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The low music filtering through the kitchen does little to calm Rio down, as she frantically runs around the house, alternating between four different tasks in preparation for Agatha to arrive for their date night. Leaving the bubbling pot of sauce, and praying to God that it doesn't start to burn, she runs downstairs to retreive the clean table cloth from the dryer. She'd had a nasty shock when she brought it out of the airing cupboard this morning to find a bottle of fabric softener had, at some point, been knocked over on the shelf above, and drenched everything below in Coastal Mint and Lavender Bloom.
Sure, she could've set the table without it, but she wants this to be perfect for Agatha because today is the one year anniversary of their first real date. Neither could manage to get the day free to spend with the other. Agatha had been offered more money than was smart to refuse to fix up the engine on a tourist influencer couple's car so they could continue their very Instagramable road trip. Rio had been forced to step in for a sick colleague who was supposed to be speaking at a panel with local ammunitions companies imploring them to increase availability of non-lead products. She historically avoids giving these talks, never really managing to stay level-headed and ammenable with the men who she, more than anything, wants to scream at to stop making the bullets that are killing her birds.
They have secured the following long weekend free from work to celebrate properly with a drive up north to a cabin in Yosemite valley. But it felt important they alalso so spend tonight, the actual one year anniversary together. And Rio cannot believe its been a year since she dragged a reluctant Agatha on that short coastal hike, and knew in that moment, as her gaze settled more comfortably on Agatha than on the stunning sunset before them, that they were the one.
With the table cloth clean and dry, Rio takes the stairs two at a time back up to the kitchen, and manages to set the table in record time whilst also occasionally stirring the pasta sauce, taking the veg out out the oven, and adjusting the music every few minutes until she is certain it isn't too loud or too quiet.
She's just adding the pasta into a pot of boiling water when the doorbell rings.
"Coming, my love!" She shouts, stirring the sauce one last time before practically bounding over to the front door, and pulling it open.
Agatha stands on the other side, a pack of beers in one hand and a boquet of flowers in the other. The wind whips their hair around their face which is flushed red, as if they had sprinted up the stairs to Rio's front door. Instead of offering a teasing comment on this, Rio grabs Agatha by the collar of her shirt and pulls her over the threshold, their mouths colliding. Rio sighs a relieved sigh, as if this is the first kiss they'd shared in months, as if Rio hadn't woken up in Agatha's bed this morning and kissed them goodbye before leaving early for work.
"Your neighbour was being really nosy again." Agatha gestures to the house acorss from Rio's, where the curtians of the living room are immediately snapped shut.
"Happy anniversary, mi vida."
"Happy anniversary, baby"
They hug, and Agatha has to awkwardly manouever the flowers around Rio's head when they break apart to avoid hitting her with them.
Rio questions raising her eyebrows and nodding towards the flowers.
"Those for me?"
Agatha glances down, looking almost guilty.
"They ran out of lilies at the shop, even though I called ahead specifically to request them because they're your favourites, so blame them not me if you hate them-"
Rio stops Agatha's mouth, thanking them with another kiss.
"I love them, Agatha. Come inside."
Agatha hands the boquet to Rio and shrugs off their jacket before following her through to the kitchen where Rio immediately puts them to work.
"Stir the sauce every so often- don't let it stick to the pan. I'm getting a vase for these."
"Yes, dear," Agatha does their best impression of a long-suffering husband, gasping in mock offense when Rio flips them off
...
Rio disappears down to her room where Agatha can hear the sound of glass clinking against glass as Rio sorts through the vases atop her cabinet. She stirs the sauce continuously, probably not necessary, but she's not getting a telling-off from Rio tonight, not when she knows Rio could very well decide to punish her later if she doesn't follow her instructions.
"Thank you, my favourite sous chef." Rio places a hand on Agatha's waist and kisses their cheek as she passes them to get to the sink, filling the vase about a third of the way full over water and arranging the flowers inside it. She places it on the table, washes her hands, then starts chopping parsley to go on top of the pasta.
Its a routine they've shared dozens of times now, and Agatha enjoys is every time. Not only do they get to be bossed around by their girlfriend for an hour, they also get to come out the other side of it with a delicious meal- better than anything they could ever dream of having the effort or skill to put together on their own.
Despite the not-fight, ensuing month of no contact, and reestablishing their relationship afterwards, Agatha thinks, without a doubt, that this last year spent with Rio is the best year of their life. They never intended to meet anybody when they moved to their secluded little ranch all those months ago. They'd planned to be alone and stew in their grief indefinitely. But being with Rio has not only brought joy back into her lfe, it's taught her that its not wrong to want that joy, or to cherish their time spent with Rio. Together they've created room for Agatha to flourish as well as for her to feel her grief, something Agatha two years ago would have never imagined possible.
