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Chapter Text

            She failed, was the only thought going through Rumi’s head as she watched the crowd of their fans and the people of Korea being torn apart by demons released by the destruction of the Honmoon and Gwi-Ma’s ascension. Tears came to her eyes as she remembered the way Zoey and Mira had been killed by the Saja boys before they could remake the Honmoon.

            The bastard had more demons bringing him souls than any of them thought and it boosted his power by too much. If only they had been able to stop the demons, had more time, they would have been able to beat him. Instead, she was stuck with two holes in her heart and the feeling of being a failure.

            She was kneeling at their corpses as the decaying bodies of the four Saja boys who committed the sin of touching her best friends, her family, her- a sob ripped out of her chest as she held what remained of the two women she had never told how much they truly meant to her.

            “I’m sorry,” Jinu’s dead face stared at her from where he stood, “I’m sorry for what it has come to.”

            She wanted to snap at him, to hurt him how much she was hurting at that moment, but she just sobbed harder as she buried her face in Mira’s blood-soaked hair. The small bit of pink was the only thing that identified the body below as her, her Mira.

            “It should have been me,” she sobbed and Jinu’s face cracked, “I asked Celine to kill me, to stop me from destroying the Honmoon, but she didn’t. Now the two people who meant the world to me,” she sobbed, “Are dead!”

            Jinu kneeled next to her, ignoring the blood that pooled at their knees as he placed a gentle hand on Rumi’s shoulder, “They loved you, Rumi,” he told her softly, “That’s why they took the hits for you.”

            All Rumi could see was Zoey moving in the way of a demon about to jump on her back when one of the boys tore her throat out as another ripped her arm off. Mira, powerful Mira, blocked a strike at her side, but was unable to react in time to stop the other two boys from shredding her face and chest.

            Their screams would live on in her memories for however long Gwi-Ma allowed her to live. She glared at the flaming form of the Greater Demon, who merely ignored her, basking in the glory of winning and finally being free.

            “It was my fault they died,” Rumi mumbled as she cradled the two women she loved to her chest, “If I was stronger, maybe I would have been able to save them. I made them weak,” she snarled at herself, “Everything I touch dies! I,” she took a ragged breath, “I didn’t deserve their love, their friendship,” blade pointed at her chest, the fear and hatred in their eyes as they saw her patterns-, another sob tore out of her and turned into a keening wail.

            “Would you go back and save them if you could?” Jinu asked suddenly and she stared into his demonic eyes, so similar to her left eye, “Would you?” he asked again, suddenly urgent as he glanced at his master.

            “Yes,” she answered immediately. She would do anything, give anything, if it meant the two women who meant the most to her would live again. She would die to see it happen.

            “Then I give my soul to you, along with all my knowledge,” he said suddenly and she was surprised he had his soul returned to him, but that meant her words had broken through. “Use my knowledge, quickly,” he said as he dissolved into blue motes of light that entered her.

            A flood of knowledge struck her, she groaned in sudden pain as the onslaught of memories hit her. She tried to see past the blinding pain, to even think, but what she did hear was an earth-shattering roar of hatred.

            Her mind cleared enough for her to spot Gwi-Ma charging up an attack and a memory of a spell hit her and she spoke the demonic tongue and poured Jinu’s soul into power the spell, since it cost the willing soul of a redeemed demon.

            Before the attack hit she was gone and reality with it.

Xxx

            Rumi woke in her room in the tower with a gasp, leaping up as the room was bathed in a rainbow of colors. She glanced down, wincing at her marks flowing through a multitude of colors. She glanced around, frowning as she saw the poster of a fellow K-pop band they had a falling out with a few months before they crashed the company plane right before their concert.

            “Rumi!” Zoey’s voice came from the other side of the door, “Mira and I are heading to the store, do you need anything? Want to tag along?”

            “Mostly to help me stop Zoey from buying all the chips in the store,” Mira said, amusement lacing her deadpan tone.

            Rumi had to bite back a sob. She really hoped it wasn’t a dream and that the spell worked. Her friends were alive, they were just on the other side of the door! If she just-.

            The dark room from the blackout curtains she had was glowing a bright violet, and that was when she finally realized her patterns were still here, a glance into her vanity mirror showed her left eye was yellow still visible as well. No.

            Tears came to her eyes as she remembered their reactions last time she revealed herself. She couldn’t see them like this…especially since her new knowledge from Jinu was saying it was permanent.

            “I-I’m not feeling well,” she stuttered in a raspy voice, “Go without me,” she covered herself up quickly.

            The girls paused, a clear note of concern in Mira’s voice, “What’s wrong?”

            Rumi held in everything. Her clawed fingers bit into the skin on her arm until she felt herself begin to bleed, “I just-,” Just watched you both die, “had a nightmare and woke up feeling horrible. I think I’m going to sleep more,” she called out, still raspy from the screaming and crying she had done not even twenty minutes before.

            The door rattled and she thanked past-Rumi for locking her door at night, “Are you sure you are okay?” Zoey’s small voice called.

            “How can we tell your truth from your lies?”

            Rumi’s tears continued unabated down her face, “I just want some time to myself, don’t worry. I’ll be better if I get some more sleep,” she forced cheer into her voice, but was unsure if the wobble in her voice convinced them.

            She heard a whispered conversation on the other side of the door, and frowned when she actually heard what they were saying.

            “She is distraught, we need to go in there!” Zoey hissed at Mira.

            “As much as I want to help her and comfort her,” Mira whispered back, “She deserves a chance to relax before we talk to her about it, if she even wants to. She may just want some space. Let’s go to the store and when we get back we will form a cuddle-pile put something funny on and relax. We have to go back to working on How It’s Done tomorrow, so let’s just let her relax.”

            So she was right. They had finished How It’s Done only a few weeks before their concert. She didn’t have much time to contemplate anything else as Mira spoke up.

            “We will get you some mochi for later,” she told her, “Just, text or call us if you need anything, okay?”

            “Okay,” she said back and then, because she never got to say it last time, even if they wouldn’t know the context, “I love you two, so much,” she couldn’t stop the crack at the end of her sentence.

            “Awe,” Zoey said happily, “We love you too. We will be back soon.”

            “Love you too darling,” Mira said softly and Rumi froze, because that sounded like how she wanted Mira to say it but it must have been her chaotic brain from all the memories and the fact she just watched the two of them die. She was being too hopeful.

            Monsters like her didn’t deserve love.

            She winced as Jinu’s self-hatred combined with her own for a moment before it disappeared entirely. Rumi waited for the emotion to come back, but it was just her own.

            Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat up and closed her eyes. She needed to get through the memories of Jinu’s knowledge, she needed to find a way to conceal her demonic marks and change her eye back to brown.

            Five minutes later, she knew how to teleport, several martial arts styles, and a recipe for really good crepes. She wrinkled her nose at that one. Why did Jinu have a recipe for crepes? She shook her head and took a deep breath to concentrate, but the spell or transformation or whatever the Saja boys used to look normal wouldn’t come to her.

            “No,” she begged into the dark room as her patterns flared a low red and blue before she could control her anger and despair, “No, please. I don’t want them to see me. Not like this.”

            The next ten minutes she couldn’t find anything that worked and began to cry again, tearing up at the fact the two women she loved were going to hate her again. Maybe this time they would kill her? That thought shouldn’t have brought the same amount of relief and pain as it did, but what could she do? She couldn’t let them see, she would lose them all over again and this time, they wouldn’t have the strength to kill all the demons they needed to. It wasn’t like they could…be…in…two-.

            Rumi could leave, she thought to herself as she frowned as a plan began forming in her mind. She had the abilities of a demon and had enough hard money in her closet safe to last her several months so they couldn’t track her cards. She could go solo, killing the demons Jinu knew about while also strengthening the Honmoon with her own singing. Celine could find Rumi and Mira another partner, she had someone in mind before Zoey joined and, last Rumi knew, the young woman was in Japan as a pop star. It wouldn’t take much convincing to get Celine to go along with it.

            Then, when Gwi-Ma was finally locked behind the Honmoon, she could have peace and her friends would be alive. If that didn’t fix her patterns, then she would just fade into obscurity and head to the mountains where Celine trained them.

            It hurt, never being able to see her friends, but she didn’t want to face the rejection again, the hurt and fear in their eyes, the anger. It wouldn’t do anyone any good and she was positive it was her fault the Honmoon broke because of her lies.

            Maybe Seraphine would be a better fit than she was?

            So, Rumi gathered a bag of clothes, the money from her safe, and turned to teleport away when she paused. Could she leave without saying anything to the girls? They would probably think she was taken by a demon.

            Grabbing a notebook off her nightstand, she wrote. It took her another twenty minutes, but she was able to get all of her thoughts down without giving away her plan or what happened to her.

            She closed her eyes and let the tears fall as she set the open notebook on her pillow, open to the page she wrote in with the pen in the middle to keep it open, “I’m sorry, I love you both.”

            Then, in a flash of red mist, she was gone.

Xxx

            “Rumi was acting really strange, right?” Zoey asked Mira as they made their way towards their building, “Like, I’m actually worried.”

            Mira sighed with a frown as they made their way to the elevator, “I am too, but she just needs space. You know how she gets sometimes.”

            Zoey nodded with a defeated slump of her shoulders and Mira could commiserate. Rumi had been acting strange and something in her voice had caused a twinge in her gut, making her worried about leaving their best friend alone at home when she had a nightmare.

            “I still think you should have let me comfort her,” Zoey said softly, “My hugs are known to cure sadness. It’s scientifically proven.”

            Mira smiled at that, her heart warming at the thought. She did have a point, and she did enjoy Rumi’s hugs as well. Rumi’s hugs weren’t as frequent as Zoey’s, but no less warming. It made her feel treasured.

            She ignored the traitorous thought that having her girls on either side of her would be the best thing ever, cuddling on the couch while watching a sappy movie. Holding Zoey’s hand as Rumi laid her head on her shoulder.

            Mira shook herself. She didn’t need those thoughts in her head. She had a found family and there was no reason to ruin it with her feelings for her best friends.

            Didn’t stop her from wishing Rumi’s ‘I love you’ wasn’t a platonic one, even if her voice sounded strange when she said it.

            They made it up the apartment with their groceries and began putting them away. Rumi’s door was still closed so they decided to leave her be. They would make lunch and then try and coax their leader out for some food and cuddles.

            She and Zoey worked together to make food and soon enough, the smells began to permeate the apartment. They weren’t Rumi-levels of cooking, but they were close enough.

            “Zoey, you want to go see if Rumi is ready for lunch?” Mira asked the youngest who bounced happily over to the door.

            “Rumi! You up?” she called as she knocked. When there was no answer, she frowned and tried the door to find it unlocked, which was rare, “Rumi? I’m coming in!”

            Mira shook her head, wondering if their fearless leader had her headphones on while she practiced dance moves or something. A scream pierced her thoughts and she was over at the door in a heartbeat, weapon pulled from the Honmoon.

            She looked around the room, trying to find the threat that caused Zoey to scream, only to see the maknae on the ground, crying as she held a notebook in her hands, “Zo?” she called and the broken eyes that looked at her caused her heart to clench.

Where was Rumi?

“Zoey, where’s Rumi?” she asked, her voice shaking. Please, please don’t let anything have happened to her. Please, no. She spotted a splatter of blood on the rumpled sheets and felt her heart drop, hard.

            Zoey just handed her the notebook, tears streaming down her face. Only when Mira grabbed it did Zoey crumple against the bed, face in the sheets.

            Dear Zoey and Mira,

            By the time you read this, I will be gone. I can’t hide from you two anymore, it’s breaking my heart to be so dishonest to the two most important people in my life. I have been living a lie and I cannot stand it anymore, so, I am leaving. Tell Celine that Seraphine, that singer from Japan, would be a good replacement for me.

            I’m so, so sorry for the obvious pain I am going to cause with my leaving, but it is better this way. This way, you won’t have to look at me with disgust and hatred. I couldn’t bear those looks on the faces of two people I love. You can remember me as I was.

            Please, don’t look for me. I’m not worth it. Continue on with the plan and build the Honmoon back up, seal the demon realm from our world, make our home safe, and watch each other’s backs. I don’t know what I would do if anything ever happened to the two of you. You are my world.

            Which is why I’m leaving. My secret would ruin everything I wish I could have had in the future, but I am not going to allow it to destroy yours. You both deserve better than a monster like me. Tell Celine that she shouldn’t have made that promise to my mother, I wasn’t worth it.

            I love you two so, so much. You will always carry a piece of me with you, even if I will never have a piece of either of you. Take care of each other, and make sure Bobby doesn’t stress too much.

Sincerely yours forever,

Rumi

            Mira felt tears falling down her own face as she looked up from the page. What was Rumi talking about? She wasn’t a monster. What promise? Why did she leave?

            She read it again and it still didn’t make any sense to her. If Rumi loved them, why did she leave? Mira kept rolling that thought over and over in her head, until it clicked. Did Rumi think that they didn’t love her back? Or that some secret was going to destroy their relationship? Mira didn’t think there was anything out there that could change how she felt towards the beautiful woman.

            A glance at Zoey and she knew that Zoey felt the same with how heartbroken she was. Mira quickly kneeled and pulled the shorter girl into a hug. The two of them cried for a bit, taking comfort in the other, but it wasn’t enough.

            “I’m calling Bobby and Celine.”

Xxx

            Two hours later, the two remaining members of Huntr/x were sitting on their couch while Bobby and Celine read the note Rumi left. Bobby frowned deeply, looking confused and a bit worried. Mira knew he wasn’t worried about the band or the company, he was worried about Rumi. He cared deeply about all three of them like a father would and he was the best manager any of them could ask for. They really lucked out with him.

            Celine on the other hand looked pale as a ghost. Tears came to her eyes as they read and reread the note, “No,” she said, her voice breaking, “she doesn’t- of course she doesn’t. Everything I’ve ever done,” she began pacing, “I didn’t treat-,” she cut herself off and took a deep, shaky breath to compose herself.

            “Celine,” Zoey asked hesitantly, “What did Rumi mean when she called herself a monster?”

            “And why did she think she wasn’t worth the promise you made to her mother?” Mira asked.

            Celine shook her head, fighting to regain her composure. It took a minute, and the girls, while impatient, had known the woman long enough that they knew she wouldn’t answer them until she was ready.

            “I don’t know,” Celine said softly and sat down on the couch, “I don’t know why she would run,” she turned to the two girls, “Did you two see anything? Anything about Rumi? Or…part of Rumi, that would make her run?” she asked cryptically.

            Mira frowned, brows scrunched, while Zoey flat out told her that they loved all of Rumi, she was beautiful inside and out and that they wouldn’t find anything about her distasteful, but Mira was thinking. Why did she ask that specific question? Why would she ask if they saw anything?

            “What would have seen that would have caused this?” she asked, staring directly into Celine’s eyes, frown prominent on her face, “Why would Rumi think we would hate her enough to run away?”

            Before Celine could respond, Mira and Zoey felt a ripple in the Honmoon. They leapt up, that was a strong pulse, so that meant a large group of demons burst through the veil.

            “Go,” Celine told them, “We will finish this discussion later,” she took a deep breath and turned to a confused Bobby, “I will explain what I can to Bobby. Go stop them from hurting anyone.”

            The duo nodded, hearts heavy that Rumi wasn’t with them, but they still had their duty. Even if their hearts were missing a piece.

            They rushed downstairs to the training room to grab their gear before they leapt out of the nearest window as it opened for them.

            Demons needed hunting.

Xxx

            Zoey frowned as she looked around, piles of demon ash sitting on the ground in the alley near the warehouse district, “What the heck? Where are all the demons?”

            Mira looked around as well, a scowl on her face since she didn’t get to release her frustrations on the demons since someone beat them there. It had to of been Rumi, but some of the damage to the walls was too brutal, too large of a blade made those marks.

            “Why would she ditch us and still continue to hunt demons?” Mira asked, anger lacing her tone and Zoey’s heart broke at the reminder.

            Most people may have thought she was an airhead and unobservant, but that was the furthest thing from the truth.

            Zoey had seen the longing looks Rumi and Mira would share, as well as the other two with her when they thought she wasn’t looking. She saw the appreciative looks Mira shot her at the bathhouse or how close Rumi held her when they danced at a club or afterparty. Her girls cared about her as deeply as she did them.

            She had wanted to wait until after the Honmoon to confess to them, but now there was no point.

            “I don’t think this was Rumi,” Celine said as she walked in, noticing the savagery of the battle in the alley. She had her own frown on her face since they called her after they arrived and didn’t find anything, “The blade marks in the brick are too large, too savage. Rumi is controlled, and her blade is smaller.”

            “Are there any other hunters?” Mira asked, glaring at a nearby pile of ash.

            “All of them are retired or dead,” Celine said, her voice choking up on the last word.

            Dead like Rumi’s mom, Zoey thought sadly. Her father was gone, and her mom was dead. She was raised by Celine, and she was starting to think it wasn’t all sunshine and roses.

            “Let’s head back to the tower,” Celine sighed, “I can call a friend to try and pull camera feed to see anything.”

            They wouldn’t see anything as the cameras didn’t have the right angle.

            They would continue to search for Rumi for the following week with no luck. Celine would call Seraphine to come, seeing as the young popstar had training in fighting to join Huntr/x before they found Zoey, at least until Rumi was found. They used the excuse of Rumi needing time away due to a death in the family.

            Celine’s uncle had just passed, but Rumi didn’t know him that well. They could fake some pictures and such with a touch of magic and the story would sell that she was close to him. Seraphine joining them was done as a favor to Rumi who had met her several years ago (which was true) and they were friends (somewhat true).

            Luckily, the blue-haired young woman had a personality that complimented the other two members well and could wield twin short swords like a master, having kept up with her training. Though, she was tight lipped on who trained her.

            The demons had also become more active, trying to break the Honmoon. The girls would sometimes make it in time to destroy them, but other times they would arrive to piles of ash and a destroyed area.

            Whoever was killing demons was reckless and it was only a matter of time before they got killed or slipped up so the Huntr/x team could find them.

Chapter Text

Two months later

            Rumi smiled softly from her spot on one of the large lights at the edge of the stadium as the girls finished singing How It’s Done with Rumi singing along with them, adding the power of her voice to it and the Honmoon rippled much stronger than it had during her time. She was proud of her girls for working so well with Seraphine, even if the popstar’s girlfriend was a bit over the top.

            Her demonic enhanced eyesight picked the bubbly blond, Luxanna Crownguard, from behind the curtain as she jumped around and cheered for them. Rumi read the Honmoon and breathed a bit of a sigh of relief that it was much stronger than it had been in her time.

            Her friends didn’t have to crash the company plane this time since Rumi had been taking care of the demons who had broken out for the last two months. It made it safer for them and she was happy about that.

            She adjusted her mask and hood to make sure they were in place before she stood up. She smiled as her girls moved on to the next song, one of Seraphine’s that they remixed, and made to move off when she felt eyes on her.

            Rumi frowned as she looked for the person eyeing her. When she glanced back at the stage, she spotted Mira, dancing with her show-face on, but her eyes were locked onto her. She knew Mira couldn’t see her, but she could probably sense someone watching them who wasn’t supposed to be there.

            Someone monstrous.

            Rumi froze, not sure what to do, when Mira was forced to pay attention to what was going on as she and Zoey began dancing with the song as Sera belted out her solo, she slipped back further onto the light..

            “They really are good,” a new voice said and Rumi didn’t bother turning, already knowing who it was.

            “What are you doing here Jinu?” she asked.

            “Checking on you,” Jinu’s demonic yellow eyes stared at her, concern in them, “You took a bad hit in that last raid and I wanted to make sure you didn’t pass out up here like you did at their sound check two days ago.”

            Rumi winced and placed a hand on a healing cut on her side. One of the demons had thrown a saw blade at her and she barely prevented it from bisecting her before killing the demon who threw it. It got her pretty good and she was glad for her demon physiology as it allowed her to heal faster.

            “Fine,” she told him, smiling through her mask, though it didn’t reach her eyes. She had met Jinu a few weeks into her solo mission. He had come upon her as she finished killing a group of demons using a human trafficking ring as a front for the harvesting of the human’s souls.

            The moment he saw her, she had felt a small rush of energy leave her and Jinu had blinked, surprised for second, before he smiled at her and said, ‘It worked.’

            Turned out he had used a spell of his own before giving her his soul to transfer his memories to his past self when they met. Now, he didn’t hear Gwi-Ma anymore and the other Saja boys would never arrive on Earth to become a boy band, making the way easier since it was Jinu’s idea in the first place.

            He had begun assisting Rumi where he could, using contacts he had made as a demon to get them housing, equipment, and money. Rumi wasn’t really a fan, but she needed the help since she had barely been scraping by, a demon had blown up her money at one point.

            “You know-,” Jinu began but Rumi was quick to cut him off. She already knew what he was going to say.

            “No,” she said firmly, “They wouldn’t want to see me like this,” she winced as her marks flared a depressing purple.

            Rumi had changed in the two months since she left her girls. She had several new scars and her body had packed on much more muscle from the constant raids and training with Jinu.

            She had also cut her hair shorter so it stopped mid-back instead of at her knees. She kept her signature braid, but now it was more manageable. Her one eye was still yellow, but her right eye was now a dull brown instead of the soulful one it used to be.

            Cutting yourself off from those you love would do that.

            “Come on,” Jinu said after a moment to prevent her spiraling, “Let’s head back to base and get some rest. I have a lead on some more demons for us to kill tomorrow to help pave the way for your girls.”

            “They aren’t mine,” Rumi said as she watched them finish the set and wrap their arms around each other. She wished she was there in Seraphine’s place as they all jumped around in excitement as they saw the Honmoon slowly ripple gold for a second.

            Yes, it was much stronger than in her time. She breathed a sigh of relief before she and Jinu teleported away.

Xxx

            Zoey groaned as she collapsed on the couch in the apartment. A smiling blond face appeared in her view with a cup of hot coco and she sighed in relief.

            “Thank you, Lux,” she said softly and took a sip of the heavenly homemade drink.

            “No problem,” the bubbly blond said as she handed Mira a cup of tea and plopped down next to Sera who had both their cups, “You guys killed it today!” she smiled at them.

            “We did, didn’t we?” Zoey smiled at them while Mira hummed in agreement, “And there weren’t any demon attacks, which was swell.”

            “Yes, is that odd?” Seraphine asked.

            Mira shrugged, “There have been less actual attacks lately, but a lot of battlefields from our mystery helper.”

            “Could it be another demon?” Seraphine asked and Zoey shared a look with Mira.

            They were so sure it was Rumi, but the way the person fought, judging from the aftermath, it wasn’t her. It was so confusing since Rumi was so controlled when she fought, every battlefield looked to have been involved in an explosion. Every time Mira and Zoey came upon one of those battlegrounds, they felt themselves fall further and further into despair that their friend was gone.

            Where Rumi went, they didn’t know, but it hurt to not know where she was. Every search that Celine did came up with nothing. Her cards were all left in the apartment, her bank hadn’t been accessed, and facial recognition had received no hits. It was as if she just disappeared into the ether.

            Celine also still hadn’t told them what Rumi was talking about. It was obvious that the woman knew but wouldn’t tell them. It had driven a wedge between them and their senior hunter.

            Zoey had also spoken with Mira about the feelings they all had for each other, and that had gone about as well as she thought.

            Mira had raged and cried and Zoey had cried and yelled until they were both just sobbing into each other’s arms. Because they didn’t put their feelings out there, Rumi left, they were sure of it. She thought she wasn’t deserving of their love and they never got the chance to show her otherwise.

            Although Zoey didn’t know it, Mira was sure Rumi was still watching over them. She had felt eyes on them during several rehearsals and their last concert. Sometimes even when they were out and about or at a fan meet and greet.

