well, the part that makes things tricky is when we use our magic to pick apart their brain. Their memories and what makes them, well, them. We use those memories and pick them apart. Show them their worst fears to get them to talk,” Bellara explained. Zoey cringed at that. They’d use her memories to hurt her. They’d make her see everything she feared.
“How exactly did you help then? Did you just make things less nightmarish for her? Make her see a spider instead of a drake? Or maybe a puppy instead of a wolf?” Mira seethed. Rook shook her head and Bellara frowned.
“No. I helped her when the others left. Whenever they left, I ensured that her wounds were tended to. I ensured that she wouldn’t die from the wounds inflicted upon her. When they pushed too hard, I convinced them to back off,” Bellara explained. She looked at her hands and Zoey could see them shake. “Before they started prying into her head, I told her to think of a safe place. A place that they couldn’t touch. I promised her I’d keep that place just that. A place that the other elves couldn’t see. People they couldn’t touch.”
Bellara lifted her gaze and Zoey saw the remorse in her eyes. “She showed me this penthouse. The three of you. I promised her I wouldn’t let the others use you against her.”
“You kept her sane,” Rumi stated.
“As much as I could. They still hurt her. They still broke her down. First physically, then mentally,” Bellara nodded. She bowed her head to them and her lower lip shook. “I’m sorry. I did all that I could to help her.”
Rook patted her back and looked at Y/S/N. “We had her brought here, because when we tried to bring her to our place; she freaked. She fought us and we had to sedate her.”
Zoey looked to Y/S/N, seeing the fading scratch marks on her face. “Is she in her room?”
“She is. She won’t come out. She won’t even look at us. Look at me,” Y/S/N sadly answered. She kept her eyes on the ground as she touched the marks on her face. “I don’t want to leave her here, but they used us against her. She won’t trust us.”
“We’re hoping she’ll trust you three,” Rook added. Zoey stood from the barstool and walked to the couch. Rook straightened while Bellara cowered.
“You promise you did what you could to help her?” Zoey asked. Bellara lifted her gaze and she saw the sincerity there.
“I swear to you, I did what I could,” Bellara swore. Zoey nodded and held out her hand. Bellara stared at it for a moment before gently taking it. She shook her hand and inclined her head.
“Thank you,” Zoey murmured. Bellara shakily sighed and lowered her gaze again.
“We’ll stay nearby, but it might be better for us to leave. If we’re here, she might not ever trust again,” Rook spoke, standing from the couch. She went to Y/S/N, resting her forehead against her own. “She doesn’t need us. She needs the three of you.”
“We’ll help her.”
“We’ll do whatever it takes.”
Rook nodded and she gently led Y/S/N to the door. Bellara stood and glanced towards their rooms.
“They had her locked in a pitch-black room when we weren’t interrogating her. They deprived her of her senses to make her more pliant to our magic.”
Zoey nodded and the three women left, leaving them alone. The penthouse felt stuffy. Wrong. Zoey looked to their rooms and clenched her hands. They had to figure this out. They had to. “I think we should take her the gifts we got her.”
“I think she’d like that,” Mira nodded. She took their hands and led them to their rooms. Zoey’s was the first room, which made it easy for them to grab the gifts they’d gotten for Y/N. At the end of the hall, was Y/N’s open door. It was bright inside the room and they cautiously approached. The mattress was overturned, lying against the wall. Y/N was pressed up against it in the corner of the room, her things blocking the path to her. The bed frame, the dresser. Anything that she could move was between them. She looked so small in the corner.
“Y/N?” Zoey softly spoke. Y/N flinched and her arms tightened around her knees. She was curling in on herself more. “It’s just us. We brought you some gifts from the aquarium.”
“Zoey got you a big plushy; Mira got you a punny sweatshirt. I got you a snow globe,” Rumi added. Zoey nodded and gently placed the turtle plushy on the floor, with the sweatshirt and snow globe resting on top. She made sure it was close to the barricade, but not too close to make Y/N nervous. “Do you need anything?”
Y/N didn’t respond. She merely stayed silent as her body continued to shake. They exchanged a worried look before looking back at her.
“If you need anything, we’re right outside. We won’t bother you. We’ll close the doo—”
“No!” Y/N exclaimed, head shooting up to look at them. Her Y/E/C eyes were wide with panic. Her face, sunken from lack of sleep and nutrition. God, what had they done to her?
“Bellara said that they locked her in a room. Kept the lights off and took away her senses,” Zoey softly explained. Mira silently went to the door and Y/N tracked her movements. Zoey and Rumi did as well. Mira grabbed the door handle, then tore it from the door. Zoey gaped at the now broken door while Rumi flinched.
