Chapter Text
Part 2
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
“Mama!” A shrill voice abruptly woke Rio up, “Mama it’s Santa! Santa is sleeping on our couch!”
Rio’s eyes sprung open, suddenly disoriented and confused she sat up quickly from where she was sleeping, and realizing she was not in her own house, she quickly wrapped the red blanket snugly around her. Agatha’s white scarf somehow managed to tangle around her somewhere in the night, so when Rio looked down at herself… oh, she supposed she could be mistaken for being dressed like a disheveled Santa.
“Nicky wha…?” A groggy Agatha moaned, as she was dragged into the living room by her very excited five year old.
“Fuck, sorry!” Rio said, jumping up from the sofa. “I mean, drats!” She corrected herself, forgetting to not curse in front of Nicky.
“That’s okay, sometimes he swears more than me.” Agatha muttered, holding onto her head. “I feel like… crap.”
Agatha slumped onto the chair behind her and her head fell back onto the headrest.
Nicky was laughing, “Mama look, it’s not Santa, it’s just Rio!” Agatha, through the obvious inconvenience of her hangover, chuckled along with her son, who seemed to amp up his giggles once he realized he had an audience.
Agatha grabbed a hold of her head, “Nicky, baby, it’s too early to use our outside voices, lets… take it down, like way, way down okay?”
Nicky’s eyes widened when he saw the snow, “Snow!” He shouted excitedly as he ignored his mama’s request, running to the window and smushing his face to the cold glass! “We’re gonna make so many Olafs!” He whispered intensely through gritted teeth.
Rio couldn’t help but laugh quietly, the memory of little Prince Nicky and his snowman stuffy who turned out to be much more of a match maker than the manufacturer probably intended.
“I ah,” Rio bobbed awkwardly from side to side and started folding up the blanket and scarf. “I should go, it’s Christmas eve and you’ve probably got plans or something anyway…”
Agatha was up and in front of Rio faster than Rio could blink. “You should stay, if you want, I mean, it’s just…” Agatha smiled at Nicky who started to softly hum “Do you wanna build a snowman”… “It’s just the two of us tonight anyway.”
Rio really considered the invitation, she didn’t have any real Christmas plans other than probably crashing on Lilia’s couch after eating way too much lasagna and watching some terrible Hallmark movie.
“I need to get home…” Rio started, stepping back and fighting the urge to pull Agatha up against her and just holding her there after finally giving in to her need to touch her again, but Rio cleared her throat and held onto the boundary she set herself, suddenly struggling to remember why it was there in the first place.
“Okay, yeah. Sure.” Agatha smiled unconvincingly, “Uhm, thanks for last night and bringing me home, and for the babysitter…”
“Sharon.” Rio stated.
“Who’s Sharon?” Agatha asked, confused.
“The babysitter.”
“Right… Sharon.” Agatha said.
“I’ll see you around.” Rio smiled, tugging her coat on and slipping on her shoes. “Merry Christmas Eve, Agatha.”
“Bye, Rio.” Agatha said softly.
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
“I still don’t understand what you are doing here.” Lilia said from behind the counter of the florist shop. “We’re closed, I’ve just watered all the plants and my bottle of red is already uncorked and breathing upstairs.”
“Figured it would be nice to spend Christmas Eve together?” Rio said, munching on one of the gingerbread cookies Lilia offered her earlier.
“Rio, sweetheart,” Lilia said firmly, “You know how I feel about rituals? So just because it’s Christmas Eve, that doesn’t mean it isn’t still just a Sunday to me, and as firm believer in sticking to my rituals, that means it's the one day of the week I get to spend it drunk, naked and alone in my apartment blaring Etta James till the neighbors come a-knocking.”
“Exactly, now why would I want to miss out on that?” Rio laughed.
“I am sure you have better plans than spending Christmas Eve with a naked and wine drunk hag?” Lilia smiled knowingly.
Rio sighed a breath filled with guilt and uncertainty, “Agatha invited me over.”
