Work Text:
Zoey knew that this mall trip was really for her sake. Malls in America were vastly different from those in South Korea; more disgusting, more claustrophobic, especially louder. Zoey wouldn’t have it any other way.
While they were doing a promo in LA, Zoey had begged Mira and Rumi to follow her to some of her favorite places. It wasn’t often they were in America, definitely not in her neck of the woods. Burbank, after all, wasn’t exactly a location on their world tour lineup. Besides, after the very awkward lunch she had with her dad she figured she deserved an afternoon with her girlfriends.
Zoey was touched to the point of tears when both of them said yes with zero hesitation, even Rumi, who wasn’t a fan of big crowds. It made her fall in love with them all over again.
So, that’s how they found themselves in Burbank Town Center, Zoey vibrating with excitement thinking about what they should do first. She desperately wanted to take Mira to a Hot Topic. Her girlfriend denied being obsessed with dressing like an early 2000’s emo teen, but Zoey knew better.
She definitely wanted them to try Auntie Anne’s pretzels for the first time. Sure, there were other, nicer pretzels places in LA they could go to. There were even some hidden in Seoul if you knew where to look. But Auntie Anne’s was a staple of her childhood. They had to stop there.
There was a kawaii popshop they’d all love, a Miniso, a Barnes and Nobles Mira would go crazy for, and hundreds of other things.
Still, one thing continued to elude Zoey. She’d been thinking about it ever since they landed and had yet to come up with an answer.
What would Rumi like?
Rumi wasn’t the type to get excited over clothes, something that probably came from wearing sweatshirts and turtlenecks her entire life. She loved Miniso like Zoey and Mira did, enough to spend an hour in that store. But Zoey could tell it didn’t really resonate with her.
Someone might ask how a person could “resonate” with a department store, but Zoey would shush them. She was the mall expert here. She knew what she was doing.
That didn’t mean her job was easy.
Rumi smiled and laughed the entire afternoon, and Zoey knew it was genuine, if her sweet, awkward smile was any indication. But they’d been there for two hours and still hadn’t found anything Rumi might go crazy for. Zoey was about to throw in the towel when she was distracted by her own personal favorite.
Build-A-Bear.
She jumped out of her chair where they sat in the food court, disrupting everyone else’s pretzels and hot dogs. Mira rolled her eyes and steadied the table, making sure nothing fell on the floor. “You have something you want to share with the class, Zoe?”
Zoey turned around sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck with her hand. “Sorry. It’s just there’s a Build-A-Bear over there and I got really excited.”
Mira followed her gaze. Her eyes instantly softened. “It’s been awhile since we’ve been, hasn’t it? Whenever we were in the States last.”
“Exactly! Oh, Mira, we have to go! Lord Shellington the Third is getting lonely at home. He needs a cuddle buddy to rescue him from isolation.”
Mira snorted, pushing her glasses up a bit. “Like you don’t have an entire mountain of stuffed animals at home. I don’t have a problem going, but we need to ask Rumi first.”
Zoey felt a twinge of guilt for forgetting their girlfriend for a second. It had always been just her and Mira together for so long. They had dated in secret for two years while Rumi remained their best friend. That was the dynamic they were used to.
But that didn’t mean that was the dynamic they wanted.
Zoey and Mira had both agreed that they wanted Rumi to be a part of what they had. They loved her so much it was impossible not to want that. Still, they held back. Despite seeing the utter longing in Rumi’s eyes, they knew she wasn’t ready.
It was absolute torture waiting that long. Zoey was about to tell Mira that it was time, that they just needed to buck up and asked. Then the truth about Rumi’s patterns came out. They both felt incredibly betrayed, especially Mira. Then to find out Rumi had been working with Jinu? That hurt just as bad.
But Mira and Zoey shoved Rumi’s betrayal in her face by matching it with their own. They drew their weapons on her, proving her greatest fears right and driving her away so far that they almost lost her forever. Dreams that they didn’t reach the shrine in time, that they found Rumi bloody, lifeless, at the bottom of the tree haunted Zoey to this day.
Zoey shook her head out of those memories. No. Those stupid thoughts wouldn’t ruin their day. Besides, it didn’t matter. They were together now. The Honmoon was stronger than ever. And, most importantly, Rumi was happy.
“Sorry, Rumi. Would you mind if we went?”