“No one is locking you in here. Not now, not ever. If you want privacy, then you can close the door, but YOU have the power to do so. No one else. No one will lock you up. Not again,” Mira firmly spoke. She turned and her eyes softened when she looked at Y/N. “No one will lock you up. I promise.”
Y/N choked on her tears and lowered her head to her knees. They listened to her cry but didn’t approach her. They couldn’t. They couldn’t scare her more than she was already.
“We’ll be right outside. If you need anything, just text us,” Rumi spoke. She looked around and found Y/N’s phone. She placed it beside their gifts before standing. “I hope you know we’ll keep you safe.”
Zoey kept her eyes on Y/N as she stood. She kept her eyes on the woman as she felt her heart shatter. She was in so much pain and there wasn’t anything they could do. “We’re here for you, Y/N. I promise.”
Zoey let Mira lead her outside and the three of them made their way to the living room. They collapsed on the couch, and Zoey let her tears fall. Mira and Rumi hugged her, holding her tightly between them. “S-she’s so scared!”
“We’ll help her.”
“We’ll make sure she knows she’s safe. We’ll help her.”
“I-I hope that’s enough,” Zoey stammered. She wasn’t sure how they were going to help Y/N. The woman in that room wasn’t the Y/N they knew. That woman was a shell of the woman they’d gotten to know. The things that had been done to her had broken her and that fearful look in her eyes had proved that. Y/N wasn’t the same and they were going to have to do everything in their power to help her.
extremely hard (im talking nearly impossible) to kill rumi also being extremely danger prone from near birth
celine having a dozen heart attacks over her childhood as she catches rumi getting into chemicals she DEFINITELY baby proofed away, falling from heights no child would realistically walk away from unscathed, holding dangerous wild animals in her arms like theyre puppies, etc
eventually she gets used to it. she keeps an eye out, of course, but she starts to get unfazed to those incidents
mira and zoey are not, of course
the first time they catch her drinking paint on accident mira tries to get to throw up for thirty minutes before she realizes that a) rumi doesnt have a gag reflex (something she catalogues in her brain bc shes Not Sure What To Do With That Information bc theyre not together yet) and b) rumi is fine????
zoey sees her take a hit from a demon that shouldve done major damage and is baffled and kinda terrified (in both a scared and weirdly horny way) when she finds out rumi is completely fine
they experience many of the same heart attacks celine did over rumi, but almost worse bc neither rumi or celine are taking their worries seriously. it takes a while for them to realize she’s just kinda sorta almost unkillable. rumi knows that stuff is dangerous, it just doesnt faze her bc she knows it wont hurt her
(of course, then rumi gets a taste of her own medicine when she catches her own daughter aeri doing several of the same things she did as a child with a similar lack of effect.
when she calls celine and tells her about it, celine says “hm. deserved.” and hangs up)
#google the name of the artist and/or the painting#then hit “shopping”#there are lots of trustworthy sites that sell posters and prints of paintings (via @strangedreamings)
Aziraphale and Crowley did NOT get a happy ending. Let that sink in.
After everything they'd gone through together, all their history, their love spanning 6000 years, they literally vanished into dust.
Their "human versions" are not them. They met each other in their 50s? 60s? and will get like 30 or so years together.
No sticking together for centuries despite being from opposite factions in an eternal conflict, no developing their rivalry, friendship, and eventually love throughout the ages, no having each other's back despite the dangers of doing so, no bickering, no rescuing each other, no "you go too fast for me, Crowley", no 'our' Bentley, no "angel" as a pet name, NO THEM. At all.
This is my worst nightmare I'm going the fuck back to sleep.
The problem with there not being another kiss at all in the finale, is that the only kiss they actually got was one out of desperation and heartache and that's followed up with rejection and shame on Aziraphale's part and resignation on Crowley's.
Like it didn't even have to be a kiss on the lips from Aziraphale, it could have been the hand, the forehead, anything but that. Over 6000 years together and that was it.
How about we take oblivious!reader to the next level? Picture this: omegaverse, but reader has a condition when they literally can’t smell pheromones. They have no idea someone is trying to court them and no one knows, because reader just got so good at reading people that they survive on this and some tips from their friends. And the girls just lose their minds over and over again, trying to understand what they’re doing wrong.
With each item the girls checked off, wrapped perfectly, the air grew thicker with their combined excitement and nerves. They ran through the list twice, then thrice, anxious, needing to make sure everything was there.
By all accounts; the gifts were good.
They were classic courting gifts: soft fabrics that you could wrap yourself up in, or even use in a nest. Treats that you enjoyed. Things that would bring you comfort.
Sure, none of them really had much experience when it came to courting an omega—their only experience being with each other—they were confident that these gifts were good.
Rumi had even reached out to Celine to check if these gifts were good, and the older omega had assured them that you would love these gifts. Adding in that everything was scented, carrying a mixture of their pheromones, it should be impossible to not realize their intent.
