Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It isn’t that easy to buy a private jet. It wasn’t the type of thing that happened overnight. Chartering a jet, however, is something that Bobby could easily do for them, so two weeks after the Idol Awards the three of them find themselves in a private jet on their way to Burbank California. It is a thirteen-hour flight and sixteen-hour time difference which means they leave at six at night and arrive (on the same day after thirteen hours) at nine at night. Of course, back in Korea it is 7:00AM the next day. (The time travel always fucks a little with Zoey’s head.)  

The jet that Bobby charters for them is nice enough and the company lets the three of them take a demon tiger and magpie with them so that is nice. Zoey curls up on one of the beds in the cabin with Derpy’s giant head resting on her stomach. Derpy is purring. The vibrations help calm her; they remind her of Rumi. Rumi is unable to sit still long enough to be any help when it comes to calming her nerves and Mira isn’t much help either. Zoey finds flying to be unsettling. She always has. That is why it was good that Derpy is here.

At some point Mira craws into bed with her and tucks herself around Zoey. Zoey snuggles into her touch. Without a thought, Mira throws her arm around her waist, her hand rests lightly on Zoey’s navel. She must dose off because the next thing she knows, she is being gently roused from sleep. Mira kisses her forehead, and Zoey rubs the sleep from her eyes.

She is back home. She can almost feel it in the air and her stomach is suddenly hungry for some In-N-Out. It has been a year since she came to visit, and she can’t wait to interduce her girls to her mother. They have only ever met in passing. Now that the three of them have sealed the Honmoon, and they are doing a thing that is like dating but nobody has the courage to talk about —yet— Zoey thinks they should all meet for real.  

“Okay welcome to America!” Zoey says.

“The land of hamburger and cowboy hats,” Rumi says.

“Yeah! Only this is Burbank California so there aren’t really that many cowboy hats,” Zoey say.

“I want see cowboy hats,” Rumi pouts.

“I don’t,” Mira says.

“Maybe we could spend a few days in Texas,” Rumi muses.

“That’s not really how America works,” Zoey says.  

They have to go through customs (Durpy conveniently disappears) before they can exit into the regular part of the airport. Zoey is a dual citizen, so she clears customs much faster, and gets to baggage claim the fastest. The amount of luggage they all have is stunning. Why did they have to travel with so much? It is only a two-week vacation.  

Zoey’s family is waiting for them at the airport. Her three younger cousins, her mother, her aunt, and uncle all have brightly colored signs. As they walk through the airport with their many bags, people stare at them. Zoey can see people taking out phones. People are pointing at Rumi’s new hair. She pretends she doesn’t notice. It is better that way.

Her three younger cousins rushed over for hugs and to help them with their bags. Izzy leads the way. Her excitement looks almost cartoonish. Zoey can feel her face form a smile that stretches from ear to ear.   

“Unnie!”

Zoey’s thirteen-year-old cousin all but jumps into her arms. She had shot up since the last time Zoey had seen her and now is almost the same height. (Don’t listen to Mira who says they are the same height.) Izzy has always been a ball of energy. She is the youngest sibling and the youngest grandkid of the family. Her older twin brothers Jae and Dae follow behind with more reserved smiles on their faces, but they look happy to see her.

“It’s good to see you noona,” Jae says. He hugs her and then claps her on the back. His careful smile breaking into a grin.   

Dae bows to Mira and Rumi before taking their bags. He manages to make the gesture look natural, almost graceful. He has his black belt in taekwondo and always has had a precision to his movement.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Rumi noona, Mira noona. Zoey talks about you a lot,” Dae says. He speaks in a way that matches his movements.

Rumi clears her throat and glances at Zoey who gives her a sheepish grin and double thumbs up.

“Zoey never shuts up about you guys either,” Mira says monotone, but Zoey notices a slight smile on her lips.     

“Sue me for being a proud older sister,” Zoey says clapping Dae on his back before running over to fling herself into her mother’s open arms.

“I missed you so much!”

Rumi and Mira shuffle behind her unsure of what to do with themselves. Neither of them has ever had anything like this. Mira walked away from her family and has never looked back. Rumi only has Celine who she hasn’t spoken to in two weeks. They end up bowing first to Zoey’s mother then to her aunt and uncle.

“It’s nice to meet you,” Rumi says. Her voice is not dissimilar from the one she uses when she is doing press. Before she can say anything else though Rumi is pulled into a tight hug it takes her a full three seconds to return. Her cheeks are bright red when she is released from the hug.

