Chapter Text
The drive home seemed to be taking ages as Agatha was stuck sitting at yet another red light. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel anxiously when her eyes caught sight of the clock on the dashboard. The numbers 2:24 glared back at her mockingly in vibrant red LEDs. Agatha spared a glance at the passenger seat to Scratchy’s carrier and could see the rabbit dozing inside, blissfully unaware of the unease that was quickly settling inside her.
The moment that the light turned green, Agatha’s tires screeched as she floored the gas pedal. She’d already wasted so much time dealing with New Jersey traffic that she wouldn’t have the time needed to even clean up her house and get the rabbit settled before Rio came over. Lord knows it was desperately needed. Rio usually was the one that had the time to clean the house while Agatha was working doubles and inconsistent shifts, but without her, things were just in disarray until she could find the time, which was never.
Agatha swerved into her drive, not even bothering to align the car straight in the driveway. The door was thrown open quickly and she made her way over to grab the carrier from the other side of the car.
“Come on Mister, Mama’s got a da–,” Agatha caught herself, “– damn appointment I have to get ready for.”
After grabbing the carrier, she booked it to her front door and unlocked it swiftly. As the door closed, her eyes glanced around the place and she saw the state she had left it in. The living room was a disaster. The couch was a mess of haphazardly tossed blankets. The coffee table? A hoarding space for half filled or empty coffee mugs long since abandoned and a stack of unopened mail that she swore she would get around to opening when she found the time. God, and the carpet, when was the last time she vacuumed?
Agatha set the carrier down and opened the latch for Scratchy. The small rabbit twitched his nose and yawned before hopping out lazily back into his home. He glanced up at his mother with his large brown eyes almost judgingly. Agatha frowned.
“Don’t look at me like that,” she muttered as she rolled her sleeves.
The first order of business was dealing with those mugs. She grabbed as many in her arms as possible, silently spurning herself for never picking them up. Who just leaves this many mugs around? They clattered into the sink unceremoniously when she deposited them there. She’d get to that later. Next, the mail. She gathered up what she could carry, but it really was a mound. She didn’t have time to sort through it all, so she stuffed as much of it into the closet as she could. Rio wouldn’t look in there anyway.
When she turned around, she saw Scratchy eating the corner of one of the envelopes that must have fallen when she was transporting it.
“Hey, get that out of your mouth!” The rabbit turned and bolted with it in his mouth. “No, come back here!” Agatha chased after the rabbit as he left a long papertrail of shredded bits on the floor. She managed to follow him all the way into the bedroom but he darted under the bed, the distinct sound of ripping ever present. Agatha pinched the bridge of her nose. “I can see someone is already feeling better. I don’t have time for this.”
While she was in the room, she noticed the state of it matched the rest of the house. Her sheets were an unmade mess and she had a pile of pediatric journals sitting open on her bedside table. Scratchy had made god knows what kind of mess under it and her white bunny slippers were in various places in the room from when she had tossed them off this morning. The closet door was open, the clothes just hung with little care outside of her more expensive attire. You can’t just leave Armani in a disheveled state, but the rest she couldn’t be bothered to care about.
She should clean it. She should clean it, but did she need to? She bit her lip debating. No, not technically. Why would they come in here? She could just close the door. Right? Rio wouldn’t come in without permission, she’s too polite. Then why did Agatha want to clean it anyway? She shook her head. She needed to get back to cleaning the important rooms. She’ll close the door. That’s the end of it.
With a heavy sigh, she returned to the living room and grabbed the vacuum. She swept up all of the ripped paper and did a quick pass over the rest of the carpet. It would have to do for now.
After finishing folding the blankets and fluffing the pillows, she was satisfied at least with the state of the living room. With a glance at the clock, she could see it was nearing 3:30.
She was still far from done though. While she doubted Rio would go into every room of the house, there were a few she just knew needed to look presentable. Living room was the most prevalent, that was checked off. Kitchen was a must. Rio was going to show her how to make the mix, and it would likely happen there. Then of course she couldn’t leave the bathroom, that’s an obvious choice. Agatha looked down the hall where the bathroom was, her bedroom stared back at her tauntingly.
The bunched up sheets and pillows strewn around were just an eyesore. “It’ll just take two seconds. Just in case she pokes her head in to see the place or something. Yeah.” Agatha went over again. She could hear Scratchy still shredding whatever paper he had gotten hold of. She prayed it wasn’t anything important like tax forms.
Walking over to the bed, she grabbed the sheets and started to pull them off but raised a brow when something clattered off the bed and onto the floor. She moved the sheets out of the way and staring back at her was the vibrator she had forgotten to put away last night, still unwashed.
“Fuck.”
Agatha snatched it up faster than she could blink, sheets left forgotten for now. She gave it a quick wash in the en suite and tossed it back into the bedside table drawer. One less rabbit that was a problem. Chances are if that was left there, the sheets weren’t exactly in the best shape either. Agatha stripped them, changing them out for one of her spare sets. The forest green ones. They had been on sale. No other reason.
Agatha sighed and straightened the rest of the room and closed the closet door to hide that disaster. As she kneeled on the floor to check on Scratchy, she could see the rabbit just happily occupying the space at the back of the bed, still just chewing on the paper. She reached under, fingers just barely able to graze the document before ripping it away.
“Aha!” She celebrated victoriously before she saw what it was. “You’ve got to be kidding me. My W2s? Was the junk mail not gourmet enough for you?” It would have to be sorted later. Maybe she could get another from her workplace, print one off, or email someone. She tossed the mangled carcass of the paper onto her desk, grabbed the sheets and then stuffed them into the washing machine.
Going back to the task at hand, Agatha got to work on the dishes. It gave her time to think about what she would do when Rio showed up. She’ll invite her in, Rio will play with Scratchy, she’ll show her how to give him the medicine, they’ll make the food mix, she’ll pour them a drink, maybe put on a movie–
Agatha’s hand stilled in the soapy water. No, that’s not what they did anymore. This was a professional visit. It was for Scratchy. They would make the food mix so Agatha could make it herself, learn how to give the medicine, and show her out.
With a firm nod, she finished the dishes and wiped the counters down. She spent the next hour doing quick finishing touches and scrubbing the bathroom until it was spotless.
As she wiped the sweat away that had accumulated on her brow, she caught sight of her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her hair was in slight disarray and her clothes were looking a bit worse for wear. When she’d gone to the vet office this morning, she’d really only thrown on something quick and easy. She hadn’t meant to run into anyone she knew, but this just simply wouldn’t do now. Agatha looked at the watch on her wrist and saw she only had about 30 minutes before Rio would be showing up.
“Shit.” Not a lot of time. Agatha threw off her clothes and jumped in the shower, not even waiting for the water to heat up. The frigid water crashing over her skin was enough to jar some sense back into her. What would all of this amount to at the end of the night? Another disappointment? Another fight? Another thing to feel guilty for? As the conditioner was rinsed from her hair, she couldn’t help but reflect on the exchange at the vet’s office.
Rio had admitted to still loving her, and it wasn’t exactly professional for her to even be coming over. Sure, the logistics were that this was a one time thing. It was a reason to see Scratchy, and to improve his care, and Agatha would do just about anything for their… her baby.
With a final rinse, Agatha’s hand came down and shut the water off. A deep breath escaped her as she steadied herself against the shower wall, her hand still firmly gripping the handle. Small drops of water fell off her slightly flushed skin as she stared at the floor in contemplation.