The scenting was the important part. Without the scent attached to the gifts, they could be mistaken as just a regular present, not a courting gift.
Only…the problem was that they’ve been trying this for months, trying to court you for months, and no matter how obvious the gift was, you never seemed to notice.
Oh, you’d accept their gift, thank them for it, and they knew you were genuine in your gratitude. But the fact that they were courting gifts always seemed to go over your head.
It was frustrating.
It was making the three feel desperate, on their hands and knees ready to beg for you to say something, be it rejection or acceptance, to pull them out of this horrible stagnation.
“This is going to work!”
Mira was the one who spoke up, confident, resolute, as if it was physically impossible to not work, a universal fact of life; irrefutable, indisputable. As if failure was simply not an option.
All the three had to do was stick to their plan, and it’d work. It had to work.
Oh god, please let it work.
.
.
.
You were already on site when they arrived, it had them feeling giddy as they navigated past the different cameramen and interns to get to your table at hair and makeup, carefully carrying their different gifts for you in their arms, arguing over who’d give their gift to you first.
Only for their mood to sour in an instant. You weren’t alone. No, you were caught in a conversation with one of the interns.
It wasn’t as if they didn’t like you talking to other people, they weren’t that quick to jealousy. They liked that you got along well with the crew even if the faces were constantly changing.
But this wasn’t just friendly banter. This was flirting. This was someone trying to hit on you, trying to woo you with whatever sad, pathetic lines her Reddit buddies said were good.
Something vicious starting to rear its head in them.
Either this intern had no shame, or she didn’t even realize how obvious she was being, because the air was thick with her pheromones.
She was practically leering as she hovered too close to you while talking. The air reeked of her intentions as she brushed her hand over yours, laughing at something you had said.
“Oooh, no. Absolutely not. We are not doing that,” Mira growled, and before Zoey or Rumi could even consider stopping her, the group’s visual stalked across the room towards you and the intern.
With perfect grace and burning fury beneath her skin, Mira had placed herself between you and the intern, using her body as a barrier.
“Hey,” she drawled out, forcing a smile as she looked at the intern, “What’s going on over here?”
Your expression had brightened when Mira showed up, and she didn’t hide the way it sent a rush of pride and delight through her. “Oh, we’re just chatting. She was asking about some different makeup styles.”
Mira nodded along, “Ah, is that so?” she asked, turning to face the intern again.
Usually, this is when the competition would back away. Huntr/x hadn’t made it a secret that they were trying to court you, and the people hired on to help them for whatever show or event they were doing were quick to realize keeping their job was more important than chasing you.
But this intern was braver than most. Rather than back down, she straightened her back and held her head higher in an act of defiance. “We are,” she bit back, “so do you mind?”
Mira was laughing on the inside. Oooh this girl thought she was tough shit just because she was an alpha, didn’t she? Probably the type who was used to getting everything she wanted, too, if Mira was to take a guess.
Well, she was going to find that Mira wasn’t one to back down from a challenge.
“I don’t mind at all,” she said, her smile growing sharper, pumping out her pheromones until the scent of cinnamon and ginger was overpowering the interns own. “I’d love to talk makeup.”
For a few moments, it looked like the intern was going to stand her ground, her eyes glinting to you before looking back up at Mira. Then her shoulders drooped, her gaze dropping to the ground. “I’ve actually—I got some work I should get to, anyway.”
With that, with her tail between her legs, she turned and walked away.
Once the woman was completely out of sight, Mira let her body relax. “Good riddance,” she muttered under her breath.
“Why’d you scare her off like that?” you asked when Mira turned to face you again. “We were just talking, I was looking forward to learning more about this French style she was talking about.”
A French style? Oh, for the love of—
“Sweetheart,” Mira said as gently as she could. “That woman was flirting with you. Badly.” At least in Mira’s opinion it was badly done, for the sole reason that she had been flirting with you.
You only blinked in response, tilting your head, the confusion written plainly across your face. “What—no, no, there’s no way she was flirting with me,” you said, brushing it off with an uncomfortable laugh. “I mean—I think I’d have noticed.”
No, you would not have. Not if these last few months have taught Mira anything. “She was flirting. I’m actually surprised you didn’t notice it with how thick she was laying it on with her pheromones.”
“Oh, right, I…uh, just didn’t notice, I guess.” Before Mira could press the issue, you pivoted the conversation, “but it’s good to see you again! Did you and the others have a fun date over the weekend? Zoey said you and her got into a volleyball game with some others at the beach?”
Mira felt her insides soften, “It was wonderful,” she murmured, though it would have been more wonderful if you had agreed to come with. But you had declined their invitation. “You really should come next time.”
“You know I always love spending time with you three, but I’d hate to intrude on your dates,” you said, as you often did when they invited you to join their dates.