            “No way,” Zoey replied, “Someone else is drawing on the Honmoon and we are sure that whoever is killing demons is the same person,” she scowled, “It doesn’t feel like Rumi either.”

            Seraphine just nodded, still frowning, “I wish they would come out and tell us. Fighting groups of demons is hard,” she sighed, “and they are doing it solo.”

            The original band members just snuggled close, wondering who it was and where their friend was.

            “Please be okay, Rumi,” Mira whispered under her breath and Zoey just snuggled closer, hoping that she could comfort her remaining friend.

            Please still be alive, Zoey prayed to whoever was out there.

Xxx

            Rumi grunted as her back struck a nearby brick wall. Her large scimitar blocked the pipe one of the demons was wielding while her second scimitar gutted them. She launched herself forward, ducking under another improvised weapon (a busted board) and took down three more in a spin.

            She kicked behind herself and launched a demon into a wall, causing it to crumble on the bastard.

            Rumi had arrived at a small warehouse where demons were gathering to make plans, or something. It was one of Jinu’s memories from her first go around and she decided to nip it in the bud. The problem was there were over thirty demons there.

            Her heavy swords began to feel every bit their heavy weight, despite her demonic strength, and she still had a dozen more to go.

            A growl fell from her lips and caused the demons to pause. She knew her patterns were an angry red and her lone yellow eye was glowing, “Come on!” she snarled in her dual-toned demonic voice.

            The remaining demons scattered and she snarled at that. Two of them dropped with thrown swords in their backs while another was clawed apart when Rumi teleported in front of them.

            It took her more than twenty minutes to track the last one down, but in that time she had grown more and more tired and several of them had gotten hits on her.

            Blood dripped onto the ground in a dark alley near a familiar store that she knew the girls frequented and Rumi froze as she heard the voice of Seraphine. She turned to the side in time to see her walking with Luxanna, and at that moment the blunette turned her eyes and froze when she saw Rumi.

            She tried to teleport, but was unable to due to her wounds and exhaustion, “No, please no, not like this.”

            “Rumi!” Seraphine yelped out and the half-demon froze, “Wait, please. I’m not going to call them,” she told her and Rumi was wondering how she knew who she was.

            “What?” she asked, surprised, “I don’t know who ‘Rumi’ is, but I’m not-,” she winced in pain as the wound on her shoulder flared. It was deep and would require stitches and a few days to heal. She glanced at the deep cut, it would scar.

            “I know who you are,” Sera said firmly as Lux stared at Rumi, wide-eyed, “Evelynn was my mentor.”

            Rumi groaned at the name of the demoness who had helped Jinu train her. The member of K/DA had taken to Rumi well, acting more of a mother than Celine ever had. Her bandmates treated her as a kid sister and, now that she thought of it, the group had mentioned a Sera several times.

            She also taught her how to fight as a demon while Akali taught her how to fight like a human. It had made her dangerous.

            “Can you teleport?” Seraphine asked and Rumi shook her head, “Shit, I’m calling Eve.”

            “The others will sense her if she teleports,” Rumi said, glancing between the two girlfriends, “Why are you not surprised to see me?”

            Seraphine just smiled, “Because Eve asked me to look out for you if I ever ran into you and to keep your friends from ever knowing per your request,” but her smile turned into a glare, “Even if they are hurting, badly,” she shot out and then began talking to Evelynn, “Yes, I have her. Can you send someone to pick her up? She’s not doing good.”

            “Miss Rumi?” she turned to see Lux had walked closer with a torn piece of her shirt, “Wrap it with this,” she had to wrap it for her, but Lux leaned in close and whispered, “Mira and Zoey are okay, but they miss you terribly.”

            Rumi’s throat closed up at that, “You know why I can’t go back,” she shook her clawed hand, words slurring a bit from the blood loss and exhaustion, “They would hate me. And I couldn’t stand seeing that look on their faces,” Not again, she thought as she remembered the last time.

            “I think you would be surprised,” she said softly, “I have seen them staying in your room more than their own,” that made Rumi freeze. She did notice Mira had been wearing one of her old hoodies at one point and Zoey had a tee of hers at another, “They love you, Rumi. Why don’t you come home?”

            Rumi flinched back, right into the shoulder of Jinu as he stood behind her. He caught her as she stumbled and thanked Seraphine who put away her phone, looking forlorn.

            “I can’t,” Rumi told Luxanna who looked sad, “They deserve to be happy without all my baggage and monstrousness,” she held a bloody claw up to the light, “They don’t deserve to be lumped in with me and I don’t want to hurt them, ruin them,” she finished as she leaned heavier on Jinu. She couldn’t control her transformation, it would cause people to ask questions she couldn’t answer and Zoey and Mira would be pulled down with her.

            “You already are,” Luxanna said, face hardening, “but fine, don’t give them a chance to even decide for themselves if they could still love you. They deserve better than what you’re putting them through,” she finished and then stomped off, “I won’t reveal your secret, but know I will never like you, so long as you hurt those wonderful women.”

            Seraphine sighed and turned back to them, “I understand why you’re doing what you are. I don’t agree with it, but you need to make your own mistakes,” she hesitated for a second before shaking her head and leaving.

            “Take me back, Jinu,” Rumi slurred and her demon best friend was quick to teleport her back to base. He was able to teleport without detection since he wasn’t a pure-blooded powerful demon like Evelynn and they wouldn’t detect Rumi since she was still connected to the Honmoon.

            She groaned when the smoke from the teleport dissipated to reveal an irate Evelynn.

Xxx

            “You are the single most idiotic halfa I have ever met,” Evelynn growled out as Ahri and Akali helped patch her up. “Not calling for backup when you were overwhelmed, chasing down demons when wounded and tired. Did you forget all of Hell-week? Everything I beat into your skull?” Rumi winced. She did not forget the week from hell that was Eve’s ‘training’ (torture).

            “No, she didn’t,” Ahri sighed as she finished stitching her shoulder after having stitched a stab wound to her leg that barely missed her artery, “She’s just being reckless because she wants to die.”

            Everyone froze. Jinu slumped down, having his fears confirmed. Akali paused from where she was wrapping a bandage around a cut on her arm while Kai’sa clenched the handle of the wok she was using to make fried rice so tightly it cracked.

            The drafty warehouse/ apartment they were set up in went completely silent as they all thought over what Ahri just stated. It hurt her to make these people who had taken her in hurt, but what else did they want from her?

            Rumi looked at Evelynn who had completely frozen, even her lashers didn’t move. Then, her golden eyes narrowed to slits and her lashers shot out, gripping Rumi in a tight grip, “Is. She. Wrong?” she bit out.

            Rumi looked down, tears coming to her eyes. Why couldn’t any of them understand? She was so tired of living with her demon half, the monster inside. The looks on their faces, the two people who meant more to her than her own life, when they saw her patterns gave her constant nightmares and tore at her heart, and now the transformation was permanent! She couldn’t go out in public like she was, claws, demon eye, and glowing patterns. She was done for as a celebrity, and if she went back to Huntr/x she would bring Zoey and Mira’s reputations down. She couldn’t do that to them.

            “No,” Rumi whispered out, admitting into the dead air that Ahri was right.

            “I am killing Celine,” Ahri growled out and began walking off, confusing Rumi.

            “I am helping,” Kai’sa, the normally calm one, snarled out as her voidling armor began fluctuating on her skin that was visible.

            “What?! Why?!” Rumi’s gaze snapped up. Why would they kill Celine? The woman hadn’t asked to take care of a monster. Why would they be mad at her? It’s Rumi they should be mad at since she was so pathetic.

            “Because,” Eve growled low and her form began to go smokey, “Your father was my brother,” Eve dropped the bomb, and they all froze at that.

            “Babe?” Akali moved over to her wife, much more worried about Eve than killing Celine.

            She didn’t turn her eyes away from Rumi, “She forced me to stay away, told me she wanted nothing to do with me after killing her best friend- which I didn’t!- even when I wanted to contact you.”

            “But, why didn’t you force your way in? We were at that party in Tokyo two years ago after our debut,” Rumi asked, hurt and confusion warred within her. Why was she just finding out about this now?

            “Rumi,” Eve said softly, “If you found out that your demonic father’s sister was there after Celine filled your head with demonic hate, what would you have done?”

            “Attacked,” she answered softly, knowing it was true. She hated her father for what he had done and even more so after she broke the Honmoon. It was his fault she was a monster.

            “He loved your mother,” Evelynn said softly, causing all thoughts to fall out of her head, “I begged him to stop seeing her, but he wouldn’t listen. He knew it was dangerous for the both of them,” she walked over to Rumi and took her clawed hand in her own, “When he found out your mother was pregnant he was a wreck.”

            “Oh, I remember that,” Ahri chuckled, “He paced all over the place,” her tail twitched in fond remembrance.

            “But he was also so excited,” Evelynn smiled at her, “He went a little crazy buying stuff for you and your mother. He made sure to research everything he could since they were completely blindsided at the fact a demon and human could reproduce. I found more information on it in my travels, but then we didn’t have a clue.”

            “Do you know what happened to him?” Rumi asked. She always asked Celine but she refused to tell her. Only saying that he had killed her mother and was gone.

            Evelynn huffed, “I don’t know,” she growled. “He had gone back to Seoul around the time your mother was to go into labor and that was the last I heard from him,” she looked at Rumi, gaze firm and she felt a shiver go up her spine, “I went to find out what happened and was told to leave by Celine, that she was raising you and didn’t want anything to do with the bastard who killed her best friend, or his family.”
            “She told me that he killed my mother,” Rumi said slowly.

            “Bullshit,” Ahri said firmly, “That man loved your mother. Eve and I could see it in his eyes, and hers, when we spent time with them. He would have died before allowing anything to happen to your mother.”

            “Then it had to of been me who did it,” Rumi said softly. She truly was a monster. She killed her mother when she decided to have Rumi.

            “No,” Kai’sa told her firmly, “You wouldn’t have killed your mother. From everything Eve has found out, Demonic pregnancies are similar to human pregnancies.”

            “And Kassadin would have called the moment something was going wrong,” Eve told her.

            “Kassadin?’ Rumi latched on to the name, “That was his name?”

            “Kassadin?” Jinu yelped, “He was Rumi’s father?”

            “He was,” Eve smirked at Jinu, “One of the captains of Gwi-Ma’s inner circle. I’m sure he was angry at him falling in love with a hunter, but he always danced to his own tune. He was too kind for the life he used to live.”

            “I always wondered where he went,” Jinu said and turned to Rumi, “He trained me when I first became a demon. He was powerful,” he grinned at Rumi, “It explains why you are so strong too.”

            “Can- can you guys tell me about him?” she asked after a moment and they obliged. For the first time in her life, she was hearing stories about her father. The good, the bad, and the hilarious.

            She was still not okay. She was still afraid of her other half, despite accepting the power it gave her, but maybe she could learn to live with it.

            There was still a pang in her chest at her girls finding out about her being a demon, but she still wished she could tell them about the time her father turned the entire board of the company purple for hitting on her mom.

Chapter Text

            Rumi sat on the roof of a skyscraper, humming the tune to How It’s Done as the music video just came out. She was relaxing, or trying to, since she just finished a demon hunt not four hours before and she didn’t feel like heading back to base yet.

            Rumi looked across the city to see the building for Huntr/x and felt a pang in her heart. She missed her girls so much, even if Sera was doing a much better job of standing in for her. She wasn’t sure if her singing while she killed demons was helping, but she knew Sera was helping a ton. Why else would the Honmoon be so much stronger?

            What would she do when the Honmoon was sealed and she, Jinu, and Evelynn were free? Would she go back to her friends and explain? Or would she follow through with her thought all those months ago where she would find a cabin in the woods and live out her days in seclusion.

            Or, the darker part of her mind thought, would she ask Celine to do what she should have done when she was born?

            She knew she had more friends than her girls now, and that Eve, Ahri, Akali, Kai, and Jinu would be sad. Hell, Evelynn was her aunt! She had an actual family!

Maybe living would be okay. Eve probably had property all over the world, having been on Earth for thousands of years. She would let her live at one of her properties. Probably.

            “Penny for your thoughts?”

            She turned to see Jinu making his way to sit next to her, “What?”

            “American term,” he said as he sat down next to her with a sigh, “It means ‘what’s on your mind?’”

            She paused, debating on whether or not to tell him, then decided to say something, “Trying to think on what to do after the Honmoon is sealed. That cabin in the woods is looking like paradise to me.”

            Jinu looked her over, spotting the latticework of new scars since she began her crusade. Already, from his memories of future-past, he knew Gwi-Ma wasn’t as strong as before and Rumi was much stronger than she had been originally.

            What the demoness didn’t realize was that all the demons she killed had been giving her portions of their power due to her being part demon. It was why she was so much stronger than the other hunters. She was more powerful than she thought, but he wouldn’t tell her. She was reckless enough. She didn’t need to try and take on more and possibly end up dead or severely injured.

            “I’m just asking,” he held his hands up, “but do you think you’ll tell your friends what you’ve been up to? Give them some kind of closure? Maybe see if they will accept you?”

            Rumi didn’t immediately snap at him, as he kept his tone soft and he was genuinely curious. Did she want to see them one last time? Of course, but would they want to see her? Even without all of her patterns on display and the damn eye that wouldn’t fade back to brown, would they?

            “I don’t know,” she told him honestly and he looked at her in surprise. She rolled her eyes, “Eve made the right call telling me about my father,” she paused, “It has helped me hate myself a little less,” she looked back at the tower, her smile sad, “Would they even want to see me after the way I left? How about with all the new artwork?” she joked sadly as she lifted her sleeve to show her glowing patterns.

            Jinu was silent for a time before he changed the subject, “Are you going to confront Celine about your parents?”

            Rumi took a deep breath and released it slowly, “I need to. I need to know what happened that night.”

            Jinu was about to respond when he frowned and turned his head to look down. His eyes widened, but before he could say anything Rumi looked down and froze at what she saw. She hadn’t even known they were out of the tower.

            Zoey and Mira were laughing as they left a restaurant below, holding hands and chatting happily. Rumi felt her chest clench, but it just about broke when she saw Zoey pull Mira into a kiss and tears came immediately to her eyes.

            They watched them for a few seconds before they turned a corner and Rumi felt her heart shatter to pieces. Jinu’s gaze was still on her, worry clear in his eyes, but then she began to laugh as tears came down her cheeks.

            “What can I expect?” she laughed but there was no humor in it, “It’s been four months since I disappeared. Did I expect them to wait for me to magically turn up and tell them how much I loved them? How much watching Zoey mumble lyrics while typing and chewing on a pen makes me melt? Or- or how about how hot Mira is when she glares down a paparazzi or pushy fan?” she laughed bitterly, “Maybe they were just waiting until I was out of the way so they could be together. There’s no sense in having a third wheel around.”

            “Rumi,” Jinu said, his tone warning but she ignored him as she continued to rant.

            “What, Jinu? What am I supposed to think,” she glared at him but he wasn’t looking at her, “The little monster isn’t allowed to have happiness, and just when she is feeling content, we should throw another wrench in the works!”

            “Rumi!” he barked and shoved her head towards where Mira and Zoey disappeared to see dozens of demons converging on the singers.

            “No,” she whispered out, fear in her tone, and before Jinu could stop her, was gone in a flash of violet shadow.

            He froze, “That was Kassadin’s power,” he said in surprise, before teleporting himself.

Xxx

            Mira chuckled at a joke Zoey told her involving turtles, enjoying a free night on the town for once. She felt a warmth fill her that had nothing to do with the alcohol they had with dinner and everything to do with the beautiful woman next to her.

            She and Zoey had been on one date before this, the lyricist having asked her out the week before after a day at the bathhouse. She was glad Zoey had asked her first, since she had wanted to ask, but there was a pretty big thing they needed to talk about.

            Their missing leader.

            They hadn’t mentioned it during either of the dates, but she knew they had to talk about Rumi and their feelings about their leader.

            Mira was still pissed at the way she left, but she had mentioned the fact she was a monster and that she hated lying to them. Mira couldn’t think of anything about Rumi that was monstrous, but what was she lying to them about? Celine clearly knew, but their senior idol wasn’t saying anything.

            She was also worried about Rumi, since no one had seen her in months and her silence made it worse. If their mystery hunter wasn’t her, what happened to Rumi? Mira knew she wouldn’t give up the fight against demons, but did that mean she had died?

            Her heart clenched at that and worry gnawed at her. Why would Rumi not speak to them for months? Did they do something wrong? Make her think they wouldn’t always love her? She thought she had been good at hinting at the fact she was interested in the beautiful woman. Zoey caught on, but why didn’t Rumi?

            “Hey,” Zoey interrupted her spiraling thoughts, “What’s wrong?”

            Mira took a breath and looked at Zoey. Her face was full of concern and she hated that she was about to ruin the evening, “Rumi.”

            Zoey’s mood plummeted and Mira wished she could take the words back, “We should probably talk about the feelings we have for her, shouldn’t we?”

            Mira paused, blinking in surprise, before nodding, “Yeah.”

            “We’re both in love with her,” Zoey said sadly.

            “Yeah.”

            “And she’s gone.”

            “Probably,” Mira said sadly and slumped, “I’m sorry. I know we were having a wonderful evening, but…” she trailed off.

            “We need to talk about the elephant in the room,” Zoey said, smiling weakly.

            Mira nodded and sighed, “What are we going to do if she comes back?”

            “When she comes back,” Zoey said firmly and Mira both loved and hated her for her optimism. She didn’t know if she could trust Rumi to come back. Not after the way she left.

            Mira was going to confront Celine and get her to talk after the Honmoon was sealed. They needed to know why Rumi ran.

            “Fine, when,” Mira realized they had stopped in the middle of the street as they spoke and glanced around. Something felt off and she frowned.

            “When she comes back,” Zoey growled, “I’m going to pin her down and yell at her for leaving the way she did, ask for an explanation, and then…” she stumbled at the last part, sighed, then said, “and then, I don’t know. It hurts, you know?”

            Mira pulled her in for a hug, “I know, darling. She hurt both of us leaving the way she did. I just want to know why. Why was the best thing for her to leave? Haven’t we shown that she can trust us?”

            “Oh? But why would a demon trust a hunter?” a new voice hissed out with a chuckle.

            Weapons manifested and the duo went back-to-back. A chill crawled down their spines as they noticed the dozens of demons leaping down from buildings, but it was the four demons in dark cloaks in the middle of the street that gave them pause.

            All four of them looked more human than the normal demons, if it wasn’t for the patterns and slitted yellow eyes. They had a dangerous aura around them and Mira clenched her weapon closer.

            “Who are you?” Zoey asked, surprised the demons were talking and not attacking.

            “Who, us?” the demon smirked at her. His pink hair was flipped around as he shook his head, “it doesn’t matter. All that matters is the end of two more hunters.”

            “Two more?” Mira asked, fear for Seraphine flooding her mind. Was she already under attack? She was out with Lux, all of them needing to leave the tower for the evening.

            “Who do you think killed the last two iterations of hunters?” another chuckled.

            “You won’t find us easy prey,” Zoey said, trying to sound brave but she knew they were in dire straits.

            “It’s only two of you versus all of us,” the first said, smirking.

            Before he could continue taunting them, he was forced to dodge as a pair of large scimitars slammed into the ground where he had stood before a new person was in front of the demonic boys.

            They had a hooded jacket with gloves on and leather pants. Mira noticed the way the clothing hugged their feminine curves and felt hope flare in her chest. The two scimitars disappeared only to reappear in the woman’s hands, violet in color. The swords were larger than normal. Mira wondered how they could wield the large weapons with one hand.

            The girls were frozen at the surprise of meeting their mystery hunter finally, but that faded when the hooded figure turned to look at them to reveal a slitted golden eye. With violet patterns fluctuating between red and dark purple.

            “You need to leave,” the dual tones made them both recoil. Mira thought she saw the demon’s body flinch but it was gone too quick for her to really think on it, “Go!” she shouted, worry clear in her tone, “You cannot defeat this many. I will buy you time. Please, go,” Mira frowned at the worry in the demon’s tone and wondered if it was a ploy to get them to turn their backs.

            “If it isn’t the half-breed!” the leader chuckled, “Our master is keen to get his hands on you. He didn’t even know it was possible for us to breed with female humans. Such a shame it cost him one of his commanders,” He looked her up and down, smirking, “I have to say, I like the results. Maybe I should give it a go, see what happens.”

            “You won’t make it out of here alive to try it,” the woman snarled and got into a ready stance that looked familiar to Mira.

            “It’s just you here,” he smirked, “and I don’t think two hunters will help a demon, even if they are half human,” Mira and Zoey stared at the woman in shock as her grip on her blades tightened. He saw that and smirked, “Oh? Do you care for the hunters? Maybe I will make you watch as they die?”

            “You will not touch them,” the woman snarled and the Honmoon rippled with her voice, “I will kill you first.”

            He grinned, “I’d like to see you try.”

            That lone yellow eye turned to them, pleading in the gaze, “Run.”

            Then she dashed forward faster than anyone they had seen before. She was among them in a blink, but that was all the time they had, because the lesser demons rushed them as well and it became a melee.

            “Behind you!” Zoey shouted and Mira ducked and cut a demon in half before stabbing one over Zoey’s head as her best friend launched her shin-kal in a wave to kill another six behind her.

            They moved like water while the strange demon woman fought the four other demons. She saw her take an arm of one out of the corner of her eye before a kick to his neck put him down while the head from another rolled. All the while she was killing lesser demons who were trying to help their leaders.

            Unfortunately, that split second of distraction was Mira’s downfall. Everything seemed to slow to a crawl and her awareness exploded out of her with a burst of adrenaline.

            The yellow eye of the demon turned to her and widened. When her head turned to face her as she shouted, Mira saw not a second yellow eye, but a dark brown one.

            She turned in time to see a demon wielding a butcher knife and coming at her, too close to block, and then she was tumbling.

            When she came to a stop, her weapon was still in her hand and there was a weight on top of her. She felt the weight move and when she looked up, she saw the yellow and brown eyes of the demon who saved her life.

            A very familiar brown eye, one that used to be a part of a pair that she could stare at all day. A pair that belonged to the woman she and Zoey loved.

            A pair that was now half and set in a face that had patterns crawling up her chin and out of her hairline.

            When a purple lock of hair fell out of the hood, she knew she was staring into Rumi’s eyes. The pieces clicked together in a split second. Rumi called herself a monster and wrote that she had been lying to them.

            The demon had said that a demon had impregnated a human woman. That meant Rumi’s father had been a demon. Mira was unable to contain the hint of fear in her eyes at that fact before Rumi saw it and the shattered look their missing member had in her eyes caused her own heart to break.

            Rumi was quick to get up and Mira noticed that most of the demons were down, but the two remaining boys were smirking at Rumi. Mira wondered why that was when she noticed the knife sticking in Rumi’s shoulder and gasped.

            Rumi reached behind her and tore the blade out. She tossed it negligently into a nearby demon, going through them and embedding itself in a brick wall with a loud crack, “You done?” she snarled at them in her demonic voice.

            “Oh, we are more than done,” the demon chuckled, “Now we know who has been hindering our operations and a way to get at them,” his eyes glanced to the side to see Mira.  Rumi cut Mira’s sight of the demons off as she stood protectively in front of them and let loose a deep growl. The remaining demons charged and while the other two demons teleported.

            Rumi and Zoey were quick to kill the rest of the demons, but Mira was too stunned to continue. Her mind was going over everything she learned. It helped her understand why Rumi ran, they were taught to hate demons, to kill them on sight.

            The very thing that Rumi was.

