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“How come I can’t go?” Nicky asked from his perch on the end of Rio and Agatha’s bed.
“Because the ceremony is going to be long and boring,” Agatha answered from where she stood in front of the mirror in the master bathroom. She shifted her gaze to meet Nicky’s eyes in the mirror. “And you’ll have way more fun with Billy and Tommy at your sleepover.”
Nicky twisted his hands in his lap and kicked his feet against the side of the bed. Agatha turned from the mirror to offer him a sympathetic smile over her shoulder, but it dropped when she really looked at the sour look on Nicky’s face. She crossed over to sit next to him on the edge of the bed. He kept his head ducked, still pulling at his fingers. Agatha’s brow furrowed and she draped her arm around his shoulders.
“I thought you were excited for your sleepover, honey,” she reminded him in a gentle voice. Nicky had been talking about it all week.
“I-I,” he stammered out, avoiding meeting Agatha’s eyes.
She felt his breathing pick up and moved to kneel on the floor in front of him. He pressed his fists into his eyes and sniffled.
“Hey,” Agatha said softly, reaching up to pull one of his hands away from his face. “Can you tell Mama what’s wrong?”
Nicky sniffled and nodded his head, though he didn’t speak right away. He just rubbed at his eyes with the hand Agatha wasn’t holding. It broke Agatha’s heart to see her baby so upset, especially when she didn’t know what it was that was upsetting him in the first place. The only thing she could do was sit there and rub her thumb along the back of his hand until he was ready to tell her what was bothering him.
Eventually, his sniffling subsided and Nicky dropped his hand to his lap to tug on the leg of the shorts he was wearing. Agatha’s first instinct was to try and coax him into talking, but she just continued to wait him out.
“I don’t want you and Mami to leave,” Nicky said, his voice so quiet Agatha had trouble hearing him despite how close they were sitting.
Ah, Agatha thought. Suddenly, it all made sense. It had been about a month since Rio’s tour ended and they were getting back to normal for the most part. The tour did inspire Rio and the band to get back in the studio and they were spending more time working on some new music, but that wasn’t out of the ordinary. Agatha started to notice that Nicky was a little more clingy with Rio since they got home, but figured it would get better once he realized that she’d only be gone for a few hours at a time. Clearly she’d been wrong.
“Oh sweetheart,” she said, reaching up to wipe the tears from his cheeks with the pad of her thumb. “Come here.”
Nicky didn’t waste a second sliding off the bed and into Agatha’s arms. He wrapped his arms around her neck and laid his head on her shoulder. Agatha ran her hand up and down his back and pressed a kiss to his hair.
“We’ll only be gone a few hours,” she reminded him, softly.
“I know,” he mumbled against her neck. “But I’ll miss you.”
Agatha’s chest tightened with emotion and her instincts were screaming at her to ditch the award show all together.
“We’ll miss you too,” she said and pressed another lingering kiss to his hair. “But if you want us to come back you can call either one of us whenever you want and we’ll be back home in no time, alright?”
Nicky lifted his head and pinned Agatha with a serious look.
“Do you pinky swear?” he questioned.
Agatha held back a chuckle and held up her pinky. “I swear.”
He linked his little finger with hers and held it for a moment before letting go. He dove back in for another hug, nearly knocking Agatha to the ground in the process. Agatha laughed and squeezed him tight.
“Love you, Mama,” he told her with a content sigh.
“I love you too, Nicky.”
They stayed like that, arms wrapped around each other for a few more minutes before Agatha patted Nicky on the back and leaned back to meet his eyes.
“Should we go see of Mami’s ready?” she asked.
Nicky smiled and nodded his head enthusiastically. Agatha mirrored his smile and let him go to ruffle his hair. He giggle and tried to dodge her hand, but he wasn’t quick enough.
“Race ya,” she said.
Nicky’s eyes widened at the challenge and scrambled to his feet. He took off toward the door with a laugh and Agatha shook her head with a chuckle. She pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the closet to grab her shoes for the evening before following after Nicky. She found him at the bottom of the stairs, bouncing from foot to foot while he waited for her.
“I win,” he called up to her as Agatha descended the stairs.
“You sure did, buddy.”
Nicky grinned and turned toward the living room that was currently taken over by the team hired to get Rio ready for the award show.
“Mami!” he called out, turning his head left and right looking for Rio. “Are you ready yet?”
Rio wasn’t in the living room with the rest of the team and Agatha’s brow furrowed. Before she had the chance to question it, she heard a door open down the hall. Both Agatha and Nicky looked in the direction of the sound and watched Rio step out of their downstairs bathroom.
Agatha’s eyes went wide at the sight of her wife as she made her way down the hall toward her and Nicky.
“Woah,” Nicky said and Agatha couldn’t agree more.
