Chapter Text
The first word that came to Rumi’s mind when she stepped into the antique store was, quite frankly, overwhelming. Floor to wall displays of all manner of vintage paraphernalia greeted her, seemingly from every generation and every style that had ever come into fashion. She breathed in the scent of stale wood and stepped further into the store, steeling herself and straightening her shoulders.
She was here with a purpose. Mira’s birthday was coming up and Rumi wanted to get her something unique. The picking and maintaining of their home decor was largely Mira’s domain, but Rumi wanted to get her something nice. Maybe a poster from an old movie, as Mira loved black and white films. Rumi didn’t understand the appeal, but knew Mira found them soothing.
Not that Mira ever let Rumi provide her comfort, she thought bitterly. She sighed heavily and pushed the thought away, determined to focus on doing something nice for the alpha. Kill them with kindness, or something like that. She envisioned the Mira she used to know, strong and solid and smelling of freshly ground coffee, and steadied herself in that.
Here was the deal. Mira and Rumi hadn’t been ready for kids. They weren’t even vaguely planning on having them. Rumi was nineteen and a freshman in college, Mira was barely eighteen. They’d been friends a long time but only dating a little while. But one ill timed heat and a few horny mistakes later and Felix was born.
Rumi passed her hands over a crate of old vinyls, taking care not to bend the already ancient album covers. Hummed a little nonsense song, trying to keep her mind busy. She didn’t regret it, at least in any major sense. Felix was the best thing that had ever happened to them. Even if it had fucked up their relationsip, possibly forever.
Rumi paused on an faded Tchaikovsky collection, thumbpad pressed into the corner. Then kept moving. She wasn’t sure what she was thinking. They didn’t even own a vinyl player. Moved onto a clothes rack, swiping absently through the faded button ups that occupied it.
It had been six years. Mira had stayed with her when they found out she was pregnant, because it was the right thing to do and Mira was a good person. There was also the fact that Rumi’s moms would have actually murdered Mira if she didn’t. They had liked Mira decently beforehand, when their relationship was still fresh, but abandoning their pregnant daughter would’ve been an insane low.
Felix was in kindergarten now and Rumi sort of had her life back. She’d dropped out of college to take care for him, while Mira took a second job and balanced being a dance instructor by day and working nights at a boxing gym. Rumi also taught singing lessons from home, once Felix had hit preschool.
Now that he was in school, Rumi had more free time. She hadn’t decided what she was going to do with it yet. One of her moms, Celine, wanted her to come work as a recruiter at her talent agency. Rumi was lightly entertaining the idea, but hesitant to sign up for so much undivided time with her mom. Distance truly did make the heart grow fonder in that case, she’d found.
But it’d be nice because Celine wouldn’t mind if Rumi had Felix at the office sometimes. She was also considering working at a daycare, since she’d been an aide as a part-time gig before the pregnancy. Much to consider. But honestly she was just tired. The idea of throwing herself into something new didn’t just seem scary, it seemed lonely.
Because she missed Mira. Had been missing Mira since the moment she’d told her she was pregnant. Mira might’ve stayed physically, but Rumi knew she’d never forgive herself for ‘ruining’ their lives. Mira loved Felix more than anything, but she’d taken the news hard. Their lives would never be the same again and Rumi knew Mira blamed herself for that, a lot. They weren’t mated, but they were co-parenting.
They’d registered as a pack regardless, just because it made life easier. Mira couldn’t take Felix to his appointments or drop him off at school as easily without the registration. In the eyes of the world around them, Mira and Rumi belonged to one another. An alpha and her omega. Simple as that.
Nevermind the fact that they’d never marked each other. Nevermind the fact that Mira took rut suppressants more often than not and would never keep Rumi company the way she needed during her heats. She was still incredibly sweet to her, to be clear, but it was lonely. She provided scented clothing, snacks, pain meds, but never her company. Never her physical presence, the intimacy, that Rumi craved.
They only shared a bed to prevent questions from friends and family that visited. Mira slept in the guestroom about half the time anyways and just kept the room tidy. Felix was a pretty quiet kid and had never said anything to another adult in their lives that had caused questions. They kept their lines clean, kept everything in its correct box.
But Rumi yearned for contact. Knew Mira did too, in her own way. They had, for lack of a better term, an open arrangement. As far as Rumi knew, when Mira’s ruts came, she spent them with other people. Rumi knew that she could do the same for her heats, in theory, but never had.
Mira was always considerate and coordinated ahead of time for her ruts to occur when Rumi and Felix were staying with her moms. The thoughtfulness she used to separate herself from Rumi was polite. It was sweet, even. It made Rumi want to smash something.
Rumi shook her head, trying to clear her mind. She didn’t care that there was distance between her and Mira. She didn’t care that, even after all these years, Mira was trying to push her away. Rumi knew they were in it for the long haul, at least until Felix was old enough to live on his own. She wanted their lives together to be as tolerable as possible.
A voice in the back of Rumi’s mind murmured that she was just making things harder on them, maintaining this veneer of love and involvement. She did her best to ignore it. She took a winding path through the antique store, finally focusing up enough to try and find the posters.
As she came around the bend, Rumi nearly bumped into someone. A new scent, separate from the scent of the store itself, filtered through her nose. It was sweet, nearly saccharine. Rumi found herself picturing a sugar cube, dissolving in a cup of coffee. Despite its delicate nature, it was distinctly alpha in nature. Rumi felt her mouth run dry at that.
