Chapter Text
It’s been a few days since the whole incident with the demon king. After restoring the honmoon and talking everything through, they had come to a decision—no more lies. That’s how it had to be from now on. After all, they learned the hard way what happened when they weren’t honest with each other. It had destroyed the honmoon and nearly broken them apart as well.
Back in their home, Mira was exhausted from some late-night dance practice and decided to head to bed. The lights in Rumi’s room were off, so she must have already turned in. Passing Zoey’s room, she heard it. The softest sounds of faint sobbing.
It made her stop dead in her tracks.
Moving quietly, Mira stepped closer, pressing her ear to the door. She could hear it clearly now—the sniffles; Zoey was crying. Not wanting to eavesdrop on her privacy any longer, she decided to make herself known with a gentle knock on the door. “Zoey, you okay?”
A gasp. There were still a few sniffles, but they died down quietly, like she was trying to pull herself together.
“I’m fine.”, came her voice, a little too cheerfully, a little too broken. Mira could hear it plainly.
“Can I come in?”
Silence.
She wasn’t granted a response for a while, but she didn’t stray away from the door; her ear still against it when she heard it.
“Yes”
It was so quiet she almost missed it. Carefully, she opened the door, so as not to distress Zoey anymore than she already sounded. She was sitting at the edge of her bed, facing away, shoulders slumped. Mira moved to sit beside her—leaving just enough space to give Zoey room, but close enough to offer comfort, she hoped. Zoey did, after all, like closeness.
“I’m okay!” She turned her head towards Mira, lips bent in a broken smile, eyes red from tears. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself just as much as Mira.
Her expression softened. Gently, she cupped Zoey’s face in her hands, wiping away the tears with her thumbs and guiding her gaze up to meet hers.
Zoey’s face crumpled. The cheery mask falling away in an instant and the sniffles starting back up, heavier now. Suddenly, she was in Mira’s arms—bawling her eyes out. Mira held her tight then, keeping her close.
“I’m so-sorry.” Zoey choked out between the tears.
Mira’s heart ached. Her best friend—hurting, and she didn’t know why or how to help her. The sobs were getting worse now, more ragged, almost hyperventilating. Panic attack, Mira realised—she wasn’t just crying, Zoey was having a full-blown panic attack.
She felt out of her depth, unsure of what to do—so she did what she could. Pulling Zoey in closer, she started rubbing soothing patterns into her back.
“It’s okay. I’m here. I’ve got you,” she whispered into Zoey’s ear, hoping the soft sound would comfort her.
It took a couple of minutes, but her strategy seemed to work, though. The sobs slowed and Zoey was falling heavier into her—drained, she imagined.
They stayed like that, in the stillness, Zoey’s face tucked away in the nape of Mira’s neck. And Mira holding her like she was scared that letting go would break her.
“Zoey …” Mira started softly, unsure. She wasn’t used to this. Her family, after all, had never really been this … emotional. “Could you tell me what’s wrong?”
Zoey pressed closer, almost entirely on Mira’s lap now.
Turning her head to see Mira, Zoey finally spoke in a low, broken voice. “I almost lost you.” Mira turned and peered into those tear-swollen eyes. She looked so small all of a sudden. “You and Rumi … when the honmoon broke …” Her voice cracked again. “I know it’s been days, but that moment—it felt like I had lost everything. The people I care about most.”
Mira sighed. She understood. She’d felt it too, of course—that terror of losing her true family.
“And it scares me,” Zoey continued through the sniffles. “It could happen anytime. I never thought about it before, but now …”
Looking at Zoey, still nestled against her neck, her eyes filling with tears again. When she spoke again, her voice trembled, barely above a whisper. “What if they take you away?”
Zoey’s breathing started to quicken again. But Mira wouldn’t let her go there anymore. So she held her tighter, pulled her closer—a hand on her back and another on Zoey’s head where she was sheltering away again in the nape of her neck.
“Zoey. It’s okay, you’re allowed to feel this way,” Mira tried to soothe her again. “You’re not alone. I felt it too… In the crowd, I thought I lost you both. I thought I lost my family.”
Mira closed her eyes and took a breath.
“I blamed myself. Every time I’ve had something good, something like family—it never lasted. But not this time. Not with you two. I’m not letting anythinghappen to us. I promise.”
Zoey pulled back, now fully straddling Mira’s lap. Her face was downcast and she wasn’t looking Mira in the eyes. “You can’t promise that … not really. We saw what happened with the demon king.”
Gently grabbing Zoey’s chin between her fingers Mira lifted her face so she could look her in the eyes. “Maybe not. But I can promise I’ll do everything I can to protect what we have.”
Letting her hand drop, they sat in silence for a moment—wanting the words to sink in. Zoey seemed much calmer already, she noticed, but she could still see the lingering sadness behind those eyes.