            Celine had to have known, her line of Celine not making the promise to her mother clearly was the fact that Celine spared her and didn’t that make her heart clench at the fact Rumi wouldn’t have existed. It also made a lot of sense that Celine hadn’t told them since she had raised a demon child.

            Zoey walked over to her, clearly wary of the demoness in front of them as Rumi watched the area warily, expecting the boys to come back, even with a bleeding shoulder she was being protective. Zoey was glancing at Mira, confused at her reaction, until Mira had to open her mouth.

            “Rumi,” Zoey gasped and the demon’s shoulders tensed.

            “I’m not Rumi,” the demonic voice still sent a shiver down her spine.

            “Yes, you are,” Mira growled, getting angry at the blatant lie. All of the worry and anger from Rumi leaving began to bubble up, “I saw your human eye. I know those eyes as well as my own since I’ve been looking into them since the day we met. So go ahead, tell another lie, Rumi. What’s one more when you were keeping a secret this big, huh?” she waved her hands at the other woman’s back, “That you are the very thing we fight. That you’re a demon.”

            Rumi spun around and ripped the mask off her face and tossed her hood back, her yellow eye glowing and both full of tears. Zoey gasped next to her and her shinkai fell to the ground with a clang. Rumi looked angry, but her eyes, both of them, looked hurt. Enough so that Mira wished she could take back what she said, because the sheer amount of pain in those eyes just about killed her.

            “You think I asked for this?” Rumi growled out, her dual tone gone and her voice, the one that Mira used to love hearing, spoke in a pain filled rasp that pierced her heart, “You think I wanted to be a demon? I was born this way! I didn’t have a fucking choice!”

            “Rumi,” Zoey said softly but the other woman didn’t hear her or ignored her.

            “You were never supposed to know,” Rumi said softly, “I was going to help kill the demons here while you two and Seraphine sealed the Honmoon. Then I was supposed to lose my patterns and go back to being human,” she chuckled bitterly, “Of course, that was before the changes became permanent.”

            “Permanent?” Mira asked, “Why wouldn’t they be permanent? How was the Honmoon supposed to make you lose your patterns?”

            Rumi shrugged, “It’s what Celine told me,” she replied and that confirmed their mentor knew about Rumi’s secret. Her eyes darted around the two of them, like she couldn’t look at them. Her posture was completely defensive and Mira wanted to reach out to her, touch her, hold her, but Rumi would just run again so she waited, “I don’t think I ever really believed her,” she admitted quietly, “So, I was going to help finish what we started and then disappear for good.”

            “Why?” Zoey whimpered and Mira glared at Rumi, feeling hurt that she wasn’t going to stay, again.

            Rumi sighed and then her tone changed to demonic, making both of them flinch as they remembered the few times they had heard demons speak, “Because of what I am, and that look of fear in your eyes,” Mira wished she could speak past the lump in her throat at the destroyed look in Rumi’s eyes. They loved her, but that voice was something they would have to get used to. Any time they had ever heard that demonic voice had been when the owner was trying to kill them.

            But they didn’t get the chance to tell her that.

            Mira’s phone rang with Bobby’s tone, and when she looked down and reached to grab it, Rumi was gone, a dark violet mist dispersing in the air.

            “Seraphine has been attacked. She’s in the hospital.”

Xxx

            The duo rushed into the hospital, neither having spoken to each other as they darted across rooftops to get there quickly. They were both lost in their heads at the reveal of Rumi, at the fact she was a demon.

            They were rushed to the ICU to see Seraphine with bandages all over her body and Luxanna sitting next to her, worry and tears on her face. Bobby was speaking with Celine while they waited for the duo to arrive.

            There were also four people they hadn’t seen since a party in Tokyo. One of which was wearing her animal props.

            “Why are K/DA here?” Zoey asked softly. Then Ahri’s ears twitched and they froze as they realized her ‘props’ were real. The blond turned to them, frowning at the state of their clothes and the obvious small injuries.

            “Are you two okay?” she asked, worry clear in her eyes, “Demons attacked Seraphine, so we didn’t know if you guys were as well.”

            “You know about demons?” Zoey asked, Mira frowning at the leader of the pop band.

            Ahri sighed, her ears and tail moving, “Normally I glamour my appendages, but I didn’t have time when Lux called us saying that Sera was under attack by a horde.”

            “I ripped a portal open and we were able to save her,” Evelynn said, her yellow slitted eyes caused both hunters to freeze, wide eyed. Evelynn just rolled her eyes, “I’m not your enemy. I’m actually here to keep the Honmoon active and strong. That’s why I started training Seraphine when I realized Celine was looking into her as a hunter a few years ago.

            “My wife is pretty badass,” Akali smirked as she twirled a kunai on her finger.

            “You’re married to a demon?” Mira asked, more confused than angry.

            Akaly tilted her head, “Yes? Eve is pretty cool once you get to know her.”

            “She also doesn’t eat souls,” Kai’sa said smiled as she wrapped an arm around Ahri, “neither does our Gumiho,” she pressed a kiss to Ahri’s temple and the fox woman smirked at her girlfriend.

            “What is going on?” Celine glared at the other group, “I told you not to interact with my hunters. They don’t need to listen to your-.”

            “Like we don’t need to listen to your lies about Rumi?” Mira finally found a target for her anger, since the original ran away, again. Celine stared at her wide-eyed, “Yes, we saw her tonight. She’s the reason I’m alive.”

            “Wh-what?” Celine stuttered as Bobby rushed over.

            “Is she okay?” he asked and she saw Zoey soften at the question and felt herself soften towards Bobby, but she was still mad.

            Mira shrugged, heart hurting and anger flaring, “Well, she took a knife for me, told us she’s half-demon, and then left,” not completely true but it got the point across. She turned to an ashen Celine as Bobby’s eyes widened in worry, “When were you going to tell us?”

            “Probably around the same time she was going to tell you that Rumi is my niece,” Evelynn said nonchalantly, and they all turned to her.

            “They don’t need to know that!” Celine barked but withered under Evelynn’s glare.

            “You didn’t let me see the last piece of my brother left for over twenty years, the last family I have left,” she growled, two smoky appendages coming out from under her skirt, “You don’t get to control what I say.”

            “Your brother?” Zoey asked, curiosity in her tone. Mira leaned in, wanting to learn more about the man who helped make Rumi. Rumi, who even when she thought Mira and Zoey hated her, took a knife for Mira. Who threw herself into the line of fire against four stronger demons, killing two, because the two of them were in danger.

            “Oh my god,” her eyes widened, “She took a knife for me,” now that the anger was slowly passing with the new information, the worry for Rumi grew.

            “She’s also been fighting all those demons alone,” Ahri supplied softly, “To keep the two of you out of harm’s way. To protect you.”

            “Alone?” Zoey gasped, “Why aren’t any of you helping?”

            “She refused our help,” Kai’sa said, glaring at Celine, “Said it wasn’t our problem, but we are all still nearby in case she gets in over her head.”

            “She is her father’s daughter,” Evelynn sighed and they all stared at her in surprise.

            “But her father was a demon!” Celine growled out, “He was an abomination that should have never been with Miyeong!”

            Evelynn glared, “My brother was too kind for our race. Even when he made contracts with humans, he always made sure to take care of them until the expiration, and even then, he wouldn’t always bring their souls to Gwi-Ma,” she said, surprising them. “And in the last century or so, he didn’t deliver any.”

            “He still delivered souls to Gwi-Ma!” Celine snarled but they could tell she didn’t even truly believe that.

            “He stopped, because he met Miyeong’s great grandfather,” Evelynn smiled, “That man was truly one of a kind. He was a simple farmer who had a good family. Kassadin had gotten ambushed by some other demons who wanted to climb ranks by killing him but he managed to defeat them. He was severely wounded and that simple farmer found him, helped him, and offered him food and shelter.”

            “Did he know what Kassadin was?” Mira asked.

            Eve turned to her and nodded, “He did. He had seen my brother rescuing a young girl from a group of bandits several weeks before. He was wary, of course, but he chose to judge my brother on his actions as opposed to his race.”

            “How does that lead into meeting Rumi’s mother?” Akali asked. Obviously, this was the first time she heard this story. Even Celine was listening in.

            Eve continued her telling, “He decided to watch over the family over the years. When his friend passed, he made sure to keep watch. When Miyeong was born he was there,” they all frowned at her and she rolled her eyes, “Obviously nothing happened. He kept watch, even when she became a demon hunter, he kept watch, which is how he saved her life when she was caught solo.”

            “That was how she survived that horde?” Celine gasped, but her scowl returned shortly after.

            Eve rolled her eyes again, “She questioned why he was helping her, and he told her his story. My brother was too honest for his own good,” she chuckled, “She tried to kill him afterwards, using the story as a distraction, and he was smitten.”

            “How did she come to love him?” Mira asked, the question important.

            Evelynn shook her head, “That, I do not know,” she said, “Somehow, she was able to see past his race and to the good man underneath it all. Maybe it was his persistence? His constant kindness? That is all I know,” her yellow eyes glared at Celine, “What I also do not know, was how he and Miyeong died.”

            “He killed her,” Celine growled, but Mira could now detect the waver in her voice from a lie.

            “My brother loved that woman more than his own life,” Eve snarled. Celine went to open her mouth but the demoness cut her off again, “And don’t you dare blame Rumi. That man would have called us the second there was something wrong. She wouldn’t have died in childbirth, so what’s the real reason?”

            Celine just glared and left.

            Before they could continue, Lux rushed out of the room, “she’s awake!”

Chapter Text

            Rumi stared at the grave that belonged to her mother, wondering what she would think of her. She kneeled down and placed flowers at the grave, “Hey mom,” she said softly.

            A breeze kicked up in the early morning light as she leaned up against the headstone, looking out at the sunrise from the top of the hill. She hadn’t been able to sleep after she had Jinu patch her shoulder. Everything that she had feared happening had happened. Her friends knew her secret and were afraid of her again. She had ruined everything.

            She felt the Honmoon rippling and was worried it was beginning to weaken, all because she was seen.

            “What would you think of me now?” she asked, looking over her clawed hands and patterns, “Would you think me a monster? Or your beautiful little girl?” no answer came. She glanced at the scars that she could see on her arms from the last few months. “What should I do?” she asked her mother, “They are scared of me, and they must hate me for leaving the way I did,” she felt tears come to her eyes as she remembered the night before, “They looked so happy together before the demons attacked, how can I ruin what they have found? I love them too much to watch them break apart because I come back,” she took a deep breath before coming to a decision.

            “I will help them seal the Honmoon before disappearing, but this time I will say goodbye.”

            “Rumi?” the voice of Celine broke her out of her thoughts. When she turned it was to see her mentor and mother-figure (using the term loosely) standing a few meters away, “What are you doing here?”

            Rumi stood and watched Celine flinch at her demonic features, “Is it wrong to visit my mother?” she asked, a bit of bite to her tone, “What are you doing here?”

            “Visiting my old friend,” she said, sighing, “I’ve done so many things wrong, I don’t know if I can see her again and beg her forgiveness.”

            Rumi frowned, “What do you mean?”

            “It doesn’t matter,” Celine shook her head and placed her own flowers down at the grave, “I’m just going to have to live with the consequences of my choices.”

            “No, you don’t get to do that,” Rumi felt angry at the dismissive attitude Celine had. Rumi was one of those affected by Celines ‘mistakes’. “What are you talking about? You at least owe me that much.”

            Celine looked at Rumi but quickly looked away and Rumi clenched her fist in anger at Celine acting the same way about her marks as she did the first time. She wouldn’t lose her cool this time though, she wouldn’t break the Honmoon.

            “You can’t even look at me,” Rumi said softly, hurt, “Am I that ugly to look at?”

            “No!” Celine said but quickly averted her gaze again, “You aren’t. You are just everything I was taught to hate, to destroy, and I can’t do that after the promise I made to your mother.”

            “So that’s the only reason I’m still alive?” Rumi growled, “Your promise?”

            “No!”

            “Then why don’t you fix your mistake?” Rumi bit out and summoned her sword, mirroring her position from the future-past, “End it,” tears came to her eyes as Celine didn’t move.

            “You don’t love me,” Rumi said and Celine stared at her as she dismissed her sword and stood up, “You never have. You made me hide from the only people that ever loved me and because of everything you taught us they will hate me forever now that they know my secret,” Rumi felt pain at that but ignored it. She’d had to ignore it for years, what was another few days?

            “Rumi, no, they don’t hate you,” Celine tried, desperate, but Rumi ignored her and turned away.

            “Don’t worry Celine,” she said as she walked away, “After the Honmoon is sealed, I won’t be around to taint their image anymore.”

            “What?” but Rumi had already disappeared in violet energy, “Rumi!”

Xxx    

            Mira stared out of the window as the sun rose, having been completely unable to sleep. Zoey had her head in her lap and she was running her hands through her girlfriend’s hair, deep in thought as Zoey slept.

            From what Evelynn had told them all after Celine left and Seraphine had woken up, Celine had forced Rumi to hide who she was for so long with threats of Mira and Zoey hating her for her heritage and that was why she ran. She couldn’t stand the fact that the two people she loved most in the world would hate her.

            And hadn’t that been an eye-opener? Rumi loved them, she loved them enough to put herself at risk every night to kill demons alone. Loved her enough to take a knife for her. Did Rumi want to die? She shivered at the thought, her heart hurting. It would make sense. If she felt she was alone, why wouldn’t she want to die?

            She was still mad about the secret, but she didn’t hate Rumi. She wasn’t afraid of her either. She just wanted her home so they could yell and cry and work things out and be together again. Rumi didn’t have to walk her path alone, Mira wanted to walk it with her.

            She paused, could she get past the fact Rumi was a demon though?

            The door opened to their apartment and Mira shook Zoey awake.

            “What?” she groggily looked up at Mira and frowned, “Did you sleep at all?”

            Mira shook her head and then smelled coffee and doughnuts from their favorite shop. She turned to see Bobby looking just as exhausted as she was.

            “Hey,” he said tiredly, “I couldn’t sleep either. I was too worried about finding a replacement singer since Sera is out for quite some time. Eve offered Ahri and Kai’sa since they would fit best with you two, but I wanted to run it by you guys first.”

            “Ahri would probably be best since she has the leader energy we need,” Zoey said as she downed half the hot coffee in one go. Mira quickly followed her and noticed a fourth cup of coffee and smelled the vanilla latte that Rumi always liked. She frowned at Bobby but he looked exhausted so she chalked it up to that.

            “What are you two thinking?” he asked and they all knew what he was really asking.

            “She lied for so long,” Mira said, anger in her tone that she didn’t want to bother controlling, “Did she really think that we would hate her?”

            “Yeah!” Zoey replied, feeding off her anger and the fact she was waking up from a restless night, “We love her, all of her. How could she think any different?”

            “Because of Celine.”

            They both turned to Bobby, gaping in realization as he stared out of the window to the rising sun, “Think about it,” he told them, “I have been for the last six hours since we left the hospital. Both of you are thinking about how this has affected you, but what about the years that Rumi spent with Celine filling her head with hatred towards her own race?” he asked them and Mira couldn’t refute that.

            It made sense then, why she would run. If you are taught that your race is hated and horrible, why wouldn’t that make you think that about yourself? Rumi had been with Celine her whole life, and her hatred of demons was apparent, especially after last night. Of course Rumi would be scared of their reactions, especially after they spoke about how horrible demons are on multiple occasions. Though, Rumi never joined in on those discussions. Now she knew why.

            “She’s been brought up to hate her own race,” Zoey said softly, tears in her eyes, “Why wouldn’t she think we would hate her? We have never been as accepting of demons.”

            “We were trained to kill them,” Mira said softly, feeling sick to her stomach, “Of course Rumi wouldn’t trust us, especially if Celine was filling her head with those lies that we would hate her.”

            “We love her,” Zoey declared firmly, “We always have. We aren’t going to let her race change that.”

            “From what Evelynn has told me,” Bobby began, “and what she told us last night. Rumi is still the same person she has always been,” he smiled softly at them, “Taking care of the most important people in her life.”

            Mira felt her heart warm and Zoey grabbed her hand, thoughts moving along the same line.

            “But how do we get her to understand that?” Zoey asked.

            Bobby sighed and ran a hand through his hair, “I don’t know. I sent Evelynn with a message and all of our numbers. Hopefully she texts one of us to talk.”

            Mira was about to respond when she felt a prickling sensation on her neck. It didn’t feel like danger, but she had felt it before. Ever since Rumi left she had felt it over a dozen times.

            She spun around in her seat and glanced out of the window, only to see an antenna off of a nearby skyscraper that was a little bigger around the pole than before. She stood up and walked towards the window, smirking.

            “Mira?” Zoey asked, looking confused and trying to see what she did. Mira couldn’t see Rumi, but she knew she was there, “What is it?”

            “Rumi,” she said and raised her hand and crooked her finger before pointing it down.

            She would get their girl back, even if she had go out into the city and chase her down.

Xxx

            Rumi arrived back at their base, agitated and angry. Before she could move more than a few feet, she was enveloped in nine fluffy blond tails and strong arms.

            “Hey dear, are you okay?” Ahri asked, looking her over, “Jinu said he patched you up but you left soon after.

            “I went to go see my mom,” she said softly and they all understood, “Celine was there.”

            “What did that bitch do?” Akali asked as she made her way over and hugged her.

            Jinu looked at her in sympathy, “Was it any different?”

            Rumi sighed and sat down on a chair, “Not really? She still wouldn’t look at me or say she loved all of me,” she sighed, “It was like last time,” everyone looked at her in confusion and she winced. She was exhausted after the fight and confrontation. Her emotions were all over the place.

            Jinu just sighed, “Rumi.”

            “What do you mean, ‘like last time’?” Kai’sa asked.

            Eve turned to Jinu and then glanced at Rumi with her eyes glowing, “You didn’t.”

            Rumi hesitated for a second and looked at Jinu at a loss and he just slumped and nodded. She turned back to the group, and took a deep breath.

            “I watched Mira and Zoey get cut down in front of me,” she said softly and they all gasped, “Last time, the Saja boys, the cloaked demons that I fought last night, revealed my patterns to the world during a concert after imitating Zoey and Mira,” Ahri’s tail wrapped around her and she leaned into the fox’s contact, “I rushed backstage after destroying the lighting and saw Zoey and Mira there. I was confused at first, since they had just been on stage with me,” she felt tears come to her eyes, “They were hurt and angry and pointed their weapons at me, so, I ran.

            “Straight to Celine,” she said, skipping over her meeting with Jinu. They didn’t need to know about that, “I begged her to kill me since I was destroying the Honmoon in my panic.”

            “No,” Kai’sa said, tears in her eyes. Rumi glanced around at all of them and noticed only Evelynn and Jinu were dry-eyed. Everyone else looked at her, hurt, “Please, tell me you didn’t…”

            “I tested her this time,” Rumi said, not telling them that she had hoped Celine would do it this time. Seeing the fear in Mira and Zoey’s eyes the night before shattered her heart. She didn’t know if there was a way back for her, didn’t know if she could even see them again without breaking further.

            “Did she try to kill you last time?” Eve asked.

            Rumi shook her head, “No, she refused for the same reason this time. Her promise to my mother.”

            Evelynn sighed and seemed to fight with herself for a moment before she turned to Rumi, “She does love you, you know.”

            Rumi scoffed, “I doubt it,” she couldn’t believe someone who loved her would treat her the way she did.

            “She does,” Ahri confirmed, “We can sense emotions, and she was worried about you when she heard you were injured tonight.”

            Rumi paused, frowning, “When did you see her?”

            “At the hospital,” Ahri said, “Sera was attacked and Lux barely got the call out to us in time. We were able to save her, but she is severely hurt.”

            “Is she going to be okay?” Rumi asked, her first thought being on the lovely singer. She and Lux may not be happy with her right now, but that didn’t mean she didn’t adore the two younger women.

            “She will be out of commission for at least a month or two,” Akali told her gently.

            “Shit,” Rumi cursed and stood, throwing the chair against the wall, “This is my fault. The demons are getting aggressive since I’ve been killing too many of them. They went after the hunters powering the Honmoon.”

            “Not all of the hunters,” Evelynn told her, staring into her mismatched eyes, “You are still connected, you are still powering it,” she could see the threads from Rumi to the Honmoon. It was drawing on her power which was why it was so close to being completed, but something was holding it back. She had a theory, but she needed to see Rumi with Zoey and Mira before she confirmed it.

            Right now, their little halfa was heartbroken, she wasn’t truly happy and Evelynn thought that may be what was holding it back. The Honmoon needed its hunters cooperative, and in order for that to happen, they needed to talk to one another.

            It may blow up in their faces, but Evelynn thought that their love could overcome this. She had seen Rumi’s love for the girls and their love for their missing member in person, and it was as beautiful as her own love for Akali, Ahri’s for Kai’sa, or Sera’s for Lux.

            “You couldn’t have known,” Ahri told her, frustration on her features, even as she held Rumi close, “The moment you began changing things, the butterflies would have exploded outwards. You have been in unknown territory since you came back and left.”

            “So, what do I do now? Without Seraphine, they can’t close the Honmoon,” Rumi began to pace and Ahri had to release her.

            Evelynn held up her hand with a piece of paper and Rumi froze, eyes widening on it. Those looked like numbers, two of which she had memorized.

            “Make a phone call and figure it out,” Evelynn told her, shoving the paper in her hand, “You love those girls so much, and they love you too. You need to talk to them. Put everything out there and figure everything out.”

            Rumi stared at the three numbers, seeing that Bobby’s was one of them, and clenched her hand in a fist, “I don’t know how,” she said and Kai was quick to hug her again.

            “Just be honest about how you feel,” Jinu told her, sad smile on his face, “Even my memories noticed how much the three of you were in love. It was why the others used illusions of them to hurt you, so you would break the Honmoon. You are the key, Rumi,” he walked over and hugged her tightly, “Go get your girls. Give them a chance to talk, explain. Remember, they took lethal blows for you. They love you.”

            Rumi felt tears come to her face at that. She remembered, they had seen her in danger and didn’t hesitate, just like she didn’t hesitate to take a knife for Mira, or to leap in front of an army for her loves.

            She stepped back and nodded, “I’ll be back soon,” she said softly.

            Then she was gone in a puff of violet shadow.

Xxx

            “You’re in love with her, aren’t you?” Kai’sa said to Jinu after their halfa left.

            He turned to her, surprised, before glancing at Eve and Ahri who were looking at him sadly and began to chuckle, “She never looked my way,” he told them, “There may have been a moment, but it was gone as quick as it showed,” he ran a hand through his hair and walked to a nearby window, “but I know a lost cause when I see it, and that girl is so in love with her girls that she doesn’t even register anything else.”          

            “Why are you helping her then?” Ahri asked, “That’s what I don’t understand. You are essentially helping her get her girls, which leaves you out in the cold.”

            He shook his head, still smiling, “I love her enough to let her find happiness,” he told them, remembering the kindness of Rumi all throughout the events of the Future that never was. How she always believed in him, how, because of her, he had his soul again. He turned to the women in the room with him and smiled softly, “Her happiness means more to me than having her as mine when she never was.

            “I’m happy just to be her best friend.”

Chapter Text

            Rumi reappeared on the radio tower of a nearby skyscraper. Her enhanced sight allowed her to see into the penthouse where her girls were talking with Bobby. She frowned as she noticed how exhausted all of them were and then remembered Seraphine.

            “That poor girl,” she sighed, “I hope she can forgive me for getting her into this mess.”

            As she watched her girls and Bobby, she saw Mira stiffen and whip around. Her eyes widened at that when she noticed the other woman began scanning the nearby buildings before her gaze landed on her tower and a smirk took over her face.

            When she crooked her finger and pointed at the ground, Rumi understood what she wanted, but she hesitated in following through. Mira didn’t look upset. That smirk was usually reserved for when she was being mischievous or she was entertained by something.