The someone in question made a small noise of surprise and stood up straight. She, Rumi now recognized, had been digging through a filing cabinet of some sort. The woman took a step back and met Rumi’s eye. She was a shorter, dark haired woman with a kind face and bright expression.
“Sorry!” She said, voice eager in its urging apologetics. “I get so lost in thought in here. This filing cabinet really shouldn’t be in the middle of a walkway though, no? I’ll move it. Bobby’s in the back somewhere, I’ll grab him so we can get this out of your way! So sorry!”
Rumi’s mind spun a bit. This woman was, unless she was mistaken, an alpha. But here she was, apologizing and bending over backwards for Rumi. She shook the thought away. Dynamicist nonsense, to expect every alpha she met to be an asshole. She couldn’t believe she was writing the woman off literally before she’d even spoken. “No, it’s fine, I should’ve been watching where I was going. You’re fine, please.”
The woman quirked a brow and then scratched at her own neck nervously, ruffling her twin buns. She had a nearly impish face, round in some places yet pointy in others. She looked a little nervous to be talking to Rumi in the first place.
“Are you sure? I probably didn’t do a good job of explaining, but I work here. It’s literally my job to make sure the flow of traffic is good and that the store looks nice and stuff. I can totally move the cabinet if you need. No problem!”
As an added measure the woman flexed her bicep in what must’ve been intended as a joking remark, but Rumi felt something stir in her at the sight. Despite her cute demeanor and non-athletic clothing, the woman was actually pretty jacked. Rumi felt her face go a little pink in spite of herself.
A small smile quirked at the corner of the woman’s lips and Rumi swallowed thickly. She was not about to flirt with someone else. Nevermind the fact that she had Mira’s express permission to do so. She wouldn’t stoop that low.
“You’re fine, really” Rumi said, hating how friendly her voice sounded. Which was stupid. She shouldn’t be thinking that hard about any of this at all. She just needed to get something for Mira and get the fuck out of here.
The woman straightened up a little more and took a healthy step to the side, clearing a path for Rumi. “Well. Again. Sorry. I’m Zoey and if you need any help, I’m around. This filing cabinet is full of vintage postcards, in case you were curious. We just got this sweet set that are like, classic movie themed, and they’re super sick so I got a little distracted while I was tagging them.”
Rumi paused at that. “Classic movie themed?” She asked, voice small. Zoey smiled widely at that and pulled the top drawer open, sliding her hand inside to pull out a faded yellow stack. “Yeah, wanna see? Are you a movie buff or something?”
“No, my packmate is though” Rumi said absently, trying not to overthink the technicality of the title. It was true, sort of. They were in a pack together, her and Mira. Just not mates. Zoey made a noise of understanding.
“Lucky person then, to have such a thoughtful mate as you. Here, there’s some Gone with the Wind ones at the front that I think are really cool. Does she like Casablanca?” Zoey’s compliment had been an offhanded one. Rumi could tell she hadn’t meant it as a flirt, just a genuinely kind statement. It still made her bite her lip a bit.
“Thanks” Rumi said quietly, stepping into the fray. She took the stack from Zoey and tried not to panic over how fragile they seemed. They were beautiful. There were several of Mira’s favorites in the mix. She loved anything with a strong female protagonist, especially if there were dance numbers in the film. “She would love these” Rumi said finally, having forgotten Zoey had said anything else.
“That’s great! They’re not actually tagged yet, but I think we were gonna sell them at like one to four bucks a pop, depending on how popular the movie was. That sound okay?” Zoey’s tone had slipped into something a little more business forward, like she’d sensed Rumi’s disinterest when she’d said packmate. Rumi couldn’t help the feeling of disappointment in her chest at that.
“That would be awesome. I’ll take the whole set. I’m not sure what she’ll use them for, but she’s crafty so I’m sure she’ll come up with something” Rumi said, mind busy with idea. Zoey gingerly took the postcards back from Rumi, hands near reverent.
“Awesome. It may take me a couple minutes to finish tagging these before I can actually ring you up, if that’s okay. You’re welcome to keep looking around though! You have any special hobbies or anything? I can point you to the right section of the store, if so.”
Rumi watched as Zoey tucked the postcards into an envelope with deft fingers and rocked on her heels. The woman certainly seemed to have a lot of energy. “I, um. I’m a singing teacher and have a son in kindergarten. So. Anything for that?” Rumi asked, laughing a little nervously. She couldn’t remember the last time someone had taken a genuine interest in her life, as pathetic as that was.
Zoey nodded enthusiastically. “That’s amazing! I used to sing as a kid in chorus. Still do in the shower and the car and stuff. What are your rates? Wait, sorry, I won’t bother you with that. We’ve got some vintage books around the corner and I think there’s some chorus song books mixed in, if you’re interested. And the kids’ section is back at the front, near where I’ll ring you up.”
Rumi couldn’t help the fact that she was charmed. Zoey had a way of moving so quickly but holding your hand all the while. Making sure that you were walking with her and not left behind. It was endearing.
“I’ll give you my card once you check me out” Rumi said finally, smiling a little fondly. She saw Zoey’s eyes brighten at that and a small flush appear on her cheeks. Rumi blinked, replaying what she’d said. “For, for the singing lessons I mean” Rumi added, voice squeaky.
