Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rumi remembers the first time Mira ever got her flowers like it was yesterday. It was right after they debuted–They had gotten home from their first concert, and Mira had been behind them. She wasn’t thinking much about it because Mira always walked either behind them or next to her, but the adrenaline was wearing off, and they were ready to go to their rooms when Mira grabbed her wrist ever so gently, stopping her.

“Rumi-” Mira started, “I... um got you something.” Rumi looked back, a little startled by the sudden touch on her wrist, but even more by the way Mira sounded. Like she was scared? No. Bashful maybe? But the sight that was in front of her made her heart beat loudly in her ears. A bouquet–filled with three Red Roses, a few Gardenias, and Sunflowers making up most of the bouquet. “Oh, Mira-” Rumi said, a gentle smile spreading across her face, “You shouldn’t have.” Mira just smiled ever so softly, a look in her eyes that Rumi has seen before but doesn’t know what it means. “It’s no problem at all, Rumi.” As she lets go of her wrist and holds out the flowers ever so gently, as if they meant the world to her. Rumi looked her in the eyes, swearing she saw a light pink blush on one of her best friends. Rumi chalked it up to her eyes playing tricks on her, but her heart sputtered.

She gently reached out to take them from her, and while she had gotten flowers from other people before–fans, executives, hell, even Celine once- she thought in that second those flowers meant the world to her. She stared at Mira, her fingers staying on the back of Mira’s hand for just a few seconds too long. “Thank you, I appreciate it,” Rumi said as she blushed lightly, her eyes softening as she took the flowers, looking down at them like they were the most precious thing she had ever touched. Mira put a hand to the back of her own neck, rubbing it slightly as she smiled a little brighter. “You don’t need to thank me, Rumi; it was nothing really.” She said her voice was a little softer than she meant for it to be. She stood there for a few more seconds as Rumi stared at the flowers, and Mira hoped to everything that she didn’t know the meanings of the flowers. Didn't know if she was ready for her to know her feelings. Then Rumi looked up at Mira, stepping a little closer to her, looking at her like she was debating something. Mira just tilted her head ever so slightly as she waited for what Rumi was going to do. Then Rumi gently wrapped her arms around her, bringing her into a hug. And Mira froze for half a second, not expecting it at all since Rumi barely ever initiated touch, but then she melted into it, wrapping her arms around Rumi. Her heart felt full, and she gently squeezed Rumi, letting her know that she was there and not going anywhere until Rumi pulled away.

After a few minutes of standing there wrapped in each other's embrace, Rumi felt like she could die happy. She had a huge smile on her face, but then she thought about how tired she was and how she shouldn’t have pulled her so close because of what she is, as she gently let go, pulling back from Mira. Looking her in the eyes, then saying, “You don’t know how much these mean to me, truly,” and Rumi thought Mira would never know the weight of her small gesture because no matter how small, Mira giving her flowers made her feel like the most special and loved person in the world. “Goodnight, Mira.” Rumi said, smiling down at the flowers, and Mira said back, “Goodnight, Rumi,” as she slowly retreated to her room to take a shower and lie down. Rumi stood there for a minute longer, staring at the flowers. ‘They look so pretty together,’ she thought as she walked into her room and gently closed the door, looking at a vase with other flowers that were starting to wilt in it, taking out those, and gently putting the bouquet into the vase, staring at it for a few more seconds before going to change and take a shower herself.

After her shower, her muscles burned from the exhaustion, but all she could think about was the gorgeous flowers sitting on her nightstand from where she had last put them. She walked over to them and smelled them, her body instantly relaxing at the smell. She took the other flowers that were starting to wilt and looked at them sadly, walking over to her balcony, where she had kept a compost bin, and gently placed the old flowers in it. Staring at the bin for a few seconds before lying down facing the flowers Mira gave her, a soft smile on her face as she drifted off to sleep. The last thing she remembered thinking was how special she felt and how beautiful they looked. Not questioning if she deserved them, just knowing that when Mira gives her flowers in the future-if she does, Rumi will cherish them every time like it was the first.

Chapter Text

The first time Zoey ever got flowers from Mira was right before their debut. She remembers the conversation vividly.

