#rumibaby

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time check: 5:19 am, saturday

Dawn is an especially lovely sight from the tower. A tinge of pink blends suently into the stretch of the soft orange orbiting within a burning yellow as it teases the rise of the sun. If you catch it, you can see the way the skies of blue dip over the horizon bit by bit where it leads its troops of puffy clouds until it dwarfs over the city of Seoul.

It makes for a wonderful wake to the morning, one you would never tire of, one that leaves you beaming to waking up so early in the morning.

Jinu doesn't bother it with a glance. Instead his back faces it while he lies sideways on the bed, his cheek resting on the knuckles of his hand as he looks towards messy blankets and squished pillows along with its fellow occupants.

Dawn is a sight for sore eyes sure, but it can never recreate this.

When this little arrangement first started, it was usually Jinu in the middle, and it took a bit of adjusting, a lot of accidental and not so accidental jabs on his person while the two others shifted to and fro, pulling pillows back, hogging blankets, and blatant aggressiveness and unabashed insults thrown all around.

At some point though, the both of them eventually got tired of his supposedly 'stupid' early morning routine where he apparently wakes up like 'an old man' and his constant moving that bothered their sleep, and so he's been mostly banished to the side of the bed.

"You should be glad we haven't kicked you out to the couch to rot." Baby had said.

Rude.

It's not his fault he wakes up like a decently responsible being. Being an early bird comes with an array of benefits, such as getting a lot done, while also enjoying the tranquility as the city itself tries to gather its bearings to get started on the day, a cup of tea in hand after a morning run while staring out the clerestory window.

What's more, only he has the privilege to do something like this, all before he gets started on his day.

Not too long ago, Baby was latched onto him, cheek tucked over his chest with a hand snaking under his shirt to fondle the bud of his chest……. never one to miss the opportunity to touch (grope) him in any way possible, even in his sleep.

But now that he's gone and moved a little farther away, it seems the bratty little demon immediately notices his absence without the need to wake up. A hand chases after his shadow over the sheets of the bed in constant circles, and after confirming that Jinu's not there anymore, Baby rolls over to his back, sneaking closer to Rumi, immediately slipping his arms around her neck and pulling her close, rubbing his cheek against hers before burying himself deeper into the crook of her neck.

If a dopey grin stretches along his face, then it's a good thing Derpy and Susie are his only witnesses.

A part of him is tempted to let himself fall under once more and be alongside them, to take refuge in the comfort of their warmth. Another, more sensible part of him is already listing down tasks and errands for the day, emails and songs to write, what to cook for breakfast in time to his usual schedule.

Meanwhile, the weaker part of him just wants to linger here a little longer, and just, be.

He wants to get lost into the traces of their microexpressions, wants to close his eyes and count the beat to Rumi's quiet snores with Baby's small exhales, wants to trail his hands across every bit of skin he can find and study each of their features and etch it into his mind to keep for all eternity.

He won't do that though, he'd rather suffer in silence restraining himself if it means another second more of keeping them in their slumber, without any traces of stress or tension on their shoulders.

Here in bed asleep is tristfully when Rumi looks the most at peace. No ever present knot between her brows that tells more about her than she knows, already thinking of a hundred different problems to ponder over and work towards. No need to stop her from biting onto her lip or silently passing a lipbalm to her hand for the nth time of the day to help with the bitten dry lips. And while Jinu would love nothing more than to put his hand over hers to stop the constant fidgeting from constant stress, he'd rather her not strain herself at all.

It's also a nice sight to see Baby more lax than loose. Expression tranquil rather than impassive. And while Jinu loathes to admit that he enjoys the sadistic grins and overbearingly cutesy smiles more than he should, it's nice to see him not put on a thick mask to hide from every now and then. With him sound asleep, Baby is in a standstill of contentment and away from getting lost to his own thoughts that sometimes pushes him faraway. It's not lost to him either that in a mere span of a few months, he's turned from a light dozer to a deep deep sleeper that could snooze on in the event of an earthquake, undoing a sleeping style that's lasted for centuries, probably even during his human life.

There's something magnetic about this, something about them at this state that makes Jinu feel a soft kind of solace, makes him want to be better and more for them, if they'll have him.

Dawn shifts to a curtain of light, welcoming the sun rise. And the stream of its rays cascading from behind him is strong enough to make him squint his eyes, but not before he catches strips of golden fall over both Baby and Rumi that only serves to make them even more entrancing, almost as if the skies are blessing them with a bright morning ahead.

Jinu sighs, knowing full well that neither of his precious devils would appreciate the burn of the sun. Honestly, does he really have to keep repeating himself over and over about the blackout curtains? It's there to keep the sun out when you actually use it properly. They're the ones who complain about it the most.

Well, that's his cue to get up.

It doesn't bother Jinu since he's always awake before it happens anyway. And yet, he's the one getting up almost every morning just to slide the floor-length curtains closed. There's a bit of dust that catches his nose and makes him cough, and he can't help but roll his eyes at the notion that it's time to have these changed later in the day.