“Right…right,” Mira tried not to let it show how much that bothered her, and instead thrusted the gift she was still carrying towards you. “Anyway, I, uh, I got you this, I hope you like it.”
You took the gift, eyes wide in surprise as you moved to rest it on your work counter. Mira felt her confidence begin to leak out, replaced by nerves as she watched you carefully peel back the wrapping paper.
“Oh—oh, wait, aren’t these yours?” you asked, picking up the top hoodie and holding it out.
Sure enough, it was Mira’s. Or it had been. One of her favorites, in fact.
A large, white, pullover hoodie. The cherry on top was that the hood was designed to resemble a polar bear head, complete with cute fuzzy ears, and polar bear paws on the front.
The other was simpler, but also one of Mira’s. A beige hoodie, warm and durable, but not one that would stand out so much.
Both still had Mira’s scent clinging to them just as strongly as when she’d wrapped them, filling the air in that warm smell of hers.
Now they were yours.
Gifting an omega brand new things were fine and dandy, but providing her own clothes and belongings as a gift added a sense of intimacy that couldn’t be attained by just grabbing something off a shelf.
And so, Mira had chosen the two of her favorite hoodies, ones she knew were soft and comfortable, ones that she hoped you would enjoy, that you would think of her every time you wore them.
A smile spread across your face as you ran your hand down the soft fleece lining the inside of the second hoodie. “I love these, thank you so much,” you breathed, and Mira felt the hold on her heart ease. “I actually feel bad I don’t have anything to give you in return.”
“You don’t need to give me anything in return,” Mira said quickly, still smiling as she reached out to push a strand of hair out of your face. “Spending time with you is the best gift I can get.”
You laughed, shaking your head, “You’re such a sap, if those are the lines you used on Rumi and Zoey, I can see how they fell for you,” you carefully pulled the wrapping paper back around the hoodies to protect them, tucking them on a shelf under your counter. “But, really, you’re always such a good friend to me, I want to get you something in return.”
And just like that, the vice-hold was back, her heart collapsing in its grip.
“Aaah, yeah, that’s me, a ‘good friend,’” Mira agreed, trying her best to not sound too bitter about the term.
.
.
.
Zoey’s turn was next.
She and Rumi had taken some time to console Mira when she came back to them, sulking over the friend comment you had made, assuring her that it was okay, that she was fine. Her gifts had still been well-received, and imagine how cute you would look wearing the polar bear hoodie.
It had helped to lift her mood a little, and though she hid it well, her mates could tell she was still feeling dejected over it.
Which meant it was Zoey’s job to make things right, so she could make Mira feel better and sate her need to make out with you until she was dizzy. She was going to give you her gift, blow you away with the undeniable power of her rizz, and then you’d agree to date the three of them.
She had everything she was going to say planned out, all the lines, had been practicing all night in front of mirrors and her mates, and she just knew she was going to make you faint with how suave she was.
Only, the moment she was in the makeup chair and had you standing over her, everything went right out of her head. Complete emptiness in her brain, lost in the sauce staring up at you.
And who could blame her?! You were completely adorable. And beautiful. And hot. And unbelievably sexy. And every other adjective out there for how good looking you were.
Your brows were furrowed as you brought the brush across Zoey’s face, like you were a painter and she was your canvas, bringing different shades, different colors, onto her skin as you worked.
It was for the music video, one of the scenes in it had Zoey in full face paint, and of course you were the only one in the team she trusted to paint her.
Well, not true, she trusted everyone Bobby hired to do a good job, it’s just you were the only one she wanted doing her makeup.
After all, if she was going to be sitting here for twenty minutes while someone works on her face, she’d much rather spend that time staring at you as opposed to any of the other makeup artists on set.
Though it did make it hard for her to focus on anything but you. When you were this close, all Zoey could smell was you. Your scent, so rich and alluring, she wanted to bury her face into the crook of your neck and never leave.
“I know that look. What are you thinking about?” you asked as you switched to a new brush, drawing a new line across her forehead.
Zoey had to stop herself from going “I’m thinking about how pretty you are, and desperately want to kiss you,” and instead grappled the first coherent thought that managed to survive the brain wipe she got looking into your eyes. “Bees.”
You laughed, and it was an unfairly pretty sound that Zoey wanted a ten-hour loop of to listen to all day. “Bees?”
“Bees,” Zoey confirmed seriously. “And those anti animal product extremists.”
You laughed again, and Zoey felt like she won the lottery. “Okay, I’ll bite. What is it about them that has your attention?”
“It’s about how hilarious it is that they act like people are exploiting bees to get honey,” Zoey explained, tilting her head to the side for to continue your work, trying not to show how crazy your scent and attention were driving her. “Bees are the one thing you can’t exploit! They’re fucking unionized!”
