- First, just for context for the rest of these headcanons, I will say they definitely did not get together immediately after the machine
- Girliepops speedran 6 months of emotional bonding they need some time to BREATHE
- That being said both of them are immediate fixtures in each others lives after that because neither of them really have anyone else
- Mio has her dad but he's in hospital and Zoe's family are in England so they naturally just gravitate to each other
- I headcanon Zoe moved to America not long before the whole Rader shebang to hope for better opportunities. I imagine that at the time of the Rader debacle she is living in a small apartment with 3 roommates who she doesn't know very well, and spends most of her time in her room alone. Mio, obviously having lived there for a while, has her own shitty 1 bed apartment, but it's hers and hers alone
- Anyway both of these girls are lonely and Zoe really wants to get out of the whole room share situation and Mio's like well I've not got a lot of space but you've been in my brain so we've definitely been closer
- So Mio manages to cram her desk into the living room and change the small office into a make shift bedroom and the girls are living together before the month is out
- Zoe sleeps on an air mattress for about two months and Mio feels bad about it and insists they swap beds every other day to avoid fucking up her back
- Zoe screams at the state of Mio's cupboards (girl is living on instant noodles and frozen pizza) and immediately goes to buy a bunch of stuff. They may be broke but Zoe can still make things like pasta and stir fries now they have two incomes. Mio will be eating a vegetable so help her god
- Neither of them can stick to a colour scheme. They keep finding cute decor and just buying it without thinking about the rest of the flat. When they get a house many years down the line the rooms have a loose theme but it's still mostly just chaos
- Mio has a nice squishy couch but prefers to lay on the floor. Similarly Zoe perches on the back of the couch like a heathen. The only time they sit normally on the couch is when their (limited unfortunately) friends come over
- Some of Rader's other victims asked to come over once to talk about what happened and both girls got so stressed that Mio locked herself in the bathroom for an hour panicking and Zoe stress-cleaned every room. Pretty on par for any visitors.
- Both had nightmares quite frequently after the Rader situation (duh). While they weren't quite bold enough to go crawling into each others beds they would still seek help. Every time Zoe insisted on having a 'sleepover' so they could be near each other.
- Speaking of sleepovers, Zoe once tried to have a proper 'girls night' with Mio. Unfortunately the face mask dropped on her lips and she licked it and proceeded to throw up. Kinda ruined the vibe.
- They still have 'girls night's though. Only Zoe's allowed to have a face mask though.
- Mio tries to get Zoe to watch horror films, then feels bad about Zoe hiding behind pillows for 30 mins and tries to change it. Zoe argues that she wants to see it through to the end. Both are too stubborn and then neither feel good at the end of it.
- They write on the same desk, whether it's their shared stories or separate stories. God forbid someone accidentally elbow the other because it'll end up in a pushing and shoving match with someone eventually getting wrestled under the other and bullied into submission.
- Zoe likes to tease Mio about being short by putting things up high. Mio is only a couple of centimetres shorter than Zoe but has shorter arms and consequently finds this extremely irritating. Zoe got her a step stool and Mio hid all her left socks for revenge.
- They have a wall calendar because neither of them can remember what they're meant to be doing. They then have alarms to remind them to put the stuff they need to do on the calendar because they forgot to do that as well.
- So. Many. Notebooks. Zoe refuses to do anything on a laptop and Mio's laptop is twenty years old and hanging on by spite alone. Entire bookshelves dedicated to notebooks.
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It was... weird, picturing Zoe's parents as not a conjoined Centipede.
Ok that's a weird sentence but still. During their time in Zoe's subconscious, they'd spent a lot of time with the parent-ipede, and consequently, Mio had kind of formed an idea in her mind about Zoe's parents.
And attached it to the depiction she'd seen - you know. The centipede.
Oh she'd seen Zoe's parents since - in video calls. But there is nothing quite like landing in England and seeing Zoe throw herself into two people's arms and still catching yourself looking around for a double-headed fucking centipede.
"This must be Mio, right?" Charlie smiled, one hand still wrapped around his daughter's shoulder as he reached forward with the other one.
"Um... yeah." She shook the offered hand weakly. "Charlie, yeah?"
"Yes, and this is my wife Leanne."
"A pleasure," Leanne grinned, a slight dimple in her cheek not dissimilar to Zoe's. "We've heard so much about you!"
"Whatever you heard I didn't do it."
Charlie laughed, loud and booming, while Zoe slapped Mio's shoulder.
"Only good things!" She insisted, and Mio elbowed her back.
"You do over exaggerate sometimes."
"Oi!"
"Now, now," Leanne interrupted, "You'll have plenty of time for bickering once we're out of the airport."
They certainly had. Bickering was the foundation of their relationship after all, even if it was all in good fun. Zoe had even seamlessly resumed their previous bickering after waking Mio up, because of course she fell asleep in the car on the way to Zoe's parents house ON Zoe's shoulder. Honestly what was Mio's life if not a collection of embarrassing moments that make her want to walk off a cliff?
