The Poison I'm Drawn to

by hpprofessor1

Summary:

“Lady Death?” the woman spoke, stopping a foot away from her and fuck the voice just added to her attraction. Her arms were crossed and only then did Rio realize the woman had fixed her piercing blue eyes to her face, not particularly looking happy.

“Not what I usually go by but yeah, that’s me. What’s a pretty lady like you wanting to know about me?” Rio replied, wanting to appease the woman but still confused about what was going on.
----
Mob boss Agatha/legally innocent, morally guilty plant store owner Rio

Notes:

Thank you Brielle for being my beta!

Chapter 1: Casanova to Captive

The spirits of our beloved ghost and plant daddy annoyed me until I wrote this

 

---

It wasn’t easy doing what she did, but that was why she loved it so much. Agatha Harkness was New York’s most elusive mob boss, having a network of people who were dedicated to her and knew the consequences if they ever stepped out of line. Agatha was an enigma, some would even call her an exception to the rule when it came to her self-imposed job title.

 

For one, she didn’t just dole out instructions for the others to follow, sitting above everyone to let them do the dirty work. No, she much preferred a hands-on approach.

 

The other difference, which could not be overlooked, was the fact that while her mission gave her the power that she craved so much, it wasn’t without a moral reason, at least in her mind. See, Agatha had eyes everywhere, including law enforcement which routinely messed up in her opinion. She had her loyal ‘employees’ keeping an ear to the ground– and intercepted law enforcement and emergency line radios for her specific purpose. 

 

The main reason why no one messed with Agatha, other than her frightening demeanor, was that she was doing good in the community when others messed shit up. Her purpose was ridding the scum of the earth when others failed to do so. Law and order was so often flawed, so she took things into her own hands. Agatha’s purpose, the thing that drove her to build the underground network she had today, was to eradicate the assholes who assaulted other women and got away with it.

 

Her most recent case had been nagging at her for much too long, causing frustration to the point of snapping at others – at least, more than usual. Her insider to the assault records told her of a woman who had been brutally beaten, one whose perpetrator had connections to the government and had the police look the other way when named as the suspect. This was her specialty. 

 

“Perp introduced herself to the victim as Lady Death,” Agatha’s best code cracker Alice read from the report she produced for her. “Gotta say, she’s got her shit locked up tight, can’t even find a photo of her, but I’ve asked around. Lilia says the victim reports the perp told her she goes to The Hex downtown most nights, but doesn’t know what she does there. The victim is pretty messed up,” Alice grimaced. “Head injury making it hard for her to remember stuff so we have little to go off of.”

 

The report made Agatha snarl, hatred boiling for the person who never got justice. She’d see to that. 

 

“Have you had Jen survey the spot?” she asked, going with the one lead she had.

 

“I have. She’s sitting outside every night. It’s harder since we don’t know what she looks like but we do know she has dark hair. Found a user on social media tagged in a photo from The Hex too, user tag is LadyDeathDeals so it’s gotta be her. It’s a bit blurry but we can at least tell the hair color.” 

 

Agatha gave Alice a curt nod, her hands clutching the arm of her chair as the itch to interrogate the woman set its claws in her. Patience.She knew it was needed but waiting was the hardest part of the job. 

 

“Join Jen tonight. See if you can’t enhance the photo to see her face better too.”

 

Alice nodded, pulling out her phone to let Jen know she’d be meeting her later that night. “Anything else?”

 

“Bring her here tonight. I’ve got things to discuss with this ‘Lady Death.’” 

 

“We’ll get her,” Alice said with determination before nodding her departure to Agatha and presumably heading off to meet Jen. 

 

Jen was her lead captor. She was the best at the job as far as Agatha was concerned, unassuming to the outside eye, poised and of no concern to others, but she was strong as hell if needed and cunning enough to lure people just where they needed to be before she caught them in her web. She’d get the job done.

 

—---

The wait was long, terribly long. Agatha paced her office, thinking of how to go about finding more about this woman, but every rock she looked under gave her nothing. Even the account Alice mentioned showed no photos, just posts about plant sales. What was this woman hiding?

 

She thought more into the account. Maybe she used the plants as a cover for something else. Perhaps she sold other plants to a certain kind of customer. Marijuana was legal, she wasn’t concerned with that, but opium? People could make a shit ton of money if they knew the right methods. Poppies are innocuous enough to sell to unsuspecting customers, completely clean if law enforcement came in to search the area. 

 

Someone with expertise though, they’d be able to use those plants for other things. Maybe that’s what she was doing at The Hex when she wasn’t picking up women to hurt them.

 

Agatha was jerked out of her musing when her phone pinged, a text from Jen popping up.

 

Jen: I think we got the one. Woman’s been here last night and tonight, leaving with a different woman both nights. Same MO as the victim, being picked up in the same place. She’s got the hair color too.

 

Agatha: Sure it’s her?

 

She ran her hand through her hair as she watched the three dots at the bottom of her screen indicating Jen was typing back.

 

Jen: Can’t be sure, but best match I’ve seen since being here. 

 

Agatha: Alice? Do you agree? Any progress on the photo enhancement?

 

Alice: Affirmative. No one else matches the MO from what I’ve seen. No dice on the enhancement though.

 

Agatha blew a breath out, knowing it would be risky if she got the wrong person, but her job was built on risk. She did what she needed to do for the people she helped. If this was the woman, and she trusted Jen and Alice to not be wrong, then she’d have her fun. 

 

She grinned to herself as she imagined the pain she’d inflict on the woman, relishing in the screams as she got the justice the victim deserved. Lilia told her the police dismissed the accusation with no particular reason why. Classic sign of cases she involved herself in. The perp most likely had connections or ties with them, making them let another criminal free for their own greed. She saw red as she thought about it and typed her response.

 

Agatha: Bring her in

---

 

The day started as her typical days usually began, leaving a woman’s home in the early morning hours before they woke up to go home and shower before work. Her friends teased her and called her a fuck boy but she preferred the title of casanova – it sounded more romantic to her.

 

They weren’t entirely wrong, though. Sure, she had a habit of sleeping with women and leaving them to wonder where she went in the night, but it’s not like she was the only woman to ever do that. She wanted a night of fun with no strings attached, who could blame her? At least she wasn’t doing drugs.

 

She hummed to herself as she let herself into her plant shop, Lady Death. She named it after a nickname given to her when she was young, ironically enough because she killed every plant she owned until she dedicated her time to learning more about how to nurture them and make them thrive. She learned she had a green thumb eventually after putting effort into it, though perhaps being put on medication for ADHD helped that fact as well given she now remembered to water the plants.

 

The morning routine was her favorite, a calming half hour before she officially opened where she used the time to water the plants and place them in spots suited to their needs without anyone in the store to interrupt her. Don’t get her wrong, she loved her customers, but sometimes being asked about the needs of several plants while the care instructions were listed on the tag in the plant pot became a bit annoying.

 

“A new bloom today,” she smiled as she spied her favorite plant with an additional flower than the day prior. She ran her fingers over the symmetrical petals of the dahlia and hummed in contentment. These particular flowers were very finicky and needed the exact right amount of water or they’d die. They also required a certain level of nitrogen in the soil which many people did not know, making their attempts DOA when they tried to plant them. The tact needed to grow them successfully made her more proud of the fact that she could accomplish it when many others couldn’t.

 

She wiped her hands on the apron she wore in the store and finished off her work before opening up for the day, grinning when she saw a regular waiting for her.

 

“Hi, Mrs. Davis. Looking for something new?” she asked the older woman who had come in off and on since she opened the shop two years ago.

 

“Oh yes, I’m looking for another hosta to add to the yard. Mr. Davis thinks it looks uneven,” she said with a hint of annoyance, but she smiled it off.

 

Rio chuckled in reply, leading the woman to her selection of the requested plant. “You don’t have to buy a new one, you know. Hostas can be split into parts and grow back to their original size given time.”

 

“Posh,” Sharon waved the comment aside. “Aren’t you supposed to be selling me on more plants, not shooing me away from them?”

 

Rio grinned and shook her head. “You can buy a new one if you like, just some food for thought if you don't want to get the new one.”

 

“Nonsense,” Mrs. Davis replied, grabbing the plant and bringing it directly to the counter. “How much will it be? You know what? Take this and keep the change, dear.”

 

The older woman handed Rio a $50 bill and rushed out of the store faster than Rio could have imagined someone of that age could do. She chuckled and shook her head at the interaction, warmth spreading at the reminder that she belonged here and had people who cared about her and her work.

 

Moving here was a big decision for her after growing up in a rural area, but she longed to be in the city and after her best friend Billy moved here for college and sent her the details of an apartment conveniently in the same building as his, she took the risk and came. The rooftop community garden didn’t hurt the decision either.

 

Another perk was being unknown and around new people even if she went to the same spot. She came across The Hex one night when she was exploring the city and decided to give it a try. It wasn’t a queer club by name but it seemed that mostly queer people came which worked in her favor. It became a regular spot for her, a place to relax and unwind–of course the perk of going home with someone at the end of the night didn’t hurt either. 

 

She was planning to meet Billy there later that night, but a text sent to her right before she locked up told her he was bailing, saying something about needing to get homework done. Rio wasn’t fooled though, she knew he was interested in the guy he was partnered with for a group project and was probably spending the night talking to him.

 

She shoved the phone in her back pocket after sending him a winking face to let him know she knew what he really meant and headed over to the club. It was pretty packed for a Thursday night, but that just likened the odds for her to have another night like the one prior. She headed up to the bar, nodding at the bartender who knew her well enough at this point to grab her a beer without her needing to ask. They passed it to her and she took a swig while her eyes roamed the room, landing on a few people of interest. She didn’t exactly have a type, but she did have a fondness for women with long dark hair and blue eyes.

 

A flashback of the night before of her pulling on the hair at the nape of the neck of the woman writhing above her caused a smirk to tug at her lips. She couldn’t remember the woman’s name, Hannah, maybe Anna, something probably along those lines, but she remembered her moans, the deep blue eyes glancing at her body with hunger as she tugged off Rio’s boxers.

 

“Enjoying yourself?” a voice spoke up from beside her, breaking her from her thoughts. She turned her head to see a woman who she certainly wouldn’t mind going home with leaning against the bar next to her.

 

“I am now,” Rio replied smoothly, turning her body in the direction of the woman.

 

It didn’t take much longer for the two to leave the building, deciding to walk to the other woman’s place since it was around the corner. Rio was riding the high of anticipation as she wrapped her arm around the woman’s hips, leaning in to nibble on her neck before a voice spoke up.

 

“Hey, both of you,” a woman spoke up from across the street, seeming to be annoyed at her car. “Either of you know how to change a tire?”

 

Rio lifted her head from the spot on her woman of the night’s neck and nodded, the other woman seeming to understand and whispered her apartment number to meet her after she helped out. Rio winked at her before replying to the woman who called out to them.

 

“You’ve come to the right gay,” Rio joked, making her way across the street. “You got a spare?”

 

The woman in pink nodded in relief and led her to the trunk to retrieve the extra tire. “You’re saving my ass here,” she thanked her. “It’s just under that storage cover.”

 

“Yeah, it’s no–”

 

Rio didn’t know how or what happened but the next thing she knew she was in the trunk, a needle plunging into her neck before she saw nothing but the darkness behind her eyelids.

Chapter 2: Hurts so good

Notes:

Surprise, I told myself I'd post weekly and here we are 4 days after I first posted.

Fuck, how much had she drank yesterday? She could have sworn it was just a bottle of beer and she certainly wasn’t that much of a light weight. 

 

Rio opened her eyes with a groan, the bright lights hitting her head on, making her squint and move to cover them before realizing she wasn’t able to.

 

“What the fuck?” she murmured, finding her legs and hands were tied to a chair. 

 

“I’m all for roleplay but maybe warn me next time,” she called out, vaguely remembering the woman she was going home with. That’s what this was, right? 

 

But wait… she didn’t make it to the woman’s apartment now that she thought about it.

 

Heels clicked down what she assumed was the hall outside of whatever room she was in, the sound coming closer and closer until the door opened, revealing the most beautiful woman Rio had ever seen in her life. This definitely wasn’t the woman she left with, but if the woman wanted her, she would accept it with a grin.

 

“Lady Death?” the woman spoke, stopping a foot away from her and fuck the voice just added to her attraction. Her arms were crossed and only then did Rio realize the woman had fixed her piercing blue eyes to her face, not particularly looking happy.

 

“Not what I usually go by but yeah, that’s me. What’s a pretty lady like you wanting to know about me?” Rio replied, wanting to appease the women but still confused about what was going on. 

 

The confusion multiplied when the sex-in-heels-lady slapped her across the face hard enough for her nose to bleed. Fuck, was it broken? 

 

“Found you. You thought you’d get away with it,” the woman chuckled darkly, shaking her head. 

 

“I genuinely have no idea what you’re talking about, but maybe give a girl a warning before the rough play,” Rio replied, tugging on the restraints to test the durability but no, they weren’t budging. 

 

“Of course. You think you can go and hurt women and get away with it,” the older woman replied smugly, ignoring Rio’s confused attempt at flirting. “Wrong.”

 

This only added to Rio’s befuddlement, especially given the only person hurting another here was the woman interrogating her.

 

“I- what?” Rio replied in confusion, which apparently was the wrong response. 

 

The mystery woman lurched forward and wrapped her hand around her neck, nails digging in as Rio struggled for air. Her other hand gripped Rio’s shirt to ensure she couldn’t look away, not that she could get anywhere given the restraints. 

 

“You don’t get to act confused here. The ruse is over. We have you and you’re not getting off so easily.”

 

“You’re hurting me,” Rio wheezed, vision going darker before she was suddenly able to fill her lungs once more, still feeling the lingering sensation of the hand around her. There were definitely going to be bruises.

 

A bark of laughter brought her eyes back to the other woman right before she was slapped again, her head turning to the side from the force of the hit. Something stung her cheeks too. Fuck, did she use her nails??

 

“‘You’re hurting me,’” she mocked, pouting as she put her face directly in Rio’s. ”Poor baby, can’t get everything she wants handed to her like she’s used to. I’m so sad.”

