Chapter Text
The biology staff room was unusually buzzy for eight am on a Monday morning before the school year even began, the professors had begun their working week three days earlier than the students did, usually to prepare their lecture rooms and get up to speed with this years batch of students, but this time there was an extra announcement.
Professor Lilia Calderu, the head of the biology department, rang a bell that she kept in her room for when she had to quieten a lively room of students, or in this case, other professors.
“Listen up all” Lilia set the bell on the podium at the front of the staff room
“I have several important announcements before we commence this school year” she cleared her throat “as you all know professor Maximoff is on maternity leave this year, so her classes will be split between professors Harkness and Kale. So please ensure all communications between professors is sent to the correct place”
Professor Agatha Harkness whispered to Alice Wu-Gulliver, her friend and fellow professor while Lilia continued talking “I don’t get why I can’t just take both classes, now I have to share with Kale”
“Agatha you can’t teach botany, you’re not a botanist” Alice deadpanned “you have the neuroscience class, Jen has the botany class. It makes sense.”
“Don’t hit me with sound logic” Agatha winked at Alice as she rolled her eyes at her
“You’re so dramatic Agatha, just because you will have to talk to Jen. She’s actually not that bad”
“Alice her last name is a vegetable. Not just any vegetable the worst kind”
Before Alice could respond Lilia spoke again.
“This year we will be having a bit of a friendly competition in the biology department” all the professors in the room suddenly paid very close attention to Lilia.
“Whatever professor’s class has the highest pass percentage at the end of the year will win a vacation to Amsterdam and tickets to the Biology museum”
The room erupted into applause as Lilia announced the prize
“But the pass percentage will be based on exam work only, no professor graded work will be included to rule out an opportunities to cheat” Lilia shot a glance to Agatha
“I don’t know why she’s looking at me I would never cheat” Alice scoffed and looked at Agatha’s shocked face
“You can’t be serious, Agatha the last time we had a raffle you swapped out the bowls”
“You can’t prove that was me”
“They all said Agatha!” Alice laughed
“Alright enough chatter” Lilia rang the bell again to get the rooms attention, the announcement stirring up a lot of chatter.
“The winner will be announced the Wednesday before summer break to allow all students marks to be entered and the pass rate calculated. A reminder this is a friendly competition.” With her final statement Lilia dismissed the room before speaking again
“Harkness, Vidal can you stay behind please. Kale and Wu-Gulliver you might as well stay too”
Alice and Agatha looked at each other with a puzzled grin before moving slowly to the front of the room. Once everyone had left Lilia let down her serious expression and put on one that was much scarier, a smile.
“Now can I trust you two to behave this year” Lilia pointed between Agatha and Professor Rio Vidal, the department’s newest professor.
Agatha brought her hand to her chest in mock offence “what on earth do you mean?” She said, her tone dripping with sarcasm
Rio just scoffed.
It wasn’t that they hated each other, they just liked to rub each other up the wrong way. It was a game that was too addicting and neither could stop. Rio had only been with the department for two years but whenever they both went competition seemed to follow them, who’s class had the highest dropout rate, who’s had more sign ups, who was hotter (Lilia was on the brink of a breakdown when she heard about this one)
“You two are like competition magnets and every time it goes too far, I very nearly excluded the both of you from this.” Lilia warned
“That might’ve been a good idea” Rio mumbled
“Why? Scared you’ll lose Vidal?” Agatha smirked at her rival, she considered a day a roaring success if she got under Rio’s skin
“The opposite actually, scared I’ll win by so much of a margin that you’ll be publicly humiliated and you’ll be begging me for mercy” Rio tried not to look at Agatha as the sight of the other woman’s face made her want to pull out her hair.
“Oh you wish, I would never beg you for anything. Especially not mercy. But I definitely won’t be begging you for anything since you’re not going to win, I am” Agatha pointed her finger at Rio while Rio just batted it away like a stupid cat as she took a few steps forward and came face to face with Agatha.
“How about a little bet of our own?” Rio smirked “If I win, I want you to announce in front of the whole school that I am the ultimate human/professor, and you have to really go for it, no mercy here sweetheart”
Agatha paused for a moment, was she really going to do this? Make a bet with the most irritating of all the professors.
She’d rather hang out with Jen.
