Work Text:
from : vidal.r@uprrp. edu
to: a.harkness@nyu. edu
Subject: Inquiry Regarding Research on Social Identity and Morality
Dear Dr. Harkness,
I hope this message finds you well.
My name is Dr. Rio Vidal, and I am a faculty member in the Department of Psychology at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras. I have been studying social identity for several years, and recently, I came across some of your work in this field. I found your research on the intersection of social identity and morality particularly intriguing and thought-provoking.
I am reaching out to express my interest in your work and to inquire if you might be open to a conversation regarding your research. I would greatly appreciate any guidance or insights you could offer, as I am eager to deepen my understanding of this area and explore potential avenues for future research.
Thank you for considering my request. I look forward to the possibility of connecting with you.
Warm regards,
Dr. Rio Vidal
Department of Psychology
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Inquiry Regarding Research on Social Identity and Morality
Dear Dr. Vidal,
Thank you so much for your kind message. I’m glad to hear that you’ve found my work on social identity and morality thought-provoking—it’s a topic I’m deeply passionate about, and I’m always pleased to connect with others who share an interest in it.
I would be happy to discuss my research with you and offer any insights or guidance that may be helpful as you continue to explore this area. It’s always exciting to learn about the work being done in different contexts, especially from researchers in other regions like Puerto Rico, where the dynamics of social identity might differ in meaningful ways from other parts of the world.
Please feel free to propose a time that works for you, and we can arrange a virtual meeting to discuss your questions and ideas. I look forward to our conversation and to the possibility of collaborating in the future.
Best regards,
Dr. Agatha Harkness
Department of Psychology
New York University
from: [email protected]
Subject: Excited to Connect!
Hi Dr. Harkness,
I hope this message finds you well! Thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I really appreciate the chance to connect with you and chat about our common interests in this subject.
How does Thursday, January 4th, at 10:00 AM sound for our conversation? That should be 9:00 AM for you. If that time works, I’ll be happy to send over a link for our virtual meeting. If you have another time in mind, just let me know, and I’ll do my best to accommodate!
I’m really looking forward to our chat and can’t wait to hear your insights!
Best wishes,
Dr. Rio Vidal
Department of Psychology
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Excited to Connect!
Hi Dr. Vidal,
Thursday, January 4th at 10:00 AM works perfectly for me. I’m looking forward to our conversation! Please do send over the link when you have a moment.
In the meantime, if you’d be willing, I would love to take a look at any of your recent work or projects related to social identity. It would be great to get a sense of your research focus before we meet, so we can make the most of our discussion.
Looking forward to our chat!
Best regards,
Dr. Agatha Harkness
Department of Psychology
New York University
from: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Excited to Connect!
Hi Dr. Harkness,
Thanks so much for confirming! I’ve sent over the calendar invite, so you should see our meeting on Thursday, January 4th. If you run into any hiccups with the link, just give me a shout—I’m here to help!
I’m thrilled to share a couple of my recent papers on Ethnic Minority Psychology that touch on mental health, cultural competence, and therapeutic practices. Here are the links:
"Ethnic Minority Psychology: The Importance of Culturally Tailored Mental Health Approaches"
"Enhancing Therapy Outcomes through Multicultural Competence: Insights from Ethnic Minority Psychology"
I hope you find these insights helpful as we gear up for our discussion. I’m genuinely looking forward to diving into these topics with you!
Warm regards,
Dr. Rio Vidal
Department of Psychology
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Vidal,
I really enjoyed our chat earlier today! I’m sorry I couldn’t join via video—technology can be tricky sometimes—but I'm really glad we managed to have such a great conversation.
I’m truly excited about your research on culturally responsive interventions in mental health care. Your focus on aligning therapeutic approaches with clients' cultural values and needs is so relevant and crucial as we push for more culturally competent care. I see a lot of potential for your work to significantly improve outcomes for diverse populations.
If you ever want feedback, guidance, or just to brainstorm some ideas, don’t hesitate to reach out! I’m more than happy to support you as you move forward with your important work.
Looking forward to keeping the conversation going!
Best,
Dr. Agatha Harkness
Department of Psychology
New York University
from: vidal.r@uprrp. edu
Subject: Re: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Harkness,
Thanks a bunch for your lovely message! I really enjoyed our chat, and I’m so glad we got to connect, even sans video. Your insights were super helpful, and I’m thrilled to say that I’ve already started diving into some of the topics you suggested—especially on how to weave cultural responsiveness into mental health interventions.
If you’re up for it, I’d love to share a draft of my work with you in the next week or so to get your thoughts. Your feedback would mean a lot to me as I shape these ideas further.
Also, if you happen to have any of the materials you mentioned, I would be really grateful if you could pass them along. I think they could really help as I fine-tune my research.
Thanks once again for your time and support! I can’t wait to keep this conversation going and learn more from your expertise.
best regards,
Dr. Rio Vidal
Department of Psychology
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Vidal,
Thanks so much for your message! I’m really glad to hear that our conversation was helpful, and it's exciting to know that you’ve already started diving into the topics we discussed. It sounds like you’re making fantastic strides!
I’d love to take a look at your draft and share some feedback. Whenever you’re ready, just send it over—I’m here to help in any way I can.
I’ve attached some materials I mentioned during our chat. I think you’ll find them useful, especially when looking at how to weave cultural competence into therapeutic practice. Fingers crossed they spark some new insights for you!
I can’t wait to read your draft and keep our collaboration going! And if there’s anything else you need in the meantime, don’t hesitate to reach out.
Best,
Dr. Agatha Harkness
Department of Psychology
New York University
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Harkness,
I hope you're doing well! I'm sorry for the delay in getting back to you, and I really appreciate your understanding. Thank you so much for sharing those materials! They've been a fantastic resource as I work on refining my project. Your insights on cultural competence in therapeutic practice have sparked some great ideas, and I can't wait to integrate them into my research!
I've attached a draft of what I'm working on right now. It’s still a work in progress, but I’d love to get your feedback when you have a chance. Your thoughts mean a lot to me, and any suggestions you have would be incredibly helpful.
On a related note, I've been considering incorporating some concepts from the article "Constructing Race and Deconstructing Racism: A Cultural Psychology Approach" into my work. I think the discussion on constructing race and developing culturally responsive interventions to tackle racism could really enhance my framework. I'd love to hear what you think about this—do you think it aligns well with what I’m building, or do you have any different suggestions?
Thanks again for all your support and guidance! I'm really looking forward to hearing your thoughts and continuing our collaboration.
best regards,
Dr. Rio Vidal
Department of Psychology
University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Vidal,
I hope you’re doing well! Thank you so much for sharing your draft with me. I really enjoyed reading through it, and I have to say, I’m genuinely impressed with where you’re headed. You’ve done a fantastic job of clearly laying out the foundational ideas around culturally responsive interventions, and your insight into aligning these interventions with clients’ cultural values is truly noteworthy. It’s clear your work is on the path to making a meaningful impact in the field!
Regarding the article "Constructing Race and Deconstructing Racism: A Cultural Psychology Approach," I think blending its concepts into your framework would really elevate your work. The article’s focus on race as a social construct and the need to tackle racism within therapeutic settings aligns beautifully with the cultural competence you’re exploring. One idea is to connect the deconstruction of racism directly to the strategies you propose for culturally responsive interventions. You might consider discussing how therapists can foster open conversations about race and racism with clients, addressing their individual concerns while also challenging the broader societal structures that influence mental health. This could create a wonderful synergy between the theoretical and practical elements of your research.
Additionally, thinking about how therapists can deconstruct racism in a way that empowers clients could be really impactful. Perhaps highlighting the importance of understanding systemic inequalities and collaborating with clients to navigate these challenges within therapy would be a valuable angle to explore!
I’d love to chat more about this—maybe we can set up another online meeting soon to dig deeper into these ideas together? I think there’s a lot of great stuff to unpack, and I’m excited to collaborate further. Just let me know if you’re free in the next week or so!
Looking forward to continuing our conversation and seeing where your research takes us!
Best,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Dr. Harkness,
I hope this message finds you well! Thank you so much for your thoughtful feedback—I really appreciate it! I’m thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the draft and that you believe I’m heading in the right direction. Your suggestions about incorporating concepts from "Constructing Race and Deconstructing Racism: A Cultural Psychology Approach" are truly invaluable. I’m really excited about the idea of linking the deconstruction of racism with strategies for culturally responsive interventions. Empowering clients by discussing systemic inequalities in our therapy sessions is definitely something I’m eager to explore more. I’m particularly looking forward to seeing how these strategies can be adapted across different cultural contexts.
One aspect I want to delve into is the differences in how race and identity are socially constructed in Puerto Rico compared to the U.S., especially in how people from both contexts understand and navigate issues of race, racism, and cultural competence. Puerto Rico has its own unique history of racial and ethnic dynamics, and I want to make sure we honor both perspectives in my research. I really believe that this comparison can add an enriching layer to the conversation about how we need to tailor cultural competence in mental health interventions based on varying social and historical contexts.
I’ve sent you an invite for another online meeting next week so we can explore these ideas further. I think it’ll be great to brainstorm together, and I can’t wait to continue our conversation! The invite should be on your calendar, but just let me know if we need to make any changes.
Thanks once again for your guidance and support—I’m genuinely excited about where this journey is taking us and the opportunity for us to collaborate!
Warm regards,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hi Rio,
I hope you’re doing great! I just wanted to drop you a quick note to thank you again for our chat the other day. It was such a joy to connect with you, and I’m even more excited about the direction your research is taking. The work you’re doing is so important, and I really appreciate how you’re integrating cultural responsiveness into mental health interventions—it's incredibly timely and much needed!
I also want to express how much I valued your openness in sharing your experiences as a Latina researcher. Your unique perspective, shaped by both your lived experiences and professional expertise, adds so much depth to your work. Hearing about the challenges and prejudice you've encountered really resonated with me. I can only imagine how tough it must be to navigate those hurdles, but it’s inspiring to see how you’ve channeled those experiences into your passion for enhancing mental health care. Your resilience and dedication truly shine through and highlight just how vital your research is. Please know that I’m here to support you in any way possible as you continue to make strides in this important field!
In light of our conversation, I've attached a few resources that I think might be useful as you keep developing your project. I truly believe they could offer more insights into the intersection of race, identity, and cultural competence in mental health care. I hope they complement what you already have and ignite some new ideas!
I can’t wait to hear about your progress. And remember, feel free to reach out if you need anything else. I’m really looking forward to our continued collaboration and can't wait to see where your research takes you next!
Warm wishes,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: Great Connecting – Looking Forward to Collaborating!
Hey Agatha,
Hope you’re doing great! Just wanted to say a huge thanks for your super nice words and all the resources you sent my way—I really appreciate your support. Your insights have been awesome as I keep working on my research, and it’s so inspiring to know you think my stuff is important, especially with everything else you have on your plate!
On a more personal note, I’m feeling pretty pumped after our chat and have started working on a new chapter that I’ll send to you soon. It’ll touch on some of the stuff we talked about, especially around cultural responsiveness and the race dynamics in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Can’t wait to share it with you once I’ve got more to show!
Also, I’ve been curious—how’s that mentoring program going that you mentioned? You seemed really into it, and I’d love to hear how it’s turning out. I really admire how dedicated you are to helping other scholars!
Oh, and here’s a funny little story—our psych department hit a serious coffee shortage, and I kid you not, my friend and I have been “borrowing” coffee from the sociology department just to stay awake! Fingers crossed they don’t find out, or if I suddenly have a burst of energy, you’ll know why! 😂
Can’t wait to hear back from you and send the new chapter your way soon. Thanks again for everything—you’re really making a difference for me!
Cheers,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: The Coffee revolution
Hey Rio,
I’m super glad my feedback helped you out! You’re making awesome progress with your research, and I can’t wait to check out that new chapter you're working on! It’s awesome that you’re diving into the cultural stuff and race dynamics between Puerto Rico and the U.S. I’m sure it’ll be amazing. Whenever you’re ready, just send it over, and I’d love to give it a read and share my thoughts!
On the mentoring front, I’ve started working with this new student, Billy Kaplan. He’s got a ton of potential, but sometimes it feels like he’s a bit starstruck by me, which is kind of funny! I just don’t want to freak him out or make him feel distant, but I also want him to focus on his work, not just me. Have you ever dealt with a student who kind of puts you on a pedestal? I could use some tips on how to handle that!
And about your coffee situation—LOL! If my department runs out of coffee, I’d either start a revolution or just quit! I seriously can’t function without it! So, did you and your friend manage to restock your coffee supply, or are you still “borrowing” from sociology? Have you guys been caught, or is your coffee heist still under wraps? 😂
Can’t wait to hear from you, and I’m excited to see where your research takes you next!
Best,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: The Coffee revolution
Hey Agatha,
Thanks a ton for your sweet words and always having my back—I really appreciate it! I’m super inspired to keep pushing with my research, especially since I’m diving into this new chapter. I’m hoping it’ll really add to the convo, and I can’t wait to hear what you think once I send it over!
About Billy, haha, I can’t say I’ve been in his shoes (def not a superstar like you!), but I totally see where he’s coming from. It’s normal for students to look up to mentors, especially when they’re all successful and inspiring. Maybe you could gently steer him to focus on his own stuff? Sharing some of your own student experiences might help him see how important it is to stay grounded in research. I'm sure he looks up to you and just wants to shine. But hey, if he keeps putting you on a pedestal, remind him you’re just human too—no pressure!
And about the coffee saga—I almost went all-in on your wild plan, but thankfully, the coffee gods were on our side, and we got our stash back just in time. So, no need for a revolution (this time)! My friend and I are definitely keeping our eyes peeled now—just in case the sociology peeps get any funny ideas about our coffee!
I’ve attached my latest draft for you to look over. I’d love to hear your thoughts when you have a sec! And can we set up another call to dig into these ideas more? How about next Thursday, the 18th, at 2 PM? Let me know if that works for you, and I’ll send the invite!
Thanks again for everything, Agatha—can’t wait to hear your thoughts and catch up soon!
Cheers,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Superstar 101
Hey Rio,
Haha, you're way too modest! I bet you’ve got a whole bunch of students looking up to you just like Billy looks up to me. Honestly, it shows in your work and passion that you're already inspiring people, even if you don’t see yourself as a "superstar" just yet 😉.
By the way, your advice totally helped with Billy! He’s been focusing more on his own stuff now, and we’ve connected on a deeper level. It’s been a real game changer.
Also, I’m relieved the coffee crisis is finally behind you! No need to start a revolution (at least not this time). But now, I’m really curious about what your next adventure is going to be. Funny enough, my friend Alice from the music department has really outdone herself—somehow she managed to lose her guitar on campus. Can you even imagine? How do you lose a whole guitar? I swear, if you hear any rumors about a rogue guitar roaming around NYU, you’ll know it’s hers!
For our next call, Thursday the 18th at 2 PM works perfectly for me! Send over the invite when you can, and I’ll hold off on my comments about your draft until we chat. Can’t wait to catch up!
Best,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: In desperate need to edit
Hey Agatha!
I hope you’re doing well! I just wanted to take a moment to thank you for the amazing feedback during our recent call—it was truly so helpful! I’ve been diving into refining the points we talked about, but I’m feeling a little stuck on one issue. My paper seems to be growing a bit longer than I anticipated, and I'm getting a bit anxious about the word limit for the magazine.
I’m wondering if you could share any thoughts on what I might be able to trim or rearrange? I’m totally open to suggestions, even if it means letting go of something I'm really fond of. I just want to ensure it’s polished and ready for submission.
Can’t wait to hear your insights!
Warm regards,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: in desperate need to edit
Hey Rio,
I just wanted to say how great it was to chat with you! I'm really glad our call was helpful.
Now, about the paper: I honestly think the work you're doing is too important to cut. You’re tackling such a vital topic, and I really believe your research deserves to be shared in its entirety. If it means bending the word limit a little or finding a way to reframe some of the sections for clarity, I’d say maybe that's not worth it. The substance is what matters most, and you don’t want to sacrifice that just for the sake of brevity.
Now, this might be a bit of a long shot, but hear me out: I think your research would make a fantastic fit for a postdoc position here at NYU. I’m not sure where you’re at with future plans, but your approach and your insights are exactly the kind of work that could contribute to some of the ongoing projects in our lab.
I know this might come as a surprise, but I’d love for you to check out the admissions page and think about it. Here’s the link: Postdoc Admissions at NYU. Just give it some thought and let me know what you think—I truly believe there’s a fantastic opportunity here if you're interested!
Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on both fronts!
Best,
Agatha
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Checking In - No Pressure!
Hey Rio!
I hope you’re doing well! I just wanted to check in on my last email. I totally get that you’re super busy right now, and I wanted to make sure I didn’t come across too strong with the postdoc idea. I really respect your vision and any plans you have moving forward. If that’s not something you’re considering, that’s completely okay! I just thought it was worth mentioning because I genuinely believe in the significance of your work.
On that note, I’m still more than happy to help with the paper whenever you’re ready! If there are specific areas where you’d like some feedback, or if you just want another pair of eyes on it, please feel free to reach out. I’m here to support you however I can!
Looking forward to hearing from you whenever you have a moment.
Warm regards,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: Checking In - No Pressure!
Hi Agatha,
I hope you’re doing great! I just wanted to say sorry for taking a while to get back to you—I got a little swamped with grading as the semester wrapped up, and it’s been a busy time!
I really appreciate your thoughtful suggestion about the postdoc. After giving it some serious thought, I’ve decided to go for it! I’m in the process of refining my paper to make it a strong part of my proposal, and I’m really excited about this opportunity.
If you have some time, I’d love to hop on a call to chat about a few details and questions I have regarding the admissions process. Your advice would mean a lot to me!
Can’t wait to hear from you soon!
Best,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Checking In - No Pressure!
Hey Rio,
No worries about the delay! I totally get how things can get crazy at the end of the semester.
I’m really excited to hear you’re moving forward with the postdoc proposal! It sounds like a great opportunity, and I’m sure your paper is going to be a fantastic addition to your application.
I’ve sent you an invite for a call to chat about any questions you might have regarding the admissions process. If the time doesn’t work for you, just give me a shout, and we can easily find another time that suits you.
Can’t wait to catch up soon!
Best,
Agatha
from : [email protected]
Subject: Re: Checking In - No Pressure!
Hey Agatha,
I just wanted to say a huge thanks for our chat the other day! It was so helpful to sort things out with you, and I’m feeling much more relaxed about the whole application thing now. Your insights gave me a new angle to look at it and helped me get everything organized—it feels way more doable!
I’m excited to say that I’ve officially submitted my application, so now it’s all in the universe’s hands! It’s such a relief, but I’m trying not to dwell on it too much and just focus on wrapping things up for the semester.
I really appreciate all the support you’ve given me through this process, and I’ll definitely keep you in the loop about how things turn out.
Thanks again, and I hope your semester wraps up smoothly too!
Take care,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Excited for What's Ahead for You!
Hey Rio!
I’m really glad our chat was helpful for you! Honestly, I totally believe in the amazing work you’re doing and your potential. It was my pleasure to lend a hand. Even though I’m not on the admissions committee, I’m sure whoever looks at your application will see all the great things that I see in you: a promising talent with a strong voice in your field.
As you wait, I’m wishing you all the best! Remember, you’ve put in the hard work, and now it’s out of your hands. Focus on finishing the semester strong, and try not to stress too much about what’s next. You've totally got this!
If you have any more questions or just want to chat down the line, feel free to reach out anytime. I’m always here to help!
Good luck, and take care!
Best,
Agatha
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Congratulations on Your Admission to the Postdoctoral Program
Dear Dr. Vidal,
On behalf of the Psychology Department at New York University, I am pleased to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on your admission to our postdoctoral program. After a careful review of your application, we are confident that your research and academic background align perfectly with the goals and values of our department, and we are excited to have you join our scholarly community.
Your contributions to the field, as demonstrated in your research and your impressive academic trajectory, have stood out among a competitive pool of candidates. We are certain that you will bring both insight and innovation to our department, and we look forward to supporting your continued growth as a scholar and researcher.
Please expect further information regarding next steps and orientation in the coming weeks. Should you have any questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out to me or the postdoctoral program coordinator.
Once again, congratulations on this well-deserved accomplishment. We are excited to welcome you to our team and look forward to your contributions to the field of psychology.
Warm regards,
Lilia Calderu, Ph.D.
Dean, Department of Psychology
New York University
[email protected]
from : [email protected]
Subject: I Got In!
Hi Agatha,
I can hardly believe I’m writing this, but I’m thrilled to share that I’ve officially been admitted to the postdoc program at NYU! I’m over the moon— a bit overwhelmed, but mostly just incredibly grateful. I don’t even know how to express my thanks for all your support and guidance throughout this journey. Your faith in me has made such a huge difference, and I promise to give it my all in the program.
I can’t wait to finally collaborate with you and the rest of the team. This is such an amazing opportunity, and I’m eager to jump in and contribute in meaningful ways.
Thank you once again, Agatha, for everything. I feel so lucky to have you in my corner, and I’ll definitely keep you updated as things unfold!
Warm regards,
Rio
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: I Got In!
Hey Rio!
I can’t tell you how excited I am to hear your news—huge congratulations! This is such an amazing achievement, and I couldn’t be happier for you. I just know you’re going to make a fantastic impact here, and I can't wait to finally work together in person!
If you need any help with moving or getting settled in New York, just give me a shout. I’m more than happy to share any tips or lend a hand, whether it’s about the city, the department, or just getting comfortable. I know moving can be a lot, but I’m sure everything will come together smoothly.
Best of luck with your move, and please keep me posted on how things are going. I’m really looking forward to collaborating soon!
Take care,
Agatha
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Welcome to the Fall Semester – Important Information for Your Start
Dear Dr. Vidal,
I hope this message finds you well and excited for the start of the fall semester! As we prepare to welcome you to the postdoctoral program, I wanted to take a moment to provide you with some important information to ensure that your transition to NYU and the Psychology Department goes smoothly.
The semester officially begins on September 3, and we are thrilled to have you join us. In the meantime, I have attached some materials that include details about department resources, key contacts, and helpful information regarding your arrival, office assignments, and general expectations for postdoctoral researchers. We’ve also included a guide to campus facilities and services to help you get acclimated quickly.
Dr. Agatha Harkness, who will be overseeing your laboratory work, is available to support you throughout your time here and is an excellent resource should you have any specific questions related to your research or day-to-day needs. Please feel free to reach out to her or to me directly if you encounter any issues or need further clarification.
We want to ensure you have all the tools and guidance you need to start strong, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Once again, congratulations on your admission. We look forward to your arrival and to the many contributions you will make to our academic community.
Best regards,
Lilia Calderu, Ph.D.
Dean, Department of Psychology
New York University
[email protected]
Attachments:
- Postdoc Welcome Packet
- Campus Facilities & Services Guide
- Research Lab Expectations
From: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Welcome to the Department!
Hey Rio!
Welcome to the department! I’m super excited that you’re finally here, and I hope your move went off without a hitch. If you find yourself needing assistance with anything—be it getting used to the city, figuring out the campus, or any questions about the lab—just let me know! I’m here to help however I can.
