Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Fear was an old friend to Rumi, sharing the spotlight in her chest with the shame and guilt that slowly built up over the years. The constant reminder of what she was felt like a physical weight against her spirit, the patterns branded into her skin, growing each year, crawling and clawing at her like they had a mind of their own.

"You must hide your flaws, Rumi. No one must ever see your patterns, else they'll see the truth hidden in your blood. Our faults and fears must never be seen." Celine's words echoed in her mind, over and over. Different lessons, different lines but they all meant the same thing in the end.

Never let the world know you're a demon.

Never let anyone see the stain on the history of hunters that Rumi's existence was. A splotch of horror within an otherwise beautiful legacy.

A mistake.

How could anyone love a mistake? Celine never had, not truly. Rumi could feel it in the scorn held in her voice, in the way her eyes always seemed to skip around Rumi so she never saw the full picture of her. There was never acceptance, never a touch that softened or showed a gentle love that Rumi thought true family would share. When she was smaller Celine may have been warmer, or maybe Rumi just wished for that to be true, but ever since the marks had started to truly spread, Celine had locked her down to be sure no one could ever know.

Zoey and Mira couldn't know. She'd wanted to tell them so many times, wished for it, but when Celine forbade it, her words ricocheted in Rumi's skull every time the impulse hit her.

"They'd never understand, Rumi. I've taught them too well."

"If they know, you'll lose them. If they know, we will lose the Honmoon."

"They cannot know until you are fixed, Rumi. When the golden Honmoon is finished, we can tell them you'd been cursed and couldn't speak of it until we got rid of it."

"No one can ever see. Not until you fix yourself."

She had to fix it.

How could she ever fix this?

The echo of her own scream rang in her ears as she ran. The whole venue had gone dark, her patterns glowing stark as she fled the area. Her jacket was gone, ruined, and everyone had seen her. They all saw as her shame flickered to life, watched as the fear and loathing pulsed in her veins like a poison.

How had they found out? How had they known? Did they see her patterns? Did they notice her meeting with Jinu? Or noticed his tiger in her room?

Why did they confront her in the most painful way possible?

Her heart hammered against her ribs, the heat of her patterns expanding, moving further across her skin, an ever present spark to keep the fuse of her panic lit. It kept getting worse, kept spreading, and she could feel the Honmoon weakening beneath her feet.

Fix it, she had to fix it. If she just fixed it then she could find a way to bridge this gap widening between them, she could make it right.

Making her way backstage, Rumi held a hand out to keep her balance, trying to steady her breathing so she could think. Though all possible thoughts came to a halt when she turned the corner and saw them. It was impossible, her heart squeezed as she looked between their faces.

"What? How are you here?" She swallowed past the panic, trying to frame it in her mind in a way that set her more at ease. "You were just on stage. That wasn't you?" Something in her chest loosened for a moment. "Oh, thank goodness."

But then they stepped back and Rumi recognized the fear, the betrayal in their eyes. She looked down, her hands glowing as she flipped them over and murmured her no's, unable to reconcile with them really, truly seeing her.

"How do you have patterns?"

"These are supposed to be gone! You were never supposed to see!"

"You were hiding this from us the whole time?" The pain there, layered in Mira's voice was like a physical blow.

"No, I-I have a plan to erase them." She scrambled to explain any part of this. "Jinu was supposed to- I - He was—"

"Jinu? You're working with him?" Zoey landed the hit this time. Rumi could feel herself spiraling, unable to stop the train wreck that was her life.

"No, No! No! I was using him to fix all this! To fix me!" This time she dealt her own damage, feeling something fracture as she admitted that out loud. "So we could all do our duty! We could all be strong, be together."

"How could we be together if we can't tell your lies from your truths, Rumi?"

"I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true."

Rumi wanted to fall on her own sword, she wanted to scream and cry and dig a grave to collapse into. The pain, the betrayal, she'd done that to them. Every tremble in their voices, the way certain words cracked, it all felt like it added length upon certain patterns, new shame blossoming in the aftermath.

"Mira, no!" She still tried, she had to try. "Didn't you see? See the gold? We're so close!"

Somehow that seemed to make it worse. Fear gripped her once more as they stepped back, putting space between them. If they went now, it would be all over. The world would be lost but bigger to her in that moment, everything she loved would be ripped from her life. If she didn't have her girls, Rumi didn't think she'd be able to survive.

"No! Don't leave! Don't leave!" Don't leave me, she wanted to cry, hoped it got across that she needed them. She needed them to look past the patterns. Panic twinged in her and before she knew it, her voice was coming out wrong. "I can still fix it!"

Red rippled across the Honmoon, the color darkening the area around them and Rumi felt like she'd drown in the shame and guilt that rose in her chest.

Then Mira moved in a way she didn't ever wish to see. Her Gok-do held up towards her, protective as if she thought Rumi would attack them. The sight shattered something in Rumi, a sob bubbling up as she looked between them.

"Zoey, please." She didn't know what exactly she was pleading for. To join her, to stay, to stop Mira, to say she'd still be on her side. Rumi wasn't sure but when she just raised her Shin-kal, only two instead of the full six but still enough to fight, those broken pieces inside her cracked even further.

She wanted to run, to find Jinu and plead with him to help her. To find Celine and get her to fix it, to end it, but Rumi was just so tired.