Rio did still love her, and some part of Agatha took a great deal of pleasure in that. Even after all these months, Rio loved her. She hadn’t moved on and just forgotten her. Agatha found her lips tugging up in a small smile. Rio looked gorgeous in that office. It felt so good to hear those words again. The smile fell again though when she remembered their split. How Rio pushed. Always pushed. It left her conflicted on how to even approach this situation. Perhaps they could just be friendly?
The last of the water swirled down the drain and Agatha finally forced herself to step out of the shower. There wasn’t much time left, and she refused to waste it thinking about this. After toweling herself off quickly, Agatha made her way over to her closet. It was still completely disorganized, but she could easily grab what she wanted to wear at least.
She needed something nice, not formal, but not so comfortable that it bordered on lazy. Casual, but not something that indicated she was trying too hard. This wasn’t a date. It was like a mantra at this point. After a moment of hesitation, Agatha settled on a knit purple sweater and some black slacks. As a last minute addition, she threw on her mother’s brooch she had taken when she moved out all those years ago, and pinned it onto her.
The only thing left really to do was brush her hair, and yet her hairbrush seemed to have vanished. She knew she had seen it in her haste to clean. Where had she thrown it? It wouldn’t do her any good to turn the place upside down just to go looking for it.
With a sigh of frustration, her fingers combed through her dampened hair, making the best attempt she could at taming it down into something presentable. Sparing a glance at the clock on the bedside table, she could see that it was 6:03. Her heart leapt into her chest and she had to flex her hands as she felt a slight tremble run through them. She swallowed, but her mouth ran dry. Rio would be here any minute.
As she made her way back towards the living room, Agatha saw Scratchy sitting in the middle of the hallway. She bent down and scooped up the small rabbit into her arms and gave him a few kisses on the head. It was one of her favorite things how amenable he was. Other rabbits were far too skittish at times, but he only seemed phased when she took him to the vet, well, any vet that wasn’t Rio, of course.
It didn’t take long before she heard a knock at her front door. Her stomach seemed to have twisted into knots in the 2 seconds it took for her to process that her ex was standing behind the door, waiting for her to open it.
Agatha paced over, holding Scratchy with one arm, and turned the doorknob. The door swung open, revealing a smiling Rio, who was standing there in a simple black blazer and slacks. The blazer was slightly parted at the top, exposing her bare chest, a dark green lace bra just barely visible. A small silver dagger necklace laid just slightly above her cleavage.
For a moment, Agatha suddenly forgot how to breathe. She suddenly felt very warm.
Rio stood there, effortlessly stunning, a knowing smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. The blazer framed her figure perfectly; it almost felt like a taunt considering Agatha had seen everything under it on more than one occasion. It was maddening.
Agathe clenched her jaw, forcing herself to snap out of it. She lifted her chin defiantly, scowling as if Rio hadn’t noticed the way she was blatantly being ogled. “You’re late.”
Rio’s grin widened a bit impishly, as if she had been anticipating the greeting. “Only by 3 minutes.” There was the slight crinkle of a bag as Rio held up a bag of takeout in one hand and a bottle of wine in the other. “I do, however, come bearing peace offerings for my egregious error.”
Agatha let out a snort as she stepped aside to let Rio enter her home. She felt her body tense as she caught the scent of Rio’s perfume as she brushed by her. It was one she had used to wear when they would go out on special occasions. An earthy floral smell that Agatha found absolutely intoxicating when she was around her. Rio had to know what that would do to her; it was only going to make this evening harder.
Before she was able to close the door, Scratchy seemed to panic in her arms, trying to scramble away. Agatha glanced at him confused until she looked up to see a woman walking her dog on her lawn.
“Hey, keep that mutt off my yard! Who do you think you are?”
“Hi, angel! I’m Diya! I live a few houses down. I’m soooo so sorry, my wife usually walks the dog. Come on, Jules.” The woman tugged gently on the dog’s lead and tried to get her to move along.
With a huff, Agatha slammed the door, turning back around to face Rio, who seemed all too happy to chuckle at her.
“I see you’re still as friendly as ever with the neighbors.”
“Corpse found in coffin.”
Scratchy wiggled more in Agatha’s arms, forcing her to gently set him down. She watched as the rabbit immediately scurried over to Rio and rubbed up against her leg.
Rio looked more than pleased by the affection and quickly moved towards the, now clutter free, coffee table in the living room to set the food and wine down.
“I stopped by that Puerto Rican place we used to order from all the time on my way over.” Rio spared a glance towards Agatha. “Figured you probably aren’t able to get it as often since the move.”
It was true, Agatha hadn’t had any good Puerto Rican food since she had moved to Eastview. There were a few places she had sampled nearby, but it paled in comparison to this restaurant. The only thing that had ever come close was Rio’s cooking, and that was gone now too. Agatha knew for a fact though that the restaurant would have been extremely out of the way for Rio. Seems like she wasn’t the only one that was looking forward to this appointment .
“That’s nice and all, but where’s the ingredients for Scratchy’s food mix?” Agatha crossed her arms, making no effort to mention how much Rio bringing her dinner actually was.
“In the car. I didn’t have enough hands. I can get it after we eat.” Rio finally looked down at Scratchy who was still nuzzling into her ankle. Agatha did her best to ignore the warmth that swelled in her chest as she watched him. Traitorous little fluff ball; he was supposed to love her more.
Rio knelt down to give Scratchy some affection finally now that her hands were free. As she did so, her blazer parted ever so slightly with the motion, something that didn’t go unnoticed by Agatha. She felt her cheeks warm slightly as she made her way over to the kitchen to grab some plates for the food.
Rio scooped up Scratchy effortlessly, the rabbit burrowing into her chest immediately as she cradled him like he was the most precious thing in the world. The rabbit absolutely melted under her touch as she started to gently rub under his chin.
“ Qué lindo, qué hermoso, mira al conejito. Eres el bebé más lindo del mundo, sí lo eres! ” Rio cooed.
Agatha froze as she grabbed the plates and two wine glasses from the cabinet, listening to Rio talk to Señor Scratchy.
From behind her, Rio chuckled, forcing her to turn to look at them finally. The other woman must have seen Agatha hesitate because not a moment later she watched her lean closer to Scratchy and whisper loud enough for her to hear, “ Agatha es una chismosa ¿no? ”
“Am not!” Agatha rolled her eyes and continued over with the plates and glasses to set them down on the coffee table.
Rio was quick to follow, continuing to just lazily pet Scratchy. The rabbit stretched out a bit and his nose twitched ever so slightly as he got comfortable in her arms. Agatha just shook her head at his antics. Here she was, taking him to the vet, getting him medicine, making sure his food was all in order, and yet was he rubbing up on her like that? No, he was soaking up every last bit of attention Rio had to offer him. Additionally, he had Rio wrapped around his tiny paw, doing just about anything for him, like he always had.
There’s no way she loves this rabbit more than me–
She grabbed the wine bottle as thoughts swirled in her head. On one hand she felt jealous that Scratchy seemed overly affectionate once Rio was around, regardless of her presence. And yet it angered her more that Rio was almost rubbing it in her face with how much she doted on him .
Her jaw was clenched so hard her teeth almost ached. She headed back towards the kitchen. “I’m gonna open the wine.”
“Buena idea, mi amor,” Rio continued to tease as she placed kisses on Scratchy’s head.
Agatha’s hand fumbled with the corkscrew after hearing her use the familiar term of endearment. Oh, she was laying it on thick. She’s so annoying. Shouldn’t have let her come over. This is a mistake.