            Rumi took a deep breath, “You need to go to them,” she said to herself, “Even if it hurts, you have to give them closure. They deserve that much from you.”

            So, having hyped herself up to go talk to them, she took a step and then reappeared in the living room. Bobby yelped, Zoey flinched back before she realized it was her and relaxed, tears coming to her eyes.

            Rumi turned to Mira, only to see a fist coming at her face.

            It hurt, oh god did it hurt, but it didn’t break her jaw, which she had seen Mira do to people who pissed her off before and demons, so it was apparent she held back. Rumi caught herself on the nearby table.

            “Mira!” Zoey yelped and Bobby cursed and went to rush over to her, but Rumi held up a hand to stop him.

            “I deserved that,” Rumi said softly, touching the swelling on her face that would be gone in a few minutes, “for all the hurt I caused the two of you.”

            “Still, I don’t think hitting you was necessary,” Zoey said as she walked over and cupped Rumi’s cheek gently.

            The halfa froze, eyes wide as Zoey inspected her cheek. She turned to Mira who was slowly making her way over. The look in her eyes promised pain if Rumi ran so she closed her eyes and waited for the next hit.

            When two strong arms wrapped around her, she froze. Opening her eyes, she noticed Mira had pulled her into her shoulder and Rumi couldn’t stop the tears, nor her arms coming up and holding Mira tightly to her while being careful of her claws.

            Zoey burst into tears and glomped them from behind Rumi, and the half demon found herself in a group hug. She glanced over Mira’s shoulder to see Bobby smiling softly at them. He pulled a fourth coffee from the tray and slid it towards her, nodding at it.

            She felt herself smile tearfully at their manager as he waved and made his way outside.

            “Call me when you’re done,” he called over his shoulder.

Xxx

            Zoey stared at Rumi as she sat at their table, clawed hands holding her coffee as she slowly sipped it. Her brown and yellow eyes darted between the two of them, confusion clear with a hint of worry, like they were going to kick her out.

            She held in a scoff, they just got her back, they weren’t going to kick her out, despite the fact Mira punched her. Zoey glared at the dancer after that thought. Violence was never the answer, and they were going to have a conversation later about attacking someone they love.

Even if Zoey had wanted to do that to Rumi in the time since she left.

            Zoey looked over Rumi, seeing the exhaustion that all of them must have felt and the lack of sleep that showed she had probably been up all night thinking.

 A glance at her claws and Zoey found herself interested in what those new sharp appendages could do. She tried to toss those thoughts out of her head and looked at her patterns.

            They were all over her body, glowing a soft pink with occasional flashes of yellow showing her anxiety. They had sat around the table, both her and Mira across from each other and Rumi next to them. They weren’t going to make the mistake of making it seem like an ‘us-vs-you’. Rumi would probably bolt.

            “I’m sorry,” Rumi whispered, the first thing any of them said.

            “For what, exactly, Rumi?” Mira asked. Zoey withheld her glare since they needed to get answers. They needed to get a little tough on Rumi, even if all she wanted to do was hold her tightly.

            “For lying to you guys for so long,” Rumi said softly, “For leaving the way I did. When this became permanent, well, I didn’t want to see your looks of hatred directed at me,” she looked at them both, “Not from two people I love, it would have broken me.”

            Zoey’s heart skipped a beat. A glance at Mira showed she caught the true meaning behind Rumi’s words as well.

            As one they reached across the table and gripped her wrists, “We won’t say it’s okay, because it isn’t, not yet,” Zoey said. They had done a lot of thinking after Bobby made his point. If Celine had filled Rumi with her self-hatred, why wouldn’t she believe that they would hate her?

            “But we want to work past it,” Mira said softly, “We love you, so, so much,” tears actually came to Mira’s eyes and Zoey felt her heart lurch. Mira never cried. The only time she had ever seen her cry had been the night Rumi left, “I don’t want to be without you anymore,” she glanced at Zoey, “We don’t want to be without you anymore.”

            “She’s right,” Zoey told her, “We’ve been in love with you for a long, long time.”

            Rumi stared at the wrist Zoey’s thumb was rubbing as she started to cry, “I have too. You have no idea how many times I wanted to come back, but fear of your reaction to me kept me away.”

            “I’m sorry for our reaction the first time,” Mira said, “That dual-toned voice has been heard too many times before and during fights.”

            Rumi took a breath, “I’m sorry.”

            “No,” Zoey didn’t like Rumi looking so sad, “It will take some getting used to, but we know you Rumi,” she paused, “Well, most of you. We know how kind and caring you are.”

            “Taking on hundreds of demons to protect us, alone,” Mira glared a bit.

            “How much work you put into your dreams,” Zoey said, “We admire your strength.”        

            “I have a bit more strength than before,” Rumi said sheepishly and Zoey and Mira smiled at that look on her face. Even if she had patterns and a demonic eye, it was so quintessential ‘Rumi’ that they felt themselves relax. Even if she was now permanently demonic, she was still their Rumi.

            “How much more?” Zoey asked, excited.

            “Uh,” Rumi blushed and Zoey felt her grip on Rumi’s wrist tighten at how cute she looked, “I can bench probably close to five-hundred kilos.”

            Both their jaws dropped at that, “Is that why you are so much faster?” Rumi looked at Zoey in confusion, “When you arrived at the fight, you practically disappeared to the naked eye and killed two of those stronger demons.

            Rumi frowned in confusion, “Really?”

            “Really,” Mira nodded her head, “We could barely track you. Is it because your demon half is showing?”

            Rumi pulled her arms around herself as if to hide her patterns that began glowing red. She began to scratch herself with her claws, but the other two weren’t having that.

            Mira was quick to stop her as Zoey stood up and placed her hands on Rumi’s shoulders, “You are beautiful, Rumi,” Mira told her seriously.

            “Yeah,” Zoey agreed, “Your glowing patterns are kind of hot,” she said, chuckling while Mira raised her eyebrows at her, “What? You know it’s true.”

            “I was going to ease her into it,” Mira sighed, “I don’t want to lose her again.”

            Rumi winced, “I…I don’t want to run from you guys anymore,” she looked determined but she was still afraid, “So long as you guys aren’t afraid of me, or hate me,” she said softly.

            Mira quickly pulled her close while Zoey followed. The duo ended up hugging their demonic friend, hopefully more, close, “We aren’t,” Mira said softly, “So long as you promise not to keep any more secrets from us.

            Rumi tensed and they both pulled back, concerned, “What’s wrong?” Zoey asked, but Rumi wouldn’t meet either of their eyes.

            She was fighting an internal battle and looked to be losing it if her patterns glowing a deeper red and her panicked breaths were anything to go by, “Rumi,” Mira said softly and pressed a demonic hand to her chest, “Breath with me.”

            It took a few minutes for them to calm Rumi down, but she was able to breath normally. As soon as the demoness was calmed down, Zoey led them all over to the couch and pushed Rumi down before cuddling up next to her. She cheered internally when Rumi’s arm automatically wrapped around her and Mira mirrored her other side.

            “I love you guys, so, so much,” Rumi said softly but she began crying, “Which was why I did something stupid.”

            “Whatever you did, we will work through it,” Zoey told her honestly and Mira pressed a kiss to her cheek in agreement.

            Rumi took a deep breath and Zoey got a feeling a foreboding, “Even if it was demonic time-travel?”

            Both of them froze and stared at the woman who they loved, “What?” Mira asked.

            Rumi took a deep breath and Zoey quickly latched on to her clawed hand and began rubbing soothing circles on her palm. It calmed her down enough to tell them her story, a story of a future that would never be.

            When she finished, Zoey and Mira were stunned. This woman had broken the laws of the universe because they died? That was-.

            “You time-traveled because we died?” Mira asked, worried, “Even if it might have cost you your life.”

            Rumi stared at them, the look in her eyes caused Zoey to lean closer. The sheer pain in her eyes caused her breath to catch, “A world without the two of you in it wasn’t a world worth living for me,” she looked at her lap for a moment before she began speaking again, “A world without you dancing with me with that sparkle in your eye I love wasn’t worth it,” she said to Mira without looking at her, “And a world without Zoey’s mumbling while she chewed on a pen when writing new lyrics was a dead world. I was willing to do anything,” she looked at both of them, “give anything, for the two of you to have a chance at life.”

            They were both speechless, “What about you?” Zoey asked softly after a moment. What about Rumi? Why couldn’t she live for herself?

            Rumi winced, “What worth does a monster, a mistake, have when the two women she would die for are already dead?” she asked softly.

            “You are not a monster!” Mira snarled and pulled back. When Rumi looked at her with wide eyes, “Nor are you a mistake!” Mira slammed their lips together.

            Zoey’s eyes widened as her heart raced. That was really, really hot. She kept her cool, until Rumi lifted Mira into her lap as they continued to kiss.

            The shorter of the trio quickly began alternating kisses on both of their necks as they began to kiss in earnest, wondering where this came from, but realized it had been a long time coming.

            Rumi’s hands had clenched at her sides, but Zoey didn’t want that. Those claws… Zoey shivered. She wanted those claws on her, but knew that Rumi wouldn’t be comfortable with that yet.

            She grabbed one of her hands and put two of the clawed digits into her mouth and sucked, using her tongue to swirl around them.

            Rumi moaned into the kiss with Mira and the pink-haired singer pulled back to see Zoey sucking on Rumi’s claws, “Oh that’s hot,” she turned back to a dazed Rumi, “is this okay? Are you okay with continuing?”

            Rumi was panting and Zoey felt bad. They didn’t get permission to do what they were doing, but Rumi didn’t seem opposed.

            “Yes?” Rumi said in a questioning tone, “No? I have no idea what I’m doing,” she breathed heavily. She took a fortifying breath, “Maybe we should set some boundaries? I don’t know if we are okay.”

            “We aren’t,” Mira said while cupping Rumi’s cheek softly, “But we are on the right track,” she told Rumi before she could get sad.

            Zoey smiled and kissed Rumi’s cheek. When the demoness turned to her, Zoey kissed her softly, “We don’t want you to shut us out,” she told her, “We love you, demon parts and all.”

            Rumi smiled hesitantly at her, looking at Mira who began to climb off her lap and saw the truth in their eyes, “Okay,” she said softly, and then her demon eye flickered.

            The humans’ eyes widened, “Rumi, what did you just think about?”

            Rumi frowned, “That you guys were okay with me, all of me, so maybe I should be too. Why?”

            “Rumi,” Zoey said, catching on, “You are beautiful, patterns, claws, and your cute little demonic eye as well,” the eye flickered again, “Nothing will change how we feel about you. We accept you for you.”

            Mira picked it up, smiling, “You are our Rumi, and we are not giving you up, ever.”

            The eye turned brown and Rumi began crying, “I love you guys,” she pulled them close and Zoey smiled at her patterns turning gold. She froze though, when she felt no claws.

            “Rumi, let me see your hands,” she said quickly.

            Rumi frowned and pulled her hands up and then froze, eyes wide. Her human fingers were there and her eye was normal, “What?” she said softly, completely stunned.

            “Are you accepting of your demonic half?” Mira asked just as softly.

            Rumi nodded, still staring at her fingers, stunned “They haven’t gone back to normal since I came back. Could it be because I’m no longer worried about how you guys feel about my other half?”

            “Your other half is hot,” Mira said honestly, laughing lightly when Rumi blushed. She took a moment to compose herself before looking into Rumi’s brown eyes seriously, “Rumi,” the other woman looked to her, “No more running. It hurt so much when you left.”

            “I cried for days,” Zoey said softly and Rumi flinched, but still pulled Zoey closer, “Talk to us first, please.”

            “But Celine-.”

            “Fuck Celine,” Zoey snarled and the others looked at her with wide eyes, “Not literally, because I would rather fuck the two of you because you’re hot, especially with those claws, but I think we need to get there first.”

            Rumi was blushing up a storm while Mira was staring at her in surprise, “What?” Zoey asked innocently.

            Rumi began laughing, loudly, and they soon joined her. It took them some time to come down from the humor, but they ended up cuddled close together. They still had a lot to work through, but when Mira and Zoey kissed Rumi again and then led her to her room, she couldn’t stop the content smile from forming on her face as they all cuddled close together

            “Don’t shut us out again,” Zoey told Rumi and received a kiss as a promise. She watched Rumi repeat the action with Mira and then she settled on her back.

            The two other girls were quick to claim her arms again and snuggle in, watching Rumi’s patterns turn a soft blue that matched the content smile on Rumi’s face.

            It was the best sleep any of them had gotten in months.

Chapter Text

            Rumi woke with pink hair on her face and two soft weights in front of and behind her. Blinking her eyes open, she saw Mira’s face was tucked into her chest while Zoey must have been spooning her from behind.

            The demoness let loose a shaky breath, remembering the day before, a blink at the setting sun outside her window, well, earlier that day. They accepted her, just like everyone had been telling her the whole time. Her friends loved her, probably more than she loved them since they didn’t run like she did.

            Rumi shook her head, careful not to wake her bedmates. Those thoughts weren’t helpful, and she made a promise to herself to be better for them. It wasn’t a competition, and she had a lot to work on if she was to be worthy of her girls.

            So, knowing they all missed lunch and dinner, Rumi slowly got up, making sure not to wake her bedmates. She kissed both their foreheads and made her way towards the kitchen to see what they had on hand.

            “Bibimbap sounds good,” she said as she saw all the ingredients to make it. A glance towards her room and she smiled softly. She bet the girls missed her cooking.

            A key in the door lock had her summoning one of her swords out of reflex until she heard Lux talking and Seraphine responding. Her eyes widened at that and she dismissed her weapon and moved over to the door, shutting her own door on her way so as not to wake the girls.

            “Hey,” she said as Lux opened the door, awkward smile on her face as Lux jumped, knocking Seraphine to the side. Rumi was quick to dart over and prevent the younger idol from hitting the door on her way in, “Hey, easy there. I don’t want you to get even more injured.”

            The couple stared at her like she was a ghost. Their wide eyes betrayed their surprise, until Lux glared, “Are you here to hurt them some more?”

            “Luxanna,” Sera snapped her gaze to her girlfriend, “What the hell?!”

            “It’s a valid question,” Rumi sighed and slumped, “We talked yesterday,” she winced, “Well, earlier today. Damnit, I hate sleeping during the day,” she sighed and walked further into the apartment, “Are you supposed to be out of the hospital yet?” she asked, changing the subject.

            She liked the idol and her girlfriend. They were there for her girls when she was too much of a coward to be.

            “No, she isn’t,” Lux glared at her girlfriend, “But she convinced Ahri to charm the doctors into letting her go.”

            “I heal better when I’m not in the hospital,” Sera grumbled and then smirked at her girlfriend, “And I have my own sexy nurse right here.”

            “Just because I have a nursing degree does not mean you get to have me dress up like one,” the blond glared. Rumi chuckled at that.

            “Well, you guys are just in time,” Rumi said as she finished gathering ingredients, “I’m making dinner, you guys hungry?”

            Sera grabbed her arm, “Your eye, your hands!” she stared at her in surprise, “What happened?”

            Rumi smiled at the blunette, “It seems that after they accepted me, I accepted myself and they disappeared,” a frown and a thought and her eye and claws were back, “But it seems I can transform at will now, like Eve and Jinu.”

            Another thought and they were gone. She smiled at the two young women, “Want to help me make some food?”

            Sera snorted, “Lux is about as useful in the kitchen as Akali.”

Xxx

            Mira pulled the body in front of her closer, sighing happily at the fact Rumi stayed. Her sleep addled brain had already supplied her with the memory of their kiss the night before. She had been wanting to do that for years, but didn’t want to make Rumi uncomfortable since she seemed a little leery of affection. She tried to control her blush as she remembered Rumi pulling her into her lap. That was really hot.

            Mira sighed, she knew why Rumi was so leery of affection now, and it made her want to kill Celine. Or at least torture her to within an inch of her life. Rumi, wonderful, kind, Rumi, didn’t deserve to be afraid of romantic advances.

            She kissed the forehead of the body in front of her, no time like the present to start helping her. Her lips froze as the body in front of her curled closer in. Rumi always ran hotter than normal, the body was warm in front of her, but not Rumi-levels warm.

            Mira opened her eyes and looked down to see Zoey’s head curled into her chest and her heart dropped. She shook Zoey, “Zoey, wake up.”

            The panic in her voice had the maknae snapping awake, “What?”

            “Rumi,” Mira choked out as tears came to her eyes. Zoey’s eyes widened and darted around the room.

            “Shit.”

            Both of them tossed the covers off of themselves and darted to the door, Zoey got there first since she was faster, but when they opened the door they heard a burst of Rumi’s laughter from the kitchen.

            It was sad how quickly the two of them relaxed. Mira never hated the soundproofing on their rooms more than in that moment. They thought Rumi had left, but judging from the smells, she was making dinner.

            And Seraphine and Luxanna were back.

            The two peaked around the corner and saw Rumi working three pans on the stove. She looked to have made bibimbap and was in the process of making ramen from scratch. She was still laughing as Lux blushed up a storm and Seraphine smirked smugly at her girlfriend.

            “Awe, don’t be like that babe,” Sera pouted, “You know you love it when I-mmmph.”

            Lux had thrown her hand over her girlfriend’s mouth with an adorable glare and a deep blush, “Do not finish that sentence if you want to have any access to my body in the next few months.”

            Sera just smirked and Rumi let loose one of her laughs again, easing something in Mira’s chest. Sera looked over and spotted them and waved one of her bandaged arms, “Good evening!”

            “Hey,” Zoey said, smiling at the scene in front of them, “When did you guys get back?”

            “They came home a little under an hour ago,” Rumi told them, “I had just gotten up myself and decided to make dinner,” she smiled at them, but it faded as she looked between the two, “What’s wrong?”

            “Nothing!” Zoey quickly said, “Nothing at all. Just hungry,” she grinned but Rumi, like usual, saw through it.

            “Hey,” Rumi left the stove after tossing some vegetables in a pan first, “No. Tell me what’s wrong. If I did something to upset the two of you, I want to know about it.”

            “When we woke up and you weren’t there,” Mira began and saw realization dawn over Rumi’s face, “We thought you were gone again.”

            Rumi took a breath and pulled the two of them into a hug, stunning them both, “I’m sorry. I’ll earn that trust back. I’m not leaving again,” she told them firmly as she moved back, “I lost too much time with you already. I won’t lose any more.”

            “Good,” Zoey said and leaned up to kiss her cheek. Mira mirrored her action and the two pushed her back to the stove, “Now, keep cooking. I’ve missed watching you cook.”

            “Really?” Rumi asked, smiling, “Well, I’ve missed cooking too. I’ve learned a lot of new recipes from Kai’sa and I want to make them for you guys.”

            They both felt a pang at the fact she was with the other K-pop group instead of them, but knew they would have accepted her since they had a demon and a gumiho. They would discuss it later though, let her know how much it hurt to know she ditched them.

            But that was for later.

            “So, what’s the plan now?” Rumi asked, “How are we going to seal the Honmoon and free Jinu, myself, and Evelynn?”

            Mira looked at her and took a deep breath, “We wanted to talk to you about that,” Rumi began putting the ramen into bowls and nodded to show she was listening, “Do you know the reason we gave for your absence lately?”

            “Celine’s uncle dying,” she nodded, “I saw the article. I knew of him, but I didn’t know him well. I see there was some magic involved too,” she shook her head, “What’s on your mind?”

            Mira could see she was trying to be nonchalant but saw the way she had tensed. She took another breath, “Now, you can say no. We know that you are just now starting to accept yourself, but,” a third deep breath, “we want you to come back. Help us finish what we started.”

            Rumi paused for a moment and took her time finishing the bowls. She then gave everyone a bowl of ramen and a bowl of bibimbap. She looked into the hopeful faces of the four of them and gave one curt nod, “Okay.”

            Mira blinked in surprise, “Okay? You’ll do it?” she wasn’t expecting her to accept it so fast.

            Rumi smiled worriedly at her. Mira could see the nervousness in her face, but also the determination, “I ran once. I won’t do it again. Not when we are so close,” she looked into her and Zoey’s eyes and Mira felt her chest tighten at the power in that gaze, “Not when the two people I love the most in the world need me. I’ll do it.

            “But how about a suggestion?”

            “Okay,” Zoey said, smiling brightly at her, “Shoot.”

            “How about we see if K/DA wants to join us?” she asked, smirking.

            Mira’s eyes widened, “Will that work?” she thought only they could power the Honmoon with their song and the adoration of their fans.

            Rumi grinned and, oh, she had fangs. How did she miss that? A glance at Zoey saw that their youngest was zeroed in on them. Yeah, they both found that incredibly sexy, “But they will bring their own fans, and I bet you if we do a group number…” she trailed off and Mira’s eyes widened.

            “Their fans will become ours,” Zoey said.

            “How about More?” Seraphine asked.

            “But Sera, that was your collab with them,” Lux said.

            “If it saves the world, that’s fine by me,” Sera said, uncaring, “I’m sure we can come up with something else for our collab.”

            “Are you sure, Sera?” Zoey asked, “We can create our own collab.”

            “We should close the Honmoon as quickly as possible,” Mira said, understanding what Sera was doing, “There are still two of those stronger demons out there, and we don’t know what their plan is.”

            “They know it’s been me wrecking their plans,” Rumi said softly, “And they know how much I care about you two. They will probably target the two of you if I had to guess.”

            “Well,” Zoey smiled, “They obviously know you are stronger than them. So, we just don’t leave your side.”

            Mira smirked, “That means you come to the bathhouse with us,” Rumi turned an adorable shade of red at that as her patterns matched and Mira had a feeling it wasn’t embarrassment that they were showing.

            “I think she likes that idea,” Zoey teased and Rumi glared at her without heat.

            “Eat your dinner,” she pouted as the other four women laughed.

            As Mira ate, she saw Rumi watching her and Zoey with a soft look on her face as they enjoyed her cooking. It was really good, and when a foot touched her shin under the table, she smiled at her.

            They would be okay.

Xxx

            Jinu watched from the same building Rumi had been on earlier, smiling softly to himself as the group enjoyed the dinner Rumi cooked for them, “Good job, Rumi,” he ignored his sadness at losing something he never had. He took a breath and shoved those feelings down. He knew he needed to get over it, Rumi didn’t need to feel bad about not returning his feelings, she didn’t deserve that after everything she went through.

            He teleported back to base and was surprised to see four people who hadn’t been there when he left to check on Rumi and her friends. The first he recognized as the tech support, a couple named Jayce and Viktor. He had heard Ahri talking about them on occasion since she was the one who got them together.

            The second pair was a pair of gorgeous women. The first was a tall dark-haired woman who looked over a map with a serious face, making him think she was no-nonsense, while the pink-haired woman next to her with a tattoo of ‘VI’ on her cheek was opposite.

            She was cracking jokes and making fun of the other woman’s seriousness. He thought the taller woman was going to snap at her, but the soft look in her eyes knocked that idea out. The two obviously loved one another and he smiled softly to himself.

            Why were all the women he met in relationships with each other?

            “Oh, Jinu, you’re back,” Kai’sa smiled at him and hugged him, “Are you okay?” she asked softly.

            He took a breath and nodded, smiling weakly. The girls had become something of a new family to him. He still held guilt over what he did to his mother and sister, but he was moving past it. Rumi was helping him, even if she didn’t know it, and the girls from K/DA were talking to him about it, helping him come to terms with that mistake.

            It wasn’t right, but he was young and blinded by fame and Gwi-Ma could be very persuasive when needed.

            “Come, meet the crew,” Kai pulled him from his thoughts. “This is Jayce and Viktor,” he shook their hands.

            “So, you’re a demon with their soul returned to them?” Viktor asked as he leaned on his cane.

