Chapter Text
Agatha is desperate. The second year PhD student finds herself tearing through the halls of the student union searching for the one person she unfortunately needs at the moment. She almost turned around five times on her way here, but she’s tried everything else she can think of and it’s down to her last Hail Mary.
She finds the girl she’s looking for sitting in a quiet corner on the top floor of the building facing a gigantic window that looks out on the quad. Part of her is relieved to have found her so quickly, and the other is annoyed with the fact that she knows her well enough to know that she’d be in her favorite people watching spot without having to ask anyone.
“I need your help.”
The girl swipes her thumb across her tongue and turns the page of the book she’s reading, completely ignoring Agatha’s presence.
Agatha huffs. She hates having to ask anyone for help, but especially Rio. “Well, are you going to say something?”
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Rio shuts the book and puts it down on the table, then crosses her arms as she leans back casually in her chair. “I missed the part where you said hello or gave me any sort of context.”
The younger girl rolls her eyes and crosses her arms, mirroring Rio’s body language but adding her own patented brand of sarcasm as she plasters a fake smile on her face.
“Hi Rio. How are you? Still wasting space and resources this university could be giving to someone who actually has a brain? Great!” Agatha drops her smile and moves her hands as she talks, using her fingers for air quotations. “I need to do something other people might think is ‘inappropriate’ or ‘manipulative’ or ‘batshit crazy’, so I need your help.”
Rio grins in the annoying way that makes Agatha squirm under her gaze. It’s not one that’s mocking, or cruel, or even overly polite in the way most people are when they hear of her antics. It’s one that says I am enjoying this conversation and interested in what you have to say. It pisses Agatha off to no end.
“You definitely came to the right place.” Rio moves her bag off the chair next to her and gestures for Agatha to take a seat. When she doesn’t make a move, Rio pats the seat itself. “Come on Agatha, I only bite when asked to.”
Agatha takes a seat, crossing one leg over the other and placing her arms flat on the arms of the chair with her fingers curled around the ends. She sits up straight, with an air of authority as if this is her own private office and not a public space with students wandering in and out.
“I need you to pretend to date me so I can get into Wanda Maximoff’s pants.”
6 months ago:
Agatha strolls into her advisor's office seventeen minutes late with an iced coffee in one hand and a partially eaten bagel in the other. As chair of the department, Lilia has an office large enough to hold small group gatherings like the one currently taking place. Agatha slides into the empty seat next to Jen who snatches the uneaten half of her bagel from her and splits it with Alice. She makes a noise of protest that’s cut short when Lilia sends her a stern look.
Agatha sits back glumly, sipping on her coffee, and lets her gaze wander around the room. Hopeful PhD students watch Lilia with rapt attention as she talks about their peer mentor program and all the other fun things grad school has to offer. Her gaze meets a pair of soft green eyes, still watching her from the abrupt entrance she made. The girl is cute and Agatha's bored, so she raises a hand to wiggles her fingers in greeting and throws a wink her way for good measure. The girl's cheeks tint slightly red as she raises hand and gives a short wave in response. Laughter at something Lilia says fills the room and the girl turns back around to refocus her attention.
Agatha makes sure she's the first one standing when Lilia asks her current students for help showing the potential ones around. She ignores the shocked looks from her friends along with her advisor's suspicious gaze, and zeros in on the girl from earlier.
“Oh well wouldn’t you know, they paired the two best looking people in the room together. Must be a sign.”
“That’s some introduction,” the girl says with a bright smile, clearly taken aback by the boldness, but not shying away. She sticks her hand out and Agatha takes it immediately. “I’m Wanda.”
Agatha smiles and steps in closer, still holding Wanda’s hand in her own. “Well, what can I say to get you to join our illustrious university? I can be very convincing.” She winks again, bringing the red tint back to Wanda’s cheeks.
It becomes apparent to Agatha that while on the outside Wanda comes off as polite and overly sweet, there’s something much more interesting underneath. She’s eager to listen to Agatha’s mostly true gossip and she laughs a bit too hard at the older girl’s lewd jokes to be the typical girl next door. By the end of their time together there are two things Agatha can say for certain. First, the literature department secured themselves a bright new addition. Second, she’s going to have the time of her life trying to corrupt this girl.
Rio’s eyes bulge and she shakes her head as if she’s trying to lodge something out of her ears. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Don’t make me repeat myself, it’s bad enough I have to come to you with this because my actual friends are too lame to do me a favor.”