Zoe, much to her credit, mentioned nothing about the patch of drool on her t shirt, simply jumping straight back into bullying her about her reaction to the baby dragons (which was justified). The mood in the car was more solemn, which Mio later found out was because Zoe was recounting their misadventure with Rader while she was asleep, but they easily brought it right back up, slapping each other's hands until they couldn't anymore from laughter.
Zoe's house (not the one they saw in the simulation - but still a nice house located near the Peak District) wasn't massive, but had enough space for Mio to have her own room. Sure it wasn't decorated like Zoe's childhood bedroom was, being designed for any guest who might ever stay, but the bed was comfy and there was space for her clothes and a desk for writing and what else could she need? It was just strange being that far away from Zoe, after a whole day in each others brains and 6 months hearing each other sleep through paper thin walls. But what was weirder was hearing two voices downstairs, almost identical to that centipede, and having to remind herself that they are real legit humans.
The first few days were weird. The silence surrounding the house was eerie, the walls so thick Mio couldn't hear anyone unless they were being really loud or on the same level. The bed was both too big and too soft - she couldn't feel the springs like she could on her own mattress, and it smelled too clean. She awoke to birds chirping instead of engine rumbles, and the nights were so much darker than the city.
Zoe seemed utterly refreshed - eyes brighter and smile easier than Mio had ever seen. She often found herself wondering if her dad would have fared better here, in the clean air and peace, but Zoe would quickly drag her out of her thoughts with some kind of mischief. A waterfall walk, or a hike for a picnic. At some point they even climbed a large hill, Mio complaining the whole way but admittedly breathtaken once they reached the top (literally and figuratively). It almost made up for her passing out halfway down and having to eat an emergency banana to feel more alive again.
After a week or so, Mio also got used to it. She saw the stars (prettier than she thought, though she wouldn't admit it to Zoe), watched squirrels dash around in the front garden and eat peanuts from her palm, and even went for a swim in the lake nearby with Zoe. Charlie and Leanne would accompany them, and sometimes Zoe's nieces and nephews, running around and squealing underfoot.
But nothing is ever truly perfect.
Mio knew that perfectly well - but slamming up from her sheets, struggling to breathe and struggling to discern reality from illusion, she wasn't exactly thinking straight. A strangled scream tore itself from her throat without her even knowing, sweat slicked hands clawing at her throat.
Before she could even blink the door slammed open, Zoe tumbling into the room with none of her usual grace. Her hair was a mess, knotted and tangled, and her pajamas sat skewiff on her body. She looked wildly around the room, as if scanning for threats, before she dashed to Mio's side, hands cradling her face tentatively.
"I can't breathe!" Mio eventually choked out, "I don't - Rader-"
"Rotting in jail, waiting for his trial" Zoe's voice cracked a little, her throat clearly dry from sleep, but she still sounded as assertive as ever. One hand slipped down to her neck, her thumb stroking in rhythmic motions. "You can breathe. Just follow me. In and out."
It took a minute or so before Mio's wheezing faded to more stable rhythms, the motion of Zoe's thumb against her throat enough to follow. She slumped forward, forehead resting on Zoe's shoulder.
"Did I wake you?" She asked, her voice hoarse. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Zoe shook her head, "I wouldn't want you to go through that alone."
"I've done it before."
"I know."
They stayed like that for a while, Mio's head on Zoe's shoulder while Zoe's hand carded through her hair. It was a familiar pose - on both sides. Nightmares weren't rare in their apartment, unfortunately.
A tentative knock came at the door, before it gently creaked open. Leanne quietly walked in, two steaming mugs in her hand that she placed on the bedside. She crouched by the bed, wincing slightly but looking at them in concern.
"You don't have to explain," she offered gently, "I just want to check you're ok."
Mio nodded, too tired to speak, and Leanne smiled. One hand reached out, wiping the dampness on her cheeks before resting on her forehead. Pursing her lips at what must be some warmth, Leanne opened the window, letting the cool night air in.
"Let me know if you need anything," she whispered, leaning her forehead against Zoe's for a moment before she appeared to head downstairs.
"Did I wake everyone?" Mio's voice was barely audible.
"It's not your fault," Zoe said firmly, grabbing one of the mugs, "Now drink up, buttercup. It'll make you feel better."
It did. The tea was warm, soothing her sore throat like a balm, and settling warm in her stomach. She stayed pressed to Zoe the whole time, who never let her go.
"I don't think I want to be alone right now." She whispered after draining the cup. Zoe didn't answer, simply shuffling down the bed and clumsily pulling the covers over them both.
"You don't have to -"
"Shut up." Zoe sighed, readjusting them so they were laying comfortably. They were facing each other, one of Zoe's hands pushing Mio's head into her shoulder and the other wrapped around her waist. Mio slipped her own arms around Zoe too, holding her loosely. "I've got you, Mio. Sleep well."