“Mira …” Zoey’s voice was hesitant, quiet. “Would you mind … staying here? Just for tonight?”
After what Zoey had just been through, she didn’t have to think about it long. She gave her soft smile, “Of course.”
“I’ll just go grab a mattress from my room—”
“No … I mean …” Zoey looked down and was that—a blush. “Could you hold me? Like you did just now? For the night?”
Mira’s eyes went wide. Was she … asking her to cuddle? The whole night? It’s not a big deal. Girls did that, right? That was normal. But then that voice in her head whispered, “Yeah, but they’re not gay.”
Mira had accepted she was a lesbian. But she hadn’t told Rumi or Zoey yet. Not even with their promise of no more lies. The fear lingered—of being seen differently, being seen as ‘not normal’. Just like those girls back in high school who’d shunned her after they found out.
She must have hesitated too long because Zoey started to get off Mira’s lap. “You don’t have to.” Zoey spoke up with a nervous and embarrassed chuckle, “That was probably weird. I’m sorry. Just forget I—”
Before she could finish, Mira gently caught her wrist.
“It’s not weird,” she said, “Not at all.”
Mira sucked up how she was feeling about the situation for now. She didn’t want to see Zoey like she had been just a few minutes ago—small and broken. She wasn’t gonna be weird about this; she was just gonna help her friend.
“How do you want me?”
… oh no.
Great job on not making it weird there, Mira. She mentally facepalmed herself. She only realised how that sounded after saying it.
Zoey’s mouth dropped open in a small gasp. Mira’s eyes widened.
“I mean—like—position-wise! To hold you! Not like—ugh, not like that! Just... you know, pillows and arms and... stuff.”
Mira turned her head away, trying her best to hide the blush creeping up her neck. She could still see Zoey, though, out of the corner of her eye—a soft smile on her lips, and she was pretty sure she was blushing too.
Despite that little miscommunication, Zoey hadn’t moved—she was very much still straddling Mira’s lap. Something Mira was all of a sudden extremely aware of after what just happened. She … didn’t mind, though. In fact, it felt … nice.
She was pulled back from her thoughts eventually, however, when Zoey slid off her—her hand grabbing hold of Mira’s pyjama sleeve. Seemingly not wanting to lose all contact just yet.
“Could we do it like before?” Zoey whispered. “Where I was facing you … and you had your arms around me? Just … lying down now.”
Zoey gave her a shy glance before adding something—even softer than before. “I felt safe like that.”
Mira kept her eyes on Zoey, even when she eventually looked away. She felt … happy; Happy that she could make her feel that way—safe. She could feel a warmth in her body, making her feel content.
“Yeah … I can do that.” They lay down, Mira on her side, lifting an arm as Zoey nestled under it, settling her face back in the crook of Mira’s neck. She seemed to like that spot.
Mira reached over to quickly switch off the night lamp that had been illuminating them this whole time, plunging them into complete darkness, before settling herself again.
A contented sigh came from the woman next to her. “Thanks, Mira … for all of this.” Mira felt her body relax again, hearing Zoey’s voice being this calm once again. “I got you,” she whispered back, “we’ll be okay.”
Zoey curled even closer into the curve of her neck—and that’s when she felt it. Soft lips, brushing gently against her skin; A kiss.
Zoey had just kissed her.
It sent a pulse of heat through her whole body. And she felt a tingle where Zoey had pressed those soft lips to her skin. Mira’s thought spiralled. Her best friend just kissed her. In the neck, sure, but that felt—intimate.
“That’s normal, right? Girls do that. Zoey’s just affectionate. That’s all.” She was doing her best to convince herself, it seemed. “And besides, Zoey isn’t into women; she never showed any interest, this is just her super affectionate self.” She likes closeness after all. This is just her way of being close.
She could feel pressure on her chest. “What was that?” She hadn’t noticed it yet—too lost in her head to feel the contact.
It was Zoey’s hand she realised. She had put her hand over Miras' chest—her heart. “How long had it been there?” she thought to herself. Realisation hit her; her heart was beating—fast. That kiss had gotten her heart beating much faster than normal for just lying down. But she couldn’t exactly control it. And Zoey could feel it now.
“Mira.”
Zoey whispered into the night, her voice so soft, so gentle. Almost afraid that speaking too loudly might shatter the moment. “Mmh?” she mumbled back in response—not trusting herself to form coherent words at this time.
“Your heart … it feels like it’s racing.”
Mira swallowed hard. Her throat felt tight.
“Are you alright?”
“Not really.”
She didn’t say it out loud, but the words echoed in her mind. She was spiralling again—heart thudding like it might break free from her chest. She’s used to hugging Zoey—she’s affectionate like that. They’ve done it dozens of times before; nothing new.
What made this different was the closeness. The quiet. The kiss.
It was everything.
Too much
Too much—and somehow, still not enough.