 

Well, Rio didn’t need to be a genius to tell the woman certainly was not sad. She was getting off on the pain she was causing Rio for a reason she couldn’t figure out. Was someone upset she left them at a one night stand? This was a bit drastic of a reaction if that were the case.

 

“What did I do?” she asked, trying to wrap her head around the situation while her cheek, nose, and neck all throbbed in pain.

 

“You don’t get to ask that,” the woman lashed out, kicking Rio in the stomach hard enough she knocked the wind out of her. “Your victim didn’t get to ask that when you beat her to shit, so you get no say now.”

 

Rio watched as almost in slow motion the older woman pressed the bottom of the chair with her foot hard enough that the world tilted on its axis, the chair toppling on the floor. The impact of the fall jolted her, a whimper escaping her lips while she tried to remain strong, realizing maybe for the first time the kind of danger she was in, even if she didn’t know why.

 

What did she mean by beating someone else? She’s never laid a hand on someone in an act of violence unless it was self-defence but even then, she wouldn’t say she had ‘beat them to shit’ as the other woman so eloquently put it.

 

Rio wasn’t sure how to respond or even if she should. What had she gotten herself into? She watched as the woman stalked closer to her and she braced for impact, unsure what exactly she was going to do but knowing it wouldn’t be as pleasurable as she imagined it to be when she first laid eyes on her. How foolish five-minute-ago-Rio had been. 

 

She squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see whatever was coming when the sound of running and a door slamming open interrupted her thoughts.

 

“Alice! This better be fucking goo-”

 

“She’s Lady Death!” the woman, presumably Alice, cried out.

 

Clearly the other woman didn’t like that response as she practically growled her reply. “We’ve established that.”

 

“No! I mean, yes, but she’s-”

 

“Spit it out!”

 

“We got the wrong person!”

 

Silence – that was what followed the declaration. The only noise that could be heard was Rio’s sight wheezes from trying to breathe through her now definitely broken nose.

 

“What do you mean?” The older woman said, saying it without shouting which somehow made her sound more threatening.

 

“The victim was wrong. She remembered the actual name given to her by the woman. We’re looking for the Goddess of Death.”

 

A pause. Oh no. Rio wasn’t sure who they were or what they did but she knew the treatment she received wasn’t meant for her. This was good, partially, but what now? 

 

“Then who the fuck is in the chair?”

 

The other woman didn’t seem to have an answer for that and without thinking, Rio decided to fill the silence.

 

“Rio…Vidal,” she said, realizing talking and breathing were much more difficult from her position on the ground. 

 

“You answered to Lady Death. Why?”

 

So she was being interrogated again. Coooool cool cool. At least she knew the answer to this one. 

 

“My plant store.”

 

“Just plants?” the woman asked, seemingly not satisfied with the truth.

 

“I mean…” she gasped for air before continuing, “I sell seeds too.”

 

A cry of frustration and a loud bang followed by the woman flipping the table in the room had Rio flinching. She watched as the woman tugged at the roots of her hair, clearly not happy with the situation.

 

“Great. Fucking great .”

 

“Could you not kill me please?” Rio risked asking, unsure what was going to follow but knowing whatever was going on wasn’t good and probably not legal. They wouldn’t risk letting her go, she knew, but maybe if she asked nicely? Wishful thinking.

 

“We’re not going to kill you,” the woman spoke, her voice on the edge of frustration but there was also a hint of something bordering on softness. Or maybe Rio just had a head injury. Yeah, probably that. 

 

“So what are we going to do with her?” Alice spoke up from the door. Rio had forgotten the woman was even there until she spoke again, but she was keen to hear the reply.

 

“We’ll figure it out but we’re not killing her. I refuse to be like them”

 

Rio had no idea who she was referring to but she thanked whatever deity there was that whoever ‘them’ was existed in order to keep her alive.

 

Silence followed again before she saw the woman coming closer to her. She flinched in response, her body reacting without her thinking which apparently made the woman upset, as the chair was righted and she was faced with the blue eyed woman again, her mouth downturned. 

 

“If I untie you, will you run?” she asked, her eyebrow rising in question.

 

“Not sure I could,” Rio replied honestly, causing the woman’s frown to deepen before the face vanished, the woman untying her with nimble fingers.

 

Rio pulled her hands back to her lap, rubbing her now raw wrists. 

 

“Plants, you said?” the older woman asked, something Rio wasn’t anticipating. She nodded in response, unsure of where this was going.

 

“What are your thoughts on people getting away with violent crimes because of their connections?”

 

Rio wasn’t sure how those two questions related but she answered anyway, ready to do anything if it led to her freedom quicker.

 

“I think it’s fucked up.”

 

Right answer, it appeared. The woman nodded, leaning forward in a flash, fixing Rio’s broken nose with a quick jolt. She breathed in her first full, non-painful breath since the beginning of the interrogation.

 

“I think we can make something work.”

Chapter 3: The Plan

Notes:

Look, I swear I do plan to make the updates weekly but I have a valid reason for posting a day early this time! I'm actually meeting my amazing beta in person for the first time tomorrow! Yay AAA fandom.

“What are your thoughts on people getting away with violent crimes because of their connections?”

 

Rio wasn’t sure how those two questions related but she answered anyway, ready to do anything if it led to her freedom quicker.

 

“I think it’s fucked up.”

 

Right answer, it appeared. The woman nodded, leaning forward in a flash, fixing Rio’s broken nose with a quick jolt. She breathed in her first full, non-painful breath since the beginning of the interrogation.

 

“I think we can make something work.”

---

 

 

Rio learned the woman’s name was Agatha once she was freed from the restraints and was given permission to use the restroom to wash up the blood from her face. She wasn’t quite sure how she ended up in this situation when she only intended to go home with another woman, but she was keen to find out.

 

Rio threw away a bloody paper towel, the last bits now cleared away from her face as best as it could be before entering the hallway where Agatha was waiting for her, arms crossed as if cleaning up the remnants of her own interrogation annoyed her. 

 

“Follow me,” Agatha said, turning without waiting for a response. Rio didn’t know what else to do but to follow, knowing what the woman was capable of if she got on her bad side. Agatha led her to a much more comfortable looking room, something that appeared to be her office. It had plush chairs and a loveseat, which Rio sprawled across as soon as she spotted it. 

 

With far more poise than Rio, Agatha sat on the chair across from her, leaning her elbows on her spread knees which definitely did not distract Rio in the slightest.

 

“Who would notice your disappearance if you were to be gone for a while?” she began, clearly not one for small talk.

 

“Uh…I have a friend who lives in my building. I suppose also Sharon.”

 

“Who’s Sharon?” Agatha questioned.

 

“A regular at my store. Why are you asking? I thought you said you weren’t going to kill me. This definitely seems like someone digging to figure out if they can get away with murder,” Rio responded. She felt safe enough at this point to let her personality through now that she was in a comfortable area and no longer in restraints, but she had no idea what the plan was for her moving forward.

 

Agatha rolled her eyes in response but gave a slight smirk. “If I wanted to get away with murder, I wouldn’t be talking to you – you’d already be taken care of. I ask because I need collateral. I’m letting you go, but I need to know you won’t give up any details about this…” she waved her hand around, “mix up.”

 

“I’m guessing me saying I won’t tell anyone wouldn’t suffice?” Rio replied, sitting up against the arm of the seat. 

 

“No,” Agatha replied with a deadpan face. Alright, not one for slight joking – noted – though she’d probably push the boundaries anyway. “But I think we could make a deal that would be mutually beneficial in exchange for you not giving out any information on any of this – me, Alice, Jen – this incident, anything related to us. I just need to make sure you are someone I could rely on not to do that.”

 

“Why? Wouldn’t it be easier just to get rid of me instead of hesitating on whether I’ll squeal?” she asked before quickly adding, “Not that I’m not ecstatic that I’m alive and sort of kicking, but I’ve seen enough movies to know this is usually a bad idea for people like you.”

 

“People like me?” Agatha laughed. “You don’t know a thing about me.”

 

“I mean, I think I know enough given I was drugged, tied up, and beaten,” Rio responded, feeling bold enough to do so given the confirmation she would in fact not be dying today.

 

Agatha leaned forward, giving Rio a hard glare. “I’m not what you think I am. If you shut up, I’ll tell you.”

 

Rio took the hint and mimicked zipping her lips and tossing away the key.

 

This rewarded her with another eye roll, which Rio was finding herself kind of into, but maybe that was just Stockholm syndrome. Could people get Stockholm syndrome after an hour or two?

 

“I get rid of people who assault others and get away with it,” Agatha began. “I don’t kill anyone who is innocent and as far as I’m aware, you are, unless there’s something you’d like to share?” She continued, an eyebrow raised in question.

 

“No, I would never,” Rio answered honestly.

 

“Good. Now, here is where I believe you can come in. You say you own a plant shop, yes?”

 

Rio nodded, unsure of where this was going.

 

“And you’d like to see this Goddess of Death get the treatment she deserves?”

 

“I mean, I don’t really know what she did but if it’s anything related to what you said you do then yeah, I would.”

 

“Good answer,” Agatha replied, causing Rio’s stomach to flip in a way it definitely shouldn’t in a discussion about death. “I don’t suppose you know how to grow poisonous plants? Ones that would be undetectable if ingested?”

 

Ah, there it was. The dots connected in Rio’s head, though she was hesitant to accept the offer she was assuming Agatha was about to make.

 

“I haven’t purposefully grown any, but I suppose I could if I read up on how to grow them. There aren’t many you can just buy seeds for though. Hemlock would probably be the most useful since you can use any part of the plant and the stems are toxic for up to 3 years but they don’t sell it because they’re like, super poisonous. Foxglove is common enough, I have some in my store, but it doesn’t really cause death unless you use it for tea or something, which I guess would kind of be your whole point of using it. There’s oleander too but only in large amounts and people notice when it’s added to something because it’s super bitter so probably not that one but–”

 

“Okay, fuck I didn’t realize you were a fucking connoisseur of deadly plants,” Agatha interrupted Rio, dramatically rubbing her temples.

 

Rio blushed slightly at being caught rambling, but who could blame her? Agatha shouldn’t have asked her about plants if she didn’t want a detailed response from her.

 

“Look, getting whatever plants you need isn’t a problem. Give me a list or something and it’s done. I need to know if you could grow and supply them.”

 

“If you could just get them, why do you want me to grow them?” Rio asked, tilting her head in question.

 

“Did you not hear me earlier when I said I needed collateral? You grow these for me, you help out many women. You tell anyone about us, I bust your shop and you go away for a long long time. Got it?”

 

Rio nodded slowly, understanding now. “So I’m a liability you need to keep on a leash.”

 

Agatha paused before responding. “Something like that. Look, I’m going to be frank with you, and you better take it in because I don’t do this with many people. We messed up when we got you, I know that, but we could be useful for each other.”

 

“I don’t see how it’s very useful on my end.”

 

“Other than you keeping your life?” Agatha responded immediately, her eyebrow raised in question.

 

“I mean, you already said you wouldn’t do that, so yeah. What do I get out of this when you could just keep doing what you have been?”

 

Agatha took a few seconds before sighing. “I could use someone like you working for me. And I can help you in return, though I won’t lie and say it isn’t also to keep a close eye on you in case you decide to screw us over. I know you live in a cheap apartment with little money to your name–”

 

“How–”

 

“I had Alice look you up when you were in the restroom. I know all about you, Rio Vidal.”

 

Her name leaving that woman’s lips shouldn’t have made her shiver the way they did yet there she was. Clearly Agatha noticed as well given the slight upturn on the corner of her mouth as she continued.

 

“I have a penthouse in Hudson Yards I’m not using. You’ll be placed there and assist with assignments. Jen and Alice are good at what they do, but we don’t have someone like you from what I’ve heard.”

 

Hudson Yards? The place where single bedroom apartments were almost 10 million dollars let alone penthouses? The rest of the information just barely processed with Rio after hearing that.

 

“What do you mean someone like me? An owner of a plant shop?”

 

“No,” Agatha huffed in frustration. “Jen mentioned your MO is similar to our target. You go to the same place and leave with a different woman each night.”

 

“Okay, ouch, not every night. And MO? Harsh wording.”

 

Agatha rolled her eyes in response, clearly not caring about offending Rio. “We could use you. Your presence wouldn’t be unusual in the club given you’re a regular patron. You could ask around and find out who the woman is, then slip her the plant without anyone noticing.”

 

“Woah, back up now,” Rio replied, holding her hands up. “I may be all for getting justice for people but I’m not a murderer.”

 

Agatha huffed as if what she was asking of her wasn’t something that could wind her up in prison for the rest of her life. “Fine. I’ll go in, but you’re coming with me as my date.”

 

“Date??” Rio asked, definitely not overthinking it. Absolutely not thinking about what Agatha would wear. Would she be allowed to touch her? Surely she would have to in order to look convincing. She wondered how soft her skin was.

 

“Are you listening?” Agatha’s voice broke through Rio’s thoughts, causing her eyes to widen at being caught.

 

“Uh yeah, just wrapping my head around everything.”

 

Agatha hummed, seemingly letting it go. “I understand this is a lot to take in. I will leave this conversation for now to give you time to process and we can discuss more tomorrow. For now, Alice will take you to your new lodgings. I’ve already set up movers to pack up your old place and bring it to the penthouse, not that you’d need much. It’s fully furnished and supplied,” Agatha spoke as if it were nothing. Sure, yeah, just another day uprooting someone’s life and keeping them under your thumb but also arousing them to a point that probably needed to be studied. Nothing out of the norm here. 

 

“Oookay,” Rio replied, shaking her head at the absurdity of it all. “What do I tell people about this if they ask?” she questioned, pointing to her now bruised neck and scratched cheek.

 

Agatha shrugged in response. “I don’t care. Say you got mugged or were into kinky sex. I’m sure you can figure something out.”

 

Rio sputtered at the casual mention of sex, seemingly amusing Agatha as she smirked at the display.