“Then it is settled.” Lilia clapped her hands together. “As your unofficial guardian, I insist that you make good on your invitation. I raised you better than that.”
“You didn’t raise m…” Rio started.
“Don’t disobey your elders, child.” Lilia smirked. “Now take these…” Lilia said giving Rio a big bouquet of flowers, “Had to save these before they wilted, Agatha would love them.”
Rio took the bouquet and smiled warmly, purples and greens filled out the large bouquet. Agatha’s favorite.
“Thank you Lilia, I’ll see you soon?” Rio kissed her cheek.
“Tell Agatha I said hello, and give this to Nicky.” A small box of candy was handed to her. “Now go.” She waved her off.
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
Rio paced her bedroom back and forth, the small box on her dresser, the locket she brought Agatha on a whim right before their breakup, was unceremoniously stuffed into the back of her sock drawer after the farmer’s market incident. And now… was it appropriate to give it to her now? They weren’t together. They weren’t even friends. They were just… what were they?
Instinct and probably clouded judgement let Rio stuff the small box into her pocket. She grabbed the wine and cookies Lilia gave her along with the bouquet and Nicky’s candy and drove over to Agatha’s.
The skies were just starting to darken and the snow was floating in the air, lightly dusting her car’s windshield with snow as she watched the fairy lights on Agatha’s porch flickering.
“Get it together Vidal, it’s just…” the woman you could never get out of your head… and heart, “…Christmas.”
Rio opened the car door and walked over to the front door. Gentle sounds of Christmas music filtered through the small cracks around the house and Rio smelled cinnamon and something else wafting through the air.
She knocked on the door, suddenly realizing that she never asked if she could come over. Panic settled in but before she could turn around and make a run for it the door opened.
“Rio?” Agatha said, startled.
“Sorry, I should have called…”
“No please, come inside, we…” Agatha turned to look at Nicky over her shoulder, “We were just setting up another game of Go Fish.”
“Christmas edition!” Nicky finished.
Rio chuckled, and stepped inside. “This is from Lilia.” She said, handing over the bouquet, “And this too.” She said handing over the box of candies, “For Nicky.”
Agatha smiled widely, but looked like she was drowning underneath the flowers and everything else she was already holding onto, “Wow, these are… extraordinary.”
“Thought you might like them…” Rio smiled and for a few seconds the world stood still as their eyes met again.
Agatha cleared her throat, “Come in, come in. I’ll put this away.”
“Rio!” Nicky jumped up, running and grabbing a hold of her leg again. “You came!”
“Hey Nic!” Rio ruffled his dark locks, “Yeah, sorry for crashing your Christmas Eve.”
“Mama said you weren’t coming and she was very sad.” Nicky said. “She said you couldn’t come.”
“I wasn’t sad…” Agatha interrupted the two.
“You were, mama!” Nicky continued, “You said you wanted Rio back, like me.”
Agatha was a shade of red Rio hadn’t seen before. Rio chuckled and smiled, pulling her lips between her teeth to keep her laughter at bay.
“Well let’s just start with cards first, okay?” Rio smiled down at Nicky, who grabbed onto her hand and pulled her towards the coffee table where their cards were already dealt and ready for another round of Go Fish.
“Mama, Rio needs hot chocolate too!” Nicky said, gathering up the cards before handing them over to Rio, “You’re dealing. Mama cheats.”
Although adorable and admittedly hilarious, Nicky didn’t know that what he had just said had stung a bit. Agatha’s widened eyes gave away that she had felt the sting too, but Rio smiled stiffly and shuffled the pack of cards instead.
After the final round of the most competitive game of Go Fish (Christmas Edition) Rio had ever played, the three of them settled on the couch, snug under the red blanket Rio had slept under the night before, with Nicky practically passed out on Rio’s lap. Agatha had poured them a glass of wine and the fireplace was crackling over the soft music still playing in the background.
“I’ll take him to bed.” Agatha said eventually, raising from the couch and picking her sleeping son up from Rio’s lap.