Also, a few friends and I are organizing a little get-together before the semester kicks off, and we’d love for you to join us! It’ll be a relaxed evening filled with food and drinks, a perfect chance to meet some folks from the department and get acquainted in a laid-back atmosphere. We’re gathering at Alice’s place (you remember her, right?), it's just a short walk from campus. The address is 123 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10014.
I know you’re probably still getting settled in, but feel free to drop by if you can! It’ll be a fun, easy-going way to start the semester.
Can't wait to catch up in person soon! Again, welcome to the team—I’m really looking forward to working with you!
Take care,
Agatha
✨⚡️✨
Rio was not ready for the cold gust of wind that hit her face as soon as she left her brother’s building. She would never admit it, but she was glad she took his advice and grabbed his stupid fake fur coat. She looked ridiculous, but at least she was a bit warmer.
The last couple of weeks have been as chaotic as it could be. Deciding to change her whole life and moving to New York for her research in such a short notice was way more intense than she expected, but in the end her brother helped her and she managed to finish settling in and – with a little pressure from her brother – decided to accept Agatha's offer to go to their party.
Usually she was okay with these types of events, but this seems different. Not only because she literally doesn't know anyone, that also means she has to make a good impression because probably most of the people there are going to be her peers for the next year.
Cursing herself for not asking Agatha’s number before, she walks to what she thinks might be the correct place in Greenwich Village. Rio tries not to keep checking her phone, but eventually she stops in front of what it says is the correct place. She can hear faint sounds of music coming from the townhouse. Taking a deep breath, she rings the doorbell and waits.
Rio is not sure if anyone had listened to the doorbell ring, she was about to ring it again when the door suddenly opened and she was face to face with an asian woman with some red streaks on her hair.
“Hey there, you must be Rio. I'm Alice,” She gives Rio a warm smile and Rio can feel herself relax a bit.
“Yeah, I'm Rio, it's nice to finally meet you. I brought some wine,” she uses that moment to pull the bottle out of her brother's stupid coat and Alice smiles.
“Damn, that's some fancy shit, I like you.” she says picking up the bottle and moving so Rio has some space to get inside. “Come on in, we have food in the living room and some booze in the kitchen. Everyone is scattered around the house, but I think Agatha might be in the kitchen”
Rio was mostly paying attention to what Alice was rambling about until she heard Agatha’s name. She was glad that Alice was a welcoming host, but Rio could use someone familiar right now.
Alice dragged her to the kitchen, mentioning some people on their way and Rio tried really hard to remember everyone’s name, but she was pretty sure she had already forgotten them. When they got to the kitchen she saw a blond and a redhead talking to a brunette who had her back to the door. As they got themselves inside, the conversation stopped and they all moved their attention to where Rio was with Alice.
“Agatha, look who the cat dragged” Alice joked and Rio could see the way Agatha’s face went from annoyance to confusion to what she assumed was recognition.
“Rio?” she said and it sounded a lot like a question.
Rio was also a bit surprised. This whole time they never managed to see each other. Agatha had a problem with her camera on the first meeting and Rio's connection was not good enough to screen projects and use the camera at the same time, so she just decided to not open it.
She had seen a picture of Agatha before, when she was looking at an article the woman had published a few years ago, but looking at Agatha now, she was pretty sure that was a really old photo because the woman in front of her doesn't look at that picture at all.
She is so fucking hot . Her stupid brain supplies and she has to fight hard to make it start working again so she could answer Agatha without saying something stupid.
“Hey Agatha, sorry I didn't tell you I was coming. I was planning to spend some time with my brother, but he kicked me out so I decided to swing by. I would have texted you, but I didn't have your number” she explains and then curses herself for rambling.
She sees Agatha’s brow going up in what she assumes it's a mix of curiosity and amusement.
“It’s okay, I'm the one who forgot to send my number on my last e-mail” her voice is a bit different in person. more commanding and sharp, but Rio can sense some softness too.
“So this is the doctor Rio Vidal we’ve been hearing about?” the redhead asks and Rio realizes she momentarily forgot there were other people in the room.
“Good things, I hope” Rio jokes, but she looks at Agatha again just to make sure.
“Oh, definitely, I was sad she managed to snag you to the SIM lab before I had the chance to invite you to the SCNS lab,” the other woman informs.
Just as Rio was about to reply, she adds. “I'm Professor Wanda Maximoff by the way”
Rio tries to mask her surprise, because she knows Wanda. At least she knows her work. Some of her papers about how a person's perspective and bias can affect the brain had been used by Rio and some source material in her grad years.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, doctor. I've read some of your work in the past” Rio explains politely.
“Really? We should totally talk more about this over coffee this week and please don't call me doctor, Wanda is fine” Wanda assures.
“Okay, yeah, we should totally meet for coffee. I still have to visit the campus before the semester kicks in,”
“Oh, I thought Agatha had shown you the labs already” Wanda starts but is cut by Agatha herself.
“We didn't have the chance to meet in person yet”
“That explains a lot” Rio hears the blond murmurs and Wanda elbows her.
“Anyways, here is my number,” Wanda gives her a card. “I added my personal number in there, you can text me this week so we can catch up”
“Thanks, I will follow you up on that” Rio says and Wanda gives her a big smile.
“I like her already”
“That's because she hasn't worked with you, my love” the blond jokes and Wanda feigns an offended gasp.
“Says the person who moved to a whole new country because of her” Alice jokes and Rio looks at them confused.
“I'm Natasha, Wanda’s wife,” the blonde finally explains.
“She is also a high class professor of the Russian and Slavic Department, but apparently being Wanda’s wife ranks higher in her resume” Alice jokes, making Rio snort a laugh she was not expecting.
There is a tense second where everyone seemed to look at her as if taking in her reaction and Rio realized what was happening.
“If I had a wife she would be on top of my resume too” she added and everyone seemed to relax and laugh with her.
Rio was not planning on having a coming out in a professional setting this soon, but she didn't want to seem like a bigot when she was, in fact, a lesbian.
“I guess you will fit right into our little dysfunctional family” Alice joked and Rio felt something tug on her heart.
She was not expecting to be welcomed like this, but she is happy that they don't seem to be a bunch of snob schoolers.
“Well, I have to go find my girlfriend before she decides to take charge of the music again, but it was nice meeting you Rio, see you later” Alice announces before leaving the kitchen.
“We're going to take this to the living room, before Lilia gets too drunk and pulls out her cards” Natasha adds, picking a charcuterie board from the kitchen counter and earning a laugh from Agatha and her wife.
“Lilia loves to force people into tarot reading” Wanda explains before following her wife and Rio tries not to laugh imagining the head of the psychology department reading tarot.
When the door closes behind them, the sound from outside is muted and Rio is left alone with an uncharacteristic silence with Agatha.
“Do you want some?” Agatha asks, mentioning to the wine bottle she is about to pour in her glass.
“Yeah, sure” she replies relieved that one of them recovered fast from the strangeness surrounding them.
“Interesting choice there,” Agatha comments looking at her hand when she passes Rio a filled glass.
Rio moves her attention back to her hands too and can suppress a laugh when she understands what Agatha is talking about. Earlier that day, her brother had insisted that they go for a manicure, but somehow he persuaded her to get a matching design with him. It was a mild one compared to what he is used to getting, but it was a lot different then what Rio would get. They have compromised in a black and white design with some drawing stars.
“This was my brother's idea of bonding, he is way cooler than me with these things” she explains and she can't help the fondness in her tone.
“He seems interesting, I didn't know you had a brother living here,” Agatha says.
“He travels a lot for work, but technically he's been living here for a while. It actually worked perfectly for me because I can crash at his place so I didn't have to stress over accommodation when I was moving” she explains. “To be honest, I think that it will probably feel like i'm living alone, but at least I might see him sometimes”
When she finishes rambling, Agatha is looking at her with a confused expression and she can't help but laugh.
“What?” She finally asks and Rio just shakes her head.
Rio can't help but imagine Agatha meeting her brother. She probably wouldn't know who he is and that somehow is even funnier.
“Nothing, just remembering something. But yeah, I have an young brother who lives here and this is why i went MIA for a while, he took some time off to help me with the move”
“That's nice of him and I imagined you were busy, I should have given you my number so you could contact me, but I guess I was used to us talking over emails” and there it was. This time her tone was nothing like before, it had the playful and unguarded tone Agatha usually used with her.
Rio brings the glass to her mouth, hiding a smile behind the sip of the wine. Agatha seems to observe the movement.
“Here, you can put your number,” Rio says after unlocking her phone and giving it to Agatha with the new contact open.
She sees Agatha fidget with the phone, typing her number quickly and then she frowns a little.
“Is everything ok?” Rio asks and Agatha lets out a chuckle.
“Yeah, I guess I'm so used to talking to you in English that I forgot is not your native language”
Rio looks at her confused for a second, but then she realizes Agatha is talking about her phone. It's set in Spanish and it's probably what Agatha was talking about.
“I thought my thick accent was a dead giveaway” she jokes and Agatha laughs again.
“I guess I got used to it,” she says simply and Rio doesn't know what to say to that. “Here, now you can text me”
Rio picks the phone from her hand and tries not to think too much about the way her body reacted to a quick touch.
“Are you ready to meet the rest of the gangue?” Agatha asks, picking up her glass again.
“Yeah, lead the way,” Rio motion for her to go ahead and Agatha finally opens the kitchen door and they were enveloped by the noise of the outside, breaking the bubble they have been.
The rest of the night passes by in a blur. Rio meets a lot of people, most of them are members of the different faculties at NYU and she is happy that they all seemed to be welcoming and genuinely interested in her research and background.
Rio doesn't see much of Agatha after that moment in the kitchen, only glimpses of her imponent presence over the place. She does end up meeting Alice’s girlfriend, Jennifer, who she learns is a Professor from the Media, Culture and Communication department.
“I'm so sorry for you,” Jennifer drunkenly says.
“What? Why?” Rio asks, genuinely confused.
“You're stuck with Agatha for a year, she is such a pain in the ass” Jennifer says matter-of-factly.
“Don't mind her, she and Agatha have had this ongoing banter for years now,” Alice explains.
“Please, this is not about that, this is about Agatha being the craziest bitch when she is in her professor mode” Jennifer continues.
“I mean, she is not totally wrong, even my students are afraid of Agatha and my department doesn't have a lot of research with hers” Natasha supplies.
“Agatha is just judicious about her mentors” Wanda explains.
“That's a way to put it, I saw a boy cry after her office hours” Jennifer continues.
“Well, I’m sure that if Rio managed to get her to agree to be her mentor, she would have no problem with this” Alice comments and Rio looks at them confused.
“I didn't ask Agatha to be my mentor, she was the one who suggested I come to NYU” Rio explains and suddenly all eyes are on her.
“Now that was something I was not expecting” Jennifer murmurs.
Rio doesn't have a chance to retort because she hears her name being called and she sees Lilia waving at her. She knows they are probably not going to explain anything further so she shrugs and moves to where the woman is waiting for her.
Rio realizes a little too late that she fell right into Lilia’s trap when she sat in front of her and the woman pulled a deck of cards.
“Anything you wanted to asks the cards, dear?” Lilia asks with a sly smile.
Rio has had some reading before, she was never a big believer of these types of things, but somehow she felt compelled to do it this time.
“Sure, why not,” she replies, earning a sincere smile this time.
“I just need you to concentrate on what you want to ask, you don't have to tell me what it is, just think about and split the deck”
Rio does as she was told. Lilia asks for her to pick one of the two piles and then, to pick one card.
“Usually I do a more organized spread, but this is a party and we shouldn't be dueling on this matter for too long, so this is why I'm asking for just one card”
Rio shakes her head in understanding and slides the card to Lilia still with the face down. Lilia picks it up and moves it up, revealing the Death card. Rio gasps.
“Don't worry, this is not one of those on the nose types of cards” she assures and Rio relaxes.
“I'm guessing you asked about the next year, right?” Lilia says and Rio agrees. “It makes sense, Death can symbolize new beginnings. If you think about your recent career change, this is a little reminder that you're on the right path, usually she comes earlier, as a notice for you to realize that you're stuck and need some change, but I guess she wanted to make sure you know this is the right ride. Death is usually misunderstood, but she is actually one of the best cards in the deck”
Rio looks at the knight skeleton riding a horse at the card in front of her and Lilia is right, she doesn't seem scary anymore. Somehow everything about this new path seems to fit right into place again and again as if for once in her life the destiny was tracing very clear lines for her to follow. She can't help but to look up and when she does, her eyes are met with icy blue ones already looking at hers. Agatha gives her a knowing smile and raises her glass at her before looking back at the person she was talking to and Rio turns her attention back to the deck, somehow she knows that card will be engraved in her mind from now on.
✨⚡️✨
Agatha was feeding Scratchy some fresh arugula she got from the produce market near her house when she felt her phone vibrate at the table.
Maximoff
are u busy rn? 👀
me
just feeding scratchy, why?
Maximoff
wanna go grab some
coffee with me and your
new victim?
me
please don't ever
refer to her like that
Maximoff
interesting…
me
what?
Maximoff
you usually don't care
about that
me
that's because they
usually suck
Maximoff
so she doesn't suck, huh?
me
Is there a point to this conversation
or are you just being annoying?
Maximoff
well, the point was for
you to come with us
to The Road
but you distracted me
me
i'm not even going to
argue here.
but sure, i will meet u there
Maximoff
wear something nice
me
fuck off.
Agatha returns her attention to the rabbit playing by her foot, just in time to see him nibble at one of the books she had left scattered near the couch.
“Easy there, mister. Paper is not going to do you any good, you know that right?” She says picking him up, making him scrunch his nose and stumps his feet on her belly.
“Yeah yeah, I get it, you're going back to your room because I don't trust your annoying ass all alone in this house” she jokes taking him to his playpen.
She adds more hay to his food corner and checks his water bowl to make sure he has everything he needs before she goes out.
Agatha completely ignores Wanda's comment and just tries to tame her wild hair before giving up and getting her wallet and keys and getting out of the house.
The café in question was a quaint little place they liked to go between their classes. It was close enough from the campus that they could walk there, but not enough for them to walk up to any of their students.
It was not that close from Agatha's house though, but she liked to add the steps to her routine and get some fresh air.
Usually they would go for the tables outside, do some people-watching while they talk, but it's getting colder. Agatha knows Wanda is probably inside getting comfortable in one of the cozy nooks.
The place was not packed at this hour, she greets the barista and scans the room having no problem finding her best friend already in an animated conversation with someone that Agatha assumed was Rio.
“Agatha, hey!” Wanda almost yelled when she saw Agatha from across the room.
Rio turned then, giving Agatha a warm smile. Agatha realizes that this might be a common occurrence for her. She noticed at the party that Rio tends to be gentle to everyone she meets.
“You know, this place is not big enough for you to need to yell like that,” Agatha says as a greeting and she hears Rio snort beside her.
Wanda rolls her eyes and gets up to give Agatha a hug and Agatha is surprised when Rio does the same when Wanda finally gets off of her.
They didn't hug at the party and Agatha feels caught a little off guard, but tries to get used quickly to hug her back. She can't help but think about the flowery and earthy scent that comes from the other woman.
Agatha thinks it fits her, is grounding, but also somehow calming.
“I wasn't sure if you were going to take long so I didn't order your coffee” Wanda explains, sitting back on her chair and leaving Agatha no other option but to sit on the small couch near Rio.
“It's okay, I think Cassie is already making my usual” Agatha explains looking at the young barista smiling at her.
Rio gives her a curious look.
“We come here all the time,” Agatha explains.
“And that poor girl had a crush on this idiot for ages” Wanda adds, making Agatha groan.
“You are so insufferable. There is no crush, you just like to create stupid stuff to cause chaos” Agatha complains.
“Well, I have to side with Wanda on this one, that girl clearly has the hots for you” Rio teases.
“Please, not you too. I actually like this coffee, I don't want to have to stop coming here” Agatha complains again, earning giggles from both of the women.
“Here is your espresso macchiato” the blonde girl announces when she places the cup in front of Agatha. “I brought you guys these red velvet cookies we are experimenting for you to taste test”
Agatha can feel Wanda and Rio looking at each other and she tries her best to ignore them.
“Thanks, Cassie,” she replies and Agatha hates to admit that she sees a faint blush on the girl’s face.
“Yep, that girl is fucked” Rio says when Cassie is out of earshot, making Wanda laugh and Agatha roll her eyes.
“Shut up” she simply says, finally bringing the cup to her mouth and letting out an involuntary moan.
“Now you're just giving the poor girl a heart attack,” Wanda teases and Agatha regrets the day she ever decided to talk to the redhead for the first time.
“How is your last week of freedom going,” Agatha asks in a desperate try to change the subject.
“It's been okay, mostly i'm just trying to spend some time with my brother before he has to leave for work,” Rio explains.
“Oh, where is he going?” Wanda curiously asks.
“Europe, I think Paris and Barcelona and maybe some other city, but I'm not sure” Rio says with a shrug.
“That’s nice, Paris is really lovely this time of the year,” Wanda comments.
“Yeah, I don't know if he will have time to do a lot of sightseeing, though”
“Bummer, hope he enjoys a little bit at least,”
“Oh, i'm sure he will,” Rio says in a tone that Agatha can make out what is supposed to mean and when she looks at Wanda she seems confused as well.
“It's nice that he is taking some time to spend with you, you said that he travels a lot right? He hadn't been to San Juan in a while i assume,” Agatha says and Rio gives her a funny expression.
“Yeah, it's been a while and since now it's just the two of us it's easier for me to meet him somewhere else when I can”
“It's good that you two find some time to spend together then,” Wanda says and Agatha silently thanks her for lightening the mood. “I always wanted a brother or a sister, I live vicariously through Nat by pestering her sister when she comes to visit us”
Rio laughs and Agatha smiles.
“How old is she?” Rio asks.
“She's 28. She used to be such a grumpy kid, I feel like now she just turned into a chaos demon. I love her”
“That is actually a great description of Yelena, even more if you consider that she had Wanda and Natasha as her guardians growing up” Agatha teases.
“Do you get the feeling that she is growing too fast too? Benito turned 30 earlier this year and I still can't believe it”
“Oh my god, yes! I have to keep reminding myself that Yelena is in fact an adult,”
“She is more adult than you most of the time,” Agatha jokes, earning a slap on her arm.
They keep talking for almost an hour before Wanda announces that she has to meet Natasha on campus and they decide to all go together so Agatha can show Rio around.
They part ways with Wanda when they get to their part of the campus, going to the A&S building to meet Natasha, while Agatha continues through Washington Square Park on her way to the Psychology building. She can't help the sense of pride she feels when she sees the look of awe Rio is sporting while walking with her.
She stops in front of the old building with a black frontage and big bold letters that read “Psychology Building University of New York”. Agatha is used to it by now, but she knows the first impression is always the best.
“Cool, huh?” she jokes and Rio seems to realize she has been staring.
“Yeah, It's kinda weird to think that the campus cuts through the city, but it's nice that it sorta hides it in plain sight”
“I have never thought about that, but I guess it makes sense,” Agatha agrees.
Agatha pushes the door open and greets some people at the entrance hall. She shows Rio around, stopping by her classroom which earned her a confused hum from the other woman.
"What?” She asked.
“Nothing, is just, I thought it would be bigger, people kept talking about your judicious presence in class and I just assumed, nevermind, I don't know what I'm saying,” she cut herself and Agatha had to bit her lip not to smile.
“I like to think I can be assertive in all kinds of environments” she jokes and she can hear when Rio lets out a snort laugh.
“Oh my god, I haven't realized how annoying you were before” She says, lightly pushing Agatha.
“Well you have only met Doctor Agatha before,” Agatha says as a way of explaining.
“And who am I meeting now?” Agatha can hear the amusement in her voice.
“Just Agatha and make sure to appreciate it because she's not for everyone” she tries to maintain a serious voice, but in the end both of them are laughing.
“Noted, I will make sure to keep both Agathas in check” Rio finally says and Agatha playfully rolls her eyes at her.
When they finally arrive at the lab Agatha is back to business, explaining about the schedule and some important points about using the lab and peer programs. The last stop of the tour was Agatha’s office.
She entered it and tried not to cringe at the messy state she had left last week when she was preparing some materials for the new semester. Rio was looking at everything with curious eyes and Agatha felt slightly uncomfortable as if she was opening something sacred to her.
“Are you gonna criticize this one too?” Agatha teased to ease the tension.
“Again, I was not criticizing, it's just funny to finally have a visual representation of where our conversations took place”
“Surprised?”
“Not really, it fits you, although i have to admit, I was expecting you to be one of those annoying people about organization” it's only half joke, but Agatha laughs anyways.
“I'm sorry to disappoint, unfortunately I need a controlled chaos to thrive”
“I guess that's another trait of Just Agatha, huh?”
“Yeah, Doctor Harkness beats her ass frequently for that,” Rio gives her another one of her warm smiles and Agatha catches herself wanting to cause that more.
“I usually don't do this, but my door is always open if you ever feel too overwhelmed out there. I spend most of the time here, but you can stay even if i'm not”
To be honest, Agatha has never done that. She barely likes when her students come for office hours, but something in Rio compels her to break all of her rules, and maybe some of her walls too.
“Thanks, I will probably take you up on that” and there it is again, the smile that Agatha can see herself getting addicted to.
Rio looks away from her and Agatha sees her picking her phone from her back pocket and rolling her eyes when she sees the screen.
“Is everything okay?”
“Yeah, just my brother asking if i'm coming back for dinner, he is leaving tonight” She explains while she texts a response. “Do you wanna grab dinner with us?”
Agatha looks at her surprised.
“I would love to, but I promised Lilia that I would stop by her place after this,” Agatha lies and she thanks the goddess that Rio doesn't know her well enough to realize. “Besides, I don't want to get in the way of your family time”
“Oh, it's okay. We spent the last month glued to each other, I'm actually happy that he is leaving” she jokes and Agatha can see there is no bite to it.
Agatha doesn't really understand this sentiment. The closest she has to a family are her friends, and she is not sure if it comes close to what Rio might feel with her brother.
“Guess we're better get going then,” Agatha says motioning them to the door.
“Yeah, I'm still getting used to the subway system” Rio admits, making agatha chuckle.
“Is your brother's place far from here?”
“Not much, it's close to Chelsea Park” Rio explains and Agatha feels her brows going up.
“Damn, I didn't realize your brother was that loaded,” she joked and Rio's expression was a mix between embarrassment and amusement.
“I guess you can say that,” she replies and Agatha can't quite understand what her tone means, but decides not to press.
In the end, Agatha walks with her to the subway station before going back to her place thinking about the turn of events of the day.
She was about to open a bottle of wine and find some trash reality tv to watch when she got a notification on her phone.
unknown number
thanks for the tour today
i realized that I haven't sent
you anything so you could
save my number
this is rio btw
anyways, thanks again
see you on monday 🌺
me
it's no problem
hope your brother is
treating you to something nice
see you on monday, Rio.
saved new contact as Vidal
changed the contact to Rio
✨⚡️✨
Rio is not really sure what to expect from her first day, but she decides it's best to get there with coffee. She stops by the café she went to with Wanda and Agatha the week before.