Rio snorts, “Right, your very taken friends are too lame to pretend to date you. How shitty of them.”
“So, is that a yes?” Agatha bats her eyelashes and squeezes Rio’s forearm gently. “You’d really be helping a girl out.”
The older girl shakes her head again, Agatha’s typical charm failing to work on her as usual. “I don’t know about this one. I’m all for causing some chaos, but pretending to have a girlfriend to hook up with someone doesn't even make sense. And I know you don’t have any trouble in that department, just ask one of your groupies to do it if you’re so desperate.”
“Look,” Agatha sighs, “I need someone who won’t fall in love with me or try to hook up with Wanda first. You clearly live to agitate the shit out of me and I’ve never heard you say one nice thing about her.”
“Why not just ask her out like a normal person?”
Agatha’s face twists up at Rio’s question. “Because I don’t want to actually date her. I don’t do relationships. Unfortunately for me, she’s into that sort of thing. Which is why pretending to date you makes me look like the type of person she wants to be with.” Agatha pauses for a moment, attempting to come off as nonchalant as she picks an imaginary piece of lint off of her shirt. “And after I’ll just act torn up about losing you so I’ll be off the hook.”
Rio scoffs, an amused smile threatening to make an appearance. “So, let me get this straight. You want Wanda to believe you’re into monogamy so she’ll sleep with you, then you’re going to use the guilt of us ‘breaking up’ as an excuse to not actually date her?”
“Yes.”
“Your mind is fascinating.”
Rio leans forward on her elbows, chin resting on her intertwined fingers while she ponders Agatha’s words. There’s a certain intrigue in her eyes that tells Agatha she’s not completely opposed to the idea. She just needs to sweeten the deal.
Agatha flips her hair over one shoulder, the movement capturing Rio’s attention, and moves closer so their faces are only inches apart. She lowers her voice as her fingers trail gently up and down Rio’s forearm. “If you help me out this time, I’ll make it worth your while. Your wildest fantasy come true. Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”
Rio glances down at her moving fingers then back up, brown eyes growing wide. “You mean…?”
“That’s right.” Agatha nods at Rio’s unfinished question, both students knowing exactly what she really wants. “I’ll write the chapters of your thesis you owe your advisor until you're caught up.”
“Deal.”
“Great!”
Agatha stands and pulls out her phone. “We’re going to the Halloween party together, I’ll text you the link to buy your costume.” She puts her hand up, stopping the question Rio is about to ask without looking up. “No, you cannot just DIY something. I want us to actually look hot. Not that I’ll have a problem with that.”
Rio rolls her eyes. “Some people find DIY very sexy. My needlework has been known to drop panties. Have you seen my Yoshi cosplay?”
Sliding her phone back into her pocket, Agatha looks back up and points a finger at Rio. “Do not say nerdy shit like that after we tell people we’re dating. The point of this is to get me laid, not have people associate me with your grandma hobbies.”
“Dude, you’re literally a history nerd.”
“Call me a nerd again and I’ll kill you.”
Agatha turns and starts walking away, Rio’s laugh echoing behind her. A tiny voice in her head tells her this is not going to end the way she wants it to, but she quickly stomps that voice out. If there’s one thing Agatha Harkness is going to do, it is fully commit to whatever scheme she’s cooked up at the moment. If that scheme just so happens to involve making out with one attractive woman to get with another, then that’s a cross she’ll just have to bear.
“How are you still not done?” Rio’s voice calls out from Agatha’s desk chair. She’s been taking turns snooping through Agatha’s room and spinning around in the chair while Agatha gets ready.
Agatha pokes her head out of the bathroom. “Hush, no one’s supposed to know you’re here.”
Rio stops spinning herself and stares at her, a surly expression on her face. “No one knows I’m here because you snuck me in under a sheet and your roommates left TWO HOURS AGO.”
“Quit whining, you agreed to this.” Agatha moves fully back inside the bathroom and continues fine tuning her makeup. “Besides, perfection takes time.”
Rio gets up from the chair and walks over, leaning on the bathroom counter as she watches Agatha. “Consider perfection achieved. Actually, consider it achieved ages ago. Can we please go now?”
Agatha ignores her pleading and grabs a tube of lipstick to round out her look. She takes her time swiping the color onto her lips, Rio sighing deeply next to her as Agatha smacks her lips together once, twice, then a third time for good measure. She runs her fingers through her long wig, smoothing out any strands that she finds sticking up. Finally, she turns to Rio and gives her a once over.