Rumi nodded, her brows furrowed in that adorable way they did when she was thinking hard about something. Today she was wearing her signature pink sweatshirt, but Zoey was happy to notice that she had groaned and complained about having to wear it. Apparently lighting up like a Christmas tree doesn’t do well with street clothes.
Mira smiled. “What are you thinking about?”
“I guess I’m just a little confused?”
Zoey tilted her head. “About what?”
“What’s…Build-a-Bear?”
Zoey gasped and put her hand over her heart. “What is Build-a-Bear? Oh, Rumi, we have to show you. It’s only the third best place on earth.”
Mira snorted. “What are the other two?”
Zoey answered sweetly. “Number one? Our cuddle pile.”
Mira’s grin spread slightly. “Number two?”
“Between your—“
“Oh my god, shut up.”
xxxxxx
“Why are the bears…deflated?”
Mira laughed. “You need to put stuffing in them first. Then it’ll look more like the other ones on the display shelf. Once you choose we’ll take them over to the machine to get stuffed.”
Rumi nodded, walking up and down the aisle of bears with a degree of seriousness that often came out during their work hours. Mira had seen Zoey out of the corner of her eye running around with an axolotl that looked like a pineapple. She knew she wanted the polar bear for herself. Mira just didn’t want to give Rumi the impression she needed to rush.
Her girlfriend tapped her chin, her brows furrowed once more in intense concentration. “It’s so hard to decide.”
Mira chuckled. She sounded exactly like Zoey. “You can always get more than one.” They definitely had the money for it.
Rumi shook her head with a vehemence that surprised Mira. Still, her voice was gentle and soft, the calm, flowing river it always was. “I-I just want one this time. She’ll be the first.”
Mira smiled at the fact that Rumi had already decided her bear’s pronouns. “Your first Build-a-Bear?”
“No. My first stuffed animal.”
Mira froze. Her heart felt as if it had just been stabbed by her gok-do. She swallowed, hoping her voice didn’t sound hoarse when she spoke. “Y-Your first?”
Rumi nodded casually as she continued to search for her bear, oblivious to the emotional crisis Mira was having behind her. “Celine didn’t want me to develop attachments to material things. They were a distraction from my training. I think she thought they would awaken intense greed in my demon half. It was good of her to be safe rather than sorry.”
The trembling that had been developing in Mira’s fists was growing stronger by the minute. There was nothing good about that. Not to mention that Mira was suddenly aware of a horrific double standard that had gone on for years, right under her and Zoey’s noses.
Zoey had mountains of stuffed animals even then, some she brought from home and others Celine had bought for her, whether it be a spontaneous gift or a birthday present. And as callous and closed off as Mira had been, Celine always managed to find out what type of shoes or bands she liked. She even remembered Mira had celiac disease and needed a gluten free cake on her birthday.
Fuck.
Had Rumi ever had a birthday party before? Had she been given birthday presents by anyone but them? Sometimes they didn’t get to celebrate their own birthdays because of their stupidly busy schedule.
They had to throw the biggest birthday party in the history of the world the minute they got home.
Under the guise of going to get her polar bear, Mira slipped away from Rumi to find their girlfriend. Zoey needed to know some things.
xxxxxx
Zoey grinned at the state of her pineapple axolotl. His suit and top hat had him looking very snazzy if she said so herself. Now if there were a pair of glasses she could find the look would be complete…
A body crashed into her so hard she nearly dropped everything in her hands. Her sharp retort died in her mouth when she saw it was Mira. The white polar bear in her girlfriend’s hands made Zoey squeal. “Ohh Mira he’s so cute! What are you going to name him? Ice Pop sounds pretty good to me, but obviously he’s—“
Zoey shut her mouth the minute she saw Mira’s face, white as a ghost and showing all the signs of someone about to throw up. “Oh my god, Mira. You look like you’re going to be sick. I thought for sure that one cafe had gluten free sandwiches, but maybe I was wrong. Oh, I’m so stupid—“
“It’s Rumi.”
Zoey’s heart stuttered. “R-Rumi? Is she okay? Where is she? Did she get lost? She wanders a lot so—“
Mira shook her head. “No, Zoey. She’s still picking out her bear over there.”
Zoey glanced over to where Rumi was standing, scrutinizing a bear covered in stars as if she could see into its very soul. It was pretty cute.
“Mira, she looks fine—“
“Rumi’s never had a stuffed animal before.”
What?