Zoey blinked rapidly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Cool, cool, singing lessons, for sure” Zoey said. Her scent, sweet and assuming, curled around Rumi’s nose. She bit back a smile. This woman was fucking cute.
“Right. Thank you, Zoey. I’m Rumi, by the way” she supplied, watching the way Zoey’s eyes lit up at the information. Rumi swore she could see the other woman passing her name back and forth in her mind, memorizing it, savoring it.
“Nice to meet you, Rumi. I’ll ring your stuff up and come find you once it’s ready. Sorry, antique stores don’t typically use like, normal barcodes so it takes awhile regardless” Zoey said. It was clear she was elongating the conversation, just looking for an excuse to keep Rumi there. Rumi felt fondness forming in her chest, fragile and sweet.
“Thanks again” Rumi said finally, sidestepping Zoey to make her way towards the book aisle. Her arm brushed against Zoey’s as she passed, solid and warm and oddly familiar. Rumi tried to ignore how comforting the sensation was.
She meandered in the books for awhile, parsing through faded yellow pages and crackly spines. She found the chorus books, but there wasn’t anything that spoke to her. Rumi found a dated book on speech pathology and wondered if her mom, Miyeong, would be interested. She’d worked in special education Rumi’s entire life and was where her passion for vocal work had come from.
Rumi sighed softly. What her parents had was steady and whole. They’d met on stage as young adults, performing in a traveling theater company together. Eventually they partnered up and had moved into a more domestic lifestyle, settling down and having Rumi. It was a picturesque life they’d set up for her.
Rumi put the book back with a huff. There was a constant irritation that ran through her at Mira. She couldn’t smell herself but figured it had turned, from its usual campfire scent into something more acrid. She took a steadying breath, trying to tamp down her envy. She just wanted normalcy. She and Mira were so close to it, but the alpha would never accept things as they were.
It was as if the failed launch meant they could never be happy now, at least in Mira’s eyes. Rumi wandered from the books over into the toy section, heart heavy as her mind continued to wander. She fantasized, briefly, about actually entertaining Zoey. She wasn’t blind. The woman was incredibly attractive and clearly interested in Rumi. Maybe giving her a chance wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Rumi tried to imagine it for a moment. Where would they even go on a date? Rumi wouldn’t be caught in dead in a bar, she didn’t drink and hated crowds. A coffee shop? The smell would remind her of Mira. Same thing with a movie theater. She groaned. Everything made Rumi think of her.
Before she knew it, Zoey was back. Zoey had her hands stuck into her jean pockets as she rocked back and forth on her heels, effortlessly charming. Rumi took a steadying breath. Followed her back to the registration.
Rumi was quiet as she swiped her card and entered her pin information. Zoey was humming, something light and airy. Rumi felt herself looking up in spite of herself. Zoey genuinely sounded good.
“You. Right. My card” Rumi said awkwardly, fumbling to pull her wallet back out again. Zoey grinned widely, eyes sparkling with relief. “Oh thank god, I’m not gonna say I was like baiting you to remember with the humming, but highkey I was baiting you to remember with the humming.”
Rumi let out a short laugh and passed her card, a worn piece of cardstock Mira had printed for her, to the woman. Zoey spun it around on her fingertips and Rumi’s eye caught the movement with interest.
“For. Singing lessons” Rumi said, still awkward, but insistent. Now she was the one that didn’t want to let the conversation end. Zoey put the envelope of postcards into a brown paper bag and added some floral tissue paper, a lovely touch.
“For your packmate, yeah?” Zoey asked, voice sobering a touch. Rumi swallowed thickly. She shouldn’t clarify. It wasn’t any of Zoey’s business. She’d given her the card for singing lessons, no other reason.
“We’re. Um. We’re co-parenting but we’re not like. Together” Rumi said. She couldn’t help herself. She couldn’t help but want something for herself, just this once. Zoey’s serious face melted away and she grinned toothily. “Got it. Well. I will text you. Call you. About the. Singing lessons” Zoey said, feigning a dry tone. Rumi rolled her eyes.
“Easy tiger” she said, smiling as she saw the term of endearment go straight to Zoey’s heart. The young alpha drummed her fingertips on the tabletop, sliding the gift bag over to Rumi. She took it and let their fingers brush, let the electricity run through her. Shivered the slightest bit. Saw Zoey notice.
“I’ll see you around” Rumi added, biting down on her lip as she turned away. “Definitely. You know where to find me” Zoey called after her. Her voice lingered in Rumi’s mind, accentuated by the ringing of the door’s welcome bell as she exited.
-
Mira clearly loves the postcards, despite her best efforts to hide that fact. Rumi watched quietly as Mira unwrapped them with the same reverence she’d seen Zoey show them before. “These are beautiful, Ru” Mira said, the affectionate term slipping out despite her best efforts to stay cold. Rumi felt the endearment wiggle its way into her soul.
“Yeah I just. They made me think of you. Wanted to get you something special. Figured you could use them for crafting or something” Rumi said, a little cautious. She didn’t want to break the spell. Didn’t want Mira to remember that they shouldn’t be sitting so close together. Mira’s fingers traced the worn prints and she was quiet a moment longer.
“I already have ideas. You’ll see” Mira said finally, her voice distant the way it got when she was planning something. Rumi smothered the fondness forming in her chest. “You’re picking up Felix soon, yeah?” Rumi said finally, willing herself to let the moment pass.