            “Yes, it is difficult for us to get our souls back, but with the right support and a will to change, it will happen,” he told him.

            “Fascinating,” he replied, looking at the demon like a lab experiment and Jinu moved away from him, “Oh, apologies. I always love learning new things.”

            “Yes, you do,” Jayce chuckled with a soft look, “but Jinu isn’t a science project.”

            “Oh, I don’t mind answering questions later,” he smiled and turned to the two women who stared at him. The taller of the two had a light blush on her face while the pink-haired one grinned at him, but her eyes had a weird look in them.

            “Caitlyn and Vi,” the pink haired one said, motioning first to the taller of them and then herself, “How strong are you?”

            He smirked, “Probably stronger than you,” she grinned at him.

            “Want to test that theory?” she asked but before she could move closer, Caitlyn grabbed her by the back of her shirt.

            “Behave, Violet,” she said firmly, but her lips twitched twice showing she was amused, “It’s nice to meet you, Jinu,” Caitlyn said, and he decided to see if he could break that stoic façade.

            He took her hand and bowed over it while bringing it to his lips, “A pleasure to meet you both,” she flushed scarlet while Vi gaped at him when she received the same treatment, “I take it you two are the security detail for our lovely members of K/DA?”

            “Ye-yes,” Caitlyn said and Jinu smirked.

            “Oh, you’re dangerous,” Vi grinned through her blush, “I like you.”

            “Violet!” Caitlyn yelped, blushing harder.

            “Oh, they are,” Eve grinned like that cat that got the cream, “In fact, how about you tell them what you can about the demons you think Gwi-Ma will send after our idols? Come up with some plans on how to deny them access to the venue.”

            Jinu felt something in his recently returned heart twitch at the thought of spending more time with the lovely women, “Sure, I can help. Are you sure Rumi will rejoin them?” he asked, already knowing the answer.

            “You couldn’t keep her away,” Ahri chuckled, “I give it two weeks before they all break and sleep together.”

            “I give it one!” Akali shouted from down the hall where she was working on her music.

            “Four days,” Kai’sa stated and he stared at her in surprise, “What?” she said innocently, “That girl is so sexually repressed I’m amazed she didn’t break before now.”

            Evelynn just smiled and was about to say something when her phone chimed with a text. When she read it, her eyes widened, “Well, Seraphine just told me to get everyone together. They have a plan for the final concert, and they want us to join and do a collab.”

            Jinu’s eyes widened, “That would work. If all of you sing together, your fans turn into their fans and the power of that should be enough to seal the Honmoon.”

            “And end this fucking war,” Evelynn said, grinning widely and turned to Jinu, “And we will finally be free.”

            Jinu nodded, smiling back. He turned around and offered his arms to the two lovely ladies next to him. Vi grabbed his with a grin while Caitlyn was more hesitant but still joined, “Shall we?” he had some things to teach to the lovely ladies, and then a concert to plan.

            It was time to finish the fight.

Chapter Text

            Bobby watched his girls stretch out, ready to start working on the choreography for More with K/DA. He smiled at the soft looks the three shared and thought to himself finally. He had seen the tension between them for years, waiting for it to finally crack, and now that they were finally together, he couldn’t be happier for them.

            He was proud of how far they had come and hoped that everything would work out for the better. That their love would be everlasting.

            There were problems that still needed to be addressed, such as the fact Rumi was still in long sleeves and leggings. The girls had tried to convince her to show her patterns and were starting to make headway. He thought they were awesome, though he was sure she could do without the mood ring effect.

            “So, what’s the plan?” Rumi asked him and he grinned.

            “Well, I think there is a song that was originally written for you by Celine,” Everyone scowled, “But I think Zoey put a pretty good twist on it for you and Evelynn to sing together.”

            Rumi went over the lyrics and smiled softly at Zoey, pulling the youngest member in for a kiss that Bobby rolled his eyes at.

            He was going to have to pay his dentist extra if they kept being so sweet.

            “Mira could probably work with Kai’sa on the choreo,” he pointed out and Rumi treated the tallest of them to a kiss, “and then it will just be up to you and Eve to sing it perfectly.”       

            “When is the concert?” Mira asked and Bobby took a deep breath.

            “Two weeks,” they stared at him, “What? You wanted it ASAP and I delivered. Now you have to work everything out.”

            “That’s not a lot of time to learn two new songs and the complete choreo for them,” Zoey said, worried.

            “Don’t worry, we can help,” Ahri said as she walked in with the other three girls and Lux and Sera on her crutches, “We’ve had to do harder things in less time before, right Eve?”

            The demoness nodded, grinning, “We can do it,” she moved over to her niece and read over her shoulder. Her eyebrows raised and she stared at Zoey, “Okay, after this, we are doing another collab with you. We need to get you in touch with Ekko and Yasuo. Akali’s side project, True Damage, has helped us write several songs.”

            “We are going to blow up after this,” Mira said softly as Zoey froze, freaking out, finally realizing how big K/DA and True Damage were. “We are also working with Seraphine after we are done as well,” she looked to the blunette who stared at them with wide eyes.

            “Me?” she asked, confused.

            Rumi nodded, “Yes, you,” she said as she made her way over to put a gentle hand on her shoulder, “You helped out when I did something stupid,” they all snorted at that, “and got hurt because of it. Now, we are going to help you.”

            “Alright!” Kai’sa clapped her hands, “Let’s get the choreography down first, then start learning the lyrics while Bobby, Jayce, and Viktor plan the set and everything else. We have two weeks to figure this all out. Let’s get to it.”

Xxx

            The first week passed in a blur of practice, singing, and lots and lots of takeout. K/DA proved their organizational skills and drive when they whipped the girls of Huntri/x into their work. Ahri and Evelynn worked them hard and Kai and Mira made a lot of progress in the first two days.

            Personalities did clash quite often, but Rumi and Kai’sa were able to talk people down from starting a fight, being the most diplomatic of the two groups. It didn’t break their developing friendships though, it made them stronger.

            Zoey and Akali spent a lot of time freestyling, building off of each other, in between sets while Ahri, Mira, and Kai would talk fashion and choreo. The groups were melding together well and Rumi was proud her friends were getting along so well with the others.

            She turned to Evelynn who was sipping on a bottle of water, her aunt’s patterns matching hers, glowing a content gold as she smiled at everyone. She capped her bottle and noticed Rumi watching her and grinned.

            “I’m proud of you, my dear,” she said and placed a hand on her shoulder.

            Rumi smiled at her brightly before the words hit. Then her eyes began to water and she frowned. Evelynn froze, eyes widening and Mira and Zoey must have been fine tuned to her because they were next to her in seconds.

            “Darling?” Mira questioned as Zoey just hugged her tightly.

            “You’re okay,” she whispered into her chest and Rumi just hugged her back.

            “I-I don’t know why I’m crying,” she said and everyone looked at her, worry on their faces.

            “I’m sorry,” Eve told her and stepped slowly over to her, “I…do not know what I said to make you cr-,” her eyes widened before going soft and sad, “It’s because no one has ever told you they are proud of you, have they?”

            Rumi tried to think of a time in her life when she heard that from someone, anyone, and couldn’t remember. She saw the looks on everyone’s faces as her face grew more and more forlorn, but she ignored all that.

            Mira and Zoey looked stricken.

            “You would always tell us you were proud of us whenever we finished a tough piece of choreo or lyric,” Zoey said, upset, “But we never told you we were proud of you for how strong you were.”

            “Nor how proud we were when we saw you stand strong against our sponsors when they wanted us to change things about ourselves,” Mira stated. She looked up into Rumi’s eyes with so much guilt that Rumi began to cry again, “I’m sorry.”

            “Me too,” Zoey said softly and buried her face in Rumi’s chest again. Rumi saw Evelynn ushering everyone out of the room, a sad look in her own eyes.

            Rumi tried to show Eve that it was okay with her eyes and the demoness seemed to pick up on it. She nodded at Rumi’s girls and then quietly shut the door. They needed to talk.

            “Hey,” Rumi stepped back, making sure to keep contact with them in the form of her hand on Zoey’s cheek and on Mira’s hip, “That’s not on you. You showed me you were proud of me every day with your actions. I never doubted that,” just that you would accept me being a demon, but she wasn’t going to bring that up, “You guys have shown me every day that you love me.”

            “Just,” Zoey stumbled a bit before regaining her thought, “I wish we had, maybe then you wouldn’t have run if we-.”

            Rumi shook her head and Zoey went quiet, “No. That’s on me. I didn’t trust you guys with my biggest secret and I will be spending the rest of my life trying to make that right,” she smiled at both of them and drew them close, “Celine is the one who needed to be telling me she was proud of me, not you guys. It was so emotionally overwhelming with Evelynn doing it because she is my aunt. She is a blood relative.

            “I know you guys are proud of me,” she took a deep breath and removed her sweatshirt, leaving her in a sports bra and her leggings. Her patterns were softly glowing and the girls stared, “Maybe it’s time I start putting my money where my mouth is.”

            Zoey snorted, “Such an American thing to say.”

            Rumi shrugged, “Jinu spent some time in America. I picked up a lot of slang from him,” she chuckled.

            Mira went to respond when her eyes dipped down and she froze. Rumi looked down and frowned at what she was staring at. Zoey followed her eye-line and her own widened as a blush came to her cheeks.

            “What?” she looked down and shifted all around to try and see what they were, “What’s wrong?”

            “Rumi,” Mira said in a strained voice, “Please stop moving.”

            Rumi froze, half-way twisted and looked at the girls and saw they were zeroed in on her stomach. What were they looking at?

            “Rumi,” Zoey said softly, “Since when do you have abs?”

            Rumi’s eyes widened and a slow smirk took over her face as she stretched, flexing as she did it, “I’ve been training hard the last few months,” Mira let loose a small whimper while Zoey’s mouth dropped open and her ears turned red, “I also think my demon blood keeps me in shape. I mean, you’ve met Eve and Jinu, they are, like, ridiculously good looking.”

            “Rumi,” Mira groaned and stared into her eyes and then it was Rumi’s turn to freeze. The heat in Mira’s gaze scorched her, “Stop. Fucking. Moving.”

            So Rumi stopped.

            “Good girl,” Mira grumbled but Rumi’s eyes widened as she shivered in pleasure. She really hoped no one caught that.

Luckily, Mira closed her eyes to compose herself, but Zoey was slowly losing her blush as she smirked at the demoness. She darted over and kissed her cheek, “We will talk about that some more later,” she told her softly so Mira didn’t hear.

“Alright!” Rumi clapped her hands in a mirror of Kai’sa from earlier in the week as she fought down her blush. “Let’s go let everyone know that it is safe to come back now,” Zoey’s smirk went soft but she still winked, making Rumi blush again.

It was going to be a long training session.

Xxx

            Zoey breathed a sigh of relief as she sat on the couch of their apartment. They just finished their final sound check and now it was just a day of relaxing before their concert. She was so bone tired though. They needed the day of relaxation before the event.

            She turned to the side and saw Rumi and Mira in the kitchen preparing their dinner. She smiled softly at how easily the two worked together. They had always been like that too, ever since the first time they cooked together.

            It was like its own choreographed dance, the way the two moved. Soft music was playing over their speakers and she heard Rumi singing softly with Mira chiming in on the next verse while Rumi went quiet. It was beautiful.

            The last two weeks had been nothing short of blissful. They had their Rumi back and hadn’t spent a night apart, they were working on their problems and communicating better than ever before. It took a few days for Rumi to get better at it, but she had such a strong support system between them, Lux and Sera, Eve and Ahri, and Jinu.

            The demon that gave her the ability to come back to save them- and wasn’t that something that made her heart hurt and full all at once- was a good man. He had helped their girl break time to save them. He would always have a place in their family.

            Even if he was in love with Rumi.

            She and Mira had noticed it during one of the training sessions for the new choreo for Golden. He had been helping Jayce with a tricky bit of lighting and had flown up to fix the light. When Rumi yelled out a thank you Jinu! he had gone all soft for a split second before it became sad and schooled his features into something resembling friendly.

            But Zoey and Mira had caught it.

            It made them slightly uncomfortable that their girl’s demon best friend was in love with her, but then Rumi told them their biggest supporter had been Jinu. He had constantly tried to get her to talk to them when she was missing, had tried to get her to just see them so they could fix their relationship before it was too late.

            He was also the one to patch her up when she was too injured.

            So, Mira and Zoey had given him a chance, and he had passed with flying colors. He spoke to the two of them happily, telling them embarrassing stories of Rumi from the future-that-wasn’t and this time around as well.

            They joined him in making fun of her pajamas with the bears and trains on it. Poor Rumi got so embarrassed, but she still wore them around, taking the ribbing from them.

            He also seemed to be getting along well with Violet and Caitlyn, the two heads of security for K/DA.

            “What you thinking about there Zo?” Rumi asked from the kitchen as she expertly flipped some vegetables in a pan.

            “Just how beautiful the two of you look while cooking,” Zoey said immediately.

            Mira smiled while Rumi blushed, “Our Rumi does look beautiful while cooking,” Mira said, leaning over to kiss her cheek, “I enjoy the view.”

            Zoey’s eyes shamelessly dipped down to the exposed abs Rumi had from her cropped shirt she was wearing. Ever since that day in the dance studio, Rumi had started to show more and more of her patterns when it was just them and K/DA. Evelynn started letting her own patterns show more and more as well.

            But most importantly, and painfully for her and Mira’s sanity, she had been wearing a lot of cropped shirts, the little shit. The little muscular shit because Rumi was fucking toned.

            Although, Zoey smirked a bit at Rumi’s back, two could play at that game.

            “Hey, Rumi,” she got up and walked to the kitchen. Leaning on a counter out of the way she asked, “Did you pick up my favorite juice?” she asked, knowing full-well she had.

            Rumi looked at her in confusion, “I did, you saw me bring it in.”

            Zoey smirked, “Good girl,” and the two of them were treated to Rumi stiffening, squeaking, and blushing. Mira stared at Zoey, a slow smirk forming on her face as she finished flipping the chicken over in the pan.

            “Rumi?” said demoness turned, “Do you like being praised?” she asked with a happy smile.

            “I, uh, I have no idea,” she said softly, blushing all the way down her chest. Zoey tilted her head, smiling.

            “I think you do,” she teased.

            Rumi blushed harder and looked about to pass out so Zoey kissed her cheek and giggled. She made her way back to the couch when Rumi cleared her throat.

            “Well, I wouldn’t know because,” she took a breath, “I’ve never-, I haven’t-,” she looked even more embarrassed.

            That was when it clicked for Zoey, “You’ve never been in a relationship, have you?” Rumi shook her head, “Oh, honey,” she wrapped her arms around Rumi and Mira joined quickly.

            “It’s okay,” Mira said softly, “I’m still a virgin,” and Zoey felt horrible.

            Because she wasn’t.

            “I-I’m not,” she said, ashamed. There were a few girls in school and she had always had a bubbly personality that drew others in.

            “Hey, no,” Rumi quickly shut the stove off and spun around, pulling Zoey into a tight hug, “Do not be ashamed about having more experience than us,” she told her and kissed the top of her head, “I hadn’t expected either of you to not have any experience,” she pulled back and smiled, “It just means you get to teach us what to do.”

            “Yeah,” Mira said, grinning, “I always did have a fantasy of someone more experienced teaching me what to do,” Zoey blushed bright red but smiled.

            She turned to Rumi and cupped her cheek, “Thank you,” she said, “and we can teach you. The biggest thing is communicating what you want and to answer any questions we have honestly, especially if it is something you are unsure of or don’t like.”

            Rumi blushed but nodded at that. Mira moved all the food to the side to be plated up before asking, “In all seriousness though, do you like being praised?”

            Their girl just nodded slowly, “I think I do,” she was still embarrassed, “It does send a jolt through me every time I hear one of you say ‘good girl’ to me,” she took a breath before looking at the two of them, “I want to take you both on a proper date after all this is over.”

            Mira kissed her softly and turned back to the food, “Of course. When we seal the Honmoon, we will be taking a vacation.”

            Zoey nodded, “Ahri and Akali have told us we are welcome to join them on Eve’s island in the south pacific,” they stared at her and she rolled her eyes, “Eve’s been alive for centuries, did you really think she wouldn’t have an island?”

            That sent a sudden pang through her chest. Eve and Jinu had been alive for a long time due to their demon blood, did that mean Rumi would outlive her and Mira?

            Before either of her girls could catch the look on her face she pushed the thought back. She would ask Evelynn about it later, there was no use worrying about it at this time. She moved over to the cabinet to grab dishes and began setting the table to distract herself.

            She hoped Rumi wouldn’t outlive them. She broke time to save them the first time, what would she do if she found out she would outlive them?

Chapter Text

            Celine stared at the headstone with her best friend’s name on it, but no body. There was no body because, when Rumi was born, Kassadin had sensed demons coming and shoved the baby into her arms and told her to run, that he would get Miyeong out since she couldn’t be moved so soon after giving birth.

            Her best friend and her husband had begged her to protect Rumi, making her promise to keep that piece of Miyeong safe at all costs, and she had run.

            Then regretted it every day since, because she never got to tell the two of them how she felt.

            About how much she had fallen in love with them.

            She had hated Kassadin at first, he was a demon, everything they were taught to hate and kill. Miyeong had tried to kill him the first handful of times she met him, until he wore her down with his charm and his kindness.

            It took Celine several months before she began to tolerate him. He had always given her space when he spent time with her best friend, or would let Celine choose what they did when they all hung out.

            Then Miyeong fell pregnant.

            That was when she began to see him as more than the demon her best friend had fallen in love with. He was just as scared as Celine and Miyeong, but he made sure to help her every step of the way and do research on what to expect with human pregnancies. That was the start of her fall.

            Over the following months she began to see him in a different light and began to fall farther and farther to the point where she began to acknowledge her repressed feelings for her best friend.

            She had planned to tell them after the birth, unable to take the thought of not being honest with her friend but also wanting her pregnancy to be stress-free.

            “I’m so sorry, Miyeong, Kassadin,” she said to the stone. When she had found out the two people she had loved the most died, she couldn’t bear it. It had quickly turned to hatred of Kassadin for drawing the demons to Miyeong, and the demons for killing the people she loved.

            After all, you have to love something in order to truly hate it, and they are two sides of the same coin.

            It was why she forced Rumi to hide, why she taught hatred of demons so that Rumi wouldn’t be tempted to accept her other half. It had gotten easier over the years to pretend she wasn’t just heartbroken, but when Rumi started to look more and more like her mother, it became hard to even look at her.

            It wasn’t her patterns; it was that her best friend’s daughter was a mirror of her best friend. A small part of her, now that she thought about it, found the patterns beautiful on the young girl she had raised.

            The young girl she had raised to hate herself due to her demon blood.

            “I’ve made so many mistakes,” she said, tears flowing freely down her face, “I don’t know that I can ever earn her forgiveness. I know the two of you will never forgive me for what I did, but even despite me being horrible to her, Rumi turned out so much like the two of you,” she watched the sun set while she spoke, “She loves so truly and deeply, her kindness knows no bounds and she is an amazing leader,” she smiled softly, “She was brave whereas I was a coward. She told the two people she loved that she loved them and they are doing wonderfully. You would be so proud of her,” she looked at the headstone with a sad smile, “She also inherited your knack for throwing yourself in front of others to protect them, Kass. She took a knife for Mira and has been fighting demons solo to make it easier on her girls.”

            A deep breath as she thought over what she needed to do. Their concert was tomorrow, and she knew the demons would attack it. Concentrating, an intricate bow with blades on the ends appeared in her hands.

            When she drew on the string an arrow made of light appeared. She released the tension on the bow and let the arrow fade into motes of light, “I will make sure our dream is realized and Rumi is freed from the demon realm. You have my word, my promise.

            “Even if it costs me my life,” she said softly and picked her phone up and dialed a number she hadn’t dialed in decades.

            “Evelynn? It’s Celine,” she said, “Who do I need to talk to in order to help with security?”

            After the phone call, she made her way to her small home. She had a letter to write.

Xxx

            Rumi took several deep breaths, rubbing her hands on the legs of her pants. They could hear the noise of the massive crowd outside the curtains. She shook her hands out to loosen the long sleeves since they were uncomfortable on her, having been wearing sleeveless shirts more often than not now.

            “You okay?” Mira asked as she stood next to her in her own white outfit. Rumi stared at the legs revealed by the short skirt. A boop on her nose, “Eyes are up here gorgeous,” Rumi smiled up at her girlfriend, “Are you okay?” she asked again.

            “Yes,” she said and it wasn’t really a lie. She was okay, just very nervous. “Was it really smart to keep everyone in the dark about me being back?”

            Bobby and Ahri had concocted that little gem before they scheduled the concert. It would double the impact of the concert, they theorized. It would help increase the excitement during the event and help boost their power.

            “I think it’s a good idea,” Zoey said, bouncing around like normal. She was always excited to perform, “Think of how surprised everyone will be. They will be so excited to see you back. I know we are.”

            Rumi chuckled at that, even if there was nervous tilt to it, “Are you sure they will still be excited after…” she picked at her sleeves.

            “Who cares?” Mira said firmly, “Our true fans will love you, all of you. Everyone else is an ass hole.”

            Zoey burst into startled laughter and Rumi stared at Mira in surprise before she joined in on the laughter. She stood and pulled the taller woman into a tight hug that Zoey joined, “I love you guys,” she said softly.

            “I love you too,” Zoey and Mira said simultaneously. Zoey then heard Bobby making the announcement for them, “Ready?”

            Rumi took a deep fortifying breath before squaring her shoulders and standing tall, “Ready to be finished with this so I can romance the two of you,” she smirked at them.

            “That’s what you think,” Zoey giggled, “Pretty sure we will be romancing you.”

            “Let’s all give a warm welcome to Huntr/x!” Bobby’s voice came over the speakers and the trio turned on their mics.

            “Ugh, you came at a bad time,” Rumi started as they stepped out on to a darkened stage.

Xxx

            Celine watched from on top of the same light Rumi had been on during one of the concerts with Jinu as Bobby whipped the crowd into a frenzy. She smiled softly at the man. He was a good hire and would help the girls through everything that would ever come their way. A good father figure for Rumi since her own was taken away from her too soon.

            “Let’s all give a warm welcome to Huntr/x!”

            The lights shut down and she heard Rumi begin to rap, causing the crowd to go silent as they recognized her voice.

            “Ugh, you came at a bad time, but you just crossed the line,” Rumi began and then the light turned on, shining on the trio and the crowd went crazy when they saw the original trio. She just knew Rumi was grinning before she said the next line, “You wanna get wild? Okay, I’ll show you wild!”

            Celine smiled as Mira joined in on the first verse before her senses pinged. She took a breath and felt the calm she had always had before a hunt as she turned and dropped to the entrance below. The security at the gate stared at her in surprise, a few of them looking up to see where she came from.

            “How about you boys and girls take the night off and watch the concert? My daughter has come back,” they murmured excitedly and she smiled at how much her daughter was loved by the fans, “I’ll handle security tonight.”

            She quickly summoned her bow and fired four arrows, ashing four demons as they appeared. The guards stared at her for a moment but she turned to glare at them.

            “Get inside, now!” she barked and fired off another dozen arrows, killing demons in the horde.

            “Oh? What do we have here?” a demonic voice asked and Celine turned to glare at the stronger demon. He and another stood tall in front of the large horde, “A huntress past her prime? Trying to prevent us from feasting on the souls of those gathered in the stadium?”

            “You shall come no closer,” Celine snarled, “The Honmoon will be sealed and you will be sent back to be trapped for all eternity.”

            “Oh no, I don’t think so,” he chuckled, “You see, my friend and I have been feasting the past few days outside of Korea, so we are now much, much, stronger than before. You can’t beat us.”