On the ride back to Zoey’s house (Rumi and Mira offered to stay at a hotel but Zoey’s mother wouldn’t let them) Rumi dozes off and Mira takes in the landscape. Zoey and her mother who goes by Kathy talk in a wicked fast mix of Korean and English that Mira has a hard time keeping up with, so she tunes it out. But then they switch to speak only in English and Mira’s ears perk up. What does Zoey have to say that she doesn’t want Rumi or Mira to understand?

“Your girlfriends seem nice, if a little shy. You should tell Rumi she doesn’t have to be so formal with me,” Kathy says in English.  

“Mom! We talked about this, we’re not dating!” Zoey responded in English.

“You should tell Mira’s face that,” Kathy said.

Zoey looks at her mom, her mouth agape. She looks back to check up on Mira and Rumi. Her heartbeat so hard in her chest when she realizes that unlike Rumi, Mira is clearly trying to understand what they are talking about. All of a sudden, it’s hard to swallow.

“We’re not talking about this,” Zoey says. But her blush tells Kathy all she needs to know.

Chapter Text

Mira is a bit disoriented when she wakes up the next morning. Rumi is clinging onto her back like a koala her purple hair is coming out of its loose sleeping braid. It is hardly unusual for any combination of two or three of them to fall asleep wrapped around each other but the room they are in is unfamiliar to her. It takes her a second or two for her to realize they are in Zoey’s mom’s house. They are sharing the guest room while Zoey is in her childhood bedroom.

Mira rubs her eyes and slowly extracts herself from Rumi’s arms. Rumi grunts a little in her sleep but doesn’t wake. Mira is light-footed, always has been, she learned early in life that it was better to take up as little space as possible. Mira slips into the bathroom and washes her face when she comes back out Rumi is sitting up, though awake would be generous.

“I hate time travel,” Rumi says.

“I know baby,” Mira says. She leans over to kiss her on the forehead before getting dressed, “I’m going downstairs.”

“I think Zoey’s mother thinks Zoey is dating us. They switched to English, but I heard our names.”

“I thought you were asleep,” Mira says but she cannot keep the smile from her lips.

“When I was little, I learned that if I pretended to be asleep when Celine had important conversation, I’d get to overhear what was being said,” Rumi says. She has a little smile on her face like she is remembering something particularly juicy she had overheard.

“You little minx. But Rumi do you ever wonder why people think we’re dating Zoey?”

Rumi’s face turns red, but she doesn’t break eye contact with Mira when she shrugged her shoulders and says, “sometimes it feels like we’re dating, maybe we should just date.”

The fact that it is Rumi who says it out loud first is crazy. Mira was almost certain that she would have to be the one to bring up their feelings for one another. Just as she is about to answer with God knows what the door is flung open. Zoey launches herself into the bed right next to Mira. She kisses Mira on the cheek before she climes into her lap.

“Mom made breakfast she says to come down to eat,” Zoey says.

She jumps out of Mira’s lap and is about to leave when Mira catches her by the wrist. Zoey stops in her tracks. Mira pats the bed besides her. Zoey sits down, a look of confusion on her face.

“We should talk,” Mira says.  

“About what?” Zoey asks.

“Us, and how we’re clearly in a relationship,” Rumi says.

“You sound like mom,” Zoey groans. She falls dramatically onto the bed, but then she adds, “It’s nice the two of you have finally caught up. Now come down to breakfast.”

Both Rumi and Mira stare at her mouth agape.

“I mean think about it. We are international super stars we can’t go anywhere without getting recognized. We’re young and hot and fashionable,” Zoey says.

“Well, some of us are. You wear bucket hats,” Mira interrupts.

“Which is fashionable!” Zoey says.

“Agree to disagree,” Mira says. If she only concedes the point because Rumi glares at her that’s nobody’s business.  

“Anyways we’re all hot and famous and none of us are dating anyone at all? Yeah, that has to mean something. But being in my mom’s house is not the place for us to explore this, and breakfast is ready so let’s go,” Zoey says.       

Zoey bounds happily out of the room as if she didn’t just drop a bomb. This time Mira just watched her go a little flabbergasted. Rumi’s mouth was hanging open. They sat there like that for five seconds before Mira rushes after her.