Of hiding, of the overwhelming shame and guilt and fear that had lit up her every nerve ending like lightning ever since she was a child. If her friends couldn't accept her, if the aunt who raised her couldn't accept her, what chance did she have for the world accepting who she was, even if they fixed the Honmoon.

She moved to leave, to give them space and to find a way to fix it. It was her duty, to fix the Honmoon and the world and herself, but the moment she moved, her knees buckled.

The patterns were moving, lighting up until they swirled all across her body. She could feel the claws on her right hand growing, the whole appendage darkening and shifting into something less human. A gasp came from somewhere in the room and when she blinked, looking back up at the girls, she knew something had changed in her eyes.

Mira and Zoey looked even more afraid now, their expressions so stark that Rumi felt self hatred spark so harshly she called for her weapon without even thinking. They flinched, seeming to ready up, but Rumi just shifted to sit on the ground fully. Her hands rested on her thighs, the blade laying in them placidly as she bowed her head low.

Everything seemed to freeze for a long moment. The silence in the space around them meant Rumi could hear them breathing harshly, could tell that Zoey was probably crying. Her claws tapped against her Sain-geom, the sound stark to her own ears as her patterns pulsed light in time with her heartbeat.

"Do it." The tone of her voice shifted, layering in a way that echoed in the room. Her mouth felt strange, words forming around fangs that thickened and lengthened from her canine teeth. "Fix Celine's mistake then maybe you can stop the Honmoon from breaking."

There was silence, stretching on for a long moment, before the clatter of a blade hitting the ground broke it. Zoey's legs came into focus, though Rumi didn't lift her head, and she wondered if she couldn't actually do it, wondered if she'd put too much on her kind heart. Of course she had, another shame to add to the list, another weight on her shoulders as she selfishly asked them to fix her.

"What do you mean by Celine's mistake?" There was a tremble to Zoey's voice, one that made Rumi squeeze her eyes shut against the further breaking of her heart.

"She should have killed me when I was born." A choked sound came from Mira, she knew it had to have been hers since Zoey had gasped. "I'm a mistake. My mother, I don't know really, Celine never told me much, but my father was a demon. I never should have been. I'm a stain on the hunter lineage, the golden Honmoon was supposed to fix it, fix me, but all I'm doing is ruining it."

"Did Celine tell you that?" Oh, good, Mira was speaking to her. She hadn't lost them entirely, they could still do this.

"Yes. I'm sorry, I wanted to tell you, I always did, but she—" Rumi's fangs made it harder to ramble, harder to speak, but she had to. She needed them to know, to understand, to see behind the curtain to make sure they never let this mistake happen again. "Celine never looked at me, not really, and she never loved me, not all of me. So how... How could I ever think you'd love me? I couldn't, I just needed to fix it and then I could tell you my truths, but now it's all broken. I'm the mistake, I'm the problem, I need you to fix me, I can't fix it anymore."

Mira thought she knew what it felt like to have her heart broken, to lose people, to be lost, but staring at Rumi, she felt all of it so fiercely it physically hurt. She looked so shattered. Those patterns should be disgusting, should wipe all doubts from her mind, but all they did was make her realize all they'd done.

Rumi lied, she didn't know how trust could be so easily torn apart, but a part of her wanted to tell her to rebuild it. A part of her wanted to just shake Rumi by the shoulders and tell her that they could fix it all, but they never needed to fix her.

A part of her thought that maybe she was just destined to never have people in her corner, to never be able to keep those she loved.

"Rumi, what do you mean by 'fix you’?" Zoey sounded breathless, shaken to her core. The question didn't need to be asked, not really. Mira knew what she meant, and she figured Zoey did too, but maybe they needed to really hear it.

Rumi was a demon. From what she said, she always had been. It could mean anything. Infiltration, brainwashing, sewing seeds of mistrust, anything to stay alive. Anything to trick them into thinking they could ever be friends, family, or more. Anything to keep from being sent back to the demon realm.

A demon would never ask for that, not when they fought so hard to—

"Kill me." All the air left her lungs, eyes wide as she looked at Rumi, really looked at her. Her sword was held in a way that not only presented it to them but it meant Rumi wouldn't have the reaction time to fight back. Her head bowed, waiting for a blade to fall. Body bent to look small, to be in a position that meant she'd be unable to retaliate. "I should have told you, I never should have lied, but I see now. I'm a demon, we kill demons, I never should have been the one to lead you. If you fix me, then maybe the Honmoon will hear it, will know you've rectified Celine's mistake, and it'll grow strong again."

How could it ever grow strong without Rumi? Without her voice, her warmth?

How could they ever be anything without her?

Mira dropped her weapon, dismissed it entirely as she stepped closer. Zoey looked close to a breakdown and when she put a hand on her shoulder, she felt her trembling with the need to hold in her sobs.

She didn't want to ask her next question, didn't want to know, but she had to.

"Why do you think we don't already love you?" Zoey's hand shot up to hold Mira's tightly, tears finally falling from her eyes as Mira's words hit the air. Rumi tensed and when she finally looked up at them, her expression nearly ripped her apart. Confusion, fear, but above all, the way even the shimmering amber of her one demonic eye looked so lost.

"I hid so much and this is all there is. Celine could never look at me, not when she saw the patterns, and I know she never... How could she ever fully love me when she can't even see me?" Rumi let out a mirthless chuckle, the sound hollow and so drenched in pain Mira felt like the ground was falling out from beneath her. "I love you so much but I shouldn't. Demons aren't supposed to feel but they do, I feel so much, but I can't ask you to love me, not the pieces."