She felt Zoey turn her head—away from the space against her neck. Felt her gaze in the dark.
One of Zoey’s hands found her cheek, cupping it gently. “Mira?” Her voice was questioning now, a hint of worry in her tone. She had to say something. Had to give her a reply before she got concerned.
“I’m okay.”
No more lies—that’s what they had promised each other. Maybe she wasn’t ready for the whole truth just yet—but she could give something real.
“It’s just … a lot. I’m not really used to this much—”
Her voice caught for a second.
“—contact. Not like this.”
That’s when Zoey withdrew her hand and began to shift back, retreating to her side of the bed—creating space between them. Mira felt it immediately—the absence—and before she could think twice, her arms tightened just slightly. Not holding her back exactly. Just… not letting go.
Zoey froze, guilt lacing her voice. “I’m sorry—God. I should’ve asked you if you were okay with all this. I can just—” she started pulling away again.
“Wait!”
It came out quicker than she expected. Urgent, almost desperate. It surprised her. And from the little gasp Zoey let out, it surprised her, too.
Mira swallowed. The dark room made it easier to gather her thoughts. She didn’t have Zoey’s gentle eyes raking over her, even if she could feel her gaze.
“I … liked it. Actually”
Zoey still hadn’t moved—closer or away. Mira reached for her wrist, fingers gently curling around it, like she needed the touch more than Zoey did.
“I’m not used to this … but … ” she hesitated, then finally said it, soft and sure—
“It felt … nice.”
The dark room was filled with complete silence, but slowly, Zoey returned to Mira’s arms. And Mira didn’t hesitate to wrap her arms around her again—pulling her in close.
“My heart was racing,” she continued, “because of that kiss.”
She hesitated, thinking about it. She was trying to figure out what to say. Zoey was her friend—one of her best friends. But all she could think about was that she wanted Zoey to kiss her again like that. For Zoey to press her lips against her skin like before. Friends didn’t think like that. It’s because she likes women. She sees Zoey like that right now, but Zoey doesn’t do that. She doesn’t like women the same way Mira does.
She couldn’t lie, though. They promised, and she wanted to tell Zoey. Tell her about how that kiss made her feel. So she got what courage she had and spoke again.
“I think I liked that … a lot.”
Zoey was silent. Mira couldn’t see her. Couldn’t make out her expression in the darkness. Her body, however, felt relaxed, still in Mira’s arms—not pulling away.
For the longest time, nothing happened. They just lay there—in the quiet. She messed up; that was what was going through her head. Until she could feel pressure on her midriff—a hesitant hand. It moved up slowly, back to that same spot, back to her heart.
Mira didn’t move it—she let it stay there. Her heart was still beating faster than normal for this situation, but it had calmed down a lot compared to before. Although that hand on it was most definitely a reason why it wasn’t slowing down anymore.
Then she moved, head turning back into the curve of Mira’s neck. And then it happened again—her lips. Soft. Pressing against her skin once more.
Mira inhaled sharply, her body tingling. Her heart thumping quickly against Zoey’s palm. At this point, she was scared she would just die from a heart attack right then and there.
And that hand, oh that hand on her chest—it was becoming a problem. Soft and steady, resting just over her heart, fingers splayed like she wanted to feel every jump, every flutter.
And Mira’s heart? It was racing—way too fast.
She tried to ignore it. She really did. But then—
“Zoey”
It slipped out—breathless. She hadn’t meant to sound so wrecked, but … there it was.
Zoey didn’t move her hand; instead, she leaned in—voice low and warm against her skin.
“Is this too much?”
The words tickled, Literall, Figuratively. And Mira—oh, she was done for.
She wanted to say yes. Yes, it was too much. Wanted to say her chest felt like it could crack open. That her thoughts were a mess—it was overwhelming.
But she didn’t want it to stop.
She didn’t want her to stop.
She couldn’t even answer. Not really. Because somewhere in the silence, Zoey kissed her neck again. This time slower. Intentional. Her lips didn’t just graze—they lingered. And Mira—
She melted.
A shaky sigh escaped her lips before she could catch it. Her whole body was working against her now, turning her head just slightly, instinctively, like it wanted to give Zoey more access. And Zoey—
She took it gladly.
Suddenly, it wasn’t just a kiss. It was a series of them. Down her neck, her jawline. Impossibly gentle, impossibly sweet and so … agonisingly slow. Mira’s breathing hitched with each one. Her hands betrayed her too—one sliding up into Zoey’s hair, the other pulling her impossibly close.
Zoey was torturing her. Yep, that’s what she was doing, absolutely torturing her. And worst of all—
Mira was enjoying it.
She couldn’t pull away, couldn’t hold her back—she didn’t want to either. And Zoey? She seemed to relish this. Mira could feel her lips forming into a smile every time her heart jumped—felt those lips on her skin.