 

“Please, we’ve already established this isn’t new to you. Surely you’re not surprised.”

 

“Can we not??” Rio asked, clearly not wanting to talk about this with the woman she hit on before being given a broken nose just an hour ago. 

 

Agatha chuckled softly, shaking her head. “You’ll be fine. Now, Alice will be here shortly. I trust you can keep to yourself for a few minutes? I have some things I need to take care of.”

 

Much to Rio’s dissatisfaction, Agatha stood up and walked towards the door to leave, but she had nothing to say to keep Agatha talking that wouldn’t end up biting her in the ass in the end.

 

“Yeah, I’ll be alright.”

 

Agatha nodded and left, leaving Rio to her thoughts. What the fuck had she inadvertently gotten herself into?

Notes:

Your comments make me feral I swear

Chapter 4: The Plan

Notes:

I swear I do plan to make updates weekly but I won't have access to my computer tomorrow so surprise!

To say the penthouse was the most elegant place Rio had ever been would be the understatement since the world began. The place had thirteen rooms. Thirteen! She wasn’t sure how someone needed this many rooms as a single woman – not that she knew whether or not Agatha was single, but wishful thinking and all that – let alone someone who had a whole other place to live where they didn’t need the expensive as hell lodgings. 

 

She didn’t want to look a gift horse in the eye, but it was pretty absurd to move from her one bedroom apartment in need of many upgrades to this place because she was wrongfully drugged and kidnapped of all reasons. 

 

She almost didn’t get sleep that night given the adrenaline of the evening, but the pull of the comfortable bed she had sprawled across won out in the end and soon enough the sun was peeking through the floor-to-ceiling windows in the room.

 

After a long internal debate on whether she should keep laying there in bliss or whether she should get up, Rio eventually caved and got up, her stomach demanding she get something in her to start the day. 

 

She padded into the kitchen in the clothes she slept in – fortnite boxers and an overly large t-shirt with depictions of various plants saying ‘Plant these. Save the bees.’ She yawned and stretched as she looked around the expansive room, honing in on the coffee machine first. It looked way too fancy for her to operate but she was determined to get her morning caffeine and an intimidating machine wasn’t about to stop her.

 

Rio went about fiddling with the machine when a voice spoke up behind her, causing her to jump in shock and hit her head on the cabinet above her.

 

“You dress like a toddler,” the all too familiar voice of Agatha spoke in a deadpan tone.

 

Rio rubbed the back of her head where she collided with the cabinet and turned to face the woman. “How the fuck did you get in here?” She asked, ignoring the offensive comment about her state of dress.

 

Agatha held up a key with a raised eyebrow. “You think I don’t have access to my own home just because I let you stay here?” she asked.

 

Okay, that did make sense, but it still caught her off guard. “You couldn’t have knocked or I don’t know, called me to let me know you were coming? I know Alice probably found my number for you. What if I was undressed?” she asked incredulously. 

 

“Nothing I haven’t seen before,” Agatha shrugged, shoulder checking Rio to approach the coffee machine. “And good thing I came when I did before you dismantled my Zulay Magia.”

 

Agatha went about fixing the machine and fiddling with it to make it start while Rio looked at her in confusion.

 

“English?”

 

This only caused Agatha to roll her eyes. “The machine. It’s worth more than your entire wardrobe put together if this is what I have to go off of,” she replied, glancing again at Rio’s attire.

 

“I literally just woke up,” Rio groaned, reaching out to grab the mug Agatha had just procured with the now very alluring smell of her much needed morning caffeine. A hand firmly gripped her wrist, stopping her mid-grasp which caused her to frown.

 

“Mine. Make your own,” Agatha spoke. She let go of Rio’s wrist and grabbed the mug before turning away, going off into who-knew-where in the penthouse. She couldn’t help but to notice that her musing the day before was correct, Agatha had really soft hands.

 

Rio groaned and grabbed her own mug, shaking her head to rid herself of the thought while trying to get back to the task at hand. Thankfully the machine was still running from when Agatha used it, so she didn’t need to do much else other than press the start button.

 

Soon she was rewarded with the richest smelling coffee to ever grace her nostrils. She leaned her face to the edge of the mug and inhaled, sighing at the scent. If someone told her she’d be rewarded with this, maybe she’d consider being kidnapped more frequently.

 

“Agatha?” Rio called out, wondering where the woman went. She had yet to explore the extent of the penthouse on her own so finding her may be more difficult than usual.

 

She padded around the hallway, the sound of her bare feet hitting the granite flooring the only sound in response. No Agatha. Also, who the fuck puts granite flooring in a home? Her feet were freezing.

 

Rio ducked her head into the room nearest her and frowned when Agatha wasn’t there, just a desk and some artwork in what appeared to be an office. She puffed air out of her mouth in both amusement and frustration with the elusive woman, her bangs flying about haphazardly at the action.

 

“Hello? Rich kidnapping overlord lady?” Rio attempted, which seemed to do the trick.

 

“Really?” A voice spoke from a room near her left. She walked in the direction and did an internal fist pump when she found Agatha sitting in a chair, her legs crossed as she relaxed into it casually sipping her coffee.

 

“Tell me you made that without damaging anything,” Agatha spoke, eyes briefly flitting to the mug in Rio’s hands as she walked to sit on a big comfy looking chair across her. 

 

Rio rolled her eyes in response and sat down, crossing her legs beneath herself to warm her feet up. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Other than enjoying my own residence?” Agatha responded, lifting an eyebrow in question.

 

Rio groaned and sipped her drink, sighing softly at the taste before responding. “You’re telling me you left your other home to come to one inhabited by someone you don’t really like?”

 

“Don’t put words in my mouth, Vidal,” Agatha replied pointedly, but did not elaborate on whether or not she did like her in any fashion. A girl could try. “I came to discuss business. We have to talk about the semantics of the date and getting the products you require for your store.”

 

Ah yes, the date. How could she forget? Trick question – she didn’t forget. Rio had been wondering about the so-called date since Agatha brought it up and was very happy to discuss it further. 

 

“If you meant it when you said getting the plants wouldn’t be a problem, I’d go with hemlock. It’s the least detectable to whoever ingests it, though no guarantees it wouldn’t show up on a toxicology screen.”

 

“Not a problem,” Agatha responded, waving away the concern like it was nothing. 

 

“Oookay, then otherwise I’d say we’re fine on that front. Though it takes about two years for the plant to produce seeds–”

 

“You didn’t think to mention that initially? We don’t have two years, Rio.”

 

Rio ran her fingers through her hair and nodded, trying to think fast, but poisoning someone wasn’t really her forte. 

 

“Okay, okay, how about the foxglove? I already have some in the shop. The only thing is she’d have to ingest a lot for it to cause anything other than severe side effects.”

 

Agatha gave Rio a pointed stare, giving her the answer she needed to that one.

 

“There’s deadly nightshade. You can die by eating the berries if you have enough, or just a leaf, though I’m not sure if the taste is detectable. But it also takes like two months to grow,” Rio sighed, leaning forward to rest her elbows on her knees. “Look, if you wanted something immediately, you shouldn’t have asked for plants unless you plan to get a fully grown one.”

 

Rio knew this had Agatha in a catch-22. If she waited for Rio to grow the plants, it would take ages, but if she got the plants already grown she had no need for Rio's involvement. She truly did want to help Agatha despite everything she had put her through in the last 24 hours, but she also had to be reasonable.

 

Why had she gone along with the plan so easily? Other than the threat of losing her job and everything she had worked for, Rio had begrudgingly resonated with the women who grabbed her off the streets. Her mind threw her back to when she was a child to a memory she never liked to linger on. 

 

She had grown up in a very religious family, one that believed in strict rules and the ‘laws of the book,’ or whatever they relied on to excuse their actions. One day when she was returning from school, she entered the home to silent sniffling. She lived alone with her mamá, so the only person who the sound could be coming from was her.

 

Rio distinctly remembered tiptoeing into her mother’s bedroom and freezing in the doorway. Her mother laid on the bed, her face covered in blood, eye black and swollen to the point of being unable to open. 

 

The rest of the memory was a quick blur, but she vividly remembered that night, her mother running her fingers over the beads of her rosary while she explained that she had defied her boss that morning and the violent picture of her face was a reminder of her place in the world and how she shouldn’t step out of line. 

 

Rio turned her back on religion that night.

 

While unwillingly reliving the memory, an idea popped into her head, one that hadn’t crossed her mind but would fit both of their needs.

 

“Wait. Abrus precatorius,” Rio exclaimed, sitting up at the realization.

 

“Bless you,” Agatha responded immediately.

 

Rio shook her head at the comment. “It’s the botanical name for the rosary pea, a plant I already have in the shop,” she laughed at the absurdity of it and just how well it fit their cause. “I grow it and harvest the beans for the jewelry makers who make rosary necklaces. It takes less than one bean to kill someone if scratched or broken.”

 

Agatha glanced at Rio, her eyes bordering on a glare. “You couldn’t have started with this?”

 

“I was so focused on plants that mainly were known for being toxic that I didn’t think of it until now. Agatha, it’s perfect.”

 

The older woman hummed and sipped her drink before responding. “It could work.”

 

“Come on, give me more than that,” Rio pushed, frowning into her coffee. “I figured it out and you don’t even need to use your connections.”

 

“Hmph,” Agtha huffed before changing the subject altogether. “The date. We need to talk semantics.”

 

Rio would be annoyed if the topic hadn’t changed to something she was very much looking forward to, even if it was fake. 

 

“Like what?”

 

“Well unfortunately you’ll need to act as if nothing that has occurred in the past 24 hours has passed, meaning you’ll dress like your usual self.”

 

“Hey, my clothes aren’t–”

 

“I’ll arrive after you. I don’t want to spend a minute longer there than needed,” she grimaced as if Rio’s choice of afternoon locale was not up to her standards. On second thought, they probably weren’t. “I’ll give you a com to keep in communication before I arrive. Do not try to work your way into someone’s bedroom before I’m there.”

 

“Oh come on, I’m not that bad,” Rio defended. Perhaps she was that bad, but if she knew she had Agatha on the horizon, she’d ignore all advances made her way. Not that Agatha needed to know that.

 

“Alice confirmed I fit your usual demographic so you coming to talk to me once I’m there will not be out of the usual,” Agatha continued as if Rio said nothing.

 

Rio hid her face by taking a long sip of her coffee, trying very hard to ignore the fact that Alice basically called her out for being attracted to Agatha in not as many words. 

 

“While there, you’ll give me the bean you harvested earlier in the day and I’ll do what needs to be done. Now, we can’t do this until we figure out who this Goddess of Death really is, so I’m going to need you to continue to go to the club,” Agatha scrunched her nose in disgust at the mention of it, “and act as you normally do with the exception of leaving with people at the end of the night.”

 

Rio put her now empty mug on the table in front of her and frowned. “Seriously?”

 

“Do I look like the type of person to make a joke? I will not have my home invaded by a stranger.”

 

Rio stared blankly at Agatha at the comment. “Is that not what I am currently doing?”

 

Agatha rolled her eyes. “You’re required to be here. I will not risk someone learning anything about me, my employees, my job, or my whereabouts just because you decided you needed a quick fuck.”

 

“God, you make it out like I can’t go a day without staying the night with someone,” Rio scoffed.

 

“Am I incorrect?” Agatha replied easily.

 

Fine. Maybe it was a habit more often than not, but she didn’t want to be called out on it, especially by the person she truly wanted in her bed after meeting her. Damn her and her mommy issues.

 

Agatha took the pause as permission to continue, not that someone like Agatha would be the type to care about permission. “Here, this is for communication with me and the rest of the team.” Agatha reached into her pocket and slid a phone over to Rio on the coffee table between them. 

 

“If you learn anything that could be of interest to the case, you message us immediately.”

 

Rio nodded in confirmation but her mind was elsewhere, reeling over the fact that she now had Agatha’s contact information. Blame her raging vagina. 

 

“When do I start?” she asked after several seconds, finally breaking from her reverie. 

 

“Tonight.”

Chapter 5: Day One

Notes:

It took me to chapter 5 to actually post a week after the previous chapter but here we are!

Rio walked into The Hex, doing her best to act like past-Rio instead of on-a-mission-Rio. She went to the bar and caught the beer the bartender slid her way, easing herself into the routine. This would be fine. She was in her element, she just needed to do some sleuthing and figure out who this dangerous person could be so she could be an accessory to her murder later, no biggie.

 

“Dude, what the hell happened?”

 

Rio turned to the voice to see her tall gangly friend, signature dark eyeliner rimming his eyes like he was back in the early 2000’s. She knew the gist of what he was referencing, but remained silent in case she gave anything away that he might not have known.

 

“You haven’t texted me back since last night and I’m interrupted from my study session,” Rio rolled her eyes as she saw right through that comment, “by the sound of men going in and out of your apartment with boxes of your things and now you’re here with cuts and bruises? What the fuck are you doing?”

 

Ah, so he knew a lot, it seemed. Rio poked her cheek with her tongue as she thought of a reply, but Agatha hadn’t prepared her for these questions.

 

“Iiiiii signed an NDA,” she replied, pulling the response out of her ass. She vaguely remembered someone saying to use that as a response if you didn’t want to answer directly.

 

“Bitch, I told you to say that,” Billy replied, pushing her shoulder with his hand, though not in a rude manner.

 

Ah shit. Welp, there went that excuse.

 

“Ahh, I have to go to the bathroom,” she said quickly, rushing past him before he could respond to lock herself in the room. She locked the door behind her and pulled out the phone given to her that morning, pressing call on the first contact.

 

“You figured it out already?” The voice answered immediately. 

 

“No, I’ve barely been here 5 minutes,” Rio responded, running her free hand through her hair.

 

“Then why are you calling? If it’s about bringing someone back to my place the answer is still no.”

 

“Agatha, listen. My friend is here and I don't know what to tell him. He knows I moved out and he knows me well enough to know I wouldn’t do that without telling him.”

 

Rio could practically hear the eye roll Agatha gave in response to the frantic statement.

 

“And that’s my problem?”