Agatha is lost in their thoughts, gaze fixed on Rio. Somehow, without even needing to turn and look, Rio must sense Agatha staring at her.
"Sauce," she reminds, a fond smile ruining her attempt at sounding stern.
"Yeah, yeah," Agatha grumbles, returning their focus to the pasta sauce. But soon, the wooden spoon is abandoned again against the side of the pot. she can't stop thinking about Rio, about how much she values these small domestic moments together, about how they've been together for a year now and still live forty minutes apart, about how this could be their every day, their 24/7.
"Agatha, love," Rio sighs after another minute, "are you trying to burn the sauce because-"
"Move in with me." Agatha demands more than asks. Rio freezes, mouth still open, prompting an uncharacteristic, "please?"
"You took your time."
Rio grabs Agatha by their hips, and swivels them both around, backing them against the fridge opposite the stove. The kiss, reminiscent of their very first, is frantic. Though now, a year later, they've learned each other's responses, and the feel of each other's lips against theirs. It's coordinated and flows, and they get lost in it. This time it's Agatha to speak up, pushing back and gasping as Rio tries to drag their bottom lip between her teeth.
"Rio, what about the sauce?" But their protest is dismissed with a disinterested "hmph" from Rio, who silences Agatha by sliding her tongue past Agatha's and into their mouth. Agatha sighs a sigh that borders on a moan, grasping the back of Rio's shirt and crumpling the fabric beneath her fingers. They kiss until they're both gasping for air, then they break apart and start again. Truly, the only thing that could break through to them would be doomsday sirens announcing the end of the world.
Or, as it turns out, Rio's smoke alarm.
"Shit!"
The water has evaporated completely out of the pasta sauce and what is left is stuck to the bottom of the pot, starting to give off smoke. Rio snatches a tea towel from the counter and waves it frantically around the alarm, trying to disperse the smoke. Agatha, not wanting to stand there just watching, moves to move the pot into the sink and under the cold water. They move too quickly, however, knoking the chopping board and sending Rio's parsely, like confetti, all over the floor.
…
"I'm really so so sorry about dinner." Rio apologises for the sixth time. She's laying completely on top of Agatha on the sofa, flopped over in defeat. Her face is hidden, head buried between their neck and the thick curtain of their hair. After finally getting the alarm to stop beeping, and clearing up the remains of what was meant to be their anniversary dinner, Agatha put in a delivery order at Rio's favourite Thai food restaurant, and dragged Rio through to the living roomm with her while they waited.
"It's okay, my love, I promise," her girlfriend replies.
"But that pasta is your favourite, I wanted to make tonight special."
Rio hears Agatha hum, considering something.
"I think I actually prefer that curry you make with the peanut bits on top."
This causes Rio to push up on her arms to face Agatha.
"But you told me the pasta was your favourite- you said so when I made it last month!" Rio suddenly felt like a bit of a terrible girlfriend for not knowing Agatha's actual favaourite dinner. She's certain Agatha had taken one bite, moaned, and told her the roasted pepper pasta was "the best thing you've ever made, oh my God, Rio."
Agatha snorts, picking up on Rio's distress and placing a hand comfortingly on Rio's shoulder.
"Baby, I say that about everything you cook because it makes you smile. I'm surprised you never picked up on it."
"I hate you," Rio grumbles, flopping back down.
"Yeah, I know."
Rio feels Agatha place a kiss to the top of her head.
"Would it make you feel better if I agree to watch Star Wars tonight?"
Rio sits up again so quickly she almost headbuts Agatha.
"You're actually serious?"
Over the last year, about once a month, Rio had lightly brought up the idea of getting Agatha to watch Star Wars. Agatha has seen shockingly few films, which Rio is on a tireless quest to remedy, though the Star Wars films are the ones Agatha is, for some reason, most reluctant about agreeing to watch. "Whats so great about a bunch of men waving glowing sticks at each other?" they'd complained on multipe occassions, to which Rio would usually reply "you'll see when you watch it." Rio never gave up, though Agatha's refusal to watch Star Wars became a bit of an inside joke between them- their version of flying pigs or the freezing over of hell.
"If," Agatha holds up a finger, "you agree to move in with me."
"What?"