She saw Mira come back into herself and watched as her walls reconstituted themselves. Tried not to let it bruise her. “Yeah, yeah. I was gonna take him to that park we like by your parents and maybe out to dinner, so we’ll be home around like 7 maybe. Is that okay?”
Rumi swallowed thickly. Steadied herself. “Yeah. I actually have a client coming over for a singing lesson soon, so I’ll be busy with that. It’s convenient you’ll both be out then, but my ringer is always up if you need me.”
Mira paused a beat. “Who’s the client? One of the ladies from preschool?” Her voice danced on the edge of protective, unwilling to fully admit her care for Rumi. Rumi felt her heart ache at the display. “No, actually. I met her at the store where I bought your postcards.”
Rumi felt Mira stiffen the slightest bit. “What, um. What do you know about this girl? Is she young? An alpha, or?” Mira was feigning casual, but Rumi saw through it. “I’m not gonna let some knothead asshole cover our house with their scent. I’m not stupid, Mira.” The alpha bristled at that.
“I know that” Mira replied, a bit of acid in her tone. “I just. Want to make sure you’re safe. It’s fine though, you can take care of yourself, I know” she added, giving up just as quick. Rumi sighed quietly. Wished, for a moment, that Mira would just take care of her anyways.
“Well. Anyways. Thank you for the birthday gift. And thank you for not planning anything extravagant for me. I know you know this, but that’s not my speed” Mira said, a little stiff. Rumi remembered distantly when they’d first gotten together and she’d done the absolute most for Mira’s birthday. Back then, she’d loved it. But anything that declared their love too loudly was a no go, now.
“I’ll get out of your hair” Mira added, standing up and patting Rumi awkwardly as she did so. Rumi pulled her knees up to her chest, protective of herself in the face of nothing in particular. “No problem” she replied, softly. You’re not a problem, she wanted to say. Said nothing.
And Mira was gone. Clattering through the house to collect her shoes and keys and Felix’s day bag. Out the door without a hug or kiss or any of the other affections their love was once built upon.
Rumi sighed heavily and pulled herself to her feet. Zoey was coming over. For, she reminded herself once again, a singing lesson. If nothing else, the distraction would be good for her, Rumi thought. Rubbed her hands against her legs nervously, then set off to prepare.
-
Zoey really was a good singer. She was comfortably able to get well up into the soprano range and her voice was clean and light. Rumi found herself distracted by Zoey’s sound, drifting from her role as a vocal coach into momentary daydreams.
Zoey’s fangs were prominent, for one thing, and Rumi found them entirely too distracting. She fought the urge to smack a key on her piano just to clear out her mind. Zoey finished the last bar Rumi had assigned her and then cleared her throat, chest rising and falling a bit from the exertion.
“You’re good, Zoey. Really good. You hold a lot of tension in your tongue, though” Rumi said, clearing her throat. Focus up, she reminded herself. Zoey blinked owlishly at her, but said nothing. Rumi quirked a brow, worried she’d offended her.
“What?” Rumi said finally, feeling awkward. Zoey laughed, high and loud. “Sorry, I’m just. It’s crazy you figured that out so fast. That’s been an issue my whole life. I always press it up against the roof of my mouth for some reason, even when I’m not singing. I think it’s a nervous habit.”
Rumi felt proud at that. Her mom had really given her a strong foundation upon which to build her career. “Well, it’s easier said than done, but you just need to drop your jaw a bit. I’ll give you some exercises for how to rework the vowels of this song to naturally help you do that” Rumi said, trying to stay professional. Zoey stared at her and she felt tension zip down her spine.
“How do you like, know that stuff?” Zoey asked, voice genuinely curious. Her eyes were ever moving, taking in their surroundings. They were in the dining room, technically, though it was multipurpose. The dining table used to perpetually get covered in Mira’s craft supplies and Rumi’s songbooks, so they’d dragged two desks into the corners of the room for work purposes. Rumi’s piano took up the other half of the room.
She felt her face burn hot a bit at the disorganization of it all. Their home was functional, but it wasn’t aesthetic. “My mom was a speech pathologist back in the day” Rumi said softly, watching Zoey take the space in. Her eyes weren’t judgemental, but they were hungry, eating up the visual stimulation all around them. Her eyes flickered to the bulletin board over Mira’s desk, where Felix’s various drawings were pinned up.
“Does your kid have speech stuff going on?” Zoey asked. Rumi paused. “How did you know that?” She asked, cautious. Zoey’s eyes flickered to her, confused. “Oh. It was just a lucky guess. My dad works with kids with autism and then he had me, a kid with autism. Or, Asperger’s, as he likes to say. Sometimes we like, manifest people into our lives, y’know?”
Rumi chewed on the concept. Felix had been slow to start talking. He hit all his other development milestones fine, but he didn’t start talking until pretty late in the game. And when he did, it was clear he had a bit of an expressive speech delay. Even though Rumi read to him every night, he was quiet and didn’t use many words. Miyeong was working with him on it though and he was making progress at school.
Rumi reprocessed what Zoey had said, realized she’d shared something pretty personal. “Oh. Yeah. He um, Felix, he does. He’s catching up now though and his doctors aren’t worried about it. Thank you for sharing with me” Rumi said, voice a little scratchy. She reached for her water bottle, decorated with stickers that Felix had chosen, and took a swig. Zoey’s lips twitched at the sight of it, largely reptiles.