“It is hard to exploit something that can just fly away if it doesn't vibe with you,” you agreed.
“Exactly! People try to argue that they won’t because beekeepers hold the queens hostage but—wrong! They’ve no problem abandoning their queen and making a new queen elsewhere if needed—” Zoey’s breath hitched as you leaned in closer to her, so close she could feel your warmth on her.
You either ignored, or did not notice, Zoey’s reaction. “I thought they needed a new queen already to swarm away.” You dipped your brush into more face paint, bringing it back to her skin, and Zoey was glad she now had a few layers to hide the creeping blush.
“N-nope,” she laughed, because that nervous giggle was the only way she was hanging onto her sanity when your brush began tracing along her ear. “They’re n-notorious for abandoning their hive if they deem their queen not good enough.”
This time, Zoey wasn’t able to keep from shivering, and it had you pulling away, eyebrows knit together in concern. “Are you okay?”
No. Not at all. But for reasons she couldn’t say out loud, not to you. “I’m fine, super fine, totally fine. Just—just a little ticklish.”
More than ticklish.
Her ears had always been a sensitive spot, something that Mira and Rumi loved to exploit with how often they’d nip and suck and blow against them. Mira teased her so many times about how they could get Zoey worked up almost immediately just by playing with her ears a little.
She felt needy almost immediately when you did, and the embarrassing part was that you were just putting face paint on her. You didn’t know how sensitive she was.
You watched her a moment longer before shaking your head, mouth twitching into a smile, “Well, I’ll try to be careful. Don’t want to have you squirming beneath me.”
Zoey couldn’t disagree more. She wanted so badly to be squirming under you. Just not because of a makeup brush—at least not if it’s being used on her face.
“Tell me more about the bees?”
Bees, what bees? What were—oh, right. Unionized bees.
Zoey cleared her throat and tried to hold still as you returned to painting over her ear. “Right, well…another complaint is how they don’t consent to us taking their honey, but t-that’s—”
“Bullshit?”
“Bullshit,” Zoey agreed with a slight squeak as your brush started along the underside of her jaw, where the skin was most tender, most sensitive. “It’s a fair trade as far as the bees a-are concerned. They overproduce, and because we give them s-shelter and protection, they let us take their honey.”
“Because if they weren’t cool with it, they’d just fly off,” You mused.
She couldn’t form words this time, didn’t trust the sounds she might make if she opened her mouth, and so all she offered was a simple nod. Your paintbrush was drawing dangerously close to her sensitive scent glands, and Zoey was white-knuckling the armrest of her chair to keep from moving.
Did you not see the mess you were making of Zoey? It was taking all her self control to be a good girl and stay seated. You were doing this on purpose—you had to be, you—
“Hey, uh…Zoey?”
Bobby’s voice cut through the air. You took a step back for him, wiping your hands clean with a towel at your counter.
“H-hey, Bobby,” Zoey greeted nervously. “Everything okay? We should be—uh, almost done here, I think?” she glanced towards you, and you nodded, confirming you just had a few finishing touches to make before applying the sealing spray and setting powder.
Her manager was shifting where he stood, looking incredibly uncomfortable and embarrassed as he fidgeted with something in his hand.
“That’s great to hear, really,” he said, though it sounded forced as he looked back to Zoey, his voice dropping to a whisper. “But, uh, actually, I’m here to give you this.”
She held out her hand on instinct, and then felt a sudden, violent, rush of heat burst across her face as he dropped a heavy-duty scent patch in her waiting palm.
Oh.
Oh no.
Oh no.
“I don’t really know what was going on, but…” Bobby could not meet her gaze, and Zoey couldn’t blame him as she became suddenly acutely aware of how heavy the air was.
She wanted to crawl under a rock and die. Seriously. What was she—a middle school pup going through puberty???
“Bobby, I am so, so sorry, I didn’t notice, I didn’t—”
This was mortifying. Absolutely, undeniably mortifying. And there were so many people around them, all of whom would have been able to smell—
He assured her it was okay, in that ever supportive Bobby way of his. But it did little to make Zoey feel better as, even after putting the patch on, she could still feel all eyes on her. These things happen, Bobby assured her before leaving to get everyone else back on track, don’t worry about it too much.
She couldn’t look at you, the shame burning too hot.
“I am so sorry,” Zoey said immediately when you approached her again with your face paint and brush.
Your eyes glanced towards the patch, and then offered her an uncertain smile, like you didn’t know how you were meant to respond, what the right thing to say was. “It’s, um, it’s okay, really.”
By your tone, Zoey had the feeling that it really wasn’t.
Oh no, oh fuck, she must have made you feel so, so uncomfortable, practically suffocating you in alpha pheromones. Were you going to think she was just another horny knothead after this? She swears that she’s not!
.
.
.
