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Rumi drummed her fingers on her thigh, leaning against Zoey as Zoey scrolled through her phone.
"I still don't understand shipping," Rumi said, after one too many posts had scrolled past. "Half the time they're not even friends. Or we're literally trying to kill each other."
On Zoey's other side, Mira shrugged, "Two hot people make eye contact and people start whispering. It's inevitable."
"Miromabby," Zoey said without looking away from her phone.
Mira's left eye twitched and Zoey giggled.
"I've never dated anyone before," Rumi mumbled. Her gaze flicked down to her exposed arm, the iridescent pattern shimmering slightly, as it usually did when she was near her friends. Because they made her happy.
'Have you thought about it now?" Zoey asks, raising her eyebrows. "Like I know we're not supposed to date anyone but lots of stuff happens out of the public eye and honestly with how hot you are you could have like, anyone you ever wanted."
Yeah, anyone, Rumi squashed the thought before her mind could start chasing it to the inevitable conclusion. Would she have tried for something with Jinu if they'd had the chance? She actually couldn't say and felt like the not knowing was the worst part. A could have been. So many love songs had been written about could have beens.
If she'd scribbled some song and lyric ideas in her own notebook like she was Sappho and composed melodies and themes, late at night while Zoey sleepily traced her patterns and Mira snuggled in against her, no she hadn't.
Mira snorted.
Rumi's head snapped up as her brain gremlins all started shouting at once, "You've dated?"
"I wouldn't call it dating." A cocky smile crossed Mira's lips, "But I made out with Blackpink."
"…which member?" Zoey asked, entire body whipping in Mira's direction.
"Yes." A beat, then Mira flicked her tongue out and curled it in the air, "With tongue."
Rumi swallowed a surge of … of something. Something gnarled and twisted and hot. She managed to get out a question that didn't involve Mira's tongue(she really didn't need to be focusing on Mira's tongue) which she gave herself some praise for, "When … when was this??"
"Years ago. Around our third Idol Awards win I think." Mira's hand slid around Zoey's back and touched Rumi's shoulder. Rumi couldn't read her expression. There was smugness there (understandable, if Rumi kissed that many hot women she'd— well she'd have caught on fire and died but she'd have died smug about it) but also something else.
"Who's the best kisser? I have to know." Zoey asked, interrupting Rumi's attempt to decipher Mira's expression, "It's Lisa isn't it. No, Jennie!"
"State secret."
Zoey grabbed Mira's shoulder and shook her, then straddled her lap and pouted, "Come on you can't drop that bomb without the juicy details! Did you get to second base? Third?"
"Why are we talking about baseball?" Mira asked, staring at Zoey with a perplexed and yet amused expression.
"Oh, first base is tongue, second base is titty grabbing, third base is like, getting your hands in their pants. Or tongue action on the happy places, depends on who you ask." Zoey nodded. "Like me. Third base is eating you out. I mean eating someone out. You know."
Rumi's face started to match the color of Mira's hair as Mira let out a low laugh, murmuring, "Zoey, your mind fascinates me."
Zoey smiled at her, "I always feel so happy when you say that. I know you actually mean it and you're not making fun of me."
"I make fun of you," Mira protested.
"Nope, can't take it back, I heard the fondness in your voice, I saw the smile in your eyes!" Zoey flopped against Mira's chest, arms wrapping around her. "I'm yours forever!"
Her head turned and she smiled at Rumi, one of those softer smiles that Rumi so treasured, "Yours too. We're a package deal."
A little lopsided smile rested on Rumi's face in response.
"Obviously we need to make out with another girl group if we hope to catch up, Zoey." Rumi's mouth snapped shut as soon as the words escaped, as if her brain gremlins decided to cause trouble.
They both stared at her and then Zoey buried her face in Mira's shoulder as she erupted in laughter. Then she sat upright, "Okay sure! We have to see if anyone is better."
"I'm pretty sure 'which group is better' has started entire wars on the internet," Mira said, eyeing Zoey. "And that's without tongue involved."