Zoey was sitting on the counter where Celine told her not to so many times, but Zoey knew Celine had left a bit ago because of some meeting with executives or whatever. Mira had left a bit ago, and Rumi was nowhere to be found, so she had to find something to do by herself, and she was struggling. She sighed loudly into the empty house, wishing someone would walk through a door and entertain her restless brain. And like the universe heard her prayer, she heard the front door open and boots hitting the ground–not Ceiline’s heels. So she stayed on the counter.

“Mira?” She called out, curious. “Yeah?” She heard back from the corridor, and she smiled widely–she guessed right. “Where were you?” She wails, throwing her head back and pouting a little, “I was so bored, Rumi disappeared after you had left, so I had no one to bother, it was torture!” After a few seconds, she heard the soft patter of Mira’s feet on the wooden floor, and the first thing she saw was what was in Mira’s hand–a bouquet that had Lavender, Baby’s Breath, Six Roses, and Yellow Tulips that popped out from the reds, whites, and purples. They mixed beautifully.

“Who are those for?” She asks curiously, tilting her head. She brought her eyes up to Mira after staring at the bouquet for a good while. And she didn’t expect the look on Mira’s face, the light blush, and the timid look that was unlike her. “You actually,” Mira said calmly, but Zoey knew better, hearing the slight tremor in her voice. But Zoey didn’t question it, only shining brighter than the sun and jumping down from the counter, making her way to Mira, as Mira met her halfway. “Mira!!!” Her smile reached her ears as she wrapped her in a bear hug, swaying them a little. “That’s so sweet of you!” Zoey was almost yelling, filled to the brink with joy. “Ah, you are amazing!” She said as she pulled back a little, pressing a kiss to Mira’s cheek. “It’s nothing really,” Mira said as coolly as she could, her face betraying her with how much she was blushing.

And just then Zoey’s brain caught up to her actions–she kissed Mira on the cheek. Sure, she has done it before, but she always got flustered after realizing what she did. “Oh–I um– Sorry about that,” She quickly let go of Mira and rubbed the back of her neck. “It’s fine,” Mira said simply, like she wasn’t dying on the inside. “Here,” She held out the flowers for Zoey to take. “OH, thanks,” her smile just as big as before taking them and sniffing the bouquet. Letting out a sigh. “Is this where you went this morning?” She looked up at her. “Not only that,” Mira said, simply holding up another bag. “Got us some ramyeon,” a soft smile on her face that spoke a thousand words. Zoey squealed, smile growing impossibly bigger, and she took Mira into another big hug. “You shouldn’t have!” She lets go just as quickly, before walking back over to her chair, seeing an empty vase on the counter, and grabbing it to put some water into it, then placing the flowers into the vase.

“Do you want to save it for later or eat now?” Mira asked, walking into the open kitchen, placing the bag on the counter, and walking past Zoey. “Now please!” Zoey turned to her bubbly self, rocking on her feet like she couldn’t contain her excitement even for a second. “Alright. I’ll make it if you want to sit down.” Mira turned her back to Zoey as she dug the ramyeon out of the bag. “Alright,” Zoey said cheerfully, walking behind Mira, hugging her again more gently, before walking back to sit at the dining table.

After a few minutes, a bowl of ramyeon is in front of Zoey, and she is ecstatic to say the least. After Mira sits down with a bowl for herself, Zoey digs in. Being American, sometimes she forgot about some rules for eating-but with Mira-that didn’t matter; she just got to be herself. No formalities needed, even if Mira was older than Zoey. It only took fifteen minutes to finish the bowl-less if she wasn’t shooting turtle facts like her life depended on it. But whenever she realized she was going on a rant, she would look at Mira, who seemed interested, and smile at her, continuing her thought before taking a bite of her ramyeon.

When they were done eating, Mira took their bowls and chopsticks. Going to the sink to clean them, and Zoey followed, sitting on the counter next to her, only to continue the conversation and dry the dishes as Mira handed her a cloth. It was soft and it was careful, but it was them.

Later, Zoey's heart leaped at the thought of the flowers. Just happy that Mira thought of her, knowing that no matter what, she would never be too much or not enough for her.