"I don't just love one part of you, Rumi." Zoey stepped closer, sinking to her knees until they bumped against Rumi's. She looked startled, like she never thought they'd touch her when she looked like this, and something about that had Mira moving to stand next to both of them, one hand landing on Rumi's shoulder. The touch made her tense but then, Mira felt the trembling. The same shuddering she'd felt in Zoey.

Rumi was scared, she was so wounded and Mira could never hurt her. Not when all she wanted to do was pull her in, to cradle her close and fight off all the bad things that made her feel this way.

That thought just made her clench her jaw for a moment, regret swirling hot in her chest.

They'd made her feel this way. Whatever had been happening in Rumi's mind, whatever she'd been hoping for, they'd broken her when they lifted their weapons.

Never again. She didn't care if Rumi was half demon, didn't care what Celine said. They'd rebuild that trust, they'd learn together and she'd never let Rumi feel like this again.

How had things gotten like this? Zoey didn't know, she didn't care, because in the span of minutes she'd gone from feeling closer than ever to her girls to feeling like she'd lose them both forever. Neither had actually left but if Rumi had run? If they'd left the venue, she couldn't help but think Mira might have gone too.

If anything had gone differently, even just a little, would Rumi be dead by their own hands?

It hurt too much to consider.

Rumi being a demon didn't matter. The lying hurt, yes, but she could understand the fear Rumi must have been buckling under.

They could work through it, she could get past the lying, especially if they all worked on their communicating. No more lies, no more big giant world changing secrets. They could start right now, she couldn't wait, not when Rumi was practically begging for death.

She couldn't lose them. She wouldn't lose them.

"Rumi, look at me." When Rumi's eyes shifted to meet her own, Zoey didn't flinch away. She didn't blink at the two different colors, didn't balk at the glow, she just reached out to cup her cheek. It hurt to feel the way Rumi tensed, the way she shrunk down, but Zoey just waited, finding every scrap of patience she could so she didn't yank Rumi into a hug. "I love you because you're you. You're my Rumi who makes sure I sleep instead of staying up all night writing. My Rumi who always cuddles up to me when I'm feeling lonely. My Rumi who watches every video I send so you can talk to me about it. My Rumi who—" Zoey's voice broke as she choked on a sob, running her thumb along one of the patterns softly glowing on Rumi's face. "My Rumi who never thinks I'm too much or too annoying or too loud."

"Mira does those things too." Rumi sounded a little hesitant, like she couldn't believe what Zoey was saying.

"It's not in the same way, Rumi." Zoey shuffled a little closer, knocking the sword to the side like it offended her. Maybe it had, in that moment, when it had nearly been pointed at Rumi instead of held by her. "I need both of you, I love both of you. You're both mine and I don't know how to be a person without you there."

Tears clogged her throat, her other hand moving so she could cup Rumi's face entirely, pulling her in until their foreheads pressed together.

"But I'm—"

"Rumi, I don't care that you're a demon." Mira sighed, kneeling down next to them. When Zoey looked, she could see her eyes were red too. "I don't... I shouldn't have aimed at you, I just- I can't handle the lies. My family, fuck, we don't need to deal with that right now, but I've never lied to you guys, and I thought you'd never lie to me."

Rumi shuddered, curving her shoulders forward with a sob, her clawed hand twitching like she wanted to reach out but was too afraid. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I didn't- I never meant to- I don't want to lie anymore."

Zoey met Mira's eyes as they listened to Rumi hiccup through her tears, mumbling apologies and pleas. They wouldn't back away again, she knew it then, saw it in the way Mira's jaw flexed as she took a deep breath.

They'd never leave Rumi and they'd never let Rumi feel like she had to run from them, never again.

"Hey, breathe, tiger." Rumi barely registered Mira's words but she felt the hand that smoothed down her back. Gentle, familiar in the way she scratched her nails between her shoulders in just the right way to calm her down. "There we go, that's it, just listen to us, Rumi, can you do that?"

There wasn't anything to do but nod. They hadn't killed her, they were comforting her, they weren't trying to erase her, they—

"I love you. We love you." Her breath caught at Mira's declaration, turning her head to meet her gaze. The expression she wore was so soft, gentle and warm and something she knew Mira only showed to them. "You being a demon doesn't mean shit. It hurts that you lied for so long, it'll probably hurt for a while."

Rumi winced, nodding sadly. She wanted to curl up, to cry in a corner knowing she'd done so much damage, but they didn't let her. Mira settled against her back, arms slipping around her middle as her chin rested on Rumi's shoulder. Zoey took her hands into her own, not caring about the claws or the patterns that flashed at the touch, and just intertwined their fingers as she scooted so close she was practically in Rumi's lap.

"We can fix that, though, Rumi." Zoey smiled at her. Tiny, wobbly, but so real, so open. "We can rebuild trust, we can work on stuff together."

"I don't understand how me being a demon doesn't matter." Rumi sniffled, feeling miserable and yet somehow better than she possibly had in years. "Celine taught us—"

"Celine can get fucked." Zoey and Rumi both looked at Mira in shock at the venom lacing her words, her eyes having narrowed in her sudden rage. "No one gets to make you think hurting yourself is what's best for you."