To her credit, Rio actually listened to her and forewent her normal homemade costume for the more tailored one Agatha sent her. Agatha's hands slide up to fix the collar of Rio’s costume and the older girl’s lips pull up into a small smile, both of them knowing that Agatha’s silence is a sign that she’s actually very pleased with the look.
Agatha waits another beat before nodding approvingly. “You can go ahead and call the Uber now.”
“Uber?” The smile drops from Rio’s face. “It’s like a fifteen minute walk, why would we Uber?”
“It’s all part of the plan dear.” Agatha pats Rio on the cheek then brushes past her to sit down on her bed “Hand me my shoes.”
Rio follows her and kneels down to grab the heels lying on the floor. “It’s part of the plan to waste money?” She frowns as Agatha slips her feet into the shoes. “There’s like a million parties happening tonight, just think of the surge pricing.”
“You’re literally a trust fund baby.”
Rio pouts. “It’s the principle of the matter Agatha.”
Agatha rolls her eyes. “The chances of us running into someone we know walking across campus are pretty high and I want to keep the element of surprise on our side.”
“I think we’re fine on that front. Considering you probably had a girl in your bed this morning, I don’t think anyone is expecting you to show up with an actual girlfriend. Especially since that girlfriend is me of all people.” Rio shrugs, clearly not backing down. “I say we take the more economic option and walk. Hell, I’ll even stay ten feet behind you so no one thinks we’re together.”
“Let me put it this way.” Agatha leans back on her arms, crossing one leg over the other as she looks up at Rio. “If these shoes touch the sidewalk before we get to that party, you’re not getting your next thesis chapter.”
“Counter point, you need me more than I need you.” Rio plops back down on the desk chair and crosses her arms. “You can’t pressure me into getting your way on this one”
“Wanna bet?”
10 minutes later Rio’s grumbling as their driver pulls away from Agatha’s building towards their destination. “We would almost be there if we just walked.”
“Oh cheer up, if we were really dating you wouldn’t win any arguments either. This just sets the mood for your performance.”
Rio raises her eyebrows. “My performance? Are we doing local theater now?”
“Funny.” Agatha gives her a deadpan look. “Remind me to laugh when you blow our cover because you’re not taking this seriously.”
“Oh, I’m sorry, how’s this?” Rio asks as she sits straight up, intertwining her fingers over her lap, looking attentively at Agatha.
“Good girl.”
Rio’s cheeks tint slightly, but she doesn’t break eye contact. The confidence stirs something inside Agatha, it’s exactly what they’re going to need to pull this off and why she went to Rio in the first place. Rio always proudly marched to the beat of her own drum, even under the scrutinization of other people, including Agatha. In another life she may have found it endearing. Agatha realizes they’ve been staring at one another for far too long and clears her throat while pulling her phone out to distract herself. Rio relaxes next to her and the pair spend the rest of their short ride in silence.
They enter the house minutes later and go in opposite directions, Agatha making a beeline to the living room while Rio heads to the kitchen. Jen, Alice, and Wanda are chatting on the couch when Agatha saunters over, a calm, almost bored look on her face.
Alice notices her first and lets out a whistle. “Woah Agatha, if I wasn’t already taken and you didn’t scare the crap out of me, I’d be drooling right now.”
Jen swats at her girlfriend. “We can definitely arrange for one of those things to change tonight.” She looks over at Agatha and begrudgingly nods. “You do look good though.”
“I know, don’t I?” Agatha grins and perches herself on the arm of the couch next to Wanda.
Green eyes trail up Agatha’s body, lingering for a moment on her cleavage before meeting her confident gaze. “You really do look amazing, Agatha.” Wanda places a comforting hand on Agatha’s shoulder. “I’m glad you came, I wasn’t sure you’d be up to it after the other night.”
Agatha gives a tight smile. “What? That little thing.” She waves her hand, attempting to appear unbothered. “I haven’t thought about it since it happened. People just don’t know how to have fun anymore.”
“That’s funny, I distinctly remember you sulking around the apartment today after Lilia brought it up at our updates meeting.” Jen’s smirk makes Agatha grind her teeth together.
“You may need to get your eyes checked again Jennifer.”
Agatha and Jen exchange mocking looks while Alice takes a sip from her drink and avoids eye contact. Wanda gives Agatha another sympathetic pat on the shoulder. Normally she’d be thrilled at the contact, but the reminder of the recent public embarrassment she faced puts a sour taste in her mouth.