Kathy apparently thinks that the three of them can eat an amount of food to feed an army because the spread is enormous. Stacks of steaming hot American style pancakes, piles of crispy bacon, so much cut fruit, scrambled eggs, and yogurt are all out on the dining room table. Zoey is pilling a plate high with food. She is humming a little tune Mira doesn’t recognize. She looks normal unlike Mira; she probably still looks a little dazed. In the last three minutes two of her best friends in the world confessed romantic feelings for her and now she is eating pancakes. She might just combust.

Rumi appears two minutes later hair re-braided and makeup on. It is clear that she took a second to compose herself because she doesn’t look like someone just handed her the moon. She does, however, kiss Zoey on the cheek before serving herself breakfast. Zoey almost melts and turns bright red. Mira almost chokes. Kathy has a knowing smile on her face.

“How do you three about a family picnic?” Kathy says.

“Amazing!” Zoey says with her mouth full of food.

“Zoey! swallow first!” Kathy says.

Zoey glares at her mother before shoveling more food into her mouth. Kathy catches Mira and Rumi’s eyes and raises her eyebrows as if to ask them if Zoey’s table manners always leave something to be desired. Mira just shrugs. Rumi nods a little like the traitor that she is. Mira nudges her. Rumi has always as long as Mira knows Rumi defaults to an almost reverence to any authority figure in the room. Mira knows the reason why, so she likes to remind Rumi sometimes to be a little rebellious.  

Rumi finds Mira’s hand under the table and squeezes it. And it’s fine Mira doesn’t need her dominant hand for eating, not when she has Rumi’s hand. She also doesn’t need blood circulation in her fingers because Rumi’s grasp is so tight.

“That sounds lovely,” Rumi says.  

“Okay that settles it,” Kathy says.

Rumi leans over to and steals a piece of cantaloupe off Mira’s plate and pops it into her mouth before letting go of Mira’s hand. Mira is kingly aware of the loss contact.

The three of them do their best to help Kathy get ready for the picnic but it is very clear very quickly that they are too used to Bobby doing everything for them or at least getting someone to do it for them. Kathy loses her patience with them and sends them on a errand that they all know is designed to get them out of her way.     

Chapter Text

Rumi has been to a picnic before; sometimes her and Celine would eat her mother’s favorite food by her grave, it was nice. So, while Rumi had been to a picnic before it was nothing like the picnic she is at now. This picnic is full of life and is loud and nobody is quietly crying and pretending not to be. Rumi realizes that maybe she hasn’t been to a real picnic because picnics are supposed to be happy and not earth shatteringly heartbreaking.

It takes all four of them to carry all of the food to the picnic shelter. Then another trip to the car for the chairs and lawn games. Then Zoey’s cousins get to the park and with them the grill and charcoal even though the park had grills that the public can use. Dae lugs it with Jae while Izzy brings the coal. Their parents bring even more food. Now they have enough food for about thirty people even though there are nine people.

“Imo how many people are coming to this picnic?” Zoey says.

“There will be ten of us once your halmeoni, comes,” Jane imo says.

“Halmeoni is coming? Still, this is too much food for ten people,” Zoey sys.

“Baby when has this family ever brought a normal amount of food to anything?” Jane asks.

“Never,” Zoey says.  

Rumi is standing an awkward middle distance from this conversation with Mira right next to her. She feels very much like an alien observing a family. Maybe the closest thing she has ever had like this is watching on a screen. Celine and she have a kind of stilted informality that has never come naturally. Celine is too guarded to be warm, but Zoey’s imo is all warmth. She grabs Mira’s hand, so she doesn’t feel so alone for a moment. Then Zoey grabs her other hand and is pulling her toward her aunt and uncle.

“Imo, uncle these are my bandmates and best friends, Rumi and Mira. I know you kind of met at the airport but now there’s more time to actually get to know each other. I am so exited!”

“Zoey breath,” Mira says.   

Mira places a light hand on Zoey’s chest as if to steady her. Rumi bows to Zoey’s aunt and uncle. Both Zoey’s parents are Korean, but her mother was raised in USA and her father moved to the USA for college. (He moved back to Korea after the divorce. Zoey had spent summers with him.) Zoey’s uncle is a tall white guy who towers over his wife physically but not in sprit.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Rumi says.

“Rumi you have to stop bowing to my relatives it makes me look bad,” Zoey stage whispers.

“We are so happy to finally meet the famous band mates and roommates,” Jane says.

“Zoey talks about the two of you all the time,” Nick (Zoey’s uncle) says. His Korean is stiff and accented but understandable.  