“Oh God, I can’t believe that happened."
Rather than comforting the maknae, both Rumi and Zoey were laughing at her expense.
“Don’t be mean!” Zoey complained, throwing a pillow at them. “I’ve never felt more humiliated in my life! It was so bad I completely forgot to give her my gift when she was done!”
Rather than hand it to you, Zoey had all but fled once you were done, needing to get away before she made another faux pas.
Rumi caught the pillow easily and placed it on her side of the dressing room couch before leaning forward to cup Zoey’s face in her hand, “It’s okay, Zoey. Accidents happen,” she offered before giving Zoey a light kiss.
She leaned into the kiss, but pulled back after a few moments to let out a long, miserable sigh. “What if they hate me now? What if they don't feel comfortable being around me anymore?”
The very idea that you wouldn’t feel comfortable being near Zoey anymore was heartbreaking. Even outside of a romantic setting, Zoey loved spending time with you, she didn’t want to lose you.
Mira settled in behind Mira, hand on her shoulder giving her a comforting squeeze. “They wont hate you,” she assured, nuzzling into Zoey’s other shoulder. “They know you wouldn’t have done that on purpose.”
“I—but what if—”
“No buts,” Rumi placed her finger on Zoey’s lips, silencing her. “But, if it makes you feel better, I can ask them over dinner.”
You had agreed to go to dinner with Rumi tonight, and while it wasn’t officially a date, despite how much Rumi wanted to imagine that it was, it was still a dinner alone with you. She was planning to give you her gift and confession during it.
Third times the charm, after all, so she felt reasonably confident that this would be the one.
Zoey let out another whine while Mira pulled her onto her lap, arms wrapped around her in a protective, comforting position. “Could you give them my gift, too? I feel terrible that I didn’t get to give them it earlier.”
With a soft smile, Rumi nodded. “Of course. I’d have brought it even if you didn’t ask,” she said.
Crawling across the couch to close that small gap of distance Mira had created, Rumi gave Zoey another kiss. “Now you stop feeling so sorry for yourself, or Mira’s going to have to do something about it.”
“Or continue to, because I’ve a few ideas on how to make you feel better,” Mira let out a soft laugh, letting out a soft puff of air brush against Zoey’s ear, making the younger girl shiver.
“You two are mean,” she pouted, but making no attempt to push either away.
“Only because we love you,” Rumi pulled away with a laugh and climbed off the couch, “I’ve got to get ready for dinner. You two have fun while I’m gone.”
Mira waved her off, “You know we will,” she smirked. “Have a good date, we’re counting on you.”
.
.
.
It was not, in fact, a good date.
…Okay that was a slight exaggeration.
Dinner itself had been wonderful; Rumi had a phenomenal time with you. She had taken you to your favorite barbeque place, and despite the earlier mishap with Zoey, you two had gotten along just as great as ever.
Much like Rumi had said it would be; you were more concerned over if Zoey was okay than offended by what had happened. Something of which Zoey had been elated to hear when that tidbit had been passed on.
At one point, you had gotten sauce smeared across your cheek, and Rumi had reached across the table to wipe it off with her thumb. She had intentionally held your gaze as she’d brought it to her lips.
After dinner, Rumi had walked you back home. Not just walked; she’d given you her own jacket to wear, citing that it was a chilly night and she’d hate for you to catch anything because of the cold.
The way you had looked in her jacket, burying your face in the collar in what she hoped was to hide a blush—it should have been illegal to look so cute.
At your door, Rumi had given you the two remaining gifts. A box of your favorite treats from Zoey that she’d brought back after her last trip to the States, and a plush blanket that Rumi had gotten with the help of her mentor.
You had taken both with grace and gratitude, and Rumi had been so happy, so excited, hoping that maybe this would be it, that this is when you’d catch on.
Sure, the treats couldn’t really carry their scent, but the blanket? Rumi had been meticulous in making sure it smelled like her pack so that you couldn’t misunderstand.
But you had only smiled, tucking both under your arm, and thanking her for the gift and leaving it at that. No response to the scent, nothing about obvious courting aspect of the gift. Nothing.
“They still took is as a ‘friendly’ gesture?” Mira spluttered when Rumi retold the events of the date. “Are you sure the blanket was scented? Did our scents wear off on it?”
Rumi shook her head, “No, the pheromones were still strong on the blanket,” she said.
A burning blush creeping up, Rumi looked away from the other two, “I even tried to… that one thing those annoying alpha podcasts always talk about, blanketing my scent over them—” she cut herself off, waving her hands in the air in a half-panic. “Not in like, not in the confining way, at least I tried not to. But to—I thought that if I pumped out enough pheromones, then they'd notice.”
“Did they?” Zoey asked, leaning forward from where she sat.