What about who's better, Huntr/x or Blackpink, Rumi's brain gremlins cackled.
Oh no.
From the way they were staring at each her, she must have said that out loud. Betrayed by her own mouth.
Zoey lifted her finger and closed Mira's mouth. Mira blinked several times before nonchalantly saying, "If you're talking about music, us of course, there's no one better."
"I'm not talking about music." Rumi's eyes darted from Mira's mouth, to Zoey's, then to Mira's eyes. Maybe she should have taken the out that Mira had tried to give her, but she didn't want to.
It meant nothing. It was just kissing. So why did it feel like it meant everything?
Almost shyly, Zoey reached out, looping some strands of Rumi's hair around her finger, "I've never kissed anyone. But if it was you guys, then … I don't think there'd be anyone better for a first time."
"I've never either," Rumi assured her. Their eyes… she understood the unasked questions and who they were asking about and just shook her head slightly.
They both looked so relieved she wasn't sure how to feel about it.
Mira let out a breath, "No pressure, really. Just get to ruin you for other people forever."
Zoey smiled slyly, "Oh we'll just have to find out, won't we? But Rumi and I have to kiss too. Since it's a group project. For science!"
The look on Mira's face coiled a spring inside Rumi. But she managed, in a deeper, rougher voice than she'd intended, to agree, "For science."
Mira gestured, "Makes no difference to me who goes first. I'll blow your minds either way."
"Well Zoey's already in your lap," Rumi pointed out, swallowing a lump in her throat as she realized just how badly she wanted to see them kiss. "So …"
"I am!" Zoey confirmed cheerfully, then promptly leaned over, cupped Rumi's cheek and kissed her.
Distantly, she heard Mira's sharp intake of breath, but couldn't really focus on anything but the warmth of Zoey's hand on her cheek and the softness of her lips. Then Rumi leaned in and kissed her back, making a sound in the back of her throat that was actually embarrassing. There was a promise of heat and then a flame flickering to life, Zoey's mouth moving against hers like she was trying to memorize the feel of her lips.
It was over much too soon, leaving Rumi craving that flickering flame, staring at Zoey's lips like they'd betrayed her for leaving her mouth.
"There! We have a baseline, a control group if you will," Zoey said, eyes glittering even as her face probably matched the color of Rumi's. Her voice wavered, like she was out of breath, or holding herself back, "Maybe we try tongue after Mira. For uh, another control. Yeah."
Flushed, Rumi managed to look at Mira. Mira's expression was difficult to read but there was a hunger in her eyes along with … honestly she looked like she was having a religious experience.
That expression made Rumi feel several kinds of ways that would have to be a crisis for Future Rumi to deal with and/or end up in her private songbook. Probably both.
She had to take control or she was going to melt off the couch.
"Zoey, you and Mira next," Rumi said, firmly. Their responses to her order were very similar and Rumi decided that might also be a crisis for later, but she admitted to herself that she was really into their reactions.
Progress?
Running a lazy hand up Zoey's back, Mira studied Rumi before turning her full attention to Zoey. Zoey's eyes dilated, locked on Mira's face as Mira toyed with her hair, then the side of her neck. Slowly, languidly, she pulled her down and kissed her.
Now Rumi was having that religious experience, watching Zoey's eyes roll back and then flutter closed, Mira kissing her with a slow burning want that left the room feeling devoid of oxygen. Then Zoey started to respond in kind, fingers digging into Mira's arm, a groan rumbling through her.
Something possessed Rumi then and she reached out, one hand resting on Zoey's hip, the other lightly touching Mira's side. Both girls jumped, the kiss deepening as moans escaped their throats. Rumi dared to slip her fingertips beneath each of their shirts, feeling how hot their skin was. The way they shifted, shivering, leaning into her touch, felt like it punched something loose inside her.
She could watch this forever, she realized, a smile floating across her face. They were gorgeous. Zoey was kissing Mira like she wanted her to forget any other mouth that she'd ever had. Mira kissed her back like Zoey was something worth worshiping.