 

“Yeah it’s your fucking problem! You need me to send photos of my neck to remind you?” Rio whisper-yelled, unsure of how thin the club walls were.

 

“Did you tell him you signed an NDA?”

 

Rio wanted to slam her head into a wall at the suggestion and Agatha’s incredible lack of empathy at the situation. 

 

She swore she could hear a faint sigh as Agatha resigned to give Rio a real suggestion.

 

“Tell him you were evicted. If he knows you as well as you say, he’ll know your financial situation and how that is entirely plausible.”

 

She didn’t like that being pointed out to her, but it had some credibility. 

 

“And if he mentioned that evictions don’t happen without warning?”

 

“Say you were ashamed and hiding it,” Agatha replied. It seemed she had a readily available response to anything.

 

Rio paced the length of the small bathroom and nodded to herself. She hated to admit it, but Agatha had a good idea.

 

“Okay,” she replied several seconds after Agatha’s suggestion.  

 

“That all?” The older woman asked and suddenly Rio felt like scrambling to find anything to keep her on the phone, but no, she couldn’t keep Billy out there much longer or he’d probably tell the staff she passed out and needed to be unlocked from the bathroom.

 

“Yeah, that was it… But say I do want to bring a woman back–”

 

Rio was cut off by the sound of the call disconnecting.

 

She looked in the mirror and took a deep breath to steady herself before letting herself out of the room, ignoring the line of people glaring at her from the time she took in there.

 

“Have any other excuses?” Billy asked immediately, making Rio feel ashamed and desperate to tell him the truth but it was too risky given what she knew about Agatha.

 

“No,” she shook her head, grasping the back of her neck as she steeled herself to lie to her best friend. Again. “I got evicted. I didn’t want to tell you.”

 

“Oh.” Billy’s face fell at the admission and it appeared he believed her. “Rio, you should have told me. You could move in with me while you find a place and get back on your feet.”

 

“No, I couldn’t do that to you,” she responded, grabbing the beer from the bar where she left it before fleeing. “Look, I don’t want to talk about it. Wanna be my wingman to help me forget?”

 

The response was exactly what Rio had hoped for, Billy shifting from concern to rolling his eyes and shaking his head. “There’s the Rio I know. But we will be talking about this later.”

 

This seemed to placate him for the moment and they strayed from the previous conversation to eying the space, pointing out people Rio could leave with.

 

“How about her?” He asked, pointing to a woman with long blonde hair.

 

Rio studied her before shaking her head. “Nah, been there,” she replied proudly. She couldn’t remember the woman’s name but she certainly could remember herself buried between her legs. Good night.

 

“I’m actually looking for someone specific,” she mused. Perhaps Billy could help her hone in on the perp she was looking for without getting him too involved. “Dark hair, apparently here a lot.”

 

Billy glanced suspiciously at Rio. “You never look for someone specific. And in case you forgot, I don’t really look at women when I’m here unless it’s to take your drunk ass home, so not sure I could be of much help.”

 

Okay, she may have overlooked the fact that Billy was incredibly gay and probably wouldn’t remember anyone other than his project partner if they were here given his very apparent crush.

 

“Right,” she conceded, looking for a different way in. Rio turned from her spot against the bar and caught the bartender’s attention. “Know a lady that comes here often? Dark hair, goes by some sort of pseudonym? Usually leaves with another woman?”

 

The bartender eyed her as if she were joking with him. “Other than you?”

 

Okay, harsh. “Yes, other than me,” she grumbled. 

 

“That could be like 20 percent of the people who come here, lady. Got anything else I can go off of or are you happy to waste my time?”

 

“Damn, don’t need to be rude about it,” she murmured under her breath. “I don’t know. Maybe she does sketchy things?”

 

“You a cop? I’m not helping out the pigs.”

 

“No, I’m not a cop,” she groaned, knowing she had nothing to go off of that would help other than the pseudonym for the woman but she didn’t want to let anyone overhear that she was specifically looking for her in case the perp was given a heads up. “Just forget it.”

 

The bartender rolled his eyes and turned to help someone waiting for a drink. 

 

“Why are you looking so hard for someone specific?” Billy asked again, eying her curiously. Okay, clearly he wouldn’t be letting this go so soon, but at least she had a credible excuse.

 

She conjured an image of Agatha in her mind and smirked. “Best night of my life last night. She didn’t give me her name.”

 

Billy eyed her curiously, seeming to view the marks in a new light with the fabricated explanation. “Gross.”

 

That was her best friend. Maybe she was grateful for her reputation at the moment given how easily he accepted it. Rio finished off her beer and placed the bottle on the bar before turning back to Billy.

 

“It doesn’t look like she’s here, so I’m just going to go,” she shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant.

 

“Damn, she must have done a number on you” he mused in response.

 

“Billy, you have no idea.”

 

---

 

 

Rio walked into her new living quarters, still feeling odd about it and very out of place, but somehow this was truly her reality.

 

She shut the door behind her and kicked off her boots, shouting, “Honey, I’m home!” in jest, unsure if anyone was in the place or not.

 

Rio heard a scoff coming from the room next to her and wandered over, surprised to see Agatha was actually still there.

 

“You’re back soon,” the older woman stated, not glancing up from the laptop she was working on at the desk she was sitting in.

 

Rio leaned against the door frame of the room and took in the sight before her. Agatha was wearing large glasses, her hair very messy but in a way that only made her look more attractive. She wore jeans that shouldn’t look as good on someone as they do on her, paired with a brown turtleneck and a darker brown and tan striped blazer. Rio felt her mouth water at the sight. 

 

“My friend was asking too many questions,” she replied once she found her voice. She felt even more out of place in the penthouse with her cropped band tee – cut by herself – and shorts.

 

Agatha looked up once Rio responded, glancing briefly at her while peering over the edge of her glasses. Fuuucking hell, even without trying she made Rio’s body feel as if it were on fire.

 

“Will that be a problem?” She responded in question. She raised an eyebrow, eyes locked on Rio’s as she waited for a response.

 

Rio pushed off of the door frame and sat herself down on a chair near the desk. “Shouldn’t be, but he’s going to want to know where I moved to. I can’t keep saying I’m embarrassed to tell him for very long.”

 

“You really can’t handle your own problems? This is the second time today you’ve asked for help on what to tell him.”

 

That threw Rio off. It wasn’t like she was asking for help, just noting the inconvenience and brittle excuse she had at the moment, an excuse Agatha had given her.

 

“These are only my problems because you made them my problems,” she replied, challenging Agatha.

 

“Save the sob story,” she waved off casually. “Sure, I made a mistake, but you’re here alive and living in a much better position than you were yesterday. It could be worse.”

 

Rio frowned and picked at a loose thread on the upholstered chair. “Can’t even bring a woman home with me,” she grumbled.

 

“What was that?” Agatha asked, making Rio look up.

 

“God, you have bat ears or something? Also, why are you even still here?”

 

“You’re deflecting. As for why I am here, need I remind you this is my home?”

 

Rio scoffed. “I’m well aware this is your home but you also have another place. What? You wanna stay the night to keep an eye on me? Have a sleepover? I’ll make the popcorn, we can pick out some rom coms and gossip about our celebrity crushes,” she responded.

 

She initially intended to be annoyed, which she was, but the more she taunted the more she actually liked the idea of Agatha staying over, though she would never imagine her lowering herself to a casual sleepover, even if it was a joke.

 

“As much as I’m sure you’d enjoy being cozied up to me talking about ‘crushes,’” she rolled her eyes, “I will be leaving shortly. Alice wants to show me something about the Goddess of Death she may have found. I’d like to give my attention to those who are actually helpful.”

 

“Ouch, I’m so hurt you’re leaving me for someone who wasn’t forced to do what you ask,” Rio replied, placing her hand on her chest as she feigned pain.

 

“Based on your constant need to ask for help, I have a feeling you don’t mind being told what to do, Vidal. I don’t see how that’s a problem,” Agatha shrugged, taking her glasses off and shutting her laptop. 

 

WELP. She fucking clocked her on that and Rio couldn’t even feel embarrassed about it.

 

“I mean, pretty sure you said Alice told you that you’re my type so I’ve got nothing to hide,” she shrugged. “I think you should take it as a compliment.”

 

Agatha packed her laptop in a bag and stood up, casually strolling over to Rio’s personal space. She leaned in, what was becoming known to Rio as her signature smirk painted on her face.

 

“I’m many people’s type. Now be a good girl and get some rest. I need you ready early tomorrow.”

 

With that, Agatha stood up as if nothing happened and strode out of the room, leaving Rio in a daze.

 

“ Oh shit,” she murmured under her breath.

 

“And don’t fuck up my coffee machiene tomorrow. I will make you pay for its replacement,” Agatha’s voice drifted into the room before Rio heard the front door shut.

 

Fuck.

Notes:

Check out my tumblr for a cover photo of the chapter!

Chapter 6: Uh...Oops

Notes:

Wowza! Surprise to the biggest supporter (besides my beta ofc) Liz. Posting before you go to work bc I'm so nice

The following morning Rio awoke to a message from Agatha with an address of where to go, no further comments, no ‘good morning,’ nothing. Not that she should have expected further commentary but a girl could dream. 

 

She decided it was close enough to walk to and had the added benefit of having a coffee shop en route so she didn’t have to worry about breaking Agatha’s precious machine.

 

She walked into an inconspicuous building the map had led her to and nudged her elbow against the door in a half-knock with her eyebrows raised hoping someone would open the door, given her hands were full. She heard footsteps before the red-haired woman who interrupted her interrogation opened it for her. She briefly glanced at her hands in question before appearing to decide against asking and led her to a room where Agatha and Jen resided.

 

“Here,” she said, placing the black coffee in front of Agatha, receiving an amused and slightly confused grin. Rio shoved her hand into the pocket of her black jumpsuit and pulled out various creamers and sugars. “Wasn’t sure how you liked it.”

 

Jen gave Rio an incredulous stare at the interaction. “What happened to her being an insufferable inconvenience?” she asked.

 

Agatha turned to Jen and shrugged her shoulders in response. “This is news to me too.”

 

Rio groaned in response and dragged a hand down her face. “Don’t make anything of it, I just didn’t want to break your machine again and you’re letting me live in a place I’d never be able to afford so… here. Can we move on?”

 

“I knew you could be a good girl.” Agatha placed a gentle pat on Rio’s cheek with her signature smirk remaining on her face before taking it away far too quickly for Rio’s liking to turn to the group. 

 

“Alice, can you catch these two up on what you found?”

 

And just like that, the conversation shifted away from Rio, much to her liking. Alice went on about how she had done some more digging and hacked into the security cameras of The Hex. She narrowed the people matching the description down to 3 people, bar Rio, who they already knew fit the description but admittedly was not the person they were looking for. 

 

“I have tech that will let me track the people via facial recognition in the public cameras, but I need more time to look into that. Tracing three people is going to take a while, but we have some leads.”

 

Rio could see why Alice was such an asset to the team. She spoke matter-of-factly and more importantly didn’t seem to comment on anything outside of the job unlike Miss Fake-Car-Problems-to-Stab-Helpful-Women-in-the-Neck.

“I’ve already debriefed Alice on her job moving forward. As for Jen, I need you to continue to stake out the club, keeping an eye out for either of these three women. Find a way to follow them, flirt with them, go home with them, whatever you think the best course of action is for finding more information on them. This should help Alice with narrowing down cameras to check as well.”

 

Jen nodded like this was an everyday ordinary task which was WILD to Rio but allegedly was supposed to become her new normal, at least for this particular case. She didn’t want to think about what would happen after they found the perp. 

 

“Rio, I need you to go back to your job. I can’t have people questioning why you aren’t open during the advertised hours.”

 

“That’s all?” She asked, surprised she wasn’t tasked with anything more than just continuing her everyday life.

 

Agatha placed her hands in her pockets, pelvis forward for some reason which shouldn’t have exuded as much authority over her statements as it should have. “You’re not in the business. I’m not risking you messing something up for us, so yes, that is all.”

 

Rio frowned, her bottom lip veering on pouting as she took it in. She didn’t mind going back to work, in fact she very much wanted to do so, but a part of her also wanted to do something further to be helpful. Most likely her mommy issues again compounded by the slight touch Agatha had gifted her earlier. 

 

“Okay, okay,” she relented, picking up her coffee to sip at. “You know, this could have been a phone call. You must really like seeing me,” she teased, wanting to get back at Agatha for throwing her off earlier.

 

But of course this didn’t phase her at all.

 

“Oh honey,” she began, voice like pure sin, “I can see you whenever I please. Remember whose home you’re in.”

 

Mhmm like she could forget. But she imagined Agatha walking into the penthouse whenever she liked and the idea didn’t upset her. Nope, quite the opposite.

 

“I’m aware,” she replied, biting her bottom lip as she recalled Agatha surprising her the day before when she had yet to change out of the clothes she slept in. God, she couldn’t get this woman out of her head.

 

Agatha smirked briefly before clapping her hands together once, the noise breaking Rio from her trance-like state.

 

“That will be all. Let’s not waste time, we have too much to do.”

 

That was a dismissal if Rio had ever heard one. Alice and Jen simply nodded and turned away, seemingly used to the dismissive demands. Rio took a bit more time, her tongue poking her cheek while trying to think of reasons to keep talking to Agatha, but she had to admit she did have to open her shop. She already was gone for one day. Two would be a bit suspicious, even if she could write it off as an emergency or sickness. Plus, she needed to tend to her delicate babies.

 

Alright, that did it. Rio took her last sip of her coffee and tossed it into the bin behind Agatha, doing a mental fist pump as it landed inside. Badass.

 

“I guess I’ll see you whenever you break into our home,” she shrugged, enjoying the idea of it being theirs, even if it was not in the traditional sense.

 

“Perhaps,” Agatha smirked, walking past Rio to leave the room. She caught a whiff of Agatha’s perfume, something floral yet a slight smokiness to it. It fit her to a tee.

 

She shook her head and left the now empty room. She was down bad but fuck if she didn’t want to come back up.

