Chapter Text
The house smelled amazing when Mira stepped through the door, shrugging out of her jacket and kicking her shoes off. For once, she wasn’t surprised. It was Thursday, after all, and Thursdays were now firmly theirs again.
On the drive home from yoga, Mira had been hoping to find Rumi at home, in the kitchen or already waiting for her on the couch. It felt good, having this quality time after her yoga class.
She resolved to look at her schedule again, see if she could maybe leave the office a little earlier on Tuesdays. Do for Rumi what Rumi had been doing for her every Thursday now.
“Welcome home, aein,” Rumi smiled over her shoulder when Mira rounded the corner and stepped into the kitchen.
“Something smells amazing in here,” Mira hummed with a smile of her own, stepping up behind her wife and wrapping her arms around her waist, hugging her from behind.
“Dak-jjim,” Rumi laughed quietly. “I made kkakdugi too.”
“My wife is spoiling me,” Mira sighed happily.
“My wife deserves spoiling,” Rumi chuckled, leaning back to give Mira a quick kiss. “How was yoga?”
“It was fine,” Mira huffed good-naturedly, leaning into Rumi as her wife hummed knowingly.
“And how was Zoey?”
“Such a mess,” Mira snorted softly. “Kept zoning out and tripping over her words.”
“She tripped over herself while staring at me before our class,” Rumi smiled as she began collecting plates and setting the table. “Fully faceplanted on the floor.”
“Seriously? Was she okay?” Mira laughed.
“Mortified,” Rumi grinned. “Didn’t keep her from staring for the rest of class, though.”
“Of course it didn’t,” Mira shook her head fondly. “Look at you, jagiya. Who wouldn’t stare?”
“Did you get her number?” Rumi asked, ducking her head at Mira’s easy compliment
“I did, though Zoey looked like her brain was about to leak out of her ear. She actually asked me why I wanted her number, can you believe that?”
“Yes, because she asked me too,” Rumi giggled. “She is a bit of a disaster, isn’t she?”
“Yes,” Mira smiled, helping Rumi bring the food to the table. “But it’s cute.”
“So,” Rumi asked, sliding into her seat and watching Mira sit down across from her. “Should we text her?”
“Okay,” Mira nodded with a smirk, “hear me out...”
-
Fridays were not Zoey’s favorite day of the week.
Mostly because of her ten-thirty class, which consisted solely of middle aged women, most of whom seemed to value the opportunity to socialise far more than they valued Zoey’s exercises.
Still, Zoey ran them through the poses like she did every week, pointedly ignoring all the talking and chatting and laughing behind her. When she walked between her students, watching them do some approximation of her exercises. She didn’t give too many pointers, knew they weren’t really here to get good at yoga anyway, and only intervened when someone was actually going to hurt themselves.
It was a relief when they all filtered out again, already discussing lunch options that ranged from unhealthy to downright criminal. Zoey busied herself with tidying up before finishing up the bit of administration Rumi had interrupted earlier in the week.
Rumi…
Zoey would be lying if she said she hadn’t been thinking about her - and about Mira - an unhealthy amount these past few days. Images of arched backs plagued her mind, making her wonder what they would look like in similar positions but not on a yoga mat, instead surrounded by tangled sheets.
Flashes of sweet smiles and wicked smirks, of knowingly raised eyebrows, of cocked hips, thigh muscles tensing, soft groans of relief-
She really had to stop thinking about them.
She was obviously into both of them, and she had absolutely no idea how she was going to choose when the time came for her to do so.
What if she chose wrong? What if she offended one of them and she’d never see one of them again? What if both of them ended up realising she was a dumb little turtle and they’d both end up hating her?! What was she even supposed to do?!
The buzz of her phone drew her from her mental spiral. She was grateful for the distraction, even if it was just a check-in from her mom, or one of her part-timers confirming a shift for tomorrow. Or even just spam, telling her she won a Caribbean cruise vacation.
She frowned when she realised she got a text from an unknown number.
<?> Hey Zoey :) Rumi here! I was thinking… Would you maybe want to grab coffee tomorrow? With me? If you’re free?
Zoey stared at the message on her screen, eyes wide and heart thudding against her ribs. Rumi was asking her out. For coffee. Tomorrow.
“Chill out, Zo,” she told herself, closing her eyes for a moment. “I’m sure it’s just a friendly hang-out. Don’t be weird about it.”
When she opened her eyes again, a new message had followed the first one.
<?> Like a date? Maybe? :)
She dropped her phone onto the desk with a strangled groan, before scrambling to grab it again. She had to respond.
<Zoey> Ying
<Zoey> Yes!
<Zoey> I meant yes. Autocorrect.
<Zoey> I’d love to.
<Rumi> Awesome! Does 10:30 work for you? The place down the street from your studio?
<Zoey> Absolutely!
<Rumi> Perfect! See you tomorrow. Looking forward to it xoxo
Zoey put her phone back down, tipping her head back and running herself through a calming breathing exercise. She was going on a date with Rumi tomorrow. She could do this. She could be a normal human being around a pretty woman. Charming, even. She knew she had some charm.
