Work Text:
Off days were the best.
Off days allowed Rio to walk around the mall, hand in hand, with the cutest, littlest guy.
Letting her eyes drop to the toddler waddling beside her, babbling about something that made sense to no one but Rio and pointing out things she found equally as interesting, a suffocating and nauseating—as Agatha would so eloquently describe it—fondness constricted in her chest. Rio swore the love overflowing in her heart as she looked down at Nicky might kill her.
You’re so dramatic, Rio could hear Agatha’s voice bouncing around the walls of her head like she was physically there speaking them.
Rio scoffed internally. Like Agatha’s sentiment wasn’t of equal magnitude. She had carried the boy nine months, for Christ’s sake. Cried for at least a week straight after he was born because she couldn’t believe he was real, that she’d made him. Agatha would kill and die for him.
Got close to the killing part a few times already, ever the jealous, protective mother.
Rio sighed, smiling to herself like an idiot. She loved her wife. Her son. Their little family.
The sound made the dark haired boy look up in question, tugging at Rio’s hand and asking in that high-pitched, heart-melting, caring voice, “You okay, mami?”
With a nod, Rio pulled the boy by the arm, suspending him in the air and making him squeal as she moved to hoist him on her hip. Kissing his chubby cheek loudly, she offered the boy a grin. “I’m perfect, bud.”
Little arms wrapped around Rio’s neck in a hug.
God, she was going to freaking melt. She was so in love with this cutie.
Sometime during their casual strolling, both Rio and Nicky shared a gasp, looking at each other to make sure the other had seen what they’d seen. Nicky wiggled himself from Rio’s hold, dramatically expressing his frustrations with something not quite a scream but that basically yelled, ‘Fucking drop me, woman!’, and let his little feet carry him inside the store, Rio following close behind.
Nicky’s new obsession, one possibly passed on by and definitely shared with Rio.
Dinosaurs.
They were cool, sue her. So what if it was a little boy’s hobby? Agatha already called Rio autistic—she was adamant Rio had gone through her life undiagnosed—She was allowed to like them.
If Agatha was there, her eyes would be rolling so hard at Nicky and Rio’s shared excitement they would get stuck facing her skull. Grimace set, arms crossed, grumbling in annoyance, angsty to pull them out of the store like she wouldn’t swipe her card without thinking twice about it at whatever they wanted.
Agatha fooled no one but herself.
“Mami! Mami!”
Rio rushed to where Nicky was. In the middle of the costume aisle, the boy lifted himself up on his tiptoes, grabby hands failing to reach one of the costumes. Catching sight of what Nicky was trying to reach, Rio’s face lit up with a grin, grabbing the Triceratops costume.
“Oh my god, this is so cute! You want it?”
The second Rio saw it the decision had been made in her head, but the clapping and bouncing in excitement from Nicky made it an even more worth-it purchase. Agatha was going to freak!
“Yes, yes, yes! Can I wear it?”
“You can try it on at home.”
Costume shopping was excused when you had children. It didn’t have to be Halloween.
Nicky squeaked, wrapping his little arms around Rio’s leg and bending his knees in a sort of half-jump, half-dance, happy sounds echoing down the aisle.
“Thank you, mami!”
“You’re welcome, buddy.” Wiggling her hand, Rio grabbed Nicky’s in her own. Addressing him with a playful smirk, she said, “How about you help me find something for me, too? And for mama?”
More excited bouncing. Rio let herself be pulled in whatever direction Nicky decided.
Additionally tucked in Rio’s arm was a T-rex mask—not really a mask as much as it was a helmet—an Ankylosaurus figurine, a dinosaur coloring book, and two T-shirts, one for Agatha and one for Rio.
It was hard to discern whose smile was wider, if Rio’s or Nicky’s. The little boy was beaming, talking animatedly to the cashier about his new costume and his new toy while Rio offered facts about the Ankylosaurus like the cashier gave a damn. At least he was smiling amicably, but Rio didn’t miss the speed at which he scanned and bagged their items.