"Well you never actually gave me a yes or no answer, soooo…"
"Oh my God, yes, of course I'll move in with you, idiot."
Their kiss this time is slow, Rio takes her time to build the pace. She braces her hands against Agatha's chest and starts at the base of their neck, working up the side of their jaw, and finally slotting their lips together.
"I love you so much," Rio sighs. Truthfully, she's been ready to move in with Agatha for months now, and they've brought it up offhandedly a couple of times. Whilst Rio's house is undoubtedly nicer, more warm and lived-in after years of careful curation, Agatha's has their workshop attached, and the gorgeous views of the miles of empty space all around that Rio's just doesn't. And luckily, Agatha's house is about the same distance from the sanctuary as Rio's is, so its not like her journey to work would be majorly impacted. After ensuring the electrical connection would be reliable enough for her to conscionably bring her heat-source-dependent pets along, and Agatha figuring out the logistics of installing a bathtub into their bathroom, they'd both tentatively agreed that Agatha's would be the place to move into together when the time came. And it doesn't really matter to Rio that Agatha's house isn't as homely as hers is, because Rio is prepared, no, excited, to turn Agatha's into a home with her girlfriend and their small collection of pets.
Once again, they are interrupted. Though, thankfully, this time its by the doorbell announcing the arrival of their takeout rather than an unfolding fire hazard.
Agatha pushes them both up into more of a seated position.
"I'll go fetch that, you set up the DVDs."
Those are something Rio is absolutely bringing along when she moves in with Agatha. Rio's extensive collection of DVDs are sacred to her. Whilst Agatha had originally poked fun of her for it upon first walking into her living room- "its like the fucking Criterion Closet in here", they seem to have come to enjoy the routine of their semi-regular movie nights, letting Rio ramble about each film in turn, as she scans the shelves looking for the night's pick.
When Agatha returns, she's holding the bags of takeout, plates, and forks.
"Wait," Agatha pauses mid step, arching an eyebrow at Rio, "these aren't takeout outfits."
"What on earth are you on about?"
"They're too fancy, I won't have you getting curry all over the both of us."
"Awh, but I thought you liked me dirty." Agatha smirks and Rio can't stop herself from blushing. They're not wrong. Whilst Rio is very anti dirty outside clothes in her bed, there have been many post-hike makeout sessions in Agatha's truck, where the taste of sweat on their lips and the dust and mud staining her girlfriend's cheeks have had Rio going feral.
"Well not when it leaves me with a $200 dry-cleaning bill, I like this dress."
"And I like seeing you in it. Do we have to change?" Agatha whines, kicking a foot against the floor petulantly.
"Yes." Rio's reply is firm.
"Fiiiiine," Agatha sighs, heavy and drawn out, "but only if you let me watch you change."
"Pervert," Rio mutters, standing up and walking over to the stairs. "You're getting my zip for me, though."
"Yes, ma'am."
…
"I don't get how you aren't cold right now." Rio has swapped her dress for a pair of small lacy pyjama shorts which peek out below the hem of a Snoopy tshirt that Agatha had bought her.
They were sat in Agatha's bed one evening. Rio was quietly reading, and Agatha was scrolling on Instagram reels of all things. Agatha, who didn't even own a mobile phone a few months prior, had initially only downloaded it to "see how hot you look in those educational videos you make for your job, baby," but was now hooked on scrolling through mindless content in their free time. An ad had interrupted her scrolling- it was a new collection of official Snoopy merch, and what caught their eye was a blue tshirt with Snoopy on a hike, complete with his own hat, sunglasses, and backpack. "Babe, its you!" they'd announced, and, with Rio's birthday coming up the next week, ordered it immediately.
"It's perfectly warm, mi amor, you're just a baby."
Agatha frowns, crossing their arms. But in her plaid patterned joggers, one of Rio's old Carthiditae Conservation Society hoodies, and pink fluffy socks, she doesn't look particularly intimidating.
"But it's February, Rio."
"And I've already put the heating on for you, just get under here."
Rio lifts the blanket she's draped over her legs up, and pats the spot on the sofa beside her for Agatha to come sit down. They do so, mumbling something about Rio being "built like a furnace" under their breath. Agatha squirms for a moment, burrowing under the blanket and snuggling next to Rio much like how Scratchy worms his way into their bed on nights when they forget to close their bedroom door, before finally stilling.
"You done?" she teases.
"Yup," Agatha replies, popping the P.
Rio has optimistically decided to have Agatha watch all three of the original trilogy Star Wars films tonight, and they dig into their takeaway as the yellow wall of text starts to rise up the screen.
