Work Text:
The first time Zoey meets them she's positive that two goddesses have decided to take a vacation from the heavens to wander the earth. One sculpted with pink fire radiating a beautiful anarchy. The other sculpted with purple lightning, her voice sounds like the very sounds of the heavens themselves. Some divine potentially cosmic fate brought two of the prettiest women she's ever seen into her humble coffee shop.
Zoey clocks into her mundane nine to five cafe job with as much enthusiasm as she can muster. Which is to say none at all. Another day, another endless stream of pretentious high class and upper middle class assholes screaming that she got their order wrong. All the while everyone else in line taps their feet impatiently waiting for their orders to be taken. And to make things even more depressing she's on morning shift. Which meant she had to wake up way before the ass crack of dawn just to be here. Zoey takes one last sip of her own highly caffeinated coffee before plastering on her customer service smile and stepping out from the employee break area.
There's already a line of impatient customers forming outside and she hasn't even properly opened the store yet. Zoey does her best not to groan as she makes her way over to the door to open the store. The moment the door unlocks she has to jump out of the way to avoid being trampled over. A huff of frustration builds in her throat as she pats down her apron and makes her way back to the counter.
From there the morning passes in a blur of taking and fulfilling orders. It isn't until ten a.m. that she's given even a moment to rest. She's in the middle of wiping down the counter when the doorway chimes.
"Welcome to Heart and Seoul I'll be right with you." The phrase leaves her throat without second thought, automatic.
She takes two more passes over her counter top before unceremoniously dumping her rag into a basket to be washed. When she finally glances up at her newest customers she feels the air leave her lungs. There standing in front of her are two of the most radiant women she's ever seen. The one with pink hair with twin tails is all sharp edges, long legs, and her thighs. Good lord her thighs. She's slightly taller than her purple haired companion but that isn't saying much when they both stand taller Zoey.
Speaking of her purple haired companion. The other woman has her hair done up in a ridiculously long braid nearly scrapping the floor. She's more muscular than her friend Zoey almost drools at the sight of her abs poking out from underneath her crop top. And don't get her started on the tattoos that she spies on her arms. The purple bolts crawling up the sides of her neck, sinking down past her waist. There's three places Zoey would rather be right now and two of them are in the arms of the goddesses standing before her. The last is her bed, for less than appropriate reasons.
"Are you okay?" The pink haired goddess' voice drips with disinterest like she can't actually be bothered with being here at all. Much less having to get the attention of an employee.
"Y- yeah. What can I get for you ladies. Perhaps our signature mint boba. Though I hope you don't mind a wait if you do want boba. Bobby's in the back ripping open a fresh box now. If you're in a hurry I'd recommend our chocolate frappe. Unless you already know what you want. I'm going to stop rambling now." Heat rises to Zoey's cheeks as she's overcome by embarrassment. It takes all her self control to not shuffle awkwardly on her feet.
The two women in front of her share a conspiratorial glance. The one with purple hair leans in to whisper something in the other's ear, before the pink haired one steps forward a smirk tugging on the edges of her lips.
"I'd like to order a medium iced chocolate macchiato and one cutie pie."
Zoey's brow furrows as she thinks. She doesn't remember them having anything called a cutie pie on the menu. She softly and repeatedly mutters the name of the item trying to wrack her brain for any possible connection. When she finally pieces it together the pink haired girl's words hits her like a brick to the face. She can feel an immense heat building in her core. It rises up to her cheeks and she can almost feel the steam trailing off the tips of her ears. Her heart hammers wildly in her chest as she attempts to maintain her composure.
"Haven't heard that one before." She stiffly sputters out the words, accentuated by an awkward chuckle. "And for you?"
"I'll try a medium mint boba. You recommended it after all."
Another stilted chuckle leaves Zoey's throat. Inwardly she cringes at how awkward she's coming off. "Can I get your names?"
Before either woman can speak Zoey's mouth does what it does best. Blurt out more words than necessary.
"So i can write them on your cups of course. Not for any other reason. Hehe."
'Oh my god did I really just say hehe.'
"I'm Mira, that's Rumi." The pink haired goddess, Mira, blesses Zoey's ears with her voice.
Zoey quickly scribbles the names down on the side of the cups. "I'll have these out to you in a jiffy."