Wanda had told her she was going to be at the lab in columbia today, so Rio is probably just going to go over the action plan for the research with Agatha and see if she can appoint some people to work with them.
“Oh, You're Professor Harkness friend, right?” the girl asks enthusiastically when Rio finally gets to the cashier to order.
Díos Mio , Wanda was not kidding about her.
“Er, yeah, Cassie, right?”
“Yeah, you're not from here, are you?” the girl asks.
Rio is not sure if she is more irritated about the comment or the fact that she should've been in the lab already and is stuck with this overgrown puppy.
“No, I'm from Puerto Rico,” she curtly replies.
“That’s so cool! What can I get for you today, doll?” Rio has to fight really hard not to groan after the stupid pet name.
“I will have a double espresso and can you also make Agatha's order to go too?”
The girl looks at her with an expression that Rio has no idea what it means, but she seems to recover quickly and gives Rio the fakest smile she has ever seen.
Qué cojones . Rio hopes she doesn't spit on her coffee because of that.
Rio pays for the coffees and hangs out by the side of the counter waiting for the girl to get back with her order.
Agatha
hey, did you get lost?
me
perdóname
i'm getting us coffee
your admirer decided to
chat with me 🥴
ahorita nos vemos
Agatha
I'm not even gonna ask
get your ass here
me
!Oye! Ya voy, Doctora 🙄
Rio looks up just in time to see Cassie approaching the counter with her order. She notices there is also a small paper bag.
“This is Professor Harkness favorite croissant” she says as if that explained anything.
“Gracias, Cassie, have a nice day” Rio says, picking everything up in a hurry, knowing pretty well that she has no time to dwell on that.
She manages to get to Agatha's office without dropping their coffee and when she puts the cup and the paper bag in front of Agatha she does not seem impressed at all.
Rio sits in the chair in front of Agatha's table and drops her bag by her side before picking her own coffee and can't help but scrunch her face with the taste. That Puta.
The coffee was so sweet she almost spit it.
Agatha seems satisfied by her distaste and Rio has to control herself not to roll her eyes. She finally picks the coffee and the bag in front of her and her expression changes from amusement to confusion.
“What is this?” she asks, pointing at something written in the bag that Rio can't quite read.
“Don't look at me, the bag is from your not-so-secret admirer”
Rio is pretty sure she saw a slight tint on Agatha's cheek before she drops the bag on her table, giving Rio enough time to move and take a look at what is written there.
Hope this croissant makes your day a little warmer ㅤ♡ㅤ
“Damn, Agatha. No wonder she fucked up my coffee, she wants to be your controversially younger affair so bad” Rio teases and Agatha groans.
“She has never done anything this bold, did you put her to this?”
“Why on earth would I do that? I just wanted to get us coffee and that's ruined for me by the way, she put so much sugar in this I think I just got diabetes.” Rio complains and she can see Agatha’s proud smile.
“Serves you right for making fun of me”
“I was not making fun of you, I was stating a fact, you're just choosing to ignore it” Rio bites back.
“Here, you can have mine, I have to be in class soon anyway,” Agatha passes her the cup.
Rio tries to ignore the fact that there is a slightly purple lip mark in the to-go cup and takes a sip.
“Not bad for a yankee,” she teases.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Agatha asks, affronted.
“That you guys don't know how to drink proper coffee”
“Okay, I have no time for this, I left a list of potential collaborators on my desk. There is a brief background about their works, take a look and let me know what you think” she opens the door and just before she is about to go, she adds. “Welcome to NYU, Doctor Vidal”
She has no time to reply because Agatha had already closed the door behind her, but Rio can feel something warm in her chest and she is pretty sure it's not because of the coffee.
Rio picks up the folder on Agatha's table and moves to the couch close to the window, getting comfortable. She is not surprised to see how through the pages are, it's clear that Agatha took her time making this. Not only did she attach pictures, descriptions of the research field, examples of works, but she can see that Agatha had added her personal notes about each of the candidates, going as far as scribbling some chaotic notes on the margins.
It takes Rio almost two hours to go over all the pages and she chooses some of them to discuss with Agatha when she is back from her class. She gets up, trying to stretch her body after spending so much time slumped on Agatha's (surprisingly comfortable) couch.
She hears a knock on the door and panics when the person doesn't wait for a reply, deciding to open it anyway.
“Oh, I was looking for Doctor Harkness, she asked me to stop by after my class,” the young boy says.
“I think she's finishing her class right now, kid” Rio explains. “I'm Doctor Rio Vidal, Agatha is the PI of my research,”
She sees the boy’s eyes widen, before he moves closer to her reaching his hand to hold hers.
“It’s so nice to finally meet you Doctor Vidal, Doctor Harkness had recommended to me some of your work for my thesis. I'm Billy Kapplan,”
Rio can't help but smile at the boy. She can see what Agatha meant in her emails.
“It's a pleasure to meet you, Billy, I'm happy to hear that my work is helping you with your thesis, if you ever need some help, you can contact me, I would love to assist you”
“Oh my God, really? That would be amazing, again, I really appreciate your work”
Before she has time to reply the door opens again and Agatha makes a dramatic entrance. Causing them both to move their attention to her.
“I see that you've met, teen” she says moving to her chair.
Rio sees the boy roll his eyes, but she can see there is no bite to it and she tries not to laugh.
“You wanted to see me?” he says instead.
“Yes, I wanted to ask if you would like to shadow us on Rio’s research. I think it's going to be good for your own work and for your academic career” Agatha explains.
Somehow, that doesn't surprise Rio at all.
“Yes!” he practically screams. “I mean, I would love to take on that offer, Professor”
And at that Rio couldn't help but snort a laugh. which she quickly faked a cough after seeing Agatha's disapproving stare at her.
“Well, I’m going to finalize some of the course of actions with Doctor Vidal here, but you can find us tomorrow after you class so we can fill you up,”
“Got it, thank you again for the opportunity,” he says looking at both of them, before leaving.
“Nice job there,” Rio says.
“I only work with the best and the boy has a lot of potential.” she explains. “plus, he's eager to please, we can use him for the boring part”
Rio lets out a proper laugh now and she can see a small smile tugging on Agatha’s mouth.
“You're unbelievable, Doctor Harkness,”
“So i've been told”
They get to work after that. Rio shows Agatha the two women she thinks will be perfect for the research and they discuss what would be the best way to tackle this. Rio soon realizes that Agatha, although rigid, is actually a bit chaotic about her approach which somehow fits the both laid back and methodical approach Rio tends to have.
Rio emails Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau asking if they would be willing to meet them tomorrow to discuss a possible collaboration and both of them agree immediately.
“Now what?” She asks, looking up at Agatha from her place back on the couch.
“Now we go out for lunch because if I don't eat anything in the next 40 minutes I'm going to start being a bitch” Agatha says, getting up and picking her bag.
“Start? Damn, I thought you already were,” Rio jokes, doing the same.
“You're on thin ice, Doctor Vidal,” Agatha threatens but Rio can see through her bullshit.
“Yeah yeah, whatever, I heard the PI pays for lunch as a welcome gift” she taunts.
“I miss when you were miles away,”
“No you don't, you practically begged for me to come here,”
“Don't flatter yourself too much,”
“Okay, Doctor Harkness, I will let you keep your pride,”
“How noble of you,” her voice drips sarcasm and Rio can't help but laugh.
She opens the door for them and theatrically adds. “Please lead the way, m’lady”
Agatha rolls her eyes and makes sure to bump into her on her way out of the door, walking a bit too fast and quickly leaving Rio to run after her.
✨⚡️✨
There is an old study that says that it takes 21 days doing the same thing for it to become a habit. And it's on day 22 that Agatha realizes what she has been doing.
After that first morning at the beginning of the semester, Agatha had decided that she was the one who was going to bring them coffee. Partially because she didn't want to have to share her coffee with Rio, but also because she didn't want to risk Cassie doing something that would give Rio more emunition to tease her.
That, by itself, was not a big deal. The café was on her way to campus and most of the days she dropped by anyway. What changed was how Agatha made sure to wait for Rio at the park entrance so they could walk the rest of the way together while drinking their coffee and talking about whatever tv show or book they were obsessed with at the moment.
Maybe it was the fact that on the weekends they didn't get to do this little dance and Agatha is not sure if the rules apply when you don't do it everyday. But it took Agatha 28 days to realize they were making a habit out of it. And she wasn't sure if that bothered her.
What she was sure was that Rio probably didn't realize she was also making a habit. They usually go their own way in the morning, Agatha for her classes or office hours and Rio spend that time working in the lab with the others or mentoring Billy, but somehow, everyday, just a little after noon she would knock on Agatha’s door and tell her that she can't afford to have the bitch as her partner all afternoon, so Agatha has to go for lunch with her and after that, they would go back to Agatha's office and work. Sometimes together, but most of the time just silently enjoying each other's company.
It's a strange realization. Mostly because Agatha works better on her own. She helps other colleagues if needed, sure. But nothing like this. Never like this.
Rio Vidal was a force of nature, for lack of a better way to describe her. She was incredibly smart and she was constantly challenging Agatha. Keeping her on her toes.
Their partnership was refreshing and Agatha hadn't trusted anyone with her work like this. Maybe with Lilia, back in the day, but even though they seemed alike on their approach, they butted heads in important things that Agatha hadn't felt with Rio.
“Hey, Maria sent me a list of potential subjects for the first round of interviews, I think I'm going to schedule them for next week,” Rio says, breaking the silence in the office and forcing Agatha out of her head.
“Sounds good, you should take Billy with you, he did some interviews for his research and he is really good at collecting data” she advises and Rio continues to tap on her computer without looking at her.
Their routine usually ends at night. They go their separate ways until they meet again in the morning. They don't usually talk after work. Agatha has no idea what Rio does after she bids farewell to Agatha, Agatha's night usually involves her cooking some dinner that she eats watching whatever catches her attention on tv before she plays a little with Scratchy and does her nightly skincare routine and goes to bed.
On Fridays like today, she indulges herself and opens one of the fancy wines in her little in-home wine cellar. She likes to pick a vinyl record to set the mood and leisure drinks while cooking.
On the 28th day, Agatha doesn't realize they are about to break another habit.
Agatha was just out of the shower and browsing through her record collection when she heard her phone ring. She was taken by surprise when she saw Rio's name on the screen.
“Rio? Is everything okay?” she asks, preoccupied.
“Kinda, I know It's friday and you probably have plans, but something happened and I was wondering if you are busy right now” She was going for nonchalant but Agatha can hear apprehension in her voice.
“I'm not busy, I was about to start making dinner, why? What happened? Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”
“No. I-” she starts and Agatha can sense her frustration through the phone. “I don't know what happened, but when I got home I realized that I lost my stupid keys and I can't get in touch with Benito. He texted me early saying he was back in town, but he had some schedule that would probably go through the night and I don't know what to do”
Agatha was pretty sure the woman on the other side of the phone was one breath away from crying. Agatha was awful in personal crises, she never knew how to comfort people and she always said the wrong thing, but she surprises herself by saying. “Hey, it's okay, you can crash here until you hear from him. I will send you my address now”
“¿En serio? I don't want to impose or mess up your plans”
“You're not messing anything, just get your butt here before your brother’s fancy neighbor starts to get suspicious of you” She jokes and she is relieved when she hears Rio’s laugh on the other side of the line.
“Okay, te veo” she replies before ending the call.
Agatha texts her the address and gets back to what she was doing. She picks Rumours vinyl to play while she assesses what ingredients she has to work with.
In the end she goes for an easy classic and starts to prepare a homemade basil pesto to go with some fresh pasta she had gotten yesterday.
She was about to start macerating the herbs when she heard the doorbell ring. Agatha quickly goes to open the door and something thugs inside of her when she sees the state Rio is in.
Her eyes are a little puffed and red and her lips seem bitten raw. She's still wearing the same clothes Agatha saw her in a couple hours ago and her hair is a mess.
“Hey, come on in,” Agatha says, choosing not to comment about how she looks.
“Thanks again for letting me crash here” she says, dropping her bag by the door.
She takes off her boots a little wet from the light snow earlier today and follows Agatha back to the living room.
“No need to thank me, it's no problem really” Agatha assures. “Do you want to take a shower? I can lend you some clothes”
She seems to ponder. Agatha can see her biting her wobbly lips and for a moment Agatha panics thinking she might start to cry, but she takes a deep breath and recovers quickly.
“If it's no problem for you, I would love to take you up on that” she finally says and Agatha smiles at her.
Agatha goes to her room and picks a random t-shirt and some sweatpants. She adds a clean new underwear and a new toothbrush without thinking too much about it. When she gets back to the living room, Rio seems a little better.
“Here, there's a bathroom two doors to your left in the corridor. Towels and toiletries are already there” Agatha says, before giving Rio the clothes.
Rio thanks her again and goes to the bathroom leaving Agatha alone again. She moves around finishing their dinner. She plates everything, gets more cheese from the fridge so she can shred it over their pasta and takes everything back to the living room. Normally she would serve guests at the dining table, but something tells her that Rio would appreciate a more laid back setting.
She hears coming back to the living room and looks up just in time to catch her tying her hair in a high ponytail.
“Feeling better?” Agatha asks and for the first time that night she sees Rio’s genuine smile.
“Yeah, I don't know how to thank you enough for this,” she says and Agatha just dismisses her with a wave of her hand.
“I know something, or someone, who could really cheer you up right now,” Agatha says, earning a curious look from Rio.
She goes to her room again and sees Scratchy playing on his playpen. Agatha picked him up, scratching his ears a little and kissing the top of his head before moving back to the living room.
“Rio, meet Scratchy, he told me he has special calming powers and he loves to help people who give him good pets”
Agatha is genuinely surprised when she hears Rio let out a squeal. Her reaction is so unexpected that Agatha thinks it was worth all the theatrics she has pulled and she bites her lips not to smile so hard.
“Agatha, fuck, he is the cutest thing I have ever seen,” Rio says, getting closer to where Agatha stands holding her rabbit. “Why have you never mentioned him to me?”
“Because he is a special gentleman who needs a proper introduction”
“Is it true, señor? Would you do me the honor to hold you?”
Agatha places the rabbit on her arms and smiles at the image in front of her.
“Hi señor Scratchy, have your mamí ever told you that you are the cutest little thing ever?” She uses a stupid baby voice and Agatha can help the snort laugh she lets out.
Agatha leaves them alone while she goes back to the kitchen to get the glasses and the wine.
“Hey, I haven't asked, are you up for some wine? I just opened this lambrusco” she asks, popping her head at the kitchen door.
“Sure, I'm down for whatever,” Rio replies, but her attention is still on Agatha's bunny.
When everything is finally settled on the coffee table. Agatha changes the record side and goes back to where Rio is now crouched on the floor playing with Scratchy.
“If you don't move soon the food will get cold,” she teases and she can't believe herself when she sees Rio pout.
“Wait, can I take a picture of him real quick? My brother is gonna lose his shit when he sees it,”
“Sure, make sure to get his good side,” she teases and Rio laughs.
“Sorry about this, bunnies are kinda like an inside joke with my brother,” she says, laughing to herself.
Agatha eventually picks Scratchy up and takes him back to his playpen. When she gets back, Rio is already sitting on the couch.
“Thanks, for everything, I was feeling like shit and this really cheered me up,”
“Hey, it's okay, I told you this before, i'm here if you ever need help navigating through the chaos of this city,”
Rio was about to retort, but Agatha dismisses her by placing a plate on her lap and shredding some cheese over it. Then she fills both of the glasses and holds one to her.
“To the end of another crazy week,” she jokes, raising her glass.
“To señor Scratchy’s magic healing powers,” Rio adds before clicking her glass to Agatha's.
Agatha hides her smile behind her glass as she sips the wine. Rio puts her glass back at the table and tries the pasta. Agatha completely ignores the obscene moan she lets out after that.
“Okay, did you really make this all by yourself while i was showering or did you order this to make me feel bad for sucking at cooking?” she accuses, making agatha chuckle.
“Unfortunately for you, cooking is also something that ranks high in the plethora of my skills,” she teases and Rio groans.
“I can't believe I just gave you another reason to be insufferable,” Rio laments.
“Not my fault I’m excellent in everything that I do,”
“Sure, keep telling yourself that,” Rio cuts her off and they get back to eating their food in silence.
After dinner Rio insisted on cleaning and Agatha secretly thanked her because if there is one thing that Agatha hates is washing the dishes and if Rio was willing to do that, Agatha was not going to say no.
She hung around the kitchen, talking about everything and nothing while Rio cleaned and after she finished Agatha dried the dishes and invited her back to the living room.
Agatha saw Rio checking her phone again, for the millionth time that night.
“Sorry, still no news from my brother, but I can go somewhere else if you're tired,”
“nonsense, it's friday, I usually just stay awake until late just drinking and watching tv or reading something, you're actually doing me a favor keeping me company,”
“Careful there Doctor Harkness, if you keep this up I might think you actually want to be my friend,” Rio teases and Agatha lightly kicks her leg, making her laugh.
“Considering the amount of time we spend together, if I haven't murdered you already you can rest assured that we got to the friendship status,” Agatha jokes, but she surprises herself realizing that it's actually true.
“Yeah, from what people around the building talk about you, I was expecting you to fight me more,”
“I don't fight you, I simply take my time to prove to you that i'm right and you're wrong,” she says matter-of-factly.
“Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night,”
The conversation keeps flowing after that. It's like they never run out of things to talk about. Rio shares a lot about her life in San Juan and Agatha tries her best to share some of her stories with her friends.
They finish the first bottle of wine and move to another one. Agatha lets Rio walk around checking every little thing in her living room and analyzing every one of Agatha’s records. She seems to finally find something that she really likes because she jumps up and moves to change the record.
Agatha can't see which one it is but she recognizes right away when the beat from Atomic starts playing. Rio walks back to her with a crazy glint in her eyes.
“What?” Agatha asks when she stops right in front of her by the couch, and extends her hands to Agatha.
“Dance with me” she says like it makes all the sense in the world.
“I'm not drunk enough to indulge you on that,”
“Come on, my brother and I have this tradition that everytime we are sad we do these little dance breaks, just to get our bodies moving, you would be surprised how much dopamine you can get from that,”
Agatha looks at her with disbelief.
“Please?” she adds and Agatha doesn't know what compelled her to hold Rio’s hand and let her pull her up.
Rio starts to move around like a manic pulling agatha with her. forcing her to move her arms around to what she thinks is the rhythm of the song. Soon enough Agatha is moving with her and when Rio starts to sing along, Agatha sees herself belting the lyrics too.
When the song changes they finally drop back on the couch. Laughing and catching their breaths.
“So, what's the verdict?” Rio asks, moving her head at the back of the couch so she is looking directly at Agatha.
“I would say the dopamine levels are definitely higher,” Agatha replies, making Rio laugh again.
Agatha was about to say something else, when she hears Rio's phone ring, breaking the little bubble.
“It's my brother,” she says before picking it up.
“¡Oye, pendejo! He estado llamándote por horas."She says and Agatha has no idea what she is saying, but she seems mad.
They seem to go back and forth until Rio groans and finishes with. “Está bien, te voy a encontrar allí, pero ya basta.”
“Is everything okay?” Agatha asks when she drops her phone on the couch.
“Yeah, he was working and hadn't seen his phone, I'm meeting him there,” she explains and Agatha hums in agreement.
“Are you sure you don't want to crash here? It’s late”
“No, it's okay, I already imposed too much. He is finishing it already, I'm meeting him there because is on my way back home,” she says, already getting up.
“Okay, text me when you get home,” Rio smiles at her.
“Sure, thanks again for everything, I will wash these for you and bring it back on monday,”
“There's no rush,” Agatha assures.
When her uber arrives, Agatha sees herself reaching out for a hug and Rio holds her tight.
“Gracías, m’lady” she whispers.
“You're welcome, now go” Agatha says, pushing her out of the door, earning a small laugh.
Agatha goes by the rest of her night and the last thing she sees before succumbing to her slumber is a text from Rio.
Rio
Just got home
thank you so much for today
give señor scratchy a kiss
goodnight for me
Duerme bien.
✨⚡️✨
Nothing much changed after that Friday night. Or at least that's what Rio has thought.
When the city got colder and everyone started to get antsy with the winter break just around the corner, things started to get a little more hectic.
The students were spending less time in the labs which gave Rio some peace and quiet to go over some of the data they have been collecting.
But that also means she doesn't get to see Agatha much because she is either slumped with last minute office hours or stuck grading papers. That doesn't bother Rio much because they've been texting more now and sometimes they hang out over the weekends when they are both too stressed to keep pushing into work and needed a break
After finding out that Agatha collected vinyl records, Rio had asked her brother if he or any of his friends knew some good places to get vintage ones and he gave her a list of places that she promptly convinced Agatha that they had to visit.
Agatha on her part decided to start teaching Rio how to cook some of her favorite recipes, which if Rio is being honest, she was going to Agatha's place just to drink Agatha's fancy wine and play with señor Scratchy. She still indulged Agatha in her shenanigans, but when Rio would eventually mess something up, Agatha would give up the entire lesson and ban Rio from her kitchen.
They still worked together in Agatha's office some times, but with Agatha’s new influx of students it has become less and less frequent. Even their usual coffee run in the morning got compromised as Rio started to arrive later at the lab, opting to avoid the morning chaos of finals.
Some may argue that there was a change, but Rio was not going to admit that.
She was writing some of the more substantial data they had gathered on the white board of the lab meeting room so they had easier access to it as they discussed some outcomes for the paper, when she heard a tap on the glass wall.
At first she ignored, thinking it was one of Carol’s mentees, but when the tap continued then her friend made no effort to get up from her chair and it caught her attention.
“Hey Vidal, I think this one's for you,” Carol teased, causing Rio to finally turn around.
Standing in the corridor just outside the room was Agatha with a paper bag. Rio smiles at her, dropping the marker she was using at the table and going to the door.
“Fancy seeing you here, Doctor Harkness,” she spoke in what she hoped was a serious tone.
“You mean at my place of work?” the woman had taunted and Rio rolled her eyes. “Brought you some lunch, figured you haven't take a break yet”
Rio's smile grows bigger before she can help it. “Gracias, doctora. You are right, I was trying to finish these notes before going out”
“You're going to get yourself burned out,” Agatha says and even with the stern tone, Rio can hear underneath that she is worried.
“Promise I’m doing my best not to avoid that,” she says, motioning her hands in a scout's promise and finally earning a laugh from Agatha.
Agatha was about to retort when something caught her eyes over the end of the corridor. Rio follows her gaze and sees at least 2 students waiting by Agatha's office.
“I've gotta go, take a break to eat this, okay” she says, passing the bag to Rio and giving her one more stern look.
“Yes. mom ” she taunts, not realizing that they are still in their workplace.
“God, you're annoying, bye” Agatha complains, but before Rio can reply she was already moving through the corridor.
Rio closes the door and looks inside the paper bag. She finds a pastrami sandwich from a place nearby that they discovered recently and some sparkling water.
