pain?
It had already been a couple of days by the time Rio had found her way back to Agatha’s mother’s house. She walked up, knocking. Agatha answered with a knife in her hands.
“You’re back.” She dropped the knife and hugged Rio. “Are you okay?”
“I’m sorry I couldn’t stick around.”
“Don’t be. Come in.”
Rio walked in and put the red anemone behind Agatha’s wounded ear. “How are you?”
She scoffed. “What do you think?” Then, she saw the way Rio was looking at her and took her hands. “I’m fine.”
“Are you?”
“Yes. The real question is, are you?”
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
Agatha traced over Rio’s hands. “Because these seem to affect you more than they affect me. And… what happened a few days ago.”
“What happened a few days ago wasn’t a big deal.”
“You collapsed. And cried.”
“You almost died.”
“That’s not at all the same thing.”
“You’re right.”
“Thank y–”
“Because your thing’s more serious.”
“Rio–”
“I can’t get hurt, or wounded, or die. You, however, can.”
“That doesn’t mean you should suffer for me.”
Rio looked into Agatha’s opal eyes.
Agatha squeezed her hands. “I’d walk into a tornado for you.”
“And I’d die if I lost you.”
“You just said you can’t die.”
“Death can’t.” Rio put Agatha’s hands over where her heart would’ve been, if she’d had one. “Rio can.”
Agatha pulled Rio closer, making her head rest on her chest. “We’re gonna be okay.”
“How do you know?”
“Because we’re together.” Agatha stroked her hair. “We’re together.”
They stayed like that for a while.
Rio traced over where the branch had been. “Does it still hurt?”
“A little. It’s far better than it was when you left me.”
Rio moved her hand to where she had pulled the shard out of Agatha’s stomach. “What about this one?”
“Don’t worry, the wounds didn’t reopen again.” Agatha took Rio’s hands. “Are you going to ask that about every single one?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, you don’t have to. I’m not even limping anymore.”
“You’re kinda limping.”
“Emphasis on kinda.”
“Emphasis on limping.”
Agatha narrowed her eyes. “Fair enough.”
They locked eyes.
“I’m fine. I promise. Are you?”
“Yeah. I just— I hadn’t really felt that before I met you.”
“Felt what?”
“Pain. It kind of tickles.”
Agatha scoffed in amusement. “You see things very differently.”
Rio paused. “Is that a bad thing?”
“Not necessarily.” She smiled. “I just think you look at things differently. It’s just part of who you are.”
“And you don’t hate it?”
“I love you too much ever to hate you, any part of you.”
Rio smiled. “I love you, too.”
They kissed.
“Have you eaten yet?”
“Not since this morning.”
“Gee, good thing I told you to eat. It’s almost evening, Agatha. It’s fine, I’ll make you something.”
“No, I got it.”
Rio headed to the kitchen. “It’s fine, I—”
“Rio.” Agatha grabbed her arm.
“Hmm?”
“Did you stop working at any point over the last few days?”
“Well, no, I was trying to get back to you, but—”
“Sit down. Take a nap or something.”
“I don’t— I don’t have to. I don’t even know how to.”
“Have you ever tried?”
“Well— Not really… but it doesn’t matter. I don’t need to.”
Agatha squeezed her hands. “C’mon. We can try, at least.”
“But–”
“Shh. No protests.”
Rio pouted.