“Mira that’s—“
“She’s never really had a birthday present, never had a birthday party, never had any of the stuff Celine gave us. Celine gave us everything we could have wanted and more. With Rumi…”
Mira didn’t have to say anything more for Zoey to understand the terrible, awful truth. Rumi had grown up with Celine as a mother figure of…sorts. What kind of monster told a little girl she wasn’t allowed to have stuffed animals because the demon inside her would hurt others?
Monster was probably laying it on a little thick, but Zoey knew the importance of having something to hold as a child that felt no one was on her side but herself and the stuffed turtle she clutched in her arms.
“Zoey, don’t cry.”
“I-I’m not crying.”
“Yes you are. If you cry I’ll cry.”
“But I’m not crying!”
“You are! We need to be happy for her—“
“Be happy for who?”
Zoey had to stop herself from jumping ten feet in the air. Rumi had come up behind them without warning, something she did a lot these days, however unintentionally. Zoey placed her hand over her heart. “Oh my god, Rumi. You have to say something before you use your demon kitty stealth on us.”
Rumi flushed, clutching a soft bear close to her chest. “Sorry, I—wait Zoey, were you crying?”
Mira gave her a look that said, “say no, stay strong.”
Zoey nodded and opened her mouth.
“I stubbed my toe! Really bad! And it hurt!”
Mission accomplished.
Mira just rolled her eyes. “She’s lying. What happened was that I told her about a pair of sea turtles that are bonded for life. I should have kept it to myself.”
Rumi sighed, the noise sounding suspiciously like a comforting purr. “Aw, Zoe. It’s a good thing. That means they’ll always have each other, and no one gets lost along the way.”
She squeezed Zoey’s shoulder. “I think I finally figured out which one I want. I…don’t really know what to do next.”
Zoey’s heart melted at the way Rumi’s patterns flashed an embarrassed pink under her sweatshirt. It had to be illegal for her girlfriend to be this cute.
xxxxxx
Mira allowed herself to go first to show Rumi how everything worked. She always skipped the Heart Ceremony because she’d felt it was a bit much, but she always made a wish on her heart. Sue her, she was sentimental like that.
Zoey was determined to go last so she could record the other two making their bears. Mira knew it was mostly for Rumi, but also that Zoey would never pass up a chance to record a moment between the three of them.
When Rumi approached the employee Mira could tell she was nervous. She was holding the bear close to her chest, fiddling with its ears and seeming reluctant to let it go. Mira gestured at Zoey to distract Rumi for a moment while she spoke to the employee.
She kept her voice at a low whisper and was thankful the worker did the same. “She’s a little nervous. She’s never been before and this will be her first stuffed animal. Do you think we can take it slow?”
The attendant gave Mira a wide, kind smile. “Of course we can.”
Zoey and Rumi had finally turned back, Rumi still holding tight to the deflated bear. The attendant looked at her and spoke in a soft and gentle tone. “Can I see our friend?”
Rumi still looked uncertain, so Mira stroked her elbow. “She just wants to stuff it. That way it looks like mine.”
The way Rumi held onto the bear, like someone would take it from her at any second, made Mira’s heart ache. But this wasn’t about her feelings. This was about Rumi, and Mira couldn’t have been more proud when her girlfriend gave her bear to the employee. She noticed it was a rainbow panda, with flowers covering its eyes.
“Oh, great choice! Our Glow Vibes bear is one of the cutest here, in my opinion. Now, do we want our friend to be softer or firmer?”
Rumi looked at Zoey for support. Zoey nodded, putting her axolotl aside to stroke Rumi’s arm. “If you want to put her on your nightstand or dresser, you can make her a little firmer. Or, if you’re like me, and love to cuddle with these little guys, you can make her softer.”
Rumi thought for second, her fingers now playing with the ends of her braid. “I think…softer would be nice.”
Mira couldn’t help but smile. She had secretly been hoping Rumi would let herself sleep with it and was happy that her wish came true.
“Okay, softer it is. Now, I want to put your foot on this pedal right here and push down. That way the fluff can get inside our friend and give her a shape.”
Rumi put her foot on the black pedal and jumped a little when the loud noise of the machine started up. But she stared, fascinated, as her panda slowly became filled with stuffing and started to look more like a bear.
When she was told to let go, the attendant gave her the bear to hold. “Give her a big squeeze and see if she’s too firm, too soft, or just right.”