“Okay, I have to ask, what is going on between you two?” Carol asks when Rio takes a seat in front of her at the table.
“What do you mean?” Rio replies, genuinely confused.
“Don't play dumb. You guys have been doing this weird mating ritual for over a month now,” Carol says and Rio almost spits the smoothie on her face.
“Qué carajos are you talking about?”
Carol looks at her incredulously. “Are you seriously telling me there is nothing more than professional going on between you two?”
“I mean, we are friends if that's what you're asking about,”
“Oh yeah, because my friends bring you lunch just because they know you enough to assume you haven't eaten and worry that you might be overworking yourself,” Carol sarcastically states.
Rio can help but snort at what she said. “I feel so sorry about the connections you are creating in your life, that was really sad, Danvers”
Carol rolls her eyes in annoyance. Completely ignoring Rio's remarks.
“So, you're single then?” the blonde pushes.
“I don't understand how that is any of your business”
“Well, if you're not dating Agatha, which I still don't buy it by the way, I'm assuming you haven't been seeing anyone”
Rio tries really hard not to react to what her friend is implying.
“Is there a point to this conversation?”
“There is actually, I think you should meet my friend,” the smiles she gives Rio should be enough warning to make her reconsider all her life choices.
“I'm not interested,” she simply says.
“Come on, I really think you two would get along, besides, you need to expand your circle beyond campus and your imaginary brother,”
Rio lets out a genuine laugh upon hearing that.
“My brother is not imaginary, I just don't want to introduce you to him”
“Whatever, you're going out with me and Maria this weekend, you can meet Martha there, my other friends will be there too so it will be less pressure than just going on a date,”
“If I say I will think about it, will you shut up and let me have my lunch in peace?”
“Fine, but please actually think about, don't just drop it without at least giving a chance”
“Yeah yeah, will do, now zip it,”
“Okay, boss” she teases before getting back to her notes.
Rio is not proud to admit that she might have panicked a little when saturday finally came and not only had she agreed to go out, but she was having a full on breakdown in front of her wardrobe.
“ No intendo. Why are you going to this cita ? I thought you were already dating tu jefa .” her brother butts in from where he is sitting on her bed.
“First of all, it's not a date and second I'm not dating anyone and Agatha is not my boss”
“Lo que sea. I just don't get it, you two have been going out for weeks now, why are you suddenly going on a date with someone else?”
Rio pinches the bridge of her nose and lets out a heavy sigh.
“I haven't been going out with Agatha like that, she's my friend, I was just hanging out with her. I'm going out with my other friends today because I don't know anyone else besides you and people from work. It might be nice to meet someone who is not going crazy over academic validation or grammy awards,” she explains, shamelessly using Carol's argument.
“Okay,” he seems to admit his defeat.
He gets up and for a second Rio thinks he is going to bail, but he moves to her closet. He ponders for a little before picking some wide loose brown slacks, a warm wool black long sleeve and an oversized black blazer.
“Take the white sneakers that I gave you and a warm coat for the road,” he says, finally solving her problem.
“Gracias, manito” she thanks, embracing him in a hug.
“Whatever, text me if you need an excuse to bail”
“okay, now get out of here, i'm already late,”
When she finally arrives at the bar an hour later she is not surprised that Carol is already slightly drunk.
“Oh my god, you actually came” she practically screams when she sees Rio.
“Where are Maria and your other friends?” Rio asks, shrugging off her coat and dropping it at the booth by her side.
“Maria and Valks are getting drinks, Jessica went to the bathroom and Martha is running late” Carol explains and Rio feels slightly relieved that she was not forced to socialize with all of them at once.
Jessica is the first one Rio meets. She finds out that the woman works for the New York Times as a photographer and soon they are engaged in a conversation about analog cameras.
She got to meet Valkyrie just a few minutes after that when she got back to their table with Maria, holding an insane amount of tequila shots which Rio is pretty sure she will regret doing tomorrow. Rio doesn't understand much about what she does for work, but she gathered enough to understand that it is some kind of high level job in IT at some startup.
Overall they are nice and easy to talk to. Rio almost forgets that this was not the whole reason why Carol dragged her to this place.
When Martha finally arrives, Rio tries not to let her nerves get the best of her again.
Rio has to admit that Carol might have been right about this. Martha had an oddly specific type of beauty that made Rio intrigued. She was a little bit older than her, but her sense of humor matched Rio’s perfectly. She explained to them that she was delayed at work because she was finalizing some details about an exhibit which was going to open in her gallery soon and Rio couldn't help but feel intrigued by her.
Something in Martha just kept pulling Rio in. She tried to maintain a conversation with all of them, but as the bar got more crowded and consequently louder, they had to regroup in smaller groups so they could actually hear what the other person was talking. That's how Rio ended up talking to her all night.
And when Martha suggested they go talk in a more private place, Rio found herself agreeing right away, completely ignoring Carol’s suggestive look.
The rest of the night is a pleasant blur and Rio will never admit that she was a little happy about the slight soreness on her body when she gets back home the next day.
Unfortunately her brother is miraculously there, giving her an accusatory look while sipping his coffee.
“Just hanging out, huh?” he teases, making her groan.
She pours herself some coffee and sits in front of him at the table. “Shut up,”
“So, I'm guessing there is a second cita on the way,” he asks a few minutes later.
“I don't think so, she's fun and it was nice to blow out some steam, but I don't know if i actually want to date anyone right now,” Rio explains.
It's true, Martha was amazing, their conversation flowed easily and Rio could see them being good friends, but she just got here and barely had time for anything other than work. There was no way she could afford a distraction right now.
“I see, well, at least you got laid, I hope that makes you less of a pain in the ass for a while” he teases and she does not hold back when she punches his arm.
“No me jordas,” she curses, making him laugh even more.
She decides to just leave him there and goes back to her room to shower and get some sleep. When she woke up later that day he was nowhere to be found.
True to her words, Rio and Martha talk it out and they both agree that they would be better off as friends. And friends they become.
As the end of the semester approaches, Rio sees herself jumping into every opportunity to escape the chaos of the university. She and Martha text a lot and whenever she can, Rio stops by her gallery and bugs her until she agrees to pay for dinner or to take her out.
Rio still misses her time with Agatha, but with everything going on at campus, she knows better than to force Agatha out of her relentless professor mood.
Ali
hey
I haven't seen you in forever
when are you
going back to San Juan?
me
yeah, this semester
is kicking my butt
my flight in on the 21
why?
Ali
we're doing a little get together
at my place next friday
just a little end of the year
kind of thing
you're down?
me
sure, can I bring a friend?
Ali
yeah, the more the merrier
me
ok 👌🏻
see you there, ali
“What are you doing next friday?” she asks, forcing Martha to look away from her computer to where Rio is slumped at her office couch.
“I'm assuming you're dragging me somewhere” she says non commitically.
“You're assuming right, my friend is having a little party. you're down?”
“You have other friends? By the amount of time you spend pissing me off I thought you were as friendless as you seem” she teases and Rio just rolls her eyes.
“You talk too much for someone who literally begged me to come here to have lunch with you,”
Martha doesn't move her eyes from the screen in front of her, but Rio can hear her laugh.
Rio finally checks the time on her watch and realizes she's late. “I've to go back to the lab, but see you on friday?”
“Yeah, do you want me to pick you up on my way?”
“Sure, wear something nice,” Rio teases.
“Always do, honey” she teases making Rio smile.
“Bye, bitch” she finally says before blowing Martha a dramatic flying kiss and earning a middle finger in response.
✨⚡️✨
Every year, Agatha complained about Alice's party and still every year she found herself nursing a wine glass while she indulged Jen in another boring story, taunting her every time she could just to have some fun.
That's exactly what Agatha is doing when her friend stops herself, before announcing. “Rio is here,”
Agatha, who had her back to the door, turns just in time to see Rio shrugging off her coat and helping a redhead woman beside her to do the same. They both laugh at something Alice had said to them before taking their coats to the next room.
“Who is that?” Jen asks and Agatha does not like her tone at all.
“How am I supposed to know?” she bites back earning an eyebrow raise from her friend.
Agatha takes another look at them. The redhead had a wild set of curls falling to her shoulders and matching leather blazer and wide leg pants seemed way too overdressed for this casual setting. Rio seemed a little more subdued with a simple long sleeved velvet dress that Agatha would never admit, but made her realize how toned her legs were by how little it left to imagination.
“You're okay in there, Aggie?” Jen asked and by the tone and the use of the awful nickname, Agatha knew there was no real concern behind it.
“Yeah, why?” she tried to maintain a calm intonation in her voice.
“You're drooling,” Jen teased.
Agatha didn't manage to reply because in that exact moment she saw Rio put her hand on the other woman's lower back and guide her to the kitchen where Agatha knew the drinks were.
“I have to go to the restroom,” Agatha says, pushing her glass into Jen’s hand and walking in the opposite direction from where they went.
When she is finally locked inside the tiny restroom Agatha lets out a breath she didn't know she was holding. She looked at herself in the mirror and heaved a sigh. Her hair was just a tad more messier than usual and her lipstick was almost gone.
She forced herself to focus on the task in hand. Tried to tame her hair and reapplied her lipstick taking more time than actually needed just to delay getting back to the party, but when she was finished, Agatha realized there was no point in keeping hiding.
“Oh, there you are, Rio was looking for you,” Wanda said when she practically bumped into Agatha in the corridor.
“She's here? I haven't seen her yet,” Agatha lied and Wanda gave her a look that it was clear she knew Agatha was lying.
“Anyway, she was talking to Lilia in the living room,”
Agatha was too busy planning on how to get to the booze without bumping into Rio to realize that Wanda had left her and entered the restroom she just left.
Looking through the threshold, she could see them animatedly talking with Lilia like Wanda had said. They have their backs to Agatha so she decided to risk and practically ran to the kitchen.
“Agatha, what the fuck?” Natasha cursed, almost dropping her glass on the floor, when Agatha not so subtly barged into the room.
“Oh, don't be dramatic, Natasha,” she said, trying to deflect.
“Says the most dramatic person I've ever met,” the blonde bites back, earning an eye roll.
“What is going on with you? you seem more weird than normal”
“I don't know what you're talking about, i'm normal,”
And proving Natasha’s point, she feels liquid running through her hands as she realizes she had not paid attention to what she was doing and filled too much of her cup.
“Yeah, I can see that,” Natasha teases, letting out a laugh.
Agatha needs to get a grip. She's a fucking 51 years old woman. What is wrong with her?
Natasha helps her clean up the mess before Alice sees it and throws Agatha out and she silently thanks her for dropping the subject in matter.
She begrudgingly follows Natasha back to the living room and when she sees Wanda waving at them, Agatha knows she has no choice but to face her impending doom and finally talk with Rio and the mysterious woman.
“Hey baby, I was looking for you,” Wanda greets her wife, pulling her by the waist. “Martha, this is my wife Natasha and you know Agatha, right?”
The woman, Martha, has a playful glint on her eyes when she looks back at Agatha. “No, I haven't met her, but I sure as hell have heard of her”
“Only bad things I assume,” she jokes, trying hard not to let her discomfort show.
“Oh, this one here won’t shut up about you, from the way she talks one might think you might be a psychology god or something” Martha explains, slightly pushing Rio who rolls her eyes beside her.
“Please, as if she didn't have a big enough ego,” Rio taunts and Agatha can hear both Natasha and Wanda chuckle beside her.
“That's not what you thought when you emailed me asking for help,” it was supposed to be a joke, but somehow the delivery was sharper than she intended and it ended up falling flat.
Agatha could see the confusion in Rio’s face. For a moment she even thought she might have been hurt, but she quickly changed her expression for a more serene one.
“These two are always on each other's neck,” Wanda said, trying to lighten the mood.
It worked, partially. They all laughed, but Agatha could still feel some lingering tension.
“Babe, Martha was just telling me that her gallery is opening a new exhibition with some of Anna Parkina’s work”
“Really? that's amazing, we saw some of her work when we went to moscow last year” Natasha comments and Agatha can feel herself dissociating from the conversation the four of them are leading.
She looks around the room, looking for a way out and finds Lilia, on her way to start her tarot show. Agatha excuses herself abruptly and goes to where her friend is sitting.
“Wanna pick one?” Lilia asks, already knowing the answer. It's a dance they do all the time.
“Not today, Calderu” she absently replies.
Her eyes trail back to where Rio is. Martha seems to say something funny to her, making her actually throw herself at her while laughing.
“They are not dating, you know,” Lilia comments.
“Who?” Agatha plays dumb, but she knows Lilia is not buying any of that.
“Rio and Martha” she clarifies.
“That's not really any of my business”
Lilia looks directly towards her and then back to Rio. “Sure, honey”
Agatha is not really sure what she means by that, but she feels a bit suffocated with everything. She needs to get out of there.
“I think i'm gonna head out. I'm a little tired,” she excuses herself, not really waiting for an answer.
Agatha knows that if she starts a round of goodbyes she is going to be stuck in here for another hour so she just grabs her coat and gets out of the house.
It's only when she is tucked back into the covers of her bed that Agatha feels herself relax and finally falls asleep.
She has no idea how much she had slept, but she is abruptly woken up by the incessant buzz of her doorbell ringing. Agatha fumbles around, trying to find her phone, but remembers she left it in her bag. Groaning, she gets up, puts on her glasses and walks to the door.
“Oh thank god you're home,” Rio exclaims.
She seemed about to keep talking, but stopped abruptly just staring at her. Agatha looks at her confused. “Is everything okay?”
“You're wearing glasses” she blurts out and Agatha snorts.
“You came all the way here to make this incredible statement?” she teases and that seems to finally break Rio's spell.
“No, I came here because you disappeared yesterday and didn't answer my texts. I tried to call you today and it went straight to voicemail,” She seemed exasperated and Agatha could see where that might have given the wrong impression.
“I'm sorry. I wasn't feeling well, I left my phone in my bag, that's why i wasn't answering” she explains. “Do you want to come in?”
Agatha moves away, making space for Rio to finally enter the house.
“I only have like, 30 minutes before I have to go though, I still have to finish packing and go to the airport”
She had completely forgotten that Rio was going back to San Juan for the holidays.
“Do you want some coffee?” Agatha asked, already going to the kitchen.
“Sure,”
When Agatha gets back to the living room, she sees two plastic bags that she hadn't realized Rio was caring before.
“Here,” she says, handing one of the cups to the other woman. “What is that?”
Rio gives her a playful grin.
“These are my Christmas gifts. This one is for my favorite boy, señor Scratchy,” she says, opening it and showing Agatha some chewing toys and a tiny santa hat. She can't help but laugh.
“I'm sure he will appreciate it when he wakes up, what about the other one?”
Rio seemed a little nervous now and Agatha didn't know what to expect so she just waited a few seconds for her to finally reply.
“So, you know how you told me how you’ve been looking for that original edition of Exile on the Main street?” Agatha only nods. “We couldn't find in any of the places we went so I mentioned it to my brother and he found it when he was in London last week and yeah, here”
She takes the record out of the bag and Agatha is genuinely surprised by how conserved it was. Agatha has been looking for it for years and she couldn't believe Rio found it for her.
“It still has the 12 original postcards attached to it,” Rio adds when Agatha keeps looking at it dumbly.
“Rio, this is too much. I can't accept it” Agatha finally says.
“Nonsense, I wanted to give you something that I knew you would like and this just happened to show up at the perfect time,” she explains, like it's no big deal.
Agatha puts the record at the coffee table and pulls her into a hug. “Thank you”
It's only when they part that Agatha remembers that she also has something to give Rio. She quickly gets up, earning a confused look from Rio, that she completely ignores.
“Merry Christmas,” she says, giving Rio the little gift bag.
Rio unties the bow on top and picks the vintage can. She looks at Agatha with an even more confused gift and Agatha just smiles and motions for her to open it. When she finally sees what it is, she lets out a surprised gasp.
“You told me you forgot to bring your watercolor paints and I thought maybe a little travel kit would come in handy if you ever felt like painting,” she explains.
“Where did you find this?”
“I actually made it. Billy showed me some inspirations and gave me the address to the store that had the individual paints. I tried to pick some versatile colors that you could mix it up and the girl at the store recommended the brush with the water thing”
“Thank you so much, this is such an amazing gift, Agatha” and Agatha totally ignores the fact that her heart swells a little when she sees the other woman's eyes water a little.
At that moment Rio's phone rings and she curses.
“I'm sorry, I really have to go, thank you for the gift and for, you know, everything. I really appreciate everything you've done for me in these past months”
“No need to thank me for that, now go before you end up missing your flight” Agatha says playfully pushing her to the doors.
“Fine,” she groans “keep in touch, okay?”
“Yeah yeah, now go, I will send you a picture of señor scratchy later with your gifts,” and Rio gives her the biggest smiles.
“I’ll hold you on to that”
She pulls Agatha into a final hug.
“Have a nice break, Agatha.”
“You too, Rio”
✨⚡️✨
Agatha
as promised
merry christmas, Rio
me
DIOS MIO
LOOK AT HIM
SEÑOR SCRATCHY
CARIÑO MIO
I LOVE IT
gracias, doctora
feliz navidad
✨⚡️✨
Rio
thought i was coming to have a break
they are putting me to work
me
lol
what are those??
Rio
coquitos
it's kinda like your eggnogs
tía Carla wants to give them as a gift
so guess who's in charge of that?
me
that's a lot
I don't think I even know
that many people lol
Rio
hahaha
you wouldn't last a day here
I think one of these is for
the bus driver that she met once
i'm not even kidding
me
that seems excessive
Rio
that's average puerto rican
anyways, what are you up to?
me
we're about to take a nap
Rio
😭😭😭😭
pls he is so cute
i wish that was me
gotta go, my aunt just
caught me on the phone
bye 💀
✨⚡️✨
Agatha
she texted me saying it was an emergency
when I got here I found her like this
me
hahahaha
what was she trying
to bake?
Agatha
bread
she was convinced
that she could make
sourdough bread for when
yelena arrives
me
when is she arriving?
Agatha
an hour
me
doesn't it take like
a day or something
to make those?
Agatha
exactly
can't you believe
this woman
has a phd in neuroscience?
me
just because you’re annoyingly
good at everything you do
doesn't mean that everyone has to be too
Agatha
yeah.
i know it's hard for you mortals
me
and that's why you're
on santa’s naughty list
Agatha
for being good at everything?
me
for being an asshole
Agatha
takes one to know one
me
oh, cariño
i've been a good girl this year
from how much i had to put up with you
i think santa is going to reward me
Agatha
why everything on that message sounds like santa is your sugar daddy
do you have the hots for old men?
me
jahsksksks
shut up
you're insufferable
and i would never be caught near an old men in my life
or any men for that matter
🤢
Agatha
so you just into santa’s praise kink?
me
Agatha istg i'm going to block you
Agatha
that's not very santa's good girl of you
you're going to be punished
or maybe you're into that too, huh?
me
BYE
✨⚡️✨
Rio
have you ever heard about parrandas?
me
no?
is there a particular reason you're asking me this now?
isn't it like midnight there?
Rio
well, my dear agatha
i'm glad you ask
there is a particular reason why i'm asking that
and the reason is because i'm slightly boozed
and we're still in house 3
me
what do you mean in house 3
Rio
there's this tradition here
where we basically go to someone's house by surprise and wake them up by singing and then that person follow you to the next house and we keep going until morning
i was lucky enough that they went to mine first
me
that sure is a way to celebrate
please never teach that to any of my friends
i would never have a nice night of sleep again
Rio
somehow i feel like that is something Lilia would love to be part of
mostly for the booze
me
yeah
i could totally see her snagging weird instruments and convincing herself she knows how to play them
Rio
this seems too peaceful for the way we are wreaking havoc down here lol
me
don't get yourself arrested for noise code violation i still need you here for the research
Rio
considering that the neighbors had decided to join us, I think you're safe
me
good
i'm going to sleep now
have fun on your parranda
✨⚡️✨
Agatha
she invited me over, had two glasses of wine and now is saying she's gonna take just a little nap
me
looks like you're about to have a sleepover
Agatha
it's 3pm
i can't believe i left my house for this
me
please
you love this
Agatha
what are you up to?
me
eating lechon asado leftovers for
the 3rd day in a roll
i told my tia that she made too much food again, but i guess we're going to be eating the leftovers of nochebuena until I have to go back lol
Agatha
damn, that looks delicious
maybe I should spend my holidays in san juan next year
me
oh, my family would love to feed your skinny ass until you're regretting ever saying that lol
Agatha
that seems like a lovely way to die
me
yeah, you're right
maybe i should abandon my research and move back
Agatha
you're just finding excuses to ditch work
me
🤷🏻♀️
Agatha
post nap snack
me
see
you love her
Agatha
never tell her that
me
your secret is safe with me
🤫
✨⚡️✨
Rio
in my next life i want to be a cat
laze around the sun.
just food and naps
me
isn't that basically what you've been up to since you got there
Rio
yeah
but I only have 2 more days of this 😭
what are you up to, btw?
me
i was going to meet Alice and Jen for coffee, but this little fella is feeling a bit needy today, so it's cuddle time rn
Rio
you are so right for that
he deserves all the cuddles in the world
look at that face
i would do anything for him
me
that's why he has never paid for his crimes
Rio
what crimes? my client is would never do anything wrong
me
oh, so you're his lawyer now?
Rio
obviously
Rio Vidal, señor scratchy’s defense attorney.
me
you two would make a good pair
Rio
yeah, I bet he would love me even
if I was a cat
me
aren't cats considered predators to bunnies?
Rio
he knows I come with peace
I would even be his villain sidekick
me
i'm sure you would 🙄
✨⚡️✨
Agatha
she seems a little too excited for the new year's party
me
hahahaha
how are you guys taking that to Alice's party?
Agatha
she's making us walk there
the cab driver was not happy when he saw it
me
i wonder why lol
good luck with that
Agatha
lol thanks
are you going out too?
me
yeah, my friends are dragged me to a party
pray for my liver
Agatha
🙏
happy new year
me
¡feliz año nuevo!
✨⚡️✨
Rio
not sure if my liver is completely recovered, but i'm back 🥳
me
well, my liver is definitely not recovered
glad to have you back
see you tomorrow at the park?
Rio
it's a date
✨⚡️✨
“Happy new year, Professor Harkness” it's the first thing Agatha hears when she finally manages to get to the front of the line at the café.
“Happy new year, Cassie, did you have a nice break?”
“Yeah, I worked for most of the holidays, but I still had some time to spend with my family”
Someone clears their throat behind Agatha, clearly impatient about this interaction.
“That's nice, I will have my usual and a double espresso with two of those cinnamon rolls”
Cassie's expression changes from cheerful to something more neutral and Agatha tries not to think too much about this, giving her a small smile when she passes her hard.
Soon enough Agatha is out of the rush from the coffee shop and waiting for Rio by the entrance of the park like they used to do.
“Boo,” the woman whispers in her ear as she approaches, almost causing Agatha to drop their breakfast.
“I see that being less annoying didn't make the cut for the new years' resolution, huh?” Agatha teases.
“Oh, you've missed me that much?” she bites back and Agatha just rolls her eyes. “What is that?”