They fell asleep like that, tangled up in each other like they were afraid to lose them. And Mio woke up in a similar way, her head on Zoe's chest and body practically draped over hers. They were warm, comfy, the weight of the covers almost blissfully crushing. Even the thought of moving from the bed, from Zoe, felt like it could be world ending. So she stayed put, dozing until Zoe blinked herself into existence.
"Morning, Mio." She yawned, Mio grunting in return. "You ok?"
" 'm fine." Mio mumbled, "Warm."
"You talk in your sleep."
"..." Mio sat up, bleary-eyed. "Do I?"
"I'm fairly sure you ordered a McDonalds breakfast from me before I dropped off."
"Oh." She was dumbfounded. "Where is it then?"
"Oh I'm sorry, just let me pull one out of my ass for you." Zoe laughed, tugging her back down and ruffling her hair fiercely.
"Hey! Get off!"
"Nope."
Mio screeched as one hand wriggled it's way under her top, squeezing her sides with brutal efficiency. "OK! OK! Stop!"
"I win." Zoe grinned, climbing out of bed and leaving Mio there to catch her breath. "Get dressed, Giggleguts. Breakfast won't be long."
"I still think your parents are a centipede sometimes." She admitted on a whim.
"... Is that why you sometimes look surprised when you see them?"
"..." Mio looked away, folding her arms. "...Maybe."
Zoe's laugh sounded like it tore out of her body, leaving her breathless. Mio frowned, ready to defend herself, but when the first snorts started she couldn't help but shake her own head with a grin.
"Glad you're having fun." She sighed.
"I'm gonna tell them," Zoe wheezed, lunging for the stairs.
"Mio, I'm home!" Zoe's voice rang out, the telltale sound of the door creaking behind her.
She locked it, quickly taking her hat off and shaking the remaining snow into the sink, before putting it on the radiator to dry out alongside her coat.
"Looks like the weather's going to get even worse," she called out, removing her gloves. "This snowstorm is supposed to continue for at least two more days, so I bought some more of that tea you liked and those soups so we can take them to your dad."
Silence was all that answered her, and Zoe frowned. "Mio? Mio, are you here?"
It was unusual for Mio to go out without letting Zoe know, but it wasn't like it hadn't happened before. Usually it would be some kind of emergency - something to do with her dad, or if something broke and she needed a part to fix it. But even then, there would be signs of her departure. A missing coat on the hook, her shoes disappeared from the rack, her bag gone from where she abandons it on the table. But they were all there, so Zoe pressed forward.
The bathroom light was on, and she knocked three times before trying the handle. It was open (looked like Mio hadn't gotten around to fixing the lock yet), and there she was. She'd clearly been there for a while, sitting in the bath, as the water was tepid and she stared vaguely into the distance. Her hair was damp, plastered to her face and for once she didn't bother flicking it away.
"Mio?" Zoe asked, kneeling down beside the tub. One hand reached out to push her hair out of her face, and Mio flinched, looking at Zoe like she hadn't even heard or seen her come in. There were tear tracks down her cheeks, a tell-tale redness to her nose and eyes that sent Zoe's heart to her stomach. "What's happened?"
Dark eyes flicked towards the phone abandoned on the sink. Zoe reached for it, unlocking it, opening up the messages without a single protest from Mio.
Ah. There it was.
"We regret to inform you that Blake Hudson has passed away. Please at your earliest convenience call -"
"Oh, Mio," Zoe felt her own face crumple, putting the phone back down and reaching to pull her into an embrace. It didn't matter that Mio was wet and shivering, or that Zoe was still cold from the snow. She clutched the younger woman tight to her chest, feeling burning wetness against her neck while damp arms wrapped around her. Mio was shuddering, quiet sobs barely audible from where she had latched onto Zoe.
"I can't do this," she whispered finally, "he promised-"
"I know, Mio," Zoe felt her own tears trickle down her cheeks, "I'm so sorry."
It hadn't even been that long, since they escaped Rader and The Machine. Zoe had been there when Mio had told Blake about it, been introduced as Mio's best friend. Blake had teased his daughter, asking if Zoe was her girlfriend, laughing as she turned as red as her jacket and spluttered out a negative. But even then he had been frail, pale skinned and clammy. Mio had clutched his hand like he was going to disappear, and they visited him almost every day.
When they had moved in together, Blake had privately confessed to Zoe that he was glad Mio wasn't alone anymore. "She struggles," he had sighed, voice hoarse, "I know she does. She struggles to see the good in others, or see the treasure she is."
"I know," Zoe had nodded, adjusting his bed when a coughing episode wracked him to ease the pressure on his chest. "I'm working on it though."
"I'm glad." Blake had grinned, reaching out to hold her hand. "You'll be good for her, Zoe."
"She's better for me," Zoe had smiled back, "you've done a stellar job."
"With what?" Mio had asked, re-entering the room with the tray she'd gone for. "Here you go dad. More hospital mush."