“He has good taste” Zoey said, motioning to the stickers. Rumi swallowed, then smiled shyly. “Yeah. He does. He’s kinda the best, actually” she replied, all fondness. It would never matter how much she and Mira struggled. Felix had been worth it.
“I love turtles. All reptiles, really. But turtles are like a super big hyperfocus thing for me. I have a whole collection of ceramic turtle tealights at home. There’s a fucking lot of them out there, did you know that?” Zoey asked, voice picking up speed rapidly. Rumi blinked rapidly, a small smile on her face.
Fucking hell. Once again, Zoey was cute. Rumi felt her smile growing and bit her lip. “I uh. No. I did not know that. I’d be down to hear you talk about turtles anytime, though” Rumi replied. What was she doing? She saw her words register in Zoey’s mind, saw her excitement forming.
“There’s a turtle sanctuary not far from here. We should go sometime. They do like, sunrise walks and a rehab center you can donate to and visit. It’s dope. Kinda my favorite place in the world.”
Rumi felt warmth building in her chest. “Are we becoming friends?” She asked, unable to stop herself. Zoey grinned crookedly. “I would surely like that” she replied, eyes sparkling. Rumi couldn’t help but grin back at her.
“Do your exercises. If you can show me that jaw dropped and your tongue in its proper place, I’ll go to turtle land with you” Rumi replied. The wording of her claim came to her too late and she saw Zoey’s face falter, both felt and saw as they both stained pink.
“No, I mean, you can do whatever you want with your mouth, I-” Rumi stuttered, face burning hot. Zoey looked like she was going to swallow her own tongue, face bright. “No, you’re good, totally good, I caught what you meant, yeah. What could you want to know about my tongue-”
“Well, I’d like to get to know your tongue, I just-” Jesus fucking Christ, what was Rumi doing? She physically put her hands over her mouth, face so hot it felt like it would boil a fucking egg. Zoey did the same and then burst into laughter, high and nervous.
“You’re good, you’re good, don’t worry. Good to um, good to know, but no worries, Rumi, it’s fine” Zoey laughed out, hands moving from her mouth to hold her own sides, seemingly aching with laughter. Rumi laughed too, loud and bright and bold. It was so fucking easy with Zoey.
“Go home” Rumi gasped out, not unkindly. Zoey nodded rapidly, biting her lip. It seemed like there was so much more she wanted to say, but they’d already crossed a boundary. Were edging towards crossing more.
“Text me a day you can do a turtle walk. Early. I know you have a family, so no worries on timing. Just. Whenever you’re free, I wanna see you” Zoey said, all earnesty. Rumi nodded silently, cheeks still warm. “Yes ma’am, will do” she said quietly. Zoey quirked a fond brow at that. “I’ll work on that tongue placement too. Anything for you, my dear” Zoey replied, all flirtation. Rumi shoved at her shoulder. Felt fire thrum in her bones.
And then they heard the jingle of keys in the door. Rumi and Zoey nearly knocked heads in their hurry to separate, to stand up and move to opposite sides of the room. Rumi couldn’t help but smile as she heard the distant sound of Felix humming, knew he probably had his headphones on and was listening to something on Mira’s bluetooth.
“Hi guys” Rumi called out, loud but neutral. “I thought you were going to dinner?” Rumi asked, trying to hide her awkwardness. Zoey avoided eye contact, rocking back and forth on her feet. She heard Mira clear her throat in the other room, setting her keys down and clattering around. Loud. Present. Alpha.
Mira stepped into the doorway, face pulled into something serious and composed. Rumi fought the urge to roll her eyes at the performative nature of it all. “Hi there. You must be Rumi’s new client” Mira said, sidestepping Rumi’s question entirely. She felt irritation brewing at that.
Zoey took it in stride. Rumi could smell as Zoey’s scent receded, bowing out without issue given she was a stranger in the alpha’s home. All politeness. Rumi felt frustration at the fact that Mira felt the need to do all this fucking posturing at all.
“Yep. That’s me! Friends too, at least I hope” Zoey said, warm and inoffensive. Mira’s eyes flickered at that. “Right. Well. Rumi, I was thinking we could take Felix out for family dinner. Been a bit since we did that. What do you say?”
Rumi felt acid in her throat. The performative nature of it all made her stomach twist. Mira was only even offering this as a means of staking her social claim, but she wouldn’t actually spend real quality time with Rumi. She could see it now, Mira wrapped up in her cell phone and Rumi pouring all her energy into Felix. Separated. As always.
“No, I was gonna cook originally before you said you were taking him out. We should stay home, eat the ingredients I bought before they go bad” Rumi replied, tone carefully clinical. Zoey cleared her throat.
“Oh. Okay. Got it. Felix, that okay bud?” Mira called. Rumi heard soft footsteps as he padded in, floppy mauve hair and oversized headphones in tow. His dark eyes narrowed at the sight of a stranger in their home and he clung to Mira’s leg, always his protector.
“Who’s that?” He asked, voice soft but loud enough to carry. Zoey crouched down without question, meeting his level and rocking softly still. “Hi. I’m Zoey. I’m friends with your momma. Do you like turtles?”