Agatha looks down to where she is pointing and she just opens the bag and shows the pastries to her.
“Did your girlfriend give you one to share this time?” Rio taunts.
“That's it, you're not getting anything, i'm taking this to Billy, I bet he would appreciate it” and with that she starts to walk through the park forcing Rio to follow her.
“Come on, I was kidding, can you at least give me the coffee? I haven't drunk one yet and i'm still tired from the trip” she practically begs.
“Fine, but you have to be quiet until at least I finish mine, I'm not in the mood for this,” Agatha feigns annoyance.
“Works for me, coffee please” Rio says, grabbing hands to Agatha.
Agatha hands her the coffee and one of the cinnamon rolls and starts to walk again, but not before seeing Rio’s smile.
They quickly get back to their routine. They work together, grab lunch, bicker most of the time and text back and forth when they are not at campus.
Agatha is not sure why, but working with Rio brings her back to when she was starting her career. It's refreshing and even the way they fight about something they disagree about the research is usually stimulating instead of annoying.
Although Agatha sustained the reputation of being hard with her mentees, she usually tend to be more open about her methods, meanwhile Rio seems to be more laid back, but Agatha knows that she is infuriatingly methodic about everything she does.
Most of the time it feels like Rio is the one mentoring Agatha. Somehow this late in her career she finds herself seeing a different perspective about everything she believed.
Rio is a great partner.
Academically.
A great academic partner.
“... Does that make sense?” Is all Agatha hears Billy says, before she realizes she was not paying attention.
He looks at her expectantly and if Agatha was not feeling slightly bad for not paying attention she would have laughed at his expression, but she can make herself do that.
“That sounds like a good plan, Billy, you can go ahead and start gathering those numbers” Agatha hears Rio say from where she is on the couch.
She hadn't realized Rio was paying attention because Agatha had seen her completely zone out anything that was not her work before and when Billy got into the room she was in one of those moods.
Agatha sends her a grateful look when Billy moves his attention to Rio and she still sees her giving a playful wink in Agatha's direction before going back to advising him.
When the boy finally gets out of Agatha's office, she feels Rio's eyes on her again.
“Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I lost my track of thought for a second there, thanks for the help anyway,” It's not exactly a lie, but it feels like one.
Rio keeps looking at her. Agatha has never realized how intense those brown eyes are.
“Are you sure? I can help you if you need help with something,”
“There is really no need for that, Billy just said something that reminded me about an article Lilia had sent me and I got distracted,” she fully lies now and she can see in Rio's face that she knows.
But Agatha knows she is not the type to push it, so she just gently says “Well, I'm here if you need anything,”
“I know, thank you for that, I'm going to get some coffee, do you want some?” Agatha announces, already getting up.
“Yeah, I would love some and if you see Maria, can you ask her to come here? I need to check something with her,”
“Hey, i'm not your assistant and this is not your office” Agatha teases but Rio just laughs.
“You should have thought about that before offering me this space to work, now move Doctor Harkness, I need my coffee”
“I can kick you out of this university for that, you know?”
“But you won't, you like my company too much to risk that,” she annoyingly says and Agatha is not surprised to realize it's true.
“You're lucky that I like you, otherwise I would have beat your ass for that,”
“Oh, don't threaten me with a good time, Doctor Harkness” she replies with a smirk and Agatha forces herself to get out of there.
She still hears a faint sound of laughter coming from behind the door when she closes it.
What the hell just happened?
✨⚡️✨
“Tell me again why am I being dragged out of my house, when I'm already supposed to go out later?” Agatha complains as a form of greeting when Rio answers her phone.
“Because you forgot to tell me about Alice’s birthday and now I have to find a gift for her and you have to help me,” She explains again. “Are you close?”
“I'm literally already here, where are you?” she says and Rio looks around and sure enough she sees Agatha's frowning face at the other side of the road in front of the market.
Rio got distracted on her way there by a cute little flower shop and was hoping Agatha was late so she could pretend she got there in time, but the Artist and Flea market was just a couple blocks from her house so Rio could see now how her logic was flawed.
Rio was taken by surprise when she got Alice’s invitation on wednesday for karaoke night at a bar to celebrate her birthday. Obviously she panicked, realizing that she wouldn't have much time to find a gift and that she didn't even know what to get for her.
It was not until the day before that Agatha suggested she could hit this market that Alice loves to shop at and after some insistence (and maybe a little wining), Rio had convinced her to tag along. Hence the supposedly bad mood.
When she finally crosses the street she says “Look left” And she sees Agatha moving her head and finally finding her.
“You're late,” she says, but there is no bite to it.
“I am, I'm sorry, but I've got you this,” she hands Agatha one of the small bouquets of flowers she is carrying in her tote bag, taking her by surprise.
“Er, thanks? What is this for?” Agatha asks, confused.
“No reason, I just saw them and thought they were cute,” she replies with a shrug and Agatha just accepts it, arranging the flowers in the big pocket of her coat.
“It's probably going to be a little packed because of the weekend, but there's a lot of independent artists and vintage shops here so at least I'm sure you will find something,” Agatha explains, already moving to get inside the building.
As Agatha predicted, it is a bit packed inside and they are forced to stay close as they move around through the isles of booths. Rio is surprised by how many cool stuff she finds and more times that she would like to admit she gets distracted by things that she have no intention to buy for Alice.
Agatha on her part doesn't seem bothered about this, she gives Rio an honest opinion about everything and even encourages her to buy some things for herself. That's how she ends up with a new scented candle, some jewelry for her and her brother and no gift for Alice.
“I think you should get the jacket from that vintage shop,” Agatha suggests when they sit down to take a break.
She is no better than Rio with a bag full of records and some natural cosmetics.
“Are you sure? or are you just saying this because you want to get her that pendent flag we saw a few booths ago?” Rio asked, suspicious.
Agatha gives laughs shaking her head, and Rio has to bite her lip not to laugh too.
“I do want to get her the flag, but I also think she would love the jacket, besides, i'm tired and I want to have some time to decompress before tonight”
“Okay, granny, let's get those gifts and head out” she teases, getting up and pulling Agatha up.
She doesn't realize she is still holding her hand until she gets to the booth and Agatha gives her a little reassuring squeeze when she takes too long to pick up the jacket. Rio freezes for a second before dropping her hand and picking the jacket.
They move on after that, going back for the flag and finally getting out of the market.
“Happy?” Agatha teases.
“Ecstatic! Thanks for coming with me, I would probably would be still be aimlessly strolling through there if you were not here”
“Yeah, I can totally see that happening, I'm glad you found some nice things, though,”
“Me too and please invite me when you decide to play that Hendrix record”
“noted, I guess I should go now, it's past señor scratchy’s play time and I don't want him seeking revenge against me,” Agatha announces. “See you later and thanks for the flowers”
Rio dismissed her with her hands. “It's no biggie, see you later, grandma, make sure to take your beauty nap before heading out”
Agatha rolls her eyes, but pulls her for a quick hug before walking back to her place.
She will never admit it to Agatha, but she does end up taking a nap too and when she wakes up she's a little late on her schedule.
Benito is not home this time, so she just grabs some gray slacks and a white button shirt. To keep it more casual she opens some of the buttons and she doubts herself for a second when she sees that part of her lacy bra is showing when she moves, but she is already late so she just grabs her coat and leaves, reminding herself to pay attention to that later.
When she arrives at the bar, she is happy to see that most of her friends are already there in a big booth close to the stage where a guy is doing a rendition of what Rio thinks is a song by Bon Jovi, but she is not really sure.
“Hey, you came!” Alice yelled, hugging her tight.
“Of course I came, here, this is for you,” Rio hands her the bag and Alice opens it right away.
“Wow, this is so cool! Did you and Agatha go to Artists and Flea together?”
“Yeah, she actually helped me pick this,” Rio admits and Alice just lets out a laugh.
“I love it, thanks,” she says hugging Rio again and at that moment understands that Alice is already plastered.
She smiles and moves back to the rest of the gang, greeting everyone before sitting by the end of the booth next to Lilia.
That's when she notices that Agatha was not with the rest of them. “I thought Agatha was already here,”
“Oh, she is, she went to grab some drinks, but she's probably bribing the owner to let us hog the singing spot” Lilia explains and Rio chuckles.
Rio finds her by the bar a few minutes later, animatedly talking with a brunette. They seem close, the woman seemed comfortable enough to reach out and fix Agatha’s blazer.
Rio can see the exact moment her eyes drop to Agatha's absurd neckline where her black bra was on display since apparently Agatha hadn't thought about wearing a shirt underneath her blazer. Something on Rio's stomach churns.
“Hey, there you are,” she doesn't know why, but she puts her arm around Agatha's waist when she gets to where they are.
Agatha gives her a confused look before smiling back at her.
“You finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?” she teases. “Melina, this is my colleague Rio, Rio this is Melina, the owner of the bar”
Rio tries not to feel hurt about Agatha referring to her as her colleague. She knows it's what they are, but it somehow doesn't sit right.
“It's nice to meet you, Rio, I hope you're ready for a show,” the other woman says, earning a laugh from Agatha.
Rio sees them exchanging a knowing look and she feels slightly irritated to be out of the loop.
“Anyways, what's your poison, I will make it for you,” Melina says, moving back to the other side of the counter.
“I will have an old fashioned, thanks” Rio tries to maintain her calm tone.
“Classic girl, I see, makes sense,” at that, Melina gives another look in Agatha's direction, but she is not sure what it means.
“Did you get your nap, granny?” Rio teases Agatha when Melina moves to get the whiskey bottle.
Agatha rolls her eyes, but playfully pokes her ribs, making her yelp and move away a little. “Yes and that's why, contrary to you, I'm in my best mood”
“What do you mean? I'm in an excellent mood,” Rio replies and Agatha just gives her a weird look.
“Sure,”
But Rio doesn't have time to ask what she meant because Melina comes back with her drink and a martini glass for Agatha.
“Come on, let's go back, it's almost our time,”
Agatha waves goodbye to Melina and pulls Rio through the bar leading them back to where their friends were.
“So who's up first?” Agatha asks as soon as she slumps next to Rio on the booth.
“ME!” Alice animatedly screams, causing Jen to give her a fond eye roll. “Will you sing with me, honey?”
“Sure, as long is not some of your emo songs”
“Lilia and I are going next,” Natasha says.
“Why are you not signing with me?” Wanda asks with a pout.
“Because you always hog the mike and Lilia is a fun duet partner,” her wife explains.
“Fine, but i'm going after you two, there is no way I can go after Agatha” Wanda admits defeat.
“Perfect, so, Alice and Jen, then Natasha and Lilia, Wanda, Rio and finally me as the closing act” Agatha states, making Rio turn to her in shock.
“Who's said i'm singing?”
“You have to, that's the whole point” Alice whines.
“I'm not really good at singing, definitely not the best in my family either,” she tries to argue.
“Nonsense, karaoke is not about being good at singing, it's about performing,” Lilia insists.
“Fine, but if I get booed I'm never talking to any of you again,”
“Here, put the song you want to sing in this paper, I have to take it to the sound guy so he can prepare it” Agatha gives her a small paper and a pen.
She does the same with the rest of the group and after everyone is finished she takes all the paper to the guy near the stage.
They drink for a while, watching some of the people on stage until the guy calls Alice and Jen over to the stage. Alice is a bit more drunk than earlier, but she and Jen still manage to give an amazing performance of Eternal Flame from the bangles.
Natasha and Lilia's surprising performance of Defying Gravity, in which Wanda wolf whistles her wife and almost causes Natasha to drop her microphone.
Next they had Wanda giving a dramatic performance of Baby one more time that made them all laugh and get up to applaud.
For a second Rio almost forgot that she would have to go on stage too. But when the guy called her name, she froze.
“hey, if you don't want to go, it's okay,” Agatha whispered in her ear.
Closing her eyes, Rio takes a deep breath. She drowned the rest of her drinks and got up. Her legs felt a little wobbly when she moved to the stage and accepted the microphone from the guy.
She looked forward, getting slightly blinded by the strong light. It was only when she heard the familiar tune that she let herself relax.
Ya sé que no vendrás / Todo lo que fue / El tiempo lo dejó atrás / Sé que no regresaras / Lo que nos pasó / No repetirá jamás / Mil años no me alcanzarán / Para borrarte y olvidar
She sings softly at first, unsure if she has it in her, but when the chorus arrives, Rio feels more comfortable. She remembers all the times she sang this song when she was younger and she decides to let loose and have fun.
Rio can hear her friends cheering for her, hyping her up and she smiles bigger. Feels nice to be doing this, it's freeing and it helps that it's her mother tongue.
“ y estoy aquí queriéndote ” she finishes with a flourish and everyone cheers.
“Gracias,” She says before bowing dramatically and running back to her friends.
“What the fuck? I didn't know you could sing like that!” Wanda is the first to talk.
“Not a singer, my ass,” Lilia complains.
“You looked so sexy singing in Spanish, I think half of the bar is in love with you now,” Alice drunkenly says, making everyone laugh, but quickly agreeing with her.
Agatha is the only one who doesn't say anything right away, just looking at her with a puzzled expression.
“I guess Agatha finally found some real competition,” Natasha jokes and Rio looks at her confused.
“Please, as if I would let that fazzle me,” Agatha retorts, already moving to the stage.
Rio doesn't get to question what they meant because she is surprised by the way the guy announced Agatha.
“Now, our regular superstar, Agatha Harkness,”
And Rio can hear cheers coming from other booths too. She looks at her friends trying to get an explanation, but Agatha clears her throat dramatically on the mike, bringing her attention back to the stage.
I want you to know / That I'm happy for you /I wish nothing, but the best for you both And I'm here, to remind you / Of the mess you left when you went away / It's not fair, to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me /You, you, you oughta know
Rio can't help but laugh. Of course Agatha would choose that Alanis song.
You seem very well / Things look peaceful / I'm not quite as well / I thought you should know / Did you forget about me / Mr. Duplicity? I hate to bug you in the middle of dinner / But it was a slap in the face / How quickly I was replaced / And are you thinking of me when you fuck her
The angry way she says the last sentence makes the whole bar scream with her. Rio can't take her eyes off of her. The way Agatha commands attention to herself makes her powerful. It's like she was born for this.
She moves around the stage with all the theatrics Rio was used to, but somehow is enhanced by her stage presence.
It's ridiculous. But also infuriatingly hot.
'Cause I'm here, to remind you / Of the mess you left when you went away / It's not fair to deny me / Of the cross I bear that you gave to me /You, you, you oughta know
Rio's eyes keep involuntarily going to Agatha's neckline. She tries to swallow, but her throat feels incredibly dry.
When Agatha dramatically drops on the ground after the last part of the song Rio’s mind is going haywire.
“Pretty fun, huh?” she hears Lilia say somewhere next to her, but all she can think about is Agatha.
The way her hands wrapped around the microphone. All the veins popping. The way her hair fell over her shoulder and the predatory look she had up there.
And her mouth. The incredible way it curved as she was singing. So close to the mike that Rio could hear her ragged breath.
She can't help but imagine that's probably how she sounds in bed.
Fuck
“See, I told you no one was taking my place” Agatha announces now back at their table.
She was smiling like an idiot. Chugging a bottle of water with gusto, completely unaware about the way Rio’s eyes were following the drops that were sliding down her torso.
“Don't be sad, Petal, next time you can't try to beat me,” Agatha teased, jokingly stroking Rio’s face.
Rio could feel it burning. That was supposed to make her irritated, but it only made her more flustered.
Agatha was gloating like an idiot and at that exact moment Rio realized that the reason it was bothering her too much was not because Agatha was going to pester her about this later, but because there was nothing she wanted more in that moment than to kiss that stupid smug smile off of her face.
oh.
oh no.
✨⚡️✨
When the semester starts to pick up again, Agatha sees herself getting more busy and that's probably why it takes her so much time to recognize there is something wrong.
At first she thought it was a bit strange that Rio had accepted to help Wanda in her research at the lab in Columbia. They've been moving to a good rhythm with her own research, but Agatha guessed it was a good opportunity for her to experience a different field while she is here.
She still texted Agatha most of the time they were out of campus, but it seemed a little more stiff than before.
Agatha assumed she was just overwhelmed with everything and didn't want to admit it. Rio, Agatha had noticed, had a tendency to keep everything to herself and it usually took some coaching to get her back to the right mindset.
They haven't seen each other properly in a couple of weeks and when Agatha found her slumped on her office couch Agatha couldn't help but smile.
“Fancy seeing you here,” she teased.
“Sorry, things got busy at Freeman lab” Rio replies, eyes not really meeting Agatha's.
“It's okay, I was just joking, it's nice that you and Wanda found something to work together, that's good for you resume too,”
“Yeah, I figured,” she says noncommittally.
Agatha brows furrow. “Is everything okay? You're acting a little weird,”
Rio's head shot up. Eyes finally looking at her. She seems conflicted, like she wants to say something, but is not sure how.
“Everything is fine, just have a lot in my head right now,” she finally says.
It's not exactly a lie, Agatha can see it, but it's not the full answer either.
“I have an idea about something that could give you a distraction,” Agatha proposes and she sees something flash in Rio's eyes.
“And what exactly is that?”
“Wanna crash at my class and see me in my element?” she teases and she sees Rio smirk.
“Sure, why not” she says, jumping up and unintentionally positioning herself extremely close to where Agatha was standing.
“Er, we still have 10 minutes until it starts, I just came here to get my glasses because my contacts are killing me,”
“Okay, you do that, I'm gonna get some coffee and I meet you there,”
“Fine, don't be late”
“Got it, Professor ” and Agatha have no idea why that tone made her feel weird.
She has no time to complain because the other is already out of the door. Agatha sighs and moves around her office, finding her bag, taking off her contacts and putting on her glass.
Rio was nowhere to be seen when she got to class. Agatha finds the presentation she's going to use and busies herself while her students start to fill in. It's only when she is about to start that Rio finally appears animatedly talking with Billy and taking a seat next to him in the first roll.
She then looks up at where Agatha is standing and winks. Agatha furrows her brow confused, but lets it slide.
Agatha is teaching a class about the bias created about women and the implications of that in a psychology perspective. Today’s classes show a panorama of the social biases of creating pariahs and the impact of that on women during the witches’ trials.
It’s part of Agatha's study of genre and something that she thought Rio would enjoy, but at first she seems distracted. Her eyes kept going to where Rio was seated.
She seemed to be drawing on her tablet and when she catches Agatha looking, she gives Agatha what could be described as doe eyes and lightly bites the pen in her hand. The action makes Agatha lose track of what she's saying and she tries to recover without being too obvious.
Agatha struggles to keep her eyes away from Rio, who is proving to be a terrible distraction. When their eyes meet again she smirks, her tongue pushing her cheek in that annoying habit that always makes Agatha want to punch her.
Every time her eye accidentally meets Rio she seems to be invested in something that would eventually end up distracting Agatha again.
She can vaguely see Billy looking between them with a confused expression, but Agatha decides to ignore both of them until the end of the class.
Agatha is so thrown out of her game that she ends up ending the class a bit early and advising her students to read the article she had added to the syllabus. The students seem both surprised and relieved to have an extra few minutes and they leave before Agatha might change her mind.
Taking her time to gather her things, Agatha was hoping Rio would leave with Billy, but is not surprised to see her waiting for Agatha by the door.
“Nice lesson, Professor,” she says with a mischievous smile.
“Funny you say that since you didn't seem to be paying any attention to what I was saying,” Agatha grumbles.
“Are you sure? I had my eyes on you the whole time, you're the one who seemed a little distracted, I thought the witch of nyu would be, what was the word you used again? oh yeah, assertive, ”
“God, has anyone ever told you how annoying you are?”
“Yeah, you say that a lot,” she says with a smile.
“I should say it more, maybe it would make you reconsider your actions,” Agatha says, pushing past her.
Rio moves quickly, getting up to Agatha in no time.
“I bet you would love to punish me for that, huh?” she says low enough that it could pass as a mumble, but Agatha heard it loud and clear.
Her whole body freezes. But when she turns around Rio is already out of sight.
✨⚡️✨
Rio's life has been a big mess since Alice's birthday. When she finally decided to acknowledge the realization she had, she had no idea what to do about it.
Agatha was a big part of her life right now, not only she had become one of Rio’s closest friends, she was also her partner at work, she held a big portion of Rio's future in her hands and Rio didn't know how to move on from that.
She tried to avoid Agatha. Jumping into the opportunity to work with Wanda for a little while just so she wouldn't have to be in close proximity to Agatha for too long.
That only worked for some time, she still had research to work on and she needed Agatha to help with it. She was also pretty sure Agatha was picking on her weird absence.
It's not like she could do anything about it. The moment she let her mind think about her feelings there was no going back. It was like this was a geyser slowly building the pressure to finally erupt in the air.
Rio couldn't stop thinking about how it must be obvious and if she let Agatha too close, she would realize too. When Agatha invited her to watch her class, she thought about passing the opportunity. Too afraid to accidentally let something show, but she wanted to go, finally see Agatha in her element.
The whole thing was what finally dragged Rio here. Slumped on Martha's couch sighing loudly until she finally gave up on working and looked at her.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” she says, but there was no bite to it.
“I think I fucked up,” she whines.
“I will need you to be a little more specific, honey,”
“Okay, so, please don't judge me for what i'm about to say,” she starts and Martha gives her an eyebrow raise. “I think i'm in love with Agatha”
She closes her eyes and waits for a response, but Martha doesn't say anything; she is forced to look at her.
“What? Was that supposed to be the news?” she teases.
“What do you mean?”
“Honey, I thought it was pretty obvious, at first I was a little bummed that we didn't work out, but when I heard the way you talked about her I understood,”
Rio groans, pulling her arms over her eyes.
“Is it really that obvious?”
“Yeah, but if it makes you feel any better, she is as oblivious as you,”
“What?”
“Oh my god, you two are worse than I thought,”
“I don't understand what you mean,”
“I can see that, Rio, that idiot is in love with you too,”
Rio gets up at that. Accidentally bumping into the coffee table and almost breaking Martha’s vase.
“You can't be serious, Agatha does not like me like that, I mean, I think she might have had a little gay panic today, but it was only because i was trying to distract her in her class,” she keeps talking while she paces around the office.
“Please, she was ready to strangle me at that christmas party,”
“You're being crazy. I saw her flirting with a woman at the bar a few weeks ago,”
At that Martha gives her a pointed look and she is forced to tell her the whole story. She tells her everything that has happened since last year's party. Going to Agatha's house, the gifts, the texts when she was in San Juan, the fucking cinnamon roll, the visit to the market and finally Alice's party when she realized she wanted to kiss Agatha.
“This is the stupidest story i've have ever heard, you two are basically dating already,”
Rio groans again, slumping back onto the couch.
“What the fuck am i suppose to do? If you're wrong I can't possibly fuck our friendship AND my job”
“Well, I can't say anything else, but I don't think your job or your friendship are in line here”
Rio stays silent for a few minutes. Letting everything sink in. Martha let her be, casually going back to work while Rio had a crisis on her couch.
“What should I do now?”