Five days ago:
The only thing PhD faculty like to hear more than the sound of their own voices is other people stroking their egos. Normally Agatha wouldn’t be caught dead at a faculty dinner, especially one hosted in the dean’s home, but Lilia practically threatened their futures in academia if they didn’t show up. Something about the anniversary of their university or an award someone was getting or a retirement party. She wasn’t really paying attention to the details. Still, Lilia’s threats were not to be ignored so there she was, standing in a corner with the usual suspects.
Jen elbows her then nods her head in the direction of a professor talking the ear off of an undergrad. The professor being equally known for his research and the extensive amount of saliva he sprayed on people when he spoke. “How many more spit takes before the kid excuses himself?”
“It can’t be that much more. Based on the degree of wetness, I’d say they’ve been talking for at least five minutes.”
“I don’t know.” Alice clicks her tongue. “Professor Spittle might be gross, but his funding is insane and I’m pretty sure that guy just joined his research group.”
The trio all grimace as a particularly large glob of spit lands on the students forehead.
Agatha scrunches up her nose at the scene. “I say he’s got three more in him before he makes a break for the bathroom.”
Jen tilts her head as she thinks. “I say seven more.”
“I’ll take the split.” Alice grabs the bottle of wine they stashed behind a potted plant and pours each of them a fresh glass. “Farthest away has to down their whole drink.”
They watch counting each time a new fleck of spit makes its way onto the student’s face. He gets hit eight more times before the pair are interrupted by another professor and the boy slinks away looking relieved. As Agatha throws her head back and finishes her wine, Rio saunters up to the group.
“Aww did I miss you guys out hustling the shark herself?”
Alice nods happily. “She thought some undergrad would stand up for himself.”
Agatha rolls her eyes. “What can I say, I love an underdog.”
Rio shakes her head with a grin. “You give them too much credit. Most of these kids will never grow a backbone.”
“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind next time.” Agatha shoves the empty wine glass into her hands and makes her way to the bar to get something stronger.
Her something stronger turns into four very strong somethings by the time Agatha finds the group again, this time with two new additions. They’re standing in a small circle just off the living room. Wanda is a welcome sight as always, but the other newcomer puts a scowl on Agatha’s face. She had crossed paths with Natasha a handful of times during their first year as graduate students, usually at the bar or cocktail mixers, but it wasn’t until Wanda joined their group that the redhead became a consistent thorn in her side.
“Agatha, hi.” Wanda gives her a bright smile. “We were just talking about you.”
“Hi doll, all good things I hope.” Agatha slides between her and Rio, bumping into the older girl's hip as she does, and pulls Wanda into a hug.
Rio doesn’t react, too busy having a staring contest with the redhead across from her. Neither of them were willing to tell the group exactly what happened between them, but it was clear the two held a certain disdain for one another. Their constant competitiveness wasn’t nearly as alluring as the back-and-forth Agatha had with Rio. Not that Agatha would let anyone hear her refer to their dynamic as sexy.
“Harkness.” Nat acknowledges her without tearing her eyes away from Rio.
“Romanoff.”
Jen rolls her eyes as she takes a sip of her drink and mutters, “I hate lesbians.”
Ignoring her friend, Agatha focuses all her energy on the brunette next to her. She twirls a strand of Wanda’s hair around her finger. “Did you get a haircut hot stuff? It looks great.”
Wanda smiles and begins to say something, but her face quickly morphs into a one of concern. Someone grabs Agatha’s shoulder and roughly turns her around. Agatha finds a furious blonde staring her down. The girl looks familiar, but Agatha can’t place her. If she had to put money on it however, she’d say she’s most likely a fling she made one too many false promises to.
“Well, aren’t you going to say something?” The girl stomps her foot in a huff.
Agatha glances over at Wanda who’s failing to not look judgy, her opinion on Agatha’s many one night stands had been made clear ages ago. Agatha tries to save face and says the first thing that comes to mind.
“I’m sorry, do I know you?”
“Are you joking?’ The blonde’s fury grows, Agatha’s attempt to throw her off not working at all. “You know, you’re a real piece of work. All my friends said I should stay away from you, that you were just going to use me then pretend I don’t exist. But no, I just had to fall for your stupid game. How could you say all those things then just move on?”
“What can I say, I’m a lone wolf.” Agatha shrugs, if denial won’t work then crassness it is. “You weren't exactly complaining when I was inside you.”