Felix’s eyes brightened in an instant. “Yeah” he replied, all too easily. “Did you know they breathe through their butts?” He asked, eager. Rumi bit back a laugh and Mira made an indignant noise. “Felix! That’s not polite conversation” Rumi laughed, obviously not actually angry. Felix grinned, revealing a missing front tooth. Rumi gasped.
“When did that happen?” She asked, motioning to her own mouth. Felix blinked belatedly. “Oh, at grandma’s” he said, clearly disinterested in this turn in conversation. “Did you know turtles don’t have teeth?” Zoey asked, refocusing him instantly. Rumi bit back another laugh.
“Duh” Felix said. He rocked on his heels and squatted down, mimicking Zoey. Rumi felt that earlier warmth build taller in her chest. Mira cleared her throat, loud and undeniable. “Right. Well. Zoey was just leaving, wasn’t she?”
Rumi felt her mood sour at that, knew her scent must be curdling, but Zoey took it in stride. She stood up and brushed her hands on her jeans, clearly more for the movement than because her hands were dirty. Felix copied the movement, eyes bright and curious. “Right. Just leaving. Seeya later guys! Rumi, I’ll text you about the turtle stuff.”
Felix gasped and turned, head following Zoey’s path through the dining room. “Turtle stuff?” He stomped after her towards the foyer, more eager than Rumi had seen in months. Mira’s expression was dark.
“Zoey wanted to go to the turtle sanctuary with me” Rumi confessed, half to Mira and half to Felix. His jaw dropped and he nearly stomped his foot in protest. Rumi quirked a brow, focusing on him and not the acrid scent of burnt coffee filling her nose.
“We should make a day of it” Mira replied suddenly, tone clinical. Rumi nearly stumbled where she stood. “What?” She asked quietly, too quiet for Felix to hear. Zoey, ever the trooper apparently, nodded enthusiastically. Felix was nearly her shadow now. Rumi had never seen him warm to someone so quickly.
“Yeah, for sure. I’m kinda tight with the staff there since I’m around so often. We should do a sunrise walk sometime, if you’re able to get up that early, little man” Zoey said, eyeing Felix in faux suspicion. He gasped at the accusation. “I can get up early for turtles!” He said. He turned towards Rumi, eyes bright. “Can we do it?” He asked, lips twisting with the effort.
“Yeah” Rumi said, in spite of it all. This wasn’t what she’d dreamed of, at all. But she couldn’t say no to Felix, could never say no to Felix. She smelled Mira’s scent soften, knew her love for Felix was dulling her anger as well.
Zoey was finally able to leave once Rumi lured him in with the promise of snack bites while she cooked. Their pup was, lovingly, like a human garbage disposal and ate anything she fed him. Mira disappeared to their bedroom for a shower and was gone a long time.
Rumi cooked dinner with Felix’s company and tried to tamp down her frustration. She saw her phone buzz on the countertop and wiped her hands on her apron, wet from the sink. Grabbed her phone and slid it open.
It was a text from Zoey. Emphasizing again, how down she was to take their pack to the turtle sanctuary, but asking if they could hang out one-on-one sometime. Apparently Zoey had recently bought a smoothie machine and wanted someone to test it out with. A request so insanely specific and so Zoey that Rumi knew it had to be true. She felt her lips curl into a fond smile.
“Who are you texting?” Mira asked. She was standing in the doorway, still imposing as ever, but slumped. She looked, Rumi recognized now, tired. Worn. Felix had his headphones on again and was playing a game on his iPad, completely absorbed.
“Zoey” Rumi replied, unwilling to lie. Mira’s eyes narrowed. “Y’all are becoming fast friends, it seems” Mira said, tone carefully devoid of intent. Rumi sighed. “Yes, well. I’m allowed to do that, y’know. She’s pretty great if you get to know her. You’d like her if you gave her a chance” Rumi said, all honesty.
Because she meant it. She actually could see Mira and Zoey being friends. Zoey was, to put it frankly, a strange fucking person. Mira pretty much only hung out with oddballs. ‘Normal’ people tended to bore her. And Mira was just so effortlessly cool, Rumi could totally see Zoey falling for it. Falling for her, even.
Something hardened in her chest at that. She shoved the thought down, away. Mira spoke. “Well. Sorry if Felix and I intruded upon your new friendship” Mira said, unable to keep the harshness out of her tone. Rumi fought the urge to roll her eyes.
“I’m always happy to spend time with my family” she replied, tone growing icy. Her eyes darted to Felix and she was grateful to see that he was still entirely wrapped up in whatever game he was playing. “I just. I’m also allowed to have friends. Relationships, even.”
Mira swallowed hard at that, her throat bobbing. Rumi’s eyes followed the movement. Remembered a time when she thought Mira’s throat would be decorated with a bite mark from her, mating them forever. Shoved her thoughts away further.
“Right. Well. Felix is coming to the studio with me tomorrow, so you’re free to do whatever you want with whoever it is you see. Don’t let me get in your way” Mira replied. All at once, the anger was gone from her tone again. Replaced with tiredness. Fight for me, Rumi wanted to say. Prove that I’m worth it.
Rumi said nothing. Turned towards Felix, ready to move onto the next thing. She grabbed the silverware for their meal and felt Mira slide behind her to grab the cups, an easy practiced thing. Felt herself go a degree number.