The answer was a frustrated huff. “Didn’t even blink their eyes at it!” Rumi complained, dragging her hand down her face in defeat, her voice going quiet a moment later. “…are we doing something wrong?”
The air between them became tense, uncomfortable.
None of them had ever tried doing this before; courting an omega. None of them had been interested in an omega before. Their only experiences were trying to court each other, and that had taken barely any effort at all.
This was new territory.
Despite all their best attempts, nothing was working, nothing was getting through to you.
They thought they’d been doing all the right steps, but did they miss one somewhere along the way? Were they going about this wrong? Doing this wrong?
None of them had an answer.
That uncertainty was the worst part. Not knowing if this was a quiet, polite rejection of its own, or if their courting attempts were truly that laughably bad.
It was a question that kept them up that night.
.
.
.
Several days passed, they toned down their attempts, still trying to figure out what it was they were doing wrong, figure out how they can make you see they were interested in you.
Bobby had scheduled them back-to-back variety show appearances, the games were a helpful distraction, but it was still difficult when the girls had to visit you between each break to touch up their makeup and help with their hair before going back on stage.
It’s towards the end of the week, when the girls are in their main studio in the tower drafting a new song that they got a message from you in the group chat, asking if they were free for you to stop by for a quick moment.
Not that you even needed to ask, they’d always have time for you, you could come visit them at three in the morning and they’d welcome you with open arms. But still, you ask, and still they say yes.
You arrived twenty minutes later, the elevator chiming as you stepped off, giving a light knock to the recording room’s door before entering.
“Hey, everyone,” you greeted with a nervous smile as you tightly gripped the basket you were carrying with you.
The air clinging to you smelled off. Mira could see the edge of a scent patch on your wrist, hidden beneath your sleeve, obscuring your usual scent with something more chemically muted. With how nervous you looked, she imagined that without the scent you would have filled the small room with the smell of your anxiety.
“Hey!” Zoey greeted in return, having to grip her seat tightly to keep from flinging herself at you in a hug. They’d agreed to pull back on their affections until they’d figured out what they’d been doing wrong, but it was killing her to have to do so.
“Come, grab a seat,” Rumi insisted, getting out of her own beanbag seat so you could take it. “What brought you over?”
“I’m fine, I can stand,” you said quickly, shifting awkwardly on your feet, looking like you wanted to turn and run more than anything.
And wasn’t that a stab in the heart for all three of them. Why would you want to run from them—had they done something to make you feel afraid to be near them like this?
You swallowed audibly, tightening your grip on the basket even more as you glanced at each of them, and then quickly looked away. “Actually, the reason I came here was b-because, um…”
Stumbling over your words, you settled on just holding out the basket, offering a quiet ‘take it’.
Mira was the one closest to you, and so she was the one to grab the basket. “Um, thank you?” she said uncertainly as she backed away.
She cast a look to Rumi and Zoey for a moment, unsure of what she was to do, before looking back to the basket and opening the top off it, not sure what to expect from—
Oh.
“Did you make these?” Mira’s voice felt soft, a tremble in it. She could feel Rumi and Zoey moving from their spots to hover behind her, peering into the basket with her.
You still weren’t looking at them, gaze cast to the floor as you gave a timid nod. “It took a few attempts, but, uh, sorry if it’s not…you know…good.”
Not good? How ridiculous could you be!
Zoey immediately reached in, snatching one of the cookies practically moaning into the bite she took. A muffled “Delicious” between her bites as she inhaled it.
From Mira’s other side, Rumi reached in to pull out one of the bungeoppangs in the basket. It smelled just as delicious as the cookie.
The food was good—always good, the three loved food, and having you bake them treats already made their day. But you hadn’t just brought baked goods.
Tucked to the other side of the basket were three handkerchiefs. Pink, purple, blue. Handstitched embroidery with their names on them and cute designs. Both adorable, but also something that would have taken time to make.
They had your scent on them.
Rumi wasn’t sure how to describe it other than sloppy. Not in a bad way, but—as if you didn’t know how to spread you scent, and so, while the fabric smelled of you, it came across as more disorderly. She was still going to treasure hers immensely, nothing was going to stop her, that was now her favorite handkerchief.
Mira’s your scent soaked into one corner, but was barely there for the rest of the handkerchief. On Zoey’s it was there in sporadic spots, like random droplets of water. Meanwhile Rumi’s might as well have been dunked entirely in it for how overwhelming it was.
Handkerchief in hand, Rumi held it close, staring up at you with wide eyes as warmth spread across her chest. “Are these—” she started, choking on her words. “Are these courting gifts?” She didn’t want to get her hopes up, but she had to know.
Your face darkened from your neck to your ears as you gripped and tugged at your sleeve, shrinking in on yourself.
“Yes.”
The confession had been so quiet, they could have missed it if the room had not been silent.