---

 

The store had a good trickle of customers come in, Sharon immediately asking where she was the day prior to which Rio made some excuse to satiate her. It was a pleasant day, truth be told. About an hour before closing, Billy strolled in carrying a lavender tea from her favorite shop along with his less relaxing espresso. 

 

“Bless you,” she grinned, taking the cup and inhaling the calming floral scent.

 

Billy hopped up on her counter, his legs dangling off like he belonged there. Truthfully he had helped her out more often than not, so she didn’t mind. Especially given no one else was in the shop at the moment.

 

“Day that bad?” he asked.

 

Rio chuckled and shook her head. “You don’t even know the half of it.”

 

“Wanna talk about it?” He nudged his shoulder against Rio’s to which she smiled softly but shook her head.

 

“No thanks, therapist Maximoff. How’s it going with you and Eddie?”

 

If Billy noticed the brush off she had given his question, he didn’t indicate it as he immediately blushed and launched into a story about their research together. Literally just research and nothing more. Maybe she wasn’t the one most hopelessly crushing between the two of them.

 

While Billy was talking, the front door bell rang, indicating a customer had walked in. The combination of BIlly on the counter in front of her and the flourishing plants in her shop blocked her view, but she called out a ‘welcome!’ anyway.

 

“And then he asked about Tommy like he really wanted to get to know me which is the sweetest thing I’ve ever–”

 

“Billy?”

 

The voice was familiar – too familiar. They both turned in tandem to see the woman plaguing Rio’s mind staring back at them, eyes darting between the two as if trying to figure out how they knew each other.

 

“Agatha?”

 

“Uhhh someone want to tell me what’s going on here?” Rio asked, hoping to be caught up on whatever backstory was clearly unknown to her.

 

“Rio, this is Agatha.”

 

Rio rolled her eyes in response. “I’m aware of that much.”

 

“I mean, she’s the one I’ve told you about before. Like, knows my mom and babysat me when I was a kid. That Agatha.”

 

Rio doesn’t recall Billy giving her a name of the person he had told her about previously but she certainly wouldn’t forget now.

 

“Wait, how do you know her?”

 

“I’m right here,” Agatha replied, arms crossed as if she were annoyed the two had conversed about her before.

 

“Uhh…” Rio trailed off, trying to quickly think of something other than ‘she’s the woman who I live with now because she drugged and kidnapped me by mistake.’

 

“It’s okay, you can tell him,” Agatha replied way too casually.

 

Rio looked at Agatha with confusion, sure Billy would have told her he knew someone like Agatha given her unique line of work. 

 

“Don’t be shy,” she smirked. “I’ll tell him then. I’ve given Rio here a grant to keep up the shop. She applied a few months ago and we just met this week to discuss how the funds will be used.”

 

Well, Agatha was certainly quick on her feet. She took it and ran with it, willing to use anything if it hid the truth behind it. She didn’t want to break into that right now, especially knowing she had a metaphorical hard-on for the woman who used to change her, albeit younger, best friend’s diapers. 

 

“I didn’t want to tell you in case I didn’t get it,” she said softly, acting the part of the embarrassed friend to Billy. She did feel slightly bad for lying to him, but she had no idea how to explain the truth to him and knew this would be for the better. She didn’t need him worrying more than he already did given her made-up eviction.

 

“Dude, that's awesome. Congrats!” Billy exclaimed, his pride for his friend showing on his face. She truly didn’t deserve a friend like him.

 

Rio blushed, half in shame, half in embarrassment of Agatha viewing her like this for a reason she couldn’t identify. 

 

“I came to see what my funds will be put to use for. I definitely agree with your decision to repaint that hideous mural outside.”

 

Okay, ouch. Clearly Rio hadn’t said anything about that given this was a made up scenario, but now she felt pressured to go with it even though she was the one to paint the mural in the first place.

 

“Mmm I haven’t fully decided on that yet,” she said, not willing to give Agatha all the power, even if it was fake.

 

“I insist,” Agatha replied easily, her voice giving her no room to budge. Well fuck, guess she’d have to figure something out now that Billy heard the whole conversation. 

 

“Man, small world. I didn’t know you even had grants at the chamber of commerce.”

 

Rio had to hold back a laugh, forcing herself to take a sip of the tea Billy had given her. The chamber of commerce? Really? That was what she told people she did?

 

“Mmm, yes dear, we love to support small struggling local businesses,” Agatha replied easily, apparently unable to keep herself from getting another dig at Rio.

 

“I wasn’t struggling that much,” she mumbled, frown bordering on a pout.

“What was that?” Agatha asked, eyebrows raised in amusement. She was having way too much fun with this.

 

“Just saying how very grateful I am to have you and your generosity,” Rio replied in fake amusement. Generous was certainly a choice word.

 

“It’s nothing, dear,” Agatha grinned, clearly satisfied with the interaction. 

 

Rio rolled her eyes but her gaze caught on the clock hanging on the wall behind Agatha.

 

“I’d love to continue this conversation, but the shop closed five minutes ago and I have somewhere I need to be.” A boldfaced lie which Agatha could see right through given their connection to each other.

 

“Oh gosh, I won’t keep you waiting then. Billy, it was so good seeing you.”

 

Then Agatha did something so out of character for the woman she had known for a little over 48 hours and easily wrapped her friend in a quick hug, even placing a small kiss on the crown of his head. “Tell your mom I said we need to have dinner sometime soon. My treat.”

 

“Yeah, of course,” Billy replied easily, as if the interaction wasn’t something currently breaking Rio’s mind. 

 

Agatha walked out of the shop and Rio waited until the last hints of the bell chime faded away before dragging a hand through her hair. What the fuck had she just witnessed and why was she suddenly jealous of her very gay friend in a clearly platonic relationship with the woman she couldn’t get out of her head?

 

Ah yes, literally because she couldn’t get her out of her head and she showed him more affection than anything she had experienced with her. Not that she was entitled to it but someone tell that to her horny ass brain. And vagina at that. 

 

“I have to go. Thank you for the tea,” she said softly, needing to get some air and get away from her friend who she was unfairly jealous of. She needed to rationalize her feelings because she wasn’t going to let whatever the fuck was going on with her get in the way of her friendship with Billy.

 

“Yeah, of course dude. I’ll see you at the club tomorrow?”

 

“Maybe. I haven’t decided yet.”

 

Billy smirked and shook his head.

 

“Damn, that woman from the other night must have really messed you up.”

 

Oh he had no idea.

Notes:

Check my tumblr for a promo photo of the chapter!
Also milf applications open pls im so single

Chapter 7: Softening

“ I could be your girlfriend for the weekend, you could be my boyfriend for the niggghht.” Rio sang along to the music she played while she took a shower. Had the movers packed her own shower products for her? Perhaps, but who would choose to use $3 body wash when whatever Agatha had in her bathroom most likely cost ten times as much?

 

“I’ve been feeling this familiar feeling like I’ve known you my whole liiife.” She thought on the day earlier and everything that happened. First, she swore she was wriggling herself through Agatha’s exterior even if she didn’t have definitive evidence. She brought her coffee and Agatha didn’t scoff at it or say it was too cheap for her or whatever rich women probably did. That was something right?

 

“I’ll t-t-t-take you to the garden of Eden, UH UH.” And then there was the revelation with Billy and Agatha. How was she supposed to hide that Agatha had not given her that fake grant? Had Billy been to the penthouse she was now in? How often did they talk? Sure, he had mentioned her before, but she didn’t remember much other than the fact she babysat him and was in the city. 

 

She turned the water off and grabbed her towel, pressing her face into it to dry it off, but also letting out a muffled groan.

 

Rio dried off her body and wrapped the towel around herself, shimmying her hips to the music emanating from her phone as she left the bathroom to grab pajamas. 

 

“Adjusting fine, I see,” a voice spoke from her bedroom door.

 

Rio jumped slightly from surprise and quickly placed a hand on her chest.

 

“FUCK. Agatha, what the fuck?” She asked, noticing the woman looking smug, a matching set of purple silk pajamas adorning her body. She held a glass of red wine in her hand, lifting it vaguely in Rio’s direction.

 

“I did knock,” she shrugged, most likely knowing there was no fucking way Rio would hear it over her music. Oh god, how long had she been standing there?

 

“I was going to suggest some drinks and a conversation regarding our conflict of interest.”

 

That was one way to put the situation. She couldn’t even process that given the shock of her being there. And pajamas? Was she staying the night?

 

“What if I didn’t have this towel around me?” She asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

Agatha took a long sip of her deep red wine before responding. “I told you before. Nothing I haven’t seen.”

 

Agatha is gay. Agatha likes women. Or at least she’s seen women nude before which means it was most likely sexual, right? Why was she getting jealous of strangers? God, focus.

 

“Right. Well, I’d still like to keep my modesty unless you had other ideas than just standing and staring at me,” she teased, but she didn’t feel as aloof as she sounded given her brain was now flooded with images of a scenario where she had no towel at all.

 

Agatha snorted, truly snorted, in response to that. “You and I both know you’re anything but modest.” She pushed herself off her position against the doorframe. “I’ll be in the living room.”

 

She then walked away as if she hadn’t short circuited Rio’s brain. Fuck.

 

She shut the door behind Agatha for the privacy she previously assumed she had with it open as well. Rio shuffled around in the box with her underwear she had yet to unpack and grabbed some green and black striped boxers to tug on followed by a t-shirt with a cactus wearing a cowboy hat and a mustache saying “what in carnation?” on it. It had been a gift from Billy actually, knowing she loved plant puns.

 

Once Rio toweled off her hair, she made her way to the living room, the coffee table adorned with a wine bottle and glass sitting out for her, already filled. Was that sweet or was she just allowing herself to believe every slightly kind gesture was Agatha showing interest in her?

 

“Thanks,” she said, grabbing the glass before perching on the opposite end of the couch from Agatha. She put an arm around the back of the seating to turn in her direction as they talked, her legs tucked beneath her.

 

“Mm,” Agatha hummed in acknowledgement, draining her glass before speaking again.

 

“So you’re the Rio that Billy has talked about,” she stated matter-of-factly.

 

Rio nodded in response, seeing there would be no casual chat before jumping into it. “And you’re the Agatha he bit once.” Rio remembered a particular story from Billy about getting a bit too into play-wrestling with Tommy and his babysitter to the point that he bit her to ensure she stayed on the floor after knocking her down.

 

Agatha smiled warmly at that, the memory no doubt running through her mind. “He never realized I was pretending I couldn’t get up, just did everything he could to make sure I could stay down even though it was my choice to begin with.”

 

Rio smiled in response, trying to imagine her now anxious friend doing anything like that. She wondered what Agatha looked like back then. She had a feeling her hair had always been that mangled and uncontrolled. On anyone else it would look unflattering, but not for Agatha, especially when she wore the big librarian glasses she sometimes would. She wanted to run her fingers through it, already imagining pressing her face to the top of her head, inhaling the scent she ran through her own hair just a few minutes ago. 

 

“Was it him you called me about yesterday?” Agatha asked, leaning her back across the arm of the couch to turn toward Rio.

 

Rio recalled the frantic phone call in the bathroom of the club, telling her she didn’t know what to tell her best friend when it came to her moving out. She nodded in response, taking a small sip of the wine.

 

Agatha ran a hand through her hair, flipping the part on the opposite side making it look even more voluminous. “That makes this more… difficult.”

 

Well, that was one word for it. 

 

“How often does he go to the club with you?” Agatha asked. Rio wasn’t sure why she was asking at first before she connected the dots. If he was there when they enacted their plan, he’d see them working together, pretending (at least probably on Agatha’s side) to flirt with each other.

 

“Enough for it to be likely Mommimoff will hear about us.”

 

“What did you just say?” Agatha asked, eyebrows drawn together.

 

“Oh, Mommimoff. You know, mommy Maximoff? I usually say it to piss Billy off.”

 

“That’s idiotic. And I will be stealing it to use on her.”

 

Rio burst out laughing, a slight smirk gracing Agatha’s face at the joke. This might be the first time Rio felt closer in the dynamic than the general disinterest Agatha had shielded herself with. “What are we going to do about him?” she asked once she was able to catch her breath.

 

Agatha apparently had thought about this before and answered without pause. “We tell him we’re dating. If he gets used to the idea beforehand, he won’t pester us when we need to get our job done.”

 

Rio swore her heart stopped beating for a moment. Pretending to date Agatha? More than just the one night they needed at the club?

 

“Sign me up,” she said unabashedly. Agatha already knew she was attracted to her, why waste time pretending to be modest.

 

Agatha raised her eyebrows in apparent surprise with Rio’s immediate agreement. She surely should have seen that coming, though perhaps Rio could have pretended to at least think about it before agreeing. Whatever.

 

“I’ve had many women throw themselves at me, but this is new,” Agatha replied, a knowing smirk on her beautiful kissable lips. Would kissing be a part of the arrangement? 

 

“I’d pretend to restore some dignity but I’m pretty sure it’s a moot point now,” Rio responded. She took a long sip of the wine Agatha had poured for her, trying to give herself time to think before she said anything else idiotic like how she had been upset it wasn’t some form of roleplay when Agatha walked into the interrogation initially.

 

“Cute,” Agatha grinned, doing nothing to ease the fluttering in Rio’s stomach. She felt like she was back in high school when her teacher crush told her she did a good job on her homework. She probably should have known back then that she had some mommy issues.

 

“Now, we wouldn’t need to do more than necessary, just enough for him to believe it.”

 

A light lit up in Rio’s mind, an idea forming that would aid them in convincing him. “I did tell him the marks were from a woman who I couldn’t get out of my head. I told him as an excuse to look for our target, but we could easily make it about you instead. I mean, technically you were the one to leave the marks.”

 

Agatha sipped her wine and slowly nodded, seeming to ponder the validity of the suggestion. “I suppose it could work. It would give us an alibi for longevity of the ‘relationship.’ Though it would imply we met at that infernal club which I can assure you I would never step foot in unless absolutely necessary.”

 

Rio rolled her eyes at the comment. “That’s besides the point. As long as he believes it, we’re fine.”