By instinct, he turns back to the two of them, ignoring the ache in his hip, finding them exactly as he left them. Except…. now, Rumi has her arm laid over Baby's back. They look like koalas.

Another smile can't help but slide onto his face, his annoyance gone as if it's never been there.

Well, if it means he gets to catch little moments like this, then maybe this shared lazy habit of theirs isn't that bad.

He passes over the night stand to get his phone before fetching some clothes to change into, making sure to take a picture of them and turn it into his new lockscreen.

As he paces about the room, he looks at the time. There's enough time to do a quick 5km run, maybe more, catch a shower, make breakfast, all in time before either of them wakes up. Maybe this time he can check and see if Mystery is up for a morning run rather a nightly one.

Just as when he's resolved to leave, he casts one last glance at Rumi and Baby.

He stands before them, and his shoulder slumps. Slowly, he lowers himself to the bed to press a faint, barely there kiss for each of them on their cheeks. Baby doesn't move an inch, while Rumi scrunches up her nose before moving her head and pressing closer to Baby.

Ha. If only they knew how clingy they could get with each other like this. It'd be funny to share if Jinu doesn't dread the oncoming fight about it too.

Whatever.

Derpy follows his step with the bird in her usual spot atop the tiger's head when Jinu leaves the room, closing the door with the softest click.

His heart settles at the thought of greeting his loves a good morning with their favorite meals.

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time check: 8:17 am, saturday

Slowly, brown eyes blink open, rousing from an undisturbed sleep. There's a comfortable weight atop her, the grounding sensation keeping her mind relaxed and alluring her back to a slumber. But that wouldn't be productive, and a weekend isn't an excuse to slack off.

Rumi lifts her head up, and teal blue hair is the first thing she sees, Baby's cheek squished against her chest, seemingly happily and sound asleep.

A part of her wants to smack him for being so unconsciously touchy. Just because Jinu lets him snap a feel whenever he wants doesn't mean Rumi would either, even if she really doesn't mind. He's disgustingly spoiled even among the other Saja, despite knowing full well how obnoxiously bratty he is on the daily. She can't give him the satisfaction of folding like the others. She won't. She's with Mira on that one.

But instead, she buries a hand into that fluffy hair, pulling him closer to her until the scent of his shampoo reaches her. She tilts his head a bit back so she can see his face a little bit better, and she can't help the slow upturn to her lips.

Baby's face is relaxed, lashes fluttering with every breath, puffy mouth set to its default frown, his cheek smushed against her makes it even more tempting to pinch it even more.

Fine. He has a pretty cute face, and she likes looking at it. She'll give him that. And the rare genuine smiles she catches in the half-seconds he lets it show is something she privately wants to see more of.

She brushes his bangs a bit back, rubs her thumb in circles on the center of his forehead that she knows never fails to make him melt. And it still works, because somehow, his weight slumps down even more on her person, a small sigh let out.

She's never seen teal blue look so good on someone that it's unfair. His shiny hair, his bug-like eyes, and even the thick brows usually hidden beneath his bangs that girls would die to have.

A part of Rumi wishes that even demons have to go through the hassle of dyeing their hair, just so she has an excuse to bleach Baby's roots herself and to touch such soft fluffy hair. She wonders if he would relax and lean against her, or if he would just scroll through his phone boringly while waiting for her to be done.

She moves on to cradle Baby's cheek, tracing a finger down a sharp jawline.

Back then, it was a little disappointing that Jinu's such an early riser. The only times she ever catches him waking up are few and far in between. It's usually when Huntr/x is at its busiest schedule. And then she would wake up a little bit earlier than him, an opportunity to stare at his stupidly handsome face until it crinkles awake, warm fondness in his eyes when it opens to meet hers, where he motions for her to come closer and lean in for a good morning kiss, unmindful of either's morning breath.

But heaven doesn't last as long when you're a top idol with a full schedule.

Now though, it's…… fine. Atleast this way, she has an excuse now. A secret little thing added to her morning routine that no one else has to know. Now she has a window of time where she can stare and appreciate Baby for as long as she likes, knowing full well she has atleast three hours before he even wakes up.

Baby's surprisingly cuddly, and she welcomes the warm body to hold on to as the day breaks. It's a nice thing, to not wake up alone. It makes her wonder how Baby feels every morning with neither her nor Jinu beside him as a consequence to his horrid sleep cycle, maybe that's why he's so grumpy in the morning.

But Rumi knows it's time to get up, she still has plans for the day after all.

She moves to rise from the bed, but the arms around her neck only hang tighter, Baby's brows furrowing as it does. It most definitely does not tug at her heart strings, nor does it make her feel bad when she continues to move away from him.

Rumi isn't a demon….. well, she half is, not the point. She's not a bad person, so she takes her pillow for Baby to cling onto in her place, and already he's gripping it tight, hunching over it bonelessly like how a cat would normally nap, breathing it in before letting out a soft exhale.

….Cute.

As one last indulgence into her temptations, Rumi caresses his cheeks with both hands one more time, letting a thumb linger into the bottom of his lip, and moving it away before the little shit sucks it into his mouth by instinct. She leans down, brushes his bangs back, and presses her lips against his forehead.