Mira could tell by the scrunch in Rumi’s eyebrows that the bear was too firm, but she could also tell Rumi wasn’t going to say anything. She reached over to put her hand on the base of Rumi’s back, stroking it in just the place she liked. “If you want to change it, you’re allowed to say so. She’s yours now.”
A pause.
“I-I think just a bit softer would be better.”
Mira exchanged a glance with Zoey, glad to see they were both on the same page of being proud of Rumi for doing something for herself for once. “No problem! Thanks for saying so.”
The employee took some stuffing out of the panda’s chest and bottom paws. She handed it back to Rumi, offering it up for another squeeze. “Try it now.”
Mira watched Rumi hug the bear, this time with a sigh of satisfaction. “How is it now?”
Rumi nodded, her signature awkward smile bright and wide. Mira felt her heart pound tenfold. It actually had to be against international law that her girlfriend was this cute. She turned to look at Zoey, smirking at the way her cheeks were a bit flushed. Neither of them were immune to that goofy, endearing smile.
“Great! Now, before we put a heart in our friend, would you like to do the Heart Ceremony? It’s perfectly fine if you don’t.”
Zoey grinned and nudged Mira’s arm. “Yeah, Mira doesn’t do it. She’s too edgy for it.
Mira scoffed and nudged Zoey back, feeling her cheeks heat up. “I just think it’s a bit much sometimes. It’s not for everyone. You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to, Ru.”
Rumi hesitated, then seemed to come to a decision. “I’d like to, if that’s okay.”
The attendant clapped her hands together, Mira still reeling from Rumi’s decision. “Awesome! Pick out a heart from over there and we’ll get started.”
Mira was experiencing far too much emotional damage today. From being heartbroken over Rumi’s brief story to feeling overwhelmed with pride at her girlfriend’s choice to step out of her comfort zone, Mira was going through it. One look at Zoey told her she felt the same.
“Okay friends, let’s get started! First, I want you to rub that heart on your head so your bear’s super super smart!”
Rumi rubbed the small, velvet heart on her head, not looking at all embarrassed doing the ceremony.
“Now, rub it on your nose so she always knows who you are!”
Mira saw Zoey bite her lip in order to prevent the squeal she nearly let loose at the way Rumi’s eyes crossed to see the heart on her face.
“Now, rub it on your side so she’ll always be by your side!”
Mira forgot how corny the whole thing was, but Rumi seemed to love it, and wasn’t that the most important thing?
“Rub it on your knees so she’ll always need you!”
Zoey had to lean forward to stop Rumi’s signature braid from falling out of her hoodie as she rubbed the tiny heart on her knees.
“Alright, time to pat that heart in your hand to wake it up!”
Rumi patted it gently, almost caressing it as if it was the most precious thing she’d ever held.
“Finally, you’re going to close your eyes, kiss your heart, and make a big wish!
Rumi kissed the heart, her eyes squeezed shut in adorable concentration. When she opened them, the employee guided the heart down to the hole in the bear’s back and helped her put it in.
“Great! I just need to do one last thing for our friend here. She has a glow button in her paw that I’ll activate.” The attendant picked up a small white button from a box below her, switched on a trigger, and stuck it in the bear’s right paw. “Now, when you push her paw, she’ll change colors for you!”
Rumi reached out to push the button, and Mira started in surprise as the bear suddenly began to glow. She supposed that’s why it was called the Glow Vibes bear. The flower patterns on the panda changed from red, to pink, to blue, to purple, to green and even circled through multiple colors at once. Mira thought it was beautiful and she paused as Rumi reached for her hand.
To her surprise, there was a small tear in Rumi’s eye, along with her smile and expression of wonder. Her voice came out as a whisper when she spoke. “It looks like me.”
Mira glanced at Zoey, who was holding Rumi’s other hand, and hoped the vast amount of love and gratitude she had for her was apparent in her eyes.
Zoey was a fucking genius.
xxxxxx
Zoey hadn’t anticipated their trip to Build-a-Bear to take the rest of the afternoon, but it did. After Rumi’s unexpectedly emotional Heart Ceremony, Zoey stuffed her axolotl, affectionately named Squire Pineapple the First. Mira named her polar bear Ice Pop, Zoey’s suggestion, under the claim that she couldn’t think of a better one.
Which was a lie. Mira picked the name because Zoey came up with it, and anything that either of her girls suggested was something Mira took to heart.