“Rio, I can't tell you what to do,” she repeats. “BUT, I think you already know what you want to do”
“Yeah, I think i do,”
“Great, now get the fuck out of here because i need to work and your little gay crisis is too distracting,”
Rio laughs and gives her a thigh hug.
“Thank you, bitch”
“You're welcome. Now go get your woman,”
Rio lets out another laugh before leaving her to work in peace.
✨⚡️✨
Agatha stirred in her bed, wrapped in a warmth that felt almost magical, the light streaming through the window teasing her senses like a lover’s caress. She fought to retreat back into the dream world, to escape into that intoxicating realm, but then came the feather-soft kiss against her neck, a whisper of sweetness, lingering and divine, igniting a fire across her skin, a siren's call that pulled her from the depths of slumber.
Her breath hitched, the last remnants of sleep clinging to her like a fog. As her heart raced, she shifted, only to encounter that kiss again, this time tantalizingly close to her pulse, sending electric shivers down her spine. The sensation felt both like shelter and a gnawing longing, a maddening tease of something more.
Agatha groaned, fluttering her eyes open, bewildered as a swirl of confusion struck, caught in the delicate dance between dream and reality. But the kisses persisted, each one bolder than the last, stirring an ache deep within her soul, a visceral hunger she could no longer ignore.
With an instinctive lean, her body craved the presence of the one above her, yearning to bridge that intoxicating gap. She reached out, fingers finding and tracing the silken strands of hair, feeling the warmth of a smile against her skin as soft kisses slipped lower, exploring the gap between her breasts. The touch stoked a hunger so powerful it made her pulse quicken. In a rush, she tugged the woman up, demanding their gazes meet in that intimate silence.
And there, clarity unfurled in Agatha’s mind, her heart racing at the sight of those big brown eyes glimmering with mischief, a familiar spark that filled her with delight. The woman smiled, radiating a joy that made Agatha feel like she was the luckiest prize in the world.
“Good morning, cariño,” she greeted, her voice a tantalizing whisper that sent delicious shivers dancing across Agatha’s skin.
The woman seemed to revel in Agatha’s reaction, kissing her jaw with wicked intent, marking her with a light bite that drew an involuntary moan from Agatha’s lips. Hands, oh so bold, traced the curve of her ribs, fingers curling around her breasts in a way that ignited a tempest of yearning within her.
“Rio…” The name slipped from her mouth, a breathless, tender plea.
“You like this, don’t you?” she teased, trailing her fingers over Agatha’s nipple, each caress sending jolts of pleasure radiating through her body.
A sigh of contentment escaped Agatha’s lips, her eyes fluttering closed as she succumbed to the bliss of Rio’s closeness, a sweetness so vivid it felt surreal, overwhelming her senses.
But then, Rio’s hand descended lower, toying with the waistband of Agatha’s sweatpants, coaxing another moan from her throat. With a fervent kiss, Rio pulled Agatha deeper into her intoxicating spell, melding their souls in a passionate embrace. Just as Agatha teetered on the edge of bliss, her body was struck by an icy chill.
In a blind panic, she opened her eyes, desperately searching for Rio’s warm embrace, only to find herself in the haunting silence of her empty room. The kisses, the warmth, everything had been nothing but a glorious illusion. A crushing wave of disappointment swept over Agatha.
The frustrating ache within her core gnaws at her, a relentless reminder of something deeper, something she struggles to articulate. With a mix of shame and yearning, she confesses to herself the truth: her hands, driven by instinct, had sought a release she hadn’t even realized she was longing for. It wasn’t until the intoxicating haze began to fade that the weight of her actions crashed down upon her, leaving her breathless and questioning everything she thought she knew.
Agatha forces herself to take a cold shower and get out of the house after that. She is not really sure where she was going, but she is not surprised when she sees herself infrot of a familiar door. She rings the doorbell and waits.
“Agatha, what the hell are you doing here this early in the morning?” Lilia asks when she sees Agatha standing at her door.
“I was in the neighborhood,” she forces herself to smile and Lilia rolls her eyes, moving so Agatha can enter.
“So, is there a particularly reason you’re drinking my fine coffee at 8 in the morning on a sunday?” Lilia asks again after she gets back to where Agatha is sitting at her couch with a cup of coffee.
Agatha doesn’t say anything. Just stares at the weird art piece in front of her with an intensity that almost makes it look interesting.
“Are you ready to finally pull a card again, then?” Lilia asks and for the first time in years she sees herself accepting the offer.
Lilia don’t question. She goes grab her cards and puts a cloth over the table before adjustiong the cards in the middle.
“We don’t have to do a full spread, just shuffle the cards and when you ready you can split the deck in two and pick one card,”
Agatha does as she says, making sure to shuffle it throughly. She splits the deck into two piles and picks one card from the left one. She flips it in the middle and gasp when she see the image of the lovers.
“You know, the cards aren’t usually this on the nose, but I guess this is already answering some of your questions, right?”
Agatha doesn’t say anything. Lilia knows her too well to know the answer.
“You know, when someone pulls the card thinking about love and it comes upright, it’s usually a good sign. The lovers represent a balance of forces, when complimentary energies get together,” Lilia starts.
And Agatha’s mind is quick to think about Rio. She had felt it for a while, how they seem to balance each other in a way that enhance the potential that they both have. She realizes now that this is not only about the great partnership they have at work, but also how they seem to fit together in their personal lives.
“But there’s not the only thing about it. This is also a card that represents choice, it’s not only about the choice to commit, but how committed you are to choose what you love,” Lilia continues.
Agatha feels a pang in her chest. That's a big choice to make. Agatha's life had always been about her career, proving everyone that she could do it and when she finally got to the point where she undoubtedly knew she held the power, she felt it get swept over her feet. And to her surprise, that was not a bad thing.
Rio had opened her eyes to the way she looked at the world. She had taught Agatha things she had never even considered about her own work and the constant push to make her out of her comfort zone was what had pulled Agatha to her.
Right now Agatha can see that Rio was not only changing her perspective at work, but she was slowly making Agatha crave for more in her life. Agatha had finally let her mind wonder about the what ifs and she found herself yearning for a presence that could break her walls just like she had done with her work.
Agatha had a plethora of lovers along her life, but no one ever made her heart flutter like the way Rio makes. Rio was insistent when Agatha tried to stay close minded, she was soft when Agatha needed comfort and playful when Agatha felt she was being too serious.
Rio made Agatha want to take risks, to open up and to fall. And Agatha realized that she had been falling for a long time now.
“The last thing I can say about this card is that this card usually comes when the person needs to figure out what they stand for and how to proceed with that. I think you're already on your way there, huh?”
“Yeah, I think I am,” Agatha finally says and Lilia gives her a warm smile.
“Don't get too into your head, Agatha, you already know what you want,”
And although she is scared to death, Lilia’s right, Agatha knows what she wants.
She knows exactly who she wants.
✨⚡️✨
The whole ‘get your woman’ thing was easier said than done. For the first time Rio regretted accepting to work with Wand because that meant she hadn't seen Agatha since that day in her class. Even when she was at campus it was usually when Agatha was in class and Rio was stuck conducting interviews or helping Billy with their data.
They've been texting though, going back to the rhythm they had during the holidays, just little snippets of their days, but it was something that served to keep Rio’s heart calmer.
After missing Agatha for the fourth time that week, Rio decided to finally take action.
me
hey, are you doing anything friday?
She was not expecting a response so fast, but she was happy to see a notification quickly pop up on her screen.
Agatha
just the usual
cooking and drinking some wine
why?
me
would you like to do
something else? 👀
Agatha
I can be persuaded
depending on what you have
in mind
me
do you want to come to my place?
we can order some take out
watch a movie or something like that
Agatha
sounds good to me
i will bring the wine
me
ok
te veo
It took Rio approximately two days to understand what she had done.
“I can't believe you invited her on a date on valentine’s day,” Martha teased.
“Please, I already feel like shit, do you think she knows?”
Martha looks at her with a confused expression.
“Know what exactly? that it's valentine’s day? that you asked her on a date? that you're trying to wine and dine her?”
“Yes” Rio simply replies, making her friend laugh.
“I mean, she probably knows it's v day, but considering how dumb you two are, I'm not sure she picked up on the implications of that,”
“Thanks, that makes me feel so much better,” Rio sarcastically says.
“You're the one who asked, don't blame me now,”
Rio groans and her friend just laughs.
“What are you going to do about your brother?”
“He's out of town, I think he comes back on the 16th,” she explains.
“Well, so you really are going to wine and dine her”
“Shut up, I haven't even kissed her yet,”
“I hope you hear how stupid that sounds. You're forty for fuck’s sake,”
“Yes, I am aware about my age, that doesn't mean I don't want to make this in a way that is not going to fuck up the whole thing,”
“Okay, whatever,”
“Do you have any plans for Valentine's day?”
“A lady never tells,” she says with a wink and Rio just rolls her eyes.
When Friday finally comes. Rio feels like a ball of anxiety. She hadn't seen Agatha in a week and she has no idea how the night would go, but she is hoping that she doesn't fuck this up to the point that she has to move back to San Juan without her research.
After having a mental breakdown for two hours about literally every piece of clothes she owns, Rio ends up just going for comfortable jeans and an old t-shirt. She's at home and she doesn't want to look like she dressed up. Not that she wouldn't totally dress up for Agatha.
Even though Rio had previously authorized Agatha's entrance in the building, she still got scared when the doorbell had finally ringed.
“Hey,” she says a little out of breath from practically running to the door.
She looks at Agatha and tries not to swoon. She's wearing an oversized caramel sweater and jeans that had holes on the knees and those stupidly large glasses that are a personal attack to Rio’s sanity.
“Hey there yourself,” Agatha replies and Rio can see that she is also taking Rio’s outfit in. “I didn't know you were a fan of trash metal”
At that, Rio can't help but smile. “I'm a multifaceted woman, come on in,”
Rio guides her through the apartment and she can see Agatha looking at everything attentively. When they get to the kitchen Rio can feel how much Agatha is trying to hold back.
“What?” she playfully asks.
“Okay, so when I joked that your brother was loaded and you said kinda, does that mean that you have no concept of money or were you just trying to dismiss me? because, seriously, a penthouse with open panels is nowhere near ‘kinda’ rich,” and Rio can't help but laugh.
“It's not like that, we grew up in a working-class family close to San Juan, and my brother and I really had to put in the effort to pay for college. I’m so proud of him and all the success he’s making, but it does make me feel a bit uneasy sometimes” she explains and Agatha nods. “It’s wonderful to see him doing so well, but we try not to forget that not everyone has had the same opportunities we did. It’s important for me not to lose track from where I came from”
“It makes sense and it's nice that you're both trying to stay humble, but I'm glad you get to experience the city beyond the struggling postdoc associate stereotype,” Agatha jokes, making them both laugh.
“At first I was planning to get my own place near campus, but my brother insisted that I should stay here, you know how we don't get to see each other much so this way at least we are spending some time together.”
“That's actually a good plan. This city can be a little overwhelming and I guess it must be nice to have a piece of home to go come to”
There is a hint of sadness in Agatha’s word, but Rio knows best not to push it.
“So, how do you feel about pizza?” Rio asks suddenly when they made it to the kitchen.
“I'm down for pizza, do you have a place you like to order around here?” Agatha says already picking up her phone to search.
“Actually I was thinking about making it,” Rio confesses and Agatha looks at her suspiciously.
“Are you sure? I saw you almost burn my kitchen last year,” she exaggerates and Rio rolls her eyes.
“It's nothing much, most of the things are store-bought, I just have to make the sauce and we put the toppings, what do you say?”
Agatha pretends to ponder for a few seconds, but soon enough she says “Okay, can I help at least?”
“Of course, I was counting on that,” Rio says with a cheeky grin making Agatha laugh.
“Do you want to open this now?” Agatha points to the wine bottle she took out of her bag.
Rio quirks her eyebrow. “Rosé? I thought you only drank red”
“That's not true, I do like red better, but I thought rosé fitted the holiday,” she gives Rio a little wink and Rio tries really hard not to blush like a schoolgirl.
“Let's open it then, we can switch to red when the pizza is ready if you want”
She hands Agatha the glasses and her brother’s fancy wine opener who got Agatha so impressed Rio made a mental note to get one for her later.
“So, what's our game plan here?” Agatha asks when they are on their aprons and all the ingredients are sat on the table.
“I was thinking we could divide in two flavors, I got some stuff to make a puerto rican with chorizo and margherita,”
Agatha looks at her with an expression that Rio can't quite decipher.
“What? you don't like those? We can't make something else, I have other ingredients here too,” Rio quickly supplies, but Agatha gives her a smile.
“Those are perfect, margherita is my favorite, but i can't wait to taste the puerto rican too,”
And if Rio bumped her head at the kitchen cabinet door after that it had nothing to do with what Agatha had just said. When she looked back at Agatha her expression was calm, but Rio could see a little smile behind her glass.
Rio gave Agatha a knife and a cutting board for chopping the tomatoes. Meanwhile she was opening the dough and shredding enough cheese to fill at least 4 pizzas.
She explained to Agatha that usually she makes the sauce by roasting the tomatoes in the oven with olive oil, garlic, herbs and spices. That seems to make her impressed and Rio feels a little pride in her heart.
After that she blends everything in a mixer with some sofrito and it's ready to use as the base of their pizza. She slices the chorizo while Agatha is filling the pizza with the shredded cheese.
Agatha puts some tomatoes and basil on the margherita size, while Rio adds chorizo and some roasted pimientos.
“Usually we put some plantains, but I couldn't find any here, so please notice that there is a better version of this,” Rio said when she deemed the pizza ready.
“I'm sure this will be delicious too,” Agatha assures, giving Rio a small smile.
They clean up the mess while they wait for the pizza to get ready. Filling each other up in what was happening in their life this week they haven't met. And Rio’s brain can't stop thinking about how domestic this is and most of all how right it feels.
It's clear that something changed, even if they haven't said anything yet, Rio could feel it, in the lingering touches and the way their eyes accidentally meet, like they are involuntarily being pulled into each other's orbit.
For a moment Rio almost believed Agatha was looking at her lips, following the movement her tongue automatically made when a drop of wine fell from her mouth. But she quickly moved back to Rio’s eyes when she realized she was caught.
“I've missed this,” she says then and Rio gives her a confused look. “You know, spending time together, outside campus”
Rio’s heart betrayals her, skipping a beat there.
“Yeah, it's nice to be like this, just us, I-” she doesn't have time to finish because just at that moment the oven buzzes announcing that the pizza is ready.
Later. She will have time to talk about that later.
Agatha moves to pick the plates in the cabinet Rio had pointed to her while Rio takes the pizza out of the oven and starts to slice it in even parts.
“I would say we could eat at the terrace, but it's too cold for that now, but we can move to the dinning table or just stay here if you prefer,”
“Here is fine, besides, I like that it's warmer here because of the oven, no offense to your brother but this much open space in the winter is kinda crazy,” she jokes and Rio can't help but laugh.
“Yeah, bet this is why he’s been spending most of his time in his LA house,”
“I'm not even gonna comment about that” Agatha dimisses, moving to pick one slice.
Rio sees the moment she has the first bite and her eyes widen. “Oh my god, I can't believe I let you trick me into thinking you don't know how to cook. This is so fucking delicious,”
Rio snorts, shaking her head.
“I don't know much, but this is hardly cooking, Agatha” she teases.
“This sauce by itself is a masterpiece and you will have to give me the full recipe later,”
“Okay, cariño” Rio says, taking a bite of her own slice.
When Rio looked up Agatha was spotting a blush on her cheeks and her eyes darkened in a distant expression that made Rio question if just a little pet name would do that to her.
“You're okay there?” she asks and that seems to break Agatha's trance because she looks at Rio with an embarrassed expression now.
“Yeah, sorry, I just remembered something,” she says quickly, having another bite of her pizza.
Rio decided not to push and soon they are back to normal, talking about random tidbits of their life until they finish the whole pizza.
“Scratchy almost gave me a heart attack the other day,” Agatha says when they are cleaning the dishes.
“What happened? Are you spreading lies about my client again?” Rio teases.
“Please, he does not need anyone enabling his behavior. I was just coming back from Lilia’s house and found him flopped to his side at his room and my mind went haywire thinking something happened to him because he was not responding to anything, he even had his eyes open, it was not until I got closer and realized he was, in fact, breathing and just sleeping,” she begrudgingly says causing Rio to involuntarily laugh.
Agatha looks at her with feign annoyance and Rio bites her lip.
“Sorry, that must have been really scary,” she finally says and she knows Agatha could hear the truth in her tone. “I miss that dramatic little fella,”
“Well, if you were not making fun of his mother on this date, maybe she would let you see him this weekend,” Agatha teases and Rio’s eyes widen.
“So let me get this straight, not only you agreed that this is a date, but you're also trying to get me into another one in your house?” Rio cheekily says pulling her by the waist.
“I mean, this feels like a date, but there's still something missing,” Agatha says, moving closer to Rio.
“And what would that be?” Rio says, but is barely a whisper.
Her eyes wander through Agatha's face, landing on her lips. She sees the exact moment that her tongue moves over her lips. And before Rio could say anything else, they were crashing into hers.
It's tentatively at first, like both of them were testing the waters, but soon enough it seemed like all the months of anticipation had melted into this exact moment and there was nothing but hunger.
At some point, Rio’s hand found itself on Agatha’s nape and she pulled at the hair there, earning a sound that was a mix between a gasp and a moan. Agatha seemed to be extremely sensitive to Rio’s touch and Rio was slowly loving to discover all the little places on her neck and torso that made her shiver.
When they finally break apart for good, Agatha’s hair was disheveled, her lips were swollen and there were small red blotches on her neck and Rio couldn't see herself, but she was pretty sure she was not much better.
“So, does that mean I get to see señor scratchy this weekend?” Rio jokes and she is a little surprised by how raw her voice sounded.
Agatha only laughed, dropping her head into Rio’s shoulder and Rio couldn't help but hold her tighter.
Rio does take Agatha on a tour of the rest of the house and they end up in Rio’s room with the excuse of watching a movie, but quickly turns into them making out like teenagers in Rio’s bed until they eventually fall asleep before anything else happens.
And Rio can already say that this might be her favorite place to be. Cozily snuggled in bed with Agatha in her arms.
✨⚡️✨
Agatha feels a strange sense of deja vu when she is pulled out of her sleep by the warmth of small kisses being poured over her body. It's brighter the the last time and confusion takes over Agatha when she see the big wall to floor window letting all the early morning sun in.
But she doesn't question, the dream is more vivid this time, Agatha can see some light freckles covering Rio’s face and the smile she gives Agatha is completly full of adoration that makes a warm feeling take over her.
She give Agatha’s shoulder a small bite and the sensation is to real to be a figment of Agatha's imagination.
That's when Agatha's remembers the previous night, the date, kissing Rio in the kitchen and then again several other times that night. Making out in her bed and finally falling asleep together. Which makes waking up like definitely real this time.
“Good morning, cariño,” she whispers in Agatha's ear and she feels her whole body shiver. “You like when I call you that?”
Agatha groans from embarrassment and she can see the smile on Rio’s face before leaving a quick peck on Agatha’s mouth.
“Good morning, sweetheart,” Agatha softly says, pulling her close.
Rio practically purrs when Agatha moves her hair to kiss her neck and Agatha can't help but smile. Their kisses get more heated as they slowly leave the sleepiness behind.
Agatha can feel Rio’s nipples pebbles when she traces her hands under her shirt and she feels electrified when a breathy moan escapes the woman's mouth. She moves over Agatha, fully straddling her now.
She quickly pulls her t-shirt over her head, giving Agatha a full view of her breast and her mind short-circuits when she sees the traces of the black vines adorning the underside of her boobs.
“Like what you see?” Rio taunts, bringing Agatha back to reality.
Agatha slowly traces the lines, feeling Rio’s body shiver as she takes her time admiring the tattoo. Agatha moves closer, putting her mouth on the warm skin of Rio’s collarbone. She kisses all the expense of it before moving lower. Rio’s breath hitches when Agatha kisses her breast and when Agatha finally gives a tentative lick on her nipple she lets out a whimper.
She uses her other hand to lightly pinch Rio’s other nipple, causing her to squirm over her, the movement makes the shirt Rio lended her move, leaving Rio humping on her bare stomach and Agatha can already feel her dampness through her panties. That makes her let out a moan and give a small bite in Rio’s nipple.
When Rio starts to impatiently move over her, Agatha moves her hand to her hips, forcing her to still and earning an indignant whimper. Rio’s lips trace her neck, leaving bites that Agatha is sure are going to bruise, but she couldn't care less at that moment.
Rio pulls them apart and Agatha looks at her confused, but she starts to pull Agatha's shirt.
“I wanna see you too,” and Agatha could almost see a pout on her lips.
She puts her hands up, helping Rio take off her t-shirt and she lets out a content sigh when Agatha’s torso is bare in front of her.
“You are so fucking beautiful, it's not even fair,” she says before pulling Agatha into a heated kiss.
In a quick movement, Agatha turns her around, inverting their position and leaving Rio looking up at her with expectant eyes when her back hits the mattress.
Agatha gives her a bruing kiss, eating up all the whimpers Rio lets out as her hands roam Rio's toned body. Agatha's lips trace her body, kissing, biting and licking every little part of it. In a particularly hard bite over her hip bones she feels Rio buckles her hips and Agatha smiles, peppering the place with kisses.
She drops lower and Rio opens her leg wider, leaving the space for Agatha to fit in between her legs. Agatha goes lower, kissing Rio’s inner thighs, Rio is squirming now, clearly impatient with how slowly Agatha is taking and that only makes Agatha go slower.
“Stop teasing me,” she whines and Agatha smiles against her upper thighs.
“But baby, I want to savor this,” Agatha teases, leaving a kiss just above the seams of Rio’s panties.
“Agatha, I swear to god, if you don't use that stupid mouth of yours to something more productive than annoying me right now, I'm going to throw you out of this bed” she complained and Agatha couldn't help but laugh.
Agatha was just about to pull down the waistband of her panties when they heard footsteps approaching. Agatha freezes and Rio groans above her.
"¡Oye, hermana! ¿Estás en casa?" The voice seems close, too close.
Agatha panics when it seems like he was about to open the door, but Rio recovers quicker than her.
“¡No te atrevas a abrir esa puerta, pendejo!” She has no clue what she said, but it seems to work because Agatha hears a laugh from the other side of the door.
"¿Tienes a alguien ahí contigo, manita?" The tone seems playful but Rio groans again.
“Dejáme en paz, cabrón,” she yells back and her brother laughs again, but Agatha hears the footsteps moving to the opposite direction.
“Are you fighting with your brother?” Agatha finally asks, moving back to lay beside Rio.
“I can't believe i'm forty and I just got clit-blocked by my younger brother,” she grunts and Agatha can't help but laugh.
“This is all your fault,” she says, poking Agatha’s ribs.
“Ouch, how is that my fault?” she asks when she manages to hold Rio’s wrist and stop her attack.
“If you haven't decided to tease me I would have probably cummed before that,” she petulantly informs and Agatha chuckles.