The dress Rio chose for the award show was absolutely stunning. It was simple in design, but fit her like a glove and the forest green color complimented her so well. Her hair and makeup were done to perfection and Agatha felt her mouth go dry at the sight of her.
“You like?” Rio asked with a smirk as her eyes met Agatha’s.
“You look really pretty, Mami!” Nicky said excitedly. He scurried over to her and Rio instinctively bent down to lift him onto her hip.
“Thanks little man,” she said and kissed his cheek.
“Doesn’t Mami look so pretty, Mama?” Nicky asked, turning to Agatha.
Agatha smirked as she approached the pair, her eyes travelling the length of Rio’s body. It had been a long time since they’d attended an event like this and Agatha never got tired of seeing Rio all dressed up.
“She does,” Agatha agreed and took the hand Rio extended to her.
“You don’t look so bad yourself,” Rio complimented, giving Agatha a full once over.
Agatha chose a simple suit for the night, black and perfectly tailored. She wore a white button down beneath the jacket with enough buttons undone to show off just a tease of the lacy purple bra she wore underneath. Rio bit her bottom lip and her eyes lingered on her chest. She opened her mouth to say more, but a knock at the door interrupted her.
“That’s probably Wanda,” Agatha said, dropping Rio’s hand to go answer the door.
“Hey,” Wanda greeted when Agatha opened the front door with Billy and Tommy in tow. “Is Nicky ready to go?”
Agatha glanced over her shoulder at Rio and Nicky. Nicky’s smile faltered slightly, but Rio bounced him on her hip before setting him back on the ground.
“Why don’t you go get your shoes?” she suggested.
Nicky hesitated, looking up at Rio for a moment before he nodded and scampered off to find his shoes. Rio’s brow furrowed as she watched him go, but she didn’t comment. Agatha turned back to Wanda and gestured for her and the boys to step into the house.
Wanda let out a whistle as she looked between Rio and Agatha. “You guys look great.”
“Thank you,” Agatha said and tucked her hair behind her ear. She grabbed Nicky’s bag from where it was sitting by the front door and handed it over to Wanda. “If you need anything, don’t hesitate to call.”
“I won’t,” Wanda promised, slinging the strap of the bag over her shoulder. “We’re going to have tons of fun, isn’t that right boys?”
Billy and Tommy both nodded in agreement, practically buzzing with excitement while they waited for Nicky. Nicky came back into the foyer with his shoes on his feet though he stayed close to Rio’s side instead of joining Wanda and the boys like he’s done in the past.
“Are you ready, Nicky?” Wanda asked with a smile.
Nicky looked between Agatha and Rio before he wrapped his arms around Rio’s waist and pressed his face into her stomach. Rio looked to Agatha in confusion. Agatha gave a subtle shake of her head and turned back to Wanda with a smile.
“Can you give us a second?”
Wanda nodded and offered a sympathetic smile. “Of course. Come on boys, let’s wait outside.”
Billy and Tommy looked confused, but followed Wanda out the door. Agatha waited until the door clicked shut to go back to Nicky and Rio.
“Hey,” Agatha said to get Nicky’s attention.
It took a moment, but he eventually looked up at her, fresh tears shining in his eyes. Agatha swallowed the lump that formed in her throat and gently brushed his hair away from his eyes.
“Do you remember what we talked about upstairs?” she asked.
Nicky nodded his head and pressed his cheek into Rio’s stomach. Rio ran her fingers through his hair.
“I can call any time,” he said.
“That’s right,” Agatha confirmed. “And we’ll come right home.”
Nicky considered her words, looking between Agatha and Rio until finally he nodded his head.
“Okay,” he said and let go of Rio’s waist. “I’m ready now.”
Agatha smiled and held her hand out for him to take. He took it happily and let her lead him to the front door. Wanda and the twins were waiting on the porch when she opened the door.
“Nicky!” the boys yelled in unison when they spotted Nicky with Agatha.
Nicky giggled and followed after them as they ran into the front yard, excitedly chattering about all the fun stuff they were gonna do at their sleepover.
“Everything okay?” Wanda asked.
Agatha nodded with a smile. “I think so.”
“Hey!” Agatha heard Rio call from inside the house. “Aren’t you forgetting something, Nicholas?”
Nicky froze where he stood in the grass with Billy and Tommy. Confusion crossed his features for a moment before he realized what she meant. He sprinted back in the door and Agatha turned just in time to see him leap into Rio’s arms and kiss her cheek. When she put him down he ran back outside and stopped at Agatha’s side. She immediately bent to his level and he pressed a kiss to her cheek.
“Bye Mama,” he said, any trace of his earlier reluctance to leave them gone.
Agatha ruffled his hair one last time and smiled down at him. “Have fun, baby.”