When they left Rio alone, she had time to go over the last few days with Agatha reappearing in her life after she made every move to keep that from happening before, and here she was, sitting on her sofa again, drinking her wine, again, and waiting for her to return from putting down her son, like it was the most normal thing that could happen.
“He’s out like a candle.” Agatha said quietly as she rejoined Rio on the sofa, pulling the blanket back over her knees.
Rio smiled hesitantly and sipped her wine.
“I am sorry, Rio.” Agatha said after a while, fidgeting her sleeve and not making eye contact just yet.
“Agatha, you don’t have to do…” Rio started to stop Agatha.
“I need to… to do this, please, Rio, let me just explain.” Agatha pleaded, interrupting Rio.
“Okay.”
Agatha was pulling at the hem of the blanket, “I fooled around a lot after college, got pregnant and the bastard disappeared the minute I started showing, which was actually fine, since I was very clearly a raging lesbian, it turned out. My mother finally disowned me after I came out and insisted on keeping the baby, and suddenly I was on my own for the first time in my life. Then I met Gina and we got married soon after, although she never accepted Nicky as her son. I was dumb, I shouldn’t have married her in the first place but she seemed safe and stable enough, and sometimes I really believed that she cared… we just didn’t… I never loved her.”
“Agatha…”
“No Rio, let me finish, please.” Agatha said, taking Rio’s hand in hers. “Just before Nicky’s birthday, the one at the Disney Party Palace, I walked in on her cheating on me and I didn’t even flinch, it was like we were already over, we just hadn’t officially ended it yet, so we separated, I filed for divorce and met you that afternoon and everything suddenly just made sense again.”
Agatha started tearing up, “Rio I hurt you, that day at the farmer’s market… for some reason, she insisted we try one last time and I was scared, I was a coward, but seeing you and the way I hurt you… I kicked her out the minute we got home.”
Rio’s heart was now beating out of her chest.
“I have never known real love, not until Nicky was born… and not again until meeting you.” Agatha blinked through her teary eyes.
“Agatha…”
“Rio, I fucked up. I hurt you and I have never regretted anything more in my entire existence. I know I have no right to say this but if I don’t I will never forgive myself…”
Rio held her breath…
“I love you, I fell in love with you faster than I could ever imagine, and I hope I am not too late…”
Rio saw nothing but white flashes as she crashed her mouth to Agatha’s in a searing, five month overdue kiss. Everything came to an abrupt standstill around them. Rio was sure the snow hung weightless in place outside in the night sky and the fire crackled in slow motion as her lips found their home back on Agatha’s.
How had she almost lost this? When did she manage to convince herself that she could live with being anything other than completely Agatha’s?
Breathlessly they pulled away from each other, resting their foreheads together. Rio couldn’t open her eyes, not yet. If she did she’d certainly wake up from whatever Christmas Eve fever dream she was having and Agatha would vanish the second her eyes were opened.
As if her internal thoughts were loud enough for Agatha to hear, a warm hand cupped Rio’s cheek and Rio let out the breath she may have held onto since seeing Agatha again for the first time in months.
“Sorry if that was too much,” Agatha whispered. “It was killing me keeping it in all this time.”
Rio blinked her eyes open carefully, Agatha’s deep blue eyes coming into clear view before her. She had too much to say but everything she tried saying got caught up in her throat. “I…” she tried again.
“Rio, you don’t have to say anything now, I just needed you to know that.” Agatha smiled so brightly, Rio’s heart ached. “I know we have a lot to work through first, but I think… hope we have time for that, if you want to, that is. But if you do, I want you to be ready to.”
Rio slowly leaned in and placed a soft kiss on the corner of Agatha’s mouth. “Okay Agatha.”
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
Christmas morning Rio woke up suddenly from a screeching noise coming from beyond the bedroom door. Her eyes adjusted to the unknown, yet familiar bedroom. The shushing and the whispered “Nicky, inside voice!” reminded Rio that she was in fact still in Agatha’s guest bedroom.
