cowboy like me
Rio waited for Agatha to wake up from a nightmare that night, just as she did every night.
She didn’t.
Rio stroked her hair the whole time, occasionally stopping to check her temperature. She smiled, feeling it go down. She continued humming her melody, trying to find the words to go with it.
Agatha woke up a few hours later. “Trying to find the lyrics?”
“Yeah. It’s hard.”
“It is, isn't it? At least you have a melody.”
“True. How are you?”
“Better. Did I— did I wake up?”
“Surprisingly, no.”
“Huh. That is surprising.”
“But it’s good, isn’t it?”
“…I think so.”
Rio chuckled. “It’s probably fine. Breakfast?”
“Yes, please.”
Rio smiled, gently nudging Agatha off of her and heading to the kitchen. Agatha joined her, hugging her from behind. Rio smiled, putting her head back as she continued humming.
“Circle sewn with fate has led my way to earth. Witches, humans, mortals, I'll still stay true to you.”
Agatha smiled. “Are those the lyrics?”
Rio shrugged. “Maybe. I don't know yet.”
“I like it. Who's it about?” Agatha joked.
Rio pretended to be deep in thought as she turned around and put her arms around Agatha's neck. “Um, there's this girl I met a while back.”
“Ooh, and what's she like?”
“She's smart, and kind, and tough… and pretty. She's very pretty. I'm talking drop-dead gorgeous.”
Agatha chuckled. “Oh, is she now?”
“Oh, yeah, for sure. If I brought souls to see her, they would die all over again. She has dark hair that falls in waves, and her eyes, don't even get me started on her eyes! Sometimes, I wonder how I, a machine destined to be alone, got lucky enough to be with a witch as mesmerizing as her.”
Rio chuckled, but Agatha's eyes stayed on her. “What– What about her scars?”
Rio stopped, realizing, before clicking her tongue and putting her forehead against Agatha's. “She is who she is despite her past. Her scars show what she survived to get here.”
“You don't… hate them?”
Rio chuckled softly. “When I say I love every part of you, I mean it.”
Agatha gave her a soft smile. “So do I. You’re much more than a machine, Rio. You’re… you.”
“But in the end, I—I’m just Death.”
Agatha traced her thumb over Rio’s hand. “Is this because of what your siblings said?”
Rio sighed. “M—maybe. I try to ignore it, I really do, but they’re right. When I walk out that door, I’m Death.”
Agatha smiled. “That was true before, sure, but now, I don’t think you could leave Rio behind if you tried.”
Rio leaned in, her lips meeting Agatha’s.
Agatha barely pulled away. “I will love you forever.”
The words made Rio chuckle mirthlessly, a bitter smile on her face as the dreadful truth left her lips in a whisper.
“Forever is the sweetest con.”
It was so quiet that Agatha barely heard it, but the words echoed in her head. She knew it was true.
“But then again, isn't that what makes it special?” Agatha smiled, turning Rio's bitter into a soft one, filled with love. “Knowing it's going to end, and you’ll be together through it all?”
Rio couldn't hold in her soft laugh as a smile crept onto her face, and her lips found their way back to Agatha's.
That was before they knew that it would, in fact, end, but they wouldn’t be together through it all.
Before they knew they'd lose each other.
forever.