Before her brain could think her mouth was answering
“Deal” she grinned and held her hand out for Rio to shake, she may have been a fool but she was no fool not not shake on a bet
“But if I win…” Rio’s palm was almost in hers, hovering there waiting for Agatha to announce her condition
“You have to come on the trip with me and do everything I say. And I mean everything ” Agatha didn’t quite know where that idea came from in her mind but she’s rolling with it now.
The room was quiet as everyone waited for Rio’s response, Rio stared at Agatha trying to work out if she was serious or not.
She shook Agatha’s hand.
Somewhere in the background someone gasped, Agatha thought it was Jen but she could only focus on the feeling of Rio’s hand in hers. How soft it was, how perfectly it fit, how long her fingers wer-
Jesus Agatha get yourself together she thought as she snapped herself back to reality
“If you two are going to do this there needs to be some ground rules” Lilia’s eyes darted between the both of them and pointing her finger. Normally she wouldn’t entertain such a thing, but for some reason she wanted to see how this played out.
“This will be the only bet you make this year, do you hear me? I don’t need your normal shenanigans as well as this. And you two” she called over Jen and Alice who had huddled behind Lilia “you need to keep an eye on them, I trust you can do that”
Alice and Jen both nodded at Lilia, boy this was going to be a long year.
~~
“I can’t believe her” Rio stormed back into her own room, throwing her bag down on the desk and then throwing herself into her chair “I mean who the fuck does she think she is!” Rio screeched
“Okay calm down” Jen handed Rio her coffee that she had forgotten to pick up after a run in with Agatha at the little coffee shop on campus.
“How can I be calm Jen?! She just implied that she’s going to cheat her way to the top and I’m meant to just stay calm!”
It was the day before the students came back, Rio had set up everything she needed too for her classes. All her printing was done and lesson plans loaded onto the computer and her room set up the way she liked it. Herself and Jen were just about to head out and stopped to grab a coffee on the way.
Oh how that was the wrong choice.
“Look Rio I know you’re stressed about this bet” Rio glared at Jen for that statement, of course she was stressed. Rio knew herself and that she would never win anything unethically, but Agatha? No way could she say the same for her colleague/enemy.
“But I have half of Maximoff’s students, I need to meet with Harkness once a week to discuss their progress. Apparently the small group Maximoff had is double majoring so they need both classes to pass, so I can keep an eye on them. Make sure she’s not cheating” Jen was stood at the front of the desk, both hands leaning onto it, waiting for Rio’s answer.
“That is a great idea, then if any of them get suspiciously better grades quickly we know she’s cheating” Rio leaned forward as she spoke and grabbed her coffee.
“But I do need to remind you that the pass is worked out on their exam not their other work, so really it won’t matter”
Rio shot Jen a look “but she might figure out how to twist it, we need to be prepared Jen”
“We don’t need to do anything, you on the other hand need to figure out all this frustration you have with Harkness”
“What does that even mean?”
Jen knew Rio had a crush on Agatha when she started here, but then she got on the wrong end of one of Agatha’s bad days and that quickly ignited the longstanding feud between the two.
“All I’m saying is you either need to fuck her or fight her”
Rio nearly spat out her drink
“Woah woah woah, who said anything about fucking her” Rio asked
Yeah she might’ve had a tiny crush on Agatha when she started but that was so gone by now. She definitely did not want to sleep with the enemy.
“I’m just saying” Jen shrugged her shoulders “there’s definitely some tension between the two of you that’s more than just this professional rivalry”
“Jen you know I’ve tried clearing the air with her and that did not go well”
“Just think about it Rio. Now come on let’s get out of here I don’t want to spend any more time than I have to here today”
Rio reluctantly got up off her chair and grabbed her stuff, she wanted to go home and forget all about the menace that was Agatha Harkness, but something told her Jen was not going to let this go this time.
~~
Lilia was very pleased with Agatha and Rio in their commitment to this bet they had. All of their students had increased their grade in the mid terms and it remained consistent with all the work that the professors had marked throughout the year so far.
Looks like they were behaving.
Agatha would agree differently.
She knew Jen was spying on her when they met up to talk about Maximoff’s classes, she could almost see Jen getting annoyed with nothing to report back to Rio.
But she was behaving herself for once so decided not to let Rio have this one up on her.