As much as she tried to convince herself of that, her suddenly racing pulse said otherwise.
“Do you want me to show you how to give him his meds before or after dinner?” Rio offered.
Agatha forced the corkscrew into the bottle with more force than necessary, inhaling sharply through her nose as she tried to ground herself. Get it together, Harkness.
“After.” She called back as she yanked the cork free with a ‘pop’ . Bringing the bottle back over, she took the two glasses sitting on the coffee table and filled them both halfway before taking a seat on the couch. “I’d rather not lose my appetite watching you two canoodle right in front of my bistec encebollado.”
“Aw, is someone feeling left out? I’m just giving attention to my baby; I did take care of him too, you know. He just misses being spoiled.”
Agatha shot her a quick glare. “Oh, please. He’s plenty spoiled. Would you just sit down already?”
With a final kiss to Scratchy’s head, Rio set the rabbit down and reached into her pocket to pull out a few treats to toss to him. He seemed more than happy to eat them as Rio joined Agatha on the couch.
Agatha slid one of the glasses across the table. “Here.”
Rio took the glass with a smirk, slowly taking the time to swirl the liquid inside before bringing the glass to her lips. She made sure to maintain eye contact with Agatha as she did so. The other woman licked her lips nervously before taking a sip from her own.
“So, how’s Eastview been?”
“Fine.” The answer was swift and clipped, offering nothing. Agatha started to plate the food from the takeout bag. It looked and smelled just as good as she remembered. Rio really had gone all out to get her favorite, and she loved that despite the drive, the food was still warm.
Rio didn’t press, just gave a single nod as she placed her glass down. “Good. Glad to hear it’s working out then.”
A tense silence filled the space, only interrupted by the sounds of the clattering silverware against the plates as they ate.
Agatha wasn’t sure what she had expected to happen, what she wanted to happen. This wasn’t exactly it though. It was familiar, but also unbearably uncomfortable. Not like before. Not like it was.
“I’ve really miss-”
“Do you want to-”
The both hesitated, not intending to talk over one another, before returning to their silence. Rio cleared her throat and shifted on the couch. Agatha just picked at her food again awkwardly.
After a while, Rio sighed as she wiped her palms down on her slacks. Her tongue swiped against the inside of her cheek as she tried to start up the conversation again. “I’m a little impressed you’re letting me stay this long. I thought for sure you would have gotten Scratchy’s things and thrown me out by now.”
It actually tugged a smirk from Agatha. “Like you’d ever make it that easy if I tried.”
“Never.” Rio grinned back, easing back into their more playful banter. Agatha found she had actually missed it.
They continued to make idle conversation, falling back into old routines, slowly inching little by little towards each other on the couch as they continued to eat. Agatha didn’t even notice that their thighs were brushing until she felt a shift from Rio’s leg suddenly.
She looked down at the floor to see Señor Scratchy had made his way over, clearly seeking more affection. He had his front paws against Rio’s shin, trying to hop onto her lap from the ground.
Rio carefully reached down and picked him up, placing him gently back into her lap.
“ Pero míralo ,” she cooed as she rubbed gentle circles against his fur. “ Está tan feliz. Mi niño hermoso, tan consentido. ”
There was always something about the way Rio’s voice made her melt anytime she spoke Spanish, even if at times it annoyed her. The way the syllables would roll off her tongue sent shivers down her spine; it didn’t matter that the context was baby-talking a bunny.
Señor Scratchy sneezing took them both out of the moment. Rio frowned, turning a bit more serious.
“We should get that medicine in him.” Rio gently passed Señor Scratchy back over to Agatha before she stood from the couch. “Where did you put it?”
Agatha barely had time to adjust before Scratchy was nestled into her arms. She held him closer, her fingers instinctively passing through the soft fur. Her brow furrowed when she tried to remember where she had placed the medicine. When it finally registered, she at least had the audacity to look a little embarrassed. “I forgot it in the car.”
“Typical,” Rio smirked and grabbed Agatha’s car keys before heading towards the door. “I’ll be back, don’t miss me too much.”
“I’ll be beside myself with grief.” Agatha scoffed and returned her attention to the rabbit in her lap that was now wiggling in her lap as he tried to nudge himself into her chest for more affection.
“Oh, now you want attention from me now that Daddy isn’t here you little traitor?” Despite the barb, her voice held no real malice as she rubbed at his ears.
“So I’m still Daddy, huh?” Rio had just caught the tail end of Agatha’s statement as she appeared in the doorway with the paper bag in hand. She looked far too pleased with herself. A sudden warmth flooded Agatha’s cheeks.
“Yeah, and you’re late on your child support.”
Rio continued smirking as she placed the bag on the table. “I can think of some ways to pay it back with interest.” She winked as she retrieved the small syringe and medicine bottle.
Agatha let out an exasperated sigh, rolling her eyes for good measure, but otherwise not seeming too perturbed.
“Just show me how to do this before he decides to stop cooperating.”
Rio chuckled, shaking her head as she twisted open the cap of the bottle. “It’s not hard, I promise. He’ll be the biggest hurdle, but as long as you’re gentle with him, it’ll be ok.”
Placing the syringe into the bottle, Rio carefully measured out the correct dosage. Her movements were practiced and smooth. “Now, you need to measure out exactly 2.5mg for his dose, it’s at about this marker line. You’ll do this twice a day.” Rio holds up the now partially filled syringe to show Agatha.
Agatha tried to focus on the task, doing her best to pay attention to exactly what Rio was doing, but she kept getting distracted by the way Rio’s fingers moved. They were always so steady and sure, precise in their efforts. Efficient .
“Sure. Piece of cake.”
Agatha reached for the syringe, but Rio held up her free hand. Her brows furrowed in confusion but shot up when she saw Rio sink to her knees in front of her. It was an all too familiar position. Her hand tensed in Señor Scratchy’s fur, her breath hitching. “What are you-”
“You have to hold him firmly, but not too tight. Just enough so he can’t squirm away, got it?” Her voice was warm and inviting.
Agatha swallowed, suddenly all too aware of how close Rio was to her. The way her dark doe eyes pierced into hers as she waited for Agatha to give her some kind of confirmation she understood what she had to do. The smell of her perfume wrapped around her once more and Agatha let out a slow exhale.
Her hands shifted to grip Scratchy more firmly in her lap, adjusting him to a better position. He wiggled a bit in surprise but otherwise stayed put.
“Like this?”
Rio nodded approvingly. “Almost. Let me just…” Without hesitation, Rio reached forward, just barely grazing her fingers over Agatha’s. Agatha startled slightly at the unexpected touch, but didn’t pull away. She sighed at the soft feeling of Rio’s hand sliding against hers, reminding her of just how easily they seemed to fit together as it rested just atop her own.
Rio held her gaze as she helped reposition Agatha’s hands, ensuring the small rabbit wouldn’t be able to bolt away. “ Perfect. ”
Despite their time apart, no matter how long it had been, Agatha knew there was one thing she couldn’t quite avoid when it came to Rio. She was absolutely enraptured by her; caught up in a spell she never could escape. It was like a quiet, insatiable hunger that Rio stirred in her when she was near that nobody else could ever hope to sate.
Every time Rio was in the room, it was like nothing else mattered anymore. Just Rio. Only Rio. And god dammit if it didn’t piss her off. How was she supposed to move on from a woman that could see into her soul and bend it to her will with just a few soft spoken words and a flash of cleavage?
Her chest tightened as she was reminded of just how much she still cared, how good they were together. She wanted to regret inviting her over, should have never opened that door, but she couldn’t help but to admit that it was the first time she had felt excited in months.