“You’re ridiculous,” Agatha says, before leaving kisses all over her face.
“Okay, stop, you’re too hot and if you stay this close to me I will need to fuck that stupid smile out of your face with my brother in the other room,” she says pushing Agatha away and putting her t-shirt back on.
She puts on a flannel pant and tosses sweatpants in Agatha's way before moving to her bathroom and closing the door.
Agatha finds her bra on the ground near the bed and puts it on before getting back into the shirt Rio gave her and the sweatpants. When Rio gets out of the bathroom she seems more recovered and her hair is pulled up in a messy bun.
“I'm going to start breakfast, but you're free to come meet me when you finish,” she says pointing to the bathroom.
Rio pulls Agatha by the waist and leaves a peck on her lips.
“I'm sorry about this,”
“It's okay, it's actually pretty funny,”
“Shut up,” and with that she pushes Agatha in the direction of the bathroom and moves to the door.
Agatha can't wait to see how the rest of the day is going to play out.
✨⚡️✨
“¿Entonces no me vas a decir quién estaba allí contigo?” Is the first thing her brother asks when she gets to the kitchen.
“I'm not telling you anything because you just ruined my day, weren't you supposed to come tomorrow?” she says, pushing him away and picking two cups from the cupboard.
“I guess I will see the lucky lady in a few minutes,” he gives her a cheeky grin. “And I decided to come early because I was worried you were going to be sad about san valentino, but I see now that you finally decided to ponle un poco de cojones”
“¡Cierra el pico!” she says, pinching his lips to close it.
“Good morning,” Agatha timidly says, forcing both Vidal siblings to look at her direction by the door.
“Good morning, cuñadita,” Benito says and Rio groans beside him.
“Agatha, this is my baby brother Benito,” Agatha walks to where they are and extends a hand to her brother, who uses it to pull her into a hug.
“It's nice to finally meet you, Agatha,” he says.
“Likewise,” she says a bit embarrassed and Rio can't help the fond look she gives them.
“Please excuse my brother, he has no concept of personal space, or privacy,” Rio makes sure to give him a pointed look after the last part.
“Sorry for cock blocking you two, I thought my loser sister was alone,” he says and Rio has to punch him.
“Yeah, I can see the resemblance now,” Agatha says smiling.
“What do you mean?” Rio asks, offended.
“I think you know exactly what I mean, honey” she teases and her brother wolf whistles beside her.
“I like her,” he says, making Rio roll her eyes.
“Did you have a nice trip? Rio told me you were working,” Agatha asks, pulling the chair and sitting in front of Rio’s brother.
Rio puts a cup of coffee in front of her before sliding into the chair beside her.
“Yeah, I was stuck in the studio the whole time though,” he explains.
“Oh, are you a producer? My friend teaches a class on that at NYU,” Agatha asks.
Rio can see her brother’s eyes go from Agatha to her and he quirks his eyebrow at her as if to ask “is she serious?” and Rio just smiles.
“Er, something like that, I would love to have a chat with her, though” he finally says and there is a playful smile on his face.
“Sure, she's always having people over her place, next time tell your sister to bring you,” Agatha simply says, completely oblivious about the implications of that.
“Yeah, next time i will try to come,” he replies and Rio knows he is being serious. She is thankful for that.
“Wow, this is one hell of a coffee,” Agatha exclaims when she takes the first sip of her cup. Both siblings laugh.
“That's, cariño, is a cup of the best coffee from Puerto Rico,” Rio says, giving her a quick peck on her temple.
Agatha takes another sip and lets out a happy hum. “I understand now why you always complain about the coffee here,”
“And still she goes out without having some of it just so she could drink the coffee you get for her,” Benito points out.
Agatha gives her an offended look and Rio confusedly asks. “What?”
“We could have been having this coffee, but you let me go into the café during hush hour this whole time?”
Rio snorts playfully rolling her eyes.
“I thought you enjoyed seeing your controversially younger girlfriend,” she teased.
“Wait, you have a girlfriend? I think now is the time to give the “don't mess with my sister heart” speech, huh?”
Agatha groans and pushes Rio’s shoulder and she slightly loose her balance, almost falling from her chair before Agatha pulls her back by her wrist. Benito looks at them confused.
“I don't have a girlfriend,” she says but quickly stops, looking at Rio with panicked eyes. “I mean, i'm not dating the barista, your sister is just teasing me,”
Rio bites her lip not to laugh, but her brother doesn't give Agatha the same courtesy.
“I my defense, she keeps eye fucking you every time you go there and she literally messed up my coffee just because she was jealous,” Rio simply says, trying to play it cool.
“Well, I think it's best for you to change your coffee, cuñada, my sister is a jealous bitch,” Benito feigns seriousness.
Rio tenses a bit when she can feel Agatha's eyes on her.
“I'm more than happy to switch to this coffee,” Agatha jokes, cutting the rest of the tension.
They talk for a bit more before Benito excuses himself, leaving them alone.
“I have to go too, I already missed señor scratchy’s feeding time and I'm pretty sure he will organize a coup d'etat if i take longer,”
“Oh yeah, I don't want my client adding ‘become a dictator’ to his list of alleged crimes,” Rio tries to joke, but she is a bit sad to let Agatha go.
“You know, you should come visit him, maybe your legal advice would help him out of his revolution,” she says, pulling Rio closer to her and leaving a small peck on her lips.
“Well, if it is for my client’s best interest, I think I can't say no to that,” she smiles, kissing Agatha again. “Do you mind if I shower real quick?”
“Nah, go, I will get dressed while you do it,”
“Do you want to join me?” Rio says innocently, giving her best puppy eyes.
“I would love to, but I don't trust you will keep your hands to yourself and I really don't want to start something that I have to rush,” she teases.
“Fine, but just so you know, you’re missing the chance of an amazing scalp massage,”
“I will hold you on to that on a later date, now go before your client decides to murder me,” Agatha pushes her to the bathroom
They manage to get to Agatha's place before señor scratchy starts to wreak havoc. Agatha feeds him some hay while Rio coos at him until he decides she is forgiven for leaving him alone for so long.
“Here,” Agatha hands her a bowl of strawberries. “You can give him some, it's his favorite treat, just make sure not to give him too much because they have too much sugar for him,”
Rio picks one and calls for señor scratchy to come closer. When he takes the first small bite she squeals, accidentally scaring him, but ultimately coaxing him back to the treat.
“He looks so cute! It's like he's wearing lipstick,”
“Yeah, I love when he gets like that,” Agatha says with a fond smile. “I'm gonna go take a shower, don't let him manipulate you into giving him more than two, he really can't have too much”
“Got it, now go, I have some important business to discuss with my client,”
Agatha rolls her eyes, but goes anyway.
Rio finished giving señor Scratchy’s treat, not before eating some too and got up to bring the bowl back to the kitchen. When she was walking there she realizes he is following her around, happily hopping around her, which makes her both endeared and scared to accidentally step on him.
“Careful there, if I accidentally step on you, your mamí is going to be really angry and I just got my chance to make her my jeva , I don't want to waste that,” she says, picking him up on her way back to the living room.
Rio keeps petting the bunny, softly talking to him as he snuggles on her lap. She doesn't notice Agatha getting back, until she sits besides her.
“One treat and you are already replacing me, huh?” she teases, poking the bunny's nose.
He gives her a little nose scrunch.
“Don't answer that, señor, she is trying to trick you,” Rio fake whispers to him.
Agatha chuckles, passing her arm over Rio’s shoulders and pulling her close. Rio moves around until she finds the perfect position for the three of them to cuddle on the couch.
“Wanna watch something?” Agatha asks, softly stroking her hair.
“Sure, but just a heads up, if you keep playing with my hair like that I might fall asleep,”
Agatha just smiles, placing a small kiss on Rio’s temple. They settle on a rerun of a crime show about a detective forced to work with her ex wife, but Rio couldn't quite keep up because true to her own words Rio is already lulled to sleep before the first episode was even over.
✨⚡️✨
Agatha didn't even realize she fell asleep too, but she feels a strange comforting feeling growing inside of her when she opens her eyes and sees Rio, now laying on her belly on the rug, writing something on her tablet as she tries to keep Scratchy from nibbling at her paper notes.
She seems to sense that Agatha is awake because she looks back at her with a smile.
“Good morning, corazon,” she teases.
“What time is it?” Agatha asks.
“Just a little bit after 2,” she says, moving to sit next to Agatha.
Rio’s hand moved to her face, caressing her cheek before giving Agatha a soft peck.
“I ordered us some chinese from that place you like a few blocks away, it will be here soon”
“Careful there, if you keep this up I might have to put a ring on your finger,” Agatha jokes, pulling her close, practically on her lap.
“Oh so we're jumping right to marriage on our second date? I didn't peg you for a U-haul lesbian, but I like how this is going” Rio teases, moving around so she is fully straddling Agatha's lap now.
She doesn't let Agatha reply, kissing her properly now. Their kisses are slow and tender, simply enjoying each other's warmth, hands slowly exploring, but without much intent.
When they break apart to breathe they stay close, foreheads touching and big smiles on their faces.
“I like how this is going too,” Agatha whispers and Rio leans in for another kiss.
They stay like this for a while until they hear the doorbell ring and Rio moves to pick their food while Agatha goes to pick the plates. Agatha is not unaware about the domesticity of it all and how this doesn't bother her. She can't help but imagine how it would feel to share a home with her like this and feels a little scared of how much wants that.
As the day passes by, it goes unspoken that they plan to spend the rest of the weekend together and when they lay back into Agatha’s bed later that night it's like they have done this a thousand times.
“Hey, what is that?” Agatha points at what looks like a drawing in Rio’s ankle that she had not seen before.
“Oh, it's a tattoo I've got for my brother,” Agatha moves closer, holding her leg so she could see it better.
It's a black rabbit with a style that looks like a woodcut with a small sun above it.
“You guys really have a thing with bunnies, huh?” and at that Rio laughs.
“Yeah,” she simply says. “he has one for me too, it's a black cat with a moon,”
Agatha hums tracing the tattoo again. She hears Rio breathe hitch and decides to leave a small kiss at her ankle, reveling in the way her skin shivers.
“Do you have any more tattoos that I haven't seen yet?” she asks, trailing kisses up Rio’s leg.
“Maybe,” she breathily says.
“Really? Can you give me a hint?” Agatha says with a smile and when Rio shakes her head, Agatha gives a small bite on Rio’s inner thighs causing her to let out a small whimper.
She then extends her left wrist and Agatha looks at it confused. Rio moves the band of her watch then and Agatha can see it, a small symbol that she can't quite decipher.
Agatha does the same as before, tracing the small black line with her fingers and leaving a peck there too. Rio takes a deep breath, closing her eyes.
“It's the Taíno symbol for the moon goddess,” she finally explained after a few seconds.
Agatha hums again, turning her hand and leaving kisses on her knuckles. “That's all?”
Rio shakes her head again and Agatha raises her eyebrow surprised that she had missed all this. Rio pulls her hand from Agatha and she steps back a little. Agatha looks at her confused, but she quickly starts to pull up the hem of the big t-shirt she was wearing, leaving her lower stomach bare.
Agatha's eyes can't stop following the movement of her hand when she slowly pulls the right side of her panties’ waistband, revealing what looks like a tiny postal stamp from Puerto Rico with a delicate flower in it.
She moves to do the same thing she did with the other, tracing the lines first with her fingers and then with her mouth. She looks up at Rio then, her pupils blown as she looks back at Agatha with darkened eyes. Agatha leaves a final kiss there before pulling at the hem of her shirt and Rio gets the message and gets up so she can take it off.
For the second time that day, Agatha is met with the vines tattoo on Rio’s breast and she sighs in content admiring it. She moves, straddling Rio’s thighs as she gets back to what she has been doing. Her fingers trace the leaves slowly, savoring the way Rio’s body reacts to her touch. Her hands move to Agatha’s hip with a bruising hold.
“Cariño,” she whines and Agatha can't help the satisfying smirk on her face.
“Yes?” she asks, still softly tracing the tattoo.
“Touch me,” it's barely a whisper. “Please”
Agatha kisses the gap between her breasts before finally tracing the direction of the vines on her right breasts. Rio lets out a moan when Agatha finds her way to her nipple, mouthing it.
She plays with Rio’s breasts for a while, enjoying the way she writhes under her. Until Rio moves her hands under Agatha's own shirt, bland nails scratching bruises on Agatha’s back. It's only when she moves, placing one of her thighs in between Agatha's legs and pulling more pressure to Agatha’s core. She can't help but moan, pulling at Rio’s neck and forcing her into a hunger kiss.
Agatha pushes her back to the mattress, hips buckling, momentarily forgetting what she was doing and just seeking the friction. When lowers to kiss her again, she can feel Rio smile, enjoying the way Agatha was slowly losing control over her.
Rio’s hand finds Agatha's butt, squeezing hard and earning another moan from her. She pulls at the hem of Agatha’s shirt, forcing them to break apart as she takes it off. That seems to get Agatha's mind to her initial goal.
Agatha moves off Rio’s thighs, getting where they stopped that morning, her head in between Rio’s leg, bruising her inner thighs with bites.
“You know, if you wanted to have control, you could have just said,” Rio teased, but her voice was too breathy to have any bite.
Agatha gets back at her by sucking a bruise in the junction between her thighs and hips, making Rio whimper. She could see how damp Rio’s panties already were and when she leaves a small kiss in that spot between her legs she involuntarily buckles her hips.
Finally putting Rio out of her misery, she pulls her panties down. Smiling when she messily kicks it off. She was a mess already, skin glittering in the low light coming from the window.
Agatha moves two fingers from her entrance to her clit, gathering the wetness before putting them on her mouth moaning. Rio seems hypnotized by the scene and when Agatha's tongue finally moves between her fold she lets out a guttural moan.
Agatha repeats the movement she did with her fingers, licking from her entrance until she gets to Rio’s clit. Agatha sucks lightly at it and Rio’s grasp tightens on her hair, pulling hard. Agatha lets out an involuntary moan, vibration going directly into Rio’s bundle of nerves.
“Cariño,” she breathily moans.
Not stopping her ministrations, Agatha looks up then. Rio is looking at her between hooded lids, her lips are bitten raw and her pupils are blown. The vision itself sends a wave of pleasure through Agatha's body and she moans again.
“You are so fucking hot like this, unrevealing for me,” she says and Rio whimpers.
“Please,” she pleads.
Agatha moves her hand then, sliding a finger on her entrance and earning another moan. Her tongue circles Rio’s clit while her finger moves inside and out. Rio trashes under her, hips moving in an attempt to meet Agatha's thrusts.
Agatha adds another finger, curving them a little, while still sucking at Rio’s clit. When she hits a particular spot, Agatha feels Rio’s wall clench around her fingers.
Rio pulls hard at her hair as Agatha keeps her relentless pace.
“Agatha, please, I'm gonna cum,” she babbles and with a particularly hard trust, Agatha sees her finally fall apart.
Agatha keeps going as she rides her high, but slowly stops when Rio whines from too much stimulation. She moves her head, supporting it on Rio’s thigh, but she quickly pulls Agatha up into a hunger kiss, tasting herself on Agatha’s mouth.
She pulls apart slowly, looking at Agatha with a big smile.
“What?” Agatha asks.
“You were right, I will never rush you again,” she jokes and Agatha lets out a snort.
“I told you, perfection takes time,” Agatha teases.
“Perfection, huh? Feeling smug there, Doctor Harkness?” Rio taunts, pushing Agatha on her back.
Rio’s hand slowly slides through Agatha's torso, until her fingers are pressed at Agatha’s impossibly wet folds.
When Agatha's hips buckle, Rio smiles. “Does this mean I should take my time too?”
“Fuck no,” Agatha complains and Rio laughs over her.
She hungrily kisses Agatha as her fingers circle her clit. Agatha is already worked up from the edging game they’ve been playing since the morning and she refuses to be ashamed about how fast it takes for Rio to get her begging while riding her fingers. When she cums, it's with Rio’s name softly slipping out of her mouth.
“I guess based on this empirical evidence we will have to do some more testing to attest which method is more effective,” Rio teases later, when they are slightly more recovered.
“Oh my god, I can't believe you just said that, why am I with you again?”
“Because you love me too much,” Rio taunts and Agatha is surprised about how true that is.
“Shut up,” she says instead and pulls her into a kiss before she does something stupid like accidentally tells her the truth.
✨⚡️✨
They decided to keep things to themselves for now, mostly to avoid people talking about it at work. That would have been a good plan if they hadn't overslept on monday and Rio hadn't left the house in Agatha’s clothes and entered the café holding hands a few minutes later.
“Oh my god!” Rio heard someone scream somewhere inside the coffee shop and thought it was nothing until two familiar faces appeared in front of them and she quickly let go of Agatha’s hand.
Wanda and Natasha look at them suspiciously.
“Hey guys, how was the weekend?” Agatha complains trying to distract them.
“I think I should be the one asking that,” Wanda teases and Natasha snorts.
“What do you mean?” Agatha feigns innocence.
“You both went MIA the whole weekend and now you waltz in here holding hands with Rio wearing a shirt i’m pretty sure is the one I gave you for Christmas two years ago and you're wearing turtleneck,”
Rio and Agatha stay in silence, hoping that it would be enough to make her stop.
“You two are finally dating, huh?” she practically yells.
“Wanda, shut up,” Agatha whispers, moving back to the queue.
“Hey there, gorgeous,” Cassie greets Agatha with a big smile.
Rio, who was a little to her left talking to Natasha and Wanda immediately sees red. She is pretty sure the girl had heard Wanda before. Without thinking too much she ignores their friends and goes to where Agatha is starting to order. Her hands involve Agatha's waist in a protective embrace and she leaves a quick peck in Agatha's cheek just a little shy away from her mouth.
Agatha, on her part, seems completely oblivious. Turning to face her with a fond smile.
“Hey baby, do you want anything else besides coffee?”
“Can you get me one of those croissants, cariño?”
“Of course,” she looks back at the woman in front of her and Rio can see the mix of shock and anger in her eyes. “We will have two chocolate croissants too, Cass”
“Coming right up,” she says after Agatha pays and they go join their friends while they wait.
“I knew this would pay off some day,” Natasha teases and Agatha looks at her confused.
“Agatha, please tell me you're not that dumb,” Wanda says with a smile.
“What do you mean?”
“Agatha, your girlfriend just had to mark her territory because you let this flirting thing with Cassie go for too long,” Natasha explains.
Rio panics, dropping her arm from Agatha's waist, realizing how ridiculous that was. But Agatha finds her hand and holds it, giving her a little squeeze.
“Maybe that will make Cassie finally notice that I only have eyes for one crazy woman,” Agatha teases.
“Oh shut up or I will make you regret not choosing her,” Rio says, giving her a little push.
Agatha pulls her closer again and drops a kiss on her mouth, completely ignoring their friends' cheer. When Agatha goes to pick their order, Rio sees there is only a polite interaction between them. And no one needs to know that Rio was relieved.
They begrudgingly part ways when they get to their building because Agatha was already on a tight schedule for her first class and Rio had to meet the rest of the team.
The two of them look at her with a shit eating grin when Rio enters the meeting room.
“So how was your valentine's day?” Maria starts.
Rio bites the traitorous smile on her lips. Nonchalantly she says “It was okay, what about yours?”
“Oh, we have an amazing date, but that's not the point here,” Carol interrupts before Maria could say anything.
Rio looks between them. She knew there was a tension there, but she was not expecting them to actually admit they are together.
“So you two finally got together, huh?” She says and both of them roll their eyes.
“Please, we've been together for years, we are just better than you and Agatha when it comes to hiding it,” Carol teases.
“But Agatha and I were not together until friday,” And as soon as she said it she realized she fucked up.
Carol and Maria can't stop laughing at her.
“Oh, shut up,” she says with a groan.
They end up convincing Rio to tell them the whole story, which she pointedly leaves out the sexy details.
“I'm not gonna lie, I'm not even a little bit surprised that you were the stereotypical lesbian and had a 72 hours’ first date,” Carol taunts.
“Please, as if you didn't move in with me after 2 months of dating,” Maria points out and her girlfriend shushes her.
Rio and Agatha still try to keep with the secret, but ultimately admit defeat when Lilia invites them both to their office a few days later.
“I'm going to cut this short because I have more important things to do with my time,” she says looking at them both like a tired mother. “I'm beyond happy that you two finally decided to finally take your heads out of your asses, but it's my job to remind you that although you are both consenting adults, this should not get in the way of your jobs. Right now, Agatha holds a position that could be interpreted as a power imbalance between you two and I'm sure neither of us want people speculating about Rio’s merits on this program,”
“I hope you both understand that this is something that I have to talk with you for your own safety, outside this campus you can do whatever the fuck you want, but please try to keep it professional. I know this will be hard because your MO from the beginning was already a weird sexual tension, but I'm hoping you will figure something out,” she finishes and Agatha groans beside her.
“We understand, Lilia, I guarantee that none of this was something that was on my mind when I applied for this program and you won't have to worry about the integrity of my job from now on,” Rio asserted.
“I know, honey, I've never questioned your job, I'm just doing my job as the head of the department,” Lilia guarantees.
“Thank you, Lilia, we will make sure to keep our relationship professional when we are here,” Agatha complies.
“Good, now get out of my office, I have more important things to do,” she dismisses them with shooing motions.
The walk back to Agatha's office is silent and it's only when they are inside that Rio finally says. “I guess this means eating you out here is off the table, huh?”
It takes Agatha a few seconds to process what she had just said.
“Oh my god, why would you say that? The image will be burned in my head forever, you are officially banned from my office for now on,” she complains.
Rio can't help but laugh when she pointedly opens her door and puts enough space between them. Rio goes back to her work and is surprised when she sees a notification on her phone.
Cariño
we will definitely revisit that later at my place
Rio’s eyes shoot up to look at her in shock, but Agatha is calmly typing on her computer. She has no choice but to get up and leave the office before she loses all her self control. She could still hear Agatha's laugh through the closed door from the corridor.
✨⚡️✨
In her 51 years, Agatha had never been a person of romantic relationships. Of course she dated women before and for a moment – that she was not really proud of, she had acquired the reputation of being a fuckboy, but it was never something that she was purposely doing.
When she was a kid, she saw her friends getting depressed about their parents getting divorced and she felt a bit uncomfortable for wanting the same thing to happen to hers.
It was not like they would get into nasty fights, it was more like a civil war. Agatha never understood why they stayed together for so long when the love was long gone, if that was even something they had to begin with. To the outside world, they were the perfect family, but in reality Agatha was dealing with an emotionally absent father and an overbearing narcissist mother.
Agatha lived for years forcing herself to be the perfect daughter in hopes that she would finally understand the unconditional love people said was part of being a family, but in the end she was left with a hole in her chest that she never seemed to be able to fill.
It was only really late in her life, when she met the friends that she has now that she finally understood what love really was. They broke through all her walls and little by little they began to fill that space Agatha thought was going to be empty forever. Agatha found not only love, but the family she had always hoped for.
For a long time, that was enough for Agatha. As someone who had to raise herself, she was more than used to being alone, to do everything by herself, even when her friends insisted that she needed to find a partner. Agatha never indulged them, she was happy the way she was.