As she turns to fulfill the order she hears someone clear their throat behind her. Zoey stills for a moment before turning around like a child that's been caught doing something that they shouldn't be.
"Shouldn’t we pay first? Not that I would mind free drinks."
"Right, sorry bout that."
It doesn't take her long to ring them up. By the time she's actually preparing the drinks her manager, and the store owner, Bobby has already refilled the fridge with tapioca. Determined not to make a further fool of herself, Zoey uses all of her willpower to lock the fuck in. Her body becomes a machine built to serve coffee and boba. Producing the drinks in half the time it would normally take her. She's totally not trying to show off to the beauties that walked into her store.
"One medium mint boba and one medium iced chocolate macchiato!"
Her hands briefly brush against the other women's as she hands off their drinks.
"Thanks sweet heart."
Rumi shoots her a sly wink before they turn to leave the store. Zoey does her best to avoid staring at their asses as they walk out. It's a task that she spectacularly fails at.
The sound of Bobby's jolly voice brings her back to reality. "Real smooth talking back there kid. Sure had me swooning."
Zoey huffs in resignation lowering her head onto the counter. "Yeah, yeah laugh it up asshole."
He wipes a tear from his eye leaving her with a soft pat on the back. Leaving her alone to spiral into her thoughts.
A week passes before Zoey spies Mira's gorgeous pink hair striding up to the door. What had been an uncharacteristically slow day for the shop has gotten real exciting in the blink of an eye. Her heart flutters in her chest as the chime above the door goes off. There's no one else in the shop barring Bobby.
"Welcome! What can I get for you today?"
Mira wastes no time striding up to the counter leaning against it like she owns the place. "I'm here to pick up an order for my girlfriend. Can I get you to go? Whenever you're off?"
Zoey's brain ceases to function but her mouth moves on autopilot. "Sure will that be all for you?"
After nearly an entire minute of rebooting her brain finally process what Mira said.
"I um…"
A satisfied smirk etches onto Mira's lips. The sight alone makes Zoey's stomach do flips. Her hands open and close as she attempts to dispel the nervous energy coursing through her veins.
"She'll be ready by six." Bobby's cheerful voice calls out from somewhere in the back.
Mira chuckles softly at that. The sound is warm and intoxicating. God what Zoey wouldn't give wouldn't do just to hear that sound again.
"It's a date then." Mira's eyes wander briefly, roaming over Zoey's body.
It makes her feel like she's baring her soul for Mira to see. Mira makes a show of purposefully returning her gaze back to Zoey's eyes. Zoey's heart stops beating as Mira subtly licks her lips. Bobby whose made his way out from the back shoots Zoey a knowing wink.
"It's a date." Zoey confirms with a nod
The moment is broken by the sound of a notification ringing through the store. A frown falls onto Mira's lips as she inspects the offending text.
"I would love to stay and chat, but. Duty calls. I'll be back by to pick you up at six. Toodles." Mira waves over her shoulder as she exits the store.
Zoey lets out a groan the moment Mira's out of earshot.
"What am I going to do, I don't have anything suitable for a date."
While Zoey is busy half complaining half worrying Bobby is a whirlwind of motion moving around the store with practiced ease. Zoey stands flabbergasted as he flips the open sign over to the closed side.
"Wait what are you doing?
"Isn't obvious we're taking the day off to get you ready for your date!" Bobby pumps his fist in the air. "We're going all out for tonight!"
"We?" Zoey questions with a raised brow.
Bobby nods enthusiastically. "Of course, I've gotta make sure my girl is looking her best before I send you out. Now do you have a dress, or suit, or do we need to find you one?"
Zoey's hands eager to do something begin to fiddle with a straw.
"I've got a dress, one that should be nice enough for a date."
Zoey's free hand slip into her apron pulling out her phone. She swipes through her gallery quickly until she finds the picture of her turquoise dress. Bobby hums thoughtfully fingers stroking through the scant few hairs above his lips as he takes in the dress. His eyes flick back and forth between Zoey and her phone. A minute passes in silence before he nods.
"Alright we'll break to grab the dress and makeup, I'll bring some of my own just to give you options. Let's meet back here in twenty." Excitement overflows from Bobby's voice.
"O-kay."
