date night
After what had happened on the anniversary of her trial, Agatha expected Rio to treat her differently.
Everyone else had.
But not Rio.
She checked in more often, sure, but not much had changed. The biggest difference was the nightmares.
The first night after the anniversary of her trial, Agatha had woken up, crying.
In previous years, she’d been cold and alone, sitting in the dark until the morning, unable to move or breathe for hours.
This year, Rio had held her until she calmed down and fell back asleep, even more patient than Agatha could’ve hoped for. She did this every night for days, sometimes even during the day, making sure Agatha was okay.
She should’ve known, really. Rio wasn’t anything like anyone she had ever met before. She didn’t judge or make her feel bad. She just did everything she could to help.
Agatha loved that about her.
Rio didn’t know how she had managed to stay calm.
She knew Agatha didn’t want to be treated differently, so she tried not to change anything. Still, she found herself asking if she was okay more often, making sure there wasn’t anything that could trigger Agatha.
It was her fault the first time, anyway. This was the least she could do.
Agatha wasn’t a different person, anyway. She was still the same Agatha Rio had met all those years ago. Rio just wanted to help however she could without pushing.
Still, she couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen again, that Agatha would get hurt. She tried to ignore it as she took the cups of tea into the living room, trying to stop her hands from shaking, to find Agatha standing on the table.
“Agatha, what are you doing?”
“Gee, Rio, it’s my house, too. I can stand wherever I want.”
Rio paused, then sighed. “Where’s the spider?”
“Under the table,” Agatha whispered. “Can you please get it for me?”
Rio chuckled as she shook her head, taking the spider and putting it outside. “You’re one of the most powerful witches ever, and spiders scare you?”
“They’re terrifying.” Agatha sat down, taking Rio’s hands to help her get down.
“They’re adorable.”
“No, but I’m glad I have you to take care of them for me.” Agatha looked down at Rio’s hands. “You’re gripping kinda tight.”
“Oh, sorry.” Rio let go, hands trembling as she handed Agatha one of the mugs.
“Are your hands shaking?”
“Oh, uh, yeah.” Rio put them on the table, trying to steady them. “It happens sometimes.”
Worry crept over Agatha’s face. “How often is sometimes?”
Rio paused to think. “Every couple of days, I guess. It’s been happening more often lately, though. Give me a second, I’ll fix it.” Rio closed her eyes, letting her true form reveal itself.
Her hands turned skeletal and steadied, then she reassumed her humanoid form with a smile. “See? All better.”
Agatha shook her head, worry still visible in every inch of her face. “Rio, that’s not okay.”
“It’s just my hands shaking.”
“Hands shaking could mean a million different things.”
“Like what?”
“You could be cold–”
“I don’t get cold.”
“You could be sick–”
“I don’t get sick, either.”
Agatha sighed. “Remember what happened on the anniversary of my trial?”
“Of course.”
“That’s how it started.”
“Oh.” Rio paused to consider. “But that was related to your trial, right? I don’t have anything like that.”
“Babe, you see people who’ve died beg for their lives every day. That’s pretty damn traumatic.”
“For mortals, maybe, but I’m an immortal being. Not the same rules apply.”
“Trauma is trauma, hot cosmic immortal witch or not.”
“Well, I’m fine.”
Agatha raised an eyebrow.
“I really am fine, this is probably just… I don’t know, but not that.”
“Rio.”
“I promise, I’m fine.”
Agatha inspected Rio’s face. “Okay. But we should fix it before it becomes a thing.”
“I know, but right now, it’s okay. We can talk about it again if it gets worse.”
“Or we could prevent it all together.”
Rio shrugged. “How then?”
“I–” Agatha paused. “I have no idea.”
“See? We’ll come back to it if we figure something out or it actually starts to interfere with our lives.” Rio sat on the couch.
“I don’t like this plan.” Agatha pouted as she sat down next to her.
“Well, pouting doesn’t fix anything.” Rio took a sip. “It’s my turn to plan date night.”
“Are you trying to change the subject?”
“No, I’m succeeding in changing the subject.”
Agatha sighed. “Fine, then, do you know what you’re gonna do?”
“I have an idea.”
Agatha waited for Rio to continue. Rio just took another sip.
“...are you going to tell me what your idea is?”
“Nope.”
“Alright.” Agatha raised her eyebrows, taking a sip.
—
“Are you taking me out for another Hexenbesen?” Agatha asked as they made their way through the woods.
“Yes and no. We’ll take the brooms, yeah, but that’s not what we’re doing.”
“‘Kay. Are your hands better?”
“I’m fine, Agatha. I promise.”
“You haven’t answered my question.”
“My hands are fine, see?” Rio showed her steady hands.
“Good. Just— let me know if it happens again, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.”
Agatha smiled as they grabbed more branches and Rio covered hers with white roses.
“I love it when you do that.”
Rio’s heart fluttered at the compliment as she placed one behind Agatha’s ear. They did the ritual again, flying in the light of the half-moon.
“Are you telling me where we’re going yet?”
“Nope.”
Agatha watched Rio as she let the wind flow in her face, her cape waving behind her. Rio saw her staring and smiled.
Rio started descending, and Agatha followed. They landed in front of a night phlox-covered archway that seemed to lead nowhere.
“Are you going to tell me now?”
“Agatha Harkness,” Rio drew a rune in the sky, revealing the gardens behind it. “Welcome to the Moongrove.”
Agatha walked in, mesmerized by the flora covering the garden, the lake reflecting the moonlight, the mountains over the horizon… She turned around, taking Rio’s hands and kissing her.
“So I take it you like it.”
“It’s beautiful. Like you.”
“Aw, you’re gonna make me blush,” Rio chuckled before kissing her again. “Come, you haven’t even seen the best part yet.”
“I haven’t?”
Rio led them somewhere, making sure to not let go of Agatha’s hands.
“Here we are.” She moved away, letting Agatha see the heart-stopping view at the edge of the cliff.
“The sea, the clouds, the flowers… How did you even find this place?”
“Life finds a way, I guess.”
Agatha smiled. “Thank you.”
“Always.”
Agatha cupped her hands around Rio’s face, and Rio grabbed her wrists before they kissed. As they kissed, they let their eyes shut, but a glimmer caught Agatha’s before she closed them. She pulled away slowly, interlacing her fingers with Rio’s as she looked around.
“Agatha? What’s wrong?”
“I think I saw something.”
“What–”
Rio’s words got cut off by Agatha’s screams as a shadow tackled her away, knocking Rio off the cliff.