This is apparently not the right response. The girl throws her drink in Agatha’s face and follows it with a sharp slap.
“Enjoy living a life completely alone, you utter asshole!”
The room is silent and Agatha is surrounded by shocked faces as the blonde stops out of the party. Jen has a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle a laugh. Rio and Nat break eye contact finally, brown eyes looking irritated, almost mad. Probably a leftover effect from staring down the girl she dislikes so much.
Jen’s the first one to break silence. “I love lesbians.”
Agatha is fuming, but before any more damage is done, Lilia appears suddenly, drawing the attention of the room. “Well, I for one think this is a perfect time for dessert. Why don’t we all make our way to the dining room?” Her authoritative tone leaves no room for argument as people begin shuffling to the next room, murmuring and throwing glances towards Agatha.
Lilia turns to stare down the group, the disapproving gaze cutting deep into the lot. She may only be Agatha, Jen, and Alice’s advisor, but the respect the entire group has for her elicits mumbled sorrys as they follow the large crowd to the dining room.
Agatha slides a hand down Wanda's arm, in an attempt to change the subject and keep her plan on track. “Don't you look good enough to eat.” Wanda looks down bashfully. She's dressed as Little Red Riding Hood, and only a tad indecent. “Red is definitely your color.”
“Thank you! I wanted something recognizable, but still fun.”
“Speaking of recognizable,” Alice pipes up “what exactly are you going for Agatha? Because the character coming to mind is definitely more of a couple's costume.”
Before Agatha can answer, a red cup appears from over her shoulder. “Sorry that took so long, you would not believe how many ghosts I just had to fight to get this.”
Agatha grins, she couldn't have timed it better if she tried. She looks up at Rio and takes the drink, making sure to let their fingers graze in a very noticeable manner.
“Thanks, hon.”
“Anytime, hon.” Rio employs her normal teasing tone as she mimics Agatha, but she's added a softer, almost fond edge to it. Agatha finds herself impressed with her improv abilities. The older girl leans on the arm of the couch, hand directly behind Agatha near her hip.
“I'm sorry, what's happening?”
Jen is looking at them like they've grown extra heads. Alice and Wanda seem to share her shock. Seeing their costumes together makes it perfectly clear who they're dressed as.
Alice frowns. “Is this supposed to be ironic? Like it's funny that you're Morticia and Gomez because you're always bickering and can't stand each other.”
“We don't bicker,” Agatha says with an eye roll, “We just have very passionate conversations.”
Jen scoffs, “Please be serious. You two don’t even seem like you like each other most of the time.”
“I like Agatha plenty. You're all just terrible at reading me.” Rio looks as solemn as someone with a pencil thin, drawn on mustache can.
Agatha nods. “Exactly. Rio and I are complex individuals.” She takes a beat. “Plus she's insanely hot.”
Jen looks them up and down with scrutiny, her initial shock morphing into suspicion. “And you finally opening your eyes to what the rest of us have always known equals a couple's costume how?”
“Hmm, let me think.” Agatha taps her lips, an exaggerated thoughtful expression on her face. “Why would two people show up to a party together dressed as a couple? Real head scratcher there.”
Jen laughs. “Agatha Harkness coupled up. Someone check on hell-”
“Because it froze over. Ha ha, you're so original.” Agatha interrupts her. “Did you use the last of your brainpower coming up with your costumes? Peanut butter and jelly must have taken a lot out of you.”
“God you're such a bitch. Rio you're way too nice for this nonsense, are you sure you want to put up with her?”
“Definitely.” Rio grins wolfishly. “I actually think she should be meaner.”
Jen makes a face. “I take it back, your weirds do match.” She downs her drink and stands, reaching a hand out for Alice. “I really don't care about whatever shenanigans you two are up to, we're going to get shit faced and dance.”
The couple leaves, Alice giving Rio a friendly pat on the back as she passes.
“I for one think this is great.” Wanda stands up to face the pair as she speaks. “We should embrace love whenever we can, even if it comes in an unexpected form.”
“Oh yeah.” Rio throws her arm over Agatha’s shoulder. “We’re embracing so many things right now, it's just so transformative when you really think about it.”
Wanda gives a puzzled look then nods slowly. “Right. Well, I told Nat that I’d watch her school some people in pong, so I should probably get out there.” She places a hand on Agatha's knee. “It is nice seeing you with someone in a real way.”
