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As the sun began its slow ascent over the horizon, Rio knew she could no longer ignore the call of her duties. With a soft sigh she brought her hand up to trail her fingers through Agatha’s hair where her head rested on Rio’s chest. Agatha stirred, a soft exhale escaping her lips and the arm she had thrown over Rio’s waist tightened ever so slightly, but she didn’t wake. Rio smiled as she glanced down at her sleeping wife.
Holding Agatha while she slept had quickly become one of Rio’s favorite activities to pass the time when her wife gave into her mortal needs and Rio couldn’t stand to be parted from her. In the quiet of their cottage, after the rest of the world had gone still for the night and Agatha finally succumbed to slumber, Rio would lay there with her for hours. Some nights, Agatha would twist and turn and roll over in her sleep, muttering nonsense until she settled again. Others, she pressed herself against Rio’s side and rested her head on her chest and stayed there until morning. Rio loved those nights the most, when Agatha’s head was pillowed on her chest as she laid on her back and the steady rhythm of her breathing and the feeling of her sleep warmed skin against her own was enough to lull Rio into a restful state.
With another sigh, Rio lifted her head and tilted her chin down to drop a featherlight kiss Agatha’s hairline. Agatha made a soft noise in the back of her throat and pressed herself closer to Rio, as if she could sense her impending departure even in sleep.
Leaving Agatha had never been an easy feat for Rio. From the moment they met, Rio had been intrigued by the other witch. The more time they spent together, especially in those early days in Salem, the harder it was for Rio to tear herself away. At first the feeling terrified her. Nothing in her entire existence had compelled her to ignore the call of the souls that needed to be guided into the afterlife. But Agatha had accomplished the impossible and now any time Rio was forced away from her wife it felt as if she was leaving behind a limb.
Rio allowed herself a few more moments to simply bask in Agatha’s closeness before she steeled herself for the task of separating them. She brought the hand that wasn’t still tangled in Agatha’s hair to the arm she had slung over her waist and moved it to rest insead at Agatha’s side. The action caused Agatha to stir and let out a low whine.
“I’m sorry, my love,” Rio whispered, her lips once again ghosting over Agatha’s hairline. “I have to go.”
“No,” Agatha grumbled, her warm breath tickling Rio’s chest. She tried to throw her arm back across Rio, but Rio’s grip was firm.
“I’ll be back as soon as I’m able,” she promised.
Agatha tipped her head back and her lips found Rio’s throat. A shiver ran down her spine as Agatha kissed a trail of feather light kisses down to her collarbone. Rio closed her eyes and let out a shaky breath. She’d hoped she’d be able to slip out without waking Agatha for this very reason. Most of the time, Agatha understood that she couldn’t spend all of her time with her, no matter how much she wished she could. But when she really felt like it, Agatha dug in her heels and employed any trick at her disposal in order to entice Rio to stay. It seemed that this morning would be one of those times.
“Stay,” Agatha said as she nipped at Rio’s throat.
Rio let out a soft sigh. “Agatha-” she started but was quickly cut off by Agatha’s sharp teeth sinking into the soft flesh of her throat.
Rio bit her bottom lip to stifle the moan that threatened to bubble out of her throat. Her grip on Agatha’s wrist loosened enough for her wife to wiggle free and use her new found freedom to leverage herself up into a sitting position. In one swift motion, Agatha shoved the blanket down the bed and threw a leg over Rio and sat on her stomach.
“Agatha,” Rio said warningly as she leaned over her.
“Yes, my love?” she asked, her tone steeped in false sweetness as she tilted her head to one side.
“You know I have to go,” Rio tried to reason with her, reaching up to tuck some of Agatha’s wild hair behind her ear. “You’re only delaying the inevitable.”
“What if I don’t care,” Agatha countered with a raised eyebrow.
“You would upset the entire balance of nature for your own selfish gain?” Rio asked rhetorically. Agatha wasn’t one to let anything stand in the way of what she wanted and in that moment, it seemed that it was for Rio to remain right where she was.
“Without a second thought,” Agatha confirmed, her tone certain.
Rio felt a surge of affection for her wife as Agatha straightened up, still firmly planted on Rio’s stomach. If she hadn’t already spent more time than she normally allowed with Agatha, the self satisfied smirk on her lips would have been enough to shatter what little resolve Rio had left.
With a sigh Rio pushed herself up, forcing Agatha to wiggle down into her lap as she sat up fully. Agatha pouted and slid her arms around Rio’s shoulders as Rio’s hands fell to her waist.
“My love,” Rio started, her voice low as she leaned forward to rest her forehead against Agatha’s. “There is no place I would rather spend my existence, than at your side. But for now, I must go.”
Agatha took a deep breath and blew it out, her warm breath tickling Rio’s cheeks.
“I know,” she whispered, her eyes dropping to her lap. “That doesn’t make it any easier.”
Rio tipped her head up and pressed a lingering kiss to Agatha’s brow. “I know,” she breathed out.
Agatha’s arms tightened around Rio’s neck and Rio closed her eyes as her own arms circled Agatha’s waist. They sat like that for a long time, just holding each other as the sun rose over the tops of the trees surrounding their home. Eventually, Rio knew she couldn’t put off her departure any longer and started to pull away from the embrace, but Agatha’s held fast.
“Please, Agatha,” Rio begged.
For a moment, Agatha didn’t budge and Rio feared she was going to be forced transport herself out of the cottage and face down her wife’s fury upon her return. And then she felt Agatha’s grip loosen. Rio brought a hand up to cup her jaw, gently stroking her cheek with her thumb.
“When will you be back?” Agatha asked softly, leaning in to Rio’s touch.
“As soon as I can,” Rio told her honestly.
Agatha sighed but she nodded her head in understanding. Her arms fell to her sides and Rio instantly missed the warmth and comfort they offered. Agatha climbed off her lap and sat back against the headboard. She crossed her arms over her chest and that adorable pout returned to her face.
“Can I have a kiss?” Rio requested.
Agatha turned her face away and shrugged her shoulders.
Rio leaned across the bed, hovering over Agatha who still refused to look at her. She knew what Agatha was doing, prolonging her departure by any means necessary. Rio wouldn’t leave without a kiss goodbye, despite her own insistence that she had to go and Agatha almost always used that to her advantage.
“Please.”
Agatha turned her head and met Rio’s eyes, her blue eyes sparkling in the morning light filtering through the bedroom window. Several heartbeats passed as they stared each other down, locked in their battle of wills. Agatha broke first and rolled her eyes, but leaned in to press her lips against Rio’s in a soft kiss. When Rio attempted to pull back, Agatha’s hands were quick to find her cheeks and hold her in place. Rio’s own hands circled Agatha’s wrist as she parted her lips to allow her wife to deepen the kiss.
“I love you,” Rio whispered breathlessly when Agatha pulled away.
“And I love you,” Agatha responded instantly.
Rio smiled as she let go of Agatha and stood from the bed.
“Te veo,” she said before she transported herself away from the cottage, the pang in her chest almost to much to bear.