Bobby claps his hands excitedly bouncing on his feet. The next thing Zoey knows she's being pushed outside. She nearly stumbles to the ground when Bobby lets go. A jittery thrum of excitement rushes through her veins as she speed walks her way back to her apartment.
Zoey and Bobby have spent the past two hours sorting through their respective piles of makeup. Testing out various combinations and styles until they land on the perfect blend. They're finishing up the final touches, a small dab of sparkles on her cheeks, when a monstrous roar of an engine fills the parking lot outside. Butterflies swirl in Zoey's stomach as she takes one last glance at herself in the mirror.
"I'm not…"
Zoey's mouth speaks her concerns without permission.
"Relax kid, you look stunning." Bobby shoots her a smile, gentle and caring. His eyes soften when she finally works up the courage to meet his with her own. "Now go woo em tiger."
Zoey resolutely nods, determination filling her body. She saunters up to meet Mira at the door projecting confidence with every step. The cool evening air rushes against her skin as she steps outside. Mira whistles loudly, her eyebrows raised.
"Lookin good."
Heat rises to her cheeks. Zoey's hands clench and unclench at her side. She's not used to such looks being thrown her way. Nor the honest compliments.
"You too, I mean you always look gorgeous though."
A soft chuckle leaves Mira's throat as she opens the passenger door for Zoey. The experience is like listening to a new song for the first time. One that will become a favorite, that begs to be listened to over and over again. Zoey slides into the seat, her hands tapping against her thighs as she watches Mira circle around the front of the car. Immediately she's assaulted by the pleasant smell of strawberries.
The driver's side car door opens as Mira slips inside. Zoey can't help but feel like she should comment on Mira's vehicle. "Nice car."
Mira smirks as she slides the key into the ignition. The entire car rumbles as it thrums to life.
"Yun-Jin and I have been through a lot together. It's been hard and slow but I've finally got her to a point I'm happy with. She has eight hundred horse power under her hood." Her voice is reverent laced with an overwhelming sense of nostalgia. Slender fingers stroke the steering wheel like she’s petting a cat. "Rumi wanted to pick you up, but I wasn't sure how you felt about riding motorcycles."
Zoey's stomach does flips at the image of Rumi zooming down the road at high speeds. Her purple braid trailing behind her like a tail.
"That was a good call. I wouldn't be opposed to trying it one day though."
"Let's see if you can handle me first." Mira announces smugly. "Hold onto your ass."
Zoey isn't sure what 'Holding onto her ass.' entails exactly, and if she's being honest she's too afraid to ask. The back tires squeal as Mira does a burnout. She uses the momentum to turn the car towards the exit.
"Ready?" Mira shouts to be heard over the sound of the engine, her eyes flicking over towards Zoey.
Zoey can only nod not trusting her voice to remain steady. She's gripping onto the grab handle and edge of her seat with such strength that her knuckles turn white. It feels like waiting on the launch pad of a roller coaster. The car lurches forwards with a screech before shooting off like a rocket. Zoey doesn't believe for a second that they are going anywhere near the speed limit. She's also happy that Bobby's coffee shop isn't exactly in the most popular part of town.
"Don't worry sweetheart. I promise I'll go the speed limit when we get closer to the heart of the city."
The soft smile with which Mira delivers her promise allows Zoey to take a breath. It feels like she's been given the permission to bask in the adrenaline coursing through her veins, watching as the world moves past her in streaky blurs. A hearty giggle escapes her as she basks in the thrill of speed. Far sooner than she could have expected the edges of Seoul proper comes into view.
True to her word by the time they reach the very edges of the city Mira's slowed down to the speed limit, noticeably not a kilometer per hour below.
"That was wild." Zoey's still breathless from the experience.
For what feels like the first time since they got in the car Zoey's able to take in her surroundings. The sidewalks are bustling with people going to bars or making their way home from work.
"Fun isn't it?" The car slows to a stop courtesy of a rogue red light. During the small intermission Mira's gaze wanders down to Zoey's lap. Her hand finds Zoey's gently placing it over the gear shifter.
The rest of the ride Mira's hand remain on top of Zoey's allowing her to feel every gearshift. The restaurant they pull up to is undeniably upper class. If the marble bricks and golden trim doesn't scream it, then the rows of luxury cars parked by it certainly does. Standing out among the rows of cars Zoey spies a single motorcycle. Bright yellow with jagged purple streaks reminiscent of a certain purple haired goddess' tattoos. Mira pulls up into an empty spot beside the bike.