The pang that rippled through Rumi's chest made her want to parkour across roofs until the only thing she could feel was wind and burning muscles and she didn't have to think about how she was feeling or how turned on she was.
But she stayed put, rooted.
Too soon, they pulled apart, Zoey so dizzy that Rumi had to catch her when she fell over, sprawling on top of them both. Despite that emotion Rumi refused to name, a little amused laugh came out as she stroked her hair, "So what's the consensus?"
"Kissing is awesome." Zoey gave them a double thumbs up, then dropped her hands onto her stomach.
"It looked nice," Rumi breathed. Her eyes lifted to meet Mira's, "What about you?"
Mira's mask had slipped, genuine want and affection on her face and reflected in her eyes as she looked from Zoey to Rumi and back again. Somehow, Rumi had the impression she'd never looked at anyone else like that before and she was incredibly happy about that. The pang became … something else. More like hopeful longing. Mira was looking at her and Zoey like she'd reserved this expression only for them.
"Uh." Mira said, smartly. Then she blinked, affecting a nonchalance that Rumi knew was entirely false, "So on the Blackpink scale, Zoey wins no contest."
Zoey giggled, then with obvious reluctance rolled off their laps and onto the floor, before getting up. She grabbed Rumi's hand, tugging her to her feet and then immediately pushed her onto Mira. Rumi made no attempt to resist and settled on top of Mira, straddling her like Zoey had done earlier.
Rumi had no thoughts only Mira.
The faux-nonchalance completely shattered as Mira stared at them, "This is so unfair."
"It's only science if you write it down," Zoey said, grabbing her phone to write. Dropping onto the couch next to them, she continued, "And it's perfectly fair. You have to kiss her the same position you kissed me. For science."
"For science," Rumi echoed, even as her skin was on fire and she felt like nothing was in her control just then and her lungs had forgotten how to function. Even the damn gremlins in her brain were completely silent. Probably eating popcorn.
Then she felt Mira's hand slide up her back, under her shirt, dragging an unexpected sound from deep in her throat that was even worse than the one she'd made when Zoey had kissed her.
Would kissing Mira feel different? Better? God, she didn't want to actually have to compare them. Would Mira compare them? Would this mess them up? As a group? As friends? Before she could spiral any further, she leaned down and kissed her, one hand sliding around the back of Mira's neck and the other digging into her shoulder.
Mira made the embarrassing sound this time. So did Zoey, Rumi was pretty sure, but she could barely hear that over her own sound because she suddenly knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of that worship. Of Mira's lips moving against hers with intent, her tongue moving against and then inside Rumi's mouth like it belonged there.
Zoey's hand brushed along her leg, another caressing Mira's cheek and that changed something inside Rumi that she couldn't change back. She didn't think she wanted to.
As with either of the kisses with Zoey, it was over before Rumi wanted it to be. She barely swallowed a devastated whine as they broke contact.
"Also … better than them," Mira said, sounding out of breath. "I mean that. Different from Zoey, but just as good.
Rumi's face returned to its new pink default, but she believed her, because she felt the same way.
"So uhm maybe we need more data points," Zoey whispered, face close to Rumi's cheek. "Just so we know which of is better."
Mira pulled Rumi against her, and then Zoey too, "You're both good, and that's my final word on it." There was more she clearly wanted to say, and Rumi remained silent, trying not to let her mind spiral to all the worst case scenarios of their little experiment. Stupid gremlins.
"And if we want to kiss more," Mira finally said, eyes closed. "Why can't we just say that's what we want and stop pretending this isn't what it is?"
"What is this, then?" Rumi forced the words out, "Because I can't tell you how many love themes and lyrics about you two I've written and been in complete denial about."
"I have thirty notebooks of songs," Zoey whispered. "And a collage on my phone I made from pictures of us to create your faces."