-
“I really thought this would be easier” Zoey said, tone defeated. Rumi bit back a laugh, staring at the sad pile of orange ice chips splattered half into a glass and half all over Zoey’s counter. It was a pathetic display.
“I don’t understand what went wrong” Zoey complained, pushing at Rumi’s shoulder when she did finally laugh at her. “I don’t know either, Zoey, because you refused to read the directions” Rumi said, sides aching. Zoey stuck a finger into the mushed up ice and tasted it, stubborn as a mule.
“At least it tastes right, even if the texture is, well. Awful” Zoey said, searching for a bright side. Rumi’s eyes lingered on Zoey’s fingertips, still icy and now stained orange. Zoey followed the movement, lips quirking.
“Here, you wanna try?” Zoey asked, reaching for the glass. Rumi had half a mind to reach out and take her hand, taste it directly. Fought the instinct off, face flushing and scent blooming. Zoey’s nose twitched with it and her hand stilled halfway to the glass.
“I, um. Here. Let me try another way” Zoey said. For half a second, Rumi really thought she was going to offer her fingers to Rumi. Rumi was deeply worried that she’d actually fucking accept them.
Instead, Zoey brought the glass to her own mouth and took a bite of the slush, only grimacing a bit. Rumi watched as Zoey swallowed, lips shiny and throat bobbing. Felt her scent bloom a little higher and, by god, smelled Zoey’s curling to meet it. Sugar and heat on a stovetop, curling into something sweet.
“Stop me if you don’t want this” Zoey said after a beat, leaning in closer towards Rumi. It clicked, finally, her plan. Rumi felt her chest tighten for a beat, then loosen. Let it happen. Felt her braid slip over her shoulder as she leaned in to meet Zoey halfway.
She tasted sharp, like the artificial orange they’d tried to flavor the slushie with. It wasn’t an altogether unpleasant taste, but certainly conflicted with their warring scents. Rumi smiled against Zoey’s cold mouth, tickled by the stupidity of the situation. Zoey made a soft sound against Rumi’s mouth and leaned in further, slotting their lips together. Rumi swallowed the sound Zoey made like it was just another flavor against her lips.
Zoey’s scent was curling all around her, not claiming, but seeking. Rumi felt herself reaching back out to it, felt herself letting Zoey settle over her shoulders like a well worn coat. This felt cozy. It felt right.
Ever so slowly, one of Zoey’s hands came out to settle over the small of Rumi’s back. She didn’t pull Rumi closer, didn’t dare, but Rumi took the bait anyways. Settled further inside Zoey’s arms, inside her bubble. Let the alpha’s warmth envelop her like a blanket.
Without meaning to, Rumi felt her throat generate a small chirping sound, fragile and pleased. She broke the kiss without a second thought, face flushing pink, embarrassed. Zoey wiped at her mouth and grinned toothily.
“How was it? The slushie, I mean” Zoey said, voice a little throaty. There was a lovely blush blooming over her collarbones and climbing high up on her neck. Rumi fantasized briefly about biting down, adding color to it.
“Sticky” Rumi replied, mouth twitching with the urge to smile. Zoey grinned twice as large on her behalf. “Yeah, I think I’m gonna have to watch some YouTube tutorials later. I already threw the paper instructions away, they’re underneath the ice bag I’m pretty sure.” Rumi laughed openly at that.
“Such a planner” she said wryly, one hand coming up to rest comfortably on Zoey’s bicep. She felt the strength in the other woman’s form and fought the urge to cop a feel. Control yourself, good lord.
“You know me, baby. God of organization, clearly. That’s why there was a filing cabinet in the middle of the fucking walkway when you met me” Zoey replied, flexing as if she’d read Rumi’s mind. She felt her mouth go dry at the ripple of muscle beneath her touch.
“Right, right. That’s exactly how I’d describe you” Rumi agreed amicably, nodding along. She plucked an ice chip off the front of Zoey’s tshirt, watched as it melted against her touch. Zoey’s breath was hot against her, making Rumi realize how close she’d stepped in.
And how much she didn’t want to leave. She tilted her head, looking down at Zoey through her lashes. Watched as Zoey caught her gaze, held it, like something sacred. Worth all the time and attention in the world.
Rumi leaned forward, caught Zoey in another kiss. This one was needier, mouths open and tongues meeting. The taste of orange had faded now and was replaced with something distinctly Zoey, like spun sugar or cherry blossoms on the breeze. Rumi broke the kiss to nose Zoey’s neck greedily, pressing up against her scent gland.
She was, she realized belatedly, scent marking her. Rumi pulled back a beat too late, face hot and expression guilty. “Sorry” she said, voice frayed, “I didn’t think about what I was doing. I’m sorry, really” she repeated. Zoey leveled her with a steady stare.
“I don’t mind. Really. I like it. Like you. I’d repay the favor but I wager that would make things complicated at home” Zoey said, voice even. Rumi swallowed thickly, feeling raw all over. “A little bit, yeah” she said, tone defeated.
Rumi sighed, a little unsteady on her feet. Zoey grabbed her hand gently and led her into her living room, plunked them down onto the couch. There was a coffee cup full of water with a watercolor of a turtle on it and Zoey offered it to Rumi, just to keep her hands full. Rumi took a sip.
“Mira and I, we really aren’t together. I don’t want you to think I misled you yesterday, when she was being all possessive. I don’t even know what that was about, honestly” Rumi said, eyes on the coffee table as she avoided Zoey’s gaze. Zoey made a soft noise of discontent.