Winding Rio up was fun, the way she huffed when Agatha said something she didn’t like or how she pouted when she gave a comeback that she was rather pleased with.
Despite what the other would think Agatha did not go out of her way to annoy Rio, she just always seemed to be in the right place at the right time.
Like how she just so happened to be walking past Rio’s room when she heard glass breaking and a very loud
“For fucks sake”
She popped her head into Rio’s room to see her stood on a very high stool definitely meant for sitting and several pieces of broken glass on the floor around her along with soil and a plant.
“Well you seem in a bit of a pickle” Agatha teased as she slowly made her way towards the mess. Rio’s eyes shooting up to face the source of the comment and her face dropped when she realised it was Agatha.
“What do you want Harkness?” She snapped
“I came to offer you a hand as you seem to be in a bit of a situation here” she gestured to all the broken glass on the floor “but if you’re fine I guess I’ll just go” she swivelled round on one foot and ever so slowly walked away before she heard a sigh.
“Fine, I’ll be nice”
Agatha stopped and grinned as she spoke
“Ask”
“Ask what exactly?”
“I want you to ask me for my help”
Rio could’ve screamed, of course there was a catch. Rio’s silence was obvious and gave Agatha the answer she was not looking for
“You take any longer there Vidal and I’m going to make you beg instead”
Rio rolled her eyes, could she get a break. First her favourite plant pot broke and now she was having to ask for help from the enemy
“Fine” she cleared her throat “please help me Agatha” she spoke reluctantly
“Good girl, was that so difficult?” Agatha moved to the edge of the glass spillage, gesturing for Rio to lower herself down
“Put your hands on my shoulders and steady yourself” Rio reluctantly did as she was told and Agatha grabbed Rio’s hips, lifting her up off the stool and swinging her round to delicately place her down away from the smashed plant pot.
But neither of them moved their hands.
Agatha’s fingers were drumming a light pattern on Rio’s hips, while Rio’s hands joined together at the back of Agatha neck bringing them an inch closer.
Rio’s brain was shouting at her to move away but the way that Agatha’s hands were on her body she couldn’t find it in herself to do it. She may hate the woman but whatever she was tapping was extremely comforting.
“Thank you” Rio croaked, her voice also now betraying her and deciding not to work
“You’re welcome, maybe next time don’t attempt to move that all by yourself. I’m just down the hall if you need an assistant” Agatha winked, it should be criminal for her to do that whilst her body is so close to Rio’s
“And why do you think I would ask you?” Rio responded
And oh that was the response Agatha was hoping for, Rio had set her up far too well
“Because” Agatha moved so their foreheads were nearly touching. She could hear the sound of Rio’s quick breath as her eyes darted between different points on Agatha’s face
“For some reason, Vidal, you can’t get me out of your head”
Rio huffed “is that really what you think?”
Rio really had played into Agatha’s hands without realising it
“It is indeed, because you’re the one who hasn’t let go”
Rio’s mouth opened in shock when she looked down to see that Agatha’s hands he’d left her waist without her realising. She unhooked her hands from Agatha’s next and pulled them back.
How did she not feel Agatha take her hands away?
Was she really too wrapped up in her own mind?
“Rio did you get that email I sent yo-“ Jen’s footsteps stopped at the door to Rio’s room, her eyes darting between the two of them.
“What’s going on here?” Jen asked with a head tilt and a very confused look. Rio was still to stunned to speak
“I was just helping Rio out of a tricky situation she found herself in” Agatha clapped her hands and moved away from Rio “but it’s time I must be going”
Rio turned round and watched Agatha leave. Some how she managed to stretch out the walk between Rio and the door to make it last even longer, her eyes still on Rio
“Bye Rio, bye Jen... Bye Rio”
Even Jen couldn’t not watch Agatha leave, once they both heard Agatha’s steps quieten down the hall Jen’s head snapped back round to Rio.
“What the fuck was that?!”
~~
Alice strolled down the hallway to Agatha’s room, her students had just finished their final exam and she thought she better check on Agatha, especially after one of her students had a freak out yesterday and Agatha had been unusually quiet for the rest of the afternoon.
“Alice I can’t loose this bet” Agatha ran her hands through her hair as she paced back and forth behind her desk.
Billy came to Agatha the day before the exam and was in such a panic about the material and what he had learned throughout the semester that Agatha had spent four hours going through his text book with him and answering any questions he had.