Rumi found herself momentarily speechless and from the expression on Mira's face she knew she had to feel the same. Zoey looked between them, fidgeting with her fingers, "I know that—is that weird? That's weird isn't it—"
"No!" Rumi grabbed her hand, bringing it to her mouth and kissing her fingers.
Mira's hand slid across Zoey's face and into her hair, "That's literally the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me."
"Same," Rumi nodded earnestly.
The smile that exploded on Zoey's face was like a sunburst, and warmed Rumi just as much.
Leaning over, Mira kissed Zoey lightly, affectionately on the corner of her mouth, before she admitted, "That routine I've been working on for our next single keeps becoming way too erotic to just be friendly and the only time I've gotten any sleep lately is curled up on the couch with both of you."
Rumi laughed, a breathy sound, "So we've been a trio of clueless dorks in self-denial?"
Mira pointed at Rumi, "Clueless." Zoey, "Dork." Then finally herself, "Self-denial."
"Still doesn't answer my question," Rumi pointed out.
Zoey wrapped an arm around each of their shoulders, kissing one, then the other, "Oh that's easy. We've been dating for years and never told ourselves let alone each other."
Rumi pulled Zoey in a little closer, cupping her face and kissing her. Letting that flickering flame increase, claiming her mouth the way Mira had claimed her own, letting it linger until she couldn't breathe and then a little past that.
"I'm never getting tired of this," Mira whispered.
"Nnhme," Zoey concurred, sitting there dazed as Rumi broke the kiss.
Rumi's phone rang suddenly, making her nearly jump out of her skin. Unwilling to leave either of her girls but recognizing the ringtone as Bobby, Rumi winked at Zoey, then tightened her thighs around Mira's legs, leaning backwards and stretching to grab her phone off of the coffee table. She noted Mira's choked sound and Zoey's gasp of awe as her shirt rode up and her face was pink once more when she repositioned herself properly.
"Hey Bobby!"
"Girls! I sent you a few texts but you weren't answering. I was asking if you wanted anything for dinner since I was going to be in the area and I could pick something up."
Zoey beamed, Rumi's smile reflecting it as she said, "Thank you!"
After what they'd just done, what they'd finally admitted, Rumi realized that just eating in wasn't what she wanted. "Uhm actually I was wondering if you could get us a reservation at a nice restaurant instead. Something romantic." She swallowed, "For three."
Mira straightened and Zoey squeezed Rumi so hard she almost couldn't breathe.
There was a sound like a distant muffled finally before Bobby responded, "No problem Rumi! I know the perfect place that I've been wai— that I found. Recently. Very recently. Totally not on speed dial for this very moment. Very discreet, romantic but warm, with a great waterfront view. I'll text the location and time. It'll probably be around eight but I'll let you know for sure in a few minutes. Talk to you later!"
"Bye Bobby," Zoey called out, dissolving into giggling as he hung up.
"He couldn't possibly—" Rumi sputtered.
Laughing so hard that she was wheezing, Mira gasped out, "Oh my god … that man obviously clocked us and … has probably compiled a list of date locales with bated breath."
Rumi folded her arms, all but pouting, "Why am I the last person to realize I love you?"
Mira gently pulled Rumi's arms apart, still a little out of breath from all the wheezelaughing but face so lit up that it could warm Rumi for life, "It's the repression."
"Definitely the repression," Zoey agreed. "And I love you. I love you, I love you." She kissed each of them again, several times in quick succession, additional 'I love yous' falling from her lips.
"Same," Mira murmured. But she added, "I love you." Like she needed to hear herself say the words. Like she knew Rumi especially needed to hear them said too.
"Lets … look at … at what we've done, when we were thinking about each other and pretending we weren't. And make a song that's romantic and erotic and all of us," Rumi said. She hesitated, working up the courage before adding, "And because I love you too."
Mira nodded quickly, like she was thinking the same thing, eyes on Zoey, "Maybe we could call it Collage. Or something."
"No work today, only getting ready for date," Zoey admonished. But her eyes were sparkling, "But I'd love that."