Nicky grinned before he ran off to join Billy and Tommy again.
“We’ll see you in the morning?” Wanda questioned as she started down the stairs.
“Bright and early,” Agatha confirmed with a laugh.
Wanda joined in on her laughter and shook her head. She corralled the boys next door and Agatha watched until they disappeared into the Maximoff house.
Agatha went back inside to join Rio who had gone back into the living room. On her way, she grabbed the shoes she dropped by the stairs. The make up artist and hair stylist were in the process of cleaning up while Rio looked over her options for footwear for the evening. Agatha dropped onto the couch to put on her own shoes. She chose a pair of oxfords to compliment her suit and for comfort.
“How about these?” Rio asked, turning around with a pair of heels in her hands.
Agatha snorted and shook her head. “You’ll be complaining that your feet hurt in less than twenty minutes, my love.”
Rio huffed and crossed her arms over her chest. “No I won’t.”
Agatha knew she was fighting a losing battle here and no matter what she said, Rio would insist on the heels for no other reason than Agatha telling her that she shouldn’t wear them. Rio took it as a challenge.
“Whatever you say,” Agatha conceded, leaning back against the couch and draping her arm over the back of it.
Rio turned and set the heels on the floor to slide her feet into them. She muttered something under her breath that sounded like “I’ll show you”, but Agatha decided against calling her out on it just yet. However, she didn’t miss the face Rio made once she had both of them on her feet.
By the time the team was packed up and on their way out the door, the car that would take them to the award show was pulling into the drive way.
“After you, my love,” Rio said, opening the door of the car for Agatha.
Agatha kissed her cheek as she passed and slid into the backseat. Rio was right behind her and she scooted as close to Agatha as she could, their sides pressed together. Agatha smiled to herself as the car started moving and dropped a hand to Rio’s leg just above her knee.
“Nicky’s going to be okay, right?” Rio asked.
Agatha gave her leg a reassuring squeeze and nodded her head. “Absolutely, he’s got us.”
Rio nodded in agreement, her posture relaxing and placed her hand on top of Agatha’s. She laced their fingers together and turned to look at her with a smirk.
“Nervous?” she questioned with a raised eyebrow. “It’s been awhile.”
Agatha shook her head. “No. Are you?”
Rio shrugged and gave Agatha’s hand a squeeze. “Maybe a little.”
“It’s going to be fine,” Agatha promised.
Rio smiled and leaned a little closer. “You’re right.”
“One day you’ll learn I almost always am.”
Rio laughed at that. “Whatever you say, my love.”
Agatha grinned and leaned in to kiss Rio’s lips. She felt Rio smile into the kiss and pulled back to meet her eyes.
“Exactly.”
Rio playfully rolled her eyes and leaned back against her seat, their hands still linked as they drove.
Arriving at the award show was pure chaos. They ended up in a line of cars dropping people off at the beginning of the carpet. The noise from the crowd lining the street and the shutter of all the cameras was loud even from inside the car. Agatha felt Rio squeeze her hand tighter the closer they got to the point where they would be let out of the car. Agatha squeezed it back despite her own heart rate starting to spike.
Agatha took a deep breath and steeled herself when their car came to a stop at the curb. An attendant opened their door and the noise from outside became deafening. Agatha stepped out of the car and ignored the calls of her name and the cameras flashing and turned back to offer her hand to Rio. Rio took it and slid out of the car. Agatha noticed the pained look momentarily cross her face, but her expression quickly shifted into a smile as the camera’s continued to shutter around them.
“There’s Jen,” Rio pointed out, nodding her head in front of them.
Agatha looked over and spotted Jen and Alice waiting off to the side with Lilia, obviously waiting for their third member before they walked the carpet. Agatha led the way over to them, relieved to get a momentary reprieve from the madness.
“You look hot,” Jen complimented, giving Rio a once over.
“Right back atcha,” Rio said with a wink.
“Hey, what about me?” Alice asked, holding her arms out and doing a little spin in what little space they had around them.
Rio chuckled and said, “Too hot to handle.”
Alice grinned and Agatha saw Lilia roll her eyes at their antics. The three of them looked mismatched as always, but it still worked somehow.
It was a bit of a wait to walk the carpet, but that was to be expected. Agatha stood next to Rio, her hand still clutched in her own as she talked with Jen and Alice. She couldn’t help but notice the way Rio kept shifting her weight from foot to foot. At first, Agatha chalked it up to nerves, but the rest of her body language was relaxed. It wasn’t until she shifted again and Agatha heard her wince, that she realized what the problem was.
It was almost their turn and Rio bent to adjust her shoe. When she straightened back up the look of pain on her face was unmistakable.
“Feet hurt?” Agatha asked, unable to keep the teasing lilt out of her voice.