"Oh, hooray." He'd said dryly, much to Mio's amusement.
On their visit the prior month, he'd barely been lucid. Zoe had watched as Mio talked at him, not with him, the man humming every so often and attempting to carry on the conversation as much as he could. She'd been the one to hold Mio in the bathroom, after she'd hit the soap dispenser so hard it broke, leaking onto the floor as she just collapsed.
"I think he's ready to go." She'd confessed to her that night, after crawling into Zoe's bed instead of her own. Zoe hadn't answered, simply holding her as she struggled for words.
"He's ready to go, but I'm not ready to let go." She'd eventually choked out, breath hitching once again.
And now here they were. He'd seemed to be getting better, more lucid, eating better food, laughing and joking more. Mio had come home from their last visit practically bouncing, grabbing her cat and cuddling him while beaming. She'd even sat through The Lord of the Rings that night, nothing unable to quell her joy.
Until today.
Eventually, Zoe reached around Mio to pull the plug, grabbing a towel from the radiator and pulling her upright.
"Come on," she wrapped it around Mio's shoulders, helping her step out of the bath on shaky legs. "I've got you."
Not even in The Machine had Mio leant on her this much, Zoe practically walking at an angle while she led Mio to her room. She helped her dry herself, pulling warm fleece pajamas over her head and legs before she gently towel-dried her hair. The entire time Mio seemed to look just past Zoe, tears still trickling silently down her cheeks. So Zoe led her to the living room, letting her curl up on the couch while she made tea, thrusting the warm mug in her hand before perching on the back of the couch to braid her hair.
It was relatively easy - despite the shortness of her hair. Two twin braids bobbled at the bottom, and it kept it both out of Mio's face and out of knots. While Zoe worked, Mio slowly sipped on her mug, seemingly calming down as much as she could. When she finished, plopping down beside Mio and reaching for the remote, Mio placed her head on Zoe's shoulder, sighing heavily.
Zoe said nothing, simply tugging a blanket around her shoulders and wrapping one arm around her waist, the other finding Terminator and queueing it up on the tv. For once, the two of them said nothing, simply sitting together in comfortable silence.
"You with me, Zoe?" Mio eventually asked, voice hoarse but entirely reminiscent of the moment she'd said those exact words in the machine.
Zoe smiled, leaning her head onto Mio's damp hair. "To the very end."
"I'm stuck on a corner, Mio! I can't really rotate!"
"Hang on, lemme try and just..." Mio deposited the half of the couch she was wrangling, flicking her hair out of her face in irritation. Zoe did the same, her ponytail loose and face flushed. They were trying to lift the couch into their brand new flat, but... Well, staircases are a bitch.
Zoe huffed, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. "I need a hair cut."
"You and me both." Mio blew her own hair out of her face, groaning when it fell right back over her eyes. "I'm gonna shave it."
"Don't you dare." Zoe practically growled.
"I'm a strong independent woman I do what I want."
"No."
"Ok."
"Good," Zoe hefted it back up, wincing. "Ok, up we go. Pivot!"
"Don't go quoting FRIENDS at me now!"
"Why not?"
"It's a bad show!"
"Yeah but it's still iconic!"
"Ugh..."
"Pivot!"
"Stop!" Mio half-laughed, crashing into the wall. "I can't-!"
Zoe's eyes gleamed. "PIVOT!"
"No!"
"PIVOT!"
"Um... are you two ok?"
Both of them yelped, dropping the couch in surprise.
"Shit, shit shit shit shit!" Mio dragged the couch off her toes, crouching and wincing. "Ow."
"Sorry, Mio!" Zoe scrambled over the top of the couch, their neighbour doing the same.
"Are you ok?" He asked, and Mio nodded.
"Yeah, it stings but it's fine." She tentatively put her foot down, wincing. "Maybe."
"Maybe, sit on the couch?" Zoe offered, "I can try and shove it up?"
"Oh, do you need help?" Their neighbour (oh what was his name? Jack? John?) offered. "My brothers are in town so we'd be more than happy?"
"Oh that would be marvelous!" Zoe nodded, grinning. "Thank you so much!"
"I'll unlock the apartment then I guess," Mio started, before Zoe pushed her back down.
"No, no, have your Cleopatra moment, Mio! We'll be up there in a jiffy!"
"What even is a jiffy?" Mio muttered, but stayed on the couch. Zoe was a force of nature when she wanted to be, and currently was kneeling in front of her, removing her shoe and carefully peeling off her sock.
Ouch. A pretty deep red colour covered the top of her food, concentrated just above her toes from where the couch leg had landed. She could feel it pulsing slightly, and would definitely be a nasty bruise.
"Looks like you're wearing shoes that don't put pressure on the top of your foot for now," Zoe winced, "Does it hurt?"
"Sorry, sorry," Zoe released her foot, putting the shoe and sock on the couch next to her. "We'll get something cold on it as soon as we're in, try and cool it down a bit."