Rumi named her glowing panda…Rumi. They asked her about it, and when she said she’d chosen her own name because it would be like she was giving herself a hug, Zoey actually did cry. A little too hard. Mira had to drag them to the dress up center to distract her.
Which was a mistake.
Zoey hadn’t expected Rumi to get so invested about what Bear Rumi was wearing, but she was. Mira got a simple red scarf for Ice Pop and stopped there. Rumi, however, was still deciding.
It had been thirty minutes, and while they’d both agreed not to rush Rumi, Zoey could feel herself longing for a cuddle pile in their hotel room. One look at Mira’s eyes, glazed with drowsiness, told Zoey she was feeling the same. In light of that, Zoey decided to help Rumi along.
Helping Rumi choose wasn’t the same as rushing her. Right? Right.
Just as Zoey was about to recommend the original onesie the Glow Bear came with, Rumi approached her with a purple t-shirt in her hands. Zoey gasped. “Ooh let me see!”
Rumi handed it to her, grinning. “I think it’s pretty fitting.”
Zoey turned the t-shirt over and read in bright, white letters “Emotional Support Bear.” There was a red cross over it with a heart underneath.
It was just so Rumi it hurt Zoey’s heart. In a good way, of course. “I fucking love it. I love it so much.”
It was pretty obvious Zoey wasn’t talking about the shirt. Mira rolled her eyes. “Alright, alright let’s not get kicked out of the most family friendly store in the mall for having poor language.”
“But Mira, look at Bear Rumi’s shirt. Just look at it.”
Mira glanced at the purple shirt with a raised eyebrow. “Sick.”
Zoey pouted, even though she knew Mira secretly loved it. “You’re no fun.”
“I’m plenty fun. I’m just a little beat. Besides, that’s not what you said last night.”
A woman with her son just happened to pass them at the moment and gave Mira a scathing glare as she covered his ears with her hands. Zoey couldn’t help the inelegant snort that escaped her. “Wow Mira, just couldn’t keep it in your pants, could you?”
“Oh my god, actually shut up.”
“Absolutely not, no take backs.”
Rumi’s concerned voice interrupted their playful bickering. “Mira, Zoey, are you really tired? Should we go back to the hotel for a nap? I-I honestly wouldn’t mind, if that’s okay.”
Zoey wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity for a nap and the chance to praise Rumi for voicing her wants. “I’m down. And it’s totally okay, Rumi. Mira’s practically falling asleep on her feet over here.”
Mira scoffed. “I am not. But I wouldn’t mind a nice sleep with my girlfriends.”
“Great! Let’s get this show on the road! Squire Pineapple the First needs to begin his life as the newest member of Huntrix!”
“Try ‘Newest Member of the Idiot Squad.’”
“Don’t bring Bear Rumi into this. She’s perfect.”
They all had to agree there. She really was.
xxxxxx
Zoey drove them back to the hotel as the only one with a US drivers license, preening over how well the afternoon had gone. She didn’t even care that she didn’t get to introduce Mira into the wonderland that was Hot Topic. The Build-a-Bear trip gave Zoey enough serotonin to last her for the next fifty years.
The car was quiet, Mira scrolling through her phone in the passenger seat and Rumi in the back pressing Bear Rumi’s paw to change her color. The periodic hum of Mira’s reaction to something she saw and the clicking of Rumi’s button had Zoey growing drowsier by the second. She had to say something, otherwise she’d fall asleep at the wheel.
She tapped the steering wheel for a bit before she thought of what to say. “Ooh, I call middle of the sandwich today!”
The clicking stopped. Zoey frowned. “Rumi?”
She went to glance in the rear view mirror when Mira placed a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t look at her.”
Zoey flipped her turn signal and took a left. “Why not?”
“She’s pouting.”
“I am not!”
Mira grinned. “She totally is.”
Zoey giggled as they turned into the parking lot of their hotel. “Are you upset you don’t get to be in the middle of the cuddle puddle?”
Silence.
Mira’s teasing softened. “Rumi. You’ve been between us all week. It’s Zoey’s turn. You know we take care of each other equally.”
Rumi’s plaintive whine, sounding almost like a scolded cat, nearly made Zoey crash their car into a pole. “I know. I just…really like it there. I get to hold and be held, if that makes sense.”
Fuck, why did everything Rumi said have to sound so sad? If it was anyone else Zoey would swear they were being manipulative. But Rumi was honest, especially now. She was so honest it was becoming detrimental to everyone’s health.