She blinked out of her thoughts when Rio pulled away to gently move the syringe towards Scratchy’s mouth.
“Tip his head up just a little…yeah, just like that, good.” Rio’s voice dropped a little as she spoke, almost breathy now. Agatha hated the way it sent a shiver down her spine.
Agatha’s grip became a little tighter, not uncomfortably so, but enough to ground her. Rio eased the syringe into the rabbit’s mouth and pressed down on the plunger, letting the medicine trickle out.
Scratchy let out a small noise of protest as his nose twitched and he tried to pull away from the syringe. However, thanks to the firm hold, he was unable to go anywhere, forcing him to inevitably comply and swallow the liquid.
Rio retracted the syringe after a second and gave him a quick scratch on the head. “Good boy.”
Agatha finally let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.
“Well, that’s not nearly as dramatic as you made it out to be.” She said, still trying to shake the tightness that had spread through her chest.
Rio’s lips quirked up again. “It just takes patience.”
Agatha scoffed. “Not exactly my strong suit.”
“Never would have guessed.” Rio teased back. There was something softer in her gaze now, something that lingered still. Her fingers brushed against Agatha’s once more as she absentmindedly continued to pet Scratchy. It stilled briefly.
For a moment, neither of them moved, but little by little, the distance between them seemed to shrink.
A shift here, a lean there. Their noses were almost touching as the distance closed. All it would take is just a little more. Agatha tilted her head ever so slightly, her eyes starting to drift closed as Rio eagerly leaned forward on her knees.
Then, Scratchy sneezed between them, breaking the silence. They both pulled back, Agatha looking away at the realization of what she’d almost done. She tried to ignore the thrumming of her pulse suddenly very present.
Rio stood from the floor and offered a small, awkward laugh before shoving her hands into her pants pockets.
“Right, anyway, let me show you how to make his food mix.” Rio headed towards the kitchen, leaving Agatha sitting on the couch still holding Señor Scratchy, still feeling the sensation of Rio’s touch against her skin.
Agatha placed Scratchy on the ground, gently patting his behind to nudge him along to go play with some of his toys now that he had his medicine. She followed behind Rio to the kitchen, doing her best to ignore the sudden heat pooling between her legs. Her heart was still pounding, her face feeling a little too warm again. She really needed to get a grip.
As she rounded the corner, she stilled and her breath hitched as she watched Rio peeling off her blazer.
“What are you doing ?”
Rio tossed the blazer onto a bar stool in front of the kitchen island.
“I don’t want to get it dirty.” Rio shrugged. Agatha bit her bottom lip as her gaze roamed the newly exposed skin. She had nearly forgotten just how toned Rio actually was and that lace bra…her hand gripped the counter top to prevent herself from continuing.
“You can borrow one of my shirts.”
“It’s ok, this is fine. It’s not anything you haven’t seen before.” Rio started to unpack ingredients she had brought in to make the food mix. Her tongue swiped against the inside of her cheek as the corner of her lip turned up ever so slightly. “Unless you’re feeling some kind of way about it.”
Agatha scoffed and grabbed a few of the ingredients and looked them over. Herbs, hay pellets, fresh leafy greens, dried flowers, and…was that papaya?
“You’re kidding.” Agatha crossed her arms over her chest and raised a brow looking at Rio. “This isn’t overkill?”
Rio gave her a pointed look. “Obviously not. Besides, I always made it this way. Only the best for my baby.” She grabbed a cutting board and knife and started chopping up the greens. “I’ll always take care of my babies.” She said the last part more softly.
Agatha bit the inside of her cheek. She wasn’t sure if Rio was still just talking about Scratchy or…something else. She knew Rio still had feelings, but she didn’t think she still would think of her that way. Her heart skipped a beat.
Agatha reached for a knife and some of the leafy greens and started chopping as well. They performed the task in silence for a while before Agatha finally spoke up.
“So, why make it this way? What’s wrong with those pre-mixed bags at the pet store?”
Rio wrinkled her nose in disgust as the knife came down on the cutting board a little more harshly. “They’re fine , but I’ll always advocate for people to do better . The pre-mixed crap doesn’t have the best ratios. When you make your own mix, you have more control. You can make sure he’s getting everything he needs and add variety every so often to keep things interesting for him.”
“Didn’t know making pet food required a PHD.”
Rio stopped chopping and turned to give Agatha an exasperated look. “We’re seriously not having that argument again are we?”
Agatha actually found herself grinning. “I mean, come on, Rio. All that schooling just to specialize in tummy rubs and animal therapy?” She chuckled to herself. “Wait, let me guess. Do you get your diagnoses from the DSM-K9? Bet it’s a real help with animal purr -sonality disorders.”
Rio scoffed and raised her knife in Agatha’s direction. “And what are you? You work with toddlers; you’re just an overpaid, glorified babysitter .”
Agatha gasped in mock offense, pressing a hand into her chest. “Par dooon ? I’ll have you know I’m saving lives.”
“And I make sure people don’t get bit by animals with rabies. Same thing, if you ask me.” Rio winked and went back to chopping up some of the dried papaya.
The two returned to cutting and mixing the food, exchanging lighthearted banter and jests, occasionally bumping elbows or brushing hands a bit too frequently to simply be accidents. It was easy, like old times. For a moment, Agatha allowed herself to forget that they weren’t an ‘ us’ anymore, only a ‘ used to be’ .
Rio glanced out of the corner of her eye at Agatha after a while. She observed how relaxed she seemed. “I’ve missed this.”
Agatha looked up, her eyes locking with Rio’s golden brown ones. “Mixing rabbit food?”
Rio shook her head and laughed. “Sure. Let’s go with that.”
Before Agatha could respond back, Scratchy had come over and was gently nibbling on Rio’s slacks, clearly growing impatient as if he knew what they were doing. Rio scooped him up and placed several kisses to the side of his face.
“Cariño, ten paciencia. Papá está tratando de que tu mamá vuelva. ¿Puedes esperar un poco más? Te prometo que cuidaré de ti.”
Agatha furrowed her brow. “What did you say?”
“I said I loved him.”
“That’s all?”
“Yep.”
Agatha remained skeptical. She didn’t know much Spanish, but she knew enough to know that liar did not say ‘ Te Amo ’ in any of that.
Rio gestured with her head to the mix. “You’ll just place a little bit of that on a small plate for him, and he’ll be good. Just make sure he gets fresh food and water daily.”
Agatha gathered up some of it and placed it on a small food dish she had on a food mat in the kitchen for him. Scratchy, more than eager to get to it, scrambled in Rio’s arms. Rio lowered the rabbit to the floor and watched him dart over to the food.
The two women observed him with fond smiles before looking back at each other.
“Guess you can go now.” Agatha looked down at her nails, busying herself with removing invisible dirt from underneath them.
Rio took a step closer. “Is that what you want?”
Agatha’s breath hitched, taking a step back. “Why wouldn’t it be?”
Rio kept pressing closer. She glanced at Scratchy and then back at Agatha. “You sure you’re ready for all of this? Mixing the food, giving him medicine, making sure he doesn’t eat something stupid?”
“He’d never do that.” Agatha mumbled, unconvincingly. He absolutely could, would, and did. The spoiled little furball was fed like royalty and would still probably eat cardboard given the chance.
Rio moved even closer, her hand coming up to brush against Agatha’s arm. “You know, I could always stay…help you take care of him again.”