"I don't know how we would have reacted if you'd told us earlier." The words were hesitant, lighter after Mira went silent. "But I think it wouldn't have been such a blow. Plus, we could have protected you from what Celine said, I mean, how could she say that stuff about demons! She knew about you!" Anger was blossoming loud in Zoey's voice now too. Rumi couldn't help but feel awe at how the two she'd feared would loathe her entirely were now getting so heated with their need to protect her. "How could she tell us demons didn't feel, all those lessons about how they could never be anything but evil and you, I mean, Rumi, you're the opposite of evil!"

"You take hits for us when we falter and I don't think I know anyone else who feels so much for people, even when you try to hide it." Mira shrugged, tucking her chin in even closer to nuzzle her when Rumi's answering laugh turned into more tears. "Except maybe Zoey, she feels a lot for everything alive."

"Emotions are healthy, Mira." Zoey huffed, obviously pleased that Rumi was relaxing a bit.

Her patterns were no longer glowing a vibrant roiling mix of purple and red, instead softening into something iridescent. She blinked down at where her hands were still tangled with Zoey's, really looked at how her clawed fingers rested so casually against her own. Mira was strong against her back, her fingers tracing over the patterns on her stomach, and suddenly being a demon wasn't the worst thing in the world.

"I'm..." Rumi hesitated, swallowing harshly past the lingering shame that threatened to drown her, the guilt that clawed at her as she caught the tear stains on Zoey's cheeks. "I just wanted you guys to love me." The words came out cracked, broken, but true, and she felt how both girls held her just a little tighter. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you, I'm sorry I waited so long, I'm sorry I... I asked you to do that."

Mira curled more around her, like she worried Rumi would vanish, and Zoey's bottom lip trembled dangerously, but neither left. They didn't push, they didn't scold her, they didn't do anything but hold her, love her, and Rumi felt like all those pieces of herself could stay broken. Maybe they'd fix her with gold, patch her up until she was whole again, but she'd forever be changed.

Maybe that was okay, maybe they were okay being changed too, maybe they could be wonderful together.

"You're not allowed to die, okay?" Zoey slid her thumb back and forth across Rumi's skin, staring at her patterns as they flickered brighter under her touch. "You can't leave us."

"I won't leave."

"You can't hide anymore, either." Mira murmured against her shoulder, feeling more vulnerable than Rumi had seen her in a while. "We won't hide, so you can't anymore."

"Okay."

"We don't tell lies. We don't keep secrets that are, like, life changing. Little ones or for surprises are okay though, as long as it won't hurt any of us." Rumi chuckled at Zoey's rules but nodded, waiting for her to continue. "We have to all promise we'll talk about stuff, no more avoiding or fighting over stuff we won't say."

It was obvious to Rumi she was talking about the tiny rift that had happened over Takedown.

"I think that's a good idea." A part of her soul felt healed, like even just the promise of more open communication, of a safe place to just be, was all she ever needed.

They stayed there, listening to the scramble of the venue workers trying to fix the lights, the rumble of confused fans, but most of all, Rumi focused on the way Zoey and Mira felt against her. She'd always kept barriers, never allowing so much skin contact, and now she never wanted it to end.

"What do we do now?" Zoey's question snapped them all back to the moment outside of their bubble.

"I don't think we can fix this Honmoon."

"What do you mean?"

"It was made with... with shame and fear, with false bravado. It can't stay up with me no longer hiding. If I'm... going to be okay with being half-demon, if I'm going to learn how to fully accept myself, then I can't fuel this Honmoon anymore. It's.. already broken, but we didn't break it." Rumi watched as Zoey considered it but Mira seemed to realize first, a frustrated huff brushing warm across Rumi's neck.

"Celine broke it. When she forced you down so much, all the shit she said, it just made everything worse instead of keeping us strong."

"Yeah."

"How do we make a new one?"

"Do you—" Rumi bit her tongue, cutting the thought off before it could finish. Instead she took a deep breath, carefully untangling herself from the other two and then holding out a hand for each. "Can you trust me here?"

Zoey and Mira looked at one another and then, in tandem, took her hands. The moment they were all standing, Rumi found herself in the middle of a group hug, feeling so warm that she never wanted to leave.

"What's the plan, tiger?" She decided not to question Mira's apparent new nickname for her and instead leaned back to point at the side entrances back out into the main venue.

"I need you two out there, on the sides of the walk out stages." Standing a little straighter, Rumi took a deep breath and ran her clawed fingers through the air, watching how she so easily ripped a hole in the Honmoon. "I think my decision is already taking things apart but we need it fully fallen to build it back up."

"So what do we do?"

"Keep an eye on the crowd." They could hear some music now, building up, and Rumi realized the boys were taking their chance. "Just stay near the stages, look like you're falling for it and then... I'll sing."

"Which song?" Zoey's eyes had brightened, though her energy was subdued, and Mira just looked like she knew this would break those pieces more. Like she knew that what Rumi would sing would smash down whatever remained of what was left of the before.

"A new one. I trust you guys to sing with me, to understand what I'm saying." Taking a step back, Rumi let herself feel everything around her for the first time in her life. She didn't put any blocks in front of the power she could feel thrumming through her patterns, she didn't turn away from the dark that swirled in her chest.

It was a part of her, no matter what Celine said, and she wouldn't hide herself anymore. Not when she'd promised her girls.

Chapter Text

The aftermath felt so normal.

They'd pulled Bobby into a backroom and had spilled everything, needing him to really know so he could help figure out a plan. In the end he took it exceedingly well. Outside of his fretful worry, Rumi thought he seemed even more proud of them then he always already was.