“I’m sure it will be fine Agatha, he seemed confident when he left”
“He seemed confident, I however did not. He better not lose me this bet” Agatha muttered to herself, not intending Alice to hear her.
“This is gonna sound stupid but why do you want to win so bad” Agatha shot Alice a look and Alice couldn’t help but laugh
“I have to win Alice, you know what the stakes are here, I cannot publicly humiliate myself for her”
“So what you’re gonna make her go on this vacation with you?” Agatha was taken back by Alice’s question, Alice usually never questioned her, but usually when she did, she was right.
“I wasn’t thinking straight I had no idea why I said that” Agatha admitted
“You said it because you were thinking with your vagina” Alice deadpanned
“Alice!”
“What it’s the truth! You very clearly want to get into Rio’s pants so just be an adult and ask her out instead of making her go on this vacation with you”
“Ah so you do think I’m going to win” Agatha said with a teasing tone to her voice, completely glossing over Alice’s suggestion that she liked Rio.
Alice hoped she did win because loser Agatha was much worse than smug Agatha.
Alice burst into Agatha’s room, already half way through a sentence but the woman was no where to be found. Instead Jen was sat at the front, an impatient look on her face.
“Agatha’s not here, she’s already twenty minutes late to our meeting” Jen said with a frown
“That’s unusual, I know she doesn’t give a shit half the time but she’s always on time” Alice took the seat across from Jen
“Who do you thinks gonna win?” Alice asked “and don’t just say Rio because you were friends first” Alice pointed a finger at her
“I was actually going to say neither”
“Oo controversial” Jen laughed at Alice
“At least we’ve all got pretty even class sizes so the loser can’t claim it was unfair” Jen pointed out
As Jen and Alice sat there laughing Agatha finally returned to her room, storming in with a very stern look on her face. Before either of them could comment Agatha just hit them with a “don’t” and slumped into her desk chair.
~~
It was finally the last Wednesday before the school year ended. The department had been excited since the last exam ended and their end of year evening gathering was in full swing. The professors all got together to celebrate all the hard work that went into the school year. It was usually one of Rio’s least favourite events of the year, all she wanted to do was go home and curl up with whatever was new on Netflix and a bucket load of popcorn, but tonight was different.
They all got together find out who’s class had the highest pass percentage, and more importantly Rio and Agatha got together find settle their little bet.
Lilia silenced the room.
Agatha was a mixture of excitement and nerves, not that she let it show. After Billy’s little freak out before the exam she was really doubting her chances, but she wouldn’t let Rio or anyone else see that. She can’t be humiliating herself before the result was revealed.
On the other side of the room Rio was not so quietly confident that her class had secured her the win.
They were about to find out.
“I know you’ve all been waiting to see who has won the vacation so I won’t bore you with all the unnecessary talking” the room laughed at Lilia, she picked up an envelope that was on the edge of the table.
“The professor who had the highest pass percentage and is therefore the winner of the vacation is…”
Rio was on the edge of her seat.
Agatha was conveniently stationed by the exit so she could make a quick getaway if needed.
Lilia opened up the envelope and pulled out the paper inside. Agatha would later wonder why she even bothered with the dramatics of the envelope in the first place considering she was the one who put it in there.
“Professor Harkness with a total pass percentage of 93.4%”
Agatha froze on the spot.
Billy didn’t blow it.
He did it.
She did it
Oh this victory was about to be so sweet.
There was applause and Alice gave her a pat on the back as she walked up to Lilia and gave her a quick hug.
Agatha passed several people congratulating her before she made her way over to Rio who had backed herself into a corner, metaphorically and physically.
“Now I could be horrible and gloat about this in front of everyone, but I will show some restraint and keep the gloating to an absolute minimum”
Rio groaned, taking another sip of her drink
“Are you seriously going to make me come on this with you?”
Agatha pretended to think about it for a moment
“Let me ask you this, if you won were you going to make me humiliate myself in public?”
Rio smirked, that gave Agatha the exact answer she was looking for
“I thought so” Agatha slowly walked away and Rio couldn’t help but watch, as much as it hadn’t really sunk in yet, she was still dreading the time she’d have to spend with Agatha.
“I’ll see you at the airport, don’t be late!” Agatha had called out as she disappeared into the crowd.