"Frozen peas?" Mio asked mournfully, before Joe (?) and his brothers came out. After a brief conversation, the three men and Zoe each took a corner of the couch, navigating the stairwell with significantly more ease than the two of them had alone.
Despite Mio still being sat on the couch.
This was too much of an extrovert thing for her. She felt like shrinking into herself, but forced herself to at least look like she was ok being there, but her feet didn't touch the floor and she felt kind of useless.
"Careful," she finally managed to say, noticing Zoe stumble, "Only 4 more steps behind you, you got this."
"Aye, captain!" She grinned breathlessly, readjusting her grip and leaning forward to ruffle her hair.
"Oi!" Mio tried to duck from her hand, shrieking when Zoe leaned further forward. "She's bullying meee!"
"You two are fun," James (?) laughed, "Come on, final push!"
"They remind me of Jen and her girlfriend," one of his brothers grunted, and Julian (?) perked up.
"Yes, exactly!"
"You'll have to introduce us, at some point!" Zoe grinned, wheezing slightly as they angled the couch through the door.
"I think you'll get along great!"
"Mind the cat!"
"Ah shit!"
Some cat wrangling and couch fumbling later, finally the couch was deposited in the living room and pushed against the wall. Jeremiah (?) dragged a hand through his hair, puffing out a breath.
"Phew. How's your foot?"
"Fine." Mio said dismissively, but he let out a whistle as he looked at it.
"Ouch, that's gonna smart for a while. Got anything cold to put on it?"
"Already on it!" Zoe yelled, and suddenly Mio felt something cold hit the back of her neck.
"ZOE!" She wailed, a cackle being her only response. A shiver wracked her body, and she grabbed the frozen peas in a huff.
"God you really remind me of Jen. I will have to get you her number!"
"Get me the number for the domestic abuse hotline." She grumbled, and Zoe laughed again.
"Oh you love me."
"Debatable."
"Put that on your foot and be quiet."
"You see what I have to deal with?" Mio pointed at Zoe accusingly, Joel (?) stifling laughter the whole time. "I'm telling your mother."
"Do that, she'll tell you to put it on your foot and be quiet."
"She likes me better anyway."
"Which is exactly why she'll tell you to put it on your-"
"Ok, ok. Putting it on my foot and being quiet."
Somewhere between Mio putting it on her foot and being quiet, and Zoe making her way over with two mugs of tea, Jonah (?) and his brothers left, trading phone numbers with Zoe and promising to invite them over to watch the Olympics next week. Zoe deposited her tea on the side, pulling Mio's foot into her lap and moving the peas aside.
"Still looks pretty gnarly," she frowned, lightly running her fingers over the bruise. "Still throbbing?"
"A little bit." Mio sipped at her own mug, flexing her toes slightly and wincing. "More when I move."
"Well, maybe don't do that idiot." Zoe sighed fondly, "As much as I liked meeting our new friends, I do wish you hadn't gotten hurt."
"Yeah. Jacob seemed nice."
Zoe looked at her. "Jacob?"
"Jackson?" Mio tried again.
"Jason?" Zoe asked, biting her lip to keep from laughing.
"Fuck." Mio slumped as Zoe lost it, folding her arms petulantly. "I knew it started with a J."
"Might wanna get it right before we go over next week." Zoe grinned, and Mio huffed out a breath.
"You know I suck with names."
"I do. I don't know how you got mine right."
"We were stuck in a simulator together for a whole day!!" Mio grabbed a pillow, throwing it at Zoe. "You're so mean to me."
She had woken up at 4 am (ew), rolled out of the nice warm blankets (double ew) and wrapped herself snugly in a dressing gown and trekked down to the kitchen.
It was Zoe's (and by extension, Ella's) birthday today, but they hadn't been able to afford to go to England for Zoe's usual tradition of sitting by Ella's grave. They had known that it would be a possibility - not seeing her family for a while - but Zoe had been adamant that it was ok. But Mio knew that it was going to be hard for her.
She thought again about potentially moving to Zoe's family, but there were just so many possibilities for them here. Since their book release and the issues with Rader, they were needed nearby for both the court case and all the interviews and release parties, so even if they wanted to they couldn't really go there just yet. So here Mio was, trying to avoid the creaky floorboards in her overtired apartment as she started baking cupcakes.
Mio wasn't a great baker. She wasn't even a good baker. She was impatient, which was never a good trait when it came to drawn out processes. Still, she found the recipe she'd bookmarked and got out the ingredients, placing every bowl and utensil down as slowly as possible to try and keep Zoe asleep.
It was what Zoe would consider to be a 'soothing process' - cracking the eggs, measuring the flour, mixing the batter - but all Mio felt was bored. Still, she diligently poured the mixture into the cases, placing the tray in the oven and setting the timer.
Void meowed, and she frowned. "Hey, cut that out. You're gonna wake her."