Agatha waits until Wanda is out of sight to push Rio's arm off of her. “We're embracing so many things right now? What the hell does that even mean?”
Rio shrugs. “I don't know, it seemed like some cheesy thing someone in love would say. Besides, your girlfriend totally ate it up.”
“Sure she did.”
At some point Agatha let's Rio convince her their presence is needed at the pong table. Nat’s undefeated for the night, and the third year refuses to pass up a chance to piss her off. The crowd that had previously formed watches with rapt attention as the two exchange heated quips.
“You know Romanoff, I thought you'd be better at this. I guess that costume didn't give you the ninja skills you were hoping for.”
“I'm not a ninja dumbass and you know it.” The irritation is clear in Nat's voice after having corrected Rio multiple times about her black spy costume. “Quit stalling and throw the damn ball.”
Rio obliges and the ball lands perfectly in Nat’s second to last cup, her own side only missing two cups.
The redhead who was normally calm and collected now looked like she was about to lose her shit. Wanda gives her an encouraging thumbs up from her spot off to the side. Nat takes a deep breath and throws her ball which promptly bounces off the side of one of Rio's cups and rolls under the table.
Rio smirks. “You know you're supposed to aim for the inside of the cup right?”
“Shut the fuck up and go.”
Rio turns to Agatha, holding a ball up between two fingers. “Hey babe, can I get a blow for good luck?”
Agatha licks her lips and blows gently on the small white ball. She keeps her eyes locked on Rio's as she does, acting as if she's not aware of anyone else in the room. She can feel Wanda's gaze on them from the other side of the table, and it takes a huge amount of effort to ignore it.
Without looking away, Rio tosses the ball, sinking it straight into Nat’s last cup. The other girl sulks as people in the crowd cheer. Nat flips Rio off as she downs the rest of the contents of her drink.
The confidence oozing from Rio is ridiculously attractive, made even more evident as she smoothly slips an arm around Agatha's waist and pulls her flush against herself. They had briefly discussed kissing prior to their night out, Agatha making it clear that not only was it on the table, it would be vital to her mission. There was not a single person who knew Agatha that would believe she'd go an entire party without at least kissing another woman.
Agatha brings her hands up to Rio's face and presses their lips together firmly. As it turns out, despite having zero evidence that she ever actually dated people, Rio is an amazing kisser. Agatha gets lost in the moment, enjoying the feeling of Rio's tongue as it slips between her lips and teases her own. It's only after the next player trying to use the pong table bumps into Rio that the two break apart.
Rio slips her hand into Agatha’s and pulls her through the crowd. Just before stepping back into the house, Agatha notices Wanda watching them with a curious expression. She feels a surge of triumph move through her.
The duo find a quiet corner to rest in once inside. Their cheeks are flushed, caused by a mixture of the alcohol, the adrenaline of the game, and their kiss.
“That wasn't half bad Vidal.”
“Not half bad?” Rio raises her eyebrows. “I sank that last shot without looking. My name should be on a wall somewhere.”
Agatha rolls her eyes. “I was talking about the kiss you dork. I thought I was going to have to walk you through some of those more technical aspects.”
“What can I say, I've got mad skills in multiple areas. Call me multifaceted.”
The air between them is light, maybe the lightest it's been since they first met. As much as Rio can be a pain, her willingness to go with the flow seems to be saving them from dissolving into their more typical bouts of hostility at this moment.
“So what's next? You think Wanda’s ready to wreck this home?”
Agatha scoffs. “If it was that easy, I probably wouldn't have needed your help. Next is phase two. I'd rest up if I were you.”
“There's phases?” Her brown eyes grow wide. “How many phases?”
“As many as it takes.” Agatha pats Rio's cheek. “Don't worry, you can handle it. You're multifaceted.”
Rio groans, “These thesis chapters better be fucking gold.”
“Please, you've seen my writing. I'm almost insulted that you'd question that.”
“Oh, I'm so sorry, what was I thinking?” Rio puts her hands up to her face in mock horror.
“Not to worry, you can make it up to me by calling our Uber. I'm over this party.”
Rio grumbles to herself, but pulls out her phone to request a ride. Anything to avoid a repeat of their earlier back and forth. Agatha mentally pats herself on the back for choosing Rio. Aside from the excellent display she just put on, she also knows when to accept defeat at the hands of Agatha.
“Don’t forget to make it Comfort, that last ride was barely passable.”
“Oh come on!”