 

Agatha seemed to mull it over before reluctantly nodding, even if Rio could tell she despised the idea that she’d casually be in the club Rio frequented. “Alright.”

 

Agatha stood up and walked towards the kitchen, the open concept plan allowing Rio to see her when she was in the new room. “Have you eaten?” she asked, grabbing things from the fridge to presumably make something for herself.

 

“Not since lunch, but you don’t have to make me anything.”

 

Agatha waved it off, grabbing two bowls for their meal. “Are you good with a greek salad?”

 

“Uh, I think? What’s in it?”

 

Agatha placed a hand on her chest and gasped as if it was a personal affront. “You don’t know what’s in a greek salad? Hooneyy. It’s feta cheese, it’s tomato, and it’s olives. And it’s a little bit of olive oil and some pepper. It’s delicious. Sometimes you can put some mint or some lettuce in there but the basis is feta cheese.”

 

Oh, the casual name did something to Rio’s insides that she didn’t want to name. She attempted to get her head on straight and dignify Agatha with a response. “For someone so shocked about my love for plants, you sure do like talking about them, even if it’s just for eating.”

 

Agatha shook her head and diced some tomato, pausing to point the tip of the knife at Rio. “This is much different.” She went back to dicing the food, a small smirk on her lips.

 

Rio simply watched as Agatha finished up and brought two plates over, handing one to Rio before sitting in her former spot with her own. “Go ahead,” she nodded towards Rio.

 

Rio took a forkful of the salad and ate it, savoring the mix of flavors together. She let out a small hum of approval and gave Agatha a thumbs up.

 

“Good girl,” Agatha smirked, taking her own bite.

 

That damn fucking phrase. Agatha had to know what it did to her because no one just casually said that enough to be common vernacular, right?

 

Rio shook her head as if to shake away the thoughts and steered the conversation away. “So I’m guessing by your attire you’re staying here tonight?”

 

Agatha licked some olive oil off her lips before responding, Rio’s eyes immediately drifting to the motion.

 

“I am. I have business near here tomorrow so it’s more convenient to stay.”

 

Mhmm mhmm, made sense. Rio definitely wasn’t thinking about Agatha being in another room where she was staying. Definitely wasn’t wondering where the movers put her ‘intimate toys’ and how long it would take to find them. She really needed a therapist. Or an exorcist.

 

“Does this mean you’ll make me coffee tomorrow?” she teased, veering away from the more explicit thoughts of Agatha, though the thought of waking up to Agatha making coffee for her could very easily turn into something rated R as well if she put too much thought into it.

 

Agatha rolled her eyes and finished off her food. “If it prevents you from trying to use the machine I suppose I can.”

 

Rio did a fist pump which only made Agatha roll her eyes more. She slid off the couch and brought her plate to the kitchen again, rinsing it off before putting it in the dishwasher. 

“I’m going to bed.”

 

“Sweet dreams, sleeping beauty,” Rio replied, tongue sticking inside her cheek at the playful response.

 

Agatha turned around and flipped her off, walking to whatever room she was sleeping in without responding.

 

Rio grinned, flopping her head back on the couch with a soft smile on her face. 

Notes:

For a photo promo, check out my twitter or tumblr. Shout out to agathariomushroomgirl on tumblr for helping find the photo I was looking for!

Chapter 8: Prep

It took Rio a few seconds after waking up to remember where she was, even if it was her third day in the penthouse. The moment she realized this, she remembered the promised coffee from Agatha and tossed on the clothes nearest her, not wanting to feel dressed down in her pajamas, as she had the first morning Agatha showed up.

 

For her, this meant rummaging around the boxes she still had yet to unpack and grabbing the first thing she touched – today being some sweatpants and a shirt with a dinosaur on it, the words ‘I’m a nervous Rex’ displayed under the depiction. Good enough. She padded down the hall into the kitchen and was immediately hit with the scent of fresh coffee. The smell alone made her sigh softly.

 

When she walked into the kitchen, she noticed very quickly that Agatha was not there. So much for deciding to change. On the island, a thermos with coffee was sitting with a note next to it that read, “Here’s to another day without a broken coffee machine -A.”

 

Rio rolled her eyes but sipped the coffee all the same. She was surprised that it was made exactly how she liked, something she was sure she had never mentioned to Agatha. Surely Alice couldn’t have been able to hack into whatever and tell Agatha what it was. She doubted Agatha would go that far to impress her anyway, but the sentiment, whether intentional or not, was still nice.

 

She roamed around the rooms aimlessly, realizing this was her first time she had the freedom to do so. There really were too many rooms to comprehend someone needing, let alone someone who was single and owned another property. Well, technically she wasn’t single anymore, but still.

 

The reminder made Rio’s stomach flip. She really was a bit too giddy for this made up relationship but hey, when a milf suggests something like this, you say yes.

 

This gave Rio an idea, a plan for the day forming in her mind as she thought of it. She grabbed her keys, happy the coffee was in a portable cup, and travelled directly to her store.

 

It was closed today, but she figured why she was there she would care for her plants. Taking care of them always calmed her mind, the meticulous needs of each one keeping her concentrating and preventing her thoughts from getting too out of hand.

 

Making sure each plant got the right amount of water and soil was an art, one that she believed many people overlooked and took for granted, often leading to plants dying not long after being purchased, but she had done what she could while they were in her care.

 

She made her way over to the cacti section and stroked the petal of one, the plant she intended to bring home. It was called the Agatha Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus, perfect for the woman she couldn’t get out of her head.

 

Rio grinned and grabbed the pot, transferring it to a decorative planter before stepping back and admiring it. Perfect.

 

She locked up the store when she had taken care of the rest of the greenery and made her way back to the penthouse, whistling a nameless tune as she made her way back in.

 

She noticed Agatha’s keys were still gone, which was slightly disappointing, but it would give her time to finally unpack instead of being distracted by the older woman.

 

Rio placed the plant on her own windowsill for the moment, not wanting to give the gift away before she could speak on it, and turned some music on her phone.

 

She frowned at the amount of boxes she had, but knew it would be better once it was all put away. She couldn’t lie and say she wasn’t getting tired of fishing through the boxes for specific things.

 

‘Are you someone that I could give my heart to, or just the poison that I’m drawn to, it can be hard to tell the difference late at night.’

 

Rio sang along to the music as she danced around the room, unpacking boxes at random and finding spots for the contents around the room. A shirt in the closet here, a framed painting of a renaissance cat there, bathroom products conveniently in the trash so, oh no, she supposed she’d just have to use Agatha’s. Such a shame.

 

“Need someone to hold me close, deeper than I’ve ever known, whose love feels like a rodeo, knows just how to take control,” Rio sang along to the chorus using the bottom of a hairbrush she had just pulled out of the box in front of her.

 

“Are you somebody who can go there? 'Cause I don't wanna have to show ya. If that ain't you, then let me know, yeah, 'Cause training season's over,” she continued to sing, tossing her head back as she did wild dance moves. She spun around in the slight interlude in the song just in time to see Agatha standing in the doorway yet again. She was getting deja vu from the night before.

 

Agatha appeared to be attempting to hold back laughter at Rio’s surprise, clearly amused by the show.

 

“Do you make it a habit of sneaking up on people or is it just me?” Rio asked, tossing the brush aside as if it would make her antics be forgotten.

 

“Don’t blame me for your lack of instincts,” Agata tossed back. 

 

Rio glanced at her with a slight frown, though not truly upset. She was coming to enjoy the banter between them and learning when Agatha was being serious versus teasing. 

“I see you’re still committed to dressing like a kid who just picked their clothes out for the first time,” Agatha continued, nodding towards Rio’s clothes.

 

She couldn’t really retort given Agatha was wearing a coat and a hit of a black shirt beneath, her wild hair that Rio obsessed over slightly tamed, but only just.

 

“I’ll have you know I like being comfy. Plus it was the first thing I could find when I got up. Thank you for the coffee by the way.”

 

Agatha hummed noncommittedly, her face still showing a slight hint of disapproval for the clothing. 

 

“Oh!” Rio turned quickly, grabbing the potted plant to hold out for Agatha. “I got this for you.”

 

Agatha raised an eyebrow, taking in the plant before her. She had yet to reach out for it, instead choosing to question it.

 

“And why would I want something I’d need to take care of when I’m not here half the time?”

 

Rio rolled her eyes, wondering why Agatha had to be so stubborn, but she supposed she wouldn't be Agatha if she wasn’t stubborn. “I can take care of it. I just thought it would look nice. No offense but the place feels kind of… sterile,” she replied, taking a second to think of the word she could use without offending Agatha.

 

“Right,” Agatha replied, still sounding skeptical. “So it’s for me, for you to take care of.”

 

Rio placed a hand behind her neck, admitting it didn’t really sound like much of a gift when it was framed that way.

 

“I just thought you’d like it. It’s called Agatha. Like, I didn’t name it that because that would be weird, but its official name is Agatha, or Agatha Epiphyllum Orchid Cactus. Just made me think of you but I can see it’s not the best thing to get you now.”

 

Agatha’s face softened slightly and she took the potted plant out of Rio’s hands, placing it on the ground next to them. She placed a gentle hand on Rio’s cheek, her thumb slightly rubbing back and forth. Rio wasn’t sure if that was intentional or not but she didn’t have time to ponder it.

 

“That’s very thoughtful of you, pet,” Agatha finally said.

 

Agatha removed her hand but Rio caught her wrist quickly, searching Agatha’s eyes for, well she wasn’t really sure. She cleared her throat and let go, forgetting herself in that moment.

 

“Yeah, of course.”

 

The older woman smiled and picked up the plant again. “I’ll put it on the kitchen island. Meet me when you’re able to take a break. Alice and Jen have updates we need to discuss.”

 

Rio nodded as Agatha turned and walked away. She ran her hands over her face at the interaction that just occurred, her mind whirring with so many questions about what Agatha truly thought and whether she had made a mistake with the plant. All the while her phone continued to play music, the conversation ending in the middle of her phone streaming fucking All I Wanted by Paramore of all things.

 

She groaned and grabbed her phone, pressing pause before shoving it in her pocket. She made her way to the living room where Agatha was sitting, her spot the same as the night before when they shared genuine casual conversation. She felt it was a turning point for them, but that could just be her being hopeful. And horny, if she were being honest.

 

Rio sat down at her position the night before as well, body turned to face Agatha.

 

“We’ve made progress,” Agatha began. “Alice tracked one of the potential targets from the club and we’ve cut them from the possible perpetrators. We have enough evidence to prove it isn’t her at the very least. That leaves us with two. Jen was able to chat with another and slipped the Goddess pseudonym in the conversation but the woman looked clueless. Either good acting or she’s really not our guy. We’re still monitoring the situation but it’s getting closer.”

 

Rio nodded along at the debrief. She knew it wouldn’t take long now that there were only two people they were debating between, which meant…

 

“We have to tell Billy about us then. If we don’t want him getting in the way when we go in, he needs to get used to the idea.”

 

Agatha simply nodded at the remark and took a few moments before responding. “I’ll ask him over for dinner tonight.”

 

“And then I have to tell him ‘Surprise, I was lying this whole time! I wasn’t actually evicted, I was just shacking up with a milf that you happened to know since birth?’” Rio questioned, the idea sounding ridiculous. 

 

Agatha rolled her eyes in response, making Rio yet again feel inferior. “No one said we had to tell him you live here. For all he knows, you came from your new place to meet here as well.”

 

Well, she did have a point. Maybe she shouldn’t jump to conclusions all the time.

 

Rio sighed before responding. “Okay, that can work.”

 

“Oh darling, I know it would work. And just so you know, I’m not a mother so your little acronym isn’t applicable, however flattering it is.”

 

Rio’s face reddened slightly but she didn’t back down. “It’s more of an attitude than literal. Plus technically you’re a plant mom now.”

 

Agatha let out a slight chuckle which made Rio’s heart lift simply knowing she had been the cause of it. “I suppose you have a point.”

 

Rio smiled at Agatha’s acceptance, trying not to think about how they would act tonight. Agatha was already slightly flirtatious, if only to get a reaction from Rio, but they would actually have to act like they were a couple which was vastly different in Rio’s mind.

 

“You should probably be the one to ask him. It would be weird coming from me since he doesn’t know about ‘us’ yet,” Rio replied, using air quotes around the implication of their relationship.

 

“Mm, I suppose I shall. Please tell me you aren’t planning to wear that tonight though,” Agatha asked pointedly, her eyes once again roaming Rio’s body, her nose crinkled as if in disgust. Rio would be annoyed if she didn’t look so cute doing it. God, that nose. She imagined it beneath her as she writhed… NOPE not thinking about that right now.

 

“I guess I’m not,” she managed to reply, looking down at the couch as if doing so would give her a better chance of seeing Rio’s reaction.

 

“Good girl,” Agatha praised. She stood up and grabbed her phone before walking away to presumably dial Billy, leaving Rio on the couch, sliding down as she covered her face from her reaction from that comment as if Agatha didn’t know what she was doing. It was going to be a long fucking night.

 

---

 

Rio did decide to change, though some grumbling to herself may have been involved. 

 

She certainly wasn’t going to dress up but she did switch out the sweatpants for jeans and traded the tshirt for, well, another tshirt though this one was for a band. She quickly pulled her hair up into a bun and nodded to herself in the mirror. Good enough to hopefully appease Agatha but not too much to make Billy wonder what happened to the ‘old’ Rio.

 

She walked back out to the kitchen area, smiling at the scent of food cooking and seeing Agatha at the stove. It felt domestic, which she supposed was good given their upcoming ‘act.’

 

“Smells good,” she commented honestly, leaning her back against the counter next to Agatha.

 

The woman in question turned to glance at Rio, seemingly approving of her change in clothing since she didn’t comment on it. “Chicken alla vodka,” she replied instead, flipping over the chicken in the pan.

 

“Ooo you didn’t say vodka would be involved,” Rio replied, her toothy grin showing as she searched for the drink, causing Agatha to roll her eyes.

 

“It’s in the sauce. It won’t have any effect of alcohol. Surely someone has taught you this much?”

