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Rumi took a deep breath, clenching her hands into fists on her thighs. Now was the perfect moment. If she didn't do it now, when the three of them were calm, happy, and out of danger, she would never do it. Jinu wouldn't rat her out, but Gwi-Ma might. She can't allow that to happen.
"I know we can win tomorrow, especially because..." Rumi began, his breathing controlled as she licked her dry lips. She could do it. She wants to do it. "Because I'm going to tell you the truth right now."
Zoey tilted her head, frowning slightly.
"The...truth?" She repeated, tapping each of her fingers against her knee. She didn't seem upset, but rather...anxious and worried.
How could she not be? Rumi had been acting strange the last few weeks, especially on the day of the train.
"So are you going to tell us why you were hiding from us?"
Rumi flinched, though she should have been used to Mira's directness by now. They had been friends for six years, and had lived together all that time, but for a liar like her, Mira's honesty never became less alien.
Celine was only honest when she pointed out her mistakes; otherwise, she kept everything, every thought, inside herself and her gaze. Rumi was no better.
Until now.
"Yes, I am." Just breathe, Rumi. You've wanted to do this for years. "No more hiding, no more lies. Just...give me a minute, okay?"
"Rumi, you know we'll always be there for you." Zoey's hand covered hers, squeezing it. "We are your friends."
"Yeah." Mira smiled, sitting beside her and taking her free hand. "Nothing will ever make us leave you, Rumi."
"Nothing?"
The girls looked at each other.
"Nothing." They said at the same time.
"Even if...I've been lying to you for a long time?"
Although the question was general, her eyes were fixed on Mira.
"Even so." Mira took a deep breath, with tense shoulders. "I know I don't show it much, but... you and Zoey are my family. I don't think I'd be able to be without you, honestly."
"Yeah! Me neither. You two make me...feel like it's okay to be myself. Like what I do is worth it, like I'm worth it. Whatever you have to tell us, Rumi, we're here for you."
"Ok." Rumi straightened her shoulders, taking a deep breath. "I'm...I'm a demon. Half of it, actually. My mom, as you know, was a Hunter, but my dad was a demon."
"You're dad was what?" Zoey's jaw dropped. "But...why did Celine never tell us anything? She knew you were a demon, right? Or is this like, a super secret of yours that nobody knows? Like a secret identity?"
"No, she knew." Rumi looked down at her lap, where their hands were clasped. The girls hadn't left her; they were still here, they didn't resent her, at least, that's what she had to repeat to herself. "She... wanted me to get fixed first."
"Fixed?" Mira repeated through gritted teeth, squeezing her hand tightly. "Rumi, what do you mean by that?"
"She wanted the Honmoon to be golden, and for my patterns to disappear with it." Rumi sighed. "That's...that's why I brought forward the publication of Golden. I needed- I needed to fix the world, to fix myself, so I could..."
"Rumi?"
Rumi didn't look at them.
"So I could be loved."
"Oh my God." Zoey covered her mouth, her eyes wide, and squeezed her hand. "Rumi, that's-"
Mira sighed, making her look up.
"Rumi, come here." Nothing. "Rumi."
Without further patience, Mira pulled her onto her lap and wrapped her arms around her waist tightly.
It felt... surprisingly good, safe, even. Unable to help herself, she clutched Mira's shirt with her hands and hid her face in her neck.
When Zoey hugged her from the side, with one of her arms resting on her back and her head resting on her neck, Rumi had to close her eyes to keep from crying.
Still, her lashes felt wet.
"You... aren't angry with me?" She murmured against Mira's skin.
"Angry? Nah." Zoey laughed nervously, her warm breath tickling her ear. "This... explains a lot, actually. Like, why you always wear so many sweatshirts in the summer, or why Celine... never let you go out with us to the beach or the pool..." Her voice trailed off. " Oh, oh."
Rumi couldn't help but laugh. Now that the truth was out, she felt...
Free, just like how she had felt with Jinu.
Was this...what it felt like to be loved? Not in spite of what she was, but because of what she was?
"That's why you didn't want to sing Takedown tomorrow, isn't it?" Mira rubbed her waist, her voice tense. "It was obvious you didn't like the song, but now that we know you're a demon... well, puts things in retrospect."
Zoey inhaled sharply.
"Oh god we were singing about how you didn't deserve to live!" Zoey lifted her head from her shoulder, but not before making her deaf. "And... it wasn't the first time we said something like that, right?"
Mira's grip tightened. Rumi wondered if they were both remembering all the times they had said how they were going to kill all the demons.
She hoped they wouldn't remember the times she herself had said it, there were things that...she wasn't ready to expose yet. Maybe she would be one day, but not now. Not when the wound is just beginning to heal.
"Rumi, I'm so sorry!" Her shoulder, where Zoey had just placed her face again, was getting damp. "I would never want- I would never want you to die. You're my best friend, my family, I couldn't lose you or hurt you like EVER!"
"I know it, Zoey." Now, but...the details were not important, right?
"I think..." Mira's voice wavered, her eyes bright. "I think even if I had to, I couldn't kill you, Rumi. You...you're too important to me to do that. Any of you. What I mean is..." Mira took a deep breath. "I love you girls, no matter what."
"I love you too, Mira." Rumi pulled away from Mira, just a little, so she could see both of their faces. "And I love you too, Zoey."
Zoey laughed, wiping away the tears that continued unabated.
"I love you too, girls! And tomorrow, those demons will know what messing with Huntrix sounds like!"
Rumi grimaced. She needed to tell them about Jinu, didn't she? He was her friend, she didn't want him to be killed by accident.
"Uh, about that..."
Mira frowned.
"Rumi, what did you do?"
"Well, I- uh, made a friend?"
Zoey laughed nervously, her smile big and tight.
"Why do I feel like this friend of yours is a demon?"
"Rumi, is that Jinu guy, isn't it?"
"He's my friend, just my friend! He... wants us to save him from Gwi-Ma, he's going to sabotage the Saja Boys so we can win."
Mira sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Is there any other secret you want to confess?"
If Rumi was going to say everything...well, it really could be everything, couldn't it?
"I'm...kinda in love with you both?"
"What?"
"OMG OMG."
"We're going to have to talk a lot," Mira hisses, taking a deep breath. "But I love you too."
"Me too! Me too!"
"R-really?"
"Yes."
"Oh." Rumi was crying. Why had she listened to Celine all these years?
She would have to thank Jinu when she saw him. Without him, she wouldn't have done this.
Now, though, she had to introduce Derpy and Sussie to the girls. Zoey would love them.