Thoughts of Mira flashed through her brain for a moment, making her grimace. She had no idea how she was going to handle this yet. She would have to stop flirting with Mira if she got serious about Rumi.
The universe really was playing dirty, setting both Rumi and Mira on her path like this.
-
Zoey spent entirely too much time standing in front of her wardrobe. She was going on a date with Rumi, and she absolutely couldn’t show up in yoga pants and a tank top. Nothing that screamed ‘I’m a sweaty goblin that can’t be trusted to dress herself.’
Half of her wardrobe was what she considered her work clothes, which didn’t leave a whole lot to work with.
After much consideration, she settled on slacks and a cute blouse. Something that showed she tried to look nice without immediately looking like she was about to propose.
She spent the next twenty minutes trying out various hairstyles, only to settle on her usual space buns.
The next five minutes, she spent hyping herself up in front of the mirror. Which was a totally normal thing to do. Everyone would need a pep talk before going on a date with Rumi.
She found herself in front of the coffee shop fifteen minutes early, despite all her worrying and stressing over outfits and hairdo’s. She probably looked like a wind-up toy, fidgeting, pacing back and forth, looking down the street.
Maybe it had all been a prank and Rumi wasn’t coming?
No, no, Rumi wasn’t like that. Probably. Right?
Her heart did a little jump when she turned around and noticed a familiar figure walking down the street, headed straight towards her. Purple hair, bright in the morning sun, long braid swaying back and forth with every step.
“Hey Zoey,” she smiled when she reached her, easy and radiant. “I’m so happy you agreed on our little date.”
“Hey, hi,” Zoey chirped, bouncing on her feet. “I uh… I’m glad you asked.”
“Shall we?” Rumi grinned, gesturing to the door. Zoey nodded and followed her, admiring how Rumi’s modest heels made her legs look even longer, and how the fabric of her shirt clung to her arms and shoulders, and how soft her hair looked. She wondered what it’d feel like if she were to run her hands through it-
“Zoey?”
“Huh?” she blinked, raising her eyebrows at Rumi’s questioning expression. “Sorry?”
“I asked if you wanted to go grab us a booth while I get us drinks?”
“Oh, right, yes, sure!” she nodded, looking at the line. “Best grab a seat before they’re all taken!”
“Exactly what I thought,” Rumi nodded with a pleased smile. “What can I get you?”
“A matcha latte?”
“Alright,” Rumi nodded. “Save me a seat?” she winked.
Zoey nodded before crossing the shop, beelining for one of the comfortable booths by the windows. She slid into one of the seats, trying to get a lid on the nervous energy racing through her body. Her eyes automatically zoned back in on Rumi, standing in line. She had her head tilted back, looking at the signs over the counter.
Her braid reached down to her knees, and Zoey found herself wondering how long Rumi’s hair was when it wasn’t braided. How it would feel if Zoey rang her fingers through those long, long purple locks.
The table was jostled as someone sat down across from her uninvited.
Zoey turned to face whomever was so rude as to just sit down at her table like that. She was ready to unleash a full lecture on boundaries, seating etiquette, and minding one’s own business, only for her brain to completely blank.
“M-Mira?”
A sharp smirk, pink hair in twin tails, a leather jacket. Mira was sitting across from her, entirely at ease, one arm slung over the backrest of her seat.
“Hey Zoey,” Mira smirked, sitting across from her like she owned the space. “You look nice.”
Zoey dug her fingernails into the palms of her hands. Her eyes flicked over towards Rumi, still standing in line, having moved only a few steps forward. This was bad. She could feel the panic rising.
What would Rumi think if she got back here and Zoey was sitting here with another gorgeous woman, who also happened to be a student, with whom she also happened to have flirted?
What would Mira think if Rumi showed up at this table? Zoey’s date, while she had shamelessly flirted with Mira too?
She had a few minutes - maybe - to make Mira leave.
“What uh… What are you doing here?” she asked, the pitch of her voice a little higher than normal.
Mira shrugged. “I was walking by and saw you through the window. Thought I’d say hi,” she smiled. “Are you okay? You look a little nervous.”
“Oh, uh, yeah, totally,” she nodded. “It’s just… I’m kinda here with someone?”
It was meant to be a firm statement, damnit. Zoey didn’t know why she made it sound like a question.
“Like a date?” Mira asked, and thank god she caught on to what Zoey was trying to say. Zoey nodded, giving an apologetic smile. For sending Mira away like this. For being on a date, even, maybe. Mira nodded too. “Nice,” she hummed.
Except… she didn’t move. Didn’t excuse herself. Didn’t give any indication she was leaving.
Tension gripped Zoey’s body, her shoulders creeping up to her ears as she tried to figure out how she could make it any clearer that she needed Mira to leave.
Her eyes flicked the the counter again, where Rumi was now smiling and chatting with the barista. She was running out of time, and Mira was still just sitting there, smirking at her.
Zoey felt like Mira’s gaze kept her pinned to her seat, even as she contemplated getting up, excusing herself, and finding a different table.
“You look really stressed, Zoey,” Mira chuckled. “Maybe you should, I don’t know, focus on your breathing or something?”