Rio swung her legs off the bed and put on the fluffy bunny slippers Agatha had given to her the night before when Rio’s apparent frozen feet kept poking Agatha’s side as they stayed up into the early morning catching up and reconnecting over what must have been three or more bottles of wine. When Rio stood up, her head spun, yup, it was definitely more than three bottles…
Rio pulled her unruly hair into a bun and pulled on her sweater from the night before and followed the noise to the front of the house.
The bunny slippers must’ve kept her footsteps from being audible, because when Rio turned the corner to the living room, she was met with a picture that would definitely be engraved in her heart for the rest of her life. Agatha was sitting on the floor in front of the large decorated Christmas tree, holding Nicky on her lap. Never had a picture of a mother and her son, dressed in matching pajamas huddled up in front of a Christmas tree stirred something in Rio, so this must be as special as the intimate moment looked.
“Did Santa bring all of these?” Nicky asked in a hushed but excited voice.
“I think he did,” Agatha replied softly, “Except this one,” she said holding out a box wrapped in different wrapping paper than the rest, “This one’s from me.”
“No way!” Nicky yelled, forgetting that he was supposed to be quiet.
“Baby, you’ll wake Rio.” Agatha laughed.
“Sorry mama.” Nicky said softly again. “Did you say sorry to Rio like you promised?”
Rio held her breath, waiting to hear the answer and suddenly feeling like even more of a creep for eavesdropping.
For a few seconds Agatha was quiet, and Rio almost heard her take a breath.
“Yes, I did.” Agatha said.
“Good, we always say sorry to our friends.” Nicky said, like a well trained parrot, proudly repeating what Agatha has taught him.
“Yes, we should.” Agatha kissed his head, “You are the sweetest kid, you know that?”
“Uh-huh, you say it a lot.” Nicky answered.
“Well, it’s true.” Agatha said into his curls.
Rio took the short silence between the two as her opportunity to reveal herself, not wanting to feel like more of an intruder on their sweet moment together. “Hey you two.” She smiled, wrapping her arms around herself awkwardly.
The two heads spun around and two bright smiles beamed up at her from the floor.
“Hey!” “Hi Rio!” the two Harknesses said in unison.
Rio laughed and sat down on the couch opposite them. Agatha’s smile only widened and Rio felt a warm pressure in her chest.
“Rio! Look, Santa came! He was here and he…” Nicky stopped in his excited tracks, “Did you tell him you were sleeping here, because I didn’t see your name on any of the presents.”
“Uhm, I think mine was delivered to my house, so I’ll just get it later. I’ll remember to let Santa know next year, okay?”
“Yeah, then we can open ours together!” Nicky said excitedly.
Agatha and Rio shared a look. Even if they weren’t ready yet, at least it seemed like Nicky was already on board with them possibly getting back together.
“Nicky baby, let’s go grab some breakfast. Mama needs coffee, and then we can see what Santa brought you.” Agatha pushed herself up from the floor and Rio stood up to help catch her when she stumbled a little as Nicky sped past them to the kitchen.
“Morning,” Agatha whispered.
“Morning Agatha.” Rio smiled, and before she could stop herself, she leaned in to place a quick kiss on Agatha’s lips. Agatha smiled and Rio felt a thousand butterflies inside her go crazy.
“Want some coffee?” Agatha asked.
“Please.” Rio said, letting her go.
When Agatha left for the kitchen, Rio took the small box out from her pocket and tucked it away behind the other presents. She joined the two in the kitchen and sat at the kitchen island waiting for her coffee, while Nicky yapped on about how many snowmen he planned on building today.
Rio missed most of his story, because she was so focused on watching Agatha move in the kitchen. How she stood on the tips of her toes to reach the Christmas themed coffee mugs in the back, revealing a narrow slither of skin from under her sweater. How she hummed without knowing she was doing it while she filled the coffee machine with water. How her hair bounced and moved when she walked over to the fridge to get the milk and the warm smile she smiled at Rio when she placed the mug in front of her. “Sugar?” Agatha asked between Nicky’s chattering.