He said he'd handle it and in the short time it took to get transport back to the tower, he'd already spun a narrative of having all of this planned. It was to spark a new era, Huntrix was always themed after the old demon hunter mythos so the Saja Boys were plants, there just to start a rivalry and then act like demons on stage for them to fight to save the world.

By the end of the week, everyone thought that the whole performance was a brilliant marketing strategy, that they let everyone live out a drama in real time to start their next era.

They leaned into it, happy that they didn't lose too much of their following, though they knew some fans wouldn't stick around.

Especially not when Rumi's patterns seemed to be permanent. While other demons could mostly hide them, Rumi couldn't get hers to go away at all. They stayed iridescent, matching the new Honmoon, but it seemed that to anyone who wasn't able to touch the Honmoon, they looked almost like white ink tattoos. Visible, though not always entirely vibrant, and no one noticed the way they changed color with Rumi's emotions.

It seemed that her pattern colors were just for Mira and Zoey to see, a fact they were extremely smug about.

Rumi supposed Celine would see the colors too, but she hadn't tried to contact her yet. Honestly, she didn't know if she'd ever try to talk to her again. They were still contracted to her company as a group, but when Bobby learned about the things Celine had drilled into Rumi's head, he started wondering about starting their own company, just for Huntrix.

She thought it was insane to do but he seemed determined, so they didn't tell him no.

Otherwise, nothing seemed to change. They were going to fix up What It Sounds Like to put out as a full song soon, along with at least three other songs to make up for an at least three month hiatus that they were going to be taking to recover.

So they just continued.

They danced, trained, worked on lyrics and beats, and spent their free time together, always together, but they hadn't talked about anything since the minutes spent backstage.

A part of Rumi wondered if that was on purpose or if no one had really noticed until she did then, watching as Mira fixed up some snacks while Zoey set up a playlist of animal videos to watch on their oversized TV. Mostly turtle videos but there were a few other creatures thrown in. The couch was covered in blankets and pillows, a comfortable little nest they'd all fit into and Rumi could tell they'd all end up tangled together.

For her, things had been... strange.

Acceptance wasn't as easy as she liked to pretend it was. She was fine with being half-demon, that hurtle was what she thought would be the biggest thing, but as it turned out, it was the easiest part.

Some of Celine's words grew easier to dismiss with every moment that passed but others felt like thorns in her mind, lodged deep and difficult to extract without bleeding all over the floor.

Her body was becoming a little easier to control at least. The fangs and claws could be called upon and dismissed at will, though they did also tend to pop up when her emotions were running high. Her eyes were the same, though her patterns remained entirely wild to her.

She was trying to get used to seeing them, to others seeing them, without feeling any shame. It was hard, some days she just wanted to hide in her hoodies again, but the fact that Mira and Zoey seemed to love them helped.

"Rumi." Looking up at the sound of her name, Rumi flushed as she realized Mira was leaning over the counter. She was so close, the worry in her eyes quickly transforming into amusement when her patterns flared a soft pink. "You alright? You're, like, super quiet."

"Yeah, sorry." Shaking her head, Rumi chuckled when Mira just playfully rolled her eyes. "Just got a little stuck in my head I guess." When Mira's brow pinched back towards concern, Rumi reached out to squeeze her hand, marveling a little at how easily she reached out for touch now. "Nothing bad, I promise, I was just thinking about everything that's been happening this week."

"It has been pretty nonstop." Mira nodded and Rumi watched as she shifted their hands to trace the glowing marks there. It was mesmerizing, addicting almost. She craved being close to them in a way she hadn't ever considered before, almost uncomfortable when they weren't within arms reach. It was like Mira could read her mind, a light smirk tugging at her lips as she met Rumi's gaze.

"We haven't really talked about it." The words burst out of her before she could stop it, regretting them when Mira's touch froze. The playful expression she'd been wearing fell away and Rumi felt sick. Of course she'd ruin a nice moment. Her shoulders pulled up, her body curling in, the gentle pink of her patterns flickering to a purple instead. "Sorry, I didn't mean- we don't have to talk about it right now."

"Hey, no, Rumi, don't do that." Flinching at Mira's tone, Rumi still obeyed, not pulling away any further but not unraveling her stance either. "Come on, let's go to the couch. We can all talk there."

"Okay." She was prepared to go alone, cursing herself for bringing it up on such a nice night, but then Mira's arm was around her shoulders. Before she could question it, the brush of lips against her forehead brought that pink glow back with a vengeance, Rumi turning to blink up at Mira, her jaw ever so slightly fallen open.

"Don't feel bad. We have to talk about stuff eventually anyway. It's fine that you brought it up." Her patterns were thrumming, pulsing with the beat of her heart, as Mira led her over to the couch. Zoey was watching them now, her gaze soft and warm and nearly overflowing with affection. She jumped onto the couch, settling against a few pillows before patting the spot next to her. Mira made sure Rumi was squished between them, tucking a blanket around her as Zoey snuggled in while Mira got comfortable, slipping her arm around Rumi again once she settled. It was only then that she realized all their snacks and drinks had already been moved to the table. She really must have been stuck in her head before.

Now that they were settled, waiting, Rumi didn't know how to start. All the words stuck in her throat, her patters dipping to purple as she spiraled until Zoey squeezed her hand.

"It's okay, just say what you need to."

"I'm a demon." It came blurted out, like a secret that hid behind an open window. Neither Zoey or Mira said a word, just letting her work through it. "I'm a demon and I think I'm starting to like it, but I don't know how, and I don't know how to act or be around people." She hesitated, face flushing. "Around you guys."