 

“I was just fucking with you,” Rio teased, nudging Agatha’s arm with her elbow. “When’s Billy supposed to get here?”

 

Agatha glanced at the clock on the wall beside her. “About 5 minutes.”

 

So not much time until the show was on. “So… how exactly should we act?” Rio pried.

 

Agatha turned off the stove and moved the boiling water to strain out the pasta in the sink before answering. “How do you typically act with partners?” She asked before quickly adding, “Actually, I don’t want to know that. Just make it look convincing. I’ll do my part and you’ll do your little puppy dog eyes and he won’t know any better.”

 

Little puppy dog eyes? Is that how Agatha saw her? She wasn’t sure if she should be proud of it or embarrassed. Maybe a bit of both?

 

“Okay, but what about–” Rio was cut off by the sound of a knock on the door. Fuck, no more questions then. 

 

“Ready?” she asked instead, raising an eyebrow in question.

 

Agatha chuckled darkly and leaned in, her mouth close enough to Rio’s ear that she could feel the breath she exhaled. “Don’t worry, ‘Mommy’s’ got this.”

 

Rio froze, though her body was anything but cold. Is this how Agatha would be all afternoon? She let out a soft sigh that bordered closely on a whimper as Agatha moved away, a knowing smirk on her face telling her she knew exactly what she was doing. 

 

Rio had no time to process the interaction, as Agatha turned and walked to let Billy in, of course acting nonchalantly while Rio felt her body was going to implode. God save her, this night would be never ending.

Notes:

As always, if you want to see my beautifully crafted (canva) photo promo for the chapter, check out my twitter or tumblr.

Chapter 9: The Reveal

Rio watched as Agatha greeted Billy, wrapping him in a brief hug that definitely didn’t make her jealous one bit. He took off his shoes at the door, seemingly unaware of the additional presence in the penthouse as he began chattering away to Agatha.

 

“I haven’t been here in ages. Smells good, by the way. What did you make– Rio?”

 

Welp, time to put the plan into action.

 

“Hey dude,” Rio replied casually, stuffing her hands in her pockets awkwardly. Agatha though seemed unfazed and walked over to Rio, placing an arm around her waist.

 

“I suppose now would be the time to tell you I didn’t just invite you over to dinner,” Agatha commented.

 

Billy’s eyes darted between the two women to the hand on Rio’s waist that was absolutely making her brain malfunction and back to Agatha. “You– huh?”

 

Agatha chuckled softly. She was close enough to Rio now that she could feel the reverberations of the laugh, making her subconsciously lean into her more.

 

“So Agatha may have been the woman I told you about. The one I couldn’t get out of my head,” Rio replied, figuring they should just rip the bandaid off as it was. Her expression was genuine as she spoke though given in a way Agatha really was someone she couldn’t keep out of her mind.

 

“So you left the club together and…” he trailed off, his mind connecting the dots before him as he screwed his face up in disgust. “Gross! Like, I’m happy for you, I think, but wow. Didn’t see that one coming.”

 

Rio chuckled in reply, blushing slightly at his reaction.

 

“I didn’t particularly see it coming either,” Agatha spoke up beside Rio. “I mean, she isn’t exactly my usual type.”

 

Ouch.

 

“But there was something about her,” Agatha shrugged, casually turning to place a kiss on Rio’s cheek which immediately made the blood rush to her face.

 

“Well I feel like I don’t need to explain. I mean, look at her,” Rio replied, attempting to regain her composure.

 

Billy shook his head and stayed silent for a few moments before replying. “Well, Agatha is definitely your type. I guess I can see it. I mean of course I see it,” he gestured to the two still wrapped together, “but wow. Sorry, it’s just going to take a little getting used to.”

 

Agatha removed herself from her position next to Rio, the absence of her hand leaving her waist cold, the younger woman immediately missing the contact.

 

“I understand it’s a lot. Take as much time as you need, dear. I’d like to suggest we move this conversation to the dinner table though before the food gets cold.”

 

Once they were seated and happily eating Agatha’s cooking, Billy spoke up again, breaking the silence. 

 

“So you two. Are you guys like, a thing or is it casual?” he asked, looking like he’d rather ask anything else.

 

Rio glanced at Agatha, unsure of what exactly she’d want her to say but Agatha jumped in easily as if this wasn’t a conversation she was making up on the spot.

 

“It started casual, but now…” Agatha bit her bottom lip, Rio’s eyes immediately darting to the action. “I’d expect to see us together more often.”

 

Billy took a bite, using the time to seemingly digest the information. “Okay,” he responded once he swallowed. “But don’t expect me to take sides or something. I don’t want to be in the middle of whatever goes on between you two.”

 

Rio chuckled and leaned over to ruffle Billy’s hair, immediately causing him to swat her arm away and attempt to put it back in place. “We wouldn’t do that to you.” That much she knew enough to declare without looking to Agatha for guidance, especially given the fact they were not actually dating so there would be nothing to get between.

 

The rest of the meal went well after the initial awkwardness of the new dynamic between all of them. Soon they were relaxing in the living room, Billy on a loveseat and Agatha and Rio sharing the couch. Agatha had leaned her back against the arm of the sofa and propped her feet up on Rio’s lap as if she had done so many times before.

 

Rio took a sip of the wine Agatha had poured for them and absentmindedly began massaging Agatha’s foot, really just needing something to occupy her free hand. She hadn’t done it to get some kind of reaction out of Agatha, but the moment she added some pressure to the ball of her foot, Agatha let out a sigh verging on something less PG. Rio tried her best not to squirm given Agatha would absolutely be able to tell how affected she was by that small sound.

 

Billy was happily chattering away, giving Rio time to take in the moment. She could see Agatha nodding along to the conversation, appearing to genuinely care about what he was discussing. She wondered how she had been friends with Billy for so long without meeting Agatha before, but she was positive she hadn’t because she absolutely would have remembered the woman currently plaguing her mind. The woman whose feet were in her lap like she had been doing this forever with her. The woman whose lips were slightly red from the wine she had just taken a sip of. Rio wondered if she would be able to taste it on her lips if they were to kiss.

 

While Rio was lost in thought, Agatha’s phone buzzed and Agatha took the chance to read it, her expression remaining neutral until there was a lull in the conversation.

 

“Honey, do we have plans tomorrow night?” Agatha asked, her foot slowly flexing most likely unconsciously, but Rio went back to massaging it all the same.

 

“I don’t think so,” Rio replied, unsure of where Agatha had intended for the conversation to go.

 

“I think we should go back to where we first met.” Ah. So the text was about the Goddess of Death. Fuck, that meant tomorrow she’d officially become an accessory to murder, no big deal.

 

Rio cleared her throat before shaking her head. “Yeah, that would be nice.”

 

“Oh I’m definitely coming along,” Billy replied. Rio jolted slightly at his response, momentarily forgetting he was even there. “I need to see Agatha in the club. I can’t picture it.”

 

Agatha snorted in response, something Rio found absolutely adorable. “I’ll have you know I was there for work. I would never have willingly stepped foot in an establishment like that. At least before meeting Rio.”

 

Of course Agatha couldn’t help but to assert just how much she would never frequent the places Rio would, but she wasn’t offended given Agatha would be going with her tomorrow anyway. Plus it was difficult to be frustrated with her when she looked so good.

 

“Please tell me I can pick out what you’re wearing tomorrow,” Rio replied, knowing if Agatha had the choice, she’d show up looking like she was there for a business meeting.

 

“Absolutely not,” Agatha predictably refused, using her foot to nudge Rio slightly. “Seeing what you wear leaves a lot to be desired. I will be perfectly fine wearing something of my own choosing.”

 

“Ouch,” Rio replied before smirking, knowing she’d be able to retort without much admonishment given Billy was present. “What if I wear things you don’t like intentionally so you can take them off of me?”

 

It was bolder than she would typically be around Agatha, but not out of the norm when around others less intimidating. Plus with Billy there, she knew she could feel a bit more confident in her teasing.

 

“Is that what you call it when you’re begging me to take them off?”Agatha retorted. Unfortunately she replied as soon as Rio took a sip of her wine, causing her to sputter and cough in surprise. Of fucking course Agatha couldn’t help but to one-up her at every chance.

 

Thankfully she was spared a response when Billy covered his face and groaned. “Not in front of me my God.”

 

“Apologies, Teen,” Agatha said, though the smirk still on her face showed just how much she did not care.

 

“I’m not even a teen anymore,” Billy grumbled, crossing his arms which did nothing to help his negation at the comment.

 

“Poor innocent Billy,” Rio added in, happily taking away the attention from how flustered she had been. “How’s it going with Eddie by the way?”

 

The topic change was perfect and soon enough Billy was going on and on about his feelings for his project partner. Rio half listened, half paid attention to Agatha. She had continued to rub Agatha’s feet before moving slightly up to her calves. Sure, it may be a bit much but she couldn’t help herself and she’d stop if Agatha wanted her to, but given the older woman sighed softly when Rio paid more attention to that area, it didn’t appear she’d be reprimanded any time soon.

 

“-- then he stayed longer even after we finished what we needed for the night,” Billy completed, Rio tuning in halfway through but enough to get an idea of the conversation.

 

“You’re adorable,” she couldn’t help but to tease, causing the eyelined boy to blush. 

 

“And that’s my cue to leave,” he groaned, setting his drink aside before standing.

 

Rio reluctantly stopped letting her hands trail the curves of Agatha’s lower legs and stood up, following Agatha and Billy to the door. She was feeling slightly bold, perhaps from the wine, and stood behind Agatha, her arms wrapping around her waist as she rested her chin on the older woman’s shoulder.

 

Surprisingly Agatha seemed to lean into the position, though most likely just to continue to sell the idea that they were together.

 

“Well, can’t say I walked in here expecting this but it was actually nice. You guys are cute together,” Billy commented, sliding his shoes back on.

 

Rio felt her face warm and she unconsciously held Agatha closer, grinning to herself that Billy hadn't seen through the ruse and apparently approved of them, even if they were putting up a front. She turned her head slightly, taking in the smoky scent being so near Agatha. 

 

Agatha in turn tilted her head to the side and kissed Rio’s cheek. If she hadn’t been flustered before, she certainly was now.

 

“Thank you, dear,” Agatha replied smoothly, as if she hadn’t just short circuited Rio’s brain. God her lips were as soft as she was imagining and that was only on her cheek. She imagined what it would feel like to feel them on her own lips. 

 

“Guess I’ll see you guys tomorrow. I can’t wait,” Billy commented earnestly. Rio grinned, also anticipating the following night even if the reason they’d be there was nowhere near what Billy was imagining.

 

“Me too,” she commented in earnest.

 

Once the door had shut behind Billy, Rio reluctantly pulled away from Agatha. It was maybe one of the hardest things she had ever done, and she was only exaggerating a little.

 

“I think that went well,” she commented, running a hand through her hair as Agatha led them both back to the living room. Agatha grabbed their glasses and went to refill them as she responded.

 

“He appears to have taken it well. At least after the initial shock.”

 

Rio chuckled, remembering his flabbergasted look from earlier. “He did. You did some good acting,” she shrugged, thanking Agatha for her refilled glass when Agatha returned to the couch with it newly refilled.

 

“Honey, I didn’t need to do much. Your actions did all the talking.”

 

There was that pet name again. She was sure Agatha used it with anyone but it still sent a thrill through her hearing it aimed at her.

 

“I mean, you seemed to enjoy the foot massage,” Rio replied once she gained composure. 

 

Agatha’s grin turned into a smirk. “I’m never one to turn down some pampering. And you were doing such a good job.”

 

“Icandoitmoreoftenifyouwant,” Rio replied immediately before she could even think. She placed her hands over her face when she realized she had just blurted that out like a fucking creep.

 

Of course Agatha only continued to smirk at Rio’s reaction. She really must get off on seeing Rio trip over herself whenever her brain decided to act like this, which was pretty fucking often. 

 

“I wouldn’t turn it down,” Agatha shrugged casually before taking a big sip of her drink.

 

“Oh, okay,” Rio responded, not actually expecting her to agree to it. She hadn’t even meant to offer in the first place but now she was glad she had. “I didn’t do too much, did I?” she asked, thinking Agtha most likely would have indicated to her if she went too far but she wanted to make sure.

 

“Too much? That was tame, pet. Tomorrow I expect to be worse given we’ll be in public and will need to be subtle enough for our target not to notice us.”

 

Worse? Oh fuck her, she wasn’t going to make it out alive if Agatha kept it up.

 

“Right…yeah, that sounds uh, good.” Rio stumbled over the words and took a gulp of her wine to cover up the awkwardness.

 

Agatha chuckled, her voice slightly husky which did things to Rio’s body. “Keep it up. You made Mommy proud.”

 

Rio quickly gulped down the rest of the wine and stood up abruptly, her face heating at the comment.

 

“I think I should go to bed. Tonight uh…wore me out,” the said quickly, heading straight for her room knowing Agatha probably sat there with a satisfied grin on her lips. Those perfectly soft and very kissable lips.

 

Rio shut the door and locked it when she got into her room. She double checked it was locked before going to her nightstand and grabbing her rose toy. Fuck it. Agatha had teased her too much tonight, she needed some fucking relief. 

 

If this was what happened after the flirting from the night, how the hell was she going to survive tomorrow?

 

Chapter 10: Into Action

Agatha and Rio spent the majority of the next day apart, much to Rio’s displeasure. She couldn’t exactly complain though, given Agatha said she would be meeting with Alice and Jen to go over the specifics of the case. Case, yeah, as if what they were doing was anything even remotely legal.

 

Rio meanwhile had gone to her shop and ran it for the day, feeling bad for neglecting it recently due to all of the chaos her past week had been. It was refreshing to be around her familiar space and to fall back into the routine of taking care of her plants. She had another purpose for being there, of course. Rio needed to gather the peas that Agatha would be using later.

 

Rio ran a hand through her hair, the reality of the situation still not fully kicking in. She wasn’t sure it ever would until it actually happened. She let out a slow breath through her mouth and pocketed the required flora before closing up shop.