She's so focused on the bike that she doesn't notice Mira stepping out of the car. Zoey startles in her seat when her car door appears to open by itself. A warm smile greets Zoey as Mira offers her a hand. The assistance is much appreciated as Zoey struggles to remove herself from the car. It sits so low to the ground that there is barely any room to orient herself. A jolt of excitement surges through her veins as she allows Mira's toned arms to drag her into the restaurant.
Inside, the restaurant seems to breathe with an air of elegance. Chandeliers cast shimmering reflections overhead illuminating the space while allowing for enough shadows to promote a regal atmosphere. Rumi's lavender hair stands out amidst the sea of brown and black hair. Mira quietly informs the greeter stationed at the entrance that they already have a table before leading Zoey over to where Rumi is waiting.
On their way to the table Mira takes a detour. Dragging her over to the side. Rumi is just out of earshot when Mira leans in close. Zoey can feel Mira's hot breath on her ear.
"Relax." The command is hushed. "Rumi's just as nervous as you are. This is the first time she's felt pulled to someone since we decided to experiment with opening our relationship to others."
Zoey takes a deep breath and nods. She continues to focus on her breathing as they resume their walk.
Rumi's eyes flick up from the menu as they approach. It may just be a trick of the light but Zoey swears she sees Rumi's left eye glow with excitement. "Oh my god! You look stunning!"
A heat steadily builds in Zoey's core as Rumi's eyes roam over her figure. Out of the corner of her vision she sees Rumi's throat bob as she noticeably peels her eyes back up to meet Zoey's own. They sit down diagonally from each other right in time for their waiter to come by. It only takes a few moments for him to scribble down their drink orders before he leaves them alone to browse the menu.
Zoey swears her eyes pop out of her head as she flits through the menu. Cautiously her eyes wander back to her dates. Neither woman seems too fussed about the exorbitant prices. With a deep breath Zoey relinquishes herself to the knowledge that this meal will have her eating instant ramyeon during every meal for the next few weeks. A shudder runs down her spine, she feels like she's being watched. When she looks up she notices two pairs of eyes are focused intently on her.
Their waiter comes back to deliver their drinks as well as take their orders. Neither Mira nor Rumi one hold back on their orders. By the time it's her turn to order Zoey fears they've ordered the entire menu. A question swirls in her gut as the waiter takes their order to the back. Surely they won't be able to eat all of this. Even with three of them. In the end she decides it doesn't matter, if Mira and Rumi want to spend their money trying out the entire menu then who is she to stop them.
"So cutie what do you get up to when you're not whipping up killer coffees?"
Zoey flushes at the nickname. She does her best not to stutter when she answers. "I skate, it was one of the hobbies I picked up back in America. I've got a custom board and everything."
Rumi perks up in her chair. "Oh that sounds like fun. You wouldn't happen to know any cute teachers that might be willing to teach a noobie?"
A chuckle escapes from Zoey. It comes out a little stilted but she's beginning to find her groove in the conversation. It certainly helps that her nerves have been slowly dissipating as she grows more comfortable around Mira and Rumi.
Zoey lifts her purse onto the table. Carefully extracting a tube of mascara to give her fingers something to fiddle with.
Rumi practically squeals. "Oh that's adorable!"
"Very adorable." Mira drawls with a nod.
A flicker of confusion surges through Zoey. She follows Mira and Rumi's gazes onto the small turtle key-chain hanging off her purse.
"Oh. I guess I hadn't mentioned it yet, I may or may not have a slight obsession with turtles."
Mira quirks an eyebrow, but it's Rumi who comments first.
"Tell us about them."
Zoey's brain short circuits. Rewiring itself until her tome's worth of knowledge on turtles comes spilling out. This is the one of the only times that Zoey's been given permission to info dump. Even Bobby has trouble keeping up with her ramblings.
"Like sharks sea turtles managed to outlive the dinosaurs. They're one of the oldest groups of reptiles in the world. Sea turtles come in various shapes and sizes the smallest being Kemp's Ridley sea turtles who grow upwards of point six meters and weigh between thirty one to forty five kilograms on average. In contrast Leatherback sea turtles are the largest species of sea turtle growing to lengths of two point four meters or larger and weighing upwards of nine hundred kilos. Blanding's turtles are one of my favorites they have a hinge on their bottom shells which allows them to close both halves for better protection."