“Right. Well. You guys might not be together but I don’t know that she’s ready for you to like, be with anyone else either” Zoey said. Rumi parsed through her words, searching for meaning. Zoey might have a point, actually. Rumi blustered.
“Well, it’s not like she has any right to feel that way. She has rut partners, for fuck’s sake. Just because I haven’t dated before now doesn’t mean I can’t, I mean, if I wanted to have you over for my heat she couldn’t stop me, could she?”
Rumi’s words catch up with her too late. Zoey has a spectacular ability to make Rumi do word vomit, it seems. Zoey’s face nearly flushes purple and her scent blooms spectacularly, like there’s a bakery set up next door. Rumi’s scent rushes to meet it and her mouth waters, despite her emotional panic.
“Yeah. Right. Nope. She couldn’t stop that, no, not really. Not fairly, anyways. You’re your own woman, Rumi” Zoey replied, voice cracking halfway through. Rumi laughs sharply at the absurdity of it all. “Sorry. That was just an example, I’m not saying I would-” Rumi began, stopping halfway through. Zoey nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah, of course not. Well. I mean. You could. Maybe like. Not immediately, but like, let’s see where things go-or, maybe I’ll just shut up actually” Zoey said, word vomit apparently being contagious. Rumi felt hope blossoming in her chest, loud and undeniable. The idea of it was incredible, if she was being honest. To not be alone on her heat, finally, for the first time in six fucking years.
To have someone who genuinely liked it and wasn’t afraid to say so, wrapped up in her arms for a night. The idea of it actually made tears prick at the corners of her eyes and she swallowed thickly. Zoey, confused as she may be, was there in an instant. Pressing at the corners of Rumi’s eyes to fight off the tears and murmuring soft reassurances into her skin.
“Whoa. Hey, stay with me, love. What happened? Where you going?” Zoey questioned softly, all care and no demand. Rumi swallowed thickly. Set the turtle mug down. “I’m sorry. I just. I’m not used to having someone that’s like, proud to be with me, I guess?” Rumi admitted, hating her honesty yet unable to help it. Zoey’s face faltered. She looked sad for her, but not pitying. Rumi sucked in a shaky breath.
“I’m very proud to be with you. Proud of you, too. You kinda rock, Rumi” Zoey offered up, shy and earnest. Rumi smiled a little at that. “You’re like, a rockstar MILF and highkey my dream girl. I’m all about you, if you can’t tell.”
Rumi let out a sharp laugh at that, almost snorting. She covered her face in an instant, embarrassed. Zoey cackled at that, almost preening at having drawn such a noise out of Rumi. She smacked at Zoey’s shoulder, unafraid of contact now.
“I’m not a fucking MILF, I’m not even thirty yet” Rumi replied, indignant yet flattered all at once. “MILF status isn’t age-locked, baby” Zoey crowed in reply, peppering her face with kisses. Rumi nearly collapsed against her in a fit of giggles.
“But anyways” Zoey breathed out, after a beat. “Yes, very proud to be with you. Would love to be with you, whether your hot scary alpha ex wants that or not” Zoey said, pushing Rumi’s baby hairs back from her forehead. Rumi swallowed thickly at that.
Ex. Was that was Mira was? She guessed technically she was, although they were still packmates of sorts. And co-parents. The idea felt wrong, but she fought past the barrier. Tried to focus on the rest of Zoey’s words.
“Wait. You think Mira is hot?” Rumi questioned, unable to let it go. Zoey grinned, roguish and guilty. “Well. Yeah. I have eyes. And I’m not some outdated dynamicist asshole, I think alphas can totally date other alphas.”
“Oh great, so now you’re gonna leave me for my ex” Rumi said, only half joking. Zoey shoved at her. “Yeah right. She’s got a lot to work on in the personality department. You don’t belong to her, whether you’ve got a kid together or you’re mated or what. You’re still you, Rumi. Still your own person.”
Rumi nodded faintly at that. It was a bitter pill to swallow, in a weird way. That she would always be her own. That she may never be had the way she wanted. Never claimed. Zoey’s hands on her shoulders softened, pulling her gently back into reality.
“Hey. Hey. Earth to Rumi? It’s Zoey, the hot alpha geek you pulled by being the baddest MILF in town. Here to remind you that I’m interested in you and not your knothead babydaddy.”
Rumi snorted at that, throat a little thick with unshed tears. “Right. Thank you for the reminder, Zoey. So specific as well, I really appreciate that” Rumi replied. Zoey jostled her a bit, trying to jog Rumi out of her funk.
“Listen. I know your thing is complicated. Like, more complicated than I can properly appreciate. But I don’t do like, casual hookups that don’t mean anything. I can take things slow, but I’m not going anywhere. I like you, y’know it?”
Rumi let out a shuddering sigh. “Yeah. That. That’s fair. That sounds good. I don’t think I can commit to much right now, like. Seriously. But I really like you and I’d like to see where things go, if you’re patient enough to wait for me to figure my shit out. Is that really okay?”
Zoey nodded easily, scratching at the back of her neck like she had all the time in the world. “Yeah, yeah, I can do that. You’re worth it, y’know?” Zoey replied, settling her arm around Rumi’s shoulders like it could really be that simple. She told herself, for a moment, that maybe it was.