Zoey made a strangled little noise in the back of her throat. Either Mira was incredibly dense, or she was here to ruin her date on purpose. Maybe this was payback for flirting with two gorgeous women at the same time. The universe, Mira-shaped, punishing her for her hubris.
She slumped in her seat at the sound of footsteps approaching their booth. It was over. She was done for. No way she could ever face either of these women ever again after this.
“Sorry, it took a minute,” Rumi chuckled when she stepped up to the table. Zoey watched her put three cups down. “I got you your usual,” she smiled over at Mira, sliding one of them over and what was going on right now?!
“Her… usual?” Zoey croaked, watching Rumi slide into the seat next to Mira, who didn’t bother moving her arm from the backrest. “You two uh… know each other…”
It wasn’t a question, not really. She held her breath, watched the way Mira continued to smirk, took in Rumi’s small, almost guilty smile.
“Yeah, we know each other,” Mira chuckled. She moved her arm from the backrest, hooked it around Rumi’s shoulder and pulled her into her side, pressing a quick kiss to her temple. “Thanks for the coffee, jagiya.”
Jagiya.
They were dating.
Well, fuck.
“We’re married,” Rumi explained with a hesitant little smile. “Almost three years, now.”
Well, double fuck.
Zoey closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. She had some explaining to do. Of course the two insanely hot women that had come into her studio on different days were fucking married. To each other.
“Zoey, are you okay? Breathe,” Rumi told her gently, causing Mira to let out a quick laugh.
“That’s what I was telling her before you got here.”
“You two,” Zoey said, voice cracking “...are married.”
“Mm-hm,” Mira hummed.
“A-and I was flirting with you both. I mean- I don’t mean- It was all very respectful,” she rushed out. “I thought, when you said date, I thought-”
“Zoey,” Rumi cut through her ramblings. “It’s okay. I guess we owe you a bit of an explanation.”
Zoey’s teeth clicked together audibly as she closed her mouth. Mira chuckled, sliding the matcha latte in Zoey’s direction.
“Mira and I both wanted to try yoga-”
“Wanted is not exactly-”
“Shush, aein,” Rumi admonished fondly, lightly bumping Mira with her elbow. “We wanted to try yoga, but our schedules never lined up. That’s why I’m in your Tuesday class and Mira does Thursdays.”
Zoey made a small noise, mostly to let Rumi know she was listening. So far, it still made perfect sense.
Rumi’s smile turned a little softer. “Your no-phones rule was actually… groundbreaking. It showed us that the world didn’t stop spinning if we just turned our phones off for an hour or two. We actually started talking to each other again, which… We’d been in separate orbits for a while, I guess.”
Zoey nodded along, removing the lid from her drink and softly blowing on it, just to have something to do.
“We started talking about our yoga classes,” Rumi continued. “Which eventually turned into talking about you. The cute, flirtatious yoga teacher.”
Zoey made a high-pitched noise. “Listen, if I’d known you were married, I wouldn’t-”
“It’s okay, we liked it,” Mira cut in, voice low and relaxed.
Rumi nodded. “We encouraged it, didn’t we? Flirted with you just as much. Especially after the two of us discussed… all of this.”
“All of this?” Zoey echoed, her mind struggling to keep up with wherever Rumi was going with this conversation.
Rumi winced playfully. “Ambushing you like this was… maybe a little mean. We thought it would be a cute way to break the news… Mira thought it would be funny.”
“Because it is funny,” Mira deadpanned with an unapologetic shrug. “But you’re not in trouble, Zoey.”
“You’re not… mad?”
“No,” Rumi shook her head. “We’re adults, Zoey. If your flirting hadn’t been welcome, we would’ve told you. Truth is…” she hesitated, fiddling with her coffee cup, spinning it in place.
“We both think you’re really cute,” Mira continued when Rumi remained flustered. “And you seem to be into us.”
“Of course I am,” Zoey blurted, following it with an immediate groan.
“So maybe this doesn’t have to be a misunderstanding,” Mira smiled, genuine now. “Maybe it can be a date, exactly as Rumi suggested. Just… with the three of us.”
“A three-people-date-date?”
Mira snorted, rolling her eyes. “Let’s not call it that, but yes.”
“I’ve never uh… dated two people before,” Zoey grimaced.
“It’s not exactly like we’ve done this before, either,” Mira chuckled.
“We’ll figure it out,” Rumi told her, smiling that sweet, genuine smile of hers. “If you want to.”
“I want to,” she was quick to clarify. “It’s just… intimidating? I guess? You two are both unfairly attractive-”
“Facts,” Mira nodded seriously.
“What Mira means to say,” Rumi interjected, pointed and playful.
“No, no, I said exactly what I meant to say,” Mira countered with a quiet laugh. “Just let me finish-”
“You sounded pretty finished just-”
“Ru, I’m trying to tell Zoey she’s hot, can you just be quiet?” Mira laughed, lightly jostling her wife.
Despite everything, the panic, the stress, the completely and totally unfair ambush, Zoey felt laughter bubbling up in her chest. She was on a date, with Rumi and Mira, who were totally married and bickering like a totally married couple.
Yeah, maybe this could all work out just fine.