Finally home, through mischievous giggles and another Nicky fit—as long as the two seconds it took for Rio to open the door. His dramatics were 100% from Agatha—both mother and son took what they were going to try on from the bag before tossing it carelessly on the kitchen counter. Sprinting to Nicky’s bedroom, Rio helped the boy out of his clothes and into the costume.
Oh. My. God.
Nicky dropped to the floor on all floors and started scrambling around the room once the costume was on.
Rio was going to explode from cuteness overload.
“RAWR!” Nicky growled, banging his head against the wall because the hood of the costume didn’t let him see a thing.
Laughing, Rio pulled out her phone and began recording, capturing the little boy’s happiness for safekeeping. She would show it to Agatha later in bed. After snapping a couple pictures for good measure, Rio removed her shirt to slip on the one she’d bought.
Smiling at her reflection, Rio’s hands came down to her hips proudly.
I ❤️ 🦖
Hell yeah.
“Hey, Nicky,” She called, giggling when Nicky’s eyes remained obscured by the mask, the Triceratops head looking at her instead. “Come here, buddy. Let’s take a photo.”
Scrambling up to his feet with another roar, Rio squatted down and threw him on her hip. Taking a few pictures like that in front of the mirror, she maneuvered Nicky until he clung to her neck, hanging behind her with one of Rio’s hands supporting his weight, the other snapping more pictures. All that could be seen of Nicky was his grin and that made Rio smile brighter in turn.
Time passed without them noticing, Nicky having way too much fun acting like a dinosaur around his room and Rio delighting in his playfulness.
Agatha’s car pulled in the driveway, heard by the two dinosaur enthusiasts.
“Mama!” Nicky darted towards the bedroom door before Rio reached for him and yanked him back, suspending him in midair as she whispered conspiratorially in his ear.
“Let’s surprise her,” Rio suggested, further plotting. “After you hear the front door, go attack her!”
Nicky nodded, wiggling in Rio’s hold until she set him down. They both hung by the door, waiting for the inevitable sound of keys and Agatha’s voice as she entered.
“I’m home,” Agatha sing-songed. Rio could hear her drop her keys and her bag on the counter. Pointing with her head the go-ahead, Nicky’s bedroom door creaked open before the boy fell down to his hands and knees, beginning a scramble to the kitchen as Agatha continued talking out loud. “What’s this bag? Rio? I know you’re here. You parked like shit in the gar- AHH!”
“RAWR!”
Rio sped out of the bedroom, catching sight of Agatha clutching her chest and Nicky ‘biting’ her ankles. With an impish giggle Rio fought to suppress, she scooped Nicky in her hands, showing him off to Agatha like he was a fish she’d just caught in the lake. Almost as if in quiet agreement, both their faces remained stoic, a perfect representation of the annoying pain in the ass Agatha had to deal with on the daily.
Agatha hadn’t gotten the chance to fully take Nicky in due to her fright, starting to scold before trailing off, “Nicky! What have I told you about scaring…me…”
Blue eyes blinked, looking at the dressed-up boy held up to her line of sight.
The silence stretched long enough for Rio’s face to peak from behind Nicky, watching the smile that had slowly been making its way into Agatha’s face.
“Agatha, look at him!” Rio stressed, shaking the boy in her hands like a bag of chips, making cute giggles fall from his lips. “Scary dinosaur!”
“RAWR!” Nicky growled on cue.
Agatha pushed her tongue against her cheek, a habit taken from Rio, fighting the smile desperate to fully break through.
“This… is what you guys went out to get?”
Rio and Nicky nodded simultaneously.
“Gosh,” Rio marveled, looking at Nicky as she set him on her hip, shaking him again before turning back to Agatha. “It’s he the freaking cutest?”
Squinting her eyes, Agatha reached for the hood of Nicky’s costume, pulling it further over his face. “He does look adorable,” Agatha breathed affectionately, pulling it back down when Nicky tried to push it back up, smiling at the sound of his laughter.