Mira and Zoey locked eyes over Rumi's head, concern and confusion lingering in the air.

"You don't have to act a specific way around us, tiger." Rumi's blush darkened at the nickname, patterns slipping into a rippling soft pink and blue as Mira cupped her cheek. She almost curbed her instinct to nuzzle into her palm before Mira's next words registered. "We promised, remember? No more hiding, there's no need for it."

Oh.

That's right.

With a sigh, Rumi let go of the tension in her shoulders, fully pressing her face into Mira's hand. Zoey seemed thrilled, if her giggling as she cuddled in even closer meant anything.

"I have the body changes under control, I think, but..."

"But?" Zoey nudged her and when Rumi started to turn to look at her, a kiss was pressed to her cheek. Before she could stop it, her fangs slipped free, poking over her bottom lip as she stuttered. Mira chuckled at them both, her finger tracing the pattern lingering on the side of her cheek. Pouting, Rumi sank into their affections, letting it soothe her as much as it flustered her.

"The instincts, it's different. I think the Honmoon changed me." They froze around her and suddenly their hands were fluttering, frantic, almost like they were checking for hidden wounds.

"What do you mean changed you?" Mira sounded so serious, her fingers catching Rumi's chin to hold her gaze.

"I-It didn't kick me out, changed the color of my patterns and I don't feel the same. The shame isn't entirely gone but it's muted, different." She fidgeted at how intensely Mira was staring at her, the feel of Zoey's fingers tracing along the patterns on her arms stealing her attention for a moment. "I think we only sealed the high demons and that's why we can feel some demons already starting to poke at the Honmoon, though no tears have happened yet."

"So we made our own Honmoon and because it's connected to you, you think it's changed the way it works." Rumi nodded, happy they understood but then Mira groaned. "We got that already but how did it change you? We can handle whatever happens with the Honmoon, Rumi, that's fine, but we want to know what's going on with you."

"I feel.." She hesitated, unsure on how to explain. "My fangs look different than that night, my claws are less demon and more animal, and I have all these... instincts I didn't have before. I thought it was just a thing that came with accepting the demon side but it's almost like I've just turned my emotions up in ways I've never felt before, even when my colors first changed."

"Can we see?" Turning to Zoey, she felt her heart ache at the gentle affection sent her way. "You've been practicing but you haven't really let us see anything other than your patterns since that night."

"I-I didn't realize." She didn't want to hide it, didn't want to make them feel like she was pulling away. So she just opened her mouth, baring her teeth to fully show her fangs. They no longer lay entirely flat, only a tiny bit longer than her normal teeth. Now the top two lay longer, poking out over her lip even with her mouth closed and the bottom two were curved slightly, following her jawline almost like tusks hidden within her mouth. "They're a little harder to talk with."

"Whoa." A squeal slipped from Zoey's mouth, a finger hovering over one bottom fang until Rumi gave a tiny nod. "They're so cool! Not as sharp as I expected."

"The top ones are sharper."

"Can we see your hands?" Mira nudged her, gently taking one arm into her own hands. Rumi called them out, watching as her hands tinted to a softer grayish purple than before, her fingertips elongating into wicked looking claws that she could retract halfway. "I guess tiger was the right nickname to pick." She snickered as she slid a finger up along Rumi's palm, watching as her claws flared out at the touch.

"Does anything hurt?"

"No, no, it's just strange." Rumi shrugged a little helplessly.

"What about the instincts? Anything we can help with?" The questions should have been innocent, supportive, but Rumi flushed deep red at them. She slipped from their hold just enough to rub at her own cheeks, taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"Can I explain something else first? It's connected, I promise."

"Take your time, Rumi." Zoey sat back a little, still touching but giving Rumi just a bit more space, while Mira did the same. "We'll listen."

Of course they'd listen. They'd wait forever if they had to. Something melted in Rumi's chest, her hands shifting back to fully human as she took one hand from each of the other girls, holding them in her lap.

"I think Celine's lessons were all wrong. We never heard from any other hunters and I just... If my mom loved a demon enough to have me, knowing I'd be half demon, then doesn't that mean... Not every demon is entirely evil?" She squirmed, feeling a little foolish. "We know now that demons feel, all the time, and that they can reclaim their souls if they work at it. I'm half demon but I'm a part of the Honmoon, all of me, not just the human half, and now even our stronger Honmoon isn't entirely keeping every demon out, not like Celine said a stronger one would do. I think a lot of demons are beyond saving, it's why the higher ones are fully sealed as long as our Honmoon stands, but... maybe not every demon is beyond saving. Maybe not every demon needs to die, to be sent back to their realm." No one said anything for a long moment and Rumi felt her eyes start to burn. "It's stupid, I know."

"It's not stupid." Mira slid her thumb across Rumi's cheek, wiping away tears she hadn't realized fell. "I mean, we're being haunted by those weird beasts you've decided to adopt." At the mention of them, Zoey grinned widely. The tiger and bird now technically belonged to Rumi thanks to Jinu's soul being given to her. They just basically lived in the tower with them, though they were also allowed to freely wander since Rumi considered them more protective spirits than demons. "If you're a demon, even if it's just half, then it obviously means what we know about demons isn't always entirely true, right?"

She didn't sound fully sold on it but Zoey still nodded her head vigorously.