            Celine felt the moment Rumi and the girls finished the song as her strength grew with the strength of the Honmoon. The demons all shivered as they felt the wave of power echo out from the stadium behind her and smirked, drawing back another arrow that hummed with barely restrained power.

            “You won’t make it past me either way.”

            “But you are all alone,” the demon chuckled darkly, “How will you stop all of us?”

            “She’s not alone,” a voice Celine never heard said as three people stepped up next to her, “You will not harm the people of Earth any longer, Abby,” a demonic boy said next to her.

            “Jinu,” the boy, Abby, snarled, “What are you doing?! You were supposed to help us free Gwi-Ma!”

            Jinu shook his head, “No, I refuse.”

            “He found something better to strive for,” a pink-haired woman with massive gauntlets on her hands said, smirking.

            A tall brunette raised a rifle with magic glowing around it, “And you shall not make it past us. Die here, now, or leave, and die later. It makes no difference to us.”

            “You really shouldn’t have come,” a deep male voice stated and Celine turned to see a large man wielding an equally large sword while a redhead with a scar on her face smirked, drawing two long knives.

            “Enough talk,” the boy snarled, “We will kill you just like we killed Kassadin and his whore. Gwi-Ma will be freed!”

            Celine froze, eyes widened, “You killed them?! You took them from me!” she yelled and rage, like nothing she ever felt, took over her mind, turning her arrow a dark red and she fired.

            The explosion started the beginning of the battle.

Chapter Text

            Rumi was grinning as the final notes faded from How It’s Done faded and the stadium exploded with cheers and applause. The boost of power from the Honmoon and the golden waves she spotted made it that much better, but now it was time for their first collaboration.

            The lights dimmed and she felt Eve arrive with the others via a portal, “You ready, darling?” she asked softly and Rumi nodded, “Together then.”

            Rumi walked up to her place with Mira and Zoey as the light came on, then she began to sing.

            “I was a ghost, I was alone, hah,” they began. They made it through the first verse of Golden perfectly, just like they practiced. This was the song that was going to make or break their concert.

            It was time to stop hiding.

            Her girls caressed her and sent her soft smiles and eyes full of support and love as she took a deep breath to begin her part.

            “I’m done hidin’, now I’m shinin’, like I’m born to be. We’re dreamin’ hard, we came so far now I believe!”

            A spotlight hit Eve and she began singing the chorus with Rumi, “We’re goin’ up, up, up, it’s our moment, you know together we’re glowing, gonna be, gonna be golden,” the crowd went crazy when they recognized Evelynn dressed similarly to Rumi.

            They finished the chorus, and Rumi felt her heart in her throat, but Evelynn just smiled at her so they began the next part.

            “Waited so long to break these walls down, to wake up and feel like me,” this was the part she was dreading and nervous for. Her back was to the audience and she was facing her girls, her demonic eyes picking them up despite the low lighting they were in.

            Both of them still had that loving look on their faces and, in that split second between sentences, she steeled herself and gained confidence to finish the song.

            “Show these patterns for everyone to see, and finally live like the girl I’m meant to be!”

            She and Eve tore their jackets and pants off to reveal their patterns to the world. They wore shorts and Eve had a sleeveless shirt while Rumi had a crop top. Their patterns glowed softly and the crowd cheered even louder.

Xxx

            Celine dodged a demon and put an arrow in their back before using a blade to slice the next one. The demons were never ending, but her rage had cooled to a low simmer as she watched the two demons who killed her loves sit back and watch the battle.

            Her first arrow had forced them to dodge and the gun-wielder had leapt back and shot at them whenever they tried to make it past them which was why they were waiting for the horde to slow them down.

            The security guards had rushed inside and locked the doors after the man wielding the sword barked at them to do so. He must have been head of security.

            For the last few minutes it had been pure chaos as the lesser demons tried to overwhelm them with numbers. The one with the gauntlets turned out to be a godsend as she was darting all across the field around the man, taking care of demons with great zeal.

            Their demon ally on the other hand used his ability to teleport to great effect, shredding demons with his claws so they couldn’t get around them with support from the redhead and her never-ending supply of knives.

            Where the hell did these people come from?

            “You think this will stop us?” the demon said as the horde pulled back a bit. “We will just keep throwing fodder at you until you tire.”

            “Can you guys give me an opening to get to them?” Celine asked. If you killed the leader of a horde, they tended to flee, and she had unfinished business with the two stronger demons.

            “Yes,” the demon told her, “I can get you close, will you require help? Rumi would be upset if you died”

            She glanced at him in surprise, but saw honesty in his eyes, “She would have been better off if I died instead of her parents,” she said as she turned back, “But I can get revenge for their death.”

            He was silent a moment, “Okay,” he said softly.

            The man with the sword roared and leapt into the middle of the demons, scattering them, and Celine had her opening.

Xxx

            Rumi smiled widely as the Honmoon turned bright gold, echoing across the land, and felt its happiness at being so close to being completed. Mira and Zoey bowled into her, cheering and jumping with the crowd. Rumi, still high on being accepted by their fans based on their loud cheers, did something that she wouldn’t have done before.

            She pulled Zoey into a kiss, followed quickly by a smirking Mira.

            If anything, the cheers got louder while Evelynn burst into delighted laughter.

            “My niece everyone!” she shouted, “Apparently, she can’t not show affection to her girlfriends,” she teased and everyone continued to cheer, “Now, I’m sure you’re all wondering why I’m here.”

            “She’s my aunt,” Rumi said with her arms around her girls, “She was at my uncle’s funeral and recognized my father in me,” she smiled at Eve who walked over and wrapped her arm around Mira, “and, in celebration of that, we decided to do a collab with her band.”

            The foursome split and Zoey moved over to Akali and the group began to sing the opening lines to More.

xxx

            Celine dodged a swipe from the remaining demon, having surprised them and put an arrow in the other’s head. This one, Abby, was strong, and fast, and Celine knew he was going to kill her.

            When she thought about it, she was okay with that fact. She was ready to face judgement from the two people she loved and lost for the way she had treated their daughter.

            But she would do damage to him before her time came!

            She didn’t notice the demonic horde dwindle, didn’t notice as the demon ally she had teleported away.

            She did notice when the claws pierced her stomach.

            She looked from the grinning face of Abby to see his hand was stuck up to the wrist in her abdomen. Celine glanced up at him and saw him beginning to laugh.

            So she cut his arm off with her bow’s blade.

            He screamed in pain and she stumbled back, falling into the arms of the pink-haired woman as she pulled her back for the rest of them to try and fight the remainder of the horde and the greater demon.

            “Rumi,” she gasped out, “Rumi- has to finish him.”

            “Jinu went to get her,” the woman said, “Just hold-,” the woman was cut off as the Honmoon exploded in gold.

            Celine felt herself relax. It was done, the demon realm was sealed. She just had one more thing to do and then she could rest.

Xxx

            Rumi enjoyed the cheering of the crowd as she and her girls walked off the stage to let K/DA have a few songs before they finished for the night. She was so happy, the Honmoon was sealed and the demon realm was closed to them. She, Jinu, and Eve were free!

            “We did it!” Zoey cheered.

            “And Rumi outed us to the world out there,” Mira teased.

            “Sorry!” Rumi groaned, “I was high on the emotions of being accepted.”

            Zoey just grabbed her phone and shoved it in her face, “Are you still sorry?”

            Rumi stared at it. Someone had already posted a short video of their kiss. It had over five million views already! Reading the comments, there were some people who weren’t pleased with her marks or the kisses, but most of them were positive. So many people had shipped them apparently, and now it was confirmed.

            Bobby had even had the people who handled their social media confirm it, like he knew Rumi wouldn’t be able to help herself.

            She was so happy, and kissing her girlfriends, that when Jinu popped in, she just hugged him, but he pushed her back.

            “It’s Celine,” he told her and her mood dropped, “She’s fighting the demons that killed your parents out front.

            Rage. Rage that caused her patterns to turn a dark red hit her like a freight train. She quickly used the Honmoon, its power pulling at her soul, to locate Celine and her heart dropped at the weakness of the woman’s soul.

            Before anyone could react, she teleported right into the middle of a battle to see Vi holding the woman who raised her with what was left of an arm buried in her stomach.

            “No,” Rumi felt her heart break. She didn’t even notice Jinu arriving with her girls. She just dropped to her knees next to Celine, whose eyes were unfocused and her breathing ragged, “No, you don’t get to die yet. We still have stuff to talk about.”

            “I know,” Celine told her as her gaze focused on her, “I- I left…a letter in my…home. It-,” she coughed blood, “explains everything,” she cupped Rumi’s face with her hand, surprised at the action, Rumi let it happen. Celine rubbed one of her marks, “I always thought your marks, were bea…uti…” Celine’s eyes went lifeless.

            Rumi stared at Celine, so many emotions were warring in her mind. She wanted to hate her, wanted to forget Celine raised her, but now she remembered times when Celine acted like her mother.

            When she fell and scraped her arm when she was five and Celine had fretted over her for a week afterwards. It was the best week of her young life because she knew she was loved.

            When Zoey and Mira became too much for her at times, how she was completely unsure of how to act in such close quarters with people who didn’t know her secret. She remembered Celine sitting with her and talking her through her problems, helping her so she could show them what she was comfortable with and keep her secret.

            How Celine would take her to her mother’s grave on her birthday every year and tell her stories of the woman she never got to know. How she would make Rumi her favorite dessert when she had a bad day.

            How she knew Rumi’s favorite flowers and gave them to her after every concert.

            How she helped Mira and Zoey pick out her presents for her first birthday with them.

            All these memories that Rumi had forgotten about, all these things that were overshadowed by her secret and her worries. Why did she forget? Did all of the bad erase all the good?

            “Oh dear,” Abby chuckled after tossing Katarina away from him, her arm broken while Garen and Vi were injured near them, “I guess I killed the last of the Sunlight Sisters,” he shrugged, “She went down easier than your mother and that traitor did,” he smirked at her.

            Rumi stood, her rage barely contained. She saw Jinu holding Zoey and Mira back while Cait had her hextech rifle aimed at him. Her patterns flared red so dark it was almost black.

            “Cait,” Rumi called and the brunette looked to her before growling and lowering her rifle. Rumi turned to the bastard who took the woman who had raised her from her, her eyes a bright slitted yellow, “You killed my mother?”

            “Slit her throat while she watched my brothers beat your father to death,” he glanced at Jinu, “Too bad your boyfriend was in America at the time. That would have made this so much better.”

            “I’m not her boyfriend,” Jinu said and Rumi noticed the sadness in his tone. She looked at him in surprise and he gave her an apologetic smile.

            She ignored that for now, she would discuss it with him later. Rumi had to quell the rage in her veins, and she had a target to use.

            “Why?” she asked, “Why did you go after my parents?”

            “Because your father betrayed us. He protected the hunters,” the demon snarled, “He deserved more, but got a quick death.”

            Rumi took a breath and turned to her friends, her family, “No one is to interfere,” she glared at the demon in front of her, knowing both her eyes were slitted yellow, “This one is mine.”

            She summoned her swords and power swirled around her. The demon chuckled at her display and drew on his own power. The problem was, he forgot he was missing an arm.

            Rumi charged and he was able to keep up with her for a good while. His claws even scored a few hits on her, but she struck him ten times as much as he did her.

            Within a minute he was panting, bleeding from several dozen wounds, and in severe pain as his essence was eaten away where he was wounded, “What the fuck are you?” he snarled.

            She could have said something dramatic, something catchy, but she found she was done with this bastard. With one final clash it was over.

            As she watched his headless corpse disappear, she thought that the fight was anticlimactic but knew that Celine had weakened him by taking his arm and with the Honmoon completed, she was so much stronger than him.

            She walked over to Celine and knelt down, tears coming to her eyes, “I’m sorry I forgot,” she said softly, only Vi hearing her, “I love you, and I hope you find rest in whatever comes after.”

            Celines’s letter would keep, they had a concert to finish, but first.

            She turned to her girls and opened her arms. One could mistake Zoey for a demon with how fast she hugged her with Mira only a step behind.

            “You idiot,” Zoey said into her chest, “I know you needed to kill him on your own, but you are still an idiot.”

            “Are you okay?” Mira asked her softly as Jinu quickly went over to help the wounded.

            “No,” Rumi told her honestly. She wasn’t okay. Celine was dead and she just killed her parents’ killer, “but I will be, so long as I have you two and our friends and family.”

            The two women hugged her tighter. A moment later Cait walked up to them.

            “Is the concert over?”

Chapter Text

            The two groups stood on the stage, still in their final poses as the last notes of their final song faded and the cheers of the crowd rose to crescendo. Rumi kept a smile on her face despite the fact she wanted to leave, go find a spot and just break down.

            Eve, seeing her about to break and sensing her turmoil, ushered her off the stage while Akali pulled Mira and Zoey behind her and Ahri and Kai began thanking the crowd.

            “You need to go home,” Eve told her softly, “We will have Bobby set up a conference for a few days, but you need a break. We will handle things from here.”

            “But these are our fans, they need us-,” Eve shook her head, cutting her off.

            “They can wait a few days,” she told her softly, “Go home, let your girls take care of you. We will be by tomorrow,” she told her and kissed her cheek followed by a tight hug.

            “Celine said she left a letter,” she told Eve, “Said it explained everything. Do you want to come with us? When we go?”

            Eve looked at her, nodded, and turned and left.

            Bobby walked up at that point, eyes downcast, “Vans outside, waiting,” he said as Jayce and Viktor stood next to him, “If you need anything Rumi, let me know. I know you and Celine weren’t on the best of terms, but anything you need, anything, let me know.”

            “Thank you, Bobby,” she said softly and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek, “I will let you know tomorrow.”

            She quickly received hugs from the other two and then Mira and Zoey were leading her out and into the van. She collapsed boneless onto Mira’s shoulder, exhausted and emotionally wrought.

            The taller girl wrapped an arm around her while Zoey hugged Rumi’s arm to her chest and rested her own head on Rumi’s shoulder. The trio didn’t speak, their driver. Mr. Kim, nodded at them sadly when they arrived at their building and Zoey patted his shoulder and thanked him.

            They made their way upstairs and into the living room. They all went and changed into comfortable clothes and washed their stage makeup off, the routine done on autopilot for Rumi, even after all those months without doing it.

            When they made it to the living room, her girlfriends pulled her down onto the couch and cuddled up next to her. Rumi just stared at the ceiling, not really processing anything, not until Mira broke the silence.

            “We got you,” she said softly, “it’s okay to break. We got you.”

            Rumi wasn’t sure what she meant until she felt the first tear fall out of her upturned eyes. Then the second, and soon she was sobbing and her girls were pulling her into their embrace and just letting her cry.

            Zoey ordered a bunch of comfort food with instructions at the front desk to bring it up to them. By now Bobby had distributed the knowledge of Celine’s death to all of their employees with an enforced information blackout with extreme repercussions.

            Rumi had exhausted her tears by the time one of their regular housekeepers, an old Chinese immigrant named Mrs. Xang, came in with the tray. She stepped over to Rumi and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

            “We are all here for you dear, whatever you need,” she smiled at the young heartbroken idol and left. Everyone in the building knew and loved Rumi, her genuine kindness to all of them and the fact she knew all of them and their families went a long way towards that trust and love.

            New tears came to Rumi’s face as she saw a box of her favorite cookies from a nearby bakery on top of one of the trays, courtesy of the staff. It took a bit for her to calm down again, but her girls were able to coax her into eating something.

            They then coaxed her to bed while Mira went back out to clean up. Rumi didn’t try to sleep, fighting her exhaustion until Mira came back and she had her girls cuddled on either side.

            “I love you both,” she said softly, sleep pulling at her, “Thank you.”

            “You never have to thank us for loving you,” Mira told her and kissed her cheek.

            “We will always take care of you, like you take care of us,” Zoey said and repeated Mira’s action.

            Rumi fell asleep, exhausted and sad, but content. Tomorrow, she would deal with Celine’s death tomorrow and the fallout of everything else.

            But for tonight, she would let herself be comforted by the two most important people in her life.

Xxx

            Jinu sat on the roof of their base as he watched the sun rise, his body sore and healing from the earlier battle. His healing factor wasn’t as good as Rumi’s, but he didn’t require medical attention, at least not like Violet did.

            He clenched his fist as he remembered the pinkette being clawed across the face by Abby while Jinu was distracted by several lesser demons trying to get around them and to the venue while Rumi spoke to Celine. Just another person he couldn’t save.

            Vi was fine, hopped up on painkillers and with Cait doting on her so she would be fine.

            A deep breath followed by an exhale forced him to allow that thought to fade and a new one to enter his mind. He had seen Celine’s determination when she fought a demon so much stronger than her. Jinu had sparred against Abby enough to know he was toying with the older huntress, but Jinu was too busy trying to destroy the remains of the horde while she fought the killer of Kassadin and Miyeong.

            He could have stepped in and saved her, fought his former comrade and saved Rumi the heartache, but he knew that look on Celine’s face.

            Rumi had that same look after she lost Zoey and Mira. The look of someone ready to die.

            So, he let the woman make her own choice, decide to go down fighting the bastard who took two people she loved away from her. Oh, he figured it out in the last minutes of the woman’s life. She had been in love with Miyeong and Kassadin. Don’t ask him how he did because he wasn’t sure how, but he figured it out.

            “There you are,” a voice slurred, and he snapped around, spotting Violet being supported by Caitlyn, bandage covering her left eye.

            “You should be resting!” he said, voice full of concern as he rushed over to help the pinkette sit down. His hand hovered over her bandage, knowing the eye was fine it was just the three claw marks almost took the organ and it needed to stay wrapped.

            “I’m fine, stud,” Violet smirked at him and his heart jumped, “We just wanted to make sure you are fine.”

            He took a breath and went to nod when Cait interrupted him with a look. So, he aborted his nod and shook his head, “I knew Celine was going to die, wanted to die, and I did nothing to stop her,” he said suddenly and both women looked at him.

            “We know,” Cait said and shoved him down next to Vi so she could lean her drugged body on him, “We all saw it. That’s why none of us helped her fight that demon,” Caitlyn took a breath and sighed, “We just didn’t realize how strong he was.”

            “But our Rumi was stronger!” Vi cheered, giggling and high off her ass, “It just sucks that she’s lost someone else.”

            “She’ll be okay,” he told them softly as he watched the sunset, “Mira and Zoey will take care of her.”

            “And the rest of us too,” Cait told him, “If you think Evelynn is letting her out of her sight anytime soon you have another thing coming,” she chuckled, “And the others have found three new little sisters to dote on.”

            “It’s okay,” Vi told him, “She will be okay.”

            He took a breath, wondering how he could put his thoughts into words, before he just decided to start talking, “The first time around, Rumi spent so much time taking care of her girls and trying to convince me to change my tune. It worked, in the end,” he shook his head and tried not to think of all the bad that happened before they ended up here, “I fell in love with her then,” he told the two women who just listened, “and she made it so easy to do it, but she never even looked my way. She was too concerned with her friends, the two women she loved more than her own life.

            “That was when I decided to help her get her girls, just to see her happy.”

            Cait smiled at him and rested her head on his shoulder, “That was very selfless.”

            He chuckled wryly, “Yeah, it was, wasn’t it? She made me soft,” Vi began playing with his hand but he barely noticed, “I’ve accomplished that, and as much as I loved her, it is time to let her go.”

            Cait smiled up at him, “What will you do now?”

            Jinu shrugged, “I don’t know yet. Maybe I’ll take some time to figure it out,” he smiled down into the beautiful brown eyes of one of the few he could call ‘friend’.

“We are all going to Eve’s island after we wrap everything up here and make sure the Honmoon is sealed,” she glared right at Jinu, “You are coming with us.”

            He jolted in surprise, but settled when Vi grumbled about ‘her moving pillow needed to stay still’, “You want me there?”

            “Are you that dense or just playing at it?” Caitlyn asked him and he was wondering what he was missing.

            “Yes, we want you there,” Vi told him, “We’ve enjoyed your company the past few weeks. You’re a lot of fun and we find you attractive.”     

            “We also have a lot in common or did you forget the hour long debate on the right way to cook noodles we had with Akali?” Caitlyn smirked.

            Jinu remembered that. After the first five minutes they just kept arguing with Akali just for the fun of it and to tease the little former assassin. Other conversations began to filter to him of the time he spent with them, every single one made his heart fuller as he remembered how much he enjoyed them.

            Making them laugh, making them smile, making them roll their eyes at his bad jokes.

            “You also took a few hits meant for me and Cait,” Vi mumbled sleepily, “Don’t think we didn’t notice you didn’t get patched up.”

            “I heal fast,” he told them, “Not as fast as Rumi, but still quite fast,” he chuckled. He thought over the other interactions he had with them and realized that, yes, he had been developing a crush on them, but he was still so tied up in helping Rumi and his feelings for her that these new feelings snuck up on him.

            Rumi had been the first person he had fallen in love with, and he would always love her, but maybe he could see what was there with these two beautiful women at his sides.

            He pressed a kiss to Cait’s forehead and turned and did the same to Violet, “Let’s get you to bed before you pass out up here,” he said.

            “So long as you stay as my body pillow,” Violet mumbled sleepily. The moment he picked her up she was out.

            He looked at Cait who smiled softly at them and felt his own lips mirror hers. Maybe this would work? He would see.

Chapter Text

Evelynn watched Rumi stare at the door to Celine’s home on Jeju. They had been there for ten minutes already, Akali next to her while Mira and Zoey were next to Rumi as support.

            She wanted to find out what happened to her brother, she really hoped that Celine answered that at least, but her question took a back seat to everything else. Rumi needed closure, and she would sit there, impatiently, for as long as it took for her to enter her former home.

            Mira whispered something to Rumi and the halfa turned to her aunt and took a deep breath. She held her hand out, “I think it should just be us, first,” she said softly.

            Eve took the outstretched hand and Rumi opened the door. She saw the homey atmosphere of the home, full of pictures and nick knacks and smiled softly at pictures of Celine and Rumi as she grew up. Glancing around, she noticed the house was warm and it seemed it was affecting Rumi.

            “Why did I never notice?” she asked herself. Eve could guess, but stayed silent since it was rhetorical, “The pictures proudly displayed, the warmth of the home that hasn’t changed for as long as I’ve been alive. The trophies from old dance competitions and even the participation award for the one time I played softball,” her voice cracked, “I was horrible at it.”

            “Let’s go read that letter,” Eve told her softly, rubbing her back, “Maybe it will have some answers for us.”

            They walked towards Celine’s room. Opening the door, Rumi and Eve stared, surprise clear on their faces.

            The walls were full of pictures of Kassadin, Celine, and Miyeong. Some of them where Celine didn’t look too pleased to be in them and others where Miyeong was pregnant and Celine and Kassadin looked so excited as they celebrated at a restaurant.

            Eve was drawn to one picture, on her nightstand next to a picture of Rumi on Celine’s shoulders with a dancing trophy held in her tiny hands. It was a picture of Celine staring up at Miyeong and Kassadin with a look she recognized.

            The same look Rumi had when she stared at Mira and Zoey.

            “She was in love with them,” Eve said softly and Rumi walked over from her perusal of the pictures on the walls to look at it, “Why then, why did she seem to hate Kassadin?”

            Rumi leaned past Evelynn to grab a folded paper, “maybe this will explain it?” she held it out.

            The two walked out to the kitchen and sat at the small table side by side. Their hands clutched at each other and then Rumi opened the letter. Eve took the other side and held it open for them to read.