Void just glared at her, green eyes baleful, and she sighed. "Fine, fine, I'll feed you. But I'm marking it off on the chart."
Void just meowed again, and she glared at him. "Shut up." She hissed, grabbing the wet food.
After what felt like an eon staring through the door to make sure they didn't burn, the timer went off and Mio carefully pulled them out. She hissed, the metal tray so hot she could feel her fingertips burning through the oven gloves Zoe had bought (with little pigs on them because of fucking course) but she still carefully deposited the tray on the counter before violently flapping her hands around and blowing on her fingertips. Void sat on the floor, looking at her in what appeared to be disdain.
"Like you could do better," Mio grumbled.
He made a noise that sounded like 'mrrp', before he started licking his paws. Rude. Mio had already washed her hands, thank you very much.
Now, Mio didn't know how to make the big spirals on top of cupcakes that she saw Zoe do on the regular, but she had made cupcakes with her dad as a kid, so she carefully mixed icing sugar and water until the liquid was thick enough that she could carefully spoon it on top. A dollop of sprinkles later and - well, they weren't good. They looked like the kind of cupcakes you'd get at a school function. But they weren't burnt, and Zoe wouldn't laugh at her.
Well. Not too much, anyway.
Cautiously, she tried one. It was pretty basic - plain vanilla flavour, but she hadn't mistaken salt for sugar and they didn't taste bad, so she'd consider it a win. So she plated them up, clumsily stuck two candles in one of them (they were too big) and headed back up to their bedroom.
Zoe would be up before long, she thought, placing it down on the side table and curling up in the big, squishy armchair they'd liberated from a charity shop downtown. They'd managed to wrestle the thing home, bickering the entire time about where to put it before realising they didn't actually have enough space in the living room. They'd ended up cramming the thing in the bedroom, neither of them willing to go back to the shop and admitting their error.
It was a comfortable seat - all white leather and plush. So comfortable that Mio actually fell back asleep, face smushed against the top of the chair. She only woke up when Void jumped on her stomach, wheezing slightly as the cat crunched - wait, crunched?
Yep, that was a treat. Mio frowned, looking at the bed.
Zoe was - ah. Zoe was pretending to be asleep, if her face said anything about it. She looked like she was trying (and failing) to keep from laughing. The cupcakes were untouched, but a bag of cat treats were peeking out of the side table drawer, and around 3 or 4 were scattered around Mio on the chair.
"You have horrible aim." Mio groaned.
Zoe 'yawned', stretching in that horribly dramatic way Mio couldn't help but find amusing.
"Morning, Mio. What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what I mean." She groused, standing up and wincing as everything cracked. "Ugh, that was loud."
"Just like a glowstick." Zoe grinned, eyes still half shut. They were definitely tinged with a kind of melancholy, though, that Mio refused to mention.
"Yeah well, don't crack me in half." She ran a hand through her hair, realising absently that it was half knotted and sticking up in some areas. Zoe's was splayed across their pillows, still hopelessly tangled but far more presentable if only due to the length.
"I..." She cleared her throat, refusing to look Zoe in the eye. "I made something. Y'know. Happy birthday and... and all that."
"Awww, thanks Mio!" Zoe sat upright, rubbing her eyes as she picked up the tray. "They're so cute!"
"It's nothing special," She deflected, waving a hand in Zoe's direction as she evicted Void from her lap. She was sure she was flushing again, and refused to look at the blonde.
"Still, I appreciate it." Zoe opened one of the cases, biting into one with glee. "These remind me of the cakes Ella and I used to make."
"Cake before breakfast?" Mio queried, "Not like the Zoe I know."
"Well, you've only got one birthday!" Zoe smiled, holding out an arm invitingly. Mio obliged, perching on the end of the bed and letting Zoe pull her onto her shoulder.
"That's true." She admitted. "I put candles in one but forgot we don't have any lighters."
"Ah, rats." Zoe sighed, "We can't just hit them to light them either."
"Will you ever let the teeth go!" Mio groaned, Zoe's laughter practically drowning her out.
"No!" Zoe swiped some icing on Mio's nose with a grin, the younger woman slapping her away gently and standing.
"I'm leaving."
"No you're not!" Zoe managed to grab her, tugging her back down and pinning her to the bed. A short struggle ensued, Zoe still trying to wipe icing on Mio's face and Mio trying to squirm away, squealing the whole time.
"Get off!" She wailed as a wet finger made it's way into her ear, "Eww!! This is not ok!! I do a nice thing and this is what I get??"
"Yep." Zoe perched on top of her, looking all too satisfied with herself. "You're having fun."
Mio stuck her tongue out, shrieking when Zoe went for another cupcake. "Ok! Ok! I surrender!"
"As you should." Zoe grinned, handing the cupcake to her this time instead of smearing it over her face. "Here. Enjoy the fruits of your labour - I'll get dressed."
"You're doing my hair!" Mio yelled, flopping back on the bed grumpily and biting into the cupcake.