"We've always just hunted demons that attacked people, but maybe there's demons out there just hiding, living how they want to." It sounded too nice, too easy, Rumi's existence waved away with a simple of course, but she wanted to believe it so much. Jinu had been freed, she was free, and they'd banished the biggest demon king known to their world. If they could defeat those doing evil while working with those doing good, demon or human, then maybe Rumi wasn't a mistake.

Maybe she didn't have to spend her entire life fighting with the idea that she still needed to be fixed in some way.

It was obvious the other two were grasping at straws, trying to rework their entire world view so they'd never hurt Rumi again, and while it warmed her, she also knew they probably didn't entirely believe it. That was okay, though. Not much time had passed since everything came out, she didn't expect them to change every thought they had about demons in a week.

"Celine always said demonic instincts were only tied to feeding on souls, protecting themselves, and greed." Mira pressed a little closer at that, her face darkening at the mention of Celine again. "But I don't feel like that, not really. I mean, I feel a little greedy with how much I've been craving being around you two, but not in the way she meant."

"It's not greedy to want our attention, Rumi." Zoey pressed her cheek to Rumi's shoulder, looking up at her with sad puppy eyes. "Am I greedy because I want to cuddle all the time?"

"What? No! Zoey, you could never be greedy for that, I'm—" Flustered, Rumi groaned as Zoey's expression melted into a smirk. "It feels different because I'm a demon."

"You're Rumi." Mira huffed, bumping her other shoulder. "If you feel greedy for wanting us around all the time then be greedy, I want you to be. I like being around you two all the time, if I need space I'll tell you that."

Rumi felt her whole body warm at that, patterns shifting through pink then blue then gold, shifting through emotions.

"I'm going to say something that might change that." Oh how she wanted to take it back the moment those words left her mouth. Concern was back on their faces but Rumi only caught a glimpse, clenching her eyes shut so she could get out what she needed to say. "I love you guys, and I mean, it's more than just friends. I always have but I didn't, I couldn't let myself feel it. My instincts are all pointed to you. I want to protect you, care for you. I want to be close and touch and k-kiss." She stumbled over the word, fighting against the sudden need to curl into herself, to hide. "I'm greedy because you give me so much but I keep wanting more, I always want more, but I can't ask that of you when I—"

All things stopped when she felt lips pressed against her own. Her eyes flew wide open, catching the sight of Zoey pulling away just before Mira kissed her next. Both were quick but passionate, heated, leaving her wanting more, a sensation of that greed she knew all too well and yet felt so wonderfully different this time.

"You idiot."

"Of course we love you too!" Zoey shook her arm gently, crying with a bright smile. "We didn't think you loved us that way, or that you'd want it right now, or how what happened with Jinu may have changed things."

"Why would Jinu have changed things?" Rumi tilted her head and then sputtered. "No! No, no, we never! I mean there was like a tiny crush for five seconds because he understood and was there for me, but it never went anywhere beyond that. I think if he'd stayed, we'd have just been good friends." She flushed at how that information brightened both girls. "What about you guys, I thought you liked the other boys?"

"I like their aesthetics, not them." Mira fake gagged, sliding one hand playfully over Rumi's stomach, leaving her flustered. "I've got a weakness for abs and pretty people, but I didn't actually like them."

"Yeah, they were my type visually but I didn't know anything about them." Zoey just shrugged. "They were hot but I think a lot of people are hot." She grinned, plastering herself to Rumi's side to nuzzle into the side of her neck. "I don't think anyone could be hotter, or prettier, than you two though."

"O-Oh." This wasn't the outcome Rumi expected. Truthfully, she thought they'd put some distance, gently turn her down, and then they'd find ways to move on because she couldn't ever live without them. She'd promised not to hide, not to keep huge secrets, so she'd needed to get this out, but she never thought it would go well for her.

"Wait!" There it was. The door slam, the stop to it, the— "Before we really do this, there's something else we have to talk about."

"What?" Rumi felt like she was dealing with whiplash. She watched as Mira and Zoey looked at each other before Mira sighed.

"It might not have really been us on stage but you still had to deal with what you thought was us exposing you like that, with that song." Guilt flashed across Mira's face as she gently took Rumi's hand. "Then we pointed our weapons at you. No matter how we felt about the lying, we never should have done that."

"Especially not when you looked so scared." Zoey sounded close to breaking down, her own hands trembling as she clutched at Rumi's arm. "I'm so sorry."

"I'm sorry too."

"No, wait, guys." Rumi whined, kissing the top of Zoey's head while she pulled Mira in close, kissing her forehead as well. "I understand. You were confused and angry, I... I'd have been scared of me too, I think."

"No you wouldn't." Zoey sniffled, nuzzling into Rumi's bicep. "You wouldn't have done what we did."

"You can't know that, Zo."

"Maybe not, but it still had to have hurt you. A lot. I mean the talk we had after was... intense." There was a sadness to Mira that Rumi never wanted to see again, something bone deep that she knew wouldn't be easy to shake.

"I don't blame you guys. It hurt, yeah, and it was hard but the way you acted after, how everything has been this week? I'm not upset about it. I might.. have nightmares about that entire night, but it's not anything I want you to feel bad about, okay? It happened but, like you said before, we can work on it together." Rumi gave them a shaky smile. "Besides, I know I hurt you both badly, too. I lied for a long time, hid things from you, and while I'm working on it now, I know it isn't just magically fixed."