Dear Rumi,

            I don’t really know how to say any of what I’m feeling. It is hard to look at myself in the mirror these past few months since you’ve been gone as I’ve gone over every interaction, every fight, every triumph, everything that has happened between us since you came to live with me. I have come to a single realization that has caused me to cry myself to sleep every night since you came to me and asked me to kill you.

            I have been a horrible person, a horrible parent, and I don’t think Kassadin and Miyeong will be able to look at me when I see them in the afterlife.

            Something that you don’t know, that no one knows, was that I was in love with your mother for a long, long time. We were best friends growing up and that helped us become great hunters together. I never said anything though, and your mother was much like you; focused on the team, the goal, trying to take care of everyone while pushing her needs to the side.

            That was until Kassadin saved her life and began courting her.

            Here this handsome demon was, saying all the things I wish I was brave enough to say and wooing your mother. I hated him for it. He was the very thing we were at war with, taught to hate, taught to kill, and your mother was falling in love with him.

            Looking back now, I realize I was just jealous and refused to see the good in him. How he constantly helped us stop large attacks and even rescued us when we got too far in over our head. I was jealous of how he showered Miyeong with the attention I wanted to give, and the attention I wanted to receive from him as well.

            After months of this, I finally began to grudgingly respect him, even tolerate him at times. It wasn’t until your mother fell pregnant with you and I saw him begin to panic and worry over her and you that I began to realize that I liked him.

            The longer it went on, the more I realized that I fell in love with him too.

            He had always made sure that I was comfortable around him later on, after he started coming to visit Miyeong and I at home. He began bringing me gifts as well as your mother. Mine were nowhere near as extravagant, mostly because I think he realized I liked practical gifts.

            Even as I’m writing this, I realize that he and Miyeong had begun courting me. I was planning on telling them about my feelings after you were born, I didn’t want to stress Miyeong out too much since the pregnancy was difficult for her. She was constantly tired and hungry, you were a very needy baby.

            Then, you were born, and the happiness that we had that day turned into sorrow and anger.

            Demons had found out about Kassadin’s betrayal and tracked him to their home. Miyeong handed you to me and begged me to run, to keep the last bit of her and Kassadin safe, that they would hold them off.

            Part of me wishes I had stayed to fight, but I had to protect you. You were so tiny and defenseless, and I couldn’t break a promise to them. So, I ran.

            I ran, even as my heart shattered into pieces, even as I heard the sounds of my two loves dying without ever knowing how I felt. I ran, with the last piece of two of the people who were the only family I had ever known.

            That heartbreak turned into rage against your father, rage against demons, and hatred against both. I taught that to you and for that I am so sorry. You deserved to grow with your aunt Evelynn and her friends. You deserved to learn about both sides of your heritage, and I will go to the grave regretting that decision.

            When I noticed the signs of you showing interest in your bandmates I projected onto you and tried to keep you away from them, at least romantically, but that was a lost cause as I saw the effect you had on them. The same effect your mother always had on me. And I will regret to my dying day that so much hurt could have been prevented if I let you tell them, how happy you would have been if I allowed it and you didn’t feel like you needed to run.

            I will always regret never telling you how proud I am of you for following your dreams.

            I will hate how I never showed how happy I am that you found what I lost with your best friends.

            That I didn’t tell you I loved you, patterns and all.

            That I never called you out loud what I always called you in my head.

            So, my daughter, if the worst comes to pass then I want you to know how proud of you I am, how much I love you, and how much I hope that you live a long and happy life. Know that I will make sure your parents know what a wonderful young woman they made, and hope they can forgive me for my mistakes. How I hope you can forgive me for them someday.

            I go to the concert tomorrow to stop the demons from ruining your happiness, and if I should die, I will do it with a smile on my face for protecting my daughter.

With all my love, your adopted mother,

Celine

            Eve felt that her eyes were a bit damp. She wiped them with the back of her hand and turned to Rumi who was much worse.

            The halfa had tears streaming down her face and looked distraught. Eve carefully took the letter out of her hands and pulled the younger demon into her lap so she could hug her tightly, “She loved you.”

            Rumi just cried harder and Eve held her tightly, trying to fight her own tears. Celine had turned her heartbreak into hatred, only realizing later in life what she cost Rumi. The woman’s letter would hopefully help Rumi forgive her.

            As if sensing her turmoil, Zoey and Mira entered the house and froze when they saw Rumi sobbing in Eve’s lap.

            “Darling,” Eve coaxed her niece up, “Go to your girls. They want to comfort you, and you need to let them.

            The two needed no prompting and when Rumi stood they were there. They pulled her to the nearby couch, draping her across their laps and holding her close as she cried.

            Akali wrapped her arms around Eve as she read the letter that was left on the table. Eve let her, knowing Akali would find a way to read it at a later time if she didn’t as she took comfort from her wife.

            Knowing what finally happened to her brother had lifted a weight off her shoulder she didn’t know she had carried for the last twenty-five years. It helped bring her closure to know he had gone down fighting. Although, she wished she had gotten a crack at the demons who had killed him and Miyeong.

            A glance at Rumi and she quelled that thought. Rumi deserved it more than her. A sigh from Akali as the rogue wiped her eyes surreptitiously. “What now?”

            “Now?” Eve took a breath, “We have our conference to tell the world about Celine’s death and my relation to Rumi. Then we take a vacation and figure out where to go from here.”

            “We staying in Korea?” Akali asked her softly as they watched Rumi being comforted by her girls.

            “Until Rumi is ready to move,” she told her wife softly.

Xxx

            Rumi sat along with her girls and K/DA, Bobby, and Luxanna at the conference two days after she read her adoptive mother’s letter. They were waiting for the reporters to settle in and Rumi was trying not to panic at all the attention she was garnering.

            The past two days had been a rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows. It upset her that Celine was unable to tell her everything in person and how she treated Rumi throughout her life.

            But her girls were there for her throughout the whole process. She had felt bad at one point for taking up so much of their time to care for her, but she was told in no uncertain terms that she had always taken care of them, now it was their turn.

            Bobby had released Celine’s death two days after the concert, saying she had collapsed at home and Rumi found her after the concert. There had been an overwhelming amount of sympathy for her and her girls with a vigil set for the day after the conference for Celine.

            Rumi wasn’t planning on showing up. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to, but she had the funeral the day after and she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Well, as alone as she was able to be with Mira and Zoey staying glued to her.

            The two hadn’t left her side except to shower and use the bathroom since they returned, not that she minded. The fact they were comforting her and they all continued to talk through their issues helped distract her from the loss. Rumi was even making progress with being more open with her feelings and her girlfriends were so proud.

            Even now, Zoey had a hand on her thigh and was rubbing soothing circles on her to keep her calm and Mira had her arm draped across the back of Rumi’s chair to play with her braid. She placed her own hand over Zoey’s and smiled at Mira who just winked at her.

            She knew they were probably being recorded even though the press wasn’t allowed to record just yet. She didn’t really care. She outed them spectacularly during their concert and the reaction had been quite positive and she had a three month vacation coming up before they got back to work.

            “Alright, I think everyone is here so we can get started,” Bobby began as he stood, “Everyone here submitted questions and we have picked a few to answer. We will take a few questions later and all we ask is for you to be respectful,” he looked at them all firmly and the girls all smiled at how intimidating he could be when he wanted, “Celine was a dear friend to most of us and a mother to our Rumi.”

            Rumi smiled weakly at him in thanks and turned to the page in front of them.

            “I believe I will take the first one,” Evelynn spoke up after a moment, “‘When did you realize Rumi was your niece and why didn’t you realize it before?’” she took a deep breath and looked across Mira at Rumi and smiled softly before turning back to the crowd, “I first realized she was my niece when their band began blowing up,” she told them, “I didn’t approach her for obvious reasons. I’m sure the ladies all had random family members popping up all over the world, so I wanted to wait until I could confirm it.”

            “We did,” Rumi sighed, “It was a nightmare.”

            “Oh, we know. We did too when we blew up,” Ahri chuckled and there was a smattering of laughter across the venue.

            “She looked just like her mother, but she had my brother’s hair,” she held up a picture of her and her brother with Ahri and Miyeong, “When we met at her uncle’s funeral I realized I had to try and we had a DNA test done and discovered she was my niece. We reconnected after that and decided to spend time with her, Mira, and Zoey who have all been a delight.”

            “It has been wonderful having more family,” Rumi said softly, “Growing up, it was just Celine and I. Then Mira and Zoey came along with Bobby, and we had a nice little group, but we didn’t expand outside it,” she smiled at the group, “Now I have an aunt and three big sisters.”

            Eve went to respond to that when she saw a hand, “Yes, you there, Seoul Reporter.”

            “Where is your brother now?”

            Akali held Eve’s hand under the table and the demoness smiled sadly at the reporter, “He was in a motorcycle accident the day Rumi was born.”

            The woman winced and nodded, “I’m sorry for your loss,” she turned to Rumi and said, “Both of you.”

            “Thank you,” they both echoed.

            “I’ll take this one,” Zoey said, pulling them back to the conference, “‘Will you be working with Akali and True Damage at any point in the near future?’ Yes, but for now we are just talking over ideas. Akali was nice enough to add me to their group chat,” she grinned and Rumi felt her hand squeeze her leg unconsciously with how excited she was getting at the idea. “I’m really excited since I’ve been listening to their stuff for as long as they have been a thing.”

            Mira rolled her eyes and chuckled, drawing everyone’s eyes to her, “She tends to play their stuff when Rumi and I are cooking.”

            “Do you cook together often?” someone called out.

            “Almost every night unless we worked too hard during the day and just order takeout,” Rumi answered. They weren’t supposed to yell out questions, but it was an innocent enough question so they didn’t mind.

            “Alright,” Akali said, “You all have been patient enough with us, so how about one of the harder questions,” she looked over the sheet and nodded to herself, “This one: ‘Are there going to be any more collaborations between your two bands?’ The answer to that is yes. We are both taking three months off but plan to work on some new stuff when we come back.”

            Rumi looked down at her sheet of questions that had been asked when the conference was scheduled and vetted by Bobby, Ahri, Mira, and Luxanna while the others answered questions for a few minutes. Her breath caught on one and her leg started to bounce but she stopped it as soon as she noticed. Zoey looked over at her, worry on her face but Rumi just smiled. She took a breath, she needed to answer this question.

            So, when there was a pause between questions Rumi spoke up, “Okay, I know you all have been wondering, as have our fans, about my artwork,” she gestured to her bare arms and the ones on her face, “and the short answer is my dad had similar tattoos. Eve and I got them done when we met up as a way to bond and as a way to remember the father I never had a chance to know and the brother she lost.”

            A hand was raised and she called on the reporter, not paying attention to who they were, “Were you not worried about how your fans would react? I know my daughter looks up to you, but as a father I am unsure if I would be okay with her getting tattoos.”  

            Rumi smiled at him, glad he was polite about the question, and it was a valid one. She was worried about the fans, but she had to answer this perfectly while still being truthful.

            “Well, I would say you should speak to her about it, tell her the pros and cons of getting tattoos like mine and Eve’s and to make sure they hold meaning to her. Open communication would be best,” she breathed in and then out, “It would also be her body her choice,” she waved at her tattoos, “I got mine with my aunt because it was a way to remember my father. Celine didn’t have as many stories about my father as Eve obviously did. The tattoos help me feel closer to him.”

            She could tell they weren’t really buying the answer, but Eve took another question about her marriage and how that was going. It was a bit personal but they were feeding into the press a bit, trying to spread out the ‘excitement’ to not let the news focus on only one thing.

            “My turn, I guess,” Mira said and Rumi turned to her girlfriend, “‘When did you realize you were in love with your bandmates?’” she chuckled and turned to her girls and Rumi loved the soft look, “probably soon after our first Idol Awards. We were all sweaty and high off our win when we got home, we just all collapsed on our couch,” she sighed, “We had to burn that couch. It had so much glitter on it from our costumes.”

            “If I remember right, you tackled us onto the couch,” Zoey teased and everyone chuckled at the image of the normally stoic Mira tackling anyone.

            She rolled her eyes, “I’m going to blame your over-exuberance infecting me,” she sighed, “We were just laughing at it finally being over. All of our hard work and the hard work of our staff and Bobby and…Celine,” her smile turned sad, “Well, we had realized we finally did it, and do you know what Rumi wanted to do? She wanted to make a celebratory dinner. So she got up and began cooking like a madwoman in full costume,” Rumi smiled, remembering that moment. She had been so excited and her emotions had overwhelmed her at that time.

            She had realized she loved her friends by then, was in love with them, and needed to do something with her hands so she didn’t do something to ruin her friendship with her first real friends.

            “Zoey over here,” Mira grinned at her, “Decided the best way to help was to begin rapping, in English, which Rumi and I hadn’t learned yet, while Rumi began to beatbox,” Mira smiled softly, “That was when I realized that these two adorable women were the loves of my life.”

            “For Rumi it was when she took us to the aquarium,” Zoey chimed in. She smiled at Rumi, “She knew they were doing an event involving turtles and she knows how much I love them, but she also had seen an event involving jellyfish at a later time since they are Mira’s favorite,” Zoey smiled at Rumi, “She had mentioned it in passing once, and Rumi remembered. She always remembers what we tell her and makes sure to treat us with that knowledge when it strikes her.”

            Rumi remembered that. She had wanted to do something for them both and saw the events online. It had taken her no time at all to secure tickets and surprise the both of them on their day off. Celine had made sure they had the day free when she asked.

            “With Mira it was when she made sure to grab my favorite snacks from the store when I had a bad day. It became a bit of a tradition for her to do so when she knew I had a bad day,” Zoey grinned widely, “I could gush about my girls all day, but I believe it’s Rumi’s turn.”

            The polite laughter at Zoey’s exuberance changed to a bit of pressure as Rumi was now in the spotlight. She thought to herself for a moment, but then realized there wasn’t really only one. She smiled to herself at the thought.

            “There wasn’t really any one moment for me,” she told everyone who looked at her in interest, “it happened slowly over time. It was the little things at first. The fact that Zoey would always try and be quiet whenever I had a headache from paperwork or when Mira would bring me a cup of tea at night when she knew I had trouble sleeping the night before. Sometimes, Zoey would distract me whenever I was too stressed with adorable pictures or videos and Mira would take over cooking on nights when I was exhausted.”

            “Our leader likes to work herself too hard,” Mira told them.

            “And they take care of me, just like I take care of them,” she said, smiling, “The little things just built up over time and eventually, I was running on my own in our personal gym when it struck me,” she chuckled ruefully, “Along with the floor and the equipment behind me when I tripped.”

            “You told us that your shoe came untied,” Zoey gaped at her, “You jerk. I laughed at you for that!”

            Rumi smiled at her and brought their joined hands onto the table. She grabbed Mira’s hand from behind her and pulled it to the table as well, “I realized that I wanted to be around them all the time. I enjoyed our cuddle nights masquerading as movie nights, how your eyes would sparkle, Zoey, whenever you told me a story you enjoyed or when you, Mira, would do a new move perfectly and the smile you had would light up your face,” Rumi smiled at their joined hands, “I realized I loved you both, and it was all the little things that built up over time.”

            “We love you too,” Zoey said, smiling brightly.

            “Awe, that’s adorable,” Ahri cooed and three sets of eyes turned to glare at the blond fox.

            “I need to call my dentist,” Bobby sighed, “I think my teeth are rotting out of my head.”

            The girls all sighed in unison as the crowd laughed, “Well, this is what happens when you have family at these things,” Mira groaned, “You get teased.”

            “And now you’re stuck with us,” Akali commented from the other end of the table. Everyone laughed at that.

            “Wouldn’t trade it for the world,” Rumi said softly and everyone smiled at her. Rumi looked at her phone to watch the live feed and was surprised to see so many positive comments. She looked back up in time for someone to ask a question.

            “What made you three finally decide to get together?” she asked.

            “When Rumi was gone,” Mira said and Rumi squeezed their hands, receiving one in return as way of apology and acceptance. They had moved past it finally, “The two of us got to talking,” she motioned to Zoey, “Rumi was on communications blackout when she mourned and, honestly, we hated it.”

            “And I won’t do that again,” Rumi said softly.

            “We know,” Mira told her, smiling, “We knew you needed time to process, but we wanted to be there for you. We’ve figured it out and discussed it, anyway,” she shook her head, “We realized we were in love with Rumi when she was gone. We talked about it and realized we were in love with each other as well,” she sighed, “There was a lot of discussion between the three of us before we decided to give it a try.”

            “It’s been almost a month and we are doing great!” Zoey said, smiling.

            “We had a lot to figure out since this isn’t a conventional relationship,” Rumi said, “It’s a work in progress but we haven’t been happier.”

            A young woman from the local teen magazine stood up and raised her hand, “No question, but a comment,” Rumi nodded for her to continue, curious, “I think I speak for a lot of people when I say it shows that all of you are much happier than you were. There is a glow about you when you are together, and we hope you guys make it work. We are happy for you.”

            Many people called out their agreement and Rumi felt herself smile at the support. She could see several of the older crowd a little unhappy, but she ignored them.

            “I personally will say this,” Evelynn called out, “I have plenty of properties to hide bodies on if either of you hurt Rumi,” she smirked at them and both women gulped. Everyone else laughed but they knew Eve was serious.

            The questions went back to more tame topics after that for a bit until they got to another tough topic, one not so romantic.

            Rumi took a breath and looked up at the reporters. They had ten minutes left and she needed to answer this one, “‘What is going to happen to Huntr/x  and Sunlight Studios with Celine gone?’” she looked at her girls who looked back at her in support.

            “We are going to keep going for as long as our fans want us,” she said, “Although, I think I am planning on finishing my degree in chemical engineering and I’m pretty sure Mira will be finishing her master’s in business as well, so when we are ready to retire we have fallback careers.”

            “And I will be starting a degree in biology!” Zoey said, smiling, “Or I could be that stay-at-home wife.”

            “You are not cooking,” Rumi, Mira, Ahri, and Evelynn all barked out at once, causing the entire audience to laugh. Ahri let loose a full-body shiver, “She made rice one day and ended up burning it so bad we had to toss the pan.”

            “She’s been known to ruin ramyeon if she isn’t careful too,” Rumi told them seriously.

            “You guys are no fun,” Zoey pouted, “You ruin it one time!”

            “Six,” Mira said, unforgiving.

            “So mean,” she pouted.

            Rumi laughed with everyone else and she looked at the live one last time before locking her phone. The group answered a few more questions before they were finished. All in all, Rumi thought it went well.

            The only thing left was the funeral, and then vacation on Eve’s beach. Her girls lead her out of the room and they all piled in a limo Evelynn called and made their way home.

            “That went well,” Zoey said from her spot on Rumi’s shoulder.

            “The response is positive,” Bobby said as he checked his tablet, “So far so good.”

            Rumi smiled at that and leaned back to close her eyes. She felt an arm around her shoulders and moved her head so she was cuddled up to Mira. She used her demonic strength to pull Zoey across their laps before the girl could complain and had her cuddle up to them.

            It had been a good day.

Chapter Text

            Rumi woke to dried tears and Zoey latched onto her back. She blinked her eyes open to see a sliver of grey light coming from a break in their blackout curtains. When she looked in front of her, she noticed Mira wasn’t in bed with them and she frowned.

            They had gotten home late last night after the funeral for Celine and Rumi had been a wreck. She had made it through the funeral with only a few tears and all the condolences of the people who felt like they should offer them. She didn’t break down throughout the whole event.

            That changed the moment they made it through the door.

            She had made her way to the bathroom to clean her makeup off but ended up collapsing to the floor in tears. She had stuffed her fist into her mouth to stifle her sobs since she didn’t want to worry Mira and Zoey, but like usual they just knew.

            They had gotten into the bathroom through the locked door, Mira most likely picked it, and sat on the floor with her to comfort her. They had helped her clean up and Rumi had apologized for being such a mess and they had waved off her concerns that she was being too much.

            “You just lost the closest thing to a mother you have ever had,” Zoey told her, “You are okay not being okay.”

            So, she had let herself be comforted and ended up crying herself to sleep for the loss of Celine.

            She still didn’t know how to feel about the woman. Celine had essentially been the cause of so much of her heartache, but she had been heartbroken and that had turned into misdirected hatred.

            Rumi just blew out a breath and got out of bed. Mira had been off just before they went to bed. She had received a phone call during dinner and went out onto the balcony to take it. Rumi wasn’t too far gone in her grief to not realize that Mira had been severely upset but put on a brave face for her, even when she asked what was wrong Mira brushed her off saying ‘later’.

            So, with a kiss to Zoey’s sleeping forehead since their younger girlfriend wouldn’t be up until she could smell breakfast, she went to go find Mira.

            When she made it to the door and opened it she caught a whiff of coffee and spotted Mira at the doorway to the balcony watching the city below as the sun rose. Rumi knew Mira wouldn’t want her to put off her caffeine intake for her so decided to nip that problem early and made her way to get her coffee while she looked at her girlfriend.

            She truly was a beautiful woman and Rumi felt lucky to have her in her life. The sun hit just right to turn her pink hair into a shining halo and, despite the rigid set of Mira’s shoulders, she smiled.

            Rumi finished making her coffee and made her way over to her girlfriend, taking an audible sip of the beverage so that Mira heard before setting it on a nearby table. She walked up behind her girlfriend and wrapped her arms around the slightly taller woman’s waist before kissing her cheek, “You know, you are one of the most beautiful women I have ever seen in my life, and watching you standing here,” another kiss, “with sun shining through the window making you glow like a true goddess, I find you can get even more beautiful.”

            Mira’s lips twitched up into a soft smile as she turned to look at Rumi. She gently kissed the demoness in response of the compliment, “Thank you, love.”

            “Just being honest,” Rumi told her softly, “I was hoping to get up before you to make you guys breakfast for putting up with me yesterday, but I found your side of the bed cold,” she spotted the deep bags under Mira’s eyes, “Did you get any sleep last night?”

            Mira took a breath and shook her head, “No.”

            “What’s wrong darling?” Rumi asked her, now worried.

            Mira wrapped her arms around the ones Rumi had around her waist and leaned back into her. Rumi, despite the situation, was happy Mira was seeking comfort from her instead of closing off like she did in the beginning of their friendship. She waited patiently for Mira to tell her what was going on and just held her close, her patterns glowed softly in the early morning light.

            “My parents saw our live stream,” Mira said softly and Rumi’s stomach dropped. It was never good when it involved Mira’s parents, “They told me that they were going to cut me off if I didn’t break up with you and Zoey and come home.”

            Rumi froze for a second before she pulled away from Mira, “Those complete and utter bastards!” she snarled and her hands shot into claws, she felt her eyes go yellow, and her patterns shot to a deep, dark red, “I’ll kill them!”

            “Hey, hey,” Mira said softly and grabbed her clawed hands, making Rumi try and flinch away, very aware those claws had shredded demons like paper but Mira just tightened her hold,  “It’s fine, they can fuck right off.”

            “It isn’t fine,” Rumi growled, trying to calm herself so her demon side would go back in the cage. She was so afraid of hurting her girls when she was like this that she didn’t want to be near them, but Mira wouldn’t let her go, “They hurt you. They still think they can dictate your life!”

            “They really can’t,” Mira told her and Rumi paused, “I am pretty smart.”

            “I know,” Rumi interrupted her, “You are the smartest of the three of us.”

            “Don’t sell yourself short, Rumi,” Mira smiled at her, “You and Zoey are plenty intelligent,” she pulled Rumi’s clawed hands to her cheeks and smiled, “I meant that past Mira was smart enough to invest the earnings from our first royalty checks and I’ve been living off those investments ever since. I haven’t touched the trust fund my father set up for me in years.”

            “Really?” Rumi looked at her, curious.

            Mira nodded, still smiling, which widened as Rumi’s demon features faded back, “As hot as you are when riled in demon form,” she teased, “I am fine.”