Between mouthfulls of noodles and gai lan, Agatha gives snarky little snippets of commentary, which Rio counters with trivia facts she unsurprisingly has memorised about the sereis. Rio's infinite well of random knowledge, though something they like to bully her for, is actually endlessly endearing to Agatha, and she, despite herself, usually finds herself devouring said knowledge when offered it. Rio is the nerd of the two of them though, obviously.
Three hours, and one and a half movies in, Agatha thinks she's actually doing a very good job staying invested and entertained considering these are nerd films with hardly any women in them. She's only asked four questions so far which Rio has answered with an exaspertare, "just watch and you'll find out," and, if asked, she could probably give a relatively good recounting of what had happened in A New Hope. What Agatha hasn't picked up, and generally rarely does when Rio has her watch anything, are the names of any of the characters.
They're taking a brief recess. The film is paused just after Yoda has lifted Luke's ship from the swamp, and Agatha and Rio are walking back into the living room. Takeaway containers have been rinsed out and put away and each are carrying a mug of tea.
"Wait so tell me again, which one is your favourite character so far?"
"The tall shouty one!" Agatha replies, not for the first time, exasperated like this should be an obvious desciptor. They put the Snoopy mug that they've claimed as their own, down on the coffee table first just to they can flop dramatically onto the couch.
"And his name is…?"
"Rio. I don't know their fucking names." The blank look Rio gives them remains unchanged. "You know, the one that yells?" Agatha waves her arms around dramatically as if that would help Rio discern their meaning at all.
"My love, I'm so lost."
After another sip, Agatha puts their mug back down and sighs. They clear their throat and let out their best deep warbling cry. Rio chokes on her own mouthful of tea in shock, coughing painfully in between her laughter.
"Oh my god, Chewbacca?!" Rio gasps.
"Yes…?" Agatha guesses, the name not ringing a single bell.
"And you couldn't have thought to mention- I don't know- that he's seven feet tall and covered in fur?"
"I guess it slipped my mind."
Rio's coughs die down and she gives one final soft chuckle.
"You're ridiculous."
She places a kiss to the top of Agatha's head as they settle back against her shoulder under the blanket, snaking an arm around her waist. Rio presses play and the film starts up again.
"You know what," Rio speaks up a minute later, "that was actually a pretty good impression."
Agatha hums in agreement.
"That's because I'm exceptional."
"That you are, my love."
…
By the end of Return of the Jedi, Rio assumes from their stillness and slow breaths that Agatha is fast asleep. And Rio isn't following very far behind, the text of the credits bluring in front of her half closed eyes.
She knows neither of their backs will forgive them for a good long while if they don't make it back to Rio's bed to sleep, but she can't bring herself to wake them just yet. Instead, Rio decides to brush her teeth and wash her face first. She's wearing a little makeup this evening, not much, but more than she wears almost any other day, and so definitely needs to cleanse her skin properly to stop it from staging a riot in the coming days.
As she's brushing her teeth, Rio hears a shuffling coming down the stairs towards her, and moments later, Agatha, shileding her eyes from the light with her hands, appears beside her in the mirror.
"I thought you were asleep, baby."
Agatha frowns and grunts, which after a year of learning to translate Agatha's various noises, Rio suspects is meant to convincingly convey something along the lines of "No I wasn't, you're imagining things."
They groggily pick up their own toothbrush that they keep at here (that they soon won't need at all, Rio muses,) as Rio begins to go through her short skincare routine.
After they're done, Agatha, still half asleep, sits on the edge of the bathtub waiting for Rio to finish. They hum every few moments in response to Rio going over tomorrow's travel plans for the millionth time. They won't be leaving until late morning
Finally in Rio's bed and pressed up against each other, Rio is intensely greatful that Agatha kept their pink fluffy socks on, sparing her from feeling their ice cold feet nestled against her calves.
"I changed my answer- the hole with teeth," Agatha mutters, barely audible and with the last of their waking energy.
"What's that, mi amor?"
"My favourite character. I like the hole with teeth most."
And Rio, exhausted herself, can't help but giggle that her girlfriend's favourite Star Wars character is the Sarlacc Pit.
They kiss briefly then Agatha shifts down, tucking her head beneath Rio's.
"Of course it is. Goodnight, my love."
"Mmm, night." Agatha wraps their arms just slightly tighter around Rio's middle before sighing and letting their whole body relax into sleep. Rio double checks her alarm is set properly then turns off her bedside lamp, and lets her own eyes slip closed.