“... then they can be a whole snowman family! You wanna?” Nicky panted when he finally stopped to breathe.
Rio blinked her eyes slowly, two other sets of warm eyes bore into her. “Uh yeah,” she answered, unclear which question she ultimately answered.
When the sugar pot slid in front of her, Nicky yelled a loud “Whoohoo!” Rio assumed she agreed to both questions.
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
And that was how Rio and Agatha ended up knee deep in a big pile of snow in the front yard, helping Nicky ball it up to make the body of the third attempt at Olaf of the morning. Nicky stood on the porch in his full winter get up with his little mitten covered hands clutching his coloring book with Olaf on the front, instructing Rio and Agatha on how to shape his head, using it as a makeshift “Olaf Building Guide”.
“A bit more on the top, Rio.” Nicky instructed.
“Hey, mister, not so bossy!” Agatha minded him.
“Add a bit more snow onto the top, please Rio.” Nicky said exasperated.
“Better.” Agatha said. Handing Rio the carrot for the nose.
“It’s like fighting myself sometimes.” Agatha murmured to Rio, who laughed into her gloves.
“You did that to yourself, babe.” Rio murmured back.
Agatha tossed a ball of snow at Rio, hitting her against her shoulder. Rio felt the small specks of ice hit her cheek and winced at the cold, “Hey!”
Without missing a beat, she balled her own snowball and threw it at Agatha, making sure it hit her somewhere she could also feel the cold. “Hey yourself!”
Suddenly a snowball fight between Agatha and Rio erupted, snowballs flying through the air and hitting and missing each other to the soundtrack of a five year old giggling uncontrollably.
“Get her!” Nicky yelled, “Throw it at mama!”
“Hey, who’s side are you on?” Agatha laughed, ducking to the side and gathering another handful of snow.
“The winning side, obviously.” Rio mocked, and threw a slightly larger ball, hitting Agatha in the leg and causing her to fall down into the snow. “Shit, Agatha!” Rio said, running over to her.
Agatha was laughing, no, she was hysterically cackling. “I’m okay, I’m okay!” Agatha laughed, “Rio, that…” Rio helped her up. “That was the most fun I’ve had in ages.”
Rio started laughing along, dusting the snow off of Agatha’s back.
“And you,” Agatha called to Nicky, who was practically lying on his back rolling over from laughter himself, “My own flesh and blood turning against me!”
“Hey, don’t blame him for backing the clearly stronger team.” Rio smiled.
“Yeah mama, Rio won!” Nicky giggled again.
“Okay you two, enough.” Agatha huffed, still out of breath. “Let’s go inside, I am freezing.”
“Can I open my presents now?” Nicky asked excitedly.
“Sure, let me just… get my dignity.” Agatha replied sarcastically.
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️
Rio was just done changing into a clean and dry set of sweatpants and a cozy hoodie Agatha had given to her, when her phone on the dresser buzzed.
Old Lady Lilia: I hear the flowers did their magic
Rio: What are you talking about?
Old Lady Lilia: A little birdie tells me you won the snowball fight… after you slept over
Fucking nosy neighbors. No fucking nosy Dottie most likely.
Rio: Has Dottie been stuck to her kitchen window again?
Old Lady Lilia: Are you finally going to tell her you still love her or do I need to hope for another catering emergency
Rio: I knew that was your doing.
Old Lady Lilia: Circumstantial at most.
Rio rolled her eyes and smiled.
Rio: Merry Christmas Old Lady.
Old Lady Lilia: Go get your girl, sweetheart
Rio locked her phone and slipped it into the pouch of the worn college hoodie Agatha gave her to wear. Now that Lilia sort of confessed, Rio started putting two and two together… the delivery of the flowers to Dottie who would have announced and invited Agatha to whatever event she had planned, and that was obviously now clear that it was a ruse… then Alice, winking and casually dropping the information of Agatha’s party and Jen leaving Rio to be the knight in shining armor, taking Agatha home at the end of the night instead of letting her share the Uber.