Agatha swallowed thickly as the counter behind her dug into her lower back. She tried to look anywhere that wasn’t Rio’s eyes or exposed chest as she felt her press up against her. The warmth of her skin radiated through the thin fabric of Agatha’s sweater.
Rio’s hand trailed higher towards Agatha’s shoulder, leaving a tingling sensation in its wake. Agatha’s breath quickened, her heart pounding in her chest as she felt her resolve cracking. Rio leaned in closer, her lips brushing against Agatha’s ear. “Coward.”
The last of Agatha’s self-control snapped as she grabbed Rio’s waist fiercely, not even caring that her fingers were digging into her hips hard enough to be painful. She forcefully spun them around, hoisting Rio up onto the countertop in one swift motion and positioning herself between her legs.
“You’re insufferable.”
“You love it.”
Agatha crashed her lips against Rio’s in a searing kiss, her fingers tangling into her hair and tugging tightly. Rio let out a small whimper, but seemed more than pleased with the situation.
Rio’s hands roamed up Agatha’s back, nails scraping lighty against the fabric of the sweater. Agatha ground her hips against Rio’s eliciting a gasp from her. When they broke apart for air, Rio rested her forehead against Agatha’s, panting heavily.
“More.” Rio growled, her voice husky and laced with desire.
“You’ll take what I’m willing to give.” Agatha snarled as she kissed her way down Rio’s jawline, trailing kisses down her neck, occasionally scraping against the skin with her teeth. She paused momentarily to suck a dark purple mark into the sensitive skin. Rio let out a moan and leaned her head back, offering more access to Agatha’s mouth.
Agatha smirked against Rio’s throat, reveling in the way the usually sharp-tongued woman was now reduced to breathy gasps and soft moans. She bit down a bit more harshly at the junction where Rio’s neck met her shoulder, eliciting a shudder from Rio.
“Look at you, so desperate already.” She murmured against the skin.
Rio fingers tightened gripped at the fabric of Agatha’s sweater tighter, trying to pull her closer into her. “Shut up.”
Agatha let out a dark chuckle, spreading Rio’s thighs further apart. “You’re not really in a position to be giving orders, hon.” She enunciated the point by pressing Rio even harder against the counter.
Rio gasped when Agatha latched back onto her neck, sucking another mark into her already flushed skin. She tried to retaliate by cupping Agatha’s cheek and trying to pull her mouth back to hers, but Agatha caught her wrist and firmly pinned it back down onto the counter beside her.
“Oh? Is that how we’re playing tonight?”
“Depends.” Agatha leaned in and gently took Rio’s earlobe between her teeth before sucking gently. She breathed out before trailing her tongue up the shell of her ear. Rio shuddered. “Can you behave?” Agatha’s breath was inviting and hot against her flesh.
Rio wanted to say ‘yes’. Practically knew that Agatha demanded it, but who would she be if she just gave in that easily? She locked her legs around Agatha, pulling her in closer as the heel of her foot dug into Agatha’s lower back. “Not a chance.”
“Brat.” She captured Rio’s lips again, this time slow and deliberate, taking her time to savor every gasp and moan that slipped out of her. She pressed forward, forcing Rio to arch against her as their bodies molded together, heat building between them.
She felt the sensation of Rio slipping her hands under the hemline of her sweater, deftly trying to pull it upwards.
Agatha wrenched back, lips swollen, pupils blown, breathing a bit ragged. Rio looked equally as disheveled as she caught her breath, neck thoroughly marked up, and a vibrant flush blossoming on her chest.
“Still think you’re in charge here?”
Rio swallowed and shook her head. “I never was, was I?”
“Not even a little.”
Agatha pulled Rio back into another hungry kiss. She took Rio’s bottom lip between her teeth and pulled on it teasingly before sliding her tongue into her mouth. The kiss was demanding, and passionate all at once. It was all the things left unspoken between them in the months that had passed. All the things Agatha could never say. I’m sorry. I miss you. I need you. I love you.
Agatha’s hands scraped up Rio’s thighs, until she reached the buttons on her slacks. She deftly undid them and slowly started to pull the zipper down. Before she was able to continue, she heard the soft sound of scratching.
Both of them froze.
Slowly, both of them looked down towards the floor where Señor Scratchy had stationed himself at Agatha’s feet. His tiny paws worked relentlessly at her pant leg. Agatha tried to shift him away by gently nudging him with her foot, but all he did was twitch his nose in protest.
He let out a loud ‘thump’ as his foot slammed against the tile of the kitchen floor in indignation. He would not be ignored!
Rio blinked for a moment before she broke out in a loud cackle, the sound bubbling up uncontrollably. Her sides started to ache as tears pooled at the corners of her eyes and she had to brace herself against Agatha’s shoulders to keep herself from falling off the counter. “I…oh my god…He’s cockblocking you.” Rio laughed even harder, wheezing for breath between words.
Agatha groaned in frustration, clenching her teeth as her cheeks flushed pink in embarrassment. “Are you fucking kidding me?”
As Rio continued to laugh, Agatha found herself growing even more irritated. “You think this is funny?”
Rio pulled back, wiping the tears from her eyes, still holding her sides as she chuckled. “It’s hilarious actually.”
Señor Scratchy thumped the ground again, this time letting out a small noise, determined to get his mother to pay attention to him.
Agatha exhaled sharply through her nose, not sure which nuisance pissed her off more at the moment. Like father, like son. “You are both the worst.”
Rio wrapped her arms more tightly around Agatha’s shoulders and pulled her back, trying to make sure she didn’t pull away entirely. “To be fair, I don’t blame him for wanting your attention. I know I do.”
Agatha narrowed her eyes. She took the opportunity to run her hand up Rio’s bare torso, skim over her bra, and softly grasp the base of her throat. “I can’t exactly give that to you when I’m distracted, now can I?”
It didn’t deter Rio though. She smirked and grasped Agatha’s wrist, encouraging her to tighten her grip. “Distracted by a grumpy little bunny? You’re losing your touch, Harkness.”
“We’ll see how you feel about that statement in about 5 minutes.”
Rio raised a brow. “5 minutes?”
“Generous estimate.” Agatha smirked, running her thumb over the marks on the side of Rio’s neck.
Rio closed her eyes and sighed, melting back into Agatha’s touch. She leaned forward again-
Thump.
They both snapped their gazes back down again.
Señor Scratchy looked smug. That little bastard looked smug . Agatha questioned how a rabbit can even look smug, but of course her son would manage it. Maybe like mother, like son, too.
Rio bit her lip, shaking with silent laughter again. Agatha clenched her jaw, nostrils flaring. “I swear to God –”
Rio used her hand to turn Agatha’s face back towards her. “Why don’t we take this to somewhere with an actual door. Hm?”
Agatha didn’t even dignify the question with a response before she gently hoisted Rio up into her arms. Rio locked her arms and legs more securely around Agatha, a shit-eating grin on her face. Agatha’s hands firmly gripped under her thighs as she navigated them towards the bedroom.
Back in the kitchen, Señor Scratchy continued to protest, but the sounds of the thumps against the tile grew more distant.
It didn’t take long for Agatha to reach her bedroom. She swiftly kicked the door shut with a resounding ‘slam’ that felt all too satisfying to do.
Rio chuckled again. “This feels familiar.”
Agatha unceremoniously deposited Rio onto the bed before crawling over her. “Oh sweetheart, I’m just getting started.”
Agatha didn’t waste time before crawling onto the bed, silently thanking her past self for absolutely deciding to change the sheets. As soon as she had Rio beneath her, she pressed their bodies further down onto the mattress, her hands braced on either side of Rio’s head.