“Mama, stop!”
Chuckling, Agatha reached for Nicky, kissing his cheek in greeting and using both arms to hold him up. As she leaned forward to kiss Rio next, Rio’s eyes fluttering closed in anticipation, Agatha took notice of Rio’s shirt, snorting.
“What the hell are you wearing?”
“What?” Rio looked down at her shirt, running her fingers through the fabric. Smirking, “You don’t like it?”
Agatha rolled her eyes—predictable—giving Rio a disapproving once over. “You look ridiculous.”
Taking zero offense, Rio laughed easily at the jab, leaning over herself in hopes of catching Agatha’s lips in a kiss. She did, humming pleasantly at the soft press before pulling away and reaching for the bag.
“We got you something, too.”
“No,” Agatha shook her head with a scoff, not wanting to stick around and see what Rio and Nicky would try to shove her into. Before taking a single step, Rio tsked, grabbing her elbow and pulling her back.
“You haven’t seen it yet!”
“Don’t need to.”
“Mama!” Nicky pouted, wiggling in her hold as his little hands cupped Agatha’s jaw. “We have to match.”
“Honey…”
“Like Nicky said!” Rio chimed in, pulling out the other shirt from the bag, smiling like she knew it was ridiculous and would force Agatha into wearing it, anyway. Whether the woman cooperated or not.
Hell no.
“Rio…”
“What?” Rio bit her lip, the move doing nothing to conceal that annoying, infuriating smirk. The one that made Agatha want to kiss her and rip her head off. “Nicky picked them for us.”
I AM 🦖
“We are dinosaurs and mami loves us!” Nicky explained, bouncing excitedly as Agatha’s eyes shut slowly in defeat.
How was she supposed to say no to her baby?
“Sweetheart…”
“Please, mama?” Nicky didn’t let her speak, eyeing her with the puppy dog eyes that disarmed Agatha in an instant, lower lip jutting out in a pout.
Yeah, the manipulation was also an Agatha-derived trait.
Rio watched the interaction. She copied Nicky’s pleading look.
With a groan, Agatha huffed regrettably, “Fine.”
“Yay!” Nicky squealed as Rio clapped, handing Agatha the shirt with a wiggle of her eyebrows, freeing her arms from the boy.
Another grumble followed by angry muttering as Agatha made her way to their bedroom. In the meantime, Rio held her hand up for Nicky, palms slapping in a high-five at having gotten Agatha to agree to change into the shirt.
“Nice work, champ,” Rio winked.
When Agatha came out of the room wearing the shirt, Nicky freed himself from Rio’s grasp, going over to hug Agatha’s legs in gratitude and compliment her appearance. Rio, on the other hand, wore a smirk Agatha didn’t know if she wanted to kiss or smack away.
Standing in the hallway, wearing the stupidest fucking shirt in existence, Agatha might be the most stunning woman Rio has ever seen in her life.
“Happy now?”
“Elated.”
When Rio approached, teasing smiles holding back teasing words—the way Agatha’s eyes burned into her own warned her to be careful of what she said, otherwise it wouldn’t be pretty. Rio kept her mouth shut—she slid her arms around Agatha’s waist, pressing their lips together tenderly.
“You look gorgeous, sweetheart.”
“Shut up.”
Scooping Nicky up, Agatha distracted herself by placing kisses all over his face. As she cooed at him, pouring onto him the love only reserved for him and Rio, Rio pulled out her phone and opened up the camera. Getting closer to Agatha, she kissed her wife’s cheek, Nicky doing the same in another unspoken agreement. Agatha’s eyes closed as her face flushed pleasantly, smiling despite herself. Rio took the moment to snap a picture then, forgetting the sound wasn’t off, click alerting Agatha.
“Rio!”
Through the halls of their home echoed laughter, encapsulating a happiness neither woman thought they’d get the chance to experience. Let alone share together with a small human equal parts themselves.