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Mio hunched in the corner of the booth, a bottle of... something clutched tightly in her hands.
They'd travelled to England for the Christmas period - Mio unwilling to stay near her home after her father had died and Zoe's family more than willing to accommodate her. It had been almost aggressively warm, the welcome she'd received, filled with so many hugs and squeezes that she could understand how Zoe had turned out the way she did.
Leanne and Charlie Foster were just great people as well. Charlie had a great time showing Mio all the magic tricks that Zoe already knew how to do, making coins appear out of her ears and little crackers shift from one hand to the next. Leanne would lean on and stage-whisper embarrassing moments from Zoe's childhood - like the time when she and Ella got stuck in a tree, or when she'd tripped and gotten so drenched in mud that her father had to rinse her in a lake before letting her into the car. The red that stained Zoe's cheeks had made Mio laugh twice as hard, Leanne's cheeky grin still in her peripheral vision as tears of laughter trickled down her cheeks.
So suffice to say, Zoe's family were lovely. They'd welcomed her with open arms, were adoring and kind and willing to share. And that willingness to share meant Mio being dragged along to Zoe's grandma's birthday party, held in what was called a 'cricket club' (which also had a dance floor and bar). And Zoe's family was big - 3 aunts and 2 uncles all with their own spouses and their spouses families, alongside nieces and nephews and family friends. Mio had been introduced to so many people that her head was spinning with names, so she just clutched her cider and sipped on it quietly.
The corner wasn't exactly quiet - there were still people around, but they were in little groups so Mio felt more comfortable with it. She shuffled awkwardly in her seat, her black dress pants slightly too tight, and she was very aware of the fact that she'd spilled some alcohol down her white shirt (oh why did she pick white?).
Zoe's family were lovely. Which is why so many of them were on the dancefloor, loudly singing along to Come On Eileen in a big circle. Zoe was right there with them, looking radiant with her hair down and a green silken shirt and black skirt. She was clutching a glass of wine, laughing as one of her uncles made a fool of himself.
Mio knew Zoe was extroverted, but didn't know how she could do... that. She'd been playing with the nieces and nephews at first, before getting pulled along with her mother. Of course, every so often she'd come and sit by Mio - making sure she wasn't feeling left out, but she didn't push her to join the fray, which Mio appreciated. It was... a lot.
It wasn't like going clubbing, or going to an event. Everyone knew each other here except Mio, and she didn't want to... intrude.
One of Zoe's nieces, a little girl named Daisy, made her way over to Mio. She paused for a second, seemingly working up some courage, before she handed over a beaded bracelet.
"I made this for you." She said, voice clear and sharp. "Zoe said your favourite colour was red, but we didn't have any red beads, so we used pink instead."
"I- thank you." Mio was surprised, taking the bracelet tentatively. As soon as the little girl had appeared she was gone again, sitting with the other kids and the box of beads they were making bracelets with, apparently. Like a tiny whirlwind.
She studied the bracelet, before slipping the elastic over her wrist. It was slightly too big, and the beads were an obnoxious shade of pink and shaped like flowers and hearts. It was never something Mio would have picked to wear herself, but she still felt a slight flutter of... something in her chest.
It was undeniably sweet, for the kids to make a bracelet for someone they'd only met today. Even if it wasn't quite her... style.
Zoe plonked down next to her, grinning manically. Her hair was a mess, her own wrist sporting a green bracelet that was slightly too small. She leant down, unbuckling her heels with a huff.
"These things... are torture devices." She kicked them off, Mio wincing as Zoe's bare feet hit the carpet. She didn't understand how Zoe could just... Be barefoot in public. But then again she'd seen Zoe run on the street barefoot a few days ago for the ice cream van so she had done worse, she guessed.
"Worse than The Machine?" She asked wryly, sipping her cider.
"Mmm... up there." Zoe flexed her toes, wincing slightly. "I saw Daisy talking to you. You ok?"
"Yeah." Mio hesitated, before lifting up her wrist. "Got a bracelet."
"Awwwww," Zoe practically melted, "I wondered why she asked me about your favourite colour. But then she was asking me if she thought her mum would let her cut her hair like yours so I just thought she was making conversation."
"Like mine?" Mio was taken aback, "Wait - she's been asking about me?"
"Oh, all of the kids have!" Zoe said casually, "All my family know about what Rader tried to do and how you helped me. They all see you as a role model, somehow, although I keep telling them not to idolise you that much because somehow you don't like lettuce and it just tastes like water."
"I - ok first of all it tastes like crunchy water and that's the problem." Mio huffed. "Second of all, in what world am I a role model??"
"In the world where two people got stuck in a virtual reality simulation and had to break it to get out." Zoe shrugged, sipping her wine.
"Well, that means you're one too then."
Zoe laughed. "Oh hell no. They know me too well to idolise me."
"They can't see me as a role model Zoe, I'm a mess!"