Rio whipped her head around to glare at Agatha.
“No,” she bit out defiantly, but she couldn’t hide her wince as they shuffled forward.
Agatha chuckled softly and shook her head. “Are you sure?”
“I’m fine,” Rio said, her tone leaving no room for argument.
“Okay,” Agatha said, holding up her free hand in surrender.
Rio turned her attention back to the carpet ahead of them. They were the next ones to walk and Lilia was walking around them to make sure they were camera ready. It wasn’t just Agatha and Rio’s first award show in years, but the band’s as a whole. Rio shifted her weight again, but this time instead of a wince, a pained noise left her lips. Agatha wasn’t usually one to pass up the opportunity to gloat about being right, but she also hated to see Rio in pain like this.
The attendants on the carpet gestured for the band to step onto the carpet and Alice and Jen walked over to the first marker. Rio took one step to follow with another pained wince. She tried to take another, but Agatha stopped her with a tug on their joined hands.
“What?” Rio questioned, looking at Agatha with furrowed brows.
“You can’t go out there in those,” she said, cutting her eyes down to Rio’s shoes.
“Agatha,” Rio scoffed and tried to let go of Agatha’s hand to join Jen and Alice out in front of the camera’s but Agatha held tight. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, you won’t,” Agatha argued.
“What do you want me to do?” Rio questioned. “I can’t go barefoot.”
Agatha blew out a breath and glanced out at the cameras. Alice and Jen were giving them strange looks while Lilia was at the other end waving for them to get a move on. She looked back at Rio who was doing her best to hide how much pain she was in.
“You can’t,” Agatha agreed and let go of Rio’s hand. “But I can.”
Without a second thought, Agatha bent down and started untying her shoes.
“What?” Rio questioned incredulously. “No. No way. It’s only a few minutes. I’m fine.”
“You’re not, baby,” Agatha argued and slid off her oxfords. She stayed kneeling on the ground and looked up at Rio. “Let me help.”
Rio’s expression softened and the corners of her mouth lifted into a smile.
“Okay,” she said.
Agatha nodded her head toward Rio’s shoes. “Come on, everyone’s waiting on you.”
Rio put a hand on Agatha’s shoulder for balance and stepped out of her heels. Agatha saw the relief on her face the moment her feet touched the ground again. Agatha helped Rio into her shoes, they were a little loose but way more comfortable. When she finished tying them, Rio helped her back to her feet and cupped Agatha’s face in her hands.
“I guess this is the part where you say, ‘I told you so’?”
“Mmm, maybe later.”
Rio grinned. “I love you.”
“I love you too,” Agatha told her. “Now go before Lilia decides to wring our necks.”
Rio chuckled. “I think it might be a little late for that.”
“Go.”
Rio leaned in and quickly pecked Agatha’s lips before bounding out to join Alice and Jen in front of the photographers. Agatha shook her head, unable to keep from smiling. She grabbed Rio’s shoes and ducked behind the back drop to join Lilia on the other side. Lilia’s eyes fell to the heels in her hand before meeting Agatha’s again.
“What?” Agatha asked.
“Sucker,” Lilia muttered and turned her attention back to watching the other three pose for the photographers.
Agatha met Rio’s eyes and mirrored the huge grin she was sporting. She might be a sucker, but only for Rio.
When they finished on the carpet, the five of them were ushered inside. They found their seats and Lilia wandered off to mingle while the rest of them stayed put to wait for the show to start. Agatha was sitting between Rio and Jen who was scrolling on her phone.
Jen groaned after a couple minutes and Agatha glanced over to in time to see her roll her eyes at whatever she was looking at on her phone.
“You two just can’t help yourselves can you?” she asked.
Before Agatha had the chance to ask what she was talking about, Jen turned her phone around for her to see. On the screen was a video of Rio and Agatha before Rio joined her bandmates on the carpet. Someone took an entire video of Agatha swapping out Rio’s awful shoes for her own and the kiss they shared afterward and put it online.
“What?” Rio questioned, leaning forward to look at Jen’s phone.
“You two have to make everything about you, don’t you?”
Rio snickered and leaned back in her seat, reaching over to take Agatha’s hand.
“What can I say,” Agatha said with a shrug. “The camera loves us.”
Jen rolled her eyes and went back to scrolling. Agatha turned to Rio and nudged her shoulder to get her attention.
“Hmm?” Rio hummed in question.
“I almost forgot,” she said, doing her best to keep her expression neutral. “I told you so.”
Rio laughed loud enough to draw the attention of the few people sitting around them. She shook her head and leaned over the armrest to kiss Agatha’s cheek.
“You were right. And thank you.”
“Anything for you,” Agatha said and she meant it with her entire being.
xagathaxriox Thu 31 Jul 2025 03:29AM UTC
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