Snapping your head up, you held your hands up as if to defend yourself. “I mean—I’m sorry if I’m crossing boundaries, and I get it, you three are already together, you probably don’t even want an omega in the mix. But, I—I wanted to at least try. If you don’t like this, that’s fine, we can just be friends, I don’t want to force you into anything—”
You were talking so quickly, taking small steps back, away from them, with each word as you tried to downplay what you’d done.
Courting gifts. You were trying to court them.
It was such a ridiculous situation.
Zoey was the one to crack first, doubling over in laughter as the realization sank in. Once she started laughing, it was hard for Mira and Rumi not to join in. This was just so…so…hilarious.
But maybe not to you, because it took no time at all for your expression to fill with hurt, clearly taking their laughter as a kind of rejection.
“Right, I… I’ll just be on my way then—”
“Wait!” Mira’s hand shot out, grabbing you by the arm before you could turn around. “Sorry, we’re not laughing at you, it’s just,” she was still breathless, still fighting the urge to laugh even as her eyes began to burn with tears.
“We’ve been trying for months to court you,” Rumi finished for her. “Every attempt just—you brush it off as nothing. Then suddenly you’re giving us courting gifts. It’s funny.”
Your blush burned hotter at her confession. “You—what do you mean you’ve been trying to court me for months?” you spluttered, your voice rising in pitch.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” Zoey was already proudly wrapping her new handkerchief around her neck so she could show it off to the world. “We’ve been giving you courting gifts, trying to take you out on dates and invite you to join ours.”
“No you haven’t?” It was a weak defense.
“Yes we have, we haven’t been subtle about it,” Mira shot back, letting go of your arm, “I’m surprise you didn’t realize. I thought, at the very least, with Zoey’s pheromone accident last week you’d have caught on. Everyone else in that building certainly knew after that.”
Zoey ducked away, glaring at Mira, “I thought we agreed not to talk about that anymore.”
“I agreed to nothing.” Mira shot back.
“I can’t smell pheromones.”
All three went quiet at your quiet admittance, staring at you in surprise as you, once again, avoided their gazes. Had they heard you right? You couldn’t—
“That explains so much,” Rumi whispered as that missing piece finally fell into place.
You looked up at her shyly as Rumi brought a hand to her face, rethinking all their attempts these last few months to win you over, and your response to all of them.
Of course you weren’t going to be able to tell a regular gift apart from a courting gift. Of course you wouldn’t have reacted to Zoey’s incident, or Rumi’s attempt to puff up her own pheromones last week. It explained the handkerchiefs and why the scenting was so off.
Mira blinked tilting her head at you. “So all this time you haven’t reacted to our attempts because you couldn’t smell us?” she asked, earning a shy nod from you. “That’s…actually so relieving to hear.”
“Relieving?” you repeated.
“Relieving,” Zoey agreed, “We were so worried we were doing something wrong, or that maybe you just weren’t interested in us. Knowing that wasn’t the case is a relief.” A glint of mischief flashed in her eye as she took a step forward, “After all, you clearly like us back, since you’re trying to give us courting gifts, right? Riiiight?”
You stammered a weak excuse back, mouth twisting into a nervous, but not unwelcoming, grin as Zoey got even closer.
Soon she was a hairbreadth away from you, noses practically touching. “There’s this one thing I’ve been dying to get to do,” Zoey whispered, eye flickering down to your mouth with obvious intent. “Can I?”
“I—” you started and swallowed. “I wouldn’t be against it.”
That was all Zoey needed.
One arm snaked around your waist, the other cradling your cheek. She stared at you for one long moment, a last chance for you to back away, before she crashed her mouth against yours in a hard kiss. The kind of kiss that carried the growing desperation she’s felt for you these last few months.
You moaned into the kiss, grabbing her by her shirt to—whether to anchor yourself or to keep her from going away was anyone’s guess.
The moment Zoey pulled away, she was a giggling mess. “Oh, that was way better than how I’d fantasized,” she breathed, leaning in to kiss you again. She didn’t want to stop kissing you. Not now. Not ever.
But Mira reached out and nudged her away, earning a whine from the maknae, “Come on, let the rest of us have a turn, she chided, before turning to look at you. “She’s not the only one whose wanted this.”
Then she was kissing you, too. Hers wasn’t as hard of a kiss as Zoey’s. Firm, but controlled, each movement precise, like she already knew all the ways to make you melt against her.
Rumi was after her, far more shy, far more timid. Her kiss gentle, like she was afraid you might break under her touch, the leash she held herself on clear in the way that she kissed you.
At some point, you ended up on the couch, sandwiched between all three of them, kissing mixed in with cuddling, a tangle of limbs as they wrapped around one another with no intention of letting go.
It may not have been a simple courting stage, but they were all here and together and happy. That was all that mattered.