Zoey cleared her throat as she pulled into a parking spot on the top floor. “It does, Ru. That’s why we like it, too. I promise, as long as Mira agrees, next nap is all yours.”
She stole a glance at Mira as she shut the car off. Their girlfriend nodded. “Right. As long as I get the middle tonight you can do whatever you want.”
Zoey knew Rumi had lit up like a Christmas tree at that. Literally.
xxxxxx
The minute they stepped into their room Rumi yanked her sweatshirt and turtleneck off, groaning about how California was determined to give her heatstroke. She put a t-shirt on and collapsed on the right side of the bed.
Zoey went to the bathroom first, wanting to wipe off the mild makeup she had put on for the day. She squealed as strong arms wrapped around her middle, squeezing her gently. She leaned back into the familiar smell of cinnamon and pine, peace already beginning to flood over her.
“You’re amazing, you know that?”
Zoey hummed, appreciating the way Mira’s hold gave her such a wonderful feeling of safety. “Not that I don’t appreciate the glowing review, I’m just not sure what I did.”
“You gave Rumi an experience she’d never had before until today. It was probably something she didn’t think was possible. And you gave it to her.”
Zoey sniffed, reaching for a makeup wipe to clean her face before any tears could get it caked on her cheeks. “You can’t just say that and not expect me to cry a little. Besides, you’re the one who came up to me. I hate that you were so upset, but you were upset for Rumi. You’re just as amazing as I am.”
Mira huffed. “But it’s not like the whole thing was my idea.”
Zoey elbowed her so she could wash the eyeshadow residue from her eyelids. “Oh my god, you big tsundere, just take the compliment and leave.”
“Am I being banned from the bathroom?”
“No, you’re being banned from my arms until you learn to love yourself.”
When Mira didn’t respond, Zoey worried her teasing had gone a little too far. She wiped the rest of her makeup off and poked her head out of the bathroom. “Mira, I’m—“
“Shut up.”
“Mira!”
“Shut up and look.”
Zoey finally maneuvered around her girlfriend enough to see what she was talking about. The sight before them had her scrambling for her phone as quietly as possible. Rumi was curled up on the right side of their bed, Bear Rumi cradled in her arms. Both of them were glowing, their patterns switching between various colors. A soft purr rumbled in Rumi’s throat and she buried her nose into Bear Rumi’s fur.
Zoey snapped as many pictures as she could in the span of thirty seconds. It was illegal that Rumi was just allowed to be that cute. Mira agreed, if the several pictures she took with her own phone were any indication.
After she was done simping for their girlfriend, Zoey slipped into the middle of the bed, wrapping her arms around Rumi’s waist. The way Rumi’s purrs grew stronger at the contact made Zoey smile and also increased her drowsiness. Mira took her glasses off and slid in behind Zoey, pulling their maknae close against her chest.
The combination of Rumi’s purring and Mira’s gentle breathing made Zoey wonder if she had died and gone to heaven. Yeah, she understood why Rumi liked the middle so much. She was just on the verge of falling asleep when she remembered something important.
Zoey made sure her voice was a whisper when she spoke. “Mira.”
Mira’s own voice was gravelly with sleep. “Yeah?”
“You want to know something?”
“I’m assuming you’d tell me even if I didn’t.” Mira’s words were blunt, but blunt in a way only Zoey and Rumi would understand as saying “I’m really tired and don’t want to hear it but I love and adore you so I’m going to process every word you say.”
Mira was such a lovergirl it hurt Zoey’s heart in the best way.
“Build-a-Bear has birthday parties.”
“They do?”
“Yeah.”
Zoey could practically hear the wheels turning in Mira’s head. Mira had taken it hard once she’d learned the truth about Rumi, and Zoey was desperate to know what she was thinking.
“We could find a way back to California in October, couldn’t we?”
Zoey grinned. “We’re Huntrix. We can do anything.”
Mira huffed at the cheesiness, but Zoey knew that her words elicited a smile. They would totally be back in California in October, even if it was just for one short day. Bobby would be there, there would be tiger decorations and tons of presents, maybe even Derpy and Sussie could teleport over…
As Zoey drifted off into sleep, Rumi and Mira already wrapped in their own dreams, the Honmoon shimmered with pride at how much its Hunters had grown. It allowed a small, iridescent shield to cover them, just for the few hours that they would rest. The Honmoon always protected its Hunters.
Especially ones that always protected each other, even in sleep.