Rio, ever the menace, grinned up at her. “You gonna stare at me all night, or are you actually gonna do something? Maybe I should take care of things myself–”
Agatha cut her off with a searing kiss, her fingers tightening against the sheets. When she pulled back, she smirked at the slightly dazed look on Rio’s face.
“Well, I was thinking about being nice and giving you what you wanted, but then you just had to go and open your mouth.” Agatha murmured as she kissed her way back down her throat. Agatha trailed a hand gently up Rio’s side, fingers splaying across the delicate ribs she felt just below the skin.
Rio shakily exhaled a laugh. “You love when I do that.”
The response pulled a chuckle from Agatha. “Debatable.” Agatha’s teeth scraped over Rio’s lace bra, trying to peak a nipple beneath it. Rio let out a gasp and tangled her fingers into Agatha’s hair, trying to encourage her further, but the other woman seemed content to lazily tease her.
“If you’re going to tease me all night, at least commit to it.”
That word caused Agatha’s muscles to tense. It was an obvious jab, one that Rio knew would piss her off. Agatha pulled back and aimed a pointed look at her. “In a rush all of the sudden?”
Rio huffed. “I’m just saying, if you’re going to ruin me, I’d prefer it happen sometime this century.”
Agatha hummed to herself, her fingers toying with Rio’s slacks. The button and zipper were still undone from previously. She gently swatted the side of Rio’s hip, indicating for her to lift her hips, which Rio graciously complied. Agatha slid them down her hips and off her long legs, revealing the matching lace panties that Rio was wearing.
The pants were tossed somewhere across the room haphazardly. She kissed her way slowly back up Rio’s legs, taking time to pay special attention to Rio’s inner thighs. She stopped every so often to gently nibble and suck at the sensitive flesh, making sure to leave a few more red marks behind.
Agatha paused once she had reached the apex, grinning at the obvious damp spot already forming on the fabric there. She smirked before flattening her tongue and swiping over it with a single firm stroke.
Rio was trembling now, her breath coming a bit quicker. Her hips bucked, trying to seek more friction where she desperately needed it.
Agatha pulled back, pinning Rio’s hips back onto the bed. “Ah, ah, ah. What was it you said earlier? Cariño, ten paciencia?”
“Bitch.”
“Now, is that any way to get what you want?” She pressed a finger against the wet fabric, rubbing over Rio’s clit in agonizingly slow circles. Rio tried to rock her hips against the touch, but Agatha made no move to apply more pressure or increase her speed.
With an agitated huff, Rio let out an indignant whine. She reached a hand down trying to apply some more pressure herself, but Agatha swiftly smacked it away. “No. You get to wait after that little stunt.”
As Agatha pulled away entirely, Rio lifted her head to complain, but held back when she saw Agatha peeling her sweater over her head and tossing it somewhere alongside Rio’s pants. The rest of the clothes were quick to follow, leaving Agatha nude before her.
Rio’s cheeks warmed as she sucked in a breath. She would never get over how stunning Agatha was to look at. A Greek goddess couldn’t even compete.
Agatha smirked, feeling smug when she saw the needy look on Rio’s face. She slowly stepped towards the bed, putting some extra sway in her hips with each step. “Since you’re feeling so mouthy, I think we should put that to better use.”
Rio shivered in anticipation. They’d done this a thousand times before, but it never failed to make her want more. Perhaps it made her pathetic to desire someone so deeply that her soul ached for them, but fuck if she didn’t love this woman. She didn’t care if others might consider it pitiful how quickly she would fold to please Agatha; she’d do it as many times as Agatha demanded if it meant getting a crumb of attention from her.
Agatha shifted back onto the bed, slowly slinking her way up Rio’s body. Rio’s smooth, tanned skin felt warm against hers. She positioned herself with a knee on each side of Rio’s head and looked down to see Rio staring unblinkingly at her body, lips slightly parted, pupils so blown her eyes almost looked black.
That intense gaze darted between each pink nipple to the glossy hair on her cunt. Rio lifted one hand up to rub at Agatha’s left breast, making sure that nipple was fully peaked before pinching. Agatha graciously allowed it this time, choosing to savor the feeling. It had been months since she had been touched by another and she decided she’d have what she wanted, even if she still planned to make Rio earn more.
There was a momentary pause where they just locked eyes, a silent conversation passing between them, asking questions neither would have answered if spoken aloud. Without another second of hesitation, Rio darted forward and licked languidly across her center. Agatha moaned out of instinct, a bit surprised by the overzealous action.
Rio’s tongue dipped into Agatha’s folds, dragging slowly from her entrance to her clit before circling lazily there. Agatha’s hips jolted forward slightly, causing Rio’s arms to wrap around her thighs to try to keep her steady. It didn’t stop her from trying to get closer, though.
Agatha leaned her head back and screwed her eyes shut tightly, rocking her hips in time with Rio’s motions. Trimmed nails dug into Agatha’s thighs as Rio’s grip tightened on her even more. A moan escaped her as she savored Agatha’s flavor on her tongue, forcing a gasp from Agatha when she felt the subtle vibrations.
Rio focused on alternating between sucking, flicking, and swirling around her clit, just how she knew Agatha liked it. This took years to perfect, but Rio never forgot how to cause her partner to absolutely melt under her touch.
Despite the pleasure she was receiving, an intrusive thought had managed to slip into Agatha’s mind. She suddenly envisioned Rio doing this to someone else, causing her to feel irrationally angry. An almost carnal feeling of possession and lust shot throughout her.
She snapped her eyes down to watch Rio’s ministrations. Rio was lazily running her tongue through her folds with a striking precision that Agatha had missed dearly. Still, the thought wouldn’t leave. Agatha couldn’t help but imagine another woman in her own place, riding Rio’s face, taking pleasure that should only belong to her . She imagined Rio wanting them just as much as Rio wanted her at this moment.
Her hands tangled into Rio’s hair and she wrenched a fistful tightly, creating a sharp tension against the scalp. Before she could even think, she barked out, “Pathetic. Losing your touch?”
Rio pulled back just far enough to smirk at her. She ran her tongue slowly over her lips, humming at the taste. “If I’m so pathetic, why are you soaked?”
Agatha’s knees nearly buckled when Rio leaned back in and took her clit between her teeth, scraping hard, before soothing it with her tongue.
“ Fuck! ”
Despite the antagonizing, Rio remained relentless in her rhythm. Tension built between Agatha’s hips, a warmth slowly building, desperate to snap. Her hands moved to scrape against Rio’s scalp with her nails. Rio groaned against her. The additional vibrations being the final addition she needed to make her back snap straight and her eyes screw shut tight enough for her to see white.
A loud, guttural moan escaped her, embarrassingly so, as she broke away from Rio’s grip on her thighs to aggressively grind against her mouth, chasing her high. Rio didn’t deter her, letting her take everything she needed, more than happy to be used. The orgasm continued until Rio slowed her tongue to stop. Agatha huffed a breath that she had been holding and felt her body lose some of its rigidity. A pleasurable warmth flooded her as she finally came down.
Agatha opened her eyes and released a breathy chuckle. “ Attagirl …I think you’ve earned your reward.”
Agatha rolled off Rio until she was laying on the bed next to her. She pulled Rio closer to her so that they could cuddle up against one another. Agatha was flushed and slicked with sweat, while Rio’s body was heaving with slight exertion.