"I trust you, Rumi. I know why you lied and while I'm not happy about it, I don't hold it against you." Zoey's words were like a balm but Rumi knew she'd still work to be sure to keep that trust entirely this time.

"I want to trust you." Mira's words hit hard but she understood, knew it would take more to fix her trust. "And I think I do with most things. It's just something I'll have to work on too, trusting you while you work to trust us in turn."

"Can... can we even be in a relationship if you don't trust me?"

Mira groaned and suddenly Rumi found herself laying on Mira's chest, her arms holding her there while Zoey snuggled up to them both.

"Of course. I'm not letting you go this time."

Tucking her head under Mira's chin, Rumi settled in, soaking in her warmth. Zoey was laying across from her now, curling in so they had Mira pinned to the couch. Not that she seemed to mind as she held them both tightly, nails scratching softly along Rumi's back.

"Does this mean I can call you guys my girlfriends now?" Zoey grinned when Rumi's patterns flared, lighting up the space with her approval.

"Duh. You're both mine so I gotta have the right title." There was a smugness to Mira's voice now, one that Rumi ignored as she nodded.

"I'd like that."

The squeal that Zoey let loose nearly deafened them and before either could say anything, she was jumping up from the couch to run to grab one of her notebooks. She plopped down at the table, shoving snacks into her mouth with one hand as the other zoomed across the paper with her pen.

Rumi watched her with open affection. She should have known this would spark an immediate writing session. Mira hit play on the videos still waiting for them, turning the volume down to a low hum to not break Zoey out of her flow, but the touches to Rumi's back never stopped. They were lulling her down into a place of peace, her eyes half closed as she took in how right this felt.

"You okay? Anything else you needed to talk out?" As always, Mira was so attentive to her, shifting her hand up to start unraveling her braid.

"Is it okay? How easy this is? It just feels like.. everything is falling into place without any problems."

"And that's a bad thing?"

"It makes me nervous." Her admission got her another kiss on the head, Mira's fingers now freely brushing through her hair.

"If we didn't know each other so well, then maybe, but I think it's easy because we do. Besides, it's not always so simple and we're still working things out, right?" Well, she was right about that. It wasn't all perfect, but she supposed it didn't really need to be.

"I guess you're right."

"Duh, of course I am." Rumi swatted at her side, smirking when Mira tickled the back of her neck in response. "Relax, tiger. You don't have to worry about every little thing, you know? You've got us, we won't leave you."

"Promise?" She closed her eyes, sinking into Mira's touch and snuggling in closer when she felt a blanket being pulled up to her shoulders.

"I promise." Mira kissed her temple, lingering there for a long moment. Rumi wanted to kiss her again, wanted to never stop, but it was like all her energy left her after that talk. So instead she nuzzled even closer, kissing the side of Mira's neck and letting the feeling of her touch send her to sleep.

"Zoey."

It had only been about twenty minutes since Zoey started writing, and Rumi knocked out on top of her. At first, she just focused on the videos Zoey had chosen, knowing she'd want to talk about them later, while still touching Rumi, almost like an anchor, so she knew even in her sleep she didn't leave.

But then the noise started.

Soft at first, barely noticeable. Then it grew louder, steadier, and before she could question it, she felt the gentle trembling in Rumi's body.

"Zoey!" She whisper-yelled, trying not to disturb their slumbering girlfriend. It finally got her attention, her pen dropping as she whipped around to look at them.

"What? What's wrong? Is she having a nightmare?" Before Zoey could spiral, Mira shook her head, shushing her as she paused the videos. With all other sounds gone, it was much easier to notice and she watched as Zoey's eyes went wide, her hands flying up to cover her now bright smile. "Oh my gosh, is she?"

"Rumi is purring in her sleep."

Mira watched as Zoey floundered, trying so hard not to scream about how cute she was. Eventually, she fished out her phone and crawled a little closer, getting a video of Rumi's peaceful face and the rumble that never seemed to end. When Mira ran her fingers through her hair again, the cadence changed, getting just a little louder, a little deeper, with each touch, and when Zoey leaned in to kiss what was closest to her, her hand, the rumbling got even more intense.

"It's like she can sense us all the time."

"Might be part of those demon instinct changes she mentioned."

"Maybe."

Zoey put down her phone, now just carefully tracing the patterns on Rumi's arm while Mira played with her hair. They watched as her colors fluctuated between her different happier colors, listened to the way her purring shifted with every touch.

"We can never let her live this down."

"Of course not! I have to make this happen all the time! It's just as fun and cute as her patterns!"

They shared a mischievous look before Mira softened at the sleepy hum Rumi let out, cuddling in just a little closer. Zoey lay her head on the couch beside them, just watching for a long moment.

"She must feel safe with us now, to be making a new sound in her sleep." The idea made Mira's heart twist, made her hold Rumi just a little tighter, something protective flaring in her chest. She leaned down to kiss Zoey, careful not to jostle Rumi but needing some kind of connection to both of them right then.

"I guess so."

"Think she'd be mad if I worked the fact that she purrs into a song?"

"Probably." Mira smirked, twirling some of her hair around her fingers. "Do it anyway. At most she'll be flustered but you can kiss her until she doesn't care anymore."

That got a joyful giggle out of Zoey who gave Mira another kiss, then a kiss to Rumi's cheek, before she went back to writing.

Mira just settled in, content to watch whatever silly videos Zoey had while listening to Rumi's purring. She had them now, entirely in ways she never dreamed would actually happen, and she'd never let them go.