 

She pulled out her phone to check the time and saw she had just enough left to get back and change for the night. A smile formed as her thoughts drifted to the less dangerous parts the night would entail. Agatha would yet again pretend she was dating Rio which at the very least meant more contact between them. She wondered what Agatha would choose to wear. Would she be prissy and refuse to wear anything remotely casual or would she actually listen to Rio and try to fit in?

 

With that thought, Rio let herself into the penthouse and placed the beads on the kitchen counter. Her eye caught the plant she had gifted Agatha earlier this week, a smile gracing her lips yet again at the reminder. Might as well water it while she was there. 

 

Rio stuck a finger in the soil to test the saturation and was surprised to see it had been watered already. Was Agatha actually taking care of it?

 

She walked to her room with a slight bounce in her step at the indication that Agatha may actually care about something she had gifted her. It could mean nothing and probably did, but it still made Rio giddy nonetheless. 

 

She hummed a nonsensical tune to herself while she tossed on a new outfit, casual jeans with a black tshirt. It wasn’t anything outside of what she would normally wear to the club which was the point. She glanced around the room and decided on a whim to grab some sunglasses as well. Sure, maybe it would be abnormal for her to wear them inside but it would help prevent others from seeing her roaming eyes when it came to their target. God, she couldn’t believe she was thinking like that.

 

Rio sighed and grabbed the shades, sliding them on the ridge of her nose before she could second-guess herself.

 

“Rio, are you here?” The voice of Agatha called from somewhere in the home.

 

A grin crossed her features as she headed towards the noise. “Yeah, I’ll meet you out there. Just finished up.”

 

Rio made her way to the living room and paused in her steps the moment she saw Agatha. Fuck. Fuuuuck. 

 

There Agatha stood in jeans that hugged her curves, a brown belt holding them up though most likely there for show given how the fabric already clung to her. Above the belt, she wore a white tank top, bra straps slightly outside the area covering her shoulders from the tank. And her hair. Fuck. It didn’t even look like she knew brushes existed and Rio had never been more turned on.

 

“Close your mouth, darling, you’ll catch flies,” Agatha teased, her signature smirk plastered on her face.

 

Rio, unaware she had stood there gawking at Agatha with her mouth open, quickly clamped her jaw shut and shook her head as if that could help pull herself together. It did not.

 

“Fuck, Agatha you look…” she trailed off, unsure how to end the sentence. She wasn’t sure there was a term in any language that could capture the mix of emotions she was feeling at that moment.

 

Agatha’s gaze trailed Rio’s body, taking in what she wore as well. Black and white, how they went together. It wasn’t even planned. 

 

“You clean up well yourself,” Agatha replied, gathering the peas Rio had placed on the counter earlier. “Come, pet. We’ll discuss the plan on the way.”

 

Rio didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly followed out the door behind Agatha like a lovesick puppy, which perhaps wasn’t very far from what she was feeling.

 

The walk to the club consisted mostly of pure business talk, Agatha explaining the plan. It was pretty simple given the magnitude of it. They would hang around the bar as Rio was apt to do so as to not look suspicious. Meanwhile, they would both keep an eye out for their target. Once spotted, they would find a way over to the drink of this Goddess of Death. The method of doing so relied on a variety of factors but it seemed Agatha had a plan for basically any scenario. 

 

As they entered the club, Agatha grabbed Rio’s hand, entwining their fingers together. Rio felt a warmth spread in her chest and couldn't help but to grin at the touch, even if it was all for show.

 

Billy was already there and waved the couple over to their usual spot. He glanced at their hands briefly as if he had forgotten the revelation from the day before, but he seemed to break out of it quickly and handed Rio her usual beer.

 

“I didn’t know what to order for you,” he replied apologetically to Agatha, who waved it off. They both knew she wouldn’t be drinking tonight anyway, needing her mind completely clear for the events that would be preceding. 

 

They fell into casual conversation but Agatha of course was keeping her eye out the entire time. The older woman had shown Rio a photo of who they were looking for and Rio was slightly familiar with her given it appeared they both frequented the location. That helped given she knew the woman liked to stick to the outside corner of the club, probably staking out the scene, not unlike Rio.

 

It took perhaps fifteen minutes before she spotted her, right where she predicted. Back corner of the building, hands in pockets, long black hair, and dark makeup. She wasn’t unattractive, but no one compared to Agatha at this point.

 

Speaking of, Rio nudged the woman with her elbow and nodded in the direction of their target, Agatha’s eyes casually scanning the room before landing on her. 

 

“Hey, we’re going to go dance,” Rio spoke up, tugging Agatha along with her. This was part of what they had planned, dancing a bit to look inconspicuous as they made their way across the room.

 

Billy didn’t seem to mind, though she didn’t really look back to check as she stopped in the middle of the room, suddenly very aware of what they were about to do. It was a club, not some fancy ballroom or anything. The dancing at clubs… she hadn’t really thought about the reality of the situation before ending up here.

 

Agatha on the other hand didn’t appear to care and turned Rio around, her hands gripping Rio’s hips to tug her close to her front. Fuck, she knew it wasn’t the building temperature that suddenly rose in that second.

 

Agatha leaned forward, her mouth next to Rio’s ear as she guided her hips to move against her. It took Rio a few seconds for her brain to jump start and eventually she responded, reveling in the absurdity of her grinding her ass against Agatha.

 

“I’ve got my eye on her, you just look like you’re enjoying this,” Agatha’s husky voice spoke next to her ear. Rio could feel the heat of her breath glancing across her skin which made her groan in response. She certainly wouldn’t need to pretend to enjoy anything when it came to this.

 

Rio continued what she was doing and drew in a quick breath when she felt the warm press of Agatha’s lips on her neck. Without thinking Rio tilted her head to the side to give her all the space she wanted.

 

“Eager girl,” Agatha teased between kisses, doing nothing to cool the heat burning inside her.

 

“Thought we were focusing,” Rio responded, knowing she wanted anything but to keep her mind on the target given the current situation.

 

“And I’ve got that handled,” Agatha responded easily, her tongue dragging up the column of her throat. Rio didn’t even try to stop the moan that escaped her at the action because who the fuck would?

 

“Agatha,” she groaned, leaning fully into the woman.

 

Agatha suddenly bit down on the tender skin just beneath her jaw before moving back next to Rio’s ear. “Come, pretty girl. It’s time.”

 

Under other circumstances Rio would absolutely be coming for Agatha, but unfortunately this simply met following her AND losing the warmth of her pressed behind her. 

 

Agatha tightened her grip on Rio’s hips for a second before grabbing her hand again, pulling her closer to their target.

 

She stopped abruptly, causing Rio to run directly into her. “What-”

 

Agatha turned towards Rio with a serious look on her face. “Kiss me.”

 

Rio’s brain froze. Kiss her? Like, here? Now?

 

Seeing the confusion on her face, Agatha sighed and wrapped her arms around Rio as a ruse to get close enough without others eavesdropping.

 

“Kiss me and back up enough to bump into her. I’ll slip the bead in her drink while she’s distracted.”

 

Ah, yeah, that made sense. Fuck, she felt like a teenager again kissing a girl for the first time. Her tongue darted out to lick her lips before leaning in, Agatha meeting her halfway.

 

The kiss was, well it was incredible. Rio placed a hand on the nape of Agatha’s neck and the other on her back, keeping her close. She took a second before doing as Agatha instructed and started backing up slowly. 

 

Everything was going to plan when she felt it. Agatha’s tongue parting her lips. Rio moaned in response and opened her mouth more for her, willing to give Agatha anything she wanted as she continued backing up. She was completely and utterly lost in the moment, her hand gripping the hair at the base of Agatha’s neck before her ass connected with something she could only assume to be their target. 

 

She should have been more prepared, as she soon felt liquid splashing her back. She broke away from Agatha in response and jumped at the unexpected event.

 

“I’m so sorry,” she apologized, turning to see their target with her now empty glass staring at her as if she wasn’t sure whether or not to be amused or upset. “We got uh, a little carried away.”

 

Agatha said nothing, but grabbed Rio’s upper arm, slightly tugging her away.

 

“Sorry again!” Rio shouted, allowing herself to be dragged back to the bar.

 

It fucking failed. They weren’t caught, thank god, but still. Fuck, she should have been paying more attention but Agatha fucking shoved her tongue down her throat and- fuck, it was all messed up.

 

“Shots. Tequila. Five,” Agatha stated to the bartender who to his credit didn’t bat an eye.

 

“Agatha, are you sure–” Rio began before Agatha interrupted.

 

“It’s in your best interest to shut the hell up, Vidal.”

 

Well, that would do it. Rio shut her mouth and reached for a shot when the bartender brought them back, but Agatha batted her hand aside. Rio raised an eyebrow at the motion before realization hit her.

 

Agatha downed all five shots in quick succession as if they were nothing but water. Rio’s eyes connected with Billy’s across the room who had witnessed the event as well. He seemed just as concerned. With shots like that, Rio knew it would be maybe minutes at best before it hit Agatha. That being said, she steered the older woman towards Billy, concern in her eyes though thankfully he didn’t see it behind her sunglasses. 

 

“I’m running to the bathroom,” she said, hoping Billy got the hint to keep an eye on Agatha while she was away. Billy nodded in understanding, assuring Rio enough that she could leave without anything bad happening. She had seen Agatha angry when she was sober. She was loath to see what it would be like while drunk.

 

Rio tried her best to get to the restroom quickly, but of course it seemed the entire fucking club was in line. She crossed her arms and tapped her foot nervously, trying not to think about how the night went. It had been going so well and then… ugh. Of course this meant they’d have to do this all over again which did nothing to help her guilt and anxiety surrounding the situation.

 

She ran a hand through her hair and tried to calm her nerves. It would be okay. They would reassess the situation and try again, no big deal. At least they didn’t give themselves away. 

 

As her thoughts continued to race, the line moved closer and closer to the restroom until finally Rio was able to grab a stall. She took a while to unpeel the shirt from her back given it was now covered in an unknown alcoholic beverage. Ugh, the first thing she’d do when getting back would be immediately hopping in the shower. A few minutes later and she was walking back to the spot she had left Billy and Agatha in.

 

“What the fuck, Agatha?” was the first thing she heard when she got within hearing distance. Rio raised an eyebrow and glanced between the two of them, Billy holding his arm while Agatha cackled.

 

“What–”

 

“She fucking bit me!” Billy responded, letting go of his arm to show a pretty deep bite mark.

 

Agatha continued to laugh, snorting even. “Just getting you back, Toby.”

 

“Huh?” Rio asked, clearly confused at the antics unravelling before her. 

 

“You mean Tommy? It wasn’t even him that bit you. And I was like three!” Billy replied, glancing at Rio in a way that could only be read as ‘please handle your woman, she’s insane.’

 

Agatha only continued to cackle. Rio shook her head and gently grabbed Agatha’s arm. “Uh, honey,” she began, unsure of how to deescalate the chaotic woman. “I think we should probably get you back.”

 

Agatha whipped around to face Rio, both hands coming up to squish Rio’s cheeks together. “Look at my little protector. So cute.” She leaned forward to place a clumsy kiss on the tip of Rio’s nose, causing her to blush like mad. She didn’t even have time to process drunk Agatha calling her cute.

 

“Such a squishy face,” Agatha continued, pinching Rio’s cheeks before letting go, only to kiss each cheek where she had relinquished her hold. “All better.” Agatha bopped Rio on the nose with perhaps the cutest grin Rio had seen. God, how could she be like this when she wasn’t even in her right mind?

 

Rio gently grabbed Agatha’s elbow and attempted to guide her towards the exit. “Come on, baby. Let’s go home. I can give you a foot rub when we get back, yeah?” Rio said gently, wracking her brain on what could possibly get Agatha to agree to leave.

 

It appeared to do the trick, as Agatha moaned much too loud and leaned into Rio’s side. “Fuck yes,” Agatha replied, stumbling slightly as Rio continued to guide them back.

 

Rio threw an apologetic glance over at Billy as she attempted to steer Agatha to the exit. Out of all the ways she imagined the night going, this was not on the list.

 

The trip back to the penthouse wasn’t easy to say the least, but finally Rio and Agatha were walking back through the front door. More accurately, Rio was walking in the front door while half-carrying a very drunk Agatha. She guided the woman to the couch and gently removed her shoes so she could lay down comfortably.

 

“Are you feeling alright?” she asked with concern, Agatha’s eyes clearly glazed in a drunken state.

 

Agatha let out a short chuckle and her head lolled to the side to look at Rio. “We fucked it up, babe.”

 

Rio tried not to let the pet name get to her as her concern was more focused on Agatha’s wellbeing for the moment. She could dissect that later.

 

“I know,” Rio sighed, kneeling down next to where Agatha’s head lay, a hand reaching out to smooth Agatha’s unruly hair out from her face. “I know. We’ll focus on that tomorrow, yeah?” she continued to run her fingers over Agatha’s face before dragging further, gently loosening some knots in the woman’s hair.

 

“Mmmm but we fucking had it,” Agatha groaned. It was very close to a whine, but Rio would never admit that to Agatha if she had asked later in a sober state.

 

“It’s okay. There will be another time, we’ll make sure of it. Jen and Alice will make sure of it too.”

 

“Mhmm,” Agatha hummed, her eyes fluttering shut. “That feels good.”

 

Rio smiled softly and continued to run her fingers through Agatha’s hair, remaining silent as she watched Agatha’s breathing level out, deepening into a pattern that could only indicate she was asleep.

 

She reluctantly stood up and went to the kitchen, grabbing ibuprofen and a glass of water to set on the side of the coffee table nearest to Agatha for easy access in the morning. She then placed a blanket over the woman and leaned down to brush her lips against Agatha’s forehead without a second thought. 

 

Had the night gone as planned? No, absolutely not. But did she regret it? How could she when she knew what Agatha’s lips felt like on her skin, own her own lips even. Even if it was a ruse, which she was starting to question the validity of, at least when it came to Agatha feeling nothing for her, she still wouldn’t regret it. Not one bit.

Notes:

Writing drunk Agatha was much more fun than it should have been. What a cutie.

Notes:

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