Agatha shivered slightly from the small aftershocks that ran through her body. Goosebumps raised across her skin as it cooled slightly. Rio noticed and lifted a hand to cup Agatha’s chin. Her thumb softly caressed Agatha’s jawline and Agatha felt a surge of emotion that she had painstakingly tried to bury since she broke things off.
She found herself leaning in to press her lips against Rio’s, tasting herself on her. Rio’s lips parted to allow her in. How fitting. Rio always gave, Agatha always took. Agatha would demand, Rio would submit. When Agatha ran, Rio chased. It was their roles, their patterns, their downfall . As the kiss deepened even further, Agatha took the opportunity to suck her bottom lip before tugging it between her teeth.
Agatha snaked her hand down from Rio’s hair to her chest. She deftly unclipped the bra and tugged the straps off her shoulders. It was a front clip and Agatha wondered if Rio had this in mind when she chose her outfit. She allowed her hands to linger there but decided she needed to taste. Agatha disengaged from her lips to lean down and take Rio’s nipple into her mouth. She sucked lightly and flicked her tongue against the quickly peaking bud. She used one of her hands to ensure the other breast received its fair share of attention. Rio wriggled on the bed, silently begging for more as she arched up into her.
Without pulling away, Agatha reached down with her free hand until she felt the lacy fabric of Rio’s underwear. The barrier was more of a suggestion at this point, thoroughly ruined with proof of Rio’s desire. She hooked her fingers into the waistband until it was easy to pull off. She pulled away from Rio’s chest just far enough to watch as she slid the underwear down her thighs. Rio was absolutely dripping and eager for the taking. She practically ripped the offending fabric the rest of the way down her legs and Rio kicked them onto the floor in haste.
With nothing else standing in her way, Agatha’s fingers parted Rio’s folds eagerly and pressed against Rio’s clit. The warm slickness against her fingers had been terribly missed. She circled Rio’s clit a few times before lowering slightly to dip into her entrance.
Agatha held Rio’s gaze as she slowly inserted one finger, drawing a quiet moan from Rio, before pulling back and adding another. She felt a chill run down her spine at just how tight Rio was already. Her walls were squeezing her two fingers, pulling her further in. It took no additional effort to quickly find the spongy patch that would drive Rio absolutely crazy. Agatha started to thrust in and out with small flicks upward, ensuring she hit that spot each time. Rio tried to match her rhythm but her hips bucked a bit erratically in their desperation.
Agatha leaned close to Rio’s ear before whispering, “Shh, I’ve got you.”
Agatha pressed her nose into the supple skin of Rio’s neck and fucked her slowly. While they both enjoyed fast, hard, and dirty, Agatha knew that Rio’s favorite was sex where she always felt loved and cherished. It gave her the strongest orgasms, and after months apart, that’s what she would provide. The small moans and breathy gasps she was pulling out of Rio just made her feel all the more powerful. Agatha sucked Rio’s earlobe into her mouth. Something was missing though. She still wanted more. “Touch yourself. I want to hear you.”
Rio didn’t hesitate to dart a hand down. She started to rub furiously at her clit, needy and shameless. Agatha smirked briefly before Rio brought their lips together again. They worked in perfect tandem. Agatha would thrust, slowly, yet penetrating deep, while Rio would rub circles desperately seeking pleasure. Rio’s moans were growing louder with every passing second.
Agatha pulled away once more, knowing what she needed to do. “That’s it, honey. Give me what I want. Just like that. Good girl. ”
Rio’s head pressed back against the pillow and her mouth fell open in a silent scream. Her body started to shake furiously as the orgasm crashed over her. However, Agatha didn’t slow down there, wanting to drag the moment out as long as she possibly could.
She continued until Rio finally patted her wrist, silently asking her to stop. Agatha slowed to a stop, but stayed inside the other woman, allowing herself to feel the fluttering of her walls against her fingers as the aftershocks passed through Rio’s body. It was one of her favorite sensations. Who needs a pat on the back when you’re knuckle deep in your partner and they’re squeezing you so tight it feels like you’ve become part of them?
Rio turned her head to try to kiss her again, but Agatha shook her head. With a gentle tug, she eased her fingers out of Rio, smirking at how drenched they were, then held them up to Rio’s lips. When she tapped them against Rio’s lips with a silent command, Rio didn’t hesitate to obey. She opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around Agatha’s digits, swirling her tongue around them. Rio leaned in until she had every inch of the fingers in her mouth then pulled back to slowly ease them out of her mouth. She pressed light kisses against the tips of each cleaned finger. Agatha shivered, exhaling slowly through her nose.
Leaning back up into the pillows on the bed, Agatha pulled Rio closer to her and ran her fingers through her hair as she cuddled her closer to her. For a moment, neither of them spoke in the post-intimacy afterglow. The only sound that filled the room was the sound of their breaths, rustling of the sheets, and the occasional sound of cars passing outside in the night.
Rio had closed her eyes, burying her face into Agatha’s neck, as she lazily wrapped her arm around the other woman. Agatha’s eyes roamed over her body, taking in all of the marks she had imprinted onto her, an unspoken claim, even if she had no right.
Agatha languidly dragged her nails up and down Rio’s spine, taking pride in how she shivered under her touch. Rio finally broke the silence.
“I missed this…you.” Her voice was soft, a wistful tone creeping into it.
Agatha’s body tensed again, trying to choke down the ache that suddenly gripped her chest and caused her throat to tighten. This wasn’t supposed to get sentimental. This was just sex. They were blowing off steam, getting it out of their system. Having fun. Still, maybe she could allow it, just for a moment.
“Yeah.” She murmured quietly as she pressed a kiss against Rio’s temple. “I missed you too.”
She was surprised that it was actually true. She had missed her.
In fact, it was impossible to ignore how much she had missed her, how lonely she had been. Not just lonely for anyone, no, nobody would ever hold a candle to Rio. They couldn’t hope to even try. Rio’s touch, warmth, humor, how right she felt. No, nobody could replace Rio.
Wanting to move away from the topic, Agatha refocused on the fingers running through Rio’s sweat slicked hair. “Your hair’s a mess.” She chuckled.
Rio grinned, a small chuckle leaving her as well. “And whose fault is that?”
Agatha rolled her eyes, but kept lightly scratching her nails against Rio’s scalp, massaging as she did so. The tension slowly seeped out of Rio, a soft sigh escaping her lips as she melted into Agatha.
Rio snuggled closer to Agatha. She felt sleep tugging at her, but she wasn’t quite ready to slip away just yet. She placed a small kiss on Agatha's collarbone, letting her lips linger there.
Things felt good, they felt right. Agatha had genuinely missed Rio’s company. How complete she felt when they were together, when she was here in her arms. She felt herself smiling.
“I love you,” came Rio’s quiet, calm voice.
Agatha froze.
It was spoken with so much care and reverence, it only made the guilt Agatha felt hit her that much harder. Reminding her of the reason she had pulled away from Rio in the first place.
Internally, she screamed at herself to say it back. She wanted to say it, she needed to say it. She sucked in a breath, lips slightly parted, the words precariously dangled on the tip of her tongue…and yet she said nothing.
She reflected back to their last argument, the one that had ultimately made her leave. For so long they had been fine . She had always thought her and Rio were on the same page, wanting the same things from life. They were both career driven and adventurous. They found solace and happiness in each other’s company. It had worked so well all that time. Then Rio just had to go and propose.