That was before Rio.
Agatha was aware about her academic reputation. She was proud about her position and the power that came from seeing people squirm. And It's not like she was hoping they would fail, it was just that she would never give her time to something that was not what she considered on her level.
When Rio had emailed her, Agatha had thought about just ignoring it, but something moved her to look into her work and before she knew it she was engaging in the longest most exciting conversation she had ever had in her line of work. Rio was smart, but open for criticism and the more they discussed her article, the more Agatha felt the pull.
When Rio got accepted for the program, Agatha was excited for the opportunity to work with her and it was a surprise to see how well they worked together. It was like they were subconsciously enhancing each other's power.
It was an academic challenge. And a blooming friendship. That was all it was for Agatha. After all there was nothing else to be filled inside Agatha, that was what she believed.
Until Rio slowly creeped her way into Agatha's not only Agatha's brain, but her heart. It was not out of nowhere, it was probably there from the beginning.
Agatha was just blinded by the unattainable place she created for herself.
She stops at the threshold of her bedroom. Watching as Rio furrows her brow in a confused look to the book she was reading in Agatha’s bed. Agatha sees her pick the notebook beside her and write something before getting back to the book.
“I thought you were done working,” she says finally when Rio finishes another note.
She looks up then, giving Agatha that pretty smile that shows the little gap in her front tooth that Agatha began to love so much.
“Oh, this is for pleasure,” she says, holding up the book so Agatha could see the cover. “I found this copy of Cien años de soledad in a street market and decided to reread it,”
“What's with the notes then?” Agatha asks curiously.
“Oh, cariño, this book is Márquez masterpiece, but it's practically impossible to read it without doing something like this, you would be surprised how hard it is to keep up with seven generations of the same family when things change so much in just a few pages,” she explains and Agatha is even more intrigued.
“But I thought you said you already read it,”
Rio laughs then.
“Yeah, when I was younger and I clearly didn't have my cheat sheet here, so I had to do it all over again,” she jokingly says.
“Makes sense, I guess,” Agatha says, slumping next to her in bed.
She looks at Rio’s notes and sees her now familiar handwriting all over the place. It's all in Spanish, but Agatha still recognizes some of the words.
“What does the title mean?”
Rio looks down to where she is laid.
“It means one hundred years of solitude”
“So it’s a sad book?”
Rio is silent for a while, clearly pondering her response.
“I mean, in its core it is a tragedy, but it's so much more than that” she finally says.
Agatha can see she has more to say so she waits. And finally Rio talks, she explains the book, excitedly she tries to contextualize to Agatha about the magical realism behind a world that directly reflects society in Latin america and the ups and downs of the Buendía family.
“I guess for me right now, reading it is somehow a way to reconnect with my roots, but ever since the first time I read it I couldn't stop thinking about how we see the mistakes of our family as the generations go and we are always trying to fight back, in the book it feels like you are fated to repeat the same mistakes from those who came before us,”
“And you don't think that's true?” Agatha finally asks.
“I thought so, for a long time, but I guess a more hopeful part of me believes that we have the power to break this cycle and create our own mistakes.”
And Agatha can't help but think about her past with her own family and how subconsciously she might have been avoiding this type of relationship because she too was afraid of repeating other people's mistakes.
“Sorry for rambling,” Rio says, putting her book and the notes on the bedside table and cuddling closer to Agatha.
“No, that was really nice, I love to hear you talk about the things that you like,” Agatha confesses, dropping a kiss at the top of her head.
“Oh my god, are you in love with me or something?” Rio teases, poking at Agatha’s side.
That makes Agatha squirm, too ticklish for that which only makes Rio’s attack worse. Until she manages to pin her down with her wrist above her head.
“You're lucky I love you, otherwise I would make you sleep in Scratchy’s room,” she finally says, a little out of breath from how hard she was laughing.
Rio's eyes widened, making Agatha look at her confused.
“What? Are you afraid to go to sleep with your client?” she teases, removing her hands from the restraints and hovering above her.
“Agatha, did you just say you love me?” she asks, but it's barely a whisper.
Agatha hadn't realized what she had done, because honestly it's obvious for her by now, but it seems to take Rio by surprise anyway.
“Yeah, I did, I do, love you I mean,” she rambles like an idiot, but Rio cuts her off with a hungry kiss.
“I love you too, you idiot,”
“Yeah, I know,” she teases.
“Oh shut up!” Rio says pushing her off of her.
“Make me then,” she says, pulling Rio over her this time.
And Rio does and that is definitely not the only time that they say “I love you” that night.
✨⚡️✨
It was a strangely calm day on campus. They had just got back from spring break and Rio was writing on her computer in the lab’s conference room while Billy was scrolling through his phone in front of her when Agatha got there. She greeted them and went to sit beside him, because they were supposed to go over the final chapter of his thesis together.
“Hey, why are you looking at a picture of Rio’s brother?” she heard Agatha ask Billy.
“What?” He looked at her confused.
Agatha pointed at something on his phone that Rio couldn't see.
“What do you mean Rio’s brother?” and Rio could hear his voice get higher and she could already imagine what was going on, but she just bit the smile forming on her lips and let the scene play out in front of her.
“That's Benito,” she simply says and Rio sees Billy’s eyes widen looking between the both of them.
“That's Bad Bunny,” he practically screams.
“Who the fuck is Bad Bunny? the only bad bunny I know is señor Scratchy” Agatha says genuinely confused and Rio has to fight really hard not to laugh.
“Oh my God,” he exasperatedly says.
Rio sees him picking up his phone again and showing the screen to Agatha. “Is this Rio’s brother?”
“Yeah, I already told you that, why do you follow him on Instagram?” Agatha asks, confused.
“Is he really your brother or is she just messing with me?” he asks Rio after a frustrated groan.
“Yeah,” she admits.
“Oh my God, this whole time when you're talking about your brother and we joked we were actually talking about bad fucking bunny, unbelievable” he mumbles.
“What is this kid talking about?” Agatha asked her.
“Agatha, your girlfriend's brother, is Puerto Rico's most famous rapper and literally anyone here knows him,” Billy explained, clearly trying to keep his voice low.
Agatha looks at Rio with a surprised look.
“You never thought about telling me that? I literally talked to your brother several times this past few months and neither of you thought about mentioning that?” She asked, offended.
“I’m sorry, cariño, but it was actually really funny to me that someone didn't know who he was and he just liked that you treated him normally” she explains and Agatha gives her an annoyed look.
“I hate you, this whole time I could have been on the loop with the joke about your imaginary brother and you let me walk here oblivious to that,” she grumbled.
“Perdóname, amor mío. I swear I was not making fun of you, I just didn't thought it was a big deal, as I said, it was even nice that you didn't know,”
Rio wanted to go over to her girlfriend and kiss the angry away, but they were still on campus, so she just reached out for her hand and gave a quick squeeze.
“I guess this explains why you two always have such good seats for the basketball games” Agatha says after a few seconds making both Rio and Billy laugh.
“Her brother played at the NBA all stars game,” Billy informs Agatha who groans again.
“Tell Benito he owes me a dinner for that,” she says pointing at Rio who just nods, trying not to laugh.
“I can't believe your brother is actually famous, I thought you were just messing with us, also with Agatha clueless about his real identity it made sense for her never accidentally letting this out,” Billy continues.
“Hey, I would never have said anything, even if I knew,” she complains. “Now let's finish this, I want to go home,”
Rio leaves them to it and goes back home to work on the final draft of her project. As the project advanced to its completion, she preferred work from home. That usually meant Agatha's apartment because it was close to campus so she had to come back to campus.
She tried not to think about the fact that she had been spending more time there than at her own home. Agatha had given her a key so she could come whenever she wanted and Rio was incredibly grateful for the way that was handled with the practical calmness that Agatha seemed to hold, because Rio was not ready to deal with the real weight of holding that key yet.
With the imminent publication of her project, Rio had tried not to think too much about what was going to happen with her and Agatha’s relationship. She was already feeling anxious about leaving to teach a summer class in San Juan and not knowing if she was coming back because technically she would be done with the program next month.
Agatha, probably sensing how anxious she is, had not talked about it either, but Rio knows she is nervous too.
When she gets to Agatha’s place, she goes about her new routine. She leaves her work bag at Agatha’s home office and goes to see Señor Scratchy who, by now, is already too familiar with Rio and follows her back to Agatha's office where he keeps her company while she finishes working.
Today, though, she lets him play with his playpen in the living room while she finishes working. She hears when Agatha arrives, she greets señor scratchy and moves through the house until Rio sees her head pop at the office's door.
“Hey, cariño, did you guys finish it?” she asks lowering her computer's screen so she could look properly at Agatha.
“Yeah, he just has to edit a bit,” she says.
Agatha enters the room then, going to where Rio is sitting at Agatha’s chair. Rio pulls her closer, pinning her between her and the table. Agatha moves Rio’s computer a little so she can support herself on the edge of the table before lowering her head to give Rio a kiss.
“What about you? How is it going?” she softly asks, using her hands to slowly massage Rio’s scalp.
Rio closes her eyes, letting out a content hum as she enjoys Agatha's caress.
“It's going okay, but i'm still stressed about that chapter,” she confessed after a few minutes.
“Is there anything I can help you with?” Agatha asks, caressing her face now, pulling Rio's chin up so she is looking directly at her.
A thought crosses through Rio’s mind and she sees when Agatha notices her darkened eyes.
“Actually, there is something that would help me right now,” Rio says, pulling Agatha to her lap and hungrily kissing her.
“I don't think this is going to help with your academic work, Doctor Vidal” she teases, biting Rio’s lips.
“Oh, Doctor Harkness, I think this is exactly what I need to take off my mind from work right now,” she whispers in Agatha's ears, enjoying the way she could see her body shiver.
“And what exactly do you want me to do?” Agatha mewled.
“I want you to sit in this table in front of me and let me eat you out until you are begging for me to fuck you and then i'm gonna fuck you so good you will be imagining this everytime you sit yourself in this chair, what do you say, mi amor? Would you like that?” Rio murmured, reveling in the way Agatha whimpers.
“Fuck, yeah, please” Agatha practically begged.
Rio pulled her up then, unbuttoning her pants and taking it off with her panties. Agatha fully sat down at the table then, looking down at her and slowly opening the buttons of their white dress shirt and leaving it open showing her lacy purple bra. And finally she opened her legs and gave Rio the perfect view of her already glistening folds.
Rio sits back at the chair again, admiring her girlfriend in full display in front of her. She licked her lips and stuck her tongue in her cheek, smirking at Agatha.
“Are you just gonna stare?” she taunted, but Rio knew she was enjoying this too.
Rio brought the chair a little close to where she was sitting and without ceremony lapped into her wet folds drawing a needy moan from her girlfriend.
Agatha instinctively gripped Rio's hair, pulling her closer to where she wanted and Rio smiled on her skin. Rio got to work licking at her in a practiced motion that came from months of getting to know every little sensitive spot in her girlfriend's skin. She went a bit lower teasing Agatha's entrance and slightly delving her tongue in, causing Agatha to buckle her hips.
Rio used her hands to hold her still by the hips, controlling how much she was giving Agatha, delaying what Rio knew she wanted. When Rio slightly scrapes her teeth at Agatha’s nub before sucking at it she blurts out a loud moan, involuntarily closing her legs around Rio’s head.
That's when Rio pulls back and Agatha whines, looking at her with an already wrecked expression.
“Turn around,” Rio commands and it takes a few seconds for Agatha to recover and do as she’s told.
Rio gets up then, hugging her from behind and pulling her hair up so she can trail wet kisses in her neck while her other hand moves to push Agatha's bra so she can play with her nipple. Agatha moans again, completely overwhelmed by the sensation.
With a little bit of force, Rio moves Agatha's torso to the table, leaving her with her ass up and her cheek pressed at the wooden surface. With her other hand, Rio trails her other hand through Agatha's body before stopping between her legs and pushing it apart. She teases her fingers through it, savoring the way Agatha is practically dripping.
“Baby, please,” Agatha begs.
“Please what, cariño?” she teases, tracing deliberately slow circles at Agatha's clit with her fingers.
“Please fuck me,” Agatha whimpered.
When Rio entered two fingers at her, Agatha practically sobbed, Rio thrusted into her with force causing her to let out breathy moans. As Rio fucked into her with an unrelentless rhythm, she could feel Agatha’s wall clench around her fingers, she moved her thumb to Agatha's clit and that seems to be what tipped her over the edge because she finally cummed with a whine. Rio fucked her slowly through her shockwave until she went limp and whined from overstimulating.
Rio pulled out of her, sitting back at the chair and pulling her to her lap, leaving soft kisses all over her exposed skin.
“You're okay, mi vida?” she asks, as Agatha nuzzles her nose in Rio’s neck and plants a kiss there.
“More than okay, I just think I won't be able to walk after this,” she complains with a raw voice and Rio chuckles.
“I will carry you to the shower,” Rio promises, but they stay there for a little while before they are both recovered.
In the end Rio does carry Agatha to the bathroom where they decide to take a bath that ends up turning into something else when Agatha decides to repay the favor and fuck Rio on the bathtub.
Later that night when they finally fall asleep, Rio tries to silence the awful feeling inside of her that longs for things to stay just like this.
✨⚡️✨
Agatha is not sure how it starts. Maybe it's because they both got busier as the academic semester is approaching its end. Or maybe it is because they haven't actually talked about how things were supposed to go after it.
There is still no news about Rio coming back to NYU after publishing her project and they would only have two weeks before Rio has to go back to San Juan for her summer classes. Agatha thought about dropping her own summer classes, but since the registration for that was months ago, the school would never let her get out of it.
Agatha can feel how anxious Rio is, but with everything going on at work, the only time they had to see each other was either working or sleeping, on the rare occasion they got to sleep at each other's place.
It's starting to break Agatha’s heart how distant they've become and it's almost impossible for her brain not to go to an awful place where it convinces her that this was all just temporary for Rio, that it never meant to go beyond this.
Agatha tries to play it cool, but when they are finally done with work and she still hasn't seen Rio in a few days, she starts to let her mind wander to the worst places.
“You look like shit,” it's the first thing Wanda says when she opens the door for her.
“Thanks, it's nice to see you too,” she sarcastically replies.
“Hey Agatha, are you okay?” Natasha asks when she sits next to her on their couch, making Agatha groan.
“Where is Rio by the way?” Wanda asks and what breaks Agatha, she sees herself pathetically trying to hold her tears.
“Oh my god, did you two break up?” Natasha asks, holding her close which only works in making Agatha start crying for real.
Agatha stays like that for a while, sandwiched between her two friends sobbing like she hadn't done in a really long time. When her sobs get to just a little teary breath, Natasha brings her a glass of water as Wanda coaxes her into a breathing exercise.
“Do you want to talk about it now?” Wanda asks a few minutes later when Agatha had finally stopped crying.
“Yeah, I think it is best to talk about this,” she replies.
Natasha and Wanda look at her patiently waiting for her to talk.
“So, usually our program goes up for two years, but Rio’s project is already being published and we don't really know if she will be able to come back to work on something else next semester and she has to go back to San Juan for the summer classes so I don't really know what is happening to us in the future and this is eating me up,”
“What has Rio said about this?” Natasha asks.
“She hasn't said anything, at first I was letting things get better at work so we could talk without adding something else for her to get anxious about, but I guess this just make everything worse because we got busy and now there's this abyss of unsaid things between us and I can't help but think that maybe this was not supposed to go beyond this point and she is silently letting me know,” and Agatha sees herself crying again.
“Oh honey, I really think you should talk to her, I don't know what is going on in Rio’s mind, but from what i've got to know her, I think this is not what she is trying to do,” Wanda tries to calm her.
“Maybe she is just as scared as you are, leaving someone you love without the perspective of seeing them again is heartbreaking,” Natasha completes and Wanda gives her a knowing look.
“Aggs, Natasha is right, this is probably happening because you are both scared. When something like this happened to us, I was so afraid of losing Nat that I almost passed down the opportunity to come here,” she strokes Agatha’s back. “Back there we were not allowed to get legally married so there was no way for me to bring her with me without her getting her own visa,”
“I was scared about the distance slowly destroying us, but that first year, although hard, was actually what made our relationship stronger and look at us now” Natasha teases and Agatha gives her a small smile.
“There is no magic way to create a relationship, Agatha, but you can always talk through it and find a place that is good for both of you,” Wanda completes.
“I tried to look at positions at her university, but there were no open positions for classes taught in English and the only Spanish I know is what I've been picking up from Rio and her brother,” she says with a humorless laugh.
“Well, that means you are already trying, talk to her. i'm sure you two will find something and who knows, maybe she will come back next semester and this is all going to be just a bump on your journey,” Wanda consoles.
“Yeah, I will try to talk to her, thank you,” Agatha finally says and the two of them hold her in a tight hug that Agatha would never admit, but made her feel so much better.
Agatha ends up staying for dinner and when she finally gets home, she is surprised to see Rio napping at the couch cuddling señor Scratchy. When Agatha moves to where they are, Rio finally stirs awake, looking at her with a confused expression.
“Hey baby, fancy seeing you here” she says leaving a quick kiss on her head.
Rio hums in content and looks up to talk to Agatha, but something catches her eyes and her expression changes. “Cariño, were you crying? What happened?”
Agatha sighs. She guesses there is no better time than now for them to talk. She sits beside her, turning her body so she is directly looking at Rio.
“Baby, I think we need to talk,” she sees Rio’s breath hitch and looks at her with an apprehensive expression.
“Okay, let's talk,” she says, petting the bunny's head.
“I'm going to be direct here, what do you expect about this relationship?”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, is this something you want to keep doing after you go to San Juan on Saturday?”
Rio looks at her with a confused expression.
“Of course I want to keep this,” she says, but quickly adds. “Don't you?”
“Baby, there is nothing more than I want then to have you in my life for a really long time, but we never talked about how we were going to take from here and you got so distant that I thought you were trying to send a message to me that this was not what you wanted,” Agatha explained and Rio pulled her hand into hers.
“Cariño, I'm so sorry if I made you believe I didn’t want this, I was just so overwhelmed with everything and to be honest, I don't really know what we could do, so I guess I was subconsciously avoiding it and ended up pushing you away,”
“It's okay, I understand, I'm scared too, but I needed to talk to see if we were still on the same page, now that I know that we are, we just have to learn to communicate our feelings better so we can find our way together,” Agatha says.
“We will find a way, I love you so much, Agatha, there is not an universe where I wouldn't fight for us,” Rio says, slowly cleaning a tear that Agatha didn't realize was falling from her eyes.
“I love you too, in every universe,” Agatha finally says and gives her an awkward hug trying not to wake señor Scratchy in her lap.
They spend the rest of the night talking, unraveling their fears and trying to plan together the best way to build their future.
✨⚡️✨
sunshine
¡Oye, cariño!
just landed in San Juan
already missing you!!
me
happy that you got there okay
we're missing you too
sunshine
oh my god
he looks so sad
i will get into the next plane back
😭😭😭😭
me
i really wish you could do that
but we will try to keep together
until we see you again
sunshine
fine
but please keep me updated
and send pics!!!
me
ok 🫡
✨⚡️✨
Mi vida
on my way to class
it's weird not walking to campus with you
me
you stopped by The Road? 😡
Mi vida
I was late and I wanted
an iced coffee
me
i see how it is
i'm barely out and
you're already going to her
Mi vida
you're ridiculous
but if it makes you feel better
she's it working there anymore
the guy said she moved to LA
me
so you asked for her? 😡
Mi vida
omg
you're impossible
I have to go now
have fun on your class
love you
me
😡
love you too
✨⚡️✨
sunshine
outfit for the lecture tonight
me
are you trying to kill me??
wtf???
why are you so hot??
sunshine
i'm guessing you liked it
me
liked?
i'm literally trying to hold back
so i won't start to say things
that are definitely
not safe for work rn
sunshine
jajajaja
save that for our
video call later
me
will definitely do that
✨⚡️✨
Mi vida
me
????
what is going on??
Mi vida
we stole Agatha's phone
me
where are you all at?
Mi vida
Alice’s
sorry about that
they are drunk
clearly
me
I could see that
is the whole gang there?
Mi vida
no
you're not here 😭
me
I know
this suck
Mi vida
did you know Martha
was dating?
me
yeah
i've met Regina
just before I came here
she's nice (and crazy)
fits Martha
Mi vida
haha yeah
how did your
cousin's birthday party?
me
it was fine until he let my brother
make the drinks
everyone got shit faced
Mi vida
how did you survived?
me
years of practice
plus i got home early
Mi vida
smart
i've gotta go now :(
goodnight, baby 💜
me
buenas noches, cariño 💚
✨⚡️✨
sunshine
look what I found at the beach today!!!
me
i'm sorry
but it took me 5min to realize
that there was something
in your hand
sunshine
oh my god
why are you so horny?
me
i blame my gf
she is insanely hot
sunshine
you're ridiculous
me
ridiculously in love with you
did you have fun at the beach?
sunshine
yeah
i wish i could bring you here :(
me
i wish i could just catch
a plane and meet you there :(
sunshine
me too
miss u
me
miss u too, baby
so much
✨⚡️✨
me
cariño
mi vida
mi amor
corazón
hello??
Mi vida
hey baby
just got home
did something happen?
me
I need you to check
your email
i just forward
you something
Mi vida
ok brb
✨⚡️✨
from: [email protected]
to: a.harkness@nyu. edu
Fwd: Invitation to Join the Faculty at New York University
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: [email protected]
Subject: Invitation to Join the Faculty at New York University
Dear Dr. Vidal,
I hope this message finds you well. On behalf of the Department of Psychology at New York University, I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to you. After carefully considering your remarkable contributions during your postdoctoral program, it is with great pleasure that I invite you to join our department as a faculty member.
Your innovative research, commitment to advancing the field of psychology, and exceptional teaching and mentorship have truly left a positive impression on us. We are confident that your expertise and vision would be a wonderful addition to our academic community, as your work aligns beautifully with the goals and values we uphold.
I apologize for the short notice, but we would be delighted if you could consider joining us at the start of the Fall semester. The prospect of collaborating with you excites us, and we look forward to the possibility of working together to enhance the future of psychological scholarship. You will receive more details about the next steps and a formal offer in the coming days.
Should you have any questions or wish to discuss the offer further, please feel free to reach out. I eagerly await your response and sincerely hope we can welcome you to NYU.
Warm regards,
Lilia Calderu, Ph.D.
Dean, Department of Psychology
New York University
✨⚡️✨
Incoming call from Mi vida
ACCEPT | DECLINE
With a big smile on her face, pressed the button and was face to face with her girlfriend.
“I can't believe this, I swear she hasn't told me anything,” Agatha's slightly blurry face told her.
“I mean, can you blame her? It would have been a conflict of interest,” Rio argues.
“It doesn't matter anyway,” Agatha dismisses. “So does this mean you're coming home?”
And right there, staring at the woman she was pretty sure was the love of her life, she had no doubt about her choice.
“Yeah, I'm coming home,” she replies with a smile.
💚🐰💜