Finally, she moves to leave the room, beaming with excitement to find out what Jinu cooked up for breakfast.

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time check: 3:15 am, friday

His left and last earbud goes dead, signaling that it's time to sleep. That's what he told himself some hours ago anyway. He considers filing through Rumi's nightstand drawer to grab her airpods, but decides the hassle of connecting it is too much work. (But the gratification that would come when Rumi yells at him later when she finds her airpods dead makes it very, very tempting).

Rhythm games without music is like listening to an idol who can't sing. You're only looking at something pretty while your ears are begging for anything worthwhile to hear. Vaguely, he feels his eyes starting to twitch, brain numbingly sore. He's no good like this if he switches to his other games.

Baby blows up a breath of air. Fine, he'll go to sleep.

He shuffles from his place, scurrying to the bottom of the bed to reach for the extension to charge his switch and earbuds underneath.

He's creeping back to the middle of the bed when Rumi starts to rustle….. He makes it a point to move a bit slower through the bed, careful not to wake.

Laid on his shoulder and on his side, Baby has a direct view of Rumi face to face.

It's strange. It's just a girl's face like any other. Good looking sure, there's a reason why her name alone is such a big name in South Korea and the world, talents and nepotism alone won't cut it. He's seen her smiles, both the perfect idol one along with the achingly cringey one alike, seen her cry and get angry and all sorts of things that fans and the public, and even the other girls, are privy too.

Baby scoots a little closer, until their faces are mere inches apart. Up this close, he can feel the ghost of her breath. Her little button nose scrunches when he puffs a breath, mouth tightening into a line, and her reaction makes him want to laugh.

She's so weird. This Rumi girl is so fucking weird.

Asleep and vulnerable to the world, to the two other demons on this very bed. He and Jinu were her enemies, hell, Jinu betrayed her, publicly humiliated her as he shoved her marks out for the whole world to see, and yet.

He's a little surprised at the abrupt burst of anger at the reminder, knowing full well he couldn't have cared less, laughed even in the event of it all those months ago. And yet.

Maybe this is what Jinu meant whenever he tries to explain his side of the story, of why he chose a random half human half demon girl over their group, over his own goals, over him. It still stings a little, but he thinks he's starting to get it now.

Suddenly, his lips feel dry, that stupidly persistent urge gnawing from the inside of his mouth, that makes him want to bite into his own claws until it bleeds, a sweet treat to suck into, chips to bite and nip at, anything to satisfy this stupid fixation he's stuck with.

One of these days, he's going to convince Rumi to buy a mini fridge full of his snacks to put by the side of the bed, and he'll succeed. Jinu would hate it and say it'll spoil his appetite for breakfast, but that's exactly why he needs Rumi on his side.

Rumi's lips are a tantalizing sight to his current predicament, but he's not dumb. Contrary to popular belief, he has some decorum, raised with it even. He doesn't have to ask beforehand to know Rumi would most likely say no, they fight enough about a lot already. Besides, he knows someone who's more than okay with it.

So instead Baby leans up to place a soft kiss on her temple, barely there.

That should be okay.

Without further ado, he rolls up to the opposite side. If Rumi's sleeping deeply, then Jinu is practically dead to the world. He lays on his back, mouth open slightly and neck baring both his and Rumi's marks, patterns of purple hickeys and reddening bite marks from their recent session that almost always ends with him passed out and succumbing to the best kind of sleep, leaving him and Rumi to clean up and look after him. No wonder he wakes up so fucking early.

Baby slithers closer, until his head rests on the space between Jinu's chest and shoulder. His hand roams across the white of his shirt in different motions, until eventually he lets it dig under until his shirt rides up and reaches the pec of his chest, appreciating the muscled form.

Baby doesn't hesitate to brush his lips against Jinu's, focusing his mouth on the bottom lip, sucking and smacking back to back. He doesn't bother with tongue this time, and the soft groan Jinu lets out is enough to stretch a lift to his lips.

A hand comes up to pat at the top of his head, paired with brown eyes fluttering open slightly.

"Baby..?"

"Go back to sleep, hyung."

"Okay," Jinu lets his head fall back on the pillow, but not before ruffling his hair messier as he tries to get the last word out.

"Go to sleep now, okay?" He asks in that disgustingly doting voice, and really, what else can Baby do but comply for once. Something inside him settles at the soft concern.

He hears his own voice lower into a murmur, definitely against his will.

"Okay."

Jinu smiles fondly enough, and then he's out like a light.

Baby eases himself back against Jinu, keeps himself distracted by fidgeting with the pectoral muscle still underneath his hand, mind still awake as he stares at the city lights across the window.

He doesn't know how much time has passed, but eventually he hears a shuffle from behind, all until he feels a weight settle across his back, an arm reaching over him and Jinu.

Rumi tucks her chin atop his shoulder, her cheek nuzzling against his in her sleep. She's too quiet, too openly affectionate to be awake. Still asleep then.

Baby lets himself take in the moment, the warmth that he feels surrounding him and from deep within. It feels nice.

He shuts his eyes closed, and surprisingly enough, falls right into an easy sleep.

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