“Zoey come play cornhole with us! You can be my partner,” Izzy shouts.

“Duty calls,” Zoey says and runs off to team up with Izzy to play Jae and Dae.

Mira stalks off to help with the grill leaving Rumi with Nick and Jane. Rumi has always been good at interacting with fans, and she has many years of media training, so interviews go well for her, but she has no idea what to say to the two people standing in front of her. How do people talk to people who weren’t fans or people they spent every waking hour with?

“So, what keeps you busy?” Rumi says.   

“Nick is an entertainment lawyer, and I am an ER nurse,” Jane says.

“That’s amazing I’m sure you both help many people. I mean being an ER nurse wow! That super cool, I’m sure that you’ve saved many lives. And I know a few lawyers. You know I think that Mira needs my help so I’m just going to go now,” Rumi says.   

Rumi restrains herself from using her supernatural speed to get over to Mira faster. Mira does a once over like she thinks Rumi might be hurt. Rumi hugs her and buries her face in the crook of her neck.

“I want to sink into the ground and disappear,” Rumi says.

“Did you put your foot in your mouth?” Mira askes.

Rumi nodded, “you left me alone out there.”

Mira starts laughing. Rumi can feel her whole body move and before she knows it, she is laughing too. Mira as always is good at comforting her.

“Come on let’s go watch this thrilling game of cornhole,” Mira says.

Zoey has really good aim. Rumi has seen her hit targets that are truly amazing. She could clean up at this game with a blindfold on, but clearly, she is not really trying because she tosses a beanbag and hits this board and then flops right off.

“Oh shoot,” Zoey says. She doesn’t sound that disappointed. Izzy looks almost offended by the throw.

Jae tosses his beanbag; it silds into the hole. Jae woops and Dae claps him on the back. Then Izzy throws hers and it lands wide. Dae throws his and it lands solid on the wood. This time Zoey doesn’t hold back she tosses her beanbag with causal air almost like she doesn’t care, but it lands in the hole seamlessly. Zoey flashes the same smile she does when she is about to slay demons.  

“What the fuck was that?” Jae says.

“That is called winning!”

It dawns on Rumi then that Zoey hasn’t told her family what she does. What she really does. Her family is warm, loving, and supportive but they didn’t know the sacrifices Zoey has made and keeps making for the world. They don’t know how amazing Zoey really is and it makes her a little sad. She knows what it feels like to hide a piece of yourself from the ones you love, Zoey shouldn’t have to.  

The game continues Izzy scores a few points, both Jae and Dae have good aim and Zoey never misses. But where she really shines is coaching Izzy into becoming a better marksman. She is patient and kind and encouraging. It makes Rumi’s heart melt.

“Okay it comes down to this. If I land this throw, we win. If I don’t you will win because Zoey doesn’t miss,” Dae says.  

“Damn right,” Zoey says.

There is the sound of an engine revving and all four cousins’ heads turn in unison. Rumi and Mira turn to look in the direction of the parking lot. Zoey takes off running faster than any human should be able to do. Rumi runs after her. Rumi’s fingers ich to pull her sword out of the honmoon. What she seas stops her dead in her tracks. Zoey is hugging an older lady dressed in a leopard print muumuu, giant rhinestone incrusted sunglasses and a truly enormous sun visor.

“Halmeoni!”

“Hmm you are too skinny you need to eat more,” Halmeoni says.

“I love you too,” Zoey says laughing.

“I see that you brought both of your girlfriends. This is good we will feed them real food. You two are both too skinny.”

Both Mira and Rumi bow and wave. Zoey takes both of them the arm.

“They are perfect,” Zoey says.

“Mom! Meat is ready,” Kathy yells.

“I must go and make sure your mother didn’t burn the meat,” Halmeoni says.

Everyone piles their plates high with food. There are other groups who are having picnics but Rumi thinks she sees some of the looking over at their food with something like jealousy. She doesn’t blame them the food smells divine.  

“After we eat, I want to play Rumi and Mira,” Dae says.

“I don’t play stupid games,” Mira says. She says it so deadpan that if Rumi didn’t know she was joking she would be a little taken aback.     

Zoey nudges her. Mira leans down so that Zoey can whisper something in her ear.

“Just joking Rumi and I will take you down,” Mira says.

“No way Dae and I are warm up now. We’re unbeatable.”

“Not a chance,” Rumi says.