Zoey continues to ramble off more turtle facts. It isn't until their waiter comes back that she realizes how much time must have gone by. Instinctively she curls in on herself preparing to be littered with scoffs and remarks about her incessant chattering. When she finally works up the courage to look back at her dates she's blown away. They don't look upset or annoyed, if Zoey had to pick an adjective she'd go with smitten. They both stare at her like she's hung the stars in the skies.
The food is to die for. Rumi and Mira both insist she try bites of theirs. It seems the two share everything having ordered a smattering of items with the express purpose of splitting it. Zoey is more than happy to oblige. Together they demolish the food in front of them. She feels bloated and if she's being honest a tiny bit gassy but Zoey does her best to hold it in. That is until Rumi lets out an ungodly belch smiling awkwardly. Mira follows suit a moment later knocking her fist against her chest like it physically hurt. It certainly helps Zoey feel better when the pressure inside her gut finally overwhelms her.
The three of them sit around the table soaking in the comfortable silence that surrounds them. When the waiter returns Rumi orders a slice of lava cake to go. Zoey struggles to think how Rumi can even think about ordering food for later right now. Mira slides him her card before Zoey can refute. She settles on leaving a generous tip instead. It doesn't take long for Mira's card to be returned to her but it takes another ten minutes before the waiter delivers Rumi's lava cake. The air outside has cooled as they walk towards their vehicles. Rumi begins to fidget with the hem of yellow jacket as they get closer.
"I had a lovely time tonight." Zoey interrupts the silence. A part of her wishes she could stay in this moment forever. Wishes that she doesn't have to go back to wallow in her dark and empty apartment.
Beside her Mira nods her head gently taking a hand from both girls into her own. Offering them both a gentle squeeze. Rumi shifts on her feet, for the first time tonight she seems incapable of making eye contact with her. She looks over to Mira. Zoey can see the silent plea that swirls behind her irises.
A haughty smirk plays on Mira's lips. "You have to tell h…" She coughs into her sleeve, it isn't very convincing but Zoey lets it slide tonight. "You have to tell us what you want yourself babe." Mira's voice has a playful bite to it.
Rumi appears to pout in Mira's direction before she remembers that she's not alone. It's difficult not to giggle at how fast she schools her expression.
"Would you like to, I don't know, come back to our apartment?" Zoey smiles softly at Rumi, but the other girl doesn't notice. "I don't want you to feel like you have to, and we can just watch a movie or something. But I… I guess I didn't want the night to end just yet."
Beside her Mira beams proudly rubbing a soothing hand on Rumi's back.
"I'd love to. If you don't mind having me?"
It's Mira who answers for them. "Not at all. We'll start with a movie and see where the night takes us."
There's no denying just how sexually charged that statement is. Zoey isn't one to sleep around on the first date, but something inside of her tells her that this won't be a one and done kind of deal.
Rumi smiles widely, unabashed. It's hard not to stare as she straddles her bike lifting the helmet to her head. Zoey decides it's the perfect time to call out. "I hope you don't mind horror movies. There's this new one that came out that I've been dying to see. Some have been calling it the bloodiest film of the decade."
Rumi blanches her face going pale. "I-I can handle horror."
From that reaction alone Zoey can tell that Rumi in fact can't handle horror. When they get in the car Mira turns to stare at her. Her eyes narrowing. "How do you know my secret?"
"I… What?" Zoey stammers her heart pounding.
Mira's face relaxes as she starts the car a teasing smile on her lips. "How did you know that I always recommend horror movies? Rumi pretends like she can handle horror but she always ends up cuddled close when the first person dies."
With a hand on her heart Zoey breathes out a sigh of relief. "You scared me for a minute there."
Mira gently taps her on the nose with a soft 'Boo.' before peeling out of the parking lot. Zoey giggles as she feels the wind blowing on her hair. She can't say for certain how the night will play out, she can already tell she's falling for these two dorks. Despite her worries about the future she can't help but love this moment she's found herself in. It may be a bit early to say it but these two feel like a bright light amidst the dark.