This had all been a set up. An orchestrated set of events leading Rio back into Agatha’s orbit. Rio could have pulled away, refused to attend the party, drop Agatha off and head home instead, but Rio knew herself and if there was one magnet she could never resist, it was the one pulling her towards Agatha.
It was the same magnet that drew them together searching for Oleg, no Oden, no Olaf! Fuck, she kept on forgetting that damn snowman’s name. But that aside, she never forgot the feeling she had being Agatha’s and now with nothing but their own fears and uncertainties that could be in the way, she needed that feeling back. She needed Agatha. She needed to be Agatha’s again.
Rio opened the guest room door and headed back to the living room where Nicky was opening his presents in a sea of ripped and crumpled wrapping paper. Agatha was sitting next to her with her knees pulled up to her chest, loving observing her excited five year old as he lit up with every rip of the paper.
“May I join you?” Rio asked.
Agatha nodded and patted the spot next to her in front of the crackling fireplace. Rio hesitated for a short second but joined Agatha and Nicky on the carpet anyway, settling next to Agatha, close enough to let her heart rate pick up but not nearly as close as she longed for.
“Rio, look!” Nicky said, turning to her and showing her his new gift. “Santa gave me just what I asked for!”
“Awesome, buddy, show me!” Rio matched his excitement.
Nicky picked up a box of Legos. “Look, it's Olaf, and there’s Sven and Kristoff and Anna and Elsa, and the castle and the forest…” he barely took a breath.
“This is very cool, kid!” Rio said, smiling at him as he pointed to all the characters on the box.
Nicky put down his box of Legos and sorted through the wrapping paper. “There’s one more, mama.” Nicky said, hunching under the tree. His small hands grabbed a small box. “Who’s is it?”
Agatha looked at the small box and took it carefully from Nicky’s hands, studying it.
“Open it.” Rio whispered with a smile.
Agatha furrowed her brow and looked at Rio. “Rio?”
“Open it.” Rio said again, nudging her shoulder against Agatha’s.
“Okay…?” Agatha said, lifting the lid of the box. “Rio, you…”
“You kept on going back to it that day at the antique shop,” Rio thought back to that day they snuck off for the night to a small town next to the coast. They stayed in a small inn on the beach and Agatha wore a sundress as they strolled through the narrow streets and explored the quaint shops, and Rio had to fight every urge not to pull her into the closest alley or corner to get her hands on her.
“How did you find it?” Agatha asked, picking up the triple goddess cameo pendant.
“I went back after… and it was still there…” Rio started to explain.
Agatha opened the pendant and inside, in one of the small frames was a tiny picture of Rio and Agatha taken on that same day. Their pure happiness and unspoken love beamed off the small picture. Agatha sniffed and closed the locket gently.
“Rio this is… I can’t believe you did this.” Agatha said through teary eyes.
“I told you that weekend, you were it for me, Agatha, and that hasn’t changed.” Rio smiled, taking Agatha’s hand in hers. “I was stubborn and heartbroken before because Agatha, when I fell for you, I knew I could never go back to not being in love with you.”
“Even after…” Agatha started.
“Still.” Rio finished her sentence. “Always.”
Agatha leaned her head against Rio’s shoulder and they watched Nicky pour out all the Legos onto the carpet, oblivious to the tender moment his mother and Rio had just shared. He was humming to himself as he started to assemble some of the characters.
“Look who it is!” He exclaimed, holding out a little Lego snowman.
“It’s Oleg!” Rio answered.
“Olaf!” Nicky and Agatha yelled together, laughing loudly.
“I know!” Rio rolled her eyes, joining in on the laughter.
One day she’ll get it right and remember that fucking snowman’s name.
Agatha leaned in, placing a lingering kiss on Rio’s cheek and Rio realized something as she felt the tingling on her face, at least she got one thing right.
❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️☃️❄️❄️