            Rumi blushed at that, still not used to her girls being attracted to both of her forms, “But you were still upset. You didn’t sleep.”

            Mira kissed the palm of her hand and pulled them away from her face but didn’t let go, “I guess they can still get to me even though I don’t care about them.”

            Rumi sat down on the couch and pulled Mira into her lap, letting the slightly taller girl get comfortable before she wrapped her arms around her. She pressed a gentle kiss to Mira’s forehead, “Why did they get to you?”

            Mira was quiet for a moment and Rumi waited for her. When she spoke though, Mira’s voice was rough with tears, “I guess, even after all this time and all the fights, I still hoped they would be proud of what we have accomplished.”

            “Fuck them then,” Rumi told her softly. She hated how her Mira was upset over two people who hadn’t ever given a shit about her because she was firstborn and a girl. Her little brother was treated so much better than her, “They don’t deserve you and you don’t need them. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become. The rock Zoey and I lean on in tough times. The beautiful woman who can turn a paparazzi into a blubbering mess with a glare and turn our board members into crying little girls with a word,” she felt Mira giggle against her.

            “I do that, don’t I?”

            “You do,” Rumi told her, smiling softly and pressed another kiss to her head, “You also make Zoey and I so, so happy. You treat us so well and the way you have taken care of me since Celine passed has been nothing short of perfect,” another kiss, “and every day, you make me fall more in love with you.”

            Mira pulled back, tears in her eyes, smiling wetly at her, “I love you,” she said and pressed a soft kiss against Rumi’s lips.

            “I love you too, baby,” Rumi replied, “You don’t need them anymore, you have Zoey and I, Bobby, Evelynn, Ahri, Akali, Kai’sa, Sera, Lux, Jinu, and so many others. You are loved by our fans,” Mira smiled at that, “You are loved. Don’t let the people who birthed you make you think otherwise.”

            Mira cuddled up against her again, chuckling wetly, “I’m supposed to be comforting you today.”

            Rumi felt warm at that, “Nope,” she popped the ‘p’, “You are getting comforted today. I’ll be okay for one day. You and Zoey have been so good to me. You deserve a bit of pampering,” Mira leaned back and kissed her again, “Now, how about you go take a shower? I’ll get started on breakfast. I’m planning on hitting the gym later so I need the energy.”

            Mira chuckled at that, “Of course you can’t relax anymore,” another kiss, “I’ll get Zoey up after I’m done darling.”

            “Thank you,” Rumi told her and watched Mira leave, “I love you!” she called.

            “I love you too,” Mira looked at her softly before going to her room to grab clothes.

            Rumi stood up and slowly began gathering ingredients. When she heard the shower kick on she grabbed her phone from where it was charging on the counter and called her aunt.

            “Good morning Eve, how would you feel about dealing with two people who hurt Mira?”

            “Give me names,” she growled back.

Xxx

            Zoey wandered down to the gym with Mira. She held tightly to her girlfriend’s hand to comfort her after Mira told her about what her parents said.

            It made her so angry that parents could do that to their own child! Especially someone as amazing as Mira.

            Rumi had made her way to the gym, needing to burn off some energy after she had heard the story, not wanting to hear it again while Mira told Zoey.

            Zoey had essentially reiterated what Rumi told her and it seemed that their Mira was in a much better mood. Zoey was glad they got the chance to comfort Mira since she was always their rock. Their relationship was equal and they all deserved the comfort.

            “Are you feeling better?” Zoey asked the taller woman and received a smile.

            “I am,” she said softly, “Thanks to you and Rumi.”

            “Good,” Zoey bounced up and planted a kiss on Mira’s cheek, “because you are awesome and screw anyone who says otherwise.”

            Mira chuckled, “I’m pretty sure some bullies from high school would think differently.”

            They made it to the door to their gym and Mira opened the door before stopping abruptly, causing Zoey to bump into her and forget what she was about to say.

            “Mira?” she looked up to see Mira blushing with wide eyes and mouth agape. Zoey turned to look into the gym and felt herself flush as she stared at the body that was currently doing pullups with weight strapped to her with a harness.

            Rumi’s back was to them and watching the muscles of her back flex caused heat to pool in her belly. Their girlfriend had no idea how hot she was when she was in just a sports bra and compression shorts.

            She had obviously been working hard since she was drenched in sweat, and when she let loose a grunt, Mira whimpered softly, but not soft enough since Rumi froze and turned her head to look at them.

            “Uh, hi?” Rumi called out before dropping down and unbuckling the weights, “What’s up?” she asked, face red. It could be from the exercise, but Zoey thought it was probably from how she and Mira were devouring her with their eyes. The patterns were an iridescent pink and Zoey felt herself smirk.

            “Came to…work off some tension,” Mira commented and Zoey bit her tongue to stop the innuendo from coming out, “Didn’t realize you were working so hard, how much weight was that?”

            “Two hundred kilos.” Rumi said. Zoey did a quick conversion in her head and choked,  that was four-hundred-forty pounds!

            “Why so much?” Mira asked since Zoey had seemed to swallow her tongue.

            “Need to use that much so I can keep in shape,” Rumi flexed as she seemed to forget their looks of want from before, “My demonic body needs more weight in order to feel anything close to strain,” she shrugged and Zoey’s whimper came out, “Are you guys okay? You’re both red.”

            Zoey stared at her, wondering if she was that dense, but then she caught the twinkle in her eyes and groaned, “You know what you’re doing to us,” she said, “You brat.”

            Rumi grinned, “Do you guys know what you do to me? I can barely look at the two of you some days with some of the thoughts inside my head. Turnabout is fair play,” she smirked and oh, oh dear. That was a really sexy smirk with the fangs peaking out.

            Mira growled and pounced on Rumi. The demoness laughed but it was smothered when they crashed to the padded floor and Mira’s mouth swallowed it.

            “Why is it you always do that to her,” Zoey grumbled and walked over. Rumi’s hands were on Mira’s ass and the taller hunter was enjoying the attention if the noises she was making were anything to go by, “I want to be pounced,” she mumbled.

            Not quietly enough if her girls pulling apart and looking at her was anything to go by. They both slowly stood up and Zoey’s heart began to quicken at the looks in their eyes.

            “I think our Zoey may feel a little left out,” Mira said huskily and Rumi grinned as she stepped over.

            Zoey tried not to stare at the drop of sweat that made its way down her neck and between her breasts but failed. She really wanted to follow that trail with her tongue. She looked back up into amused brown eyes with a hint of yellow at the edge while her visible patterns turned a mix of red and orange.

            “Are you feeling left out babe?” Rumi asked with a hint of her demon tone in the voice, but this time it didn’t scare her.

            It aroused her.

            “Ma-maybe a little,” why was she stuttering? She was the only non-virgin here! She should be the one making them stutter damnit!

            You didn’t love the other girls like you do them, crossed her mind and she gulped.

            “Well,” Rumi wrapped her arms around Zoey’s waist, “How about we change that?” she asked as Zoey’s arms automatically wrapped around Rumi’s neck.

            Then Rumi’s hands moved down to her ass and lifted her up as she squeaked. Her legs automatically wrapped around her girlfriend and then her mouth was attacked by Rumi’s. She felt Mira come up behind her and begin peppering her neck with kisses as Rumi effectively plundered her mouth for all she was worth.

            For someone who had never been in a relationship before, she sure was good at kissing. Maybe it was a demon thing? Zoey shook that thought out of her head, she had more important things to think about like- oh- Mira found a spot on the side of her neck and she couldn’t stop the breathless moan that Rumi swallowed.

            One of her hands left Rumi’s neck to grab the back of Mira’s head to keep her there, but then Rumi’s mouth left hers and she whined at the loss of contact as Rumi looked to Mira and smirked before her mouth latched onto the same spot on the other side.

            Zoey’s hips began moving without conscious thought as she ground herself on Rumi’s abs like she had wanted to since she saw them. Her mind was so foggy, she didn’t know what to do with herself and just let everything take its course. They should probably talk about this before they went further. Her girlfriends seemed to want to move forward in their relationship, but she wanted verbal consent.

            “Wait,” she said softly through the pleasure, “Wait, we should probably talk about this.”

            Two mouths moved away from her neck and Zoey hated the loss of contact, but she wanted permission first. Consent was important to her.

            “Do-,” she swallowed and forcibly stilled her hips which had still been moving, “Do you guys want to go further?” she asked. It would really, really suck if they said no, and Zoey would either need private time in her room or a very cold shower, but she would respect their decision.

            “God yes,” Rumi groaned, “I’ve wanted the two of you for so long,” then she turned suddenly shy, “But, I have no idea what to do. I doubt porn is really how it happens, but I would be happy to learn how to pleasure you two.”

            “You watched porn?” Zoey asked, delighted.

            “I didn’t want to suck when we slept together for the first time,” Rumi mumbled, “They also had a surprisingly good video on how to kiss your partner,” she was so embarrassed. It was adorable.

            “Really?” Mira asked and Zoey caught her grin in her peripheral, “That’s hot,” she said and Zoey laughed while Rumi’s head landed on her chest.

            Zoey pet her head in apology, “I’m sorry. I know how nervous you must be since this is your first everything, but it is a little funny.”

            “I tried asking Ahri and Eve,” they both gaped at their demoness, “That was a mistake, because Akali heard me and the trio decided to give me over the top embellished stories until Kai’sa told them to shut up and told me to talk to you guys.”

            Zoey pulled Rumi’s face from where it still was in her chest so she could kiss her, “That’s fine, love,” she told her, “Now, do we want to continue this?”

            Mira smiled shyly and said, “Yes.

‘           “Yes please,” Rumi said excitedly.

            “Maybe not in the gym where anyone can walk in?” Mira said as she looked around.

            Rumi suddenly smirked, “Grab on to me, Mira,” she said and the dancer frowned but did as told, “Hold tight, this may feel a touch weird.”

            Then they were gone in a swirl of violet.

Xxx

            Only to appear in Rumi’s room. Well, their room since they all slept in this one and only went to their own rooms to grab clothes. Rumi let go of Zoey and she dropped to the floor while Mira released her hold on Rumi.

            “That was teleportation?” Zoey asked, interested, “That’s so awesome! We can travel anywhere in seconds!”

            Rumi chuckled awkwardly, “I can move across the city without a problem, but going anywhere else takes a bit more energy or multiple jumps.”

            “That’s awesome,” Mira said, smiling at her and Rumi blushed, “But, we were busy with something else.”

            Rumi turned to Zoey, only to see her bent over and finishing pulling her shorts off. She froze in surprise at seeing her sexy ass, literally, as she finished pulling her shorts off. She turned and Rumi couldn’t help but let her gaze rove across her body. She took in her perky breasts that looked to be able to fill her hand and the trimmed patch of hair in between her legs.

            A naked body on her back caused her to stiffen as she saw Mira’s smirking face next to her own. A glance further and she spotted the naked shoulder of her taller girlfriend, “She’s beautiful, isn’t she?”

            “Yes,” Rumi said, but she also wanted to see Mira. So, with a feat of strength granted to her with her new body, she pulled Mira around her and looked at the lithe dancer. Her breasts were just as perky as their girlfriend’s and she was completely shaved, like Rumi.

            “I think Rumi is a little too clothed, don’t you?” Mira asked Zoey and Rumi spotted something on the taller woman. Her hands were shaking slightly, showing how nervous she was.

            “I believe so baby,” Zoey said softly, “Maybe we should change that?”

            Rumi didn’t want to wait though. She was so nervous she decided to undress herself. The problem was that she may have overestimated her strength and tore her own clothes off herself.

            The sound of tearing fabric caused the others to look at her in surprise, before their eyes turned hungry. Rumi turned shy at the attention, never having been naked in front of anyone in her teen or adult life.

            “You are so beautiful,” Zoey said as she walked over, eyes roving her form as Rumi’s patterns continued glowing a soft red, “and your patterns,” she said breathlessly.

            “They are really, really hot,” Mira told her and stepped forward to begin tracing one of them going down her neck and over her breast, swirling around her nipple which was achingly hard, then the finger froze, and moved to a different part of her chest.

            “Rumi,” it wasn’t a sexy voice, it was a voice full of worry, “Wha- what is this?” Mira asked, voice shaky.

            She looked down and noticed that Mira was tracing a claw mark under her breast that looked like it was deep, and it had been. The demon had gotten a lucky blow before Jinu was able to kill it and pull her out of there. Ahri and Akali had to give her a blood transfusion of Eve’s blood or else she would have died.

            “A demon almost gutted me about four days before your first concert with Sera,” she told them softly. Zoey moved over to her and began mapping a scar on her arm, “That was from a rusty pipe, it had a sharp spot that caught me.”

            “You have so many scars,” Zoey said soft, sad, “You got all of these protecting us?”

            Rumi nodded, “There were a lot of demons in the beginning, and we wanted to get as many as possible before my knowledge became obsolete.”

            “I love you,” Mira said softly, “But don’t you ever do that again. We are a team, we don’t go it alone anymore.”

            “I promise,” Rumi told her softly and Mira began tracing her patterns again, this time with her lips on the ones on her neck while Zoey began to map her scars with hers.

            Rumi let loose a whimper in response to the touch. She had never been touched like this and her own hands weren’t the same as the hands attached to Mira and Zoey. The maknae had moved to her other side and took her partially transformed hand and began tracing the patterns on it while she held the claws.

            Another whimper and both of their looks turned soft, a touch sad, “You’ve never been touched like this, have you?” Zoey asked.

            “No,” Rumi breathed out. She grabbed Mira’s hand that had been tracing the patterns on her collar bone and pressed the open palm against her breast, “Please, touch me.”

            “It will be our pleasure,” Mira said and Rumi noticed the shaking had left the nervous taller woman, replaced by the confident dancer she knew and loved.

            Needless to say, none of them were seen for a few days after that. They were supposed to leave to go on their trip with the K/DA girls and boys, but one phone call to Evelynn had the demoness laughing her ass off and a promise to send her plane back for them when they came up for air.

            The trio spent those days exploring each other. They were all patient, learning how to bring each other to the edge and then over, figuring out each other’s kinks and things they enjoyed or didn’t.

            When they finally arrived at the island, five days later, they were relentlessly teased by the girls. They took it in good humor, right up until Evelynn told them the rooms were soundproofed.

            All in all, the trio couldn’t be happier.

Xxx

            It was one month into their vacation that Zoey remembered the question she wanted to ask Evelynn. She had gotten up later than everyone else, only Seraphine sleeping in later than her since the younger idol had just returned from a trip to Japan to put her affairs in order so she could join the two pop groups in Korea for a collaboration after their vacation.

            Zoey was staring out of the door that led down a path built into the cliff face on the southern part of the island to the nearby beach. The sun was bright, and the beach was perfectly tucked into the cove Evelynn had the mansion built overlooking. She grabbed a cup of coffee and made her way to the beach where Rumi and Mira’s note had said they were going to be.

            As she made her way down the path, she remembered she needed to ask Evelynn about the immortality of demons. She was worried Rumi was going to fall back into depression if she thought about it, so she wanted to see if there was a solution.

            When she made it to the beach she spotted Jinu tossing a shrieking Caitlyn into the surf while Violet laughed at their girlfriend. Zoey smiled, glad that the trio got their shit figured out before Evelynn locked them in a room together. The tension had been getting to all of them the first week they were on the island.

            A glance to the side saw Bobby, Jayce, and Viktor sitting in the gazebo eating sandwiches Kai’sa must have cooked on the flat-top grill a little close. She turned back to Kai as she plated up another sandwich for Ahri who turned with a second plate in hand and made her way to the flat chairs where Eve and Akali were.

            Zoey looked around and didn’t see her girls anywhere so she decided to get the conversation over with before they could come back. As she walked over, Kai asked her if she wanted some food.

            “After I talk to Eve,” she told her, her stomach already in knots with worry. Kai’sa must have seen something on her face as she just nodded.

            “Mira and Rumi took the jet skis out. They didn’t expect you up this early,” Kai’sa told her. Zoey just smiled and made her way over to Eve.

            Akali saw her coming and she really must have been easy to read since the rogue just nodded at her and moved over to Kai’sa to bug the dancer. Ahri sat down after handing Eve her sandwich but didn’t look ready to move.

            “What’s wrong dear?” Evelynn asked her and Zoey sighed. Damn that emotion sensing ability of her.

            “Immortality of demons,” she said and Ahri and Eve looked at her in confusion.

            “Yes? What about it?” Eve was still clearly confused.

            “I’m worried when Rumi figures out that she’s immortal it will send her on a downward spiral again because Mira and I aren’t immortal.”

            Ahri looked at her, mouth agape while Eve’s eyebrows rose before both of them burst into laughter. Zoey was stunned for all of a moment before tears came to her eyes. Why did they find this funny? Rumi was going to be alone and probably suicidal for the rest of her very long life.

            “Sorry,” Eve said, chuckling, “Of course, leave it to Rumi to forget this tidbit of information,” she shook her head, confusing Zoey completely.

            “What?”

            “When you guys decide to get married,” Ahri told her, “There is a little thing called a demon pact,” Zoey sat down, nodding her head to show she was listening, “It is essentially a soul bond. It will tie your souls together.”

            “Akali and I are bonded,” Evelynn stated, “We will only die when the other is killed or, if we dissolve the bond, she will start aging again,” Evelynn looked at her seriously, “Though, dissolving the bond is very painful, and very hard to do. So, you need to be one hundred percent sure it’s what you want.”

            “Oh,” Zoey deflated.

            “Rumi already had the panic attack,” Ahri told her, “The day after you guys talked, she came to our base in a tizzy, worried that she was just setting you all up for heartbreak since she wouldn’t age with you. We set her straight.”

            “So, I’ve been panicking for nothing? Because Rumi forgot?” Zoey deflated, a little annoyed with her girlfriend but she didn’t say anything to Rumi about her worry either.

            “You guys were a little busy trying to finish everything before the concert,” Evelynn pointed out.

            “True,” Zoey sighed and slumped into the chair. The weight of the worry completely disappeared with the information. She was such an idiot. They promised to talk about their problems together, no more hiding things. If she had just confronted Rumi about the immortality thing she would have saved herself weeks of worry.

            “I think I hear them coming back,” Ahri said, and Zoey ignored the giggles as she leapt up to go wait by the dock. When she spotted them flying over the semi-calm waters, she felt her heart quicken.

            They had barely put the skis back on their platforms and tied them down before Zoey was there hugging them both tightly, “Whoa, what’s up Zo?” Rumi asked, laughing in delight at how clingy she was being.

            “I just missed you guys is all,” she said.

            “Try again,” Mira said, though she was smiling.

            Zoey took a breath. Right, no more hiding, “I was worried about your immortality,” Zoey said bluntly and Mira froze, eyes widening, “Eve told me about the bonding.”

            Rumi stared at her for a moment and then groaned, “I completely forgot I never told either of you about that. I had my panic the day after our talk and then it completely slipped my mind as we worked on the stuff for the concert.”

            “Wait, what?” Mira asked. Zoey was surprised, normally Mira was the one to catch those things, “You’re immortal?”

            “Well, yeah?” Rumi winced, “Eve has been on Earth for several centuries and Jinu has been around four hundred. But!” she raised her hands to Mira’s face as she saw tears of worry in her eyes, “there is something called a demon bonding ceremony. It will tie our lives together until one of us dies for one reason or another or we break the bond.”

            “So we would live as long as you?” Mira asked, hope in her tone.

            “Yes,” Zoey commented, smiling, “So Rumi is stuck with us now.”

            Mira just let loose a laugh of relief and kissed their demoness, “You idiot, you need to tell us important information like that.”

            “Sorry,” Rumi said, “It really just slipped my mind since we were so busy soon after.”

            “Hey!” Ahri shouted to them, “You kids hungry?” Kai’sa slapped her girlfriend for calling them kids since she was technically a kid to Ahri too.

            “She’s such a brat,” Rumi sighed and took her girlfriend’s hands, “Shall we?”

            Zoey just smiled brightly at her and bounced up to kiss her, then Mira, “Let’s.”

            They made their way back towards their found family, hands held tightly together, ready to eat some amazing breakfast.

            And maybe, spend the rest of their very long lives doing everything they want to. The Honmoon was sealed, they had each other, and they were happy.

            What more could they want?

Fin

Chapter Text

            Celine opened her eyes, tears still wet on her cheeks, to see two people she never thought she would again. Miyeong looked just as beautiful as she did the last she saw her.

            Her hair was loose instead of in its signature braid and Celine wanted to run her fingers through it, but the woman looked upset so she turned her gaze to the other person.

            Kassadin looked the same, short violet hair and slitted yellow eyes. His patterns were flickering through several colors but Celine knew what it meant.

            He was mad at her and upset.

            “I’m sorry,” she whispered, shame clogging her throat, “I’m so, so sorry for what I did.”

            “As you should be,” Miyeong said softly, “You seriously hurt our daughter. If it wasn’t for Jinu giving her his soul all would have been lost because you wouldn’t let her be honest with her girls.”

            “What?” Celine asked in confusion.

            The story that followed had all three of them sitting in what Celine now saw was a small meadow with a stream flowing through it. The huntress didn’t know how to feel after hearing everything that Rumi went through. The girl had broken time itself to save her girls, all because Celine wouldn’t let her tell them the truth and she ran in her grief.

            “I have no words,” Celine said softly, “No excuses,” she stared at the two of them, “I hurt your daughter and almost cost us everything because I couldn’t get over my anger at losing the two of you,” tears came to her eyes as she looked at Kassadin, “and I’m so, so sorry I directed that rage at you, Kassadin. You never deserved my hatred.”

            The demon sighed and stood up, holding a hand out for Miyeong who he helped to her feet, “It hurt,” he told her and she looked down ashamed, “I’m not going to forgive that easily.”

            “I understand,” Celine said, heart breaking all over again, “I will do anything you both require to earn that forgiveness. I’ll spend an eternity trying to make up for my mistakes,” she bowed, forehead touching the soft grass. Nothing moved after her statement, Celine barely dared to breath, as if the world was waiting for the decision

            Two hands on her chin and she looked up to see the two stoic faces of the two people she loved most in the world. Their eyes bore into her own and she waits, waits for their answer.

            “Then tell us,” Miyeong said softly, and Celine knows exactly what she was asking, what she should have told them the moment she realized.

            “I love you,” she told them, “Both of you. I’m sorry I never got the chance to tell you.”

            The two pause, their looks not changing, until Kassadin allowed his lips to twitch into a small smile.

            Celine suddenly found herself on her back with a weight on her chest and her best friend sobbing into her.

            “I’m sorry we weren’t strong enough to stop them. Kassadin was unable to stop them from getting ahold of me,” she sobbed, “They used me to keep him in line, even though we knew we were going to die. We wanted to talk to you after Rumi was born, but…”

            Celine pet her hair and reached out when Kassadin knelt next to her, “She turned out wonderfully, despite me,” she sighed when Kassadin gripped her hand, “I will spend eternity making up for the way I treated her. I love you two, I want to be with you, if you’ll still have me.”

            Kassadin bent down and kissed her in answer. She felt herself begin to cry again at how cherished she felt. As soon as he pulled back Miyeong took his place.

            By the time they were done, all three of them were laying on the grass staring up at the clouds. Kassadin was the one to break the silence.

            “We love you, that never changed,” he told her, “and we will help you make up for your mistakes,” he turned to her, smiling and oh, he still looked as handsome as she remembered, “You are ours and we are yours.”

            “Eternity is a long time,” Miyeong teased, “Are you sure you want to be stuck with us for that long?”

            Celine laughed, it felt like the first one she had let loose in decades. Her body began to lose the tension it had carried for years.

            She had her loves, maybe eternity wouldn't be so bad.

            “Forever and a day,” she said in response.