What was she doing? She was supposed to be comforting Zoey. That was the plan, not whatever this was turning into. But now? Mira felt like the one falling apart.
She tried to speak, tried to make sense of the storm behind her ribs, but her brain was sludge. Her mouth didn’t work.
Still, Zoey kissed her like she had all the time in the world. Like this wasn’t new or strange. Like it was—natural.
“I’m not used to this,” Mira wanted to say.
“But God, I like it. I like you.”
She couldn’t get it out.
And it didn’t matter much right now—because Zoey could feel it. Every flutter of Mira’s heart. Every twitch of her fingers.
When the kisses finally slowed—morphing into soft pecks, then nothing at all—Zoey only nuzzled back into the crook of her neck.
“Goodnight, Mira.” Her voice, sleepy and small. Like she hadn’t just unravelled Mira with nothing but her lips and a whisper.
She didn’t trust her own voice. So she pressed a kiss to the top of Zoey’s head as a response, hoping that said enough.
They would talk about this. Eventually. They had to. This had crossed so many lines that Mira wasn’t even sure what side they were on anymore.
They would definitely have to have a serious conversation about this.
But not tonight.
Tonight, Mira just held Zoey close. She felt—safe. Warm. Wanted.
Sleep came fast. And she let it.
Rumi woke up pretty early in the morning. The house was quiet. Not a sound in the air.
She had gone out for the night—the tiger and bird tagging along. Back to the place where she had first met up with Jinu. After everything that had happened—his sacrifice. She just wanted to see him again. Of course, she couldn’t. He might have given her his soul but … she didn’t really know what to do with it—didn’t know how to get him back. She hoped being back at this place with give her some comfort.
She had sat on the rooftop, the tiger cuddling up next to her. She talked into the darkness—like he was listening. Talking about all she had been feeling, everything that had happened, how she accepted herself because of him.
She couldn’t stay the whole night, though. She needed sleep after all and was already completely exhausted from their busy day. So she returned home and went to bed at around 3:00.
Her body however, didn’t seem to care to much about sleep it seemed. Why else would it wake her up at 8:00 a.m.? There was no way she’d fall back asleep now, so she got out of bed without bothering to put on decent clothes—just stayed in her pyjamas.
The silence still hung in the air. Strangely quiet. Zoey was always a heavy sleeper, so it made sense she wasn’t up yet, but Mira? She was always an early bird.
Something felt off.
Heading over to Mira’s bedroom door, she knocked softly.
Nothing.
“Mira?” Rumi whisper-yelled at the door.
Still no answer.
Okay, now it was getting weird. Mira was a light sleeper—a knock and yell like that would have surely woken her up in an instant. Rumi slowly pushed open the door and looked inside.
Miras’ bed was empty. In fact, it looked like it hadn’t even been slept in. Rumi’s heart picked up. “Maybe something happened,” she thought—but she quickly forced herself to calm down. Mira could handle herself. It’s unlikely anything would’ve happened to her.
Another thought surfaced: “Did she sneak out?”
No,that wasn’t like her. Sure, she’d do some late-night dance practice sometimes, but leaving for the whole night? She enjoyed her sleep too much for that.
“Did she sneak out to … meet someone?”
She couldn’t really picture it. Before she could spiral deeper into her worry Rumi decided to check up on Zoey first. If she wasn’t in her room either—then it would officially be time to panic.
She walked over and knocked on Zoey’s bedroom door.
No response.
Pretty typical for Zoey—she slept like a brick. If a bomb exploded next door, she’d probably just roll over and keep snoring.
Rumi cracked open the door gently, expecting the usual: Zoey starfished across the bed, blanket kicked off. But what she found made her blink a few times—rubbing her eyes to make sure she wasn’t still asleep.
Zoey was definitely there, mouth slightly open, snoring the tiniest bit—completely knocked out. What she didn’t expect was the second person in the bed. Curled up against Zoey’s back—arms wrapped around her waist—was Mira. Her face hidden in the crook of Zoey’s neck—legs tangled together.
It caught Rumi of guard. Mira.
Still. Quiet.
Asleep.
Mira—the lightest sleeper in the house, who would hear a pin drop two rooms away—was asleep. Completely dead to the world.
They looked—peaceful.
Not wanting to intrude more than she already had, Rumi slowly and carefully closed the door again. She stood for a moment—eyes fixed on the door in front of her.
She knew they were close. Of course, she knew … but she didn’t know they were that close.
Rumi let out a little chuckle, “Good for them.”
She’d always suspected Mira might swing that way—never said anything, just a feeling. But Zoey? That was new. Then again … maybe not. Zoey had always been full of surprises.
She wasn’t about to pry. If and when they wanted her to know, they’d tell her.
She headed out into the kitchen to get herself some breakfast.
Let them sleep, she thought.
They looked like they needed it.