Marriage was always a sensitive subject for Agatha. Rio had brought it up a few times throughout their relationship, only for Agatha to swiftly shut it down. Marriage was a huge commitment; one that came with obligations, responsibilities, compromises, willingness to support one's partner in all facets of life. She couldn’t just walk away from a marriage when Rio finally realized she couldn’t be what she needed. It would require way too much paperwork.
It didn’t just stop there either. Marriage would lead to discussions of having children. The thought felt crippling. Her mother had hated her, always reminding her of just how much she ruined her life, and that was before she came out.
Who could hate their child? A child they chose to have? Could she even be a good mother? She was great with kids, but what about one of her own? She would hate herself if she ever made her own child feel the way her mother had made her feel. Agatha shoved down the thought of failure, trying to bury the feelings of resentment and shame brewing in her.
Still, Rio was always so patient, so understanding. It almost made her sick how willing she was to sacrifice what she wanted for Agatha’s comfort. She promised that they would be enough, that she was content just having a life with her. Was that fair? To someone that deserved a partner willing to give them anything if it meant seeing her happy? Rio didn’t deserve someone so selfish.
It was going to kill her to not say ‘I love you’ back when she so desperately wanted to, but it needed to be done.
She could say it just to appease them both. She had before. Saying ‘I love you’ wasn’t a new concept, but saying it now would mean something else. It would open a door she thought she had firmly shut. It was better for both of them. Rio wanted a future with a wife, kids, white picket fence, all the bells and whistles of domestic life. And Agatha? Well, Agatha would just be a disappointment.
Rio deserved better. She had to keep telling herself that. That’s all there was to it. No matter how much Agatha cared for her, she didn’t want Rio to wait for something that may never come, settling for a life that was only half full. Agatha refused to let her be stuck in a perpetual loop of heartache. It was for the best. They had their fun, now it was time to return to the reality of their situation. As much as it would break her heart.
Rio had felt the moment Agatha had stilled beneath her, the sudden tension that had flooded her body. Rio knew she had messed up with her slip up. She hadn’t meant to say it, it was just so familiar, so commonplace after they had just been intimate, it was just muscle memory. She did love Agatha, it was as easy as breathing for her, but she hadn’t meant to make the other woman uncomfortable. She didn’t even need to hear it back. She just felt safe and happy. It felt right to say.
Agatha turned to look at her, a lump forming in her throat. She couldn’t let herself meet Rio’s gaze. There was just something about looking at Rio that cracked every last bit of her foundation. She had to do what she did best. Deflect.
“Agatha, you don’t have to–”
“Someone should go check on Scratchy.”
Rio blinked at the sudden change in topic. Agatha started to move away and slip out of the bed, throwing on a robe she grabbed from her closet. Rio didn’t move from the bed.
“What?”
“You know how upset he gets when he’s left alone for too long.” Agatha ran a hand through her hair, moving towards the door.
Rio tried to interject again, already understanding what Agatha was doing. “Agatha–”
“Besides, it’s late.” Agatha pressed on, not meeting her gaze. “I have to work early in the morning. You should probably get going, but…thanks for the help.”
Rio studied her for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. Hurt bubbled up in her chest. She wasn’t an idiot. She knew this was Agatha’s pattern; could see through it entirely, but tonight she didn’t have the energy to fight it. She had fought it for so long. Fought it tooth and nail when Agatha left her. Even after all this time, the wound still felt raw.
It was exhausting trying to be a personal vigilante to someone else’s own villainous self loathing.
Rio slipped out of the bed, sliding her pants back on then moving towards the bedroom door. “Sure, yeah.”
As Rio brushed past her, her shoulder bumped harshly against Agatha’s. Agatha blinked as she followed her out into the hallway and to the kitchen where Rio snatched her blazer from the chair and threw it on, not even bothering to button it up.
She spotted Señor Scratchy in the living room and made her way over to him, kneeling down in front of him to gently pet him. He thumped his foot once, as if stating his dissatisfaction with having been locked out of the room, but then shifted to softly nuzzle her hand.
“ Hola, Cariño. Perdón que papá no pudo quedarse más tiempo. Pórtate bien con tu madre, ¿ok? ” Rio let out a sigh, trying not to let the tears forming in her eyes fall. Her voice dropped to a quiet whisper. “ Aunque ella es imposible .”
Agatha’s jaw clenched as she watched the scene. She could tell Rio was trying to keep a brave face on, act like this hadn’t deeply hurt her. Agatha never should have invited her over. She knew this would happen.
Should she say something? That she was sorry? That she didn’t mean to push her away; she just had her best interest in mind. She would have wanted her to stay, but didn’t think it would be good for either of them.
Rio let her fingers run through his fur a few more times before standing back up and clearing her throat. She didn’t spare Agatha another glance as she aggressively shoved on her shoes and headed for the front door.
Agatha followed behind, at least seeing her out of her home.
Rio yanked the door open aggressively. She heaved a breath, hesitated a moment, and looked back at Agatha sadly.
Agatha had anticipated this. No matter how upset Rio was, no matter what was going on, when Rio left, she would always send her off with a ‘ Te veo’. Those words always reassured her that things would be ok. It was almost relieving. Rio didn’t hate her.
Rio’s lips parted. She stood there, the cold silence permeating the air around them. Agatha’s heart clenched as more time passed. Finally, Rio turned away from her, slamming the door closed behind her without another word.
Agatha blinked. She hadn’t said it. She always said it. Why hadn’t she said it?
Agatha panicked as she opened the door, seeing Rio’s car peel out of the drive. Her body felt a cold chill run through her, almost as if someone had just dumped ice water on her. She closed the door, trying to understand why Rio wouldn’t have said it this time. Was this time really any different than the others?
Agatha had made a huge mistake. The thought of Rio never speaking to her again sent her into a spiral. Even if she was scared, she never wanted Rio to be completely gone from her life. She’d take friendship with her if that was all Rio was willing to offer, as long as it meant she could still see her from time to time. Still, even that thought left a bitter taste in her mouth.
She needed her to come back, needed to talk to her. Maybe Agatha could try. Maybe she could do it. For Rio. For the woman she loved.
Agatha frantically reached for her phone and tried calling her, but the phone went straight to voicemail. She sent a couple texts in hopes those would garner a response. Her heart jumped when she saw three dots appear on the screen for a second, but then disappeared as quickly as they had shown up. Agatha had been left on read.
Throwing the phone down onto the table aggressively, Agatha ran her hands over her face, breathing sharply out her nose.
“FUCK!”
She stared once more at the phone, willing it to ring, chime, anything, but the device remained silent. Agatha felt the sting of tears pricking her eyes, her chest feeling tighter. “I love you…” she whispered to no one.
How was she going to fix this?
A noise brought her out of her distress suddenly. A light scratching noise against wood. She turned back to see Scratchy pawing at the door, making small little grunts. He looked devastated.
“Oh, don’t do that.” Agatha made her way over to him, picking him up in her arms.
She looked down at Scratchy, the weight of her own actions finally creeping in. “What are we gonna do, Mister?”
All signs seemed to indicate she had lost Rio for good. She hadn’t intended for that to happen. She didn’t want Rio to move on. She didn’t want her to just forget her. She wanted…she wanted…
Who was she kidding? She wanted more , she was just scared of it. Why was she so bad at this? Nothing scared her more, though, than the idea that Rio would just be gone . She didn’t even have to think as the words slipped from her mouth.
“I have to get her back.”
Agatha pondered how, until her attention was drawn back to Scratchy as he nuzzled into her chest. An idea quickly formed in her head, a way to woo back Rio’s affections. A smirk tugged at Agatha’s lips.
“And you’re gonna help me do it.”