"Calm down," seeing how frantic Mio was getting, Zoe rested a hand on her knee, squeezing lightly. "They're just kids, Mio. They just see your bravery and think that's an admirable quality - which it is. They don't see everything and they think you're cool."
"I still can't be a role model." She sank back in her chair after a minute, slouching with a pout. "They should really reconsider."
"I'm sure the 6 year olds will bear that in mind," Zoe giggled, "for the ten seconds their attention is on it. Come on, cheer up. It's a party."
"I'm perfectly happy." Mio groused, glaring at Zoe's hand on her knee. "If you tickle me I swear to god-"
"I wasn't even thinking about that!"
"I don't believe you."
Zoe faked a grab for her side and Mio swatted her away, grinning despite herself as Zoe laughed.
"Bitch."
"You love me for it."
"That's debatable."
"Oh, my heart," Zoe dramatically pressed a hand to her heart, slumping in her chair. "How will I ever recover from this betrayal? I would have done anything for you - bled for you, died for you."
"Then perish." Mio grinned behind her bottle, grabbing a sausage roll from the buffet and shoving it in Zoe's dramatically open mouth. "Now eat and shut up."
Zoe tried to say something, probably something like 'that was rude' but due to the pastry in her mouth it came out as 'a wa uud'.
"You got a good 'un there, Zoe," One of her uncles laughed, clapping her shoulder as Zoe chewed the food. "Food, cute and sassy - triple threat."
Zoe gave him the middle finger, and he laughed raucously, ruffling her hair. Mio grinned, sticking her tongue out at Zoe.
"You hear that Zoe? You got a good one, apparently."
"Stick that tongue out at me one more time and I'll make you eat a tomato."
"We are not putting in the teeth!" Mio frowned, leaning back in her chair. "That was traumatising..."
"You're going to fall," Zoe sighed, cracking her knuckles. "And why not? We already put in the pigs, so we can't not put in a childhood story from you."
"Can't we change it?" Mio shuddered, "creative liberty and shit. Just a candyland story where we leave it at the candles?"
"I mean, we can but it won't be an expose of what we went through then." Zoe dragged a hand through her hair, looking at Mio out of the corner of her eye. "If you really don't want to include it though, we can try and change it up a bit?"
Mio groaned, her head rolling back. "I mean, I guess we can. It's not too personal- oh fuck. What are we gonna do about the subconscious?"
"The sub- oh." Zoe looked down at the notebook on the table, a messy mix of plot lines that merged with what they'd actually experienced and things that were deemed too personal to comfortably share. But the subconscious? The first major crux of their journey, a massive hurdle Rader had thrown their way...
"Where do we draw the line between exposing Rader and exposing ourselves?" Mio mumbled. "I'm not very interested in telling the world about my anger issues, let alone the fact that they tried to kill me."
"That's ok!" Zoe rushed to put the notebook away, trying desperately not to think of her own foray into her subconscious. "We'll think on it. See if we do want to do it as a fiction book instead of an expose."
"Who would be the characters? Zia and Mai?"
"Come on! Couldn't I be Zara?"
"You're not cool enough to be a Zara."
"I could so be a Zara!"
"Mmm... no."
Zoe huffed, turning away only to hear a meow.
"And there's Void, back from his voidy journeys."
"Have you fed the Void?" Zoe asked, immediately heading to the kitchen.
"Not since this morning," came the reply, loud purrs echoing through to house as the black cat mashed his face into Mio's. She just grinned, scrunching her nose as he did it again.
"Does that cat do anything at an acceptable volume?" Zoe asked, putting down his bowl for whenever he was ready.
"God no." Mio laughed. "Even when he was a kitten he was yelling at me."
"Quite the impressive set of lungs."
"Yeah. Saved his life though, considering that I hauled him out of a bin."
Zoe hummed, watching Void mash Mio's face one more time before going to eat.
"You know, you and Void have a lot in common, Mio."
"Are you saying I'm loud and that you fished me out of a bin?"
"No!" Zoe exclaimed, scandalised, and Mio burst into laughter. An incredulous smile pulled at Zoe's mouth, and she shook her head.
"Heathen child!" She proclaimed, making Mio laugh even harder.
"Sorry, sorry!" She wheezed, waving her hand in apology. "You were saying?"
"Oh no, missy. You don't get to hear my thoughts now!" Zoe wagged her finger in Mio's face, before the younger woman slapped it out of the way lightning fast.
She raised an eyebrow. "Case and point."
"Oh shut up." Mio rolled her eyes, kicking her feet up on the desk. "Can you bring me one of those cupcakes you made? I'm gonna have another look at the timeline again."
"Sure thing, Your Majesty." Zoe mock-bowed, before doing as requested, refilling their tea along the way. As she walked back in, she saw Void plonk himself right over their manuscript, lounging in a remarkably similar manner to Mio stretching backwards in her chair.
"I meant what I said though," She continued, placing